Apple Assigned Six Patents

Small disk support for large cloud-based storage
Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA, has been assigned a patent (10,560,513) developed by Hess, Michael Pirnack, Campbell, CA, Morard, Jean-Gabriel, Chaville, France, and d’Herbemont, Pierre, San Francisco, CA, for a “small disk support for large cloud-based storage systems.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: ”Disclosed herein is a technique for managing storage space in a user device by efficiently downloading files from a cloud-based storage system and evicting files from the user device. According to some embodiments, files are continuously downloaded in a download mode until a particular threshold is satisfied. When the threshold is satisfied, the files can be downloaded in an on-demand mode as needed by the user, where the user device operates in the on-demand mode until a sufficient amount of storage space is freed by evicting files from the user device. Thereafter, the user device can switch back to the download mode.”

The patent application was filed on December 21, 2018 (16/230,557).

Managing partitions on storage device
Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA, has been assigned a patent (10,552,077) developed by Vogan, Andrew W., Austin, TX, for “techniques for managing partitions on a storage device.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: ”Disclosed herein are techniques for managing partitions on a storage device. A method can include, (1) identifying a storage capacity of the storage device, (2) generating a first data structure that defines a first partition on the storage device, where the first partition consumes a first amount of the storage capacity, and, (3) generating a second data structure that defines a second partition on the storage device, where the second partition consumes at least a portion of a remaining amount of the storage capacity relative to the first amount. In response to receiving a shrink request directed to the first partition, the method can further include, (4) identifying a first utilized area within the first partition that will no longer be utilized as a result of the shrink request, and, (5) updating first information in the first data structure to indicate that the first utilized area is unutilized.”

The patent application was filed on September 29, 2017 (15/721,285).

Self-calibrating system architecture for magnetic distortion compensation
Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA, has been assigned a patent (10,545,197) developed by Guo, Jian, Milpitas, CA, for a “self-calibrating system architecture for magnetic distortion compensation.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: ”Systems, methods, apparatuses and non-transitory computer-readable mediums are disclosed for a self-calibrating system architecture for magnetic distortion compensation. In an embodiment, an electronic system comprises: a magnetometer, a plurality of spaced-apart calibration coils proximate to the magnetometer, first circuitry configured to excite the calibration coils during a calibration phase of the electronic system, second circuitry configured to measure a first magnetic field vector in a vicinity of the magnetometer that is generated by the excited calibration coils, third circuitry configured to: generate sensitivity values based on the first magnetic field vector measurement and a baseline magnetic field vector, and a storage device configured for storing the sensitivity values.”

The patent application was filed on September 21, 2017 (15/711,787).

Highly portable media
Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA, has been assigned a patent (10,534,452) developed by Jobs, Steve, Palo Alto, CA, Fadell, Anthony M., Portola Valley, CA, and Ive, Jonathan P., San Jose, CA, for a “highly portable media device.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: ”An improved portable media device and methods for operating a media device are disclosed. According to one aspect, the portable media device can also function as a solid-state drive for data storage. The form factor of the portable media device can be hand-held or smaller, such that it is highly portable. The portable media device can use one or more status indicators. The portable media device can also include a peripheral bus connector, a rechargeable battery, and one or more input devices. According to another aspect, the portable media device has the capability to store media device status information in persistent memory before powering down. Thereafter, when the portable media device is again powered up, the stored media player status information can be retrieved and utilized. According to still another aspect, the portable media device can form and/or traverse a media asset playlist in an efficient manner.”

The patent application was filed on August 1, 2018 (16/052,556).

Classifying memory cells to multiple impairment profiles based on readout bit-flip counts
Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA, has been assigned a patent (10,438,683) developed by Sagiv, Barak, Kochav Yair, Israel, Yogev, Einav, Raanana, Israel, Yazovitsky, Eli, Netanya, Israel, Gurgi, Eyal, and Solomon, Roi, Petach Tikva, Israel, for a “classifying memory cells to multiple impairment profiles based on readout bit-flip counts.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: ”A storage apparatus includes a plurality of memory cells and storage circuitry. The storage circuitry is configured to store a mapping that maps sets of readout bit-flip counts to respective predefined impairment profiles. The impairment profiles specify two or more severity levels of respective impairment types, including read disturb, retention and endurance. Each of the bit-flip counts includes a one-to-zero error count or a zero-to-one error count. The storage circuitry is configured to read data from a group of the memory cells using given readout parameters, to evaluate an actual set of bit-flip counts corresponding to the read data, to classify the group of the memory cells to a respective impairment profile by mapping the actual set of the bit-flip counts using the mapping, and to adapt the readout parameters based on the impairment profile to which the group of the memory cells was classified.”

The patent application was filed on November 13, 2017 (15/810,166).

Subsystem storage space manager
Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA, has been assigned a patent (10,430,080) developed by Lewallen, Stephen Richard, Bumgarner, William M., Pound, David A., San Jose, CA, and Ricketson, Matthew D., San Francisco, CA, for a “subsystem storage space manager.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: ”The embodiments set forth techniques for managing storage space in user devices. A storage space manager can be configured to receive a request to increase an available amount of storage space within the user device, identify applications where at least a portion of the application’s associated data can be deleted to increase the available storage space, determining particular applications whose identified associated data should be deleted, and causing the associated data to be deleted. According to some embodiments, applications managed by the storage space manager are not adapted to manage storage space themselves. Instead, these applications can be registered to the storage space manager and can be grouped into subsets that share sections of storage space within the user device. Moreover, the storage space manager can be a subsystem storage space manager that interfaces with a higher-level system storage manager that orchestrates storage space management within the user device.”

The patent application was filed on September 24, 2015 (14/864,767).