The US Patent and Trademark Office officially published a series of 20 newly granted patents for Apple Inc. today. In our second granted patent report of the day we cover Apple's patents for integrating MagSafe into a future iPad as well as a few design patents covering Apple's original iPod and iPod nano in addition to two user interface designs for iTunes. Yet the winner in this group bar none is a patent for Apple's multi-touch display technology that ignited their revolutionary iPhone in 2007. This is what distinguished the iPhone from any other at that time. Apple has been granted a patent for their method of fabricating a capacitive touch sensor panel.
The US Patent and Trademark Office officially published a series of 20 newly granted patents for Apple Inc. today. Our first granted report of the day only covers a single major patent victory of Apple's which covers how they intend to integrating cellular antennas under the keys of both MacBooks and wireless keyboards like that used for the iMac. That revelation of cellular capabilities coming to an iMac is an eye-opener by itself. This is Apple's fourth cellular based MacBook related patent in just the last year and the second which covers hiding the cellular antenna. While we don't know which combination of technologies Apple will use to bring cellular capabilities to both the MacBook and iMac at this time, the important point is that Apple is determined to bring such capabilities to market in the not-too-distant future.
On August 15, 2011, the Patent & Trademark Office in China has published Apple's latest figurative trademark application for "Smart Cover" under application302003147. Apple has filed their figurative trademark under International Classes 9 and 18 which covers such things as covering cases, sleeves, sheaths, and pouches for computers as well as business cases.
Last Thursday a number of very interesting patents surfaced at the US Patent and Trademark Office that Patently Apple amply covered. Yet a couple of minor yet interesting patent applications came to light that we thought shouldn't go unreported. The first one covers a new schematic mapping system for iOS devices, especially those with smaller displays such as the iPhone and iPod touch. The new schematic mapping technology will present maps that are very much like those that you'd see in a typical subway station. While the subway track itself may actually twist and turn from station to station, a typical subway map only represents the subway route as being in a straight line. Apple wants to simplify the mapping-out of routes for users by providing schematic routes to destinations. The second patent is an interesting one for business travels who would like their iPhone to carry a secondary mobile profile so that they could operate it in a foreign country without roaming charges.
Summons have been Issued to Defendants Apple, Inc., Hachette Book Group, Inc., HarperCollins Publishers, Inc., Macmillan Publishers, Inc., Penguin Group (USA) Inc. & Simon & Schuster, Inc. in what appears to be a new class action lawsuit in the making in California. Under the "Nationwide California Law Class" segment of this case, the Plaintiff's legal counsel states that "One of the chief architects of the unlawful conspiracy, Steve Jobs, is a resident of California and the CEO of Apple computers." The complaint goes on to state that "Apple facilitated changing the eBook pricing model and conspired with the Publisher Defendants to do so." The pricing model that is constantly referred to in this complaint is labeled the new "Agency model" which is really at the heart of this case. Yet what struck me the most when reading this complaint was its constant references to "Amazon's pro-consumer pricing" and how Apple was out to stop Amazon. Even though the complaint wasn't filed by Amazon, it's pretty clear that the slant for Amazon vs. Apple is no coincidence. Moreover, it doesn't end there. Three additional complaints have been filed against Apple on this very same front late last week with Apple as the central villain in this grand conspiracy for ebook price fixing. Coincidence – I think not. But one thing is for sure: it makes for interesting reading.
A number of interesting Apple patent applications surfaced at the US Patent & Trademark Office yesterday. This report will cover three of them. The first covers Apple's ongoing research into solar energy for use with future portable devices. The second covers a new finger-oil resistant coating for iOS devices to keep our displays fingerprint free. The patent was only filed in February of this year which would suggest that this new coating may apply to devices set to be released in the coming months or years and not a technology already applied. The last patent is very interesting as well as it covers a new iPhone related antenna clip for use with an all-metal embodiment. The patent states that the patent figure is an exploded view of the device which could suggest that the antenna clip could one day be a part of an iPhone-nano-like device. Time will tell if this idea will ever fly, but it's definitely one to keep an eye out for going forward.
On August 11, 2011, the US Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Apple that reveals one of the possible next chapters for Apple's iOS. Apple's patent application focuses on advancing iOS metaphors to a higher level. In this application we see that Apple is working on new ways of working with a 3D user interface. One example shows us that a user will be able to creatively design a hole, tunnel or even a trap door in their UI that could send files to their work or home office like a portal in seconds. In the not-too-distant future, a user will be able to shred documents on their iOS devices by simply using a new shredding gesture. And if that wasn't enough, users will be able to one day create 3D objects with a simple finger gesture. Considering that OS X Lion just introduced iOS-like features into our desktop experience, we're likely to see some of these future metaphors spill over to our desktops as well. Just when Apple's competition thought that they've safely figured out how to copy the iOS experience, we see that Apple is preparing to take iOS to the next level. It's back to the drawing board for iOS copycats and I doubt that any of us will be losing any sleep over that.
On August 11, 2011, the US Patent & Trademark Office published a grand patent application from Apple that reveals their plans of integrating mini or pico-like projectors into future iOS devices while introducing a likely projector accessory for MacBooks. Apple has been working on this idea for some years now. In June 2009 Apple first hinted that they would one day integrate a projector system into iOS devices. In March 2010 Apple's broad patent application came to light concerning networked projection systems and later in April 2010 we learned that Apple's research teams had begun working on integrating a projector into a MacBook. Today's incredibly detailed patent application reveals how they're working on pico-like projectors for iOS devices and how these projectors will work with a shared workspace in presentations. Apple's patent even details how they'll introduce advanced gesturing that will be able to interpret shadow and silhouette gesturing associated with presentations in a darkened environment. The level of detail associated with this patent would suggest that Apple's development teams are moving full steam ahead on the projection system project which will further push the likes of Apple's iPad into the enterprise.
The US Patent and Trademark Office officially published a series of 20 newly granted patents for Apple Inc. today. There were three notable inventions presented today. The first relates to Apple's "Integrated Touch Screen." The invention allows the touch display to be manufactured with fewer parts and/or processing steps as well as ensuring that the display itself may be thinner, brighter and require less power. The second invention relates to a method and GUI related to Apple's iOS "Voicemail Manager." And the last noteworthy invention of the day relates to a Mac Pro-like tower's modular layout mechanisms. This could be a part of a future tower computer – should Apple continue to sell such beasts. At the end of the day it should be noted that the two specific patents relating to the iPhone are just more "Bogus Patents" to get under the skin of Google's Senior Vice President and Chief Legal OfficerDavid Drummond's skin: Ahhh.
A Floridian Company by the name Operating Systems Solutions, LCC, has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Apple for OS X's fast booting operation. The interesting twist to this lawsuit is that the patent was originally owned by LG Electronics.
If you know Steve Jobs then you know that he tries to patent everything under the sun including everything related to their own Apple Stores. Whether it's their Classic Glass Apple Store architecture in New York or the average in-mall Apple Store design layout or even the iPad stands that sit on the tables at every Apple Store, they have it covered. So it shouldn't come as a surprise that Apple has once again applied for a patent to cover their unique in-store security systems for devices that includes very sophisticated cabling and alarms. The security system designs also extend to Apple Kiosks in stores like Best Buy and Future Shop. Apple also states that their security systems could extend to oddities like transportation vehicle instruments and televisions. The former speculatively sounds like a potential new accessory in the making that would be welcomed. Some of the security designs appearing in the application seem to be new and the fact that Apple only filed for a patent this past Christmas tells us that we may see some of these new designs coming to an Apple Store in the not- too-distant future.
The US Patent & Trademark Office has published a patent application from Apple that reveals one of the next chapters for Apple's iPhone. According to Apple's documentation, a future iPhone could actually sport a display on each side of the device so as to advance the richness of reading an e-book or e-magazine. In April of this year Apple revealed a hybrid e-paper and LCD display for a future iPhone and today Apple explains how a user will be able to use such a display with a new flip action mapping system. The mapping system will provide a reader with options that will easily enable them to take notes about what they're reading or view a full dictionary definition or even find related reading materials depending on which direction that they flip their iPhone. This future iPhone will also be able to be turned into unique image viewer. While this is definitely a futuristic design, we're at least getting a peek into the intial phases of Apple's research in finding the ultimate reading application for future mobile devices.
