Patently Apple

Apple Revisits Inventions Relating to an iPhone with a Wraparound Display, Indoor Parking & More

Apple Granted a Patent for a Smartphone with a Convex Display

Three of Apple's Patent Filings Come to Light Regarding Display Technologies with one covering a Heads-Up Display

Apple continues their Work on Possible Future iDevices with Flexible Form Factors and Displays

Apple Surprises us with an Exciting Invention Revealing a Next Generation Digital Periodical Device using Flexible Displays

The US Patent and Trademark Office officially published a series of 31 newly granted patents for Apple Inc. today. In this particular report we focus on what could be a revolutionary new Apple device that they refer to as a digital periodical. The unit can also act as an advertising display for a retail store application and beyond. Apple reveals that the new device would use an advanced form of MMS to deliver the content to this new kind of device.

Apple Granted a Patent for a Curved Touch Display that Could Support a Future Fitness Band or iWatch

The US Patent and Trademark Office officially published a series of 48 newly granted patents for Apple Inc. today. In this particular report we cover Apple's patent for making a curved touched display. The most likely use for such a display could be in the form of Apple's future fitness-band (wrist computer or iWatch).

Apple Patent Reveals Future Flexible Displays Incorporating Key Bendable Metal Traces

On May 22, 2014, the US Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Apple that reveals their ongoing work on future flexible OLED displays. Apple's invention covers the implementation of bendable metal traces that won't break or crack under conditions of the display that require bending or curvature. This supports Apple's patent application regarding hollow structures that include a possible future iPhone. Bendable metal traces represent a key attribute to assist the design of durable flexible displays for future devices.

Apple Invents Cool Status Indicators for Future Macs & iDevices using Electrically Charged Liquid Crystal Droplets and More

Late yesterday Patently Apple discovered a unique patent application from Apple that was published in Europe. The patent contains a feast of cool new ideas floating around Cupertino's R&D labs. Apple's many inventions are illustrated on both MacBooks and a possible future iPen. Apple discusses varying flex display designs and a new illumination process that is very cool. Some of the features described in this latest patent filing could easily be applied to future wearable devices from Apple. All-in-all Apple's European patent application was a lot of fun to explore and I think that you'll really enjoy our report covering its many highlights.

Apple Invents Curved Flex Display Techniques for Future iDevices

On February 13, 2014, the US Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Apple titled "Flexible Displays." Apple's work on flexible displays began to surface back in August 2012 and several key patent pending flexible display inventions have surfaced since. Earlier this week a Korean report surfaced suggesting that Apple may be working on a bezel-free version of the iPhone. Today's patent revelations revolve around the technical techniques of reducing a display border by bending the sides of a display surface. The invention could apply to a future iPhone, iPad or wearable smartwatch-like computer and beyond.

Ten Patent Applications from Apple were published this Week and Another Little Gem was Discovered

On Thursday the US Patent & Trademark Office published a series of ten original patent applications from Apple. While there wasn't a single invention that stood out as a consumer oriented hit, there were a few that could be of interest to various niches within the Apple community. Today's report provides you with a brief overview of each of the ten patents and links to them for those wishing to explore them further. As the week ended, Patently Apple's ongoing patent research was able to uncover yet another hidden gem and our report shines a light on one specific new feature that Apple's engineers had worked on last year regarding transparent windows.

Hidden Apple Patent for Flexible Display Devices Discovered

This week the European Patent Office published one of Apple's patent applications for flexible displays filed in Korea. In further researching this and other related patent applications in the EU database we stumbled upon a hidden filing. Hidden filings are those filed by Apple's engineers under their individual names (usually as a team of engineers working on an Apple project) without listing Apple as the official assignee. This way the invention remains off the public's radar screen under "Apple Inc." until the very last moment when it's granted and Apple take's legal assignment of it at that time. Sometimes we're lucky to stumble onto one of these little gems before they're granted, and today we're going to review one of them that relates to possible future flexible display configurations that will allow a device to be folded in various configurations.

Killer Patent: Apple Reveals Sapphire Flexible Transparent Display Devices Created with Liquid-Metal

This morning Patently Apple discovered a killer patent application from Apple that was published in Europe. Apple's killer invention describes flexible wraparound displays for a possible future iPhone and/or other devices. The patent describes sapphire and transparent displays used in a form factor created by an alumina powder liquid-metal process. Apple further describes some very interesting applications taking advantage of this kind of continuous wraparound display that could be ideal for a future wristband computer that we reported on earlier this year. Without a doubt, this patent application is one of the best of the year – so check it out.

Apple Patent Reveals Advanced iDevice Flex Display Features

A new patent application from Apple was discovered in Europe this morning that reveals advanced iDevice flex display features. Apple's patent application covers a lot of ground including both flex screen designs and flexible components to make these designs work. One such component is a unique flex battery design. Apple's patent filing also enlightens us with the fact that bending a future flexible centric iDevice may also allow users to open a specific application, control a game function and so much more. In the end, the patent filing provides us with and overview of the the whole future flexible device concept that could eventually cover wearable computers, the iPhone, iPad and even aspects of a MacBook. Our report covers fourteen major patent figures. NOTE: The Entire Report was Updated at PM MST

 

Stunning Future iPhone with Wraparound Display Revealed

On March 27, 2013, US Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Apple that reveals a stunning future iPhone with a wraparound display so that both sides of this iPhone will be able to display content either individually or as one continuous display. The wraparound display will also apply to Apple's possible future wristband communication device or iWatch revealed in February. Today's invention focuses on the flexible wraparound display that could be fashioned in aluminum, aluminum and glass or a fully transparent design. This future iPhone design won't have any physical buttons so controlling the audio on the iPhone will simply require you to hover your hand over the side of the display to temporarily illustrate the controls. The new design could also produce 3D visuals through its unique dual display design. This is certainly one of Apple's hottest inventions of the year.

 

Apple Looks to Flexible Displays for Unique Functionality

Yesterday the World IP Organization published a host of unique patents relating to flexible displays. Once you hear the words "flexible displays" your mind immediately conjures up all kinds of contorted smartphone designs because that's what the competition, like Samsung, have been promoting for some time now at tradeshows. And being a hardware centric company, you expect that from them. Yet Apple is a different cat. They're the guys who Think Different, remember? So while the competition is stuck in hardware overdrive, Apple is working diligently at finding unique ways to exploit flexible displays. That's really what yesterday's patents revealed once you got through the camouflage of concave and convex display detailing. Our report shows you a few of the little gems that came to light.

Apple Invents Mind Boggling Next Generation Smart Cover with Multi-Touch Flexible Display, Solar Panels & Built-in Keyboard

On August 2, 2012, the US Patent & Trademark Office published a mind boggling patent application from Apple that reveals features that they're considering for their next generation Smart Cover. This is obviously a master patent that could play out in several stages and/or in different Smart Cover configurations depending on the user's priorities. Apple's future Smart Cover could include interactive Multi-Touch panels or a secondary display and/or other features that include the use of solar panels, inductive charging, smart pen input and believe it or not, much more.