On February, 11, 2010, the US Patent & Trademark Office published several new patent applications from Apple covering such technologies as MagSafe, computer hibernation and an odd one that seems to be an old NeXT patent brought over to Apple listing Avie Tevanian. Yet there are two particular patents of interest today that oddly yet intricately relate to one another. One supports an attachment accessory and the other noted above, accommodates such an accessory. The patent credited to Apple engineers Gordon and Frazier Cameron relates to an all new media player armband. Apple's Patent FIG. 3B presents a back view of pouch 300 for the armband which is holding electronic device with attachment 304. One of the possible accessories we may see come to market is presented to you in this report while the other dates back to a July 2009 patent report covering an add-on accessory that would accommodate a SIM card, Flash drive and more.
The first time that we learned of Apple seriously working on a liquid cooling system for an iMac was in a January 2008 Apple patent. The patent told us that Apple had been working on a liquid cooling system for a future iMac since 2006. To be fair, the system Apple first described, was in context with is an iMac-like docking station. Yet the fact remains that if an iMac-like docking station was on the drawing board for a liquid cooling system in 2008, then the likelihood of that extending to the iMac is nothing short of being a no-brainer. Why would Apple want to add liquid cooling to the iMac? Because with Apple now adopting true Intel desktop chipsets for the iMac, we keep hearing about heat issues – and it's only going to be getting worst as time goes on.
On February 9, 2010, the US Patent & Trademark Office published two of Apple's latest Design Wins covering an animated GUI for a portable device and Apple's second design win for the LED Cinema Display.
The US Patent and Trademark Office officially published a series of 9 newly granted patents for Apple Inc. today in addition to two design wins. The notables within this group of granted patents includes one relating to the MacBook Air's "Now-You-See-It, Now-You-Don't" Port Hatch, another for a water detection system ensuring that warranty claims aren't fraudulent and the biggie of the day, without a doubt, is Apple's granted patent for an exciting future 3D Virtual Apple Store. This is going to be wild when Apple delivers on this concept.
There's an old adage concerning the finding of a location for your brick and mortar retail business: Location, location, location. While that may still hold water today, that saying is going to be hijacked by the next wave of social networking apps based on Location Awareness technology. In the Social Networking Era, it's all about having the ability to access the location of your friends, colleagues, associates and family – on demand. This is going to be a very popular feature on future iPhones – if not the iPad in the coming months and years ahead. Apple's published patent momentum on Location Aware technology clearly indicates that Apple is ramping this technology up for release. On January 15, we learned of location aware technology in respect to pushing ads to users who would be interested in learning about near-by retail deals. This is perhaps Apple's vision of creating the virtual home-flyer concept. Then on January 25, we learned of the iPhone's location aware services in the works that will offer us features such as real-time public transit schedules, inner city parking availability and social networking so that you could coordinate your weekends a little better with friends on the fly. Today's patent revs-up the social networking angle and even points us to how this will work with video calling on your iPhone. To top it off, Apple's patent describes the iPhone's GPS system using maps with an optional step-by-step instruction feature, introduces us to new "Request and Release Info" virtual buttons to initiate location based services and finally – a future iPhone's high-end security features that will protect your current location from prying eyes and prowlers on the net.
On Tuesday, a very insightful granted patent of Apple's came to light describing an intelligent bezel. Today, that very same theme continues and goes much further this time around to include what Apple describes as intelligent "sense lines." Sense lines could surround the display of a media player unseen under the multi-touch display glass as an alternative to a physical bezel which was described in Tuesday's granted patent in context with a tablet.In covering Tuesday's patent report, Paul Boutin of VentureBeat wondered if Apple's technology would apply to an iPhone. "The clickwheel makes the iPod simple and relaxing to use, rather than fumbling through menus and pressing buttons. I can operate an iPod while jogging. Wish I could say that for my iPhone." Well, apparently Apple is thinking of doing just that. Though instead of using a virtual click wheel, Apple is proposing touch based sense lines that could control the devices functions like sound or any other menu items that you would traditionally find on a click wheel based menu system. The difference is that you'd be able to find your most valued menu items without scrolling and in one lightning quick click.
The US Patent & Trademark Office has just published Apple's desigin trademarks pertaining to their new tablet computer called the "iPad." In Patently Apple's first design trademark report we covered two of Apple's overview designs of the iPad. In this report we'll present you with Apple's third iPad design trademark application which displays a frontal view of the iPad with its User Interface.
The US Patent & Trademark Office has just published Apple's latest design trademarks pertaining to the new tablet computer called "iPad" under applications 77921838 and 77921829. The two designs are represented and displayed in this report.
Today, the US Patent and Trademark Office officially published two major granted patents of Apple's covering tablets and advanced touch technologies. The first patent may provide us with a glimpse of a future implementation of an intelligent tablet bezel. The bezel could have invisible or visible touch areas that could be programmed to control such things as music volume, simple zooming functions for maps or even gaming controls. Considering that Apple's new iPad has a considerable sized bezel, you have to wonder if this is what they have in mind for that bezel in the future. Apple has also gained a second advanced virtual keyboard and touch based patent in the last 90 days that actually plays into the strengths of the intelligent bezel.
Apple's supposed shell company as noted in the press as being IP Application Development LLC of Delaware filed for the iPad trademark in the US on January 16, 2010 and mirrored said application in Europe on January 18, 2010. Interestingly, hidden within this trademark application are some interesting twists. One of them notes the device as being associated with ASP services ("Application Service Provider services) - in addition to enabling users to program the scheduling of television and other programs as they will be aired. That just happens to support a recent Apple patent application related to media players having a DVR like capability. Today's trademark report primarily covers Apple's detailed information related to six International Classifications in addition to presenting you with EU information proving that Fujitsu Transaction Solutions Inc. never filed for the iPad trademark in Europe. In fact, in the bigger picture, the USPTO provided the Fujitsu division with a trademark abandonment notice in 2009 proving that the Fujitsu Transactions Solutions Inc. never envisioned their trademark of being a global brand. This stands in stark contrast to Apple's global IP filings and public notices of intent.
The US Patent and Trademark Office officially published a series of seven newly granted patents for Apple Inc. today. The most notable patent covered in this report relates to possible next generation technology that Apple could employ in either in their Apple TV console or an HDTV unit itself - over time. Other patents granted to Apple today includes one that covers the iTune's "Season Pass" feature and another covering the iPhone's touch based slide unlocking-mechanism interface.
