Apple Granted Patent for a Push-to-Talk Feature for Future iPhone

Firstly, Apple has been granted a patent today for their invention relating to a future iPhone feature related to Push-to-Talk. Specifically Apple states that their invention includes a system and method for Push-to-talk (PTT) service to another user via a wireless packet data network. To this end, in one embodiment the system includes a packet data network with at least one mobile station, a radio access network, a database server, a registrar and location server, an Interactive Multimedia Server (IMS), and a PTT server that provides the PTT service to other PTT users on the packet network.

Although there are Push-to-Talk apps designed for Apple's iPhone, Apple's own designed feature for Push-to-Talk has yet to surface. Verizon's network offers this service and it's one that would be appreciated by businesses and students alike.

Apple credits Robert Denman, Sriram Parameswar and Barbara Derryberry as the inventors of this granted patent which was originally filed in Q and published today by the US Patent and Trademark Office. To review today's granted patent claims and details, see US Number 8,447,341. It should be noted that Apple may have acquired this patent at some point in time as the inventors don't appear to be linked to Apple as employees.

Apple Granted a Patent for the Magic Mouse's Multi-Touch Surface

Secondly, Apple has been granted a patent today for their invention relating to the Magic Mouse touch surface. Specifically, Apple states that the invention relates to the detection of a palm touch on a touch surface, such as a mouse surface. In some embodiments, a touch at a farther distant location on the touch surface relative to other touches on the touch surface can be indicative of a palm touch. For example, an expected distance between finger touches can be determined. Any touch at a location beyond that expected distance can be considered a palm touch. In some embodiments, a touch having a larger touch radius relative to other touch radii can be indicative of a palm touch. For example, a predetermined palm touch radius can be set. Any touch have a radius that exceed the predetermined palm touch radius can be considered a palm touch.

Apple credits Wayne Westerman as the sole inventor of this granted patent which was originally filed in Q4 2008 and published today by the US Patent and Trademark Office. To review today's granted patent claims and details, see US Number. 8,446,374. Apple's Magic mouse was first sold on October 20, 2009.

Apple Granted a Patent for a Double-Sided Touch Sensitive Panel and Flex Circuit Bonding

Thirdly, Apple has been granted a patent today for their invention relating to the bonding of flexible circuits to substrates, and more particularly, to the bonding of flex circuits to directly opposing attachment areas of a substrate, and an improved flex circuit design for enabling more secure and less error-prone bonding.

Specifically, Apple invention relates to a multi-touch sensor panel that can be created using a substrate with column and row traces formed on either side of the substrate using a novel fabrication process. Traces made of copper or other highly conductive metals running along the edge of the substrate can be used to bring the row traces to the same edge of the substrate as the column traces so that flex circuits can be bonded to the same edge of the substrate on directly opposing sides of the substrate, minimizing the area needed for connectivity and reducing the overall size of the sensor panel.

The double sided touch panel could be applied to a future iPhone. This late 2011 patent application states that "in other embodiments, the rows and columns can be formed on a single side of a substrate, or can be formed on two separate substrates separated by a dielectric material. In March we learned about a future iPhone with a wraparound display. Such a display would obviously require a double sided multi-touch sensor such as the one described in Apple's Granted Patent.

Apple credits Mark Hamblin and Steve Hotelling as the inventors of this granted patent which was originally filed in Q3 2011 and published today by the US Patent and Trademark Office. To review today's granted patent claims and details, see US Number 8,446,386.

The Remaining Patents that were granted to Apple Today

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Patently Apple presents only a brief summary of granted patents with associated graphics for journalistic news purposes as each Granted Patent is revealed by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. Readers are cautioned that the full text of any Granted Patent should be read in its entirety for full details. About Comments: Patently Apple reserves the right to post, dismiss or edit comments.

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