Patent

Apple researching safe vehicle telematics with touchscreen and tactile features

Ed Sutherland ∙ July 9, 2013

Apple hopes a new patent granted today will make driving safer in cars equipped with a growing array of screens and devices.

The patent combines the touch screen technology found in iPhones and iPads with haptic feedback, allowing drivers to adjust dashboard controls while keeping their eyes on the road.

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office approved Apple's technology, entitled "Programmable tactile touch screen displays and man-machine interfaces for improved vehicle instrumentation and telematics." The technology builds on an earlier patent granted to a Canadian inventor on human interaction with computers...

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Apple invents flexible batteries, likely for iWatch

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 5, 2013

With iWatch trademarks linked to Apple spotted in places like Japan, Russia and a slew of other countries, it is no surprise speculation is intensifying that the iPhone maker is secretly developing a wearable gizmo of some sort. Another piece of the Apple smartwatch puzzle has now fallen into place as The United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) published Friday a patent filing detailing a flexible battery design specifically conceived for a wristwatch and/or other bendable mobile devices...

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Is Apple’s magic wand ‘the simplest interface’ for iTV that Steve Jobs envisioned?

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated March 19, 2019

As Tim Cook & Co. continue “pulling the string” on the TV space, readers with a keen interest in Apple's many patent applications are aware of a 2009 filing involving a wand remote of sorts that may include a motion detection component meant for the television interface.

Last June, the United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) granted that patent. And just last month, another major wand-related patent surfaced in USPTO's database that could be the magic required to make the TV experience “just work.”

It outlines a remote control containing fingerprint sensors, theoretically enabling identity and trust in order to authenticate viewers securely and deliver personalized content. It's especially noteworthy in the context of the rumored fingerprint scanning thought to be the killer feature of the upcoming iPhone 5S...

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Skyhook says Google bad-mouthed its Wi-Fi location tech to Apple

Ed Sutherland ∙ July 3, 2013

It's nearly unthinkable: a technology firm bad-talking a rival to a prospective customer. That's the heart of the latest claim by a location services company suing Internet giant Google for alleged patent infringement.

Skyhook Wireless is asking a court to compel Google to turn over documents showing co-founder Sergey Brin spoke badly of SkyHook's GPS location technology. As part of a recent court filing, Skyhook charges Brin told Apple co-founder Steve Jobs that the iPhone maker could do better if it went with Google...

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Boston University could reap $75M in Apple patent infringement suit

Ed Sutherland ∙ July 3, 2013

Boston University (BU) could reap $75 million in a patent-infringement lawsuit filed against Apple Tuesday. The lawsuit centers on a patent filed in 1995 by a university professor which the school charges is used by the iPhone 5, iPad and MacBook Air.

The university has filed eight "identical" lawsuits against other device makers, including Samsung and Amazon. To bolster its argument that Apple should pay, the school is set to claim it is already receiving licensing fees for using the patent, according to a local report...

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Apple patents smart bezel display

Ed Sutherland ∙ July 2, 2013

Apple may have found a way to maximize display space for touch input while minimizing the size of wearable devices such as the long-rumored iWatch. What's more, the innovation could be thanks to Kodak, a photography pioneer which Apple's iPhone and other smartphones, largely put out of business.

In a patent granted Tuesday by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Apple describes a touch-sensitive bezel that surrounds a device's main display. The smart bezel is able to offer users additional space for a display area or even cover portions of a display, providing greater flexibility...

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Apple: ITC ban has ‘much broader ramifications’ than iPhone 4 and iPad 2 sales

Ed Sutherland ∙ June 27, 2013

A limited import ban by the ITC on some Apple devices is under scrutiny and Apple believes the order could have far-reaching consequences, according to papers filed with reviewers. At issue is whether the courtroom win by Samsung may prompt other governments to limit imports of American made electronics and other goods.

In papers filed with the United States Trade Representative (USTR) - which can overturn ITC decisions - Apple argues that the limited ban on iPhone 4 and iPad 2 imports hinges on a Samsung patent the Korean company had declared standard essential...

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Rich iTunes iRadio playlist customization in the works, patent suggests

Ed Sutherland ∙ June 27, 2013

When Apple announced plans to offer iTunes Radio, observers quickly compared the service to Spotify, and other streaming music offerings.

However, a new patent application reveals the iPhone maker wants to go far beyond a simple 'like' or 'dislike' to customize a user's playlist.

Apple's vision of a playlist connects a user's musical preferences already part of iTunes, while offering the ability to tweak a song list on the fly. The application, published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Thursday, also outlines playlist customization based on such ephemeral factors as how a certain song makes you feel...

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Japanese court confirms dismissal of Apple patent suit against Samsung

Ed Sutherland ∙ June 25, 2013

A Japanese court Tuesday denied an appeal by Apple over the iPhone maker's arguments Samsung infringed a patent. The Tokyo-based Intellectual High Court agreed with an earlier court ruling which found the South Korean firm had not infringed upon Apple's patent on syncing data with smartphones and tablets.

The appeal rejection comes just a week after another Tokyo court handed Apple a patent-infringement victory against Samsung. In that case, Apple used its separate "rubber band" patent to successfully claim earlier models of the Galaxy smartphone were at fault. Japan is one of the few markets where Apple leads its rival in both tablet and smartphone sales...

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Samsung wants to settle EU antitrust case over Apple to sidestep $17.5B fine

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 25, 2013

The European Union six months ago launched a formal investigation into a potential breach of EU antitrust rules by Samsung. The antitrust investigation focused on the South Korean conglomerate's handling of industry-essential patents that EU regulators insist should be licensed to others on fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory terms (FRAND).

The investigation determined that Samsung was abusing its patent portfolio by seeking high royalties it knew didn't make business sense, just so it could later assert those patents against rivals such as Apple. ”Samsung has been involved in settlement discussions for several months now," an unnamed source told Reuters on Tuesday. "Samsung wants to settle”...

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FTC to launch inquiry into patent trolls, including issuing subpoenas

Ed Sutherland ∙ June 21, 2013

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is expected today to approve an investigation into so-called patent trolls, according to the New York Times. Results of the investigation could be used as part of a possible antitrust lawsuit.

FTC chairwoman Edith Ramirez has said the technology involved in one smartphone could spur thousands of patents. In 2012, patent trolls - politely referred to as patent-assertion entities - comprised 60 percent of some 4,000 patent lawsuits. In 2011, the number of patent lawsuits were half that amount, the Times reported...

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