The US Patent and Trademark Office officially published a series of twenty-seven newly granted patents for Apple Inc. today. In our first report of the day we focus on two patents. The first relates to a future cellular MacBook that will likely access 4G LTE data networks. Apple's second patent win relates to an MIMO antenna which Wikipedia states is an important part of modern wireless communication standards such as LTE. Whether this particular antenna will be used in Apple's forthcoming iPhone 5 or future cellular data ready MacBook is unknown at this time.
Since the summer of 2010 Patently Apple has been covering Apple's patent applications regarding a strong trend towards the development of a future MacBook with cellular-data capabilities. Just this past week, Patently Apple has discovered yet another new patent application on this subject in a filing that came to light in Europe earlier this year. This time around, Apple has brilliantly invented cellular antennas that could be integrated into a MacBook's Multi-Touch trackpad or directly into the display of an iOS device like an iPhone. That's important if Apple decides to design a future iPhone with a metal back. Now that the iPad offers 4G, the idea of the MacBook offering similar cellular-data capabilities sounds not only reasonable but inevitable.
The US Patent and Trademark Office officially published a series of twenty-two newly granted patents for Apple Inc. today. One of the main patents that Apple has won today relates to their tenth Telephonic MacBook patent. Apple's Telephonic MacBook will at minimum present users with the convenience of always-on service much like today's LTE iPad. Previous generations of wireless technology such as 3G were designed with telephony in mind. The LTE wireless standard was designed with data transmission in mind which is ideal for devices such as the iPad and especially the MacBook Pro for road warriors. Whether this is a 2012 or 2013 feature is irrelevant for now. The point is that an LTE based MacBook is a no brainer that will make its way to market when Apple deems it to be the right time. In addition to the MacBook adopting cellular capabilities, Apple's patent delivers a few other interesting twits that are noteworthy.
The timing of Apple's new micro SIM connector patent couldn't be more perfect in light of the battle between Nokia and Apple over the design of future miniature SIM cards for mobile devices. It's even been reported that Nokia has threatened to withdraw 50 or so SIM card related patents from ETSI if the Apple proposal is approved. Today's patent application sheds a little more light on the subject by illustrating that Apple's proposed SIM card connector could be utilized beyond smartphones and into devices such as Apple's MacBook Pro, iPod touch or even a monitor which could technically cover future televisions. The ability to transfer a SIM from one device to another is perhaps one of the advantages to Apple's design and why the ETSI is strongly considering it as a standard. In the era of mobility and device interconnectivity, Apple's solution may be the winner.
On February 28, 2012, The US Patent and Trademark Office officially published a series of twenty-four newly granted patents for Apple Inc. today. In our second report of the day we primarily focus on two patents. One involves yet another win for Apple's future Telephonic MacBook and the other for a dynamic input graphic display. The latter patent is really interesting as Apple envisions how a device interface could one day morph depending on its orientation. Some of the ideas may have been implemented in iOS devices already, but others could still be on the drawing board for a future device.
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?
The US Patent and Trademark Office officially published a series of twenty-three newly granted patents for Apple Inc. today. In our second and final granted patent report of the day we focus in on Apple's second Magic Mouse patent victory and their sixth win towards their future Telephonic MacBook. In our June 2011 report covering Intel's IDF titled "Intel, Apple & the Transformation of the PC," we covered Intel's focus on their all new Ultrabook PC category. One of the key attributes coming to Ultrabooks appeared in their slides relating to phase-two and three of their Ultrabook architecture; these next generation Ultrabooks would always be on and always be connected. Obviously Intel is planning to integrate 4G into their Ultrabooks in the not-too-distant future and this is why the Telephonic MacBook will be a reality. It's not a matter of if but rather when.
The US Patent and Trademark Office officially published a newly granted patent for Apple Inc. today that sounds like a real winner. The patent points to a MacBook using a clutch barrel structure that supports both a cellular antenna and rotatable display. This officially announces to the Wintel camp that Apple now has the ability to match or beat the Ultrabook design that is to come to market in 2013 with the Haswell processor. Now we just have to applaud loud enough so as to send Apple a clear message that we want a MacBook Tablet combination device. I mean – why should the Wintel camp have all the fun with their upcoming notebook-tablet with Windows 8 and their new touch-based Metro UI? The iPad is Apple's thunder and they should naturally extend it through to a future MacBook or MacBook Air.
The US Patent and Trademark Office officially published a series of 17 newly granted patents for Apple Inc. today. In our second report of the day we cover two patents. The first patent covers a GPS testing system to ensure that the GPS circuitry doesn't overhead and readings remains accurate. Interestingly, Apple notes that GPS could one day be integrated into wearable computers such as an Apple wrist-watch. The second patent covers an antenna that will provide future MacBooks with telephonic capabilities. Being that the GPS patent points to the 4GLong Term Evolution (LTE) cellular telephone standard being used in future portables, it may hint that we may see a telephonic MacBook hopefully in the next two years as Apple rolls out devices with 4G capabilities.
The US Patent and Trademark Office officially published a series of 13 newly granted patents for Apple Inc. today. This morning's first granted patent report covers a single knockout patent that has never been revealed before. The patent reveals a next generation microstrip styled cellular antenna that, according to Apple, will be used for future products such as notebooks, a wristwatch and other wearable computers and beyond. It may even be used in covert applications. Yes, another James Bond Classic invention from the Crazy Ones in Cupertino.
The US Patent and Trademark Office officially published a series of 20 newly granted patents for Apple Inc. today. Our first granted report of the day only covers a single major patent victory of Apple's which covers how they intend to integrating cellular antennas under the keys of both MacBooks and wireless keyboards like that used for the iMac. That revelation of cellular capabilities coming to an iMac is an eye-opener by itself. This is Apple's fourth cellular based MacBook related patent in just the last year and the second which covers hiding the cellular antenna. While we don't know which combination of technologies Apple will use to bring cellular capabilities to both the MacBook and iMac at this time, the important point is that Apple is determined to bring such capabilities to market in the not-too-distant future.
The US Patent and Trademark Office officially published a series of 22 newly granted patents for Apple Inc. today. The most interesting patent came to us as a complete surprise this morning as it wasn't originally covered. More than likely, the patent was filed in a way so as to escape the regular channels. The good news is that this patent advances Apple's new antenna system from previous applications. We were first introduced to Apple's intentions for a Telephonic MacBook back in August 2010. This was followed up with two related granted patents for a cellular antenna for a MacBook that were published respectively in September 2010 and February 2011. Apple continues to advance the concept of a Telephonic MacBook which will hopefully see the light of day sometime in the future – hopefully sooner rather than later.
