Every once in awhile an engineer describing a product will in some form or another reveal an application or a new device that the patent is intended to legally cover and in doing so allows us to at least understand what future devices that Apple may have in store for us. Today, a simple patent covering an iTunes 9 feature for arranging and rearranging iApps on your desktop points to this feature applying to a PDA (iPod touch), smartphone (iPhone) and watch. Oh really? And to top off today's report we cover new patents that discuss GarageBand's "loops" feature and advanced syncing which is likely associated with yesterday's release of iTunes 10.
There's no missing the point that Apple wants to enter the electronic concert and event ticket business via a new application and system simply called "Concert Ticket +." The system that is laid out in this extraordinarily detailed patent, points to a new iTunes based web service for tickets that will naturally enhance the iTunes music empire. Apple definitely envisions a way to revolutionize the entire current concert ticket process so as to eliminate paper while enhancing the concert or event experience. Today's patent reviews the basics of this new system as well as review the benefits of such a system which could include the concert goer receiving such things as a live recording of the concert they just attended or access to exclusive artist interviews or refreshments. Surprisingly, the patent goes far beyond concerts as well - so as to cover sporting events, amusement park admissions and rides (think Disney), a wedding invitation system and a lot more. In fact, one of the events that the report covers includes Apple's World Wide Developer Conference 2010.
Last November we reported on Apple's preliminary work on Millimeter-Wave and (NFC) Near Field Communication applications. One of the more unique applications that we presented at that time was Apple's concept of an iTunes Music Kiosk. It now appears that Apple's R&D teams are exploring a second type of concept retail kiosk. This time their focus is on providing consumers with the ability to purchase customized iTunes Gift Cards in a retail environment. The first idea is to enable the consumer to purchase a personalized iTunes Gift Card using either a stock photo from Apple's library or one from their own home photo library as the background of the card. The second idea is to provide consumers with the ability to purchase customized or personalized custom fitted gift cards that will fit inside Apple's retail packaging. Move over Hallmark – there's a new kid in town.
Apple introduced their next generation iPod Nano yesterday which comes with a new marketing feature called "iTunes Tagging." This nifty little feature is going to be hot and one of the most appreciated features over the years. We've all been there. We hear a tune on the radio and missed the DJ's description of the tune – or they ripped it off too quickly to catch. Yikes – it's a tune you want, a tune you can't get out of your head and you just can't find the name of that tune. Well, for those buying the new iPod Nano, that's an inconvenience of the past.Apple's new iTunes Tagging allows you to see the metadata pertaining to that tune and allows you to tag it so that when you get home, the tunes information is simply sitting in a file on iTunes ready for you to review and buy it. Tagging is simply a click of the iPod's click wheel. Apple's latest feature has been in the works at Apple for years. Apple finally executing on this feature fulfills one of their 2008 patent applications which richly details the advances of tagging and where it could be going in the bigger scheme of things.
On May 7, 2009, the US Patent & Trademark Office published Apple's patent application relating to media distribution and, more particularly, to controlling media distribution to personal media devices using a media distribution kiosk. Although the concept of an iTunes Store Kiosk had been rumored since 2006, the proof of such a development is now in hand. Apple's iTunes Store Kiosks will introduce us to something that Apple calls avirtual physical connector. By establishing a virtual physical connection as opposed to using the media device's actual connector, the wear on the media device's connector is minimized. The virtual physical connection also reduces the likelihood of eavesdropping, hacking, and overloading of a wireless connection between the media distribution kiosk and a media device. The virtual physical connection further eliminates the need for a media device to connect with a possibly damaged, worn, or unreliable connector of a publicly or environmentally exposed media distribution device. Apple's kiosk will utilize a limited RF range connection to ensure security. The kiosks will also allow users the ability to access one or more of their own existing libraries of media content at a different location. The new kiosks may also include a web browser using a touch screen display much like the new HP tourist kiosks. The kiosks will work with Apple handhelds such as the iPod touch, iPhone and notebooks and allow burning content such as music and/or movies to CD, DVD's or Blu-ray Disk. Apple also introduces us to a new security feature called a presence sensor. This will assist users make secure and private wireless purchases.
On July 31, 2008, the US Patent & Trademark Office published an Apple patent application that generally relates to receiving broadcasts and in particular to systems and methods for communicating and storing information associated with data within a broadcast. Apple's patent discusses broadcast services that will be made available from iTunes that will work with a new add-on accessory for the iPod and iPhone.The proposed accessory would also work with Yahoo and Microsoft subscription services - which make you wonder if Apple is contemplating such a service of their own in the not too distant future. This report also introduces another similar iPod accessory that will be available for the iPod later this year from a third party.
