Patently Apple

Apple Wins a Major Patent for iTravel & More

The US Patent and Trademark Office officially published a series of 23 newly granted patents for Apple Inc. today. In our first granted patent report of the day we mainly focus on a major patent relating to iTravel, Apple's transportation check-in system. The timing couldn't be better for this patent as Apple recently announced that a new feature called "Passbook" was coming to iOS 6 this fall. Scott Forstall, Apple's Senior Vice President of iPhone Software, stated that Passbook would include travel services such as a boarding pass and express check-in which today's iTravel patent covers. The Near Field Communications (NFC) aspect of the patent will also be important for Apple's future iWallet application. To round off our report, we cover two of Apple's latest industrial designs wins and list an additional ten utility patents for the super geeks and legal professionals amongst us to review. 

Apple Surprises us with iTravel for Cruise Line Services

 
Apple first introduced us to their iTravel App in April of this year which packed quite the punch. In July, Apple followed up with two new iTravel services relating to Airline and hotel services and the travel industry went wild on this news. Today, Apple's next iTravel direction takes us to the cruise line industry. Apple knows that researching and putting together a cruise itinerary could be a daunting experience for consumers. Trying to figure out where to go, what excursions and/or off-shore activities to take or sifting through an endless list of cruise line services, could be intimidating. Planning a cruise with Apple's iTravel for cruise lines will greatly simplify that process from pre-cruise to post-cruise. Apple's future iTravel app will take advantage of NFC and location based technologies to enhance your cruise line experience with such services as social networking, interactive ship maps, the ability to purchase onboard tickets to shows or restaurants and even to act as a universal remote to control in-cabin electronics and climate control. Apple's latest patent even surprises us with a very strong hint of providing a future iPhone with a pico projector so as to possibly enhance your travel experience by being able to show off your excursion iMovies to an audience.  

Apple's iTravel App to Plug into Hotel Servers for In-Room Services

 
Apple's iTravel application services are already expanding and the app hasn't even launched yet. In our first report this morning, we covered a detailed travel itinerary application that will cover every aspect of your travel while the second report focuses on how your iPhone will be able to tap into a hotel's own servers to access multiple in-room services. For starters, your iPhone will act as your hotel key and from there you'll be able to control room settings such as lighting, bath settings, room temperature and so forth. Your iPhone will be able to be your hotel room's TV and stereo remote. You'll also be able to access other services like booking a visit to the hotel's spa or reserving a conference room all from the convenience of your iPhone or other iOS device. You'll even be allowed to check-out via your iPhone or check your room charges before leaving. When it comes to future travel – Apple is out to cover you every step of the way from travel arrangements right through to in-room services conveniently and in style.

 

Apple Expanding Services for their Future iTravel Application

 
Apple first introduced us to an exciting future iPhone application dubbed iTravel back in April 2010 which certainly shook things up in the travel industry. In today's patent, Apple introduces us to a more detailed view of a "travel itinerary application" which will be available to walk a traveler through everything step of a flight from preflight activities at the virtual service counter to activities at the airport as well as in-flight and post-flight activities. You'll be able to reserve restaurants at your destination, order a video game for in-flight entertainment, order special in-flight meals, order a specific type of movie while on flight or set-up sightseeing tours – just for starters. Apple has been working with partners like Telus and Air Canada on test marketing various aspects of iTravel – and today's patent application reveals that Apple is still expanding the nature and capabilities of iTravel as was first revealed  - with more is on the way! Stay tuned for part two. 

 

iTravel: Apple's Future Travel Centric App for the iPhone

 
Christina Warrens of Mashable covered our iTunes Concert Ticket + report last week and added that "Delta Airlines, which is headquartered in my hometown, supports digital boarding passes at some of its bigger airports. I love this because it is one less thing to print out and one fewer line to stand in for a boarding pass." Well, Apple appears to agree with that thinking because they're working on a new travel check-in application that they're simply calling "iTravel." Apple is obviously working with the Airlines to ensure that the iPhone will be up to standard when new ticketless systems roll out in the coming years. Apple's iTravel focuses on such matters as airline check-in and baggage identification, advanced electronic ID, car rentals, hotel and airline reservations and so forth. Apple's iTravel is yet another Near Field Communications based application within a host of recent revelations. It would appear, at least on the surface – that Apple may be working on a new suite of NFC related applications for a future iPhone. Perhaps such a suite could be ready by the time they roll out their iPhone 4G next year.