Jobs, Ive get credit for Apple keyboard design

Apple has won 10 new patents through the US Patent and Trademark Office, information shows. One notable example is the design of the current Apple keyboard with a numeric keypad. While the peripheral is relatively mundane outside of its thinness and aluminum chassis, two of the 16 people credited with the invention are Apple CEO Steve Jobs and VP of industrial design Jonathan Ive, signifying how important the shape of the product is.

Another patent describes the laminated window assembly used for iOS handhelds. Apple notes that the technique employed by most companies will often result in layers separating at the edges, and then the peeling away of the laminate. The newly-patented concept involves using an adhesive to improve the bonding along the edges and corners of the window layer, as well as taking advantage of a channel or chamfer to increase bonding surface area. Holes and gaps can be used on corners and edges to reduce strain.

Separately, Apple has filed for three US trademarks on its new Final Cut software. These cover Final Cut Pro X, and the updated editions of Motion and Compressor. Priority filings were originally submitted in Europe.

by MacNN Staff