The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office usually publishes 30-40 continuation patents from Apple per week. These kinds of patents are patent extensions or updates in the form of new patent claims. Patently Apple usually tries to avoid covering such patents unless the new patent claims reveal something of interest that we want to highlight or if the invention is one we're hoping will come to market.

This week one of Apple's cooler patents regarding an all-new Glass iMac  form factor was updated with 20 new patent claims. It's one of those inventions that could shake up the iMac doldrums. Whether Apple wants to go beyond "safe" designs is unknown, but the fact that they're continually updating this invention is at the very least, encouraging.

In addition, after reviewing past reports, there were a few possible features of the Glass iMac that we never touched on before and thought now would be a good time to point them out.

The first new feature is found in Apple's patent FIG. 5 below, Apple illustrates that the Glass iMac could provide a full secondary backside display.

Apple never reveals what this feature could be used for. Could two adults or school aged kids use this iMac at the same time on opposite sides of a table or desk? Could it support a video game wherein two players are opposite each other playing a racing or war game?

Apple seems to think that this is important feature as it just happens to be found in their new patent claims published this week. Patent claims are reserved for features that they want to legally protect.

If you can think of another idea for a double sided display on an iMac, send in your comments on our Twitter site.

Below are key patent figures related to this patent that we've covered before. 

For even more patent figures associated with this patent you could always check out our original 2020 report if you missed it, plus one update report. You could also review Apple's latest update under patent #20240069595 where you could review the entire patent and it's 20 new patent claims in full. Below are just the initial four new patent claims:

Claim 1: An electronic device comprising: a glass housing member comprising: an upper portion defining a display area; a lower portion defining an input area; and a transition portion extending between the upper portion and the lower portion and defining part of a continuous surface defined by the upper portion, the lower portion, and the transition portion; a display coupled to the glass housing member and configured to provide a graphical output at the display area; an input device coupled to the glass housing member and configured to detect an input at the input area; and a support structure coupled to the glass housing member and configured to support the glass housing member.

Claim 2: The electronic device of claim 1, wherein: the upper portion defines a first planar region of the continuous surface; the lower portion defines a second planar region of the continuous surface; and the transition portion defines a concave, curved region of the continuous surface.

Claim 3: The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the glass housing member is a single piece of glass.

Claim 4: The electronic device of claim 1, wherein: the glass housing member defines a rear surface opposite the continuous surface; and the display is coupled to the rear surface.

Our cover graphic and those below are from Yanko Design. You could view a variety of additional rendering on their site here.

Perhaps with Apple shutting down their $10 billion 'Project Titan' (Vehicle project) they could now refocus on a new Glass iMac, a hybrid iPad-notebook, an advanced HomePod with camera and display, pushing Vision Pro to the next level at a more reasonable price point, and other projects that will excite their dedicated customer base. A US$100,000+ electric smart car seemed to be aimed at an elitist market, far from Apple's original mantra of a computer for "the rest of us."