1 - Apple wins patents for macbook pro, trickle sync protocol and more
The US Patent and Trademark Office officially published a series of sixteen newly granted patents for Apple Inc. today. This morning's report covers patents ranging from Apple's MacBook Pro to their trickle sync protocol to their iTunes prepaid cards and finally to an iPod design that credits the late, great Steve Jobs.
Granted Patent: The MacBook's Housing
Apple has received a Granted Patent today that relates to the MacBook/MacBook Pro housing and construction. Apple is definitely known for their fine attention to product detailing. The late Steve Jobs and Ives put a lot of emphasis on product aesthetics and today's patent bears that out.
In-part, Apple states that the MacBook includes a housing formed of compliant non-load bearing material having an aesthetically appealing shape and aesthetically appealing surface features.
A load distributing and load transferring endoskeleton attached to an interior surface of the housing, a structural support layer mechanically coupled to the endoskeleton formed of metal and providing structural support for the portable computer and an electrical ground, such that load applied to the housing is passed by the endoskeleton to the structural support layer with substantially affecting the housing, a protective layer attached to an exterior surface of the structural support layer, the protective layer having an appearance in conformity with the housing, the protective layer forming a junction with the housing that protects the appearance of the housing.
The portable computer also includes a top cover having a supporting inner frame, a display supported by the inner frame pivotally connected to the endoskeleton by way of a hinge arrangement and a hinge arrangement enclosure arranged to enclose the hinge arrangement.
In the described embodiment, the hinge arrangement enclosure includes at least the following: a back portion being visible to a user when the top cover is in a close state integrally formed from the top cover, and a cover portion being removeably attached to the back portion by way of a zipper lock arrangement such that when the cover portion and the back portion are joined, a resulting seam is not visible by the user when the top cover is in a closed position, and where the resulting seam aligns with a seam formed by the protective layer and the housing when the top cover is in the open position.
Apple's patent FIG. 6 shown below illustrates an embodiment of an enclosure having an inner layer enhanced for both transferring and distributing loads in accordance with a particular set of operational components, some of which are load bearing and others non-load bearing. Apple also reveals that the rear frame could be formed of strong and rigid material such as metal in the form of magnesium or magnesium alloy.
2 - 1 - Apple atent for MacBook Pro Housing
Apple's patent FIG. 15 shown below illustrates a front view of the top cover highlighting the display and bezel. This portion of the patent goes into detail about the display clutch assembly and the aesthetics involved: "Adding to the aesthetic look of feel, reveal (1508) cannot be readily seen by a user when top cover is in the closed position. Furthermore, when top cover is in the open position, the reveal (1508) could align with seam (215) giving the impression of continuity even in those areas not expected to be readily seen by a user in normal operational use.
3 - 2 - Apple Patent for MacBook Pro Housing
To review the entire patent and its rich detailing, see granted patent 8,111,505. Apple's patent lists 26 patent claims. Apple credits John Raff, Bartley Andre, Laura DeForest, John DiFonzo, Zheng Gao, Michelle Goldberg, Bradley Hamel, Timothy Hibbard, Ron Hopkinson, William Leggett, Chris Ligtenberg, Gavin Reid and Charles Schwalbach as the inventors of this patent which was originally filed in Q4 2009.
Apple Wins Two iPod Related Design Patents
The US Patent and Trademark Office officially granted Apple two design patents today covering the iPod nano multitouch and the iPod with color display models. The late CEO Steve Jobs is credited on the latter design patent as noted further below.
4 - iPod with color display + iPod nano multitouch 2012
Apple credits the late CEO of Apple Steve Jobs, VP Industrial Design Jonathan Ive and team members Bartley Andre, Daniel Coster, Daniele De Iuliis, Richard Howarth, Duncan Kerr, Shin Nishibori, Matthew Dean Rohrbach, Douglas Satzger, Calvin Seid, Christopher Stringer and Eugene Whang as the inventors of Granted Patent D653,648, filed in Q4 2010. The original filing is noted as being Q1 2006.
Final Patent Round-Up
Over and above the granted patents that were specifically reported on today, we present you with links to all of the other granted patents in our Final Patent Round-Up as follows:
8,111,842 Filter adaptation based on volume setting for certification enhancement in a handheld wireless communications device.
5 - Apple Patent, Adaption for Certification of iPhone
Apple's patent FIG. 4 depicts the audio processors of an iPhone in the context of testing and end-user environments.
8,112,537 Trickle sync protocol
6- Apple wins patent for Trickle Sync Protocol
Apple's patent FIG. 1a is a block diagram showing an example system for synchronizing data between a server and multiple client processes; patent FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of application architecture for syncing with a sync server.
8,112,360 Digital media acquisition using credit (iTunes Store Prepaid Cards)
8,112,032 Portable media player as a remote control (iOS Devices)
8,112,130 Receiver acoustic system (relating to the iPhone)
8,112,701 Reference adding behavior in formula editing mode
8,112,567 Method and system for controlling power provided to an accessory
8,111,522 Switch structures for use on printed circuit boards
8,111,232 LCD electrode arrangement (relating to all Apple product displays)
8,111,751 Encoding video
8,111,752 Encoding mode pruning during video encoding
8,111,837 Data-driven media management within an electronic device
8,110,744 Flexible shielded cable.
Apple's invention generally relates to electrical conductors, and more particularly to a shielded cable with improved flexibility.
