While the iPhone was being introduced back in January 2007 by Steve Jobs, Apple had already invented their Next Generation Touch Technology for their future iPad. Apple's granted patent, which was published earlier today, shows us that multi-touch technology for tablet PC's had to be different than that for the iPhone. Apple was clearly well ahead of the curve on this technology and on course for delivering the iPad three years later.
A news report that broke in July stated that LG thought that OLED displays weren't suitable for smartphones and tablets. Some debated that claim and now we see that Apple does as well. In a new patent application published by the US Patent and Trademark Office this morning, we discover that Apple has found a way to make an OLED based display work better with applications such as word processing and email for corporate users while gaining a power savings of up to 30%. Apple has been on a tear this year working on next generation hybrid displays to power their future iOS devices. In April, we learned that Apple had devised a smart hybrid e-Paper/Video iOS display and in July we discovered that Apple was working on smart transparent displays that could uniquely support augmented reality based applications. It's evident that Apple is placing a tremendous amount of research and finances behind display technology in order to stay one step ahead of the competition.
The US Patent and Trademark Office officially published a series of 14 newly granted patents for Apple Inc. today. In our third granted patent report of the day we cover two new high profile multi-touch related patents which coverFront-End Signal Compensation & Method for Forming a Crystalline ITO on top of a Nonconductive Substrate. The primary multi-touch patent presented today was originally filed in the very same month that Steve Jobs first presented us with a peek at their revolutionary smartphone simply called the iPhone back in January 2007.
The US Patent and Trademark Office officially published a series of 13 newly granted patents for Apple Inc. today. In our first report of the day we covered a new microstrip cellular antenna for use in future Apple products. In our second granted patent report of the day we mainly cover Apple's wins relating to a light sensitive display, their "Slide to Unlock" iOS start screen feature and finally one that relates to Samsung's method for fabricating a semiconductor die package for Apple's iOS Devices.
The US Patent and Trademark Office officially published a series of 20 newly granted patents for Apple Inc. today. In our second report of the day we focus in on a key Apple Multi-Touch patent relating to an In-Plane Switching Display. Multi-Touch based In-Plane Switching or IPS first debuted on the iPad 2. Apple has also won two iPod nano related patents and one for their boring yet functional iPad dock. And lastly, in our granted patent round up of the day, we present you with an iPhone-nano like design that was on the minds of Apple's engineers back in 2006.
On September 29, 2011, the US Patent & Trademark Office published two multi-touch related patent applications from Apple that revealed a very odd twist. Apple had just been granted two identical patents in June and it appears that they're already back to extend their multi-touch claims. In light of Wintel aiming their sites squarely on all things Apple a few weeks ago by revealing their intent to launch multi-touch tablets, Ultrabooks and desktops aggressively over the next 12-36 months – it appears that we may be in store for a new war front on all things multi-touch at some point in the future. Apple is either gearing up for these legal battles or is shoring up their claims so as to support new multi-touch devices in the future like their patent pending "iMac Touch." No matter how you slice it, Apple is digging further in on the multi-touch front regardless of a minor setback that they experienced earlier this week for the rights to the Multi-Touch trademark. Apple first introduced Multi-Touch with the debut of their 2007 iPhone, at a time when no one was implementing this on consumer devices. So if there's going to be a war on Multi-Touch patents, then it's safe to say that Apple is more than ready.
The US Patent and Trademark Office officially published a series of 18 newly granted patents for Apple Inc. today. In our first patent report of the day we covered an extremely interesting patent win relating to a super smart-pen and in our second and final patent report of the day we mainly cover another important Multi-Touch related patent which Apple could add to their extensive patent war chest. It's a little humorous that Apple has won so many Multi-Touch patents to date on a technology that altered the smart device landscape forever but can't convince the Patent Office examiners to grant them a trademark for that same technology called "Multi-Touch." Maybe Apple didn't provide the right argument in this round of their trademark battle, but the reasoning for not gaining the trademark yet, appears to be a little weak itself. So I don't think Apple will be giving up on this trademark application anytime soon - and rightfully so.
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 & 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.
When I think of quality 3D content, one of the first companies that comes to mind is Pixar whose wondrous works have dazzled millions worldwide and made us laugh. It was Steve Jobs who acquired a low key 3D software tool developer company and turned it into a 3D animation powerhouse that finally drove Disney to acquire them in 2006. So do I have faith in Apple being able to reinvent 3D for computer displays and televisions in the future? Duh …Yes, of course – and the good news on this front is that a recent patent application reveals one of the many ways that Apple is preparing to deliver this next generation entertainment beast. Although Apple's patent application goes out of its way to never use the words TV or television, they do describe the shortcomings of wearing 3D polarized glasses in context with a display. If that's not describing a future 3D TV application - then I don't know what is. Then again, it's not only about entertainment anyways. It's also about a future 3D version of OS X or perhaps even iOS. And if you follow Apple's patent history, then you know that such advancements in delivering truer 3D imagery will eventually spill over to other professional fields such as medical, aerospace, gaming and far beyond.
A recent Apple patent application was published by the US Patent & Trademark Office that revealed the invention of a highly advanced synchronized and interactive augmented reality (AR) display for future iOS devices. A week ago we uncovered a related AR patent application describing Smart Transparent Display technology in context with varying kinds of new consumer oriented applications. Today's report delves into Apple's initial vision for using augmented reality applications in business, health care and education. It's also Apple's second patent in a week that points to future iOS devices possibly utilizing a next generation positioning system. While we can't make the call just yet that Augmented Reality Displays and System inventions are a definite trend at Apple, we can say that they're gaining traction. Apple's leadership in portable device innovation is once again evident in this patent.
In early June a patent application from Apple surfaced describing a very sophisticated infrared camera system. One of the key aspects of that patent was its potential use with portable devices like an iPhone in places like a museum. The patent discussed the interrelation between an infrared camera in a future iPhone working seamlessly with infrared emitters located throughout a museum, for example. In that scenario, the iPhone user would hold their iPhone up to shoot a video or photograph an artifact while the museum's infrared emitter would send additional information to your iPhone describing said artifact. Marrying the live photo or video with descriptions of the artifact would appear as a seamless image on your iPhone. It would be like having a private tour guide of the museum with you at all times. Today, another piece of that puzzle came together in a new patent application from Apple describing the use of dual transparent displays working in conjunction with dual backside device cameras to provide users with the ultimate augmented reality application.
