Apple Receives Granted Patent for 3D Remote Control System Employing Absolute and Relative Position Detection

Apple has received a Granted Patent relating to a multi-dimensional remote control system. Unlike with the current Apple TV remote, Apple's invention includes a multi-dimensional (e.g., 2-D or 3-D) remote control system that could detect an absolute location to which a remote control is pointing in first and second orthogonal axes (e.g., the x- and y-axes). The remote control system of the present invention could also detect the absolute position of the remote control in a third orthogonal axis (e.g., the z-axis).

The remote control system of Apple's granted patent could also zoom into and out of an image or a portion thereof based on the absolute position of the remote control in the third axis.

Some electronic systems could permit a user to interact with software applications, e.g., video games, by manipulating the 2D-3D remote control.

Apple states that the user input component (38) could be an iPod. Additionally, the console could also have one or more connectors to which accessories could be coupled. The accessories could include cables, game cartridges, portable memory devices (e.g., memory cards, external hard drives, etc.), adapters for interfacing with another electronic device (e.g., computers, camcorders, cameras, media players, etc.), or combinations thereof.

Apple credits Duncan Kerr, Chad Bronstein and Wing Low as the inventors of granted patent 8,291,346 which was originally filed in Q4 2006 and published today by the US Patent and Trademark Office.

Apple Receives Granted Patent for iTunes UI & Distribution System 

Apple has received a Granted Patent for their industry leading iTunes user interface and distribution system. Technically speaking the patent is properly titled "Graphical user interface for browsing, searching and presenting media items."

Broadly speaking, the invention relates a graphical user interface suitable for reviewing, browsing, previewing and/or purchasing media items. The graphical user interface could be presented to a user at a client (client machine). In one embodiment, the graphical user interface is presented to the user by an application program that runs on the client.

The graphical user interface is particularly useful for a system that provides purchase and distribution of media in a client-server environment. The purchase and distribution of media could not only be secure but also controlled. The controlled distribution could use encryption and user accounts to not only restrict unauthorized access to the media but also to limit usage rights to the media by authorized users. The security restricts access to media within media files during downloads as well as while stored at a server and/or client. The graphical user interface could assist users in locating media to be purchased. The media could, for example, be audio, video, or image data.

The invention can be implemented in numerous ways, including as a method, system, device, apparatus, graphical user interface, or computer readable medium.

Apple credits Jeffrey Robbin, Peter Wagner and Mike Wiese as the inventors of granted patent 8,291,320 which was originally filed in Q1 2005. Technically it was a continuation patent dating back to 2004.

Apple Received Four Granted Design Patents Today

Apple has been granted four design patents today covering their iPad, iPhone and icons representing the iBook bookshelf and calendar.

First Granted Patent Round-Up

Over and above the granted patents detailed above, we present you with links to eight additional granted patents in our first granted patent round-up as follows: 

8,291,480 - Trusting an unverified code image in a computing device

8,291,440 - Providing a proxy view for an application in a window manager

8,291,395 - Fast function call dispatching

8,291,344 - Device, method, and graphical user interface for managing concurrently open software applications

8,291,332 - Layer for accessing user interface elements

8,291,241 - Low power peer detection circuit

8,291,166 - Caching performance optimization

8,290,908 - Synchronization server process

NOTICE: 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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