The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office officially published a series of 43 newly granted patents for Apple Inc. today. In this particular report we mainly cover a feedback system possibly for the iPhone 12 (or future iPhone) executing a haptic feedback event using a tungsten enclosure. Our report also links to several patents covering depth mapping, antireflective infrared cut filter coatings and  lastly a fabrics centric patent. And, as always, we wrap up this week's granted patent report with our traditional listing of the remaining granted patents that were issued to Apple today.

iPhone: Tungsten Framed Haptic Feedback Module

Apple's invention covers a haptic feedback module for generating a haptic feedback event. The haptic feedback module includes an enclosure having walls that define a cavity. The enclosure is capable of carrying operational components within the cavity that include a frame made of tungsten, a magnetic element that is carried by the frame, a magnetic coil element that is capable of generating a magnetic field that interacts with the magnetic element such as to displace the frame, and linear-actuation end stops that are coupled to a first end of the frame and a second end of the frame that opposes the first end.

The feedback system includes a frame comprised of tungsten, where the frame carries a magnetic element. The feedback system further includes magnetic coil elements that are in communication with the processor, where when the magnetic coil elements receive the instructions from the processor, the magnetic coil elements generate a magnetic field that interacts with the magnetic element such as to cause the frame to oscillate in a generally linear direction, and end stops that are coupled to the frame.

Apple's patent FIGS. 1A-1B below illustrate a portable electronic device that includes a haptic feedback module. According to some examples, the portable electronic device can include a computing device such as a smartphone.

Apple's patent FIG. 4 above illustrates a perspective view of a haptic feedback module #400. The frame #420 is comprised of tungsten. In some examples, the frame is comprised entirely from tungsten or comprised generally from tungsten.

Apple further specifies that the frame is comprised of sintered tungsten. Sintering involves compacting and forming a solid mass of tungsten by applying heat or pressure without melting the tungsten. In some examples, the solid mass of tungsten is sintered to a threshold temperature that is below the melting point of tungsten such that the atoms in individual tungsten particles diffuse with atoms in other tungsten particles to form a single piece of metal.

Beneficially, the use of sintered tungsten results in a frame that is significantly stiffer and denser than stainless steel.

Apple's granted patent 10,831,276 was originally filed in Q1 2019.

Other Patents of Interest Today

01) Depth map generation

02) Time-of-flight depth mapping with parallax compensation

03) Antireflective infrared cut filter coatings for electronic devices

04) Warp knit fabrics with variable path weft strands

The Remaining Patents granted to Apple Today