Apple has published a patent regarding iPhone cases and docks that support near-field wireless communication systems. According to Patently Apple, this accessory would significantly alter the operation and user interface (UI) of the iPhone.
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Apple has today been granted a patent for a graphical display concept it calls virtual paper, and two things struck me about it – one about its origins, the other about what it may tell us about future Apple design language.
The patent is for a visual representation of paper in three-dimensional form, which is, of course, the type of user interface most applicable to the upcoming Apple mixed-reality headset …
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Earlier this week, it was revealed that Apple has hired Desi Ujkashevic, a former Ford executive, to join the efforts of the Apple Car project. Since then, questions continue to arise on whether or not the ‘Apple Car’ will become a real thing.
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Drunk driving kills one person every 52 minutes in the US – which is a good reason for Apple to be exploring a Car Key breathalyzer feature, which would refuse to unlock your car if you’re over the legal alcohol limit.
The US Patent & Trademark Office has today published an Apple patent application for this functionality …
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Various rumors on Apple releasing an MacBook/iPad hybrid have been circling for a while. Today, the US Patent and Trademark Office has granted another new patent for Apple that raises new suspicion. According to Patently Apple, this new patent involves a hinged iPad keyboard accessory with an iPad using a macOS-like interface.
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Apple has been slowly investing in gaming content with Apple Arcade, but there is still a whole market that the company could explore – and maybe it will. The company’s latest patents reveal that it has plans to introduce its own game controller.
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Bloomberg reported last year that Apple is eyeing a new market for its wearable, with an extreme sports Apple Watch model under consideration. A new waterproofing patent application by Apple lends weight to this idea.
The tech described in the patent would provide the potential for the Apple Watch to progress from IPxx ratings used for everyday life to the far more rigorous ATM ratings used for water sports …
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If you prefer mice to trackpads, but don’t want the hassle of carrying one, an Apple patent for removable MacBook keys could be the answer …
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Patently Apple shows that Apple is working on an all-new computer concept. It envisions a Magic Keyboard designed with a full computer inside that can plug into any display.
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The Apple vs Ericsson patent trial saga continues. We learned a couple of days ago that the Ericsson case against Apple would be heard in June of next year. This is where Ericsson accuses Apple of patent infringement in the 5G chips used in the latest iPhones.
We’re today learning that Apple’s countersuit, accusing Ericsson of infringing Apple patents in its base stations, will be heard the following month, in July. So far, things are still not looking good for the Cupertino company…
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Amidst the ongoing 5G patent battle between Apple and Ericsson, a Texas Judge has settled on a court date of June 2023. According to FOSS Patents, there will be a scheduling conference on March 16 between the two’s attorneys. This is later than Apple had hoped, as it proposed a December 2022 trial.
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The US patents ranking for 2021 is out, and Apple is seventh in terms of the number of patents assigned to the company in the course of the year. That’s up one from eighth place in 2020.
If you can guess the US leader in terms of 2021 patent assignments, you’re doing way better than me…
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In a surprising twist, both Apple and patent troll Uniloc have asked a court to keep secret the license fees paid to the patent assertion entity.
However, while a ruling has been granted for now, the case has been referred back to the original judge to determine whether the secrecy is justified…
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An Apple Caltech patent infringement case is returning to court some two years after the iPhone maker was ordered to pay $838M in damages. The new trial will only consider the sum awarded, and will not revisit the question of infringement.
Broadcom, one of Apple’s chip suppliers, was ordered to pay an additional $270M, making the total sum awarded a fraction over $1.1B …
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The lengthy and aggressive Apple/Qualcomm patent dispute was eventually settled back in 2019, but the legal battle isn’t quite over yet.
That’s because there was an ongoing Qualcomm appeal relating to one of the patents challenged by Apple, and that case has quietly rumbled on in the background …
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Apple briefly made a ceramic Apple Watch, but a new patent granted today raises the possibility of glass or ceramic MacBooks.
The patent includes near-invisible perforations in the material through which notification icons could be displayed with interactive buttons…
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The patent battle between Ericsson and Apple is further escalating. Ericsson is trying to ban resales of Apple products in Brazil, while Apple is trying to have no fewer than ten Ericsson patents declared invalid.
Ericsson is using one of Apple’s own legal tactics against the Cupertino company…
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While most current Apple devices can verify your identity by fingerprint or face recognition, Apple is also considering adding biometric identification to future AirPods.
A patent application describes two potential ways that AirPods could confirm your identity before allowing access to sensitive data, like asking Siri to read your messages…
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A newly-granted Apple patent suggests that the company may be planning to use optical audio transmission from AR/VR headsets to AirPods.
The patent could align with recent comments made by Apple’s head of acoustics about the limitations of Bluetooth bandwidth…
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Ericsson has just published its 2021 accounts, and the numbers shed some light on the likely Apple patent license fees – which appear significantly lower than expected. Apple appears to be risking iPhone import bans over fees of around $100-150M per quarter.
The Swedish company warned that its Q1 2022 revenues are likely to be impacted by the fact that the iPhone maker is not currently paying the fees it has been paying between 2015 and 2021 …
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Apple is facing the prospect of iPhone import bans in multiple counties as Ericsson steps up the pressure in its patent infringement claims.
Ericsson has already applied for injunctions in both Brazil and the Netherlands, and is expected to do so in additional European countries. One patent litigation expert says the UK is likely next in line …
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Foss Patents yesterday said it was inevitable that we’d see Apple countersue Ericsson, and it didn’t take long for that to happen. Each company is now suing the other for patent infringement.
Ericsson is seeking to ban the import of iPhones, and Apple wants to ban the import of mobile base stations. The Cupertino company is said to be so afraid of this that it is making an “astounding” U-turn in the way it wants the dispute to be settled …
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Ericsson has filed multiple iPhone patent infringement claims against Apple in two separate US lawsuits. In all, the company claims that Apple has infringed 12 patents, including ones relating to 5G.
It’s believed that Ericsson is seeking an import ban on iPhones over the claimed infringements in both the US and Germany, and likely other countries too …
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Apple Store robberies, where thieves grab display devices from tables, can be traumatic for those in the store at the time, as well as a hassle for the company and customers alike. An Apple patent granted today describes ways the company could fight back.
Groups of thieves have been able to steal many tens of thousands of dollars worth of display products within the space of just two or three minutes…
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