One of the hottest products for 2008 could very well be Apple’s next generation digital device called the iPod Boombox or simply the Boombox. Proof of Apple’s plans for such a device began to surface today in a patent published by the U.S. Patent & Trade Office. In it, Apple describes the primary embodiment as including a display or user interface in the center of the face panel of the device which is noted in Apple’s patent figure 1 below. An Apple remote associated with the device will allow the user to interact with the interface using an application such as Apple’s Front Row.

Apple Boombox

Although the details of the Boombox are scant in this preliminary patent, a few other minor details surfaced. Patent features 120 and 122 are noted as buttons relating to volume control. Still further, the housing can include an indicator light that provides visual feedback to the user regarding the operation or condition of the host device which is noted as feature 124.

The housing of the device could also include a receiver window, noted as feature 126, which could be used by a receiver internal to the housing when picking-up wireless transmissions from a remote controller having a plurality of user input controls.

It’s self evident by Apple’s figure 1 that the iPod will be inserted into the device in the same manner it was used with Apple’s now defunct iPod Hi Fi. However, in this case, the device will be able to playback video content such as movies, television shows, music videos and home movies. The patent generalizes by also noting that video games and other content could be involved.

Although not mentioned in this preliminary patent, it wouldn’t take that much imagination to envision Apple designing a model of this Boombox which would provide for a hide-away wireless keyboard which would eventually allow users the ability to access their email and documents on the net, anytime, anywhere. There’s a lot of potential associated with this future device, especially in light of next gen WiMAX wireless services which should begin to surface over the next several years.

Apple was granted trademarks for both iPod Boombox and Boombox in 2005/2006 respectfully.

Maintenance Patents Published Today

The following are a few of Apple’s maintenance patent applications that were published today. Continuation Patents: (1) Run-Time Code Injection to Perform Checks, (2) Computer interface having a virtual single-layer mode for viewing overlapping objects. Divisional of U.S. patent applications: (1) Method and apparatus for border node behavior on a full-duplex bus, (2) Interposer Containing Bypass Capacitors for Reducing Voltage Noise in an IC Device.

NOTICE: MacNN presents only a brief summary of patents 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 applications and/or grants should be read in its entirety for further details.

Written and researched by Neo.