IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,477,167
Granted Patent B2
US 12,477,167 · App. 18/592,372 · Granted Nov 18, 2025

Accessory for electronic device including broadcast signal tuner

Inventors: Daphne I. Gorman (San Jose, CA); Wassim El-Hassan (San Jose, CA)
Assignee: APPLE INC.
H04N21/41265G06F3/0346G06F3/03545H04N21/41407H04N21/42607H04N21/43637H04N21/643
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,477,167
App. No.
18/592,372
Granted
Nov 18, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A stylus usable with an electronic device to provide an input to the electronic device, may include a stylus body, a battery within the stylus body, a first antenna configured to receive a broadcast signal, the broadcast signal including video content, a second antenna configured to communicate with a remote electronic device via a wireless communication protocol, and a processing system configured to receive the broadcast signal from the antenna, demodulate the broadcast signal to produce a digital content signal including the video content, encode the digital content signal according to the wireless communication protocol to produce an encoded digital content signal, and send to the remote electronic device, via the second antenna, the encoded digital content signal.

Claims (99)

1 . A stylus usable with an electronic device to provide an input to the electronic device, comprising:

a stylus body;

a battery within the stylus body;

a first antenna configured to receive;

a first broadcast signal encoded according to a first broadcast protocol, the first broadcast signal including first video content; and

a second broadcast signal encoded according to a second broadcast protocol different from the first broadcast protocol, the second broadcast signal including second video content;

a second antenna configured to communicate with a remote electronic device via a wireless communication protocol;

a processing system within the stylus body and configured to:

receive the first broadcast signal from the first antenna;

demodulate the first broadcast signal to produce a first digital content signal including the first video content; and

receive the second broadcast signal from the first antenna;

partially demodulate the second broadcast signal to produce a partially demodulated second digital content signal;

a communication system within the stylus body and configured to:

receive the first digital content signal and the second digital content signal from the processing system;

encode the first digital content signal according to the wireless communication protocol to produce an encoded first digital content signal;

encode the partially demodulated second digital content signal according to the wireless communication protocol to produce an encoded partially demodulated second digital content signal; and

send to the remote electronic device, via the second antenna, the encoded first digital content signal and the encoded partially demodulated second digital content signal.

2 . The stylus of claim 1 , wherein:

the stylus further includes an input sensing system configured to detect a user input at the stylus; and

the communication system is further configured to, in response to detecting the user input, send an input signal, via the second antenna and using the wireless communication protocol, to the remote electronic device.

3 . The stylus of claim 2 , wherein:

the first broadcast signal is transmitted on a first frequency band;

the second broadcast signal is transmitted on a second frequency band; and

the first antenna is configured to receive signals on the first frequency band and the second frequency band.

4 . The stylus of claim 2 , further comprising a magnetic attachment mechanism coupled to the stylus body and configured to magnetically attach the stylus to the remote electronic device.

5 . The stylus of claim 2 , wherein:

the first broadcast protocol is an Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) broadcast protocol;

the second broadcast protocol is a fifth generation (5G) broadcast protocol; and

the wireless communication protocol is a Bluetooth communication protocol.

6 . The stylus of claim 2 , wherein:

the video content is first video content;

the second broadcast signal includes second video content; and

the encoded partially demodulated second digital content signal includes the second video content.

7 . The stylus of claim 1 , wherein the partially demodulated second digital content signal requires additional demodulation in order to access the second video content.

8 . An electronic device system comprising:

an electronic device comprising:

a housing;

a display coupled to the housing and configured to display graphical outputs; and

a cover over the display and defining a front exterior surface of the electronic device; and

an accessory configured to be removably coupled to the electronic device and comprising:

an attachment mechanism configured to removably couple the accessory to the electronic device;

a first antenna configured to receive:

a first broadcast signal encoded according to a first broadcast protocol, the first broadcast signal including first video content; and

a second broadcast signal encoded according to a second broadcast protocol different from the first broadcast protocol, the second broadcast signal including second video content;

a second antenna configured to communicate with the electronic device;

a processing system configured to:

receive the first broadcast signal from the first antenna;

demodulate the first broadcast signal to produce a first digital content signal including the first video content;

encode the first digital content signal according to a wireless communication protocol to produce an encoded first digital content signal;

receive the second broadcast signal from the first antenna;

partially demodulate the second broadcast signal to produce a partially demodulated second digital content signal;

encode the partially demodulated second digital content signal according to the wireless communication protocol to produce an encoded partially demodulated second digital content signal; and

send to the electronic device, via the second antenna, the encoded first digital content signal and the encoded partially demodulated second digital content signal.

9 . The electronic device system of claim 8 , wherein the electronic device is a tablet computer.

10 . The electronic device system of claim 9 , wherein the accessory is a stylus configured to provide an input to the tablet computer via contact with the cover.

11 . The electronic device system of claim 8 , wherein:

the processing system is a first processing system; and

the electronic device comprises a second processing system configured to:

receive the encoded first digital content signal;

decode the encoded first digital content signal to retrieve the first digital content signal; and

display the first video content on the display using the first digital content signal.

12 . The electronic device system of claim 11 , wherein the second processing system of the electronic device is further configured to:

receive the encoded partially demodulated second digital content signal;

decode the encoded partially demodulated second digital content signal to retrieve the partially demodulated second digital content signal;

further demodulate the partially demodulated second digital content signal to retrieve the second digital content signal; and

display the second video content on the display using the second digital content signal.

13 . The electronic device system of claim 12 , wherein:

partially demodulating the second broadcast signal comprises performing one or more first signal processing operations of a plurality of signal processing operations of a demodulation pipeline; and

further demodulating the partially demodulated second digital content signal comprises performing one or more second signal processing operations of the plurality of signal processing operations.

14 . The electronic device system of claim 8 , wherein the partially demodulated second digital content signal requires additional demodulation in order to access the second video content.

15 . An accessory for use with an electronic device, comprising:

a housing;

an attachment mechanism coupled to the housing and configured to removably attach the accessory to an electronic device;

a processing system within the housing;

a first antenna operably coupled to the processing system and configured to receive:

a first broadcast signal encoded according to a first broadcast protocol, the first broadcast signal including first video content; and

a second broadcast signal encoded according to a second broadcast protocol different from the first broadcast protocol, the second broadcast signal including second video content;

a second antenna operably coupled to the processing system and configured to communicate with the electronic device via a wireless communication protocol, wherein

the processing system is configured to:

receive the first broadcast signal from the first antenna;

demodulate the first broadcast signal to produce a first digital content signal including the first video content;

encode the first digital content signal according to the wireless communication protocol to produce an encoded first digital content signal;

receive the second broadcast signal from the first antenna;

partially demodulate the second broadcast signal to produce a partially demodulated second digital content signal;

encode the partially demodulated second digital content signal according to the wireless communication protocol to produce an encoded partially demodulated second digital content signal; and

send to the electronic device, via the second antenna, the encoded first digital content signal and the encoded partially demodulated second digital content signal.

16 . The accessory of claim 15 , further comprising:

a battery; and

a wireless charging system coupled to the battery, the wireless charging system configured to:

wirelessly receive power from the electronic device; and

charge the battery using the power received from the electronic device.

17 . The accessory of claim 16 , wherein the attachment mechanism comprises a magnetic mounting system comprising one or more magnets configured to magnetically couple the accessory to the electronic device.

18 . The accessory of claim 15 , wherein the accessory is an input accessory configured to provide a user input to the electronic device.

19 . The accessory of claim 15 , wherein:

the accessory further includes an input sensing system configured to detect a user input at the accessory; and

the processing system is further configured to, in response to detecting the user input, send an input signal, via the second antenna and using the wireless communication protocol, to the electronic device.

20 . The accessory of claim 19 , wherein the input sensing system comprises at least one of:

an accelerometer configured to detect a tap input applied to the accessory; or

a button configured to receive an actuation input.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 1, 2024
From: EL-HASSAN, WASSIM; GORMAN, DAPHNE I.
To: APPLE INC.
Reel/Frame 066614/0109 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 63454530 · Mar 24, 2023
Related Publication 20240323471A1 · Sep 26, 2024
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