Patently Apple

Mainland China Grants Apple a License to sell the iPad

Jack Purcher — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 16:43:40 GMT

According to Chinese sources, Apple's new iPad has just been granted a network access license for the Chinese mainland, a step that will pave the way for the iPad to be sold in Mainland China.

Mainland China Grants Apple a License to sell the iPod on Monday

Jack Purcher — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 16:43:40 GMT

According to Chinese sources, Apple's new iPad has just been granted a network access license for the Chinese mainland, a step that will pave the way for the iPad to be sold in Mainland this coming Monday.

Taiwan Freaks Out Over Apple Considering US Plants

Jack Purcher — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 14:40:06 GMT

Tim Cook stated during a recent conference held by AllThingsD that he'd like to see more US manufacturing of Apple products. That apparently has rattled the Taiwanese and their reaction is captured in report by DigiTimes this morning.

Apple Sued over iOS Developer Program

Jack Purcher — Thu, 31 May 2012 22:45:40 GMT

A Delaware Company by the name of Cathas Advanced Technologies has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Apple alleging that the company's iOS Developer Program infringes on ...

Apple Invents New Fault Monitoring Battery & More

Jack Purcher — Thu, 31 May 2012 13:48:38 GMT

On May 31, 2012, the US Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Apple revealing a new fault monitoring battery system. Apple states that the fault-monitoring mechanism will generate an alert and/or disable use of a portable electronic device containing the battery pack. For example, the fault-monitoring mechanism may indicate the fault through a visual alert (e.g., color-changing mechanism) or an audible alarm. Additionally, our report briefly touches on Apple's Audio Jack Assemblies patent and concludes with a simple question: Is Apple Changing Gears?

Apple Wins Camera & Wide Array of Design Patents

Jack Purcher — Tue, 29 May 2012 16:20:35 GMT

The US Patent and Trademark Office officially published a series of twenty-seven newly granted patents for Apple Inc. today. In our second report of the day we cover a wide array of design wins for Apple covering such things as Apple TV and a possible new icon. In addition, we cover two iOS related camera patents covering exposure and electro-mechanical shutter control.

Apple Wins Major iPod User Interface & Systems Patents

Jack Purcher — Tue, 29 May 2012 13:26:48 GMT

The US Patent and Trademark Office officially published a series of twenty-seven newly granted patents for Apple Inc. today. While this morning's patent report covers seventeen patents in total, our main focus is placed on Apple winning two major iPod patents covering the user interface and the systems behind their media player. Steve Jobs is noted ...

Apple Sued for iCloud & iTunes Services with Symantec Patents

Jack Purcher — Fri, 25 May 2012 13:33:52 GMT

A Delaware based company by the name of STEC IP has launched a patent infringement lawsuit against Apple on Seven counts. The main focus of the infringement case surrounds Apple's iCloud and iTunes related services. The exception is one count that that claims that VPN Tunnels found in Apple's OS X Lion Server violates their patents. Notable in this case is the fact that …

Apple's Minor Inventions Cover Retail Packaging, Earphone Refinements and an Alternative iPhone Design?

Jack Purcher — Thu, 24 May 2012 20:21:55 GMT

Beyond the major patent applications that we covered earlier today, there are a few minor patent applications worth noting. The first one covers a new iOS device earphone speaker system for enlarging the effective volume of a speaker using a unique blend of gas and air. The second one covers new and improved Apple Store retail packaging. In a third patent application, Apple reveals that they could be adding a "radiation absorber" to a future iPhone. According to Apple, ...

Apple Introduces us to Patent Pending Safari 3D

Jack Purcher — Thu, 24 May 2012 17:00:43 GMT

Patently Apple has been following Apple's patent applications over the years regarding future interfaces three dimensional visions, and today we present you with a series of patent applications from Apple regarding Safari 3D. The 3D version of Safari will allow users to stack bookmarks, emails, docs and apps in a very interesting 3D manner. While we're definitely a few years away from shifting to 3D, it's still interesting to read up on the evolutionary thinking behind this shift from the minds of Apple's engineers.

Apple Points to Writing on Future iPad with Optical iPen

Jack Purcher — Thu, 24 May 2012 14:48:24 GMT

On May 24, 2012, the US Patent & Trademark Office published two major patent applications from Apple relating to a future iPen. In our first report published this morning titled "Apple Sheds More Light on their iPen & Graphics Program," we covered Apple's push into specialized haptics for a future iPen. In our second report, we focus on Apple's consideration of using an optical based iPen. The unique angle taken by Apple's optical pen is a fascinating approach to determine a pen's location on a tablet surface. One of the secrets utilized in this approach uses invisible indicia.

Apple Sheds More Light on their iPen & Graphics Program

Jack Purcher — Thu, 24 May 2012 12:38:00 GMT

On May 24, 2012, the US Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Apple that sheds more light on their future iPen and related graphics program. Apple continues to spend time and R&D funding on a future iPen device that's being designed to work with all of Apple's tablet-styled iDevices. The focus found in today's invention is twofold. Firstly, Apple is thinking of adding advanced haptics to the iPen so that the end user will be able to feel brush strokes and/or line thicknesses for example. Secondly, Apple is designing the iPen with a built-in mini speaker so as to ...

Apple Wins 23 Patents While New Hand Gesturing Peripheral is revealed for Macs within the Year

Jack Purcher — Tue, 22 May 2012 11:37:17 GMT

The US Patent and Trademark Office officially published a series of 23 newly granted patents for Apple Inc. today that mainly covered utility patents. The exceptions were granted patents for GarageBand and Aperture. What steals the limelight today is a new hand gesturing system peripheral set to attack the Mac Market within the next eight months. You'll be able to zoom into maps, enter a signature, play shooter games and play in 3D spaces in ways more natural than Apple's Magic Trackpad.

Fujitsu Develops "Driview" iPhone App for Car Navigation System

Jack Purcher — Mon, 21 May 2012 12:23:34 GMT

Japan's Nikkei Business Publications reported last week that Fujitsu Ten Ltd has developed a software application called "Driview" that displays video being taken by the camera of an iPhone onto the screen of two new Fujitsu car navigation systems due out this summer in Asia. The navigation systems superimpose icons on the video to navigate the driver to their destination.

Apple Reveals "Tap to Focus" Camera Feature Advancements

Jack Purcher — Sat, 19 May 2012 20:11:09 GMT

On Thursday, US Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Apple that revealed that future iDevices may in fact sport an advanced version of their current iOS feature known as "Tap to Focus." According to the patent application, Apple could add an additional dedicated processor to their architecture supporting the newly advanced multi-point gesturing. The feature will add other new functionality such expanding a given area of a photo for added emphasis. For the camera buffs amongst us, I think this may be a very cool feature in a future iPhone model.

An Old Apple Patent Doesn't Lend Credence to Retina Display Rumors Whatsoever

Jack Purcher — Thu, 17 May 2012 22:19:44 GMT

A report posted by Wired today states that "It looks like we’ll be getting MacBook Pros with Retina displays sooner than later — or at least that’s what we’ve gleaned from a recently published Apple patent application and comments from an industry expert regarding Apple’s supply chain." Someone is mixing things up and slapping lipstick on a pig. The patent application published today is simply a continuation of a 2007 patent and doesn't lend credence to retina-display Rumors.

Apple Focusing on Unitary Device Designs & Processes

Jack Purcher — Thu, 17 May 2012 17:29:14 GMT

On May 17, 2012, the US Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Apple revealing a new manufacturing process. The main focus of this particular invention concerns the creation of devices with a unitary housing without seams or gaps. In March of this year we learned of Apple's use of ultrasonic welding in context with fastening parts within devices such as the iPhone. Today we learn of ultrasonic welding being used in conjunction with metal foil so as to create seamless form factors. It's the kind of stuff that keeps Sir Ive giggling in his sleep.

Apple Invents a Hybrid Business & Gift Card System

Jack Purcher — Thu, 17 May 2012 14:16:59 GMT

On May 17, 2012, the US Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Apple that reveals a newly invented hybrid business card and gift card system. For any company principle or representative attending large events and tradeshows, Apple's unique hybrid calling card and promo gift card is something that could make exchanging cards with new contacts a little more inventive, if not interesting…

Apple Reinvents Speakerphone System for iOS Devices

Jack Purcher — Thu, 17 May 2012 11:50:20 GMT

On May 17, 2012, the US Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Apple that reveals their intention of reinventing the speakerphone system for iOS devices. Although not detailed, the fact is that the new speaker positioning could provide iOS devices with general superior sound, even when docked.

Apple Sued for Rotating Windows on iOS Devices

Jack Purcher — Wed, 16 May 2012 13:59:45 GMT

Texas based Rotatable Technologies is suing Apple for infringing on a 1999 patent that they acquired titled "Display Method for Selectively Rotating Windows on a Computer Display." The lawsuit ...

Apple introduces the Steering Wheel Remote Control

Jack Purcher — Tue, 15 May 2012 16:10:35 GMT

The US Patent and Trademark Office officially published a series of twenty-one newly granted patents for Apple Inc. today. The most surprising one of them all is one that snuck through the patent system until today. The newly granted patent, which has never been seen before, reveals a wireless remote control for a vehicle's steering wheel. At a time when local and federal laws are being drafted to enforce "hands free" operation of smartphones and other devices in vehicles, Apple's invention comes to the rescue to provide their customers with a sound solution. The design borrows from Apple's ...

Apple Wins Major Virtual Keyboard & Apple Store Design Patents

Jack Purcher — Tue, 15 May 2012 13:11:23 GMT

Apple was first granted a design patent for their Upper West Side Apple Store in New York back in November 2011. Six months later and the US Patent and Trademark Office have granted Apple their second design patent for this same design. Steve Jobs has once again been posthumously credited as one of the designers. In addition to this, it should be noted that Apple has been awarded twenty-one granted patents today. Beyond the thirteen utility patents that we list covering such things as security, podcast management and the MacBook's Hard Drive, this report covers a major virtual keyboard victory for Apple which just might be one that Apple could challenge their many copycatters with.

Most Adults Uncomfortable with Current State of Mobile Etiquette

Jack Purcher — Sat, 12 May 2012 14:52:43 GMT

According to a recent survey sponsored by Intel on the subjects of "Mobile Etiquette" and "Digital Sharing," 9 out of 10 American adults believe that people are sharing too much information about themselves online, with nearly half of U.S. adults reporting that they feel overwhelmed by the amount of information shared. There's a lot of ground covered in this survey and some of the findings may even surprise you. If anything, the results of this survey will provide you with a unique fingerprint in time revealing the status of mobile etiquette in 2012.

Is Apple Thinking of Resurrecting MacDraw?

Jack Purcher — Fri, 11 May 2012 13:18:47 GMT

Two patent applications that were published in January and February 2010 illustrated how a future iteration of the Magic Mouse might support a new graphics and/or painting program from Apple. Today we learn, through a document filed with the US Patent and Trademark Office, that Apple might be thinking of resurrecting MacDraw.

Apple Makes Apple TV more Accessible to those with Disabilities Plus new Nike + iPod Patents Surface

Jack Purcher — Thu, 10 May 2012 15:18:57 GMT

On May 10, 2012 the US Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Apple that relates to Apple TV. More specifically, Apple's patent is about making Apple TV more accessible to those with disabilities. Additionally, new Nike + iPod patents have surfaced today from both Apple and Nike that claim that they've made improvements to the system while one last entry today briefly touches on new location based technology relating to beacon-based Geofencing.