Apple patent waterproof systems for their devices – waterproof iPhone incoming?

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It recently came to light that Apple patented in march last year a waterproof protection system similar to what Samsung uses on their Galaxy S5. Could this be a feature for the next iPhone?

It was just made public that the United States’ Patent & Trademark Office received Apple’s documentation describing methods to protect electronic components from humidity last year. This is in opposition to impermeabilization, the most prominent method in the market in which the phone’s frame is completely closed off, as to prevent liquids from getting inside. Apple means to protect only the electronic components by using a hydrophobic coating with a chemical vapor deposition (PACVD). This compound would create a cape that provides protection enough to avoid malfunctions and damage to electrical components when exposed to liquid.

The advantage of this method is that this extra coating would be in between 1 and 10 microns thick, enabling Apple to continue their pursue of creating the thinest, smallest gadgets. This technology would make it perfect for the iPad, iPhone and Apple Watch, which are barely resistant to splashing as of now.

Via Apple Insider

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Apple Awarded Patent for iPhone VR Display

Apple VR Headset

As the technology industry continues to embrace virtual reality (VR) headsets, Apple is getting involved too, having just been award a VR headset patent.

Whether it’s a gimmick or even just a passing fad, few can deny that virtual reality (VR) is gathering some serious steam. With the $2 billion acquisition of Oculus VR (and Oculus Rift) by Facebook and the reveal of the Project Morpheus headset by Sony, soon more and more people will be running around with immersive screens strapped to their faces.

So far the, the uses appear to either be for gaming or commercial purposes. For example, VR in gaming can make you feel like the protagonist yourself as opposed to just playing a game in first person by looking at a screen. As for commerce, we could soon be using VR headsets to do our shopping by exploring a virtual version of our favourite retailers.

While the tech isn’t there just yet and some developers are waiting to see the sales numbers until they make software for it, one company that is fully embracing it is Apple. This month, the company was granted a VR headset patent by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, after initially filing the patent in 2008.

The patent explains:

“[The Apple VR headset] temporarily integrates or merges both mechanically and electronically a head-mounted device with a portable electronic device. The frame may place a display screen of the portable electronic device in front of the user’s eyes. The display screen of the portable electronic device may act as the primary display screen of the head-mounted device.”

So what’s the likelihood of this Apple VR headset coming to fruition? Well, the fact that the headset would use the iPhone as its screen is very interesting as it’s similar to a strategy that Samsung took when they matched the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 with their Samsung Gear VR headset, so this would put Apple on par with their rivals. Furthermore, it’s also an ingenious way of getting people to buy two Apple devices and it could encourage people to jump ship from Android to iOS.

In addition to this, other illustrations from the patent show that Apple is considering making some sort of handheld controller too, which would make the Apple VR headset ideal for gaming. It also shows that they’ve really thought this one out, which is a very good sign that well see the Apple VR headset in the wild eventually.

Source: AppleInsider

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Apple Intends To Ban Samsung Devices Infringing Patents

apple-vs-samsung

Apple intends to ban the sale of certain devices in the market after a court found some of their patents were infringed last may.

A trial conducted early this month in California concluded that Samsung was indeed infringing on three of Apple’s patents, while Apple themselves infringed on one of Samsung’s. This mixed verdict made apple jump the gun and ask for all Samsung devices in violation of these patents (those using “quick links,” “slide to unlock,” and/or “automatic word correction”) be banned from being sold. Specifically, we’re talking of the Galaxy Nexus, the Admire, most of the Galaxy family (both tablets and phones), and Stratosphere phones.

Although Samsung was infringing more patents than Apple was, the jury made them pay Apple $119.6 million, while It awarded Samsung $158,400 for Apple’s violation instead. Apple originally asked for $2.2 billion USD, instead.

Source: CNET

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Apple patent application details magnetic iPad stand for extra-secure mounting

Apple patent application details magnetic iPad stand

A recently published Apple patent reveals the design for a "magnetic tablet configured to rigidly hold a portion of the tablet device in place." You can bet that "tablet device" is the iPad, and judging from the many photos associated with the patent, the stand is meant to mount the slate more securely than your average dock, not to mention the Smart Cover. One scenario, for instance, shows the iPad secured on top of a treadmill, while another depicts the device hanging from the roof of the car. By far the most intriguing example is two iPads connected to each other magnetically, creating a hinge between the two displays. Click through to the source link for a look at Cupertino's other envisioned use cases for this super-strength stand -- though don't get your hopes up on seeing this design hit stores any time soon; the original patent was filed in late 2011.

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Source: USPTO, Free Patents Online

Apple files patent application for fingerprint sensor that can be transparent or opaque

Apple files patent application for fingerprint sensor that can be transparent or opaque

While Apple has flirted with biometric-based patents before, we've yet to see them implemented in real-world technology. That hasn't stopped it from filing yet another one though, as the latest application reveals a fingerprint sensor apparently embedded into the iPhone itself. The patent describes a hardware "window" that can become selectively "transparent or opaque." When transparent, it would reveal a component comprised of an "image capture device, a strobe flash, a biometric sensor, a light sensor, a proximity sensor, or a solar panel, or a combination thereof" as a method of unlocking the phone. According to the filing, the biometric sensor in question might indeed be a fingerprint reader. The document goes on to describe an alternative method using face or eye recognition technology that can be used not just for security purposes, but for possible e-commerce solutions like completing an online transaction. Of course, take any of these patent applications with a generous pinch of salt -- we haven't seen an Apple stylus yet, for example -- but perhaps this is the reason Apple bought fingerprint sensor maker AuthenTec back in July.

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Apple files patent application for fingerprint sensor that can be transparent or opaque originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Oct 2012 04:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple patent application details method for detecting and displaying hand position on screen

Apple patent application details sensors for adjusting onscreen keys, backside controls

We've had a glimpse at Apple's conception of a sensor-based keyless layout, and the latest patent application from Cupertino shows the company looking to further refine the input experience -- this time using a camera and other sensors to detect hand position and overlay that hand position on a device's screen. The filing details three methods to this end. The first shows a user's hands on a traditional hardware keyboard projected in an on-screen representation (as background, Apple mentions the ergonomic strain of looking down to check your hand placement, so perhaps that's the thinking behind this one). A second scenario involves a laptop with unlabeled keys, where the marked keyboard is displayed on the screen, and the final, most intriguing, setup shows backside controls on a tablet a la the PS Vita, with a user's fingers projected as if the device was transparent. Of course, this is just a patent application at this point, so don't expect to see this tech make its debut September 12th.

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Apple patent application details method for detecting and displaying hand position on screen originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Sep 2012 10:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple awarded patent for geo-fencing profile changes to stop you texting in the theater

Apple awarded patent for geofencing profile changes

Now that the patent trial of the decade is over bar the shouting, everyone's back to ensuring they've called shotgun on enough of tomorrow's technology. Cupertino has won a patent to enforce policies when your wireless device enters a specific location. Dry as that may sound, it means that your smartphone could automatically switch to silent and disable its display as soon as you enter a movie theater. Of course, it's as likely to remain in Bruce Sewell's bottom drawer as it is to be a feature in the next iPhone, but as perpetually-annoyed cinema-goers we'd pay good money to see it retrospectively installed in every handset from the last decade.

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Apple awarded patent for geo-fencing profile changes to stop you texting in the theater originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Aug 2012 16:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple gets patent for process that replaces unwanted media with user content

DNP Apple patent aims to squash ads, replace them with your favorite tunes

If your favorite audio or video broadcasts are spamming you with obnoxious ads (or anything else you don't like) an Apple patent describes a process to cut them out -- then substitute your personal content. First, the system would check media in real time through audio analysis or metadata scanning. Then, it would determine if it's "of interest" to you by checking it against a profile based on your listening habits or personally defined preferences. Finally, if it thinks you're into a particular stream, it would continue playing it, and if not, it could blast something from your own collection. The patent claims even describe a TiVo-like time-shifting function -- ensuring you'd catch that entire guitar solo while not missing a single word from your favorite show.

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Apple gets patent for process that replaces unwanted media with user content originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Aug 2012 07:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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