Kevin Ellis Robinson

US Patent:

20220325845, Oct 13, 2022

Filed:

Mar 7, 2022

Appl. No.:

17/653831

Inventors:

- Cupertino CA, US
Kevin M. Robinson - Sunnyvale CA, US
Christoph M. Pistor - Santa Cruz CA, US
Mehrdad Hooshmand - Cupertino CA, US
Simon J. Trivett - Waterloo, CA
Bradley J. Hamel - Portola Valley CA, US
Kristopher P. Laurent - Portola Valley CA, US
David H. Narajowski - San Jose CA, US
Stephen V. Jayanathan - Seattle WA, US
Laura M. DeForest - San Mateo CA, US

International Classification:

F16M 11/04
H05K 5/00

Abstract:

Support systems and stands for electronic devices include tilt hinges, lift arms, and their component parts. Some tilt hinges include assemblies for guiding and retaining bars or protrusions into preferred positioning within receiver openings to unify the parts, particularly as they move, and to reduce wobble or slop in the joints. Lift arms provide simplified and low-cost guidance and counterbalance mechanisms for controlling movement of the electronic device relative to the base of a stand. In some cases, the lift arms have sheaths to help protect or cover mechanisms while allowing additional space for the mechanisms within the lift arm. Other interconnection systems hide and protect a connector interface between the stand and the electronic device within a housing until unlocked and the connector is moved into an exposed position. These systems improve efficiency, comfort, ergonomics, accessibility, and user satisfaction of the electronic devices and their supports.

US Patent:

20220325848, Oct 13, 2022

Filed:

Mar 7, 2022

Appl. No.:

17/653854

Inventors:

- Cupertino CA, US
Kevin M. Robinson - Sunnyvale CA, US
Christoph M. Pistor - Santa Cruz CA, US
Mehrdad Hooshmand - Cupertino CA, US
Simon J. Trivett - Waterloo, US
Bradley J. Hamel - Portola Valley CA, US
Kristopher P. Laurent - Portola Valley CA, US
David H. Narajowski - San Jose CA, US
Stephen V Jayanathan - Seattle WA, US
Laura M. DeForest - San Mateo CA, US

International Classification:

F16M 11/12

Abstract:

Support systems and stands for electronic devices include tilt hinges, lift arms, and their component parts. Some tilt hinges include assemblies for guiding and retaining bars or protrusions into preferred positioning within receiver openings to unify the parts, particularly as they move, and to reduce wobble or slop in the joints. Lift arms provide simplified and low-cost guidance and counterbalance mechanisms for controlling movement of the electronic device relative to the base of a stand. In some cases, the lift arms have sheaths to help protect or cover mechanisms while allowing additional space for the mechanisms within the lift arm. Other interconnection systems hide and protect a connector interface between the stand and the electronic device within a housing until unlocked and the connector is moved into an exposed position. These systems improve efficiency, comfort, ergonomics, accessibility, and user satisfaction of the electronic devices and their supports.

US Patent:

20220326731, Oct 13, 2022

Filed:

Mar 7, 2022

Appl. No.:

17/653859

Inventors:

- Cupertino CA, US
Kevin M. Robinson - Sunnyvale CA, US
Christoph M. Pistor - Santa Cruz CA, US
Mehrdad Hooshmand - Cupertino CA, US
Simon J. Trivett - Waterloo, US
Bradley J. Hamel - Portola Valley CA, US
Kristopher P. Laurent - Portola Valley CA, US
David H. Narajowski - San Jose CA, US
Stephen V Jayanathan - Seattle WA, US
Laura M. DeForest - San Mateo CA, US

International Classification:

G06F 1/16
H05K 5/02

Abstract:

Support systems and stands for electronic devices include tilt hinges, lift arms, and their component parts. Some tilt hinges include assemblies for guiding and retaining bars or protrusions into preferred positioning within receiver openings to unify the parts, particularly as they move, and to reduce wobble or slop in the joints. Lift arms provide simplified and low-cost guidance and counterbalance mechanisms for controlling movement of the electronic device relative to the base of a stand. In some cases, the lift arms have sheaths to help protect or cover mechanisms while allowing additional space for the mechanisms within the lift arm. Other interconnection systems hide and protect a connector interface between the stand and the electronic device within a housing until unlocked and the connector is moved into an exposed position. These systems improve efficiency, comfort, ergonomics, accessibility, and user satisfaction of the electronic devices and their supports.

US Patent:

20220214751, Jul 7, 2022

Filed:

Mar 24, 2022

Appl. No.:

17/703740

Inventors:

- Cupertino CA, US
Justin D. Crosby - Cupertino CA, US
Daniel K. Boothe - San Francisco CA, US
Houtan R. Farahani - Cupertino CA, US
Kevin M. Robinson - Sunnyvale CA, US
Ryan J. Mihelich - Morgan Hill CA, US
Robert J. Lockwood - San Carlos CA, US

International Classification:

G06F 3/01
H04R 1/02
G06F 3/041
H04R 1/24
G06F 3/0354

Abstract:

An electronic device has a housing that forms an exterior surface of the electronic device. An array of actuators is coupled to the housing and is operable to move the housing in order to produce sound waves and/or haptic output via the exterior surface. In this way, less space is consumed by acoustic and haptic devices as compared to similar conventional devices, thereby allowing for thinner electronic devices and/or room for other components within the housing. The actuators may be operable to move different regions of the housing to produce sound waves and/or haptic output within different frequency ranges.

US Patent:

20230099860, Mar 30, 2023

Filed:

Sep 23, 2022

Appl. No.:

17/952021

Inventors:

- Cupertino CA, US
Kevin M. ROBINSON - Sunnyvale CA, US
Gregory D. CARINI - Cupertino CA, US
Pengyuan HUANG - San Jose CA, US

International Classification:

F21V 8/00

Abstract:

A keyboard includes a mechanical structure and a key attached to the mechanical structure. A light emitting diode configured to emit light into a light guide panel. A reflector may be attached to the light guide panel and be configured to reflect light from the light guide panel through an opening in the mechanical structure to illuminate a periphery of the key.

US Patent:

20230049811, Feb 16, 2023

Filed:

Jul 7, 2022

Appl. No.:

17/859668

Inventors:

- Cupertino CA, US
Adam T Garelli - Morgan Hill CA, US
Bradley J Hamel - Portola Valley CA, US
Dinesh C Mathew - San Francisco CA, US
Hoon Sik Kim - San Jose CA, US
Keith J Hendren - Santa Cruz CA, US
Robert Y Cao - San Francisco CA, US
Terry C Lam - Mountain View CA, US
Kevin M Robinson - Sunnyvale CA, US
Houtan R Farahani - San Ramon CA, US
Tatsuya Sano - San Jose CA, US

International Classification:

G06F 1/16

Abstract:

A foldable display device may have housing portions coupled by a hinge. The hinge may have a series of interconnected links. The links may be formed from interdigitated fingers in a friction clutch. The fingers or other portions of the links may be provided with crescent-shaped slots that receive pins. During folding of the device, the pins may slide along the crescent-shaped slots, thereby ensuring that adjacent links rotate relative to each other about a rotation axis that lies outside of the hinge and within a flexible display panel. Links may also be formed from link members with curved mating bearing surfaces that slide relative to each other as adjacent links are rotated relative to each other. A housing rotation synchronization mechanism may be formed using a set of gears that extends between the first and second housing portions.

US Patent:

20210373610, Dec 2, 2021

Filed:

May 27, 2020

Appl. No.:

16/885045

Inventors:

- Cupertino CA, US
Kevin M. Robinson - Sunnyvale CA, US
Xiaonan Wen - San Jose CA, US
Shingo Yoneoka - Sunnyvale CA, US

International Classification:

G06F 1/16
G06F 3/01
F16M 11/10

Abstract:

A notebook computer may include a display portion, a base portion, a hinge mechanism movably coupling the display portion to the base portion, an optical sensing system configured to capture an image of an object, an actuation system comprising a shape-memory alloy member coupled to the base portion and the display portion and configured to move the display portion relative to the base portion, and a processing system. The processing system may be configured to determine a target position for the display portion based at least in part on a location of the object in the image and cause the actuation system to actuate the hinge mechanism to move the display portion, relative to the base portion, from an initial position to the target position.

US Patent:

20200301480, Sep 24, 2020

Filed:

Mar 17, 2020

Appl. No.:

16/821875

Inventors:

- Cupertino CA, US
Kevin M. ROBINSON - Sunnyvale CA, US
Chien-Tsun CHEN - Taipei City, TW

International Classification:

G06F 1/16
F16C 11/04
E05D 11/00
E05D 1/04
E05D 11/08
E05D 11/10

Abstract:

An accessory device for an electronic device is disclosed. The accessory device includes multiple sections, with one section holding the electronic device, and another section having an input mechanism, such as a keyboard. The accessory device includes a hinge assembly that allows relative movement of the sections with respect each other. An additional hinge assembly is integrated with the section carrying the electronic device, and provides additional flexibility and range of motion of the section, thereby allowing a user to position the electronic device at multiple different angles relative to the section carrying the input mechanism. Also, each hinge assembly may include multiple roller and spacer elements, as well as a retention structure passing through each roller element and spacer element. The retention structure can provide tension to increase the frictional force between the roller and spacer elements, and/or provide counterbalance to offset the weight of the electronic device.