02/10, 7:00am
Motorola suffers setback in German court
Motorola has failed in its bid to force another 3G/UMTS-based patent injunction against Apple in the Mannheim Regional Court, according to Foss Patents. German Judge Andreas Voss dismissed the evidence presented in court by Motorola’s lawyers on the grounds that it had failed to demonstrate conclusive evidence that Apple had infringed upon the patent in question. Instead, Motorola had tried to argue in general terms that as the patent has been declared essential to the 3G/UMTS standard, that Apple by default had to have violated the patent by using the standard in some of its products.
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01/19, 8:30pm
Another patent may hint at a quiet acquisition
Apple has been awarded a patent for its implementation of Siri, crediting original Siri inventor Thomas Gruber and others with the technology, which covers both its original format and its current Apple-enhanced incarnation. The company was also granted two patents related to battery technology, including a certification on non-rectangular battery shapes that may herald future devices. There's also a hint that Apple has quietly bought another company.
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12/28, 9:00pm
Microsoft already receiving $5 per device
Making the case that Apple should abandon its proxy fight against Google and lawsuits against Android smartphone and tablet makers, a managing partner from a leading intellectual-property firm has told Bloomberg that the company could collect up to $10 per device royalties by negotiating licensing fees rather than use up resources in lawyers' fees and court costs to force opponents to work around Apple's patents.
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12/19, 6:30pm
Experts wonder if Kodak will survive
Eastman Kodak Co.'s woes increased substantially today with the news that the U.S. ITC decision on a patent-infringement suit brought before it by Kodak against both Apple and Research In Motion (RIM) would be delayed. The ruling, which had been expected by December 30th, has now been reset for September 21st of next year in order for Judge Thomas Pender to consider new expert testimony from RIM and other issues.
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11/23, 7:30pm
Could pave the way for Kinect-like abilities
The USPTO has awarded Apple a patent on 3D object-recognition technology that goes well beyond the current face recognition already included in apps such as iPhoto and the iOS 5 camera application, allowing a device to "build" a 3D face or object by analyzing the curves, contours and shadows of a 2D image. Such technology would give Kinect-like detection and recognition capabilities to cameras such as those found in iOS and Mac devices.
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11/15, 9:00pm
Steve Jobs credited as one of the designers
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has granted a patent for the striking exterior of Apple's Upper West Side store in New York City, just over a year after the patent was first filed. The patent recognizes the unique design of the store, and credits the late Steve Jobs as one of the designers. The Upper West Side store, not to be confused with the iconic glass "cube" of the Fifth Avenue store, features a large glass storefront, along with a curved glass atrium-style roof.
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10/18, 10:00pm
Could prove further hindrance to rivals
Apple has finally been awarded a patent for a system of integrating a touch-screen panel directly into an IPS (in-plane switching) display, as found on the iPad 2 and iPhone 4S -- which it first applied for in 2007, shortly after the announcement of the first iPhone. The method is considered to be both superior and more cost-effective in comparison to the usual method of overlaying a touch-screen layer or panel on top of a display panel.
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10/17, 7:45am
Kodak raises tens of millions in IMAX patent deal
Kodak has made good on its intent to sell off patents that it holds as it seeks to stabilize its weakened financial position. While the company has thousands of patents in their portfolio, its latest official patent sale pertains to laser projection and other technology that has been purchased by the IMAX cinema group. The licensing deal is said to be worth tens of millions of dollars.
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10/07, 2:00am
Combines 'silent disco' with 'mobile clubbing'
Apple yesterday was awarded a patent describing embodiments of a "coordinated group music experience," a technique that combines two emerging entertainment forms, referred to in the patent as "silent disco" and "mobile clubbing." All three involve sharing music wirelessly to personal devices that are then relayed to the user via headphones. Apple's patent describes a way for participants to enjoy music together, but not necessarily the same music at the same time.
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09/20, 6:30pm
Unmeasured costs could be much higher
Three Boston University researchers have put a price tag on the cost of patent trolling in the US. The amount is a staggering $500 billion since 1990. In the past four years, the cost has averaged about $83 billion annually, amounting to more than 25 percent of US R&D spent over the time period.
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09/16, 4:45pm
Laws expected to mitigate patent trolling
After passing a Senate vote by a margin of 89-9, the America Invents Act has become law after receiving a signature from President Obama. The legislation is hailed as the first major reform of the patent system in decades, bringing a wide range of changes, including a first-to-file system, that have been commonplace in many other countries for years.
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08/14, 7:30am
Patent filing shows Microsoft slider phone design
Microsoft has won a patent for a slider phone design. While slider phones are certainly not new, the Microsoft patent differs from conventional slider phone designs. Microsoft’s take has the screen sitting flush with the keyboard when open, rather than having sit higher as in a traditional design.
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08/12, 6:15pm
Devices protected with propulsion, springs
Amazon chief executive Jeff Bezos and vice president Greg Hart have submitted a patent filing for "a system and method for protecting devices from impact damage." The inventors have stepped well beyond simple rubber cases, however, as the filing describes a number of advanced methods, such as airbags, that are designed to actively minimize damage from an accidental slip.
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08/09, 12:10am
Latest round in ongoing legal battle
The ongoing series of patent disputes involving HTC (who bought original complainant S3 Graphics) and Apple took yet another turn today as the International Trade Commission (ITC) agreed to review Apple's second patent-infringement complaint against the smartphone and tablet maker, which could result in a block of some current and future HTC products if Apple wins the review, Bloomberg reports.
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07/20, 8:30pm
Has already won an $8M judgement
Personal Audio LLC, a patent troll that was recently awarded an $8 million judgement in a dispute with Apple over the concept of playlists, has expanded the litigation to cover devices released since the original trial began, including the iPad 2 and the latest generations of iPods, iPhone and iPod Touch, filing a second lawsuit today in the notoriously troll-friendly Eastern Texas court district.
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07/11, 11:00pm
Future hardware may have ubiquitous GPS
Imagine a phrasebook on an iPhone where touching a word brings up the same word in a user's native language, or a children's book where touching a character name shows a picture or video of that character. Apple has submitted a patent that would let apps have this ability backed right into the OS and much more, according to a report from Patently Apple. The idea, if patented, could also have commercial implications.
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06/23, 5:50pm
Legislation aims to reduce application backlog
The US House of Representatives is considering new legislation that aims to reform current laws surrounding the patent system. The proposals, which are included in the America Invents Act, are designed to reduce the backlog in patent applications, bring the United States' filing methods in line with those of other countries, and help discourage patent trolls from taking advantage of the current laws to abuse the system.
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06/17, 9:30pm
Could pave the way for a settlement
At a hearing today in San Jose, Apple's attorney Harold McElhinny revealed that executives "at the highest levels" of Apple and Samsung have been meeting and talking about ways to resolve their various patent-infringement lawsuits. Despite the close relationship between the two companies, they have been locked in various patent claims and counter-claims for several months.
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11/18, 3:15pm
Design rigid, yet lighter than metal
Apple engineers appear to have been working to develop new housings using alternative materials such as carbon fiber, a method which was detailed in a patent filing recently published by the US Patent and Trademark Office. The "Reinforced Device Housing" patent, first filed in May 2009, describes a "layered fiber-in-matrix" material used to construct a spine attached to a carbon-fiber skin.
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11/15, 8:20pm
UNM holds patents for lithography tech
The University of New Mexico has filed a lawsuit accusing Intel if illegally using technology protected by a university-held patent. The institution's technology-licensing arm, UNM.STC, has accused the company of infringing on a patent related to double patterning lithography technology, which is used to manufacture semiconductor components.
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10/29, 9:10pm
Nitriding process used on iPhone 4 antenna band?
Apple yesterday was awarded a patent on improving stainless steel by applying a thin layer of nitride to improve its resistance to scratches and impact without changing the look and feel of the metal. The patent, number 20100273538, is described as being "cost-effective" and yet could improve the hardness of the stainless steel considerably.
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08/27, 6:50pm
Dell misses mark, times LSD to strenuous activity
In a nod to Apple's attention to detail and human engineering, Flood Light describes how Apple got its sleep status indicator right, while Dell got it wrong. A July 2002 patent for a Breathing Status LED Indicator describes how the blink rate of a sleep status LED would be timed to a slow breathing rhythm. The blink rate of current Mac notebooks falls within the average respiratory rate of an adult -- between 12-20 breaths per minute. For example, the blink rate of the MacBook Pro 15in late 2008 is exactly 12 cycles per minute.
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05/13, 8:25pm
Apps would appear based on location information
The US Patent and Trademark Office has published a patent application filed by Apple for technology related to location-specific apps. The system could be used to display certain content only when the device is at or near a particular location.
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04/01, 4:50pm
Microsoft files for WP7 panoramic UI patent
It was revealed on Thursday that Microsoft has filed a patent for its Panoramic User Interface used in its latest Windows Phone 7. If the September 2008 patent gets approved in its entirety, it will make it more difficult for competitors to create a similar interface without Microsoft's permission and knowledge.
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03/18, 12:35pm
Networking groups use proximity-based 'tokens'
The US Patent Office on Thursday published an Apple patent application detailing social networking technology using proximity-based communication via Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. The background description suggests the technology could be used to automatically share contact information between devices, rather than requiring manual entry into web-based networking services.
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03/16, 5:45pm
Projector could be built into remotes
Apple has filed for a patent covering a variety of technology relating to projector systems. The filing, titled "Projection Systems and Methods," describes ways to use projectors for interacting with other devices. Many of the embodiments are focused on improvements to viewing or controlling presentations remotely.
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03/12, 6:30pm
Microsoft found to have willfully infringed patent
The Federal Court of Appeals has upheld a jury verdict against Microsoft in the patent infringement case filed by i4i, according to The Inquirer. Despite Microsoft's confidence that it would win the appeal, judges reaffirmed the earlier decision.
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02/18, 8:50pm
Utility prioritizes recordings to reduce conflicts
TiVo has been awarded a patent, No. 7,665,111, which describes technology used for the company's Season Pass utility. The system allows the user to prioritize recordings, ensuring the favorite shows are stored even if several programs are simultaneously broadcast during the same time slots. The US Patent and Trademark Office had been reviewing the filing for approximately ten years.
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01/25, 11:30am
Samsung deal worth $900 million; NVIDIA to appeal
In separate actions, southern California memory technology company Rambus has cleared a procedural hurdle in in its patent-infringement case against NVIDIA, and settled a claim against South Korean electronics giant Samsung.
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12/22, 7:40pm
Initial judgment lacked enhanced damages
OPTi has announced plans to file a cross-appeal in its patent infringement lawsuit against Apple. Although the judge already awarded the plaintiff $21.7 million in damages, the court did not view Apple's infringement as willful. OPTi was therefore denied its request for enhanced damages, which could have been much higher due to provisions for attorneys' fees and other considerations.
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12/10, 6:55pm
Chip maker satisfies settlement terms
AMD on Thursday announced that it has received the $1.25 billion settlement payment from Intel. The payment satisfies the monetary terms of the agreement over various antitrust and patent disputes. Both companies have also decided to exchange patent rights as part of a five-year cross-license agreement.
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09/10, 8:15pm
Future iPods to get anti-theft technology?
A recent patent filing, submitted by Apple, describes an anti-theft system that utilizes acceleration data to detect if a portable device is stolen. Information from the accelerometer would be analyzed by a controller to determine if the particular direction and speed of movement indicates that a thief might be taking the device.
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08/12, 7:40am
Judge bans Word sales
As part of the final order in a patent infringement suit, Judge Leonard Davis in the U.S. District Court of Eastern Texas has issued a permanent injunction against Microsoft. The company has been effectively banned from selling Word 2003, Word 2007 and similar products.
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06/24, 5:45pm
Sharp TVs banned from US
A number of Sharp LCD TVs have been banned from unlicensed import to the US, as part of a ruling resulting from a patent dispute with Samsung, according to Bloomberg. The two electronics manufacturers have been battling over technology used in the displays, specifically "apertures formed in the conductive layer comprising the electrode." The technology is utilized in LCD panels with wide viewing angles.
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06/04, 2:25pm
iPhone media patent
A patent filing submitted by Apple describes technology for transferring media content between mobile devices. While the iPhone is already capable of sending a variety of data, the patent specifically outlines methods to transfer media while the user is still in the middle of a phone call. The technology would eliminate the need for users to end a call to share media with the person on the other end of the connection.
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05/18, 3:40pm
Microsoft wand patent
A recently-surfaced patent application outlines technology Microsoft describes as a 'magic wand.' The concept could integrates a variety of sensors, such as gyroscopes, accelerometers, range-finders and biometric sensors. Possible input/output components include a keyboard, keypad, buttons, touchpad, display, or speaker, among others. The claims also outline a system for providing instruction based on the wand orientation or other factors.
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04/23, 8:55pm
OPTi wins patent suit
OPTi on Thursday won a patent infringement suit against Apple, including $19 million in damages. The patent involved "predictive snooping" of cache memory for transferring information between a CPU, memory and other components. The jury ruled that Apple willingly infringed on OPTi's patent. Apple attempted to bring doubt to the patent's validity, but the jury ruled the patent to be valid.
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03/24, 5:55pm
Apple sued over ebook
A Swiss company, MONEC Holding AG, has targeted Apple in yet another lawsuit involving the iPhone. The company claims the handset violates a patent entitled "Electronic device, preferably an electronic book." MONEC seeks triple compensatory damages, including lost profits, interest, attorneys fees and costs. The company also aims to receive royalties, along with the assessed value of Apple's gains, profits or benefits resulting from the patent infringement.
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02/24, 8:45pm
Patent Grabber, Tetris
Contour 1.1 ($50) is a story development tool that can help with the process of turning a movie idea into a full outline. The software uses a fill-in the-blanks approach where the user is asked series of questions on topics like loglines, the protagonist's growth and the beats to be used in each of four acts. The update has added new sample content and allows users to enter Contour XML files form the File menu. Version 1.1 also includes several small interface enhancements and bug fixes. [Download - 4.6MB]
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02/04, 9:20pm
Apple tablet patents
Adding fuel to the recent rumors of an Apple tablet computer, the company has been awarded several patents for components that could be used in such a device. Both filings carry the title "Display Housing for Computing Device" and describe several different configurations, with the noteworthy design integrating the computing components directly behind the screen.
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11/18, 4:05pm
VIZIO buys MPEG-2 license
Reseller of consolidated patent license portfolios MPEG LA on Monday announced flat panel HDTV maker VIZIO has entered into an MPEG-2 Patent Portfolio License with the company. As a direct result of the new agreement, a few other clients of MPEG LA with essential MPEG-2 patents have dropped their lawsuits against VIZIO. Filed in the summer of 2008 in New York, the lawsuits allege VIZIO failed to enter into a licensing agreement for MPEG-2 video compression technology necessary for its HDTVs.
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10/08, 10:00pm
Apple gets Dock patent
Apple has finally obtained a patent on the Dock – a holder for open or commonly used applications, documents, folders, and more in Mac OS X – according to a new document found by AppleInsider. The patent, titled "User interface for providing consolidation and access," was originally filed on December 20th, 1999, and covers actions such as fade-in rates, icon and cursor positioning, as well as the magnification factor when the cursor hovers over icons present in the dock.
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06/03, 5:10pm
Sena cases
Sena Cases has announced four new slim designer notebook cases made specifically for the MacBook Air. Styles include the patent-pending Pullino Designer Case for the MacBook Air and the LeatherSkin Case which offers an ultra-slim design, and allows the device to be fully functional without removing the notebook from the case. All the cases are designed from Italian Napa Leather. The Senna Pullino Designer Case for the MacBook Air features pull-out strap for easy release of the MacBook Air and includes velvet lining to protect the device from scratches and damage. It's priced at $240.
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05/09, 11:45am
Courts reinstate lawsuit
A federal judge has reinstated one of two dismissed patent disputes against Microsoft and Dell from French-American telecommunications partnership Alcatel-Lucent. CNN Money writes that the San Diego district court made an error when deciding the definition of a "terminal device", so the case is being presented again to the federal court system. The dispute is situated over a communication protocol that allows a computer and a device to exchange information.
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04/26, 2:20pm
Licensing iPhone haptics?
Apple may be looking to license haptic technology from another company, as the industry looks to develop and incorporate more touch feedback technology into devices. Immersion Corporation, a patent-driven digital technology company, has reportedly hired a former Apple executive and has had talks this week to license the haptic technology for in Apple's iPhone. On Thursday, Immersion Corporation announced that it had appointed former Apple executive Clent Richardson to the position of President and CEO and a new report claims that Apple this week began talking to Immersion about a potential licensing agreement for its technology. [corrected]
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04/23, 12:25am
Sony files for patent
Sony is making movement to finally unveil Socratto, its in-house answer to Apple's Shake software, which it acquired from then-startup Nothing Real. A European patent application indicates that Sony is close to realizing its long-discussed video effects software, after ironically losing control of the Shake project when members of the company who worked on the project were hired by Nothing Real. The move comes after Tim Schaaff, a former senior Apple executive, joined the effort in 2006.
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04/18, 2:50pm
Samsung files phone patent
It appears Samsung is trying to leapfrog the iPhone's touch display and go straight to a touch-free interface in its future mobile phones. The company has reportedly filed a patent for an interface based on hand signals. The phone's integrated camera will recognize users' hand gestures as commands and execute them.
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04/11, 8:40pm
Ruling disappoints Dish
In response to the ruling against the Dish Network, the company writes that it is disappointed with the court's rejection for an appeal, but that it will not affect current or future customers. According to the note, EchoStar has already developed and deployed a new version of the DVR software to customers as an automatic download. Dish claims the new software does not infringe on patents held by Tivo Inc.
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03/31, 10:20pm
App Store icon patent
The US Patent and Trademark Office today published Apple's trademark application concerning the icon for the upcoming iPhone/iPod touch application store. The logo, which is displayed in almost every piece of documentation related to the developer's program, will be present on all iPhone and iPod touch devices when the service officially launches later this year. The design resembles Apple's traditional application icon – the stylized letter "A" constructed from a paintbrush, pencil and ruler.
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03/12, 11:10pm
Apple faces iTunes lawsuit
ZapMedia Services is suing Apple over its iPod-iTunes concept, claiming it had invented the process two years before the first iPod was sold. According to AppleInsider, the original ZapMedia has since closed its doors. ZapMedia Services is enacting the lawsuit on behalf of the former company, which comes 18 months after it began to shop for investors. Until recently, ZapMedia Services held on to but a single patent, and now carries two.
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