patents

500 'patents' stories December 2010 - November 2014

MIT looks back at Steve Jobs patents, including the 141 approved since his death

Ben Lovejoy Nov 28 2014 - 4:19 am PT

Steve Jobs may have passed away more than three years ago, but he is still having patents awarded today as applications work their way through the system and old patents are renewed with updates. MIT Technology Review notes that of the 458 patents credited to Jobs, almost a third of them have been awarded since his death in October 2011.

Since his death in 2011 from pancreatic cancer, the former Apple CEO has won 141 patents. That’s more than most inventors win during their lifetimes.

His patent documents act as a record of Apple’s history, says the site …
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Google reaches agreement to settle patent litigation with Apple-backed consortium Rockstar

Chance Miller Nov 20 2014 - 1:58 pm PT

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Google, according to a report out of Reuters, has agreed to settle all of its patent litigation with the Rockstar consortium, which consists of a variety of tech companies including Apple, Sony, BlackBerry and Microsoft. The Rockstar consortium paid $4.5 billion for Nortel Network Corporation’s huge patent portfolio in 2011, outbidding Google at the time. The Rockstar consortium originally sued Google and a handful of Android manufacturers in October of 2013, claiming that the companies infringed on seven Nortel patents.

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Apple patents smoke detectors in iDevices that can call 911, activate sprinklers and locate building occupants

Ben Lovejoy Nov 20 2014 - 7:43 am PT

12 Comments

The Nest smoke detector may look decidedly old-fashioned if one Apple patent ever makes it into production. Apple has patented the idea of embedding smoke detectors into “electronic devices” and using those devices to provide a comprehensive response to a fire.

In response to detecting smoke with the smoke detector, the electronic device may issue an alert or take other suitable action. The electronic device may transmit alerts to nearby electronic devices and to remote electronic devices such as electronic devices at emergency services facilities. Alerts may contain maps and graphical representations of buildings in which smoke has been detected. Motion detectors and other sensors and circuitry may be used in determining whether electronic devices are being used by users and may be used in determining where the electronic devices are located. Alerts may contain information on the location of detected smoke and building occupants.

In other words, your Apple Watch, iPhone, iPad or Mac could detect smoke, alert you, alert other devices within range, activate sprinklers, call emergency services and use the fact that an iDevice is moving or in use to tell fire crews where in the building you and your family members are …
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Apple’s Beats and Bose settle lawsuit over noise-cancelling headphone patent

Jordan Kahn Oct 10 2014 - 11:30 am PT

14 Comments

Apple’s Beats Electronics and Bose have settled a lawsuit over noise-cancelling headphone technology and asked the U.S. International Trade Commission to end its investigation into the matter. Bloomberg reports:
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Bose signs NFL deal blocking official Beats appearances on camera

Seth Weintraub Oct 4 2014 - 8:21 am PT

26 Comments

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Ttsx5squWg

High end headphone manufacturer Bose has secured a deal with the National Football League in which it will be the sole headphone worn during official interviews and on screen appearances, according to Re/Code:
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iPhone 6: Will it bend?

Mark Gurman Sep 23 2014 - 8:53 am PT

117 Comments

Some iPhone 6 owners have found that Apple’s latest and greatest phone comes with an unexpected (but patented!) new feature: flexibility. According to reports, the iPhone 6 is slightly bending beyond repair while in pockets. Some users say that the bending occurred after normal sitting, while other people have had more active lifestyles. Unfortunately, it does not appear that Apple will replace these more fragile-than-expected units at no cost. Some users are reporting that replacement costs are in the hundreds of dollars range. Additional bending pictures below:

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Future patent battles could be fun as Apple patents Samsung Air Command style menus …

Ben Lovejoy Sep 2 2014 - 7:13 am PT

7 Comments

Future patent battles between Apple and Samsung could take an entertaining turn as Apple has been granted a patent on radial menus for touchscreen devices – using an illustration that bears a notable resemblance to the Air Command menu used by Samsung on the Galaxy Note 3.

Lest anyone accuse Apple of copying Samsung, Apple first patented the menu approach back in 2012 – a year before Samsung adopted it. The reason for the second patent granted today is that Apple seemingly had in mind OS X rather than iOS when it first came up with the idea, illustrating it in a desktop environment.

The second patent specifically references using the menu based on “input from a touchscreen.”

As ever, the fact that Apple has patented something provides no evidence at all that it will ever see the light of day in an Apple product – OS X or iOS. Apple plays around with all kinds of ideas and patents thousands of them, only a tiny minority of which are ever used.

With Apple possessing a patent for a particular menu approach used by Samsung, but patenting touchscreen application of the approach after Samsung launched it in a tablet, the legal arguments could get interesting should the matter ever end up in court …

Via GigaOM

Apple will appeal court decision to deny sales ban on Samsung devices

Zac Hall Aug 29 2014 - 10:45 am PT

3 Comments

We learned on Wednesday that Apple was denied a request to have certain Samsung devices banned from sale in the ongoing patent case between the two companies, and today The New York Times reports that Apple will appeal that decision.

A judge this week issued a decision denying a sales ban, and Apple on Friday said it would appeal the decision.

In the trial, which wrapped up in May, jurors concluded that Samsung should pay $119.6 million in damages for violating three of Apple’s patents — far below the $2 billion that Apple had asked for. Samsung’s Galaxy S III, a flagship smartphone, accounted for the biggest portion, contributing $52 million worth of the damages.

Both Samsung and Apple agreed earlier this month to end all patent disputes outside of the United States, but as you can see that is not the case here.

Apple successfully patents iconic glass cube design of Fifth Avenue store in NYC

Ben Lovejoy Aug 28 2014 - 4:00 am PT

6 Comments

A few weeks after Apple was granted a European trademark on the key design elements of its retail stores, the company has been awarded a U.S. patent on the iconic glass cube design of its Fifth Avenue store in Manhattan. Steve Jobs is one of those credited as an inventor.

Patently Apple reports that Apple also applied for a trademark for the design back in 2010, but no decision has yet been made on that.

Apple was granted a patent for the similarly iconic glass cylinder design for its Shanghai store back in 2012.

Apple has been renewing the interior design of its stores around the world, and creating a new organizational structure as Angela Ahrendts focuses on further international expansion. It is reportedly working on the largest Apple Store in the world in Dubai.

Judge rules that Apple can’t recover $16M legal fees from Samsung in patent lawsuit, releases $2.6M bond

Mike Beasley Aug 20 2014 - 7:11 pm PT

1 Comment

Judge Lucy Koh ruled earlier today that Apple would not be able to recover the roughly $16 million in legal fees incurred while suing Samsung for patent infringement, according to a new report. Apple would have had to prove to the court that the case was exception in order to recover the legal costs, which Koh said it had failed to do.

[tweet https://twitter.com/FedcourtJunkie/status/502252272118935552 align=’center’]

While the patent lawsuits between these two companies still manage to make headlines every few weeks, the rivals recently announced a decision to avoid any further patent litigation outside of the United States. Meanwhile, U.S. courts will likely remain a contentious battleground for the two titans.

Judge Koh also ruled today that a $2.6 million bond posted two years ago by Apple in order to block the sale of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 should be released back to Apple. The company had previously elected not to bother enforcing the ban since the tablet is no longer sold anywhere and has been succeeded by two newer models.

Opinion: Is the case for Apple ending its patent battles with Samsung stronger than ever?

Ben Lovejoy Aug 8 2014 - 7:25 am PT

23 Comments

Steve Jobs famously declared back in 2010 that Android was a stolen product, and he was willing to “go thermonuclear war” in order to “destroy” it.

“I will spend my last dying breath if I need to, and I will spend every penny of Apple’s $40 billion in the bank, to right this wrong,” Jobs said. “I’m going to destroy Android, because it’s a stolen product. I’m willing to go thermonuclear war on this.”

Back in April, I suggested three reasons it might be time for Apple to settle its Android disputes and move on. The relatively small damages award in the most recent case (and which now looks set to be further reduced) provided a fourth reason not long after I wrote that piece. But I think the case today is even more compelling …
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USPTO rejects parts of Apple’s auto-correct patent, $119M payout by Samsung likely to be reduced

Ben Lovejoy Aug 8 2014 - 4:08 am PT

2 Comments

In a new twist to the second Apple vs Samsung patent trial, the United States Patent and Trademark Office has rejected the specific part of Apple’s auto-correct patent that Samsung was said to have infringed, reports FOSS Patents. This effectively means that Samsung was ruled to have infringed a patent that is no longer valid.

The trial found that Samsung infringed three of the five patents Apple claimed, including a specific element of its auto-correct patent which described a particular method of offering corrections or completions. Samsung had unsuccessfully argued at trial that this approach had been used by others before Apple, and therefore could not be patented. The court rejected this argument, but the USPTO has now agreed with Samsung …
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Apple no longer seeking injunction against some Samsung devices in patent case

Mike Beasley Jul 28 2014 - 5:46 pm PT

5 Comments

Apple has filed a motion to drop a cross-appeal in the seemingly eternal patent battle between the Cupertino-based tech giant and rival Samsung, as noted today by FOSS Patents.

As the appeals process drags on, Apple has decided to let go of certain points and accept the court’s rulings. In this case, Apple has decided not to seek an injunction against certain Samsung devices from its first trial in 2012. Apple has already tried to get an injunction against these devices twice in the past, but was denied both times.

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Apple patent granted today shows dockable ‘iTime’ watch concept as well as conventional smartwatch

Ben Lovejoy Jul 22 2014 - 7:48 am PT

27 Comments

A patent application filed by Apple three years ago and approved today illustrates a new twist on the iWatch concept: a sensor-packed strap acting as a dock which allows a range of interchangeable modules to be snapped into place.

It’s not anything we’re likely to see make it into production: the docking concept dates back to 2011, and was probably intended by Apple to house an iPod Nano, converting it into a smartwatch in a more sophisticated version of the watch-straps sold in Apple Stores since way back in 2010. But the patent does tell us two things …
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The sketchy iPhone 6 rumors keep coming – haptic feedback & 68M orders

Ben Lovejoy Jul 10 2014 - 4:05 am PT

12 Comments

GforGames is citing Chinese site Laoyaoba and Taiwanese site Business Weekly for a couple of sketchy iPhone 6 rumors.

First, that the new iPhone will use haptic feedback – using a more sophisticated vibration motor to provide simulated tactile feedback on the display. This report is extremely light on detail, stating only that the motors are made by AAC (an existing Apple supplier) and Jinlong Electrical, and that they cost around two to three times the 60 cent cost of the vibration motor used in the iPhone 5s and 5c …
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Court rejects Apple’s attempt to dismiss claim that Siri infringes Chinese patent

Ben Lovejoy Jul 9 2014 - 6:46 am PT

2 Comments

Reuters reports that a Chinese court has rejected Apple’s attempt to dismiss a claim by local company Zhizhen Internet Technology that Siri infringed its speech-recognition patent.

Zhizhen Internet Technology first alleged in 2012 that Apple’s Siri technology copied parts of its Xiao i Robot software, with pre-trial proceedings taking place last year. Apple said that it had not been aware of the patent when work began on Siri, and asked China’s State Intellectual Property Office to declare the patent invalid.

The Chinese patent office declined Apple’s request, leading Apple to file suit against it. It is this suit that has been rejected, leaving Zhizhen free to pursue its case against Apple.

Apple has said it intends to appeal to the Beijing Higher People’s Court, but suggested that a settlement might be reached by adding that “we remain open to reasonable discussions with Zhizhen.”

The backend for Siri was originally developed by Nuance, the company behind Dragon Dictate, though there have been persistent rumors that Apple plans to replace this with its own technology.

Image credit: forbes.com

Apple patent details automatically adjusting security settings based on location, biosensors & behavior

Jordan Kahn Jul 3 2014 - 6:48 am PT

10 Comments

A new patent application published today by the United States Patent & Trademark Office details a system Apple could use to automatically configure security and other settings of a device based on its location or the habits of its user (Google filed for the same patent 2 months prior but who’s counting?). The majority of the patent discusses intelligently adjusting settings by detecting a device’s location while using retinal scans, DNA, fingerprints, or other biosensors to present an appropriate level of security to the user:
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Apple defending its streaming technology used by MLB, ESPN, and others against patent dispute

Zac Hall Jul 1 2014 - 12:33 pm PT

7 Comments

Another day, another patent dispute. This time Apple is defending the use of its HTTP live-streaming service against Emblaze, Ltd., Bloomberg reports.

Specifically, the lawyer for Emblaze has accused Apple of pushing its video streaming technology on sports-related services like WatchESPN and MLB At Bat which support live streaming over apps for iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, and more.

Apple began working on its HTTP live-streaming service, or HLS, “no earlier than 2007,” demanding that services such as “At Bat” use the format to drive sales of iPhones and iPads — and inducing infringement of Emblaze’s patent, Pavane said.

“Apple’s HLS is nothing more than Emblaze’s patented solution under a different name,” he said.

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Samsung and its lawyers fined $2M for leaking details of Apple/Nokia patent deal

Ben Lovejoy Jun 24 2014 - 4:57 am PT

9 Comments

Samsung, together with its lawyers, will have to fork out a little more cash following its loss in its second patent battle with Apple. A court has fined lawyers Quinn Emanuel and Samsung a total of $2M for misusing confidential details of a patent deal struck between Apple and Nokia.

The documents were supplied by Apple to Samsung’s lawyers purely so that it could see that Apple was telling the truth about its patent deals with other companies. The documents were marked “for attorney’s eyes only” and were not to be revealed to Samsung executives …
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Apple wants to ban past and future Samsung devices from being sold in the US

Jonathan Kizer May 24 2014 - 12:09 pm PT

109 Comments

Based on the most recent verdict in Apple v. Samsung, Apple is attempting to seek a permanent injunction against any Samsung device that infringes upon its patents.

While this includes the devices that were at the center of the latest court case, it also includes “software or code capable of implementing any Infringing Feature, and/or any feature not more than colorably different therefrom,” which could be construed to mean current and even future devices.

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Samsung’s lawyers calling Apple a “Jihadist” and the trial “Apple’s Vietnam” not helping settlement talks …

Ben Lovejoy May 20 2014 - 5:40 am PT

10 Comments

While FOSS Patents’ Florian Mueller may be confident of Apple and Samsung reaching an early settlement on their patent disputes, a court-mandated update on the talks seems to tell a different story, with each side explaining why talks were not going well, reports The Verge.

For Apple, that includes statements made by Samsung’s lead attorney John Quinn, who referred to Apple as a “jihadist” and called the protracted trial “Apple’s Vietnam” in a pair of interviews …

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Apple in talks with Samsung to settle all future patent disputes out of court

Ben Lovejoy May 19 2014 - 5:02 am PT

18 Comments

Korea Times (via Fortune) is reporting that Apple and Samsung are in talks designed to settle all future patent disputes out of court. FOSS Patents’ Florian Mueller believes that a settlement will be reached “very soon.”

“Things should come to an end during the summer. Apple doesn’t have an endgame strategy. Its agreement with Google shows that its management is looking for a face-saving exit strategy from Steve Jobs’ thermonuclear ambitions,” Mueller said …

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Apple and Google agree to settle patent litigation, but will not cross license

Chance Miller May 16 2014 - 4:41 pm PT

6 Comments

Photo: USA Today

According to a court filing discovered by Reuters, Apple and Google’s Motorola Mobility unit have agreed to settle their ongoing smartphone patent litigation battle against each other. In a statement, the two companies said that this agreement does not include the ability cross license each other’s patents, but rather the promise to “work together in some areas of patent reform.”

The two tech giants have been battling it out over various patents for several years now, both directly and indirectly. It’s important to note, however, that this agreement is solely between Apple, Google, and its Motorola Mobility unit. This does not apply to any lawsuits between Android device manufacturers, such as Samsung and HTC, and Apple. Although theoretically, it would apply to patents owned by Google that device manufacturers are licensing.

A verdict was reached in the latest Apple v Samsung battle just a few weeks ago, with Apple being ruled as the victor, albeit small. The court ruled that Samsung owed Apple $119 million, which is far less than the $2 billion it was seeking.

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Patent jury foreman advises Apple to sue Google directly

Ben Lovejoy May 6 2014 - 4:16 am PT

54 Comments

Photo: technobuffalo.com

The foreman of the jury that awarded Apple just 5.5 percent of the $2.2B it claimed Samsung owed for patent infringements said yesterday that Apple should sue Google rather than handset manufacturers, reports the WSJ.

If you really feel that Google is the cause behind this, as I think everybody has observed, then don’t beat around the bush,” said Tom Dunham, whose job at IBM was to oversee developers expected to file patents. “Let the courts decide. But a more direct approach may be something to think about” …

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