Patently Apple

Apple Wins Big with Two More Solar Energy Related Patents

The US Patent and Trademark Office officially published a series of 20 newly granted patents for Apple Inc. today. In our first report of the day we focus on Apple being granted a couple of new solar energy related patents. As we learned at this year's IDF fall session, a notebook's display is a real energy hog. In order to extend battery life, the industry will be moving to "Panel Self Refresh" technology by 2013 in the hopes of saving mobile users about an hour's time of battery life per day. And like Intel, Apple is researching methods of harnessing solar energy to further extend the run time of all portables. Today's patent wins cover new solar cell assembly methods and how MacBooks could harness the power of the sun one day with a specialized back panel reflector. Apple is definitely on a roll this year as these patents mark their fourth and fifth solar related wins.  

Apple Wins their Second Solar Power Patent This Year & More

The US Patent and Trademark Office officially published a series of 20 newly granted patents for Apple Inc. today. This morning's report covers patent wins relating to icon designs, assembly methods for the iPod and the iPod's capacitance sensing electrode based clickwheel. Yet the patent standing out amongst them all this morning relates to future solar powered portables and the power management circuitry that'll make it all happen. This is Apple's second major solar related patent win for 2011. While this technology may take another five to ten years to come to market, Apple is amongst a growing list of tech companies that are in a race to power portable devices like smartphones and notebooks with solar energy as one of their key power sources.  

Apple Wins Solar, iOS Camera & iPhone Docking Patents

 
The US Patent and Trademark Office officially published a series of 16 newly granted patents for Apple Inc. today. In our first granted patent report of the day you'll learn about newly granted patents covering a solar power converter, an iOS camera related patent detailing the rotation of display orientation of a captured image, a third patent covering a 3D Video Viewer that was meant for iMovie and a couple of iPhone docking station patents that illustrate features that have yet to surface.  

New Patents Surface for an iPhone Antenna Clip, Solar Energy and a new Oil Resistant Coating for iOS Devices

 
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. 

Apple Working on a New Power Adapter that will use Solar Energy

 
In January of this year, Apple won their first solar device related patent. That particular patent presented methods of adding solar power into the power mix of portables via a voltage converter within the device. Today, the US Patent and Trademark Office published a new Apple patent relating to a new power adapter that could utilize solar energy along with other conveniences. Although this could take a little time to come to market, Apple's fifth solar related patent is at least confirming that their R&D teams are prioritizing this green-project.