Here is a list of some of the patents granted to Apple today by the USPTO.
US 8,332,664
Systems and methods for providing device-to-device handshaking through a power supply signal
Handshaking circuits are provided in a communications cable and in a device operable to be mated with the communications cable. Before a device can utilize the power supply signal of such a communications channel, the two handshaking circuits must sufficiently identify one another over a power supply signal with a decreased voltage. The decreased voltage allows for a cable plug to be provided with a safe, protected power that cannot cause harm to a human. The decreased voltage also reduces the chance that a device can receive a primary power supply signal from the cable before the device sufficiently identifies itself. Accordingly, a laptop may be connected to a portable music player, but the voltage of the power supply signal provided by the laptop to the cable may be decreased on-cable until the handshaking circuit of the portable music player sufficiently performs a handshaking operation with a on-cable handshaking circuit.
D672,366
Display screen or portion thereof with icon. iCloud Symbol.
US 8,332,402
Location based media items
Media items can be distributed to mobile devices based on the location of the media device. The media items can be associated with location information, which can be examined and distributed to those devices whose proximate area includes the location information associated with the media items.
US 8,332,795
Automated pin multiplexing for programmable logic device implementation of integrated circuit design
In an embodiment, a method to automatically select groups of signals to be multiplexed on pins of a programmable logic device in a programmable logic device implementation of at least a portion of an integrated circuit is contemplated. The set of signals that may be candidates for multiplexing may be received (e.g., the set may be output by programmable logic device design tool). Clock domain tracing may be performed, and signals that have matching clock domains may be identified as candidates for multiplexing. Signals from matching clock domains may be grouped (up to a maximum number of signals that may be multiplexed on one pin) and assigned to pins of the programmable logic devices.
US 8,332,699
Scan insertion optimization using physical information
In an embodiment, a design methodology and tools to implement the methodology are used to perform scan insertion in an integrated circuit design. The physical location of the scan chains within the boundaries of the integrated circuit may be determined, and the methodology may use the physical information to perform the scan insertion. For example, the physical information may include the location of the inputs and outputs of the scan chains, as well as routability data indicating the ability to insert interconnect in the integrated circuit to make the desired scan connections. The location and routability information may be used to group scan chain inputs and outputs for, e.g., compression/decompression logic. Using physical data to insert scan compression/decompression logic may reduce the amount of area occupied by the scan logic and connectivity, in some embodiments.
US 8,331,966
Content selection based on simulcast data
A computer system receives information snippets from a mobile device. The information snippets are extracted from a simulcast of a data stream of a radio broadcast received on the mobile device. The system identifies content metadata from the information snippets. The content metadata describes one or more features of the radio broadcast. The system selects a radio station from a radio station repository based on attributes of the radio station. One of the selection criteria is that the attributes of the radio station match at least a portion of the content metadata. The system presents a reference to the radio station to the mobile device as a recommendation.
8,330,033
Graphical user interface for music sequence programming
An example graphical programming interface system includes a processor. A grid matrix defined by a plurality of coordinate axes, having selectable matrix positions is displayed on a display device. Multiple movable object icons, each representing an object having a predefined output sound are also displayed on the display device. In one aspect, a single object data file is associated with each matrix position on said grid matrix. In this aspect, once a user places an object icon on a matrix position, the processor causes the predefined output sound associated with the object icon in accordance with the object data file associated with the matrix position at which the object icon is placed, and outputs the processed sound to an output device. This allows a user to program musical sequences by placing one or more object icons each on the selectable matrix positions.
8,331,916
Image selection for an incoming call
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, are described for selecting an image of a caller associated with an incoming call. In one aspect, a method includes identifying a caller associated with an incoming call from an originating telecommunications device. The method also includes locating plurality images of the identified caller, and randomly displaying on the mobile telecommunications device’s display screen one or more images from among the located plurality images of the identified caller.
US 8,332,406
Real-time visualization of user consumption of media items
A computer implemented method for displaying real-time computer mediated user consumption data, comprising: accessing consumption data corresponding to real-time computer mediated user consumption behavior; parsing the consumption data to identify one or more events comprising one or more instances of consumption data and wherein each event is associated with a user; adding the events to an event stack comprising a predetermined stack limit; and storing the consumption data for each event in a data structure configured to correlate related consumption data and provide a temporal context to the stored consumption data wherein addition of graphical symbols to a visualization display is responsive to the arrangement of the consumption data in the data structure.
Source: USPTO
