Speculation has begun to mount that Acer is planning the imminent announcement of a MID (mobile internet device), after a recently-revealed patent application confirmed that the company is considering such a handheld. The patent, which covers the “ornamental design for a mobile internet device” and was filed in December 2007, suggests a full-touchscreen interface with minimal screen bezel and hardware controls.
HTC, RIM, Palm, Nokia and Panasonic are among multiple cellphone manufacturers against whom a Texas company, Saxon Innovations, have filed complaints regarding alleged patent violations. The case, which the US International Trade Commission (ITC) has decided to investigate following a vote on Thursday, suggests that various products from the companies use intellectual property first filed in three patents by AMD, and which was subsequently bought by Saxon in July 2007. If the ITC finds in favor of the complaint, the manufacturers could be barred from importing their devices.
Microsoft’s pay-per-use computing patent application, uncovered at the end of December, has been rejected by the US Patent & Trademark Office. The application – which described a system whereby users would receive a high-power PC and be able to select multiple levels of performance, with costs varying according to use – was criticised as being unclear and “fuzzy” in places, with the USPTO feeling that much of what Microsoft was claiming had already been patented.
Apple have patented a special glove which would allow wearers to still use their iPhone despite keeping their hands toasty warm. Due to the way the cellphone’s capacitive multitouch display works, relying on the electrical response of the user’s fingers in order for contact to be recognized, the original iPhone, iPhone 3G and iPod touch will not respond to presses if the user is wearing gloves too thick for that response to be transfered. Apple’s solution is a multi-layer fabric, the inner lining of which mimics the electrical conductivity of skin.
Microsoft have attempted to patent a pay-per-use computer model, wherein users would receive a free (or heavily subsidized) PC and be charged ongoing fees depending on tasks it was used to complete. The patent, titled “Metered Pay-As-You-Go Computing Experience”, was filed on June 21st 2007 and published on December 25th; it describes a machine with “scalable performance level components and selectable software and service options” including throttled processor, memory and graphics controller, the speed of which could be balanced against the cost per use.
Apple have filed a patent for a system controlled by fingers hovering over a surface, rather than necessarily touching it. One potential application for the technology could see it integrated into the capacitive touchscreen of the iPhone, allowing the handset to recognize non-contact gestures, shut off different parts of the display, or highlight specific touch-controls.
Apple isn’t new to filing patents what feels like every other day, but this one really caught our eye. In fact, this recently published patent indicates Apple is delving deeper into their research for new ways to cool their notebook computer systems.
Apple has been sued by LA real estate developer Elliot Gottfurcht over technology used in the mobile version of Safari found on the iPhone. The suit claims that technology used by the Safari browser to navigate and display mobile-formatted sites infringes on a patent obtained in October 2008 by EMG Technology LLC, a company founded by Gottfurcht and two co-inventors.
An Apple patent describing a secondary system of backlighting that would be used to give general status updates on an otherwise locked device has been published by the FCC. The patent, titled “Secondary backlight indicator for portable media devices” and filed on May 18th 2007, suggests using a double-layered backlight in an iPod or iPhone the rearmost layer of which would show “new mail”, “paused” and other status details by shining through cut-outs in the primary backlight.
It looks a little like a tool to remove the head from your favorite miserable robot, but this is actually a diagram from one of Sony’s latest game controller patents. The as-yet unnamed controller takes the accelerometer and LED-based tracking system of the Wiimote and adds ultrasonics to gauge its absolute position relative to your TV (via the PSEye microphone array) and other controllers.
Chrome OS: Waiting Is The Hardest Part…Though Necessary
Apple is no longer the Nordstrom of Tech, they’re the “New Nordstrom”
Can Anything Replace Windows XP As the Best Netbook Operating System?
Hey, Premium Notebooks or Netbooks, Get the Basics Right!
SlashGear Japan
