Apple files (another?) patent for universal remote

According to Macnn, in August 2005 Apple filed for a USP&TO patent titled "Apparatus and method to facilitate universal remote control." Thing is, we already saw a similar (the same?) patent application filed by Apple back in April 2002. Perhaps this is just a tweaked resubmit due to the original's rejection, we don't know. Still, since the time of either filing, we've seen Apple release their Apple Remote and more recently, the announcement of their initial foray into the living room with their iTV video streaming box. So a move to develop a universal remote with a large, touch-screen display capable of auto-discovering and then controlling infrared or Bluetooth devices certainly makes more sense than ever before. Just think, your brand new wireless video ipod could also control Apple's product line-up and living room traditionals like the television, DVD, and stereo. Oh wait, we already know how to do that... and so does iRiver.

[Via Cult of Mac]

[Jason @ Oct 13th 2006 9:12AM]

Surely someone can start a rumor about this being for the iPlasma or iDLP or iLCoS. Come on all you Apple fans, get going with Photoshop and start another wishlist of products for Steve.

[Genome @ Oct 13th 2006 9:41AM]

Man, Apple sure loves applying for patents. But yes, this is probably for the iTV.

[PEZ @ Oct 13th 2006 10:05AM]

Hmm, I guess this could make sense. Maybe it would control all your cool stuff and the iTv as well, and stuff like Sonos or Roku, or Sucku?


Phillips has some big ass remotes, man.

[4x4van @ Oct 13th 2006 10:30AM]

Is the Griffin Remote for Pocket PC Illegal, Junk, or just not worth the cost of production? It's nowhere to be purchased on the web.

[John Doe @ Oct 13th 2006 10:43AM]

Its understandable considering what happened with the Creative patent. Apple is going to be insane about filing patents from here on out. Jobs prob went on a bender when they first found out about the Creative patent...if they didn't know about it all along that is. I thought I read somewhere that Apple approached Creative about this early on...maybe not. *shrugs*

[Shmoe @ Oct 13th 2006 10:51AM]

This patent application is probably a continuation application filed by Apple to pursue different patentable aspects of the original 2002 patent application. No big deal. Happens all the time.

I notice that Engadget includes a lot of patent related articles, but there's always a lot of misinformation mostly due to a poor understanding of the patent process...

[Shmoe @ Oct 13th 2006 10:55AM]

The file history and status of a published patent application or patent will be available on Public PAIR on the PTO website (http://portal.uspto.gov/external/portal/pair). Maybe you could use it to let us all know what the real deal is on a patent before posting an article.

[Rick Lyon @ Oct 13th 2006 4:48PM]

This is great news. Most of the big touch screen remotes are PC programmable only. Logitech is really the only good choice for mac users.

[Prester Dave @ Oct 13th 2006 8:34PM]

But, Logitech is SO expensive!

Apple keeps making this fents at the living room. But they had better hurry up: it seems to me the cable companies, and eventually FIOS providers, will have the same overwhelming incumbent advantage that iPod now enjoys in portable digital music.

[Labeeb @ May 31st 2008 8:02PM]

probbably for apple tv