While we look back one more time at 2011 to say farewell to the Great Steve Jobs, we boldly go into 2012 with a revitalized and energized determination to make the coming year one of the very best. Patently Apple wishes our guests, friends and industry colleagues a healthy and Happy New Year! For our fans and colleagues around the world: Bonne Annee! Glückliches neues Jahr! Buon Anno! Feliz Año Nuevo! Feliz Año Novo! Gelukkig Nieuwjaar! Godt Nyttår! Godt Nytår! Gott Nytt År! Onnellista Uutta Vuotta! 新年快乐! 新年快樂! 새해 복 많이 받으세요! С Новым годом! Szczęśliwego Nowego Roku! 明けましておめでとうございます!

It was revealed yesterday by the USPTO that Apple has invented a new laser beam focus system that is used on their production lines overseas. Apple's passion for detail drove them to invent their own laser beam calibration system so as to get their spot-welds just perfect. Would we expect anything less from Apple? And on another front this morning, we learn that Apple may shift from IPS to IGZO displays in 2012. A 32" HDTV prototype using IGZO was demonstrated in Japan in October – which may explain one of Apple's motivators for shifting to IGZO displays.  

On the last patent application day of the year, the USPTO revealed a real treat for us. It appears that Apple has added yet another dynamic new chapter to their ongoing smart bezel project; a project that has the potential of taking Apple's iDevices to the next level. It could, without a doubt, revolutionize Apple's entire tablet-based line-up in the blink of an eye. The idea revealed in today's patent application is to advance iOS devices with a new live interface that is referred to as the Multi-Modal Human Interface. The new user interface is powered by a new engine that is able to detect environmental conditions and change the operational interactivity options for users so as to maximize the iDevice's usefulness - automatically. It's also designed to reduce power drainage so that devices could be up and running longer. One example provided for in Apple's documentation is an iPad shutting down the standard iOS UI automatically in favor of one that is driven by a voice and speech recognition UI while the user is driving. This is certainly another natural avenue for Apple's Siri. Yet, in the big picture, the smart bezel project is all about advancing the usability of future iOS devices on multiple levels. It's a project that demonstrates that Apple's leadership in all-things-tablets is based on driving the boundaries of true innovation to market and in the faces of their never ending competition. And on that note, I say Cheers to the Crazy Ones of Cupertino!  

On December 29, 2011, the US Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Apple that reveals one of the next chapters for device security. In 2009, Apple's presence detection patent first came to light in relation to future MacBooks. Then in November of this year, Apple revealed a heavy duty 3D face and object recognition system that could be used for home and enterprise security applications. In today's revelations, Apple introduces us to a more down to earth and practical security system for our portable devices. For simple home or personal use, the system could be setup to recognize your presence and face to quickly turn on your device. This would bypass the need for entering a password or even having to touch the home button to get to your homepage. For use at work, the facial recognition system could be set to higher levels of security. All in all it sounds like a very promising security system is in our future.  

On December twentieth, The Washington Post reported that "Apple Inc. won a patent-infringement ruling that bans some HTC Corp. smartphones from the U.S. starting next year, bolstering efforts to prove that devices running Google Inc.'s Android operating system copy the iPhone." And today, the US Patent and Trademark Office officially published yet another core iPhone multitouch victory for Apple that will bolster their legal arsenal. This particular multitouch related patent focuses on the oscillator signal and circuit, which are central to sensing a touch event on a touch display. And Finally, we add a Classic Photo collage of Steve Jobs introducing the revolutionary iPhone at Macworld in January 2007. These are images that are seared into most of our memories of Steve.  

The US Patent and Trademark Office officially published a series of eighteen newly granted patents for Apple Inc. today. In our first patent report of the day we mainly cover two of these patents. The first one relates to Apple's first win for their entertaining Photo Booth application while the other covers a major fitness center application. To close off our report, we also cover two of Apple's latest design patent wins and briefly cover eight other interesting patents in our Final Patent Round Up section. 

On December 23, 2011, Apple filed for the trademark and icon for "Available on the App Store" under applications 302118690 in China and 010520054 in Europe. Apple has filed their trademark under three International Classes covering such things as advertising and marketing services, downloadable computer software accessible via the internet and software for gaming and virtual reality. Additionally, Apple has been granted twelve design patents in China covering the iPad dock and many iPad 2 components. 

Patently Apple would like to wish you and yours the very best this holiday season. This is the one time of year where we get to thank our fans, friends and colleagues for their continuing support throughout the year. While it's fun digging into Apple's patents each week in search of future features and secrets – we must never forget to slow down during the holiday season and be grateful for our health and loved ones. Being that many of you will be in transit over the next week to be with family and friends, we thought it only right to get our message out to you before your departure. Cheers! – from Patently Apple.

On December 22, 2011, the US Patent & Trademark Office published a pair of patent applications from Apple that reveal greater detailing of their next generation Fuel Cell project. The new fuel cells will one day power both iOS and OS X portable devices like the iPhone and MacBook for days, if not weeks at a time. In October we covered Apple's first patent on fuel cell technology in respect to fuel cell plates. Today's patents provide us with greater detail of their fuel cell technology project that even considers implementing MagSafe as a key connector for fuel cell recharging between an iOS device like the iPhone and a MacBook. The race is on to bring next generation fuel cell technology to future portable devices and it appears that Apple may be on the verge of a major breakthrough on this front.  

The US Patent & Trademark Office has published Apple's latest trademark application for "Magnetic Timeline" under application 85492953. Apple's trademark relates to their revolutionary video editing tool that debuted with their all new Final Cut Pro X Application in June 2011. At that time, Academy Award-winning film Editor Angus Wall is quoted as stating that he was "blown away by what Apple has done with Final Cut Pro." Obviously with something this revolutionary, Apple needed to protect it accordingly. Click here for more details on Apple's Magnetic Timeline feature.

The US Patent and Trademark Office officially published a series of eight newly granted patents for Apple Inc. today. This morning's report mainly focuses in on two of these patents. The first one focuses in on one of Apple's original iPhone patents that relate to the user interface supporting application switching while still on a call. The second patent noted in our report covers a design win for Apple's second generation iPod shuffle which credits Steve Jobs as one of the designers. In our report's Final Round-Up section, you'll find patents relating to such topics as a developer computer for testing out iPhone apps and another one covering Apple's microperforated backlit display system which produces the illuminated Apple logo found on today's MacBook lineup. 

Sneaky Apple originally filed their Smart Cover product patent in Canada one year ago this month. It has only recently come to light for public viewing. The credit for the Smart Cover actually goes to Jony Ive's team of designers and engineers. While surprising, it only makes sense. The precision and coherence of the design could have only come from a detailed professional like Jony Ive. Although most of us know what the Smart Cover is, the patent actually surprised me with two new scenarios for using the Smart Cover. Neither had ever even crossed my mind. Those, along with a few other insightful twists, made the discovery of this Smart Cover patent in Canada all the sweeter.