Patent application number | Description | Published |
20110164365 | COMPONENT ASSEMBLY - A portable computing device is disclosed. The portable computing device can take many forms such as a laptop computer, a tablet computer, and so on. The portable computing device can include at least a single piece housing. The single piece housing including a plurality of steps. The plurality of mounting steps are formed by at least removing a preselected amount of housing material at predetermined locations on the interior surface. At least some of the mounting steps are used to mount at least some of the plurality of internal operating components to the housing. | 07-07-2011 |
20120044660 | BUTTON ASSEMBLY WITH DRIVE ASSEMBLY - A process is provided for characterizing a tactile response of a first mechanical actuator (e.g., button) based on a back off distance. The first mechanical actuator may include a plunger, a dome-shaped flexible membrane, and an electrical contact, all aligned with each other so that a contact signal is generated when the flexible membrane touches the contact. The plunger can be moved a first distance towards the contact until the contact signal is generated at a contact point. Then the plunger can be backed off a second distance from the contact point. This second distance may be called the “back off distance”. The particular feel of the first mechanical actuator can then be correlated to a particular back off distance. This process can be repeated a number of times to classify a number of different “feels” for the first mechanical actuator based on a number of different back off distances. | 02-23-2012 |
20120088067 | NON-CONTACT POLISHING TECHNIQUES FOR REDUCING ROUGHNESS ON GLASS SURFACES - Apparatus, systems and methods for reducing surface roughness on surface of a glass member using a non-contact polishing process are disclosed. According to one aspect, a method for processing a glass member suitable for use in a handheld electronic device includes obtaining the glass member and chemically strengthening the glass member. The glass member has at least one surface, and chemically strengthening the glass member increases roughness associated with the at least one surface. The method also includes applying a first non-contact polishing process to the glass member after chemically strengthening the glass member. Applying the first non-contact polishing process reduces the roughness associated with the at least one surface. | 04-12-2012 |
20120162095 | INTERNAL OPTICAL COATING FOR ELECTRONIC DEVICE DISPLAY - An internal optical coating includes multiple layers of different materials and thicknesses and is disposed between a transparent display cover and a visual display unit for an electronic device display. The optical coating transmits most visible light, reflects most non-visible light and substantially absorbs blackbody radiation generated from within the electronic device. The multiple layers comprise two or more materials having alternating low and high indices of refraction, and can include 36 or more layers, each having a thickness ranging from 10 to 400 nanometers. The arrangement and thicknesses of the layers are designed based upon the thickness and optical properties of the transparent display cover. The internal optical coating can also be specially formulated to replace a typical internal anti-reflective coating proximate the visual display unit. | 06-28-2012 |
20120194997 | COMPONENT ASSEMBLY - A portable computing device is disclosed. The portable computing device can take many forms, such as a laptop computer, a tablet computer, and so on. The portable computing device can include at least a single piece housing with a cavity having a substantially flat bottom wall. A battery assembly and main logic board can be mounted directly to the substantially flat bottom wall with a plurality of additional components arranged around a peripheral edge of the battery assembly and main logic board. | 08-02-2012 |
20120218219 | DISPLAYS WITH MINIMIZED BORDERS - An electronic device may be provided with a display having a flexible substrate with bent edges. The flexible substrate may have a planar active region that includes an array of light-emitting elements such as organic light-emitting diodes with associated control lines. The flexible substrate may also have inactive regions that lie outside of the active region. The bent edges may be formed from portions of the flexible substrate in the inactive regions. Traces for distributing control signals to the control lines in the active region may be formed in the inactive regions. Corner openings may be formed at the corners of the flexible substrate to accommodate bending of the flexible substrate in the inactive regions. A jumper or a portion of the flexible substrate that lies outside of a corner opening may be used to convey signals between traces on adjoining inactive regions. | 08-30-2012 |
20120242588 | ELECTRONIC DEVICES WITH CONCAVE DISPLAYS - Electronic devices may be provided with concave displays that reduce the risk of damage in the event of a drop while maximizing the internal volume of the device. Concave displays may be formed from one or more flexible layers including a flexible display layer. The flexible display layer may be mounted to a rigid support structure or a rigid cover layer. Flexible display layers that conform to the curved shape of a rigid cover structure provide additional internal volume in which internal components of the device may be positioned. | 09-27-2012 |
20130216067 | COMPONENT ASSEMBLY - A portable computing device is disclosed. The portable computing device can take many forms such as a laptop computer, a tablet computer, and so on. The portable computing device can include at least a single piece housing. The single piece housing including a plurality of steps. The plurality of mounting steps are formed by at least removing a preselected amount of housing material at predetermined locations on the interior surface. At least some of the mounting steps are used to mount at least some of the plurality of internal operating components to the housing. | 08-22-2013 |
20130220789 | BUTTON ASSEMBLY WITH DRIVE ASSEMBLY - A process is provided for characterizing a tactile response of a first mechanical actuator (e.g., button) based on a back off distance. The first mechanical actuator may include a plunger, a dome-shaped flexible membrane, and an electrical contact, all aligned with each other so that a contact signal is generated when the flexible membrane touches the contact. The plunger can be moved a first distance towards the contact until the contact signal is generated at a contact point. Then the plunger can be backed off a second distance from the contact point. This second distance may be called the “back off distance”. The particular feel of the first mechanical actuator can then be correlated to a particular back off distance. This process can be repeated a number of times to classify a number of different “feels” for the first mechanical actuator based on a number of different back off distances. | 08-29-2013 |
20140097835 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DETECTING DIRECTION OF A MAGNETIC FIELD - An integrated system of sensors that can be used to detect a direction of an externally applied magnetic field is disclosed. In one embodiment, the system can be incorporated into a compact package that can be used within an electronic device. A processor can use signals provided by the sensor system to provide an indication of the direction of the externally applied magnetic field. In one embodiment, the sensors can take the form of analog sensors such as Hall Effect sensors configured in such a way that the direction of the externally applied magnetic field can be deduced based in part upon detection signals provided by the Hall Effect sensors. In one embodiment, the Hall Effect sensors can be stacked one atop the other in such a way that relative signal strength of the detection signals from the sensors can indicate the direction of the externally applied magnetic field. | 04-10-2014 |
20140174607 | RETENTION OF MAGNETIC PROPERTIES - Methods, systems, and apparatuses for retaining magnetic properties of magnetic elements while undergoing manufacturing processes are presented. In one embodiment, a manufacturing fixture includes a temperature controlled region suitable for retaining a magnetic element. The manufacturing fixture also includes a cooling mechanism configured to maintain the magnetic element at an acceptable temperature range during a thermally active manufacturing process. The temperature controlled or stabilized region can include a structure configured to receive the magnetic element and a sensor, or sensors. In one embodiment, the sensor can be configured to measure an ambient temperature of the temperature stabilized region. In another embodiment, the sensor can be a magnetic sensor configured to determine a magnetic property of the magnetic element. | 06-26-2014 |
20140272129 | COMPLIANT PERMEABLE GLUE APPLICATOR - An adhesive applicator including an adhesive dispenser to provide adhesive at a pressure and a compliant head adapted to rotate about a symmetry axis is provided. The compliant head includes a permeable material to provide the adhesive to an adhesive layer on a top surface of a substrate. The adhesive applicator may include a driver coupled to move the compliant head so that the symmetry axis forms a trajectory on a substrate. An applicator head including a foam matrix having pores with a pre-selected pore diameter and having a compliant surface to accommodate substrate geometry is also provided. The foam matrix is elastically deformable upon contact with the substrate geometry. A method for applying an adhesive layer to a substrate using an adhesive applicator as above is also provided. | 09-18-2014 |