patents

Apple granted 29 patents, including for first iPad design

Apple has been granted 29 patents, including one crediting the late Steve Jobs and other Apple employees for the original iPad design and another related to crack-resistant glass.

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office officially published notice of the newly granted patents today, according to Patently Apple, with most related to components and techniques.

Notably, Apple received a patent related to the design of the original iPad, which was released in 2010. The patent, No. D670,286, covers the "ornamental design for a portable display device." It credits Jobs; Jony Ive, Apple's senior vice president of … Read more

Apple wins patent on illumination across devices

Another day, another round of Apple patents.

Today, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office awarded Apple a patent for "Microperforation Illumination." According to the patent, which Apple applied for in 2010, the technology handles how light can pass through a device through minute perforations built into the product.

It was one of 29 patents that Apple was awarded today.

If "Microperforation Illumination" seems rather technical (and it is), think of it this way: Apple has been awarded a patent that describes how light could be used to illuminate its iconic logo on the top panel … Read more

Federal judge tosses Apple patent lawsuit against Motorola

A U.S. district court judge in Wisconsin has just dismissed Apple's patent case against Motorola Mobility, now a Google unit.

According to the blog Foss Patents, which was first to report today's decision, Judge Barbara Crabb, of the Western District of Wisconsin, dismissed the case with prejudice, meaning that Apple will have to successfully appeal her decision to revive the case. Apple can't simply refile in another district court.

Apple filed suit against Motorola Mobility in March 2011 after Motorola sought 2.25 percent of all net sales on iOS products that use essential industry standard … Read more

Apple patent application involves theft-alarm for phones

Imagine if an iPhone had the equivalent of a car alarm. Would a loud, annoying alarm sound when a thief ran off with the device? Or would the alarm ring out when a stranger just tried to look at the phone?

These are questions Apple explores in a patent application filed today. Titled "Acceleration-based theft detection system for portable electronic devices," the application involves a smartphone deciphering what kinds of movement take place during a phone robbery.… Read more

Nokia not blocking multiple users on Android phones

Nokia says it's not preventing Google from rolling out multiuser features for phones despite a report suggesting it was playing spoiler for the latest version of Android.

Earlier this week, TechCrunch speculated that Google isn't including multiple account functionality on Android for phones because Nokia already owns the patent for that capability. Nokia has told CNET that wasn't the case.

Nokia had filed for such a patent, but it abandoned its efforts several years ago.

"Though we did indeed file the patent application which has been cited in some of the coverage, we determined some time … Read more

Apple facing FaceTime patent suit

Apple is the latest company to feel the patent infringement pinch from a firm called Intercarrier Communications.

A lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, contends that Apple's FaceTime and Messages apps violate ICC's Patent No. 6,985,748.

The patent in question refers to an "inter-carrier messaging service providing phone number only experience" and describes a method to send messages between different carriers using just a phone number.

ICC has been keeping the patent courts busy lately, according to PatentlyApple. In just the past five days, the company has … Read more

Microsoft sued over Windows Live Tiles

Microsoft is already facing lawsuits related to the just-launched Windows, with an operating system technology designer accusing Microsoft of ripping of its patent for "tiles."

SurfCast, in a complaint filed yesterday in a U.S. District Court in Maine, said Microsoft infringes one of its four patents -- No. 6,724,403 -- by "making, using, selling, and offering to sell devices and software products" covered by SurfCast's patent. That includes mobile devices using the Windows Phone 7 and Windows Phone 8 operating systems as well as PCs using Windows 8/RT.

The company also … Read more

Apple wins patent on iOS maps integration

Apple has won a patent for built-in mapping applications running on its mobile operating system.

Referred to as "Touch screen device, method, and graphical user interface for providing maps, directions, and location-based information," the patent, which was awarded by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, describes -- as one might expect from the title -- the way in which maps, directions, and location-based information are displayed on a touch-screen-equipped device.

AppleInsider was first to discover the patent.

The focus of Apple's patent appears to be improving the experience of actually using a mapping application. Apple's … Read more

Motorola withdraws some infringement charges from Xbox case

Microsoft will have fewer patents to contend with in its fight against Google-owned Motorola Mobility.

Motorola earlier this week filed a motion with the International Trade Commission asking that patent-infringement claims it has brought against Microsoft related to Wi-Fi be removed from consideration in their ongoing legal battle. Motorola didn't provide a concrete reason on why it decided against arguing its case.

FOSS Patents' Florian Mueller, who acknowledges having been a paid consultant for Microsoft, was first to report on the move.

Microsoft and Motorola are battling it out all over the world over several patents. Motorola has argued … Read more