Patently Apple

Apple Wins iPhone Patents for Location Tracking, Hybrid Antenna & More

Today, the US Patent and Trademark Office officially published a series of thirteen newly granted patents for Apple Inc. In today's patent report we focus on Apple's original hybrid antenna, their reinvention of photo management for smartphones and their first patent win for location tracking. In May 2010, location tracking became the focus of a senate hearing where both Apple and Google executives faced a grilling from Senator Minnesota Democratic Rep. Al Franken. Apple's Bud Tribble confirmed that Apple doesn't share personally identifiable information with third parties. Even though that was reassuring, the issue isn't going away any time soon. Just last week the Supreme Court basically stated that law enforcement must obtain a search warrant if they're to use GPS and location tracking technologies on suspects. Something tells me that this won't be the last time that the issue of location tracking abuse is brought into question. For now, we simply appreciate the tamer side of Apple's location tracking used for route planning and all things touristy.  

Apple Wins another Piece of the Telephonic MacBook Puzzle While new 2011 US Patent Statistics Prove the loonies Wrong Again

The US Patent and Trademark Office officially published a series of eighteen newly granted patents for Apple Inc. today. While our report covers a wide range of patents, the main one reveals yet another piece of the telephonic MacBook Puzzle. Today's granted patent represents Apple's seventh patent win on this future product front since September 2010. This particular patent snuck through the application system and just popped up on us as being granted. The second focus of our report today rests with the latest US patent statics for 2011 that proves Apple's critics dead wrong once again. When will they ever learn? 

Apple Wins Patents for Advanced Trackpads, iPhone Headset & More

The US Patent and Trademark Office officially published a series of twenty-two newly granted patents for Apple Inc. today. In our third and final patent report of the day we primarily focus on two patents. The first covers advanced multi-touch trackpads that may one day track hand gestures. In the second patent, Apple reveals a possible future iPhone headset with a microphone that turns your music off automatically when you remove the headset and continues from where you left off when you put the headset back on. I don't know about you, but that sounds like a pretty nifty idea to me. Sometimes the little features are just as great as the big stuff.  

Steve Jobs Credited with an Apple TV Patent for Episodic TV

The US Patent and Trademark Office officially published a series of twenty-two newly granted patents for Apple Inc. today. This morning's second report is focused on a single Apple TV patent. It's a patent regarding episodic TV and it's another patent credited to the late, great, Steve Jobs.  

Apple Wins Smart Garment & iPhone Circuit Board Patents

The US Patent and Trademark Office officially published a series of twenty-two newly granted patents for Apple Inc. today. This morning's first report cover's a smart garment patent which describes technology that will be built into future running shoes related to the Nike + iPod product line. The newly described sensors may also one day be integrated into clothing like shirts and sweat pants and extend through to other sporting footwear like skates skis boots. The base technology is already in place via the Nike + iPod program. And finally to round off our first report of the day, we cover a design patent that Apple has received for an iOS icon.