The US Patent and Trademark Office officially published a series of 15 newly granted patents for Apple Inc. today. In today's second granted patent report we cover Apple's technology that's behind the Nike+iPod sensors and antennas in addition to a patent covering Apple's methods for gift card customization. The patent also covers an iTunes Customized Gift Card Kiosk which has yet to surface in the marketplace.
Granted Patent: Custom Content Gift Cards
Apple has been granted a patent for custom content gift cards that also covers an automated iTunes Kiosk as illustrated below. Apple's related patent application was reported on in detail back in April 2010.
Apple's patent FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an exemplary customized gift card packaged with a personal media player; FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an exemplary customized gift card dispenser/Kiosk.
Apple credits Michael Rosenblatt, Gloria Lin, Taido Nakajima, Sean Mayo and Andrew Hodge as the inventors of Granted Patent 7,959,065.
Granted Patent: Technology behind Nike + iPod
Apple has been granted a patent for the primary technology behind the Nike + iPod program which includes a special transceiver that is embedded in a running shoe. Apple received their first granted patent on this technology in November 2009.
Apple's patent FIG. 4 is an exploded view of an illustrative compact portable wireless device which Apple calls the sensor that goes into the Nike + Shoe. The sensor communicates to receiver that attaches to an iPod. The more updated iPhone's and iPod touches include the receiver without a separate pluggable receiver being required.
Technically speaking, the patent covers a compact portable wireless devices and antennas. The compact portable wireless device may be part of a piece of sports equipment. A compact portable wireless device may include a transceiver module that is used in communicating with equipment such as a handheld electronic device. An antenna for a compact portable wireless device could have a relatively small size while exhibiting high efficiency. A planar ground structure for the antenna may be formed from a circuit board on which integrated circuits have been mounted. A curved inverted-F resonating element may be attached to the ground structure. A battery may be provided to power the compact portable wireless device. The battery may be used as a parasitic antenna element.
Apple credits Shu-Li Wang, Juan Zavala, and Christopher Prest as the inventors of Granted Patent 7,961,151.
Other Granted Patents Published Today
Trusted index structure in a network environment
Method and apparatus for distributing a thermal interface material
Notice: Patently Apple presents only a brief summary of patents with associated graphic(s) for journalistic news purposes as each such patent application and/or Granted Patent is revealed by the U.S. Patent & Trade Office. Readers are cautioned that the full text of any patent application and/or Issued Patent should be read in its entirety for further details. Patents shouldn't be digested as rumors or fast-tracked according to rumor time tables. Apple patents represent true research that could lead to future products and should be understood in that light. About Comments: Patently Apple reserves the right to post, dismiss or edit comments.
