Granted Patent Number One: Storing Baseline Information in EEPROM

Apple has received a third granted patent related multi-touch today. This particular patent relates to panels used as input devices for computing systems, and more particularly, to the pre-storing of baseline no-touch sensor output values in nonvolatile memory for use during boot-up so that the baseline is not corrupted by fingers or other objects touching the sensor panel during boot-up.

Apple's First Claim: A method for establishing no-event baseline sensor output values for sensors in an event sensor panel without corruption by touch or hover events on or about the sensor panel, comprising: during boot-up of a sensor panel subsystem, retrieving pre-stored no-event baseline sensor output values, computing offsets for use in generating normalized sensor output values, performing a scan of the sensor panel to obtain new sensor output values, determining whether an object is touching or hovering on or about the sensor panel, and replacing the pre-stored no-event baseline sensor output values with the new sensor output values only when it is determined that no object is touching or hovering on or about the sensor panel.

To review Apple's other 28 patent claims and invention detailing, see granted patent 8,054,296. Apple credits Brian Land, Wayne Westerman and Steve Hotelling as the inventors of this patent which was originally filed in January 2007 as the Mac community was being a peek at the coming iPhone.

Apple Wins a Patent for iOS Acoustic systems

Apple has received a Granted Patent that relates to iOS device acoustic ports that include a microphone and one or more speakers ports. The speaker ports may be used as speakerphone ports or as ear speakers for a receiver when the device is used as a telephone.

The acoustic ports may be formed from openings in the housing for the portable electronic device. The openings may be covered with one or more layers of mesh. The finer holes available in the acoustic mesh may help to prevent intrusion of fine particles that pass through the metal mesh.

A microphone port may have a microphone unit and an elastomeric microphone boot. The microphone boot may have an opening that permits sound to enter the microphone unit from outside of the portable electronic device.

About Apple's Patent Figures: FIG 1 is an iPhone; FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a multilayer mesh arrangement that may be provided in an acoustic port such as a microphone or speaker port; FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional side view showing illustrative layers of material that may be included in an acoustic port; FIG. 13 is a perspective view of an illustrative speaker enclosure and associated components.

Apple's First Claim: portable electronic device acoustic structure, comprising: a substantially sealed speaker enclosure having an interior and an exterior; and a speaker within the speaker enclosure, wherein the speaker has a diaphragm with one side exposed to the exterior of the sealed speaker enclosure and another side exposed to the interior of the sealed speaker enclosure so that acoustically the sealed speaker enclosure serves as a closed speaker box for the speaker and wherein the substantially sealed speaker enclosure has a vent between the interior and exterior of the speaker enclosure that allows air pressure to equalize between the exterior and interior.

To review Apple's other eight patent claims and invention detailing, see granted patent 8,055,003. Apple credits Adam Mittleman, Richard Howarth and Chad Sequin as the inventors of this patent which was originally filed in Q2 2008.

Final Patent Round-Up

Over and above the granted patents that were specifically reported on today, we present you with links to all of the other granted patents in our Final Patent Round-Up as follows:

Patent 8,054,623 for a "Latching mechanism" related to Apple's Mac Pro tower; Patent 8,054,211 relates to Apple Remote; Patent 8,056,112 Relating to Location-based media presentation; Patent 8,055,975 relating to combined single error correction/device kill detection code; Patent 8,055,959 relating to Disabling faulty flash memory dies; and lastly, Patent 8,052,468 relating to Audio plug with cosmetic hard shell.

Notice: Patently Apple presents only a brief summary of granted patents with associated graphics for journalistic news purposes as each Granted Patent is revealed by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. Readers are cautioned that the full text of any Granted Patent should be read in its entirety for full details. About Comments: Patently Apple reserves the right to post, dismiss or edit comments.