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Google patent details augmented reality overlay for sat nav
Google's been granted a patent that puts quite a few of its favorite ideas together, namely Maps Navigation, Street View and augmented reality. The application describes a system combining garden variety GPS guidance with panoramic images, 3D models, full-motion video and even live feeds to enhance the route display -- all in the correct 3D driver's view perspective. The idea is to ease navigation by making your screen-view of the road more or less match your view in the windshield, but who knows? Maybe one day you may be able to drive without even looking outside.
HTC patents a dual-screen slider phone that you likely won't see
While HTC is certainly willing to accommodate multiple screen sizes and form factors with its phones, we suspect that some of its explorations won't go beyond the lab. If you'd like an example, see the company's newly obtained patent for a dual-screen slider design. Oh, it's clever: the mechanism gracefully moves a hidden second screen into place, tilting the unfolded arrangement to form one united display area. Like with other dual-screen patents, we're skeptical simply because of market realities. HTC's rocky financial position doesn't give it much room to take risks, and dual-screen phones need special software support that often makes them non-starters -- just ask any Kyocera Echo owner how that developer program is panning out. As a result, it may be more accurate to call the patent a vision of what might have been than any kind of roadmap.
Nokia patent application outs Surface-esque 'apparatus cover with keyboard'
Apparently Nokia's interested in Microsoft's tablet cover slash keyboard market, filing a patent application today with the US Patent and Trade Organization for an "apparatus cover with keyboard." The description is what gives us that distinctly Surface feeling, which calls the "apparatus" a "cover" with two sections, one of which "has a keyboard thereon." Said cover is "pivotally connected" to a "display" (read: tablet device). The concept is a bit different visually -- at least in drawings, as seen above -- than where your brain may be going. It seems to be more of a stand device than just a cover, and it apparently includes a stylus as well. Of course, all of this is still very much in concept-ville, as it's just a patent application and not even the granting thereof. So keep your salt shakers nearby and all that -- this could end up never materializing.
Nintendo patents game controller integration in remote-controlled toys
Nintendo has been granted a new patent this week, a "remotely controlled mobile device control system" filed back in 2011. In layman's terms, it's a patent that calls for embedding a Wiimote within a remote-controlled toy – a toy which then would interact with a game console.Nintendo has been fairly quiet on the patent front lately, the latest patent emerging last year: a system to emulate handheld games on other platforms. Last month, Nintendo lost a lawsuit over a 3DS patent, awarding $30.2 million in damages to Tomija Technologies.
Microsoft files 'Glacier Blast' trademark
A trademark for "Glacier Blast" was recently filed with the US Patent and Trademark Office by Microsoft. While no other information about it exists, the trademark was filed as game software. Microsoft also registered the domain glacierblastgame.com in late March, according to WhoIs records. The URL currently points to a Bing search.Using our refined detective skills, we think it's possible that this piece of "game software" is a video game currently in development by Microsoft. With a name like "Glacier Blast," we'll be disappointed if the final product isn't an arctic naval combat game in which large icy masses shoot lasers at an enemy called "Global Warming."
Apple tries for a patent on removable laptop touchscreens with wireless charging
We're all in favor of advancing the state of the art, but there are times when we suspect that research is more about "what if" explorations than anything else. Exhibit A: Apple's new patent application for a wireless display. The concept would let a touchscreen detach from its laptop base through a 60GHz ultrawideband format (such as WiGig) and keep its battery powered up through at least some form of wireless charging located in the laptop's hinge. It sounds viable when others have experimented with wireless displays before, but we'd note that both technical realities and corporate philosophies might stand in its way. Along with the usual challenges of battery life and wireless range, Apple has so far argued that touchscreen laptops are unwieldy and isn't exactly in a rush to supplement booming iPad sales -- even if granted, the patent may just be a matter of covering the bases rather than any kind of roadmap for a two-piece MacBook Pro. Still, we won't completely rule it out when many also thought Apple wouldn't make a phone.
Sony patent claims touch force detection via microphone
In the annals of "clever patents that may never amount to anything," we now have an entry from Sony: a method of sensing touch strength with sound. Since capacitive touchscreens can't detect pressure on their own, a second film is needed that can add weight and cost. Sony's freshly granted patent claims that a microphone can take on that job instead by listening to the sound your finger or stylus makes when it hits the screen and deducing force from that. It could also be used with a camera-based position detection system as shown above, meaning your finger's location and force could be calculated on a non-active surface like an ordinary table. Obviously such a device would only detect taps, not presses, and Sony has claimed a calibration method that the average user may not want to bother with. It probably seemed like a good idea at the time of filing (2009) when other force-sensing options had yet to hit market, but this one seems unlikely to see daylight -- though, you never know.
USPTO asks Apple to amend its application to trademark 'iPad mini'
Earlier this year, Apple received a non-final Office action letter from the USPTO regarding its trademark application for the iPad mini mark. A non-final Office action is the first notice sent to an applicant about a problem with its trademark application. Following the notice, the applicant has six months to amend its application to meet the USPTO's requirements. In the case with the iPad mini, Apple's application was cited because the iPad mini name was merely descriptive and not a unique, non-descriptive term for the product. The USPTO's examining attorney Lee-Anne Berns writes in a letter to Apple that "the mark is merely descriptive of a feature or characteristic of the goods and registration is refused under Section 2(e)(1) of the Trademark Act." Apple can amend its application "to add a claim of acquired distinctiveness" and try again to trademark the iPad mini name. [Via CNET]
Google patent application would tie camera settings to local weather
GPS is burgeoning into a tool for more than just finding our way, such as choosing gears on a weekend drive. If one of Google's newly published patent applications becomes reality, positioning might also fix our off-color photos. Its proposed technique would use GPS to automatically tune a camera based on both the local climate and whether or not you're outdoors: the white balance and saturation could be different for a sunny day in the park than a rainy day stuck inside, for example. While automatic settings are already commonplace, the method could lead to more accurate output that reduces the urge to flick on a manual mode. There's no guarantee that we'll ever see the patent in a shipping product, but don't be surprised if future Android smartphones produce uncannily good photography with little effort.
Apple patent filing describes phone concept with wrap-around AMOLED display
Behold, the iPhone 6. Nah, we're only joking -- what you see above is a diagram lifted from an Apple patent application that popped up at the USPTO today, which describes a "consumer electronic product" that's nothing but screen. The patent involves building a device from an open-ended transparent body (of glass, for example) that becomes a full wrap-around display when a flexible AMOLED screen is unfurled within it. It doesn't imagine all that real-estate will necessarily be used at once, though, and includes details of a "detection mechanism," such as a camera and facial recognition software, which would determine how much of the screen you can see, so that power is only sent to the parts that are in view. It's important to note that, apart from mentioning some real-world applications, the concept and method of constructing a wrap-around display are all the application covers. In other words, this patent does not describe anything close to a complete device. Apologies if we've killed your buzz, but we're just managing expectations before we move onto some interesting spitballing from Apple about what other design features such a device could carry -- read on after the break for more.
Microsoft lands design patents for the Surface tablet's Touch Cover keyboard
Microsoft would certainly argue that its Surface tablet design is iconic. The company is doing more than simply extolling the virtues of kickstands and VaporMg casings, however. It just obtained a trio of design patents that cover both the Touch Cover keyboard and the magnetic coupling on the tablet that so often gives Microsoft something to dance about. You won't find any deep insights into the technological workings here -- still, this might give some would-be Surface KIRF creators a reason to hesitate.
LG issued patent for the 2010-era tri-screen smartphone that never was
How do you boost screen real estate on a smartphone without increasing the device's footprint significantly? You could add a pair of slide-out panels mounted behind the main display. But you wouldn't. We'd hope. Such a concept made its way out of LG HQ and into the hands of the United States Patent and Trademark Office, however, and three years after its submission date, the proposed device has returned to haunt the South Korean manufacturer, in the form of an issued patent. The concept in question is quite simple: a primary LCD would be visible at all times, and when the occasion called for another panel or two, they'd simply slide into view, ready to serve as a number pad, or settings control, predictive text display, or even a full-fledged split keyboard. Now, considering that there's been plenty of time since this filing to bring such a smartphone to market, we're going to guess that LG's abandoned plans for its tri-screen device, opting instead to boost the primary display size in smartphones like its Optimus G Pro, or the poorly received 5-inch Optimus Vu. That's not to say that multi-screen handsets won't continue to make an appearance, however -- NEC's Medias W has already hit NTT DoCoMo in Japan, and it's possible that BlackBerry may be considering a split device of its own. This LG concept, however, is probably destined for a dusty filing cabinet at the patent office, where it's unlikely to surface again.
Apple patent application hints at iPhone that changes orientation mid-fall
One way to protect a delicate device like a smartphone is to wrap it in layers of shock-absorbing rubber and plastic. Now, that can mean a case or you can simply build the handset out of those materials in the first place. Obviously, Apple is kind of attached to the premium feel of glass and metal, so the company is proposing another solution. A patent application discovered today suggests using a mechanism to shift the center of gravity or orientation of a device if sensors on board indicate it is falling. The sensors in question are pretty standard fare: accelerometers, gyroscopes, etc... but some of the countermeasures are quite unique. Shifting weights could be hidden under the hood, but other proposals include a locking headphone jack that would prevent the phone from hitting the ground, airfoils and even a reserve of gas for thrust. Many of the solutions are more than just a little impractical, especially when trying to design the sleekest smartphone possible. The concept could also be used in laptops and tablets, but it would certainly be most useful in shatter-prone mobile devices like the iPhone. If you really like digging through patent minutia check out the source link.
Twitter granted patent on itself
What do Twitter co-founders Jack Dorsey and Christopher "Biz" Stone have in common with Thomas Edison? That's easy, they're all patent holders. Issued today, the USPTO's database details a messaging system where users can follow each other and display messages without a unique recipient. Last time we checked, this is how Twitter works. Officially assigned to the social network, the application was filed in July 2008, listing Dorsey and Stone as the intellectual property's inventors. Now for those of you thinking that Twitter is gearing up to slap other companies silly with mountains of infringement lawsuits, think again. Around this time last year the company announced its Innovators Patent Agreement, which detailed a contract between the social network and its employees saying that any of their work related patents will be used for defensive purposes only. While this not so angry bird doesn't seem too eager to attack, it might be a good idea for other companies (especially social networks) using similar technologies to assess their current setup just to be on the safe side.
Bungie files trademark apps for Glimmer, Fallen, Hive, Cabal, Vex
Bungie is on the hunt for intellectual property, filing trademark applications for five ideas: Glimmer, Fallen, Hive, Cabal and Vex. Filed on March 11 and spotted by Gamespot, each word seeks protection for a range of products, including video games, novels (graphic and classic), Halloween costumes, clothing, action figures, television and movies.Bungie, of course, is working on Destiny, a persistent-world console shooter with RPG elements. Destiny will come to the PlayStation 4 alongside the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions, sometime not in 2013.
BlackBerry patent application shows the dual-screen phone that thankfully never was
Going dual-screen is really the nuclear option for smartphone design -- it's what you use to draw attention when your regular, single-screen phones aren't thriving. We're at once unsurprised and appreciative, then, that BlackBerry has applied for a patent on a dual-screen phone concept that hasn't gone further than a filing. As shown, it would embrace the familiar concept of running separate apps on each screen, with a slight twist: it could recognize touch gestures that span both displays, such as a pinch to switch app positions. Naturally, it could recognize distinct gestures on only one side or put a keyboard on one display for typing on the other. Given BlackBerry's current design directions and very different gesture concepts, the application is more of a what-might-have-been than any kind of roadmap. It's just as well when many twin-screen smartphones haven't exactly panned out.
Apple patent would have devices sense a squeeze through metal
Apple likes to build devices using metal. Unfortunately, the material isn't usually conducive to touch, in the literal sense of the word -- capacitive touch doesn't always register on a metal gadget, and you can often forget about a response to pressure. A newly published patent from the company could at last get these unfeeling devices to acknowledge our grip without putting sensors above the surface. Apple's method would detect the changes in capacitance between hidden nodes when a device's shell is put under strain, and trigger a hardware or software reaction when there's a strong-enough squeeze. The concept is simple enough. Just what Apple would like to do with the patent, if anything, is the real riddle. The patent was originally filed in 2009, and covers just about everything computer- or mobile-based that Apple could produce; any burning desire to use the technique would likely have been satisfied by now. If our future iPhones or Macs ever answer a hug with more than just cold indifference, though, we'll know why.
Mutant Mudds dev Renegade Kid preparing 'Treasurenauts'
Stalwart DS/3DS development studio Renegade Kid is preparing to announce its next game: Treasurenauts. Renegade Kid confirmed an impending announcement after a trademark for the name surfaced at Siliconera.Renegade Kid's last effort was Mutant Mudds, a platformer that started out on the 3DS and eventually made its way over to Windows and iOS. A Wii U port is in the oven and the developer has said a sequel is also in progress.
Microsoft patent application would automatically disinfect grimy touchscreens (update: related tech)
We've all seen that touchscreen device in the store that's covered with fingerprints (and possibly contagions) from curious shoppers. While it's unlikely that we'll get sick from all that touching, Microsoft is trying for a patent that would set our minds at ease. The method would send ultraviolet light bouncing through a film on or inside a touchscreen, disinfecting fingertips and contact areas without blasting the person directly. Processing inside the gadget could also dictate just when and for how long the UV blast would run. It could kick in only after a user was done, for example, and last just long enough to kill common germs. There's no clues that Microsoft is about to use the technology in real-world products. Still, we wouldn't mind touching an extra-sanitary Windows phone or tablet -- or rather, someone else's. Update: Microsoft applied for a UV cleaning approach before, but that depended on coupling UV with the backlight; this newer patent would give Microsoft considerably more flexibility.
BlackBerry granted gesture recognition patent for touch-free image manipulation
If BlackBerry lives to see 2014 (and beyond), it could end up delighting smartphone users with some neat gesture recognition tech. In a recently surfaced patent filing, the company formerly known as RIM outlines a method for selecting onscreen images using hand or finger movements above a display. By synthesizing a combo of images -- one taken with IR, the other without -- the software would be able to determine the intended area of selection. And just in case there was any doubt this feature would be headed to smartphones and tablets, the docs go on to specify its use within "a mobile communications device, comprising: a digital camera... [and] a cellular subsystem." So there you have it -- you'll either potentially see this hands-off editing tool pop up in future BB devices or BB simply stands to make a some nice coin in licensing fees.
