The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office officially published a series of 69 newly granted patents for Apple Inc. today. In this particular report we cover two patents. The first covers Apple's modular retail display system that is used by partner stores like Best Buy and Verizon. Each retailer could have a different store layout with differently chosen modules. The second granted patent covers Apple Watch 5 with ECG system. And as always, we wrap up this week's granted patent report with our traditional listing of the remaining granted patents that were issued to Apple today.

Patent #1: Modular Retail Display System

Retail stores and other retail environments may include furniture, shelving, tables, and other fixtures to display and showcase merchandise. These environments often utilize customized fixtures and arrangements that are fixed in configuration, and that are not easily adaptable to re-configuration, re-arrangement, or re-purposing, and that may not work in multiple types of environments.

Apple's granted patent covers retail display systems with a high level of modularity. For example, a retail display table includes a frame and a table top within and supported by the frame. The table top has openings therethrough, and the retail display table includes a modular display mat disposed over each opening. The openings may be rectangular.

Each of the modular display mats is movable between a closed position in which it covers its respective table-top opening, and an open position in which it is lifted above the table top so that a cavity underneath the modular display mat is accessible. Also, each modular display mat has a configuration of holes therethrough to accommodate a configuration of displayed items, and is removable and replaceable with another modular display mat having a different configuration of holes to accommodate a different configuration of displayed items.

The retail display table may include a lift tray in each of the table-top openings. Each of the modular display mats may be coupled to one of the lift trays such that each lift tray lifts and lowers its respective modular display mat to move the modular display mat between the open and closed positions. A cable of the displayed items may extend through one of the holes in the modular display mats. In the closed position, the cable may be hidden from view. In the open position it may be accessible.

Apple's patent FIG. 1 (Which is our cover graphic above) shows a perspective view of a retail display system; FIG. 2 shows a front view of the retail display system of FIG. 1; FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of a retail display table of FIG. 1; FIG. 7 shows a representation of configurations of a display wall of FIG. 1.

Apple clarifies that the retail environments discussed in the patent can be arranged and found in retail stores or retail chains such as Best Buy or Target in addition to service provider stores such as AT&T and Verizon.

The retail environment may include a floor system that helps define its retail space. The floor system can provide a continuous distinct appearance, and may define an outer boundary of the retail space.

The floor system may also help maintain a neat and uniform appearance to the retail space. For example, it may include a wire management system such that the wires and cables are hidden from view.

The floor system can also include carpet tiles and edging to create a uniform appearance. This may be beneficial in a store environment where the floor helps define a dedicated retail space within the store.

Apple's granted patent 10,610,031 that was published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office this morning was oddly published as a patent application last Thursday under number 20200100604. How does a 5 day turn around sound? Odd and rare.

Patent #2: Apple Watch with Electrodes for Sensing Biological Parameters

Apple's granted patent covers Apple Watch 5 with the focus being on the ECG aspect of the watch. Overall, the patent covers systems, devices, methods, and apparatuses directed to an electronic watch or other wearable electronic device having a set of electrodes that may be used to sense or determine biological parameters of a user that wears the wearable electronic device. The biological parameters may include, for example, an electrocardiogram (ECG) of the user.

Apple's patent FIGS. 2A, 3 and 4A illustrate examples of an Apple Watch that incorporates a set of electrodes, with FIG. 3 being an alternative design that Apple may use in the future.  

Today the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office granted Apple patent 10,610,157 titled "Wearable electronic device with electrodes for sensing biological parameters." For more details, check out the patent here.

The Remaining Patents granted to Apple Today