Apple may be working on an easier and more comprehensive method of syncing data between devices, a new patent application hints. Even the company's current technology, built into iTunes and iSync, is described as too complex. "Though a user may have access to two similarly capable electronic devices, sharing data between the two devices may involve a number of steps," the application reads.
A US patent filing published today suggests Apple has been researching the prospects of a wireless headset with its own media playback support. The device would operate as a typical wireless headset as a companion for an iPhone or similar device but would play music from storage built into the earphones. It could have basic music controls and a display, but with a microphone it could also use voice commands to play specific content without looking.
Sony has resolved a dispute with Vizio over the latter company's patents involving technology used in LCD televisions. Rather than fight the battle in court, Sony decided to become a licensee for rights to use the technology from Vizio's patent portfolio.
A lawsuit filed by St. Clair Intellectual Property Consultants has targeted Apple for allegedly using camera technology protected by several patents. The four patents, each relating to digital camera systems, were originally issued to a company named Personal Computer Cameras, although St. Clair purchased the technology between 1995 and 2001.
Apple has been exploring the possibility of embedding advertising within Mac OS X, or other platforms, a newly-published patent application reveals. Originally submitted in April of last year, the application credits CEO Steve Jobs and several other people with the invention. If implemented OS users would be presented with one or more ads, which would temporarily disable some aspect of the software before allowing people to continue on.
Apple and several other computer makers have been targeted in a patent infringement lawsuit involving Ethernet technology. The plaintiff, US Ethernet Innovations, claims the companies have been using intellectual property contained in at least one four patents originally issued to 3Com between 1994 and 1998.
A newly-published Apple patent application suggests that the company may have a deeper interest in social networking than previously recognized. Titled Event-based contact list methods, the application describes a public website intended to organize an event, such as a wedding or school reunion. As with many such social networking sites, visitors could add personal contact information in order to get in touch with one another.
TiVo on Wednesday announced that it has filed lawsuit against Verizon and AT&T for allegedly infringing several patents. The fresh legal battle is similar to the company's fight against Dish Network and EchoStar, a case which lead to a $190 million ruling and an injunction to stop the companies from enabling the patented technology in set-top boxes already owned by customers.
The US International Trade Commission has reportedly begun an investigation focusing on several companies that produce or purchase NAND flash components, including Samsung, RIM, Apple and others, according to Barron's. BTG International has accused Samsung of violating several patents involving "MLC" type flash memory.
Apple, Cisco and Microsoft have won an appeals court ruling, limiting potential patent damages for products shipped outside the US, says Bloomberg. The court has stated that for specific types of patents, federal law does not allow patent owners to collect damages from infringers on overseas sales. American infringement cases are sometimes based on foreign sales, and the court notes that laws do still apply when it comes to patents for machines, manufacturing and the composition of matter.
Apple has considered incorporating simultaneous file transfers during iPhone calls, a newly-published patent application shows. Though files can be uploaded through many different iPhone apps at present, the filing notes that in the middle of a call, it is currently impossible to send files or even text messages. It may also be necessary to quit a call to look up secondary contact info.
Apple has been granted six new patents, including an iChat filing and several submissions involving product design. The iChat video patent, titled “Digital image coding system having self-adjusting selection criteria for selecting a transform function," relates to coding digital video images and reducing loss of image information by adjusting parameters in the coding process.
Future iPhones and iPods could become easier to use when in motion, an Apple patent application suggests. The filing, newly published on Thursday, depicts a compensation system that adjusts onscreen images with relative positioning. Using technology such as an iPhone's accelerometer for instance, the system could detect movement along one or more axes, and shift icons to keep them in their original place. As a handheld approaches or recedes from a user, the technology could also be used to selectively scale graphics to keep them legible.
The US Patent and Trademark Office has granted several patents to Apple, among which are three notable ones. These cover the music backup process in iTunes, as well as a power adapter equipped with a FireWire port and a detachable plug. The third deals with a clickwheel phone interface, which in diagrams is associated not with the iPhone, but the iPod classic.
A recently disclosed patent application could aid Apple in excluding more warranty claims. Titled Consumer Abuse Detection System and Method, the filing suggests a scheme by which technicians could detect damage caused in warranty-breaking incidents. While iPhones, iPods and MacBook Pros already have liquid sensors -- which change color after submersion -- a proposed system could record shocks, dramatic temperature changes or even tampering, the latter through the use of a "continuity" sensor.
Apple has won a collection of new patents from the US Patent and Trademark Office, linked to a wide variety of products. Among these is the Apple TV, for which Apple has been granted a patent on the set-top's remote. The remote is able to identify expected light sources in the midst of ambient ones, such as reflections.
Several of Apple's patent filings have been made public; one relating to one-touch ejection for iPods and iPhones, and the other involving dual-purpose apertures. The one-touch ejection system is designed to avoid data loss if the user accidentally removes the device from the USB cable without first following the ejection prompts within iTunes.
Apple was granted nine new patents on Tuesday, including an ink engine patent for future tablet applications. Other patent wins cover industrial design for the Airport Extreme, earphones, the universal dock and iPhone retail packaging. The key patent, however, is for the Ink Phase Termination Engine. The concept would support Apple's Inkwell technology -- featured in Mac OS X -- in a theoretical tablet device.
Apple has been contemplating a close pairing between iPhones and some cars when it comes to GPS navigation, a recent patent application hints. While limited navigation apps have been possible since the introduction of the iPhone 3G, and proper turn-by-turn apps have become possible with the iPhone 3.0 firmware, the Apple patent proposes linking an iPhone into a car's navigation system, which in turn could pull information from the main car computer.
Apple has been granted a critical patent by the US Patent and Trademark Office, covering the company's wide-ratio multi-touch trackpad. The first real-world example of the pad emerged in the beginning of 2008, when it appeared in the MacBook Air. It has since migrated to MacBooks and MacBook Pros, and should remain standard on Apple notebooks for some time.
Despite recently being awarded some $190 million in the long-standing legal battle against DISH Network and EchoStar over patents in DVRs, TiVo is seeking nearly $1 billion in contempt sanctions, according to a filing disclosed by TiVo with a US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. While EchoStar was ordered by the federal judge in Texas to disable the functions on the majority of its recorders in subscribers' hands, EchoStar instead claims it built a "design-around" that avoids the patents in question.
Apple has been contemplating a number of different iPod accessories, ones which could dramatically enhance the usefulness of a player if put into production, a recent patent application suggests. While some of the proposed concepts already exist -- including speakers and microphones -- others are purely theoretical, such an external storage add-on. A user could thus increase available space via a flash or hard drive.
The US Patent and Trademark Office has published another batch of Apple patent applications, relating to a variety of technologies. Among these is face recognition, which in Apple's description could be used to detect one or more users of a device without requiring active input. The technology could further be used to authorize control, or initiate commands.
A new lawsuit has targeted Apple, Sony and Nintendo, for allegedly infringing on patents involving technology used in the iPhone, Wii and PS2, among others. The plaintiff, Shared Memory Graphics LLC, holds U.S. Patent No. 5,712,664 that describes a "shared memory graphics accelerator system."
Future iPhones and iPods from Apple could come in "active packaging," a recently-published patent application hints. Apple observes that while standard product packaging serves its essential purpose, it is also subject to limitations, such as an inability to showcase electronics in action without completely draining batteries. Similarly, should firmware updates become available, a store's inventory can be left outdated until people decide to take products home.
A variety of Apple patent applications have been newly published by the US Patent and Trademark Office, exposing possibilities the company has been considering for the iPhone and iPod touch. Unusual filings include one for an RFID tag reader, which would be embedded within a handheld's touchscreen, allowing users to scan an RFID tag simply by passing the device over top. An iPod or iPhone could alternately be made to operate as a tag itself, quickly transmitting information such as personal identification.
Apple has been granted patents for a variety of technology ranging from heart rate sensors to electronic drink coasters and tracking systems. Earlier patents detailed sensors and systems geared for sports such as skiing and snowboarding, while the latest documents outline movement-tracking sensors that can be attached to the feet, hands, head, knees and chest.
Apple has been granted patents for 3D movie browser technology and responsive avatars. The first patent relates to three-dimensional movie browsing or editing, with a focus on Final Cut Pro. It also relates to other Apple technologies like the iPhone, iPod touch and Apple TV and software like iTunes and QuickTime. The most common example of the 3D browser is Apple's Cover Flow. An interesting side note reveals the author, Kevin Quennesson, has since left Apple to help build the Cooliris 3D Wall. The report also notes a second patent report for what's commonly known as Apple's Magic Wand Patent, which relates to a 3D remote control for Apple TV.
Apple has invested serious attention in the possibility of a 3D motion-control remote for the Apple TV, a newly-published patent application reveals. Backing up a later filing, the application once again describes a remote which would let users navigate an interface by pointing to objects, as well as making specific gestures. The remote would communicate with an Apple TV using IR, Bluetooth or Wi-Fi.
Apple has been granted 12 new patents, including a surround mixing patent for Final Cut Studio which covers the use of a graphical user interface to engineer sound movement across multiple channels. Two other featured patents are for Apple's spring-loaded folders and a method of controlling movement of a cursor on a screen and a computer-readable medium containing such a method as a program code. The later primarily relates to GPS data on an iPhone.
Even as the expected announcement date for a new iPhone nears, information has emerged on some possible future iPhone technologies. Among other newly-exposed patent applications is one for multiple simultaneous file transfers, which could for instance allow someone in the middle of a video call to transmit a song, image or voicemail recording at the same time. The call interface would be minimized, bringing up a second devoted to media selection.
The US Patent and Trademark Office has published a new Apple patent application, depicting an as-yet-unseen form of iPod. Though resembling the Classic, the theoretical player has the notable addition of a taller screen, in keeping with the widescreen ratios now used for the Nano, Touch and iPhone. At the heart of the patent is a multi-touch scrollwheel, which would enable functions more advanced than those possible with the current clickwheel.
Actus LLC, patent holding company based in Marshall, Texas, has sued Apple, Amazon, Ebay, Best Buy, Barnes & Noble, and a number of other companies for infringing on several patents relating to methods for "conducting electronic commerce transactions using electronic tokens." The patents - Nos. 7,328,189; 7,249,099; 7,177,838; and 7,376,621 - were originally filed by a company named PayByClick.
Apple has sought to patent an LED backlighting scheme which could make the technology more practical for monitors in general, and possibly the company's own computers. While Apple notes that LED improves the color, life, brightness and power efficiency of monitors, the most recent 24-inch Cinema Display is said to have created unique design issues, demanding a way around problems with thermal control and area-to-perimeter ratios.
Apple has won four new patents from the US Patent and Trademark Office, covering a range of technologies. Among these are ones for riser card housing in the Mac Pro, and a Mac OS-related concept called Computer system with graphical user interface including drawer-like windows. Important however is one for a touchpad surface, covering the multi-touch trackpad in the MacBook Air, and in a minor fashion the iPhone touchscreen.
Apple has been considering voice recognition as an option for future TV remotes, most likely for the Apple TV set-top, a newly-published patent application hints. Titled Context-aware unit selection, the filing describes a "pointing device" associated with a computer, dubbed a "Web TV" system. Embedded in the remote would be a microphone, capable of accepting commands such as "open iTunes."
A Texas federal jury has ordered Microsoft Corp to pay out $200 million in damages to Toronto-based software maker i4i Limited for allegedly infringing a patent, the software giant announced on Wednesday. Microsoft, which is regularly at the receiving end of such lawsuits, went on to say it is planning on appealing the verdict, as it believes the award is unsupported by the evidence.
Apple has been granted several patents by the US Patent and Trademark Office, including ones for the technology and design of the Mighty Mouse, and the general design of the extinct iPod Hi-Fi stereo. Key amongst the patents however is one for an integrated sensor display, which could theoretically simplify or expand on the features of many Apple products. An application was originally submitted on behalf of Michael Uy by Apple in June of 2004.
Toshiba has announced that it has filed suit against several companies, including Imation, over DVD patents. The accusations surround DVD format specifications and standards accepted by the DVD Forum. Toshiba claims the companies infringed on patents by manufacturing or distributing recordable media without first establishing licensing agreements.
Apple and AT&T are two of several companies being targeted in a new patent infringement lawsuit, court documents show. The case was initiated by Tune Hunter, a company which owns a patent titled Music identification system, granted in September of 2005. The patent describes "a method for marking the time and the name of the radio station in portable device such as a key holder, watch, cellular phone, beeper or the like which will allow the user to learn via internet [sic] or regular telephone the name of the song, artist and/or music company by matching the stored data with broadcast archive."
iPod and iPhone owners may eventually be able to fill up their players using dedicated iTunes kiosks, a recent patent application hints. A traditional problem with Apple handhelds has been the limited means of loading new media; even following the advent of the mobile iTunes Store, the main method of adding music and video remains syncing at home. Using a kiosk, Apple notes, people could rapidly load players without a conventional network connection, in places such as airports, malls or hotels, or even within trains and jets.
Apple has been granted 11 new patents from the US Patent and Trademark Office, all covering minor and/or existing technologies. These include the Mac OS X Dashboard, the design of the second-generation iPod nano, and an instant messaging-based file-sharing system. The Dashboard patent is dubbed User interface element with auxiliary function and was originally filed for in March 2006.
Apple may be toying with the notion of introducing carbon fiber into future products, a newly exposed patent application reveals. Carbon fiber is extremely durable, and when mixed with plastic can also result in a very lightweight material. The difficulty, Apple suggests, is that even in many alternative methods of forming a carbon fiber shell, the result is a black surface with visible fibers that can dictate how a product will look.
Apple is considering integrating audio controls into the Safari web browser, a newly-published patent application shows. Although Windows and the Mac OS have dedicated volume controls, a recurring problem with websites is the tendency to impose unwanted audio, whether in the form of music, voices or sound effects. Many people are already listening to their own music while they browse, Apple notes.
Two sets of patent applications filed with the USPTO may point to unusual interests on Apple's part. The first describes a system for pairing in-car electronics with Apple hardware such as an iPhone, iPod or even MacBook. In using the technique, a car's electronics could be prevented from working for thieves simply due to being out of wireless range. Alternately the pairing could be used to control navigation systems even when an Apple portable is present, for instance by shutting down phone dialing when outside of a given area.
One of the ideas Apple has been contemplating for the iPhone, a newly-published patent application suggests, is a motion-adapted interface. Apple notes that while the phone's interface may be fine while sitting or standing, it can suddenly become much harder to use while walking or running, as a result of either shaking or sweat. Compounding problems may be distractions, such as a jogging route.
Apple may be exploring the concept of a unibody iPod, a freshly-exposed patent application implies. Apple began incorporating unibody designs into its products in October of last year, with the introduction of new MacBooks and MacBook Pros. The production technology is said to make hardware lighter, thinner and sturdier, as a result of using tougher material and fewer parts.
Apple may continue to have an interest in automatic audio or video replies within iChat, a newly-published patent application hints. Under the Apple technology, people away from their computers or simply busy could instruct iChat to play a prerecorded audio or video message to anyone attempting chat. The length of each message could be used-defined.
The US Patent and Trademark Office has granted Apple a collection of new patents, all revolving around the company's portable devices. Unusual amongst these is a patent for solar power circuitry, which could in theory be used to power iPods, iPhones and MacBooks when away from a wall socket. The patent was applied for in 2006 however, and has not been used in any commercial products.
Microsoft and TomTom today said they have reached a settlement regarding their patent dispute that will put an end to their mutual lawsuits over GPS technology. The agreement sees TomTom get "coverage" from Microsoft for 3 patents that reportedly still meet TomTom's requirements for its GPL v2 license. In exchange, TomTom must remove the features related to two FAT file system patents within the next two years.
