On November 21, 2008, the US Patent & Trademark Office published Apple’s latest trademark application for OpenCL under application 77616247. Apple has filed OpenCL under International Class 009 which covers computer software. Specifically, Apple’s trademark documentation is shown to be seeking protection for the following: “Application programming interface computer software and language definition for use in developing applications for execution on central processing units (CPU) or graphic processor units (GPU).” Apple asserts a claim of priority based on their Trinidad and Tobago application number 39851, filed 05/19/2008.
About OpenCL: According to Apple’s website verbiage on OpenCL, “OpenCL (Open Computing Language) makes it possible for developers to efficiently tap the vast gigaflops of computing power currently locked up in the graphics processing unit (GPU). With GPUs approaching processing speeds of a trillion operations per second, they’re capable of considerably more than just drawing pictures. OpenCL takes that power and redirects it for general-purpose computing.” The New York Times recorded Steve Jobs describing OpenCL as follows: “Basically it lets you use graphics processors to do computation. It’s way beyond what Nvidia or anyone else has, and it’s really simple.”
An Open Standard for parallel programming of heterogeneous systems
The Khronos Group is a member-funded industry consortium focused on the creation of open standard, royalty-free APIs to enable the authoring and accelerated playback of dynamic media on a wide variety of platforms and devices. The Khronos Group’s information on OpenCL is rather noteworthy as follows:
OpenCL (Open Computing Language) is the first open, royalty-free standard for general-purpose parallel programming of heterogeneous systems. OpenCL provides a uniform programming environment for software developers to write efficient, portable code for high-performance computer servers, desktop computer systems and handheld devices using a diverse mix of multi-core CPUs, GPUs, Cell-type architectures and other parallel processors such as DSPs.
OpenCL supports a wide range of applications, from embedded and consumer software to HPC solutions, through a low-level, high-performance, portable abstraction. By creating an efficient, close-to-the-metal programming interface, OpenCL will form the foundation layer of a parallel computing ecosystem of platform-independent tools, middleware and applications.
OpenCL is being created by the Khronos Group with the participation of many industry-leading companies and institutions including 3DLABS, Activision Blizzard, AMD, Apple, ARM, Barco, Broadcom, Codeplay, Electronic Arts, Ericsson, Freescale, HI, IBM, Intel, Imagination Technologies, Kestrel Institute, Motorola, Movidia, Nokia, NVIDIA, QNX, RapidMind, Samsung, Seaweed, Takumi, Texas Instruments and Umea University.
The two slides illustrated below could be found in a Khronos Group slide presentation here.
NOTICE: MacNN presents only a brief summary of patents and/or trademarks with associated graphic(s) for journalistic news purposes as each such patent application and/or grant is revealed by the U.S. Patent & Trade Office. Readers are cautioned that the full text of any patent and/or trademark applications and/or grants should be read in its entirety for further details.
Written and researched by Jack Purcher.
The heart of Apple’s US application covers mobility as follows: “handheld and mobile digital electronic devices for the sending and receiving of telephone calls, faxes, voice mail, electronic mail, and other digital data; MP3 and other digital format audio players; handheld computers; personal digital assistants; electronic organizers; electronic notepads; magnetic data carriers; telephones; mobile phones; computer gaming machines; videophones; cameras; computer programs for personal information management, database management software, electronic mail, and voice mail; messaging software, paging software, database synchronization software, computer programs for accessing, browsing and searching online databases; computer software and firmware, namely operating system programs, data synchronization programs, and application development tool programs for personal and handheld computers and mobile phones. ” The full details of the International Classifications that were listed in Apple’s dual filings today are noted below for your review. 
Apple’s patent FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an iPhone which is presented here as device 200. Device 200 isn’t limited to being an iPhone however and could be an iPod, iPod touch, a portable gaming player, portable workout manager and the like, according to the patent. 
1 - iPod – Music: Apple’s patent FIG. 7A illustrates exemplary menu 700 suitable for use on an iPhone, iPod or anything that device 200 is to eventually be. While menu 700 is being displayed, a user can request to play a particular media item. For example, the user might provide an audio input, namely, a voice command, by announcing the phrase “play irreplaceable”. Here, the electronic device would recognize that the first portion “play” is a command that is supported and the second term “irreplaceable” is the name of a song available to be played at the electronic device. As another example, the user could provide an audio input, namely, a voice command, by announcing the phrase “play 06″, which could be the user requesting to play a playlist denoted as “summer ‘06″ and available at the media device.
2 - Calendar – Meeting Reminder Notification: Apple’s patent FIG. 7B illustrates display region 720 of a display device associated with an electronic device according to one embodiment of the invention. The Display region includes meeting reminder notification 722. The meeting reminder notification can be displayed on at least a portion of display region. In this example, meeting reminder notification 722 informs the user that a meeting to which they are scheduled starts in “15 minutes” at building “IL1, Room 1.” In this context, the available commands available to the user can pertain to permitted interaction with the electronic device in response to the meeting reminder. For example, the acceptable commands can be “clear” or “close” which requests that the electronic device close meeting reminder notification. Another example is the command “tell” which can respond to the meeting attendees with a message. For example, “tell everyone I will be 10 minutes late” which will be understood by the electronic device as a request to send a text message or email to all attendees of the meeting that the user will be ten (10) minutes late to the meeting. 
3 – Camera Controls: Apple’s patent FIG. 7C is an illustration of exemplary camera window 740 of a display device associated with an electronic device according to one embodiment of the invention. The camera window is displayed on the display device when the electronic device has been placed in a camera mode. While in the camera mode, the available commands can be specific to likely camera operations. For example, in the camera mode, likely camera operations include taking pictures, deleting pictures, saving pictures, etc. Available commands in the camera mode can also include macros. As an example, a macro can be triggered when an audio input is a command requesting that a current picture be taken. As an example, a macro can cause the picture to be taken, cause the picture to be saved in memory, and cause the picture to be uploaded. Although the electronic device is voice-activated, in some embodiments, the electronic device also supports the use of non-voice-activated techniques to provide user input. For example, camera window 740 can include soft buttons 742-746 for which the user can provide user input. Soft buttons 742-746 can be activated using a keypad.
Incoming Call: Apple’s patent FIG. 8A illustrated exemplary graphical user interface (GUI) 800 for an incoming call. GUI 800 is a representative display screen concerning an incoming call from a caller (”Jim Jones”) as provided in upper portion 802 of GUI 800. Lower portion 804 of GUI 800 can display some or all of the available commands that can be spoken by a user to initiate the corresponding actions at the electronic device. As shown in FIG. 8A, the exemplary available commands with respect to the particular context of the GUI 800 can include “Answer” or “Voicemail” (or its abbreviated form “VM”). 
Voicemail Notification: Apple’s patent FIG. 8B illustrates exemplary GUI 810 for a voicemail notification. GUI 810 is a representative display screen concerning voicemail available for a user of the electronic device. In upper portion 812 of GUI 810, the user can be informed that there are new voice messages awaiting their review. For example, as shown in FIG. 8B, the user is informed that there are two new voice messages. Lower portion 814 of GUI 810 can display some or all of the available commands that can be spoken by a user to initiate the corresponding actions at the electronic device. In FIG. 8B, the exemplary available commands illustrated in lower portion 814 can include “Play voicemail” and “Show details”. 
Voicemail Review: Apple’s patent FIG. 8C illustrated exemplary GUI 820 for voicemail review. GUI 820 is a representative display screen for reviewing voicemail at the electronic device. In upper portion 822 of GUI 820, description information pertaining to a voicemail that can be reviewed is provided. In the example illustrated in FIG. 8C, the information concerning the voicemail specifies the caller name, date, time and duration for the voicemail. Lower portion 824 can display some or all exemplary available commands that can be spoken by a user to initiate action at the electronic device. In particular, lower portion 824 indicates that the exemplary available commands can include “Play voicemail”, “Delete voicemail”, “Forward to [contact]“, or “Next”. The forward command can specify to forward the voicemail to another person known to the electronic device or another device. For example, the user could provide the command “Forward to Bob” which would be understood by the electronic device to forward the voicemail to Bob, who is a known contact (e.g., address book) of the user. As another example, the user could provide the command “Forward to my computer” which would be understood by the electronic device to forward the voicemail from their portable electronic device (or its associated supporting server) to the user’s computer (personal computer). 
] Voicemail Commands: Apple’s patent FIG. 8D illustrates exemplary GUI 830 for playing of a voicemail. GUI 830 is a representative display screen for playing voicemail at the electronic device. In particular, lower portion 834 indicates that the available voice commands can include “Delete voicemail”, “Forward to [contact]“, “Text reply [Msg]“. The text reply command can specify to send a reply text message to another person known to the electronic device or another device. For example, the spoken phrase could be “Text reply meet you at noon for lunch,” which causes a text message “meet you at noon for lunch” to be sent to Jim, who is the sender of the message being replied to.
Apple’s patent FIG. 9E is a block diagram of local environment 950 according to one embodiment of the invention. Local environment 950 can pertain to an automobile environment, a home environment, an office environment or other relatively constrained local environment. Within local environment 950, portable electronic device 952 can interact with media system 954. Media system 954 can pertain to a television system, a home stereo, a personal computer, and the like. Media system 954 can also be referred to as a home entertainment system. Accessory device 956 can also be provided in local environment 950. Portable electronic device 952 can include microphone 958 and speaker 960. Speaker 960 can be used to output audio sound (audio output) to the user. For example, the audio output can pertain to a voice call or media output. Microphone 958 can be utilized to pick up voice commands that are used by portable electronic device 950 or media system 954. Accessory device 956 can also include microphone 962 to pick up voice commands. Such voice commands can be supplied to media system 954 which, in turn, can supply them to portable electronic device 952, or the voice commands can be directly provided from accessory device 956 to portable electronic device 952. Accessory device 956 can also include wireless module 964. Wireless module 964 can permit accessory device 956 to wirelessly communicate to wireless headset 966. The wireless protocol being utilized between wireless headset 966 and wireless module 964 can pertain to Bluetooth technology or other short range wireless technology. Headset 966 can receive and/or output audio from/to media system 954 or portable electronic device 952. Accessory device 956 could also include a speaker (not shown) to provide audio output.
Apple’s patent FIG. 1 illustrates an example of sensor 100 in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. The sensor could include a processor (102) that could control the overall operation of the sensor. If GPS capable, the sensor can utilize line of sight to GPS antenna 120 to receive GPS satellite signals at GPS receiver 122 from one or more GPS satellites to determine a location of the sensor and/or a time of observation. 
Apple’s documentation states that sensor 100 could provide the user with performance data. The illustrated shoe includes applied force sensing units 802, 804, and 806 placed in shoe sole 808 at heel location, midsole location and toe location - each arranged to respectively sense impact force. Sensors 802-806 each periodically send impact force sensing data to sensor 100 most of which is then forwarded to an external computing device, such as portable media player for processing. Such processing can include characterizing a user’s running style in real time. For example, by comparing the relative forces of impact and the temporal relationship between the occurrence of the forces of impact, a user’s stride can be characterized as either a toe plant type stride (see FIGS. 9 and 10) or a heel plant type stride (see FIGS. 11 and 12) where a user’s stride can be defined as an amount of time between consecutive toe, heel, or mid-sole impacts for a particular shoe. Taken over a number of strides, a user’s running style profile can be developed that provides a characterization of the user’s overall running style. 
Since, a runner’s stride and stride type can vary over the course of a run (a sprint typically uses more of a toe plant style whereas a power walker would use more of a heel plant style), a user’s running style profile can also vary over the course of the run (as well as well as over the course or months or years, or as the running shoes wear, or between different, but authorized, running shoes). Therefore, in order to more accurately gauge a user’s overall running style, a user’s average running style can be calculated. In some cases, the user’s average running style is accumulated from a number of previous runs using the same running shoe or can incorporate average running styles from different (but authorized) running shoes, if desired. In this way, a user has the ability to compare running styles and/or performance not only from one run to another, but from one running shoe to another, or merely deduce an overall running style regardless of the running shoe used.
That of course was the title and theme of Intel’s IDF Mobility Keynote by Perlmutter - but it was also one of the segments that he ended his keynote with as well. Perlmutter ran a video covering comments from industry executives of British Telecom, E-Ink (the ones behind Amazon’s 
A recent trademark discovery in Singapore has revealed that Apple has been granted a trademark for Podcastgo under the Registered Trademark number T0620256D. Apple had filed their original trademark application under International Classifications 38 and 41. The specifics presented in their filing generally covered entertainment services over global networks including broadcast television and wireless telecommunications. It should also be pointed out that Apple interestingly added web conferencing services as a possible future service related to this trademark. Apple’s specific filing verbiage related to International Classes is listed below for your convenient review. Podcastgo is currently 
Apple’s patent FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an electronic device or system 50, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. The electronic device may correspond to a computer, such as a desktops, laptops, tablets or handheld computers. The electronic device may also correspond to other handheld computing devices, such as cell phones, PDA, media players, media storage device, camera, remote control, and/or the like. The electronic device may also be a multifunctional device that combines two or more of these device functionalities into a single device. The input arrangement 70 includes at least a Multi-Touch (MT) data fusion inputting system. Multi-touch Data Fusion is the concept of uniting, merging or blending MT sensing with other sensing modalities to create a new approach to inputting. MT device 72 may correspond to a touchpad, a touch screen, a touch sensitive housing or other related touch device.
The MT data fusion devices 74 are configured to provide secondary information or data that can be fused with the MT data in order to significantly enhance and improve input operations for the user. The secondary may be provided by a wide variety of sources. By way of example, the sources may include a variety of sensors including but not limited to biometric sensors, audio sensors, optical sensors, sonar sensors, vibration sensors, motion sensors, location sensors, light sensors, image sensors, acoustic sensors, electric field sensors, shock sensors, environmental sensors, orientation sensors, pressure sensors, force sensors, temperature sensors, and/or the like.
Apple’s patent FIG. 10 is another diagram showing the fusion of voice recognition and MT operations according to embodiments of the invention. In this embodiment, the user is creating a line segment 240 by dragging two fingers 234 and 235 across the screen. At any point during this creating, the user can call out voice commands to modify the line segment. For example, they may call out “green” to change the line color of the line segment to green. They may also call out “5 point” to change the thickness of the line segment. The user may also call out “dash” to change the line segment to a dashed line. In all of these examples, the user can continue with MT inputting thereby making inputting more efficient.
Apple’s patent FIG. 14A is an illustration of an exemplary image 300 of a pair of hands that are positioned over a MT surface, and patent FIG. 14B is an illustration of an exemplary image of an arrangement of contacts at the MT surface. As shown in 14A, the image of the hands is processed to identify the fingers and determine the X location of each of the fingers. The image may provide a modulated pattern of bumps in the X coordinate. The image system may detect the interstitial spaces between bumps to determine which finger is creating the contact. The image system may examine the hue of the fingers, examine contrast between fingers (bright/light spots), examine size of each finger, or look for finger nails, and/or the like. The thumbnails may be easily identifiable relative to the other fingers since the thumb is typically pronated relative to the other fingers (thus they have a different shape). As shown in 14B, the image of the contacts is processed to determine the X location of each of the contacts. Once the X locations are found, they are compared to the X locations of the fingers to determine the identity of the contacts. It should be noted that this will typically not be an exact fit and thus a best fit algorithm may be applied to help determine which contacts are the likely matches for the fingers. In the illustrated example, a first contact is located at X1, which corresponds to the left pinky at X1, the second contact is located at X2, which corresponds to the left ring finger, and a third contact is located at X7, which corresponds to the right index finger. Although the term “imaged” is used and shown it should be noted that the data may come in other forms (e.g., signals or other mathematical functions).
Apple’s patent FIG. 16 is a diagram of an electronic device 320, in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the electronic device is a laptop computer having a base 322 and a pivotal lid 324. The base includes a MT surface 326 while the lid includes a display 328 that is surrounded by a bezel 330. Located within the bezel is an image sensor 332 that is located high above the MT surface and that is capable of imaging the MT surface. As such, hand profiles may be collected. Because of the angle of the lid relative to the base changes during use, the image sensor may include a servo for tilting the image sensor in the direction of the MT surface. In one case, a sensor that monitors the angle of the lid relative to the MT surface may also be provided. The servo can be correctly positioned for imaging the surface by referring to the measured angle. Alternatively, a tiltable mirror may be used instead of tilting the image sensor. The image sensor may have other functions including web cam. By way of example, the image sensor may be an iSight camera that is part of the Macbooks manufactured by Apple Computer of Cupertino, Calif.