Patently Apple

Apple Files a Series of New Trademarks for iPod, iPhone & iPad

 
On May 7, 2010, the US Patent & Trademark Office published four of Apple's latest trademark applications covering a series of "Made for" insignias covering various combinations of products including the iPod, iPhone and iPad. Our cover graphic represents the first of the four designs.

Apple Reveals Extraordinary Multifunctional 3D Widgets

 
A week ago today, a new patent of Apple's surfaced detailing a future OS X 3D feature relating to ambient light. In today's published patent, Apple takes their future OS dashboard into hyper-drive with 3D widgets. These next generation 3D widgets will actually provide different features, attributes and/or distinct functionality depending on which side of the widget you click on. The user will be able to lift and rotate the widgets to expose these various functions and could be an extraordinary tool that will save you time and useless repetitiveness. With Google running scared of Apple's possible next moves and/or ramp-up into 3D variations of OS X and iPhone OS, they just acquired BumpTop on May 2, 2010. Here's a video of it if you've never heard of BumpTop before. The question becomes, what does Google know about Apple's 3D operating systems that have them on the run?

Apple Takes a Giant Leap in Biometrics with Heart Sensors

 
Apple's first high-end enterprise quality biometric security system patent surfaced back in March of 2009 and with today's patent, Apple takes a giant leap forward in biometric security. In today's patent we discover that future iterations of the iPhone could very well support sophisticated embedded heart sensors to monitor the user's heart and record such data for future identification purposes when making banking transactions or protecting highly sensitive documents or data. This will play a part of a future patent report due later this month. Today's patent further confirms that a future iPhone will indeed support a pico or pico-like projector.

Apple Files Two Distinct Trademarks for iPad

 
On May 5, 2010, the US Patent & Trademark Office published two of Apple's latest trademark applications covering a figurative design representing the iPad under application 85025647 and another covering "Made for iPad" under application 85025637. Apple has filed both trademarks under International Class 009 covering a "Full line of electronic and mechanical parts and fittings for handheld computers and portable and handheld digital electronic devices…" The full description of this class for both trademarks is listed in the report.

Apple Files "Made for iPhone" Trademark

 
On May 5, 2010, the US Patent & Trademark Office published Apple's latest trademark application for "Made for iPhone" under application 85025627. Apple has filed their trademark under the sole International Class 009 covering a "Full line of electronic and mechanical parts and fittings for handheld computers and portable and handheld digital electronic devices…" The full description of this class is listed in the report.

Is Apple Test Marketing iTravel in Montreal? Shhhh….

On April 21, 2010 Patently Apple presented a report on an a high profile Apple patent relating to the travel industry which covered an iPhone application called iTravel. It's been the buzz of the travel industry ever since. The timing of the report couldn't have been any better, considering that the Travel Distribution Summit is set to begin on June 17, 2010 in London. One of the noted keynote topics at this year's Summit covers "How to build the perfect travel app." Well, with Apple working diligently on iTravel - the perfect travel app may already be in waiting. In fact, it appears that Apple is currently in the process of test marketing some aspects of iTravel with Air Canada in Montreal. The limited test market is covering five travel destinations: Montreal, Vancouver, Toronto, Paris and yes, London – where the travel summit is set to take place. In a coordinated ad put forth by Air Canada, Apple and Telus in Montreal's English daily newspaper called the Gazette on April 29, 2010 – we're able to see Apple's iPhone with various iApps coordinated for the busy traveler. The service is initially using a 2D Matrix barcode system which was covered in Apple's patent – as was the concept of the "unmanned baggage kiosk." That's kind of buzz, really, to see Apple's April patent in action so quickly, even if it's only in-part: But Shhhh, it's a secret.

Apple Wins Major Patents for an Original Mystery iPhone Design, the iPod Clickwheel, iPhoto and a New Ad Based Processing System

 
The US Patent and Trademark Office officially published a series of twenty newly granted patents for Apple Inc. today. The notables within this group include a design patent relating to what Apple describes as an Original Mobile Device design – which appears to be that of an iPhone without the traditional physical "Home" button. Other interesting granted patents published today include one for Apple's iLife based iPhoto application for amateur photographers and another relating to Apple's famous clickwheel. The last patent in this group, could be considered a sleeper. Apple apparently has acquired a patent concerning location based technology that may assist their upcoming iAd services. The patent introduces us to both a server data processing system (SDPS) and a receiving data processing system (RDPS) which are likely to play a major role in the bigger scheme of things going forward.