On October 11, the US Patent & Trademark Office published three of Apple’s patent applications respectfully titled Method and apparatus for selectively switching IC ports to card slots, Method and Apparatus for Rendering User Accounts Portable and Force and Location Sensitive Display . The later patent is just one in long list of Apple’s Multitouch patents. Today’s multitouch patent application generally relates to electronic system input and output devices and, more particularly, to a display unit (output) that detects a user’s touch and the force of the touch (input).
Patent: Force and Location Sensitive Display
Apple’s Abstract: A unit to provide both force and location detection includes a first transparent substrate (having first and second sets of conductive traces oriented in a first direction), a second transparent substrate (having a third set of conductive traces oriented in a second direction) and a plurality of deformable members (e.g., rubber beads) arranged between the first and second transparent substrates. The first set of conductive traces, in combination with the conductive traces of the second transparent element, provide a capacitance signal representing where a user touches the display element. The second set of conductive traces, in combination with the conductive traces of the second transparent element, provide a capacitance signal representing the amount of force applied to the display element. When used with a display element (e.g., a LCD or CRT), an input-output unit capable of both location sensing and force sensing operations is provided.
Force & Location Display
Referring to Apple’s patent FIG. 1, force and location display unit 100 in accordance with one embodiment of the invention comprises novel force and touch cell 105, display element 110 and controller 115. As shown, cell 105 is juxtaposed in front of display element 110 (from the perspective of user 120). For example, cell 105 may be laminated to the front of display element 110. Illustrative display element 110 includes, but is not limited to, various types of liquid crystal displays (”LCD”, plasma displays and cathode ray tubes (”CRT”. Functionally, controller 115 is similar to prior art controllers in that it provides signals to drive cell 105 and to relay and/or process signals received from cell 105 to a host computer (not shown). Such signals represent where and with how much force user 120 used to touch display 100. In another embodiment, display unit 100 may include, for example, a polarizer element between cell 105 and display element 110. Alternatively, the polarizer may be placed outside bell 105 to enhance the perceived contrast ratio of the display unit.
Novel Force & Touch Cell
Referring to Apple’s patent FIG. 2, novel force and touch cell 105 of FIG. 1 comprises first and second clear substrates (200 and 205), each of which has abutted to one surface a pattern of conductive traces (210 and 215) and which are separated by volume 220. Volume 220 includes a plurality of compressible media elements 225 which permit substrates 200 and 205 to move closer to one another as user 120 presses on display 100. In combination with drive signals from controller 115 (see FIG. 1) and conductive traces 210 and 215, as the separation between substrates 200 and 205 changes, so does the mutual capacitance between traces 210 and 215. It is the change in capacitance signals detected by controller 115 that represent where, and with how much force, user 120 touches display 100.
Apple lists Steve P. Hotelling (San Jose, CA) as the sole inventor of this patent. For full details, see patent 20070236466. In last week’s patent report, MacNN published information pertaining to Apple’s patent titled Force Imaging Input Device and System.
Patent: Method and Apparatus for Selectively Switching IC Ports to Card Slots
Apple’s patent generally relates to techniques for configuring a computer system. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for selectively switching ports from an integrated circuit (IC) device to card slots.
Apple’s Abstract: A system that selectively couples one or more IC chips to card slots. The system contains a Z-bar switch which includes: a select input; a first IC port coupled to a first IC pin; a second IC port coupled to a second IC pin; a first card slot port coupled to a first card slot pin; and a second card slot port coupled to a second card slot pin. If the select input receives a first control pattern, the Z-bar switch is configured to: couple the first IC port to the first card slot port; and to couple the second IC port to the second card slot port. If the select input receives a second control pattern, the Z-bar switch is configured to: couple the first IC port to the second card slot port; leave the second IC port floating; and to leave the first card slot port floating.
Apple’s patent FIG. 1A below illustrates a Z-bar switch in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. More specifically, FIG. 1A illustrates Northbridge 102, IC ports 104, and 106, card slots 108 and 110, and switches 112, 114, and 116.
In Apple’s patent FIG. 1B below, Apple presents the configuration options for the Z-bar switch illustrated in FIG. 1A in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
If the Z-bar switch receives control pattern 118, the Z-bar switch: (1) couples IC port 104 to card slot port 108 by closing switch 112; and (2) couples IC port 106 to card slot port 110 by closing switch 116. On the other hand, if the Z-bar switch receives pattern 120, the Z-bar switch: (1) couples IC port 104 to card slot port 110 by closing switch 114; (2) leaves IC port 106 floating; and (3) leaves card slot port 108 floating. Note that control patterns 118 and 120 are applied to the select input for the Z-bar switch (not shown in FIG. 1A).
Apple lists William P. Cornelius (Los Gatos, CA), Paul A. Baker (Los Altos, CA) and Joseph P. Bratt (San Jose, CA) as the inventors of patent 20070239904.
Patent: Method and Apparatus for Rendering User Accounts Portable
Apple’s patent relates generally to multi-user computer systems and, more particularly, user account management for multi-user computer systems.
Apple’s Abstract: Improved approaches for enabling user accounts to be portable across different multi-user computer systems are disclosed. A user account created at a multi-user computer can be stored to an external, portable data store, thereby rendering the user account portable. The multi-user computer system, e.g., through its operating system, locates user accounts on not only in local storage of the multi-user computer system, but also in any removable data storage attached to the multi-user computer system. Hence, by coupling the external, portable data store to another multi-user computer, a user is able to login to any supporting multi-user computer and be presented with their user configuration and user directory. Since the data store that stores the user account is not only external but also portable, a user can simply tote the data store to the location of different multi-user computers. In one embodiment, the external, portable data store can not only store the user account but can also provide general data storage. In another embodiment, the external, portable data store can be a portion of a portable computing device (e.g., media player) that provides other functionality besides data storage.
Apple notes that this is a continuation application and claims priority under USC .sctn. 120 to U.S. application Ser. No. 11/512,848, which is a divisional application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/304,291, filed Nov. 25, 2002 (now U.S. Pat. No. 7,120,785) entitled “Method and Apparatus for Rendering User Accounts Portable,” which is hereby incorporated by reference.
Apple lists Robert T. Bowers (Cupertino, CA) and Steve Ko (San Francisco, CA) as the sole inventors of patent 20070239878.
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Written and researched by Neo.
