The US Patent and Trademark Office officially published a series of 19 newly granted patents for Apple Inc. today. The notables within this group include a patent for an Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) Shield that uses a unique Cantilever Spring along with a power series of 11 design patents that covers Apple's MacBook Pro, the iPod Classic's hardware and UI, the iPod nano and OS X features Expose and Stacks.
Industrial Design Wins
Apple's iPhone Cover
Apple credits Bartley Andre, Daniel Coster, Daniele De Iuliis, Evans Hankey, Richard Howarth, Jonathan Ive, Duncan Kerr, Shin Nishibori, Matthew Dean Rohrbach, Peter Russell-Clarke, Douglas Satzger, Calvin Seid, Christopher Stringer, Eugene Whang and Rico Zorkendorfer as the inventors of Granted Patent D606,751 for the iPhone's cover, originally filed in Q2 2007.
Apple's iPod Classic
Apple credits CEO Steve Jobs, Bartley Andre, Daniel Coster, Daniele De Iuliis, Evans Hankey, Richard Howarth, Jonathan Ive, Duncan Kerr, Shin Nishibori, Matthew Dean Rohrbach, Peter Russell-Clarke, Douglas Satzger, Christopher Stringer, Eugene Whang and Rico Zorkendorfer as the inventors of Granted Patent D606,967 as well as D606,965, 606,966 and 606,968 covering the iPod Classic. Three of the design wins were originally filed in 2007 while one was filed in 2009.
Apple has also won a design patent for their iPod nano under D606,264 originally filed in Q3 2007.
Apple's iPod Classic UI
Apple credits William Bull, Kourtny Hicks, Eric Hope and Policarpo Wood as the inventors of Design patent D607, 003 relating to Apple's iPod Classic graphical user interface - originally filed in Q3 2007.
Apple's MacBook Pro
Apple credits CEO Steve Jobs, Bartley Andre, Daniel Coster, Daniele De Iuliis, Evans Hankey, Richard Howarth, Jonathan Ive, Duncan Kerr, Shin Nishibori, Matthew Dean Rohrbach, Peter Russell-Clarke, Douglas Satzger, Christopher Stringer, Eugene Whang and Rico Zorkendorfer as the inventors of Granted Patents D606,989 and D606,988 for the MacBook Pro , originally filed in Q2 2009.
Apple's OS X Feature: Expose/Stacks
Apple credits Bas Ording as the sole inventor of design patents D607,001 and 607,005 for the OS X features of Expose and Stacks originally filed in Q3 2007.
Granted Patent: Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) Shield with Cantilever Spring
Many electronic devices include various electronic components that emit electromagnetic radiation. To prevent disturbances of the electronic components, EMI shields may be provided in the electronic device. For example, the electronic device components may be placed in a conductive enclosure (e.g., a metallic box) that prevents radiation from escaping the box. As another example, the enclosure in which the electronic components are placed may be coated with a metallic or conductive paint. The enclosure may be formed by providing a frame over which a cover having vertically extending tabs is placed. The tabs may engage side walls of the frame around the periphery of the frame to ensure that the enclosure is secure.
When used in devices with curved housings, or when placed against curved surfaces, these shields may cause significant space to be lost. For example, when a corner of an enclosure (e.g., where a cover has a snap extending away from the cover to engage a frame wall) is placed against a curved housing, space may be lost around the corner to accommodate the entire housing. In particular, the housing may need to be enlarged to wrap around the enclosure, thus increasing the electronic device size. Furthermore, the size of components to be protected by the EMI shield may prevent the size of the enclosure from being reduced to accommodate the curved housing. There is a need, therefore, to provide an EMI shield that can substantially follow or accommodate a curved housing while retaining suitable EMI protection. Apple's patent covers this solution that may include utilizing cantilever springs.
Cover 330 may include several features to ensure that the cover remains in contact with stepped return 326 despite not having snaps 334 engaging frame 320 along the associated edge of the cover. For example, the cover may include cantilever springs 336 extending from surface 332. To provide sufficient force to the edges of the cover that do not include the snaps, the cantilever spring may be positioned near or adjacent to the portion of the cover surface in contact with the stepped return. If the spring is constructed from the same material as the cover, or is otherwise conductive, the spring may serve as a ground for EMI shield 310.
Apple's patent FIG. 4 is a schematic view of the assembled electronic device of FIG. 3. The spring is noted in patent point 336 (of figure 3 or 436 of figure 4).
Apple credits Kyle Yeates, Scott Myers and Teodor Dabov as the inventors of granted patent 7,638,717, originally filed in Q3 2008.
Granted Patent: System and Method for Determining Airtime Using Free Fall
The invention relates generally to monitoring and quantifying sport movement (associated either with the person or with the vehicle used or ridden by the person), including the specific parameters of "air" time, power, speed, and drop distance. The invention also has "gaming" aspects for connecting users across the Internet. The invention is particularly useful in sporting activities such as skiing, snowboarding, mountain biking, wind-surfing, skate-boarding, roller-blading, kayaking, racing, and running, in which sporting persons expend energy, catch "air", move at varying speeds, and perform jumps.
Note: Although this patent has been granted (7,640,135) to PhatRat Technology, it should be noted that Apple has likely licensed this technology being that they were granted a patent relating to this technology under 7,512,515. PhatRat is noted in this Apple patent as well indirectly via Curtis A. Vock.
