Apple files for location update, video codec patents
updated 11:15 am EST, Thu December 23, 2010
Locator tech mimics third-party apps
Two notable Apple patent applications have been published by the USPTO. The first, Push-Based Location Update, centers on a proposed "Friend Locator" app that would let iPhone owners voluntarily share their location with friends and family. Updates would be sent over Apple's push notification service, and triggered automatically or through a manual command.
After logging into the app users would be presented with a friends list, showing names, addresses and distances. One optional view would sort people by "visibility," in other words whether or not they have location sharing toggled on. Tapping on a person's listing would show their place on a map, and offer the ability to get directions. To deal with privacy issues people could selectively hide information such as addresses and phone numbers; as need be, location info could be hidden from particular individuals.
The app is similar in concept to Google Latitude, or various other third-party programs available on the App Store. The key differences are Friend Locator's built-in status, and the various details of the app's interface.
The other patent is titled Arbitrary-Resolution, Extreme-Quality Video Codec. While extremely technical, it describes a codec with dynamic scaling and Golomb-based compression. Using a fractal dithering engine, video can be made to run on displays with low color depth. The filing is actually a continuation of a much earlier one, submitted in June 2004, offering the possibility that some implementation of the concept may already be in use.
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Sep 2009
interesting timing
filing date on the location patent is the around the same time as when Apple rejected Latitudes original iphone app.
kind of makes me wonder if it wasn't maps so much as being too much like what they had just filed that was the issue. Perhaps they wanted to keep it out to avoid having to deal with lawsuits later. And granted it because of changes made that took care of that conflict.