Apple wins another Smartglasses patent for an advanced Securement Arm System to assist active users keep their glasses firmly in place
Apple Fires 185 Employees over Fraudulent Donations Scheme

Apple won 74 Patents today covering a Project Titan patent for a Pulse-width Modulation Pixel Sensor, two Vision Pro Design Patents & more

11. 1BX -Apple Project Titan - LARGE

Although Apple put the kibosh on their autonomous vehicle project known as Project Titan, Apple could license any or all of their granted patents to interested parties. Apple had may mechanical innovations in the field of autonomous vehicles and unique patents regarding vehicle interior concepts. For that reason, we'll continue to cover Project Titan patents. Our report also covers two new design patents from USPTO regarding Apple's Vision Pro headset and more. 

In Apple's granted patent background they note that cameras and other image recording devices may use one or more image sensors, such as a charged-coupled device (CCD) image sensor or a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor. A typical CMOS image sensor may include a two-dimensional array of pixels, where each pixel may include a photodiode and one or more transistors used to activate and read each pixel.

In CMOS image sensors, any movement in a subject imaged by a CMOS image sensor may blur the image of the subject, or may otherwise cause different types of motion artifacts. CMOS image sensors may struggle in obtaining a high dynamic range (HDR) for a single shot, as high-contrast areas of an image may be depicted as too dark or too bright.

CMOS image sensors may additionally have a finite full-well capacity, which may limit a dynamic range of an output image and result in failing to capture a full range of light intensities represented in a scene.

Pulse-width Modulation Pixel Sensor

Apple's solution relates to pulse-width modulation (PWM) image sensors and, particularly, to PWM image sensor arrays on a stacked wafer that orient a charge-to-time converter (CTC) and a time-to-digital converter (TDC) in a Z-direction, thereby reducing a size of an image sensor pixel in an XY-plane. Further aspects of the provided disclosure provide flexible control of a transfer function of a TDC of a PWM image sensor.

A PWM image sensor that may have a reduced pixel size, thereby increasing a number of potential pixels in a particular area, may permit flexible control of a digital-domain transfer function, may provide single-shot high dynamic range (HDR) imaging, may reduce movement-blur, and may provide additional functionality. 

The PWM image sensor may utilize PWM control during time-based conversion processes, by, for example, controlling a switch supplying voltage and current to a load. The average value of the voltage and current may be modified by changing a rate of the switch.

A PWM image sensor may comprise a charge-to-time converter (CTC) and a time-to-digital converter (TDC). The CTC may be positioned on a top wafer and the TDC may be positioned on a logic wafer, where the logic wafer is positioned below the top wafer in a vertical orientation (e.g., a Z-direction). By utilizing space in the Z-direction, the PWM image sensor may have a higher pixel density in an XY-plane. Stacking the CTC and the TDC at the wafer-level may further reduce the overall die and/or module size when compared to traditional image sensors.

Apple's patent FIG. 1A below illustrates an example pulse-width modulation (PWM) image sensor #100 capturing light #112 reflected from an object #110. In FIG. 1, the object  is depicted as an automobile, though it is appreciated that any object, or combination of objects, may be the subject of an image detection operation of a PWM image sensor. For example, a face of a user of an electronic device within which the PWM image sensor is disposed may be a subject as detected by the PWM image sensor.

(Click on image to Enlarge) 2. Project Titan patent figs

Apple's patent FIG. 2 above depicts example electronic components of pixel #200 of a PWM image sensor.

For more details, review Apple's granted patent 12192644.

New Design Patents: Unlike "patent applications" that provide the public with an abstract, summary and details of an invention, design patents published around the world are limited to only providing the public with design patent figures. No additional specifics of the design are made available.

Two Apple Vision Pro Design Patents

I've never seen a device that Apple has attempted to protect more than their Vision Pro headset. Patently Apple has posted wave after wave of design patents showing every conceivable angle of Vision Pro over time. Evidently Apple is determined to keep adding design patents and today, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office published two new design patents with multiple angles of their Vision Pro headset as presented below.

3 - design patent for vision pro  display unit
3 - design patent for vision pro  display unit

Control Center Icon Design Patents

Over the weekend several granted design patents were published in Europe that relate to the iPhone's Control Center as presented below. 5 Apple design patents

Other design patents have been listed without graphics for "Rolling Stone Blues," "Center Passenger," and "Add Widgets."  When the graphics are published, we'll determine at that time whether to report on them.

Addition Granted Patents for January 7, 2025

6 - WEEKLY APPLE GRANTED PATENTS FOR JAN 7  2024 -

10.52FX - Granted Patent Bar