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LG gets patent for mobile UI that reacts to flexible displays, encourages origami
As often as companies love to toy with flexible displays, we're seldom told how we'd control that newfound freedom. Are we supposed to make e-paper cranes? Credit LG for some forward thinking -- it's just receiving a US patent for a 2008-era user interface invention that would use a bending screen to its advantage. The implementation includes two displays, one of which flexes while the other accepts touch; bend or fold the first display, and the touchscreen changes to suit the context. Having two closely linked displays would also let the panels run either in unity or independently. Suffice it to say that the technology is unlikely to roll out as-is on a smartphone, if ever: LG's attention has swung towards having one big touchscreen as of late. However, the interface does give the Korean firm a place to start if it develops devices to match its new flexible batteries.
Namco trademark points to US release for JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle
CyberConnect2's upcoming manga adaptation/fighting game JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle (not to be confused with Capcom's recently released JoJo's Bizarre Adventure HD on XBLA and PSN) may see the light of day on North American shores, should a recently filed trademark serve as any indication. The trademark itself (Serial No. 85723902) was submitted by Namco Bandai and only covers the words "All Star Battle," which is interesting considering that the trademark for "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure" has been abandoned since 2010. At any rate, the trademark covers usage of the phrase in relation to computer games, arcade machines and other "amusement arcade services."We're not willing to interpret those definitions as meaning that an arcade version of All Star Battle is in the works, but this trademark's existence does support the notion of a North American release. We've reached out to Namco Bandai for comment by freezing time and dropping a road roller in front of their offices.
Could this be Apple's solution to the iPhone letterboxing issue?
As things stand, empty voids at the top and bottom of an iPhone or iPad display come as standard with every widescreen video you might care to watch -- a problem that almost persists with the iPhone 5, since that phone's elongated panel is still a few pixels off 16:9. However, judging from paperwork recently filed with the USPTO, which mentions both mobile and TV displays, Cupertino thinks it has a general workaround: using a Photoshop-style technique to copy colors from each frame of video and use them to sympathetically fill in the letterbox bars, mimicking the appearance of full-screen footage. The latest application -- filed in January of this year -- actually builds on an earlier one that Apple first submitted in 2006, when the original iPhone was in development. Since then, various other companies have had success with similar display-extending ideas, such as Ambilight on Philips TVs and the illuminated strip on an Xperia U smartphone, but nothing exactly like this smart-fill concept has so far taken off. Ultimately, the question is whether messing with the borders of a video clip in this manner would look better or just plain awkward. As yet, thorough testing in our mind's eye remains inconclusive, but it's almost easier to imagine this curing letterboxed apps (of which we'll soon see plenty on iOS) rather than video.
RIM applies for patent on tablet with concealable keyboard, keeps your QWERTY love a secret
RIM just can't quit keyboards, and neither can many of its fans: even the BlackBerry PlayBook has an official Mini Keyboard case. It almost shouldn't be a surprise, then, that the company is applying for a patent on a tablet design with a stealthy keyboard built-in. The layout hides a full, hinge-attached QWERTY keyboard from critics (and accidental key presses) underneath a back-mounted cover. When an owner's urge to use physical buttons becomes overwhelming, the keyboard swings into action and relies on the cover as a kickstand. It's a clever solution to lugging around a separate keyboard or specialized case, but it's hard to say if RIM will implement what it's learning into a finished product -- the firm isn't in the best position to experiment with new tablet concepts, and we've already seen a few imminent solutions to the concealed keyboard problem from other vendors. That said, the patent does show that the folks in Waterloo would like to keep a love of keyboards alive in the tablet era, even if it requires some subterfuge.
Google patents buyer-specific price drops for follow-up sales, can tell if you're a cheapskate
Ever been tempted to rent a movie again, but thought the price was just a little too dear? Google may soon be willing to haggle a deal. One of its newly-granted patents could automatically lower the price of repurchase-friendly content, such as a Google Play Movies rental, depending on how likely you are to pull the trigger. Its algorithm weighs your personal tastes and repurchasing habits against those of your peers: if the code senses you'll be relatively stingy, you'll get a better discount. The analysis could even factor in the nature of the content itself. A thoughtful movie, ownership of the soundtrack or just a lot of related searches could lead to a repurchase at the usual price, while a simple action flick with no previous interest may bring the discount into effect. We don't know if Google will offer these extra-personal discounts to the public at any point in the future, but if you suddenly notice a lot of follow-up bargains in Google Play, you'll know how they came to be.
Google lands patent for automatic object recognition in videos, leaves no stone untagged
Google has already been working on patents that could pick out faces and song melodies in our YouTube clips. Now, it might just have the ultimate tool: the technique in a just-granted patent could pick out objects in a video, whether they're living or not. Instead of asking the creator to label objects every time, Google proposes using a database of "feature vectors" such as color, movement, shape and texture to automatically identify subjects in the frame through their common traits -- a cat's ears and fast movement would separate it from the ball of yarn it's attacking, for example. Movie makers themselves could provide a lot of the underlying material just by naming and tagging enough of their clips, with the more accurate labels helping to separate the wheat from the chaff if an automated visual ranking system falls short. The one mystery is what Google plans to do with its newfound observational skills, if anything, although the most logical step would be to fill in YouTube keywords without any user intervention -- a potential time-saver when we're uploading that twelfth consecutive pet video.
Samsung trademarks Ativ Tab and Ativ S names, may give a peek into its Windows (Phone) 8 world
Everyone knows that Samsung is making a big Windows 8 push at IFA, but there's new signs emerging that it might shake up its naming scheme in the process. We now know through SamMobile that Samsung has quietly snapped up a pair of trademarks with the Ativ badge that would let its branding venture beyond the Galaxy. Ativ Tab is the most conspicuous: unless Samsung is planning a shakeup of its Android slates, there's a distinct chance we're looking at the future name for one or more Windows 8 tablets. Ativ S is slightly more nebulous, although that very familiar oversized S raises the possibility of a high-end Windows Phone 8 smartphone like the Odyssey. Whether or not Samsung wields these trademarks later this week, or at all in the near future, is still up in the air -- it may be holding on to names as a precaution rather than previewing a course of action. If the Ativ label makes its way into stores, though, it may give Samsung a much catchier (if not entirely intuitive) name for its Windows devices than Series 5 Hybrid PC.
Sony patent wants to make advertising more interactive
We all know adverts are a necessary evil, which is why different companies are trying to make them more personalized, more engaging or just plain get rid of them. In a recently granted patent, Sony outlines its ideas for next-gen advertising on network-connected devices -- essentially to make it more interactive. Many of the instructional diagrams involve PS3 accessories in the home setting, but the focus isn't just on adverts as mini-games, which itself is nothing new. Other suggestions for keeping your interest include in-ad purchasing, casting votes or selecting the genre of commercials. To speed up, or get ads off your screen, Sony would have you performing small tasks or -- more sinisterly -- shouting brand names when prompted. Whether such immersive advertising will ever be employed is anyone's guess, but we're sure you're smart enough to know they're just tricks. So who's up for a McDonald's then?
Sony patents method of turning TV ads into interactive mini-games
Sony holds the patent for turning television commercials into interactive video games, taking humanity one step closer a future resembling Wall-E, while the likelihood of Blade Runner fades to a distant, neon second. The patent describes one method of gaming as advertisement as a "commercial overlaid on frames of the television program allowing the user to play the game while the television program is displayed."Sony's patent provides visuals of various implementation processes, some of which include using the PlayStation console itself, along with the PS Eye, the Move or DualShock controllers, or a microphone. The controllers would allow viewers to play mini-games designed to sell products while they entertain, and they would enable people to purchase items directly from the ad. One drawing shows someone ordering a pizza by using the Move to select a large "Buy" button, and another has someone voting for a character with the X, O, square and triangle buttons.The patent also shows a microphone hooked up to the PlayStation console, enabling viewers to vocalize whether they want an action or romantic commercial. Another voice-input idea makes viewers yell out brand names to continue their shows, pictured above.The patent appears to work with internet TVs or screens attached to network-enabled devices, such as the PlayStation. If you've yet to disable your cable and hook up your PC to an HD flatscreen, now may be the time – or maybe consider that Steam Big Picture box when it launches. They can take our TVs, but they'll never take our PCs.Please scream "Joystiq!" to continue.
Apple seeks patent for hearing aids that deliver speech at an even keel
Although they're called hearing aids, they can sometimes be as much of a hindrance as a help. Catch an unfamiliar accent and the attention might be on just parsing the words, let alone moving the conversation forward. Apple is applying for a patent on a technique that would take the guesswork out of listening by smoothing out all the quirks. The proposed idea would convert speech to text and back, using the switch to remove any unusual pronunciation or too-quick talking before it reaches the listener's ear. Not surprisingly for a company that makes phones and tablets, the hearing aid wouldn't always have to do the heavy lifting, either: iOS devices could handle some of the on-the-fly conversion, and pre-recorded speech could receive advance treatment to speed up the process. We don't know if Apple plans to use its learning in any kind of shipping product, although it's undoubtedly been interested in the category before -- and its ambitions of having iPhone-optimized hearing aids could well get a lift from technology that promises real understanding, not just a boost in volume.
Daily Update for August 22, 2012
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen. Subscribe via RSS
Bethesda trademarks 'Hearthfire,' which is totally a thing from Skryim
Update: Please excuse us, but we've written about this before. Like, back in May. Sorry about that, y'all! Nothing to see here! Move right along!When Skyrim's "Dawnguard" DLC was first outed by a trademark filing back in March, we knew little aside from the name – references to the Dawnguard could be found in Skyrim, but only vague ones. It wasn't even clear that the filing was for DLC at the time – nor is it clear today that a recently unearthed trademark filing by Bethesda parent company Zenimax Media for "Hearthfire" is Skyrim's next DLC.But it sure smells like it. The term "Hearthfire" (or "Heartfire") correlates to the ninth month in The Elder Scrolls' world of Tamriel, as well as a set of books in the 2920 series. Bethesda is staying mum for now, telling VentureBeat that the studio, "does not comment on trademark filings." The filing was made back in May, so it's always possible that the idea has since passed.The filing is definitely game software, per the description: "Computer game software for use with computers and video game consoles; downloadable computer game software offered via the internet and wireless devices." There's also a wholly unremarkable image alongside the trademark filing, seen above.
Apple gets patent for process that replaces unwanted media with user content
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.
Apple wins patents for Apple TV nav, DVR features
Apple was recently granted a patent (no. 8,243,017) that describes a video device with an onscreen menu, a recording feature and a channel navigation system. Patently Apple hypothesizes that this patent describes a way the Apple TV could be used to display, record and control the playback of cable TV programming. One figure in the document clearly shows a video device that sits in between your cable set top box and your TV. It includes menu options to display an onscreen guide that lets you choose between television programs like Lost, Nature and Desperate Housewives. Another figure shows a channel navigation menu that's populated with shows from HBO, CBS and Discovery. There are also references to a DVR-like recording feature. The patent was originally filed in Q4 2006 and published this week by the US Patent and Trademark Office.
Sony patents a two-way folding device, wants you to have extra screen real estate where you need it
Phones with dual displays have been done, and Sony's foldable Tablet P brought similar functionality to tablets with mixed results. It looks like the Japanese electronics giant isn't done with such devices, however, as it's just been granted a patent for a gadget that can fold on multiple axes. The patent in question describes a device constructed of two rectangular casings that can be "rotated relatively in one of a first rotation direction and a second rotation direction orthogonal to each other." Translation: a sort of next-gen Jacob's ladder with hinges that open up on both sides of a right angle, which would allow you to set screens side by side or on top of one another. Want to know more? Check out all the patent claims and drawings at the sources below.
Apple gets patent for in-cell touch display with impeccable timing
So Apple could be working on an iPhone with a thinner display, you say. Look what we have here, possibly in the nick of time: it's a newly granted Apple patent for a screen with in-cell touch, where the LCD and touch recognition are integrated into one panel instead of stacking up in separate layers. Apple's implementation would slim things down by either having electrodes share duties, both driving the display and taking finger input, or stuffing two electrodes into each pixel to accomplish the same goal. The net effect isn't just one of squeezing a device into a thinner chassis; the company also envisions costs coming down by reducing the number of parts and streamlining the manufacturing process. As envisioned, the screen looks like an ideal fit for a significant revamp of Apple's mobile display technology, although we'd be careful about assuming that this or any in-cell touch implementation is a lock for potentially imminent iOS hardware. Apple first filed the patent in early June 2007, before the original iPhone had even marched into a retailer -- display technology has come a long way since then.
Sony abandons The Last Guardian trademark, can get it back
Sony has abandoned the trademark for The Last Guardian, a game first teased by Team Ico in 2008 that has since been notoriously absent during subsequent conventions, productions and shows. The last we heard of The Last Guardian was when it didn't make an appearance at E3 this year. During the show, SCEA's Scott Rhode told us, "It just wasn't appropriate for us to give an update. That's just how it worked out."The trademark was abandoned "because no Statement of Use or Extension Request [was] timely filed after Notice of Allowance was issued," the USPTO TARR report states. Sony may have unintentionally let the trademark lapse, and has two months to file a petition to retrieve the application, according to its notice of abandonment.The Last Guardian trademark was issued in January 2010, meaning Sony has until January 2013 to prove "use in commerce" and retain the mark, according to sleuth superannuation. "Use in commerce" would mean a completed, marketable game, which doesn't exist, as far as we know. Sony can of course register The Last Guardian in a new trademark if this one lapses.Regardless of whether Sony intentionally abandoned the trademark, accidentally letting it lapse would seem to indicate a lack of focus on The Last Guardian, substantiated by the lack of content shown to the public.
Samsung files for patent on safe taxi service, we hope we never fully test it
Anyone who often relies on taxi service to get around, as good as it can be, has likely had a driver who was less than courteous -- and in the worst cases, outright scary. Samsung wants to keep passengers safe, and drivers honest, through a just-published patent application for an end-to-end taxi service. On a basic level, it's a taxi finder with a rating system: the mobile app in the patent can hail a nearby cab based on the driver's "kindness" rating and verify that it's the right vehicle with a short-range wireless link, not unlike an even more genteel version of Uber. It's when passengers hop inside that Samsung's implementation takes on a more distinct shape. If the driver puts customers or the whole cab in danger, a passenger-activated SOS mode flags the car's location to get the police on the scene before it's too late. We don't know how likely Samsung is to implement such a system, although it has been actively developing more advanced backseat technology and filed the US patent in February, a year after its Korean equivalent. We do know this is one of the few patents we'd rather not completely experience first-hand -- the only crazy taxis we're comfortable with sit inside game consoles.
Sony trademarks 'Rain,' 'Until Dawn' in EU and US before Gamescom
Sony is either preparing a few unannounced IPs for the public eye, or it's really concerned about the weather at Gamescom next week. Sony has trademarked "Rain" and "Until Dawn" in the US and Europe, both as "computer game software." The above image was included with the Rain filing via OHIM, the European trademark system.Until Dawn was registered on OHIM in May and on USPTO in August; Rain hit both OHIM and USPTO on July 30. No additional information is provided in the filings, but OnlySP links the Rain trademark with a gif depicting an unknown PlayStation quick-time-event (mostly because it happens to be raining in the scene). The image in Rain's filing takes a more Limbo approach than the gif suggests, but for now any speculation is just that.Sony's Gamescom press conference is on Tuesday, August 14, and the trademark timing seems right for a reveal.
Apple lands patent for NFC-ready shopping app, could make impulse spending an iPhone tap away
Apple has been filing more than its fair share of NFC-related patents, but it was just granted what could be one of its more important wins at the USPTO. The design for an "on-the-go shopping list" app would help buyers find and pull the trigger on deals through every tool an iPhone has at its disposal, whether it's taking a snapshot of goods with the camera, punching in the UPC code by hand or tapping an item for an NFC-based "touch scan." We'll admit that we're a bit disappointed at how NFC is used, however. As with an earlier filing, the very short range wireless is kept largely to price comparisons and adding products to a list for a purchase from a store clerk later on, rather than closing the deal outright as we've seen with Google Wallet. The original 2008 filing date will also have seen a lot of water flowing under the bridge; there's no guarantee that any enthusiasm for NFC from the iPhone 3G era will have transferred to the present day. Accordingly, we would be careful about drawing any connections between iOS 6's Passbook and Apple's ideas from four years ago -- even if Apple has regularly been a never-say-never sort of company.
