Patently Apple

Apple Thinks that an LCD TV Should Run in Two Modes

 
Apple TV is just a hobby. Apple TV is just a hobby. Apple TV is just a hobby. Okay, I get it – but these nasty little patents keep popping up that show that Apple has an obsession with display technology which happens to include, well … television. Apple's patent thinks that LCD TVs should run in two modes so that still photos could be better presented. The patent describes the two modes as being CPU mode and Streaming Mode. The patent mentions display technologies like plasma which of course has nothing to do with an iOS display. Yet for now we'll simply archive this patent in our not-TV-file while chuckling, because we all know that Apple TV is just a hobby.

 

Apple Reveals iPhone Subtitle & Audio Fingerprinting Features

 
A new Apple patent published by the United States Patent and Trademark Office today reveals that Apple will be adding easy to use subtitle and closed captioning features to their iPhone and other media players such as Apple TV. The system will also provide users with the ability to control the look of on-screen subtitles by choosing font styles, colors, sizes and even the style of box the text will be presented in. Apple's last feature takes advantage of ambient noise technology so that closed captioning could be triggered automatically when a mobile user is watching a movie or TV show in a noisy environment such a subway, bus, park or gym.

New Functions & Marketing Twist for Apple TV in the Works

On May 20, 2010, the US Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Apple that reveals one of the next chapters for Apple TV. While Apple TV is considered to be a hobby device for Apple, the fact is that they continue to evolve the device in their labs. This particular patent covers Apple TV's proposed function simply called "Learn Remote." Apple TV will be able to be controlled by future HDTVs from Sony, Samsung and Hitachi or even a DVR from DirecTV. Yet for the most part, these functions are already found and explained on Apple's website. The second aspect of this patent involves a possible winning marketing twist that could involve Apple TV being able to present a "Simulated iPhone" on a future HDTV so as to allow users to make a phone call or perhaps better yet, interact with one of a Gazillion iPhone Apps or even access one of their new iBooks. Apple tries to hide this feature by illustrating its presence on an illustration yet refusing to elaborate on this point. That's fine, I just did and I'm sure that your imagination could think of other interesting spin-off possibilities for this powerful marketing twist.

Great Advances are Coming to Apple Remote & Apple TV

 

The USPTO was down for most of last Thursday, which made it very difficult to access Apple's latest patent applications. One of the reports that we were able to post was in regards to Apple TV's remote controller. Yet hidden within the patents that we weren't able to access - was a little gold mine. After careful scrutiny of this patent over the weekend, let me tell you, Apple has some great ideas in mind for their Remote iApp. Better yet - Apple's patent presents us with a unique overview of a future version of Apple TV that we perhaps hoped for from the very beginning and disappointingly never received. All we can hope for now is that Apple delivers this next generation Apple TV for at least Christmas this year. C'mon Apple – make it happen!

While Apple Denies Interest in Television, their Patents State Otherwise

 
Tim Cook recently spoke at the Goldman Sachs' annual tech conference in San Francisco and supposedly stated that "Apple TV is a hobby. But "because our gut says there's something there we're continuing to invest in those," reported the Wall Street Journal's "Digit" blog. Seth Weintraub's 9 to 5 Mac went on record with Tim Cook stating that Apple had "No interest in going into the TV market. But still think there's something there." Yes, Apple continues to invest in the area of TV and our TV patent section is trying to document what we can on this very important future product. And while Apple continues to deny that they're working on a next generation television, you'd have to be an idiot reporter for even expecting Apple to say: Oh, yes, we're about to reinvent television and here are the juicy details. Ha! If you know Apple, then you know not to ask questions about "future products "and expect a reply. During every financial conference of Apple's, we continually hear analysts trying to get Tim Cook or Peter Oppenheimer to confess or have a slip of the tongue in the hopes of getting a killer headline. It's not going to happen. With that said, a very simple Apple patent was published today by the USPTO that insists that the company's Apple TV remote is to work with a clearly defined television – beyond what we know as Apple TV - the set top box style unit.

Apple Granted Patent for Next Generation Apple TV Technology

The US Patent and Trademark Office officially published a series of seven newly granted patents for Apple Inc. today. The most notable patent covered in this report relates to possible next generation technology that Apple could employ in either in their Apple TV console or an HDTV unit itself - over time. Other patents granted to Apple today includes one that covers the iTune's "Season Pass" feature and another covering the iPhone's touch based slide unlocking-mechanism interface.

Apple's Media Players will One Day be Both Portable TV & DVR

 

On January 14, 2010, the US Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Apple that reveals one of the next chapters coming to Apple's Media Players. In Q4 2010, Apple introduced their fifth generation iPod nano that introduced a video camera and a new way to not only listen to the radio, but to pause and tag it as well. While today's patent covers this new iPod nano feature – it also goes to where Apple's media players could venture into next: HDTV. In the very same manner that radio is handled today, the patent carries this concept through to television - Not only for watching it, but for recording it as well, even on the go. To me that sounds a lot like a portable DVR - and that would be very cool. The patent makes it crystal clear that it will handle programming that is found on over-the-air radio or television (TV), satellite radio or TV, cable TV or music services, Internet streaming broadcasts and so forth. With the iPod Classic, you'll use the scroll wheel to turn the channel and the larger media players will have a virtual dial with a more elaborate interface. All in all, Apple is aiming to add cable or satellite TV to their media players and to confirm that, the USPTO just published a push button antenna patent from Apple just after Christmas.  

Intel's CES Keynote 2010, Apple and iLife 3D

 

In October 2009, Patently Apple pointed to Intel being On the Cusp of a Whole New Industry and presented you with an insider's view of what Intel had been promoting and marketing behind the scenes in respect to the next wave of 3D TV and other interesting subject matters.  In Otellini's CES keynote, he shared his belief that "we're on the cusp of a new era in computing."  More importantly, Otellini and his 3D lab team treated us to some very powerful conceptual imagery; Imagery that most definitely could translate into explosive new Apple products in the coming years. Beyond that, Otellini emphasized SmartTV, the power needed to power all forms of 3D content and introduced us all to the Home Energy Management Dashboard that will definitely become a part of our in-home strategy down the road.

 

Apple Reveals New 3D Remote and Possible New iWork Application

 

On the last patent day of 2009, the US Patent & Trademark Office published an important continuation patent from Apple that reveals one of the next chapters for Apple TV's remote. Firstly, the remote will implement a new magnetic compass within the remote's casing that will actually float in liquid so as to maintain its position relative to the gravity vector. This will provide the remote with incredible precision movement and fluidity. Secondly, with this new found precision, Apple hints of introducing a new illustration application to showcase this new remote's capabilities which would likely debut as iWork's fourth application. That in itself is great news. In theory, Apple's Keynote application would greatly benefit from such a new tool - in that it could provide the presenter with the ability to mark-up presentation graphics on screen live with this new 3D wand/remote.    

Apple Reveals Push Button Antenna that may Point to Cable TV Content

 
The US Patent and Trademark Office officially published a newly granted patent of Apple's that would suggest that they may be considering a push button style antenna for future devices such as their  iPhone, iPod Touch or perhaps even a new tablet. According to Apple such an antenna would "ensure high-quality wireless transmission and reception." Although the antenna could be based on a push button design, it may also be designed to be activated via an icon on your media device UI. There could also be an interesting twist to this patent, in that the antenna may utilize a coaxial cable. Coaxial cable is used as a transmission line for radio frequency signals, in applications such as connecting radio transmitters and receivers with their antennas, computer network (Internet) connections, and distributing cable television signals. It's the latter possibility that may be the secret to this patent and one that I think is worth emphasizing. Then again, if New York City is having trouble with the iPhone now with simple data, how would it ever handle wireless television transmissions? That aside, the ability to drive cable content to Apple's media players and/or future tablet is just too delicious an idea to ignore.

Apple Developing 'Grab & Go' Application for Life in the Fast Lane

 
On November 5, 2009, the US Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Apple that reveals various concepts behind a newly advanced application in development code named Grab & Go. Apple's patent introduces us to simplified data transfer technologies such as Near Field Communication Interface and Sony's new TransferJet. The new application will allow users who live in the fast lane to transfer data quickly between devices like their desktop and iPod by simply tapping their iPod against an iMac, for example. The new application will also allow users to transfer data quickly from Apple TV to an iPod, from a gaming console to an iPod and so on and so forth. The patent also discusses sending complicated or simple files to MobileMe with yet another app dubbed Revisit. The new app will allow users to review their downloaded information using Cover Flow which is a very cool idea. This is the most in-depth patent of 2009 and the extent of detail would suggest that this is going to be a major new iPhone app hopefully for 2010. The extent of the detail also shows the passion that Apple has for this project. This hot new iApp from Apple has tremendous potential for the iPhone – and for giving their competition a headache!

Apple Patent Advances MobileMe to the Next Level

The US Patent & Trademark Office has published a patent application from Apple today that reveals one of the next chapters for Apple's MobileMe. Generally speaking, Apple's patent relates to synchronizing media state across multiple devices. Specifically, the patent provides us with a scenario whereby you'll be able to partially view television or any video content on your iPhone, say during your lunch hour, and then switch to Apple TV when you get home and continue viewing that content from exactly where you left off at lunch without having to manually reposition playback of the content.