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News tagged ‘patent’
Apple patent features sound-driven commands
A new Apple’s patent tells us that the company at this point works on the gesture-based commands determined with audio transducers on the corners of a given surface. That means that if you press or tap on a surface, the audio receivers would determine where and how you touched it. The application describes a microprocessor that can "interpret electrical signals generated by the one or more acoustic transducers as input." The idea is that these transducers detect a finger making contact with the chassis and register those vibrations as gestures. Now the company found five different ways how it could be done.
Leave a commentApple Awarded Patent for a ‘Safe Deposit Box’ Feature
Apple recently filed a new patent application that describes a new feature, “Safe Deposit Box”, which will appear in a new Mac OS X Lion. “Safe Deposit Box” will allow users to secure important files. Users will be able to drag a particular file to a safe deposit icon - files could be automatically encrypted and hidden from access - that then secure the file and also upload the secured file to the cloud for backup that means that important files would be stored beyond the home computer. Users could then access secured files through a safe deposit box window by selecting the safe deposit box icon and verifying his or her identity. It seems that this feature would be included into Lion’s Time Machine but, as usual, there is no guarantee.
HP’s Latest TouchSmart PCs Rips Off Apple Touchscreen iMac Patent
The new Windows PCs both, HP’s latest TouchSmart series, look exactly like Apple’s multitouch iMac. Some Apple’s patents over the past year suggest that the company has been experimenting with multitouch-capable iMacs with pivoting displays that pull down to a more appropriate horizontal orientation when a user wants to interact with on-screen elements directly. HP’s multitouch computers feature a pull-down design that drops the multitouch display into a horizontal position to reduce arm fatigue. Just like the Apple’s patent!
Apple patent suggests Magic Mouse with display panel
A new patent from Apple shows a display embedded in the Magic Mouse touch surface. Such display will be able to present some information or allow contextual input options. The display on the mouse would change according to what the user may be doing on their Mac. The display will be working in conjunction with actual Mac apps. For example, it will be showing a calculator when using the Numbers app on Mac, or a magnification of text when using Pages. The application notes that the dynamic touch-display input method could be employed on other devices like a keyboard, or even a mobile device like an iPhone or iPod touch.
Another Apple's Patent Reveals a New Capacitive Touchscreen Technology
This week U.S. Patent and Trademark Office made public another patent application from Apple. It is entitled "Touch Sensing Device Having Conductive Nodes" and reveals a new way of creating new capacitive touchscreens that allow to make devices even thinner than before.
It is noted that existing capacitive sensing technology works very well, but it can be further improved, and not only to make devices thinner, but also to achieve better results in power saving and therefore battery life.
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Apple investigating 'no-look' gestures for iPod nano
The new patent recently revealed by Apple tells us that the company is looking into multi-touch gestures that can be performed without looking at a device, which would address concerns about the multi-touch redesign of the sixth-generation iPod nano.
Gresso classies up the iPad with 18k gold logo and ancient wood case
Gresso, the Russian company, has modded the Apple iPad with a back cover made of the 200-year-old extremely luxurious African Blackwood combined with 18K gold.
Absolute combination of the latest Apple technologies and unique design Gresso.
Housing iPad is framed in 200-year-old African Blackwood (African Blackwood), the material that became hallmark Gresso. As the most valuable tree in the world, ebony prized for centuries for their unique qualities, as well as a gorgeous, rich, totally black. High strength grade African Blackwood is achieved due to its specific natural features and unique processing technology, patented by Gresso. Two similar iPad does not exist, just as there are no two identical trees.
Strangely, in spite of its extravagant constituent materials, this design is a very restrained, and even classy. iPad Gresso went on sale on the eve of the 2011. Pricing information is not yet available.
New patent application reveals a spiral Cover Flow UI for music selection
Another Apple's patent application had been unveiled this week by the U.S. Patent and trademark Office. It is entitled "User Interface for Media Playback" and describes a new UI for browsing music albums on the iPhone and other touch-based devices.
The technology uses the idea of Cover Flow interface, which allows users to flip through album art and select the desired music, but now albums are proposed to be moved in a spiral form, not horizontally.
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Apple works on improved contextual voice commands in its devices
This week the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office made public another Apple's patent application that describes the new voice control method. It is entitled "Contextual Voice Commands" and its aim is to make voice control more efficient and reliable.
Apple's proposed system determines the voice command possibilities for every application so that you could give more precise directions by voice to the device.
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Apple adds 12 more patents to lawsuit against Motorola
Apple added 12 more patents to their lawsuit against Motorola. So, the total number of patents that Apple accuses Motorola of violating reached 24. Motorola claims that Apple infringed on 18 of its patents that include 3G, GPRS, 802.11 wireless and antenna design and accused Apple in refusing to pay a license. Apple’s motion to add 12 more patents to the lawsuit is just counter-suit against preemptive request filed by Motorola in October, which reference 11 patents 11 patents that Apple used in its suit against HTC but not Motorola.
Apple was called the "world's most-sued tech company" since 2008. For example, in 2009 27 patent infringement lawsuits were filed against Apple. Of course, responding to those claims takes lots of time and money.
Apple studies the idea of radial menus
According to MacNN report, another yesterday granted patent application reveals that Apple devises new radial pop-up menus which will be an alternative to currently used drop-down menus. Peter Warner, who is listed as a "Designer at Apple" in his LinkedIn profile, is the inventor of this patent.
The application assures that radial menus can be more efficient than the current model of moving 'to menubar to select standard features', which is used in almost every major operational system. An order for both menus can be static and prioritized, when higher priority items are being displayed more prominently.
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Apple develops new keyboard backlights
This week the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office released another pile of Apple's patent applications that reveal the company’s interest in further improving of its technology of keyboard backlights. It is said in the documents, that though current keyboards have a light feedback, for example, when the "Caps Lock" is enabled, more informative keyboards would be more beneficial for users.
"Most conventional keyboards lack the ability to convey complex information to a user (such as, for example, more information than just whether the CAPS lock key is on). And while some conventional keyboards may include backlit keys, conventional keyboards with backlighting do not offer the ability to dynamically control lighting schemes for each of the keys individually based on interaction from the user."
Apple patents convertible tablet
On Tuesday Apple revealed the patent application, which depicts a laptop that slides into tablet. On the shots above you may see how the standard laptop with a traditional keyboard, body, display frame and display might be transformed into a tablet by sliding the display across the keyboard. The patent relates to scrolling operations but it does not depict real convertible laptop to tablet form factor. The idea of the patent was expressed by Apples CEO Steve Jobs while the presentation of the new MacBook when he wondered what would happen if a MacBook and an iPad hooked up. So this patent with a touchscreen and a keyboard, laptop and tablet configurations reveals implementation of this idea and possibility of integration between the two products.
New Apple Patent Points to Scrollable Menus and Toolbars in iOS, Mac OS X
Some days ago Patently Apple published a new patent application from Apple under the name "Scrollable Menus and Toolbars." The document describes the use of a small selection window through which a variety of options could be scrolled and offers use of an entire toolbar with all options remaining visible at all times. The drawings above and below depict implementations on both Mac OS X and iOS. The application notes that toolbars and menus are for typical commands, such as opening a file or saving a document and etc.
HyperMac becomes HyperJuice because of Apple's lawsuit
Today Daniel Chin, who is a president of Sanho Corporation, revealed in a press release that the company's HyperMac product line will get new brand "HyperJuice" because of a lawsuit that was filed by Apple.
"In the coming weeks, the 'HyperMac' brand name will be renamed to 'HyperJuice' as part of our ongoing comprehensive licensing negotiations with Apple regarding a wide array of technologies and issues".