Patently Apple

Apple Wins Multiple Touch & MacBook Tablet Patents

 
In a second wave of granted patents published by the US Patent and Trademark Office for Apple Inc. today, we see that they've won several key touch related patents including two relating to virtual keyboards. Yet the one patent that stood out above all, in my view, was a patent that secretly buried a future device that Apple has their eye on: a convertible Macbook-to-iPad-like device. This is definitely going to be the killer device category in the coming years and we could only hope that Apple's killer device goes from patent illustration to reality in the not-too-distant future.  

Apple Wins a Patent for a Futuristic 3D Stereoscopic Display & More

 
The US Patent and Trademark Office officially published a series of 17 newly granted patents for Apple Inc. today. The notables within this group include two iPhone related User Interface designs, another for their Mini DisplayPort and others relating to iTunes and their fantastic LED backlit displays. Yet one of the star patents that were granted to Apple today, is definitely one that involves a futuristic 3D stereoscopic display. Is Apple whetting our appetite for a possible future 3DTV system? Here's to hoping that Apple could actually one day deliver something beyond a little black box called Apple TV.  

Apple's New iPad Design Patent Confirms Landscape Connector

 
As the old saying goes, sometimes you can't see the forest for the trees. Today, Apple was granted design patents for the iPad and iPhone 4. In total, there were 18 patents to report on today and we didn't initially see that Apple's US granted patent graphics actually confirm that there's an extra landscape docking connector in the design. Is this feature coming to the iPad-2 in 2011? We certainly hope so.  

Apple Wins Patents for Point-of-Sale System, iChat & iCal

 
Earlier today we posted reports covering Apple's design wins for the iPhone 4 and iPad in addition to covering Multi-Touch and Liquid Metal. The last noteworthy granted patents that were published today by the USPTO involve the technology behind a point-of-sale device and system, (one that is likely used in all Apple Stores) in addition to Apple's iChat and iCal applications.  

Apple Wins Patents Relating to Multi-Touch & Liquid Metal

 
The US Patent and Trademark Office officially published a series of 18 newly granted patents for Apple Inc. today. Three of today's granted patents related to great design wins for Apple's iPhone 4 and iPad. In this report we cover two additional notables published today that relate to Apple's Multi-Touch Dictionary and their method of spraying Liquid Metal to maintain acceptable internal and external operating temperatures in integrated circuits. Liquid Metal may actually end up in Apple's next iteration of the iMac – and in this report we'll explain why.