Welcome to Patent Bolt, a dedicated Intellectual Property news site that specializes in dissecting patent applications from leading industry players such as Microsoft, Google, Samsung and others. If you love to explore future inventions, you'll love our site.
Late last month a new LG patent application was published by the US Patent & Trademark Office revealing that 3D elements and cool LED lighting could be coming to future LG's smartphones. LG's patent FIGS. 9A and 9B noted in our cover graphic illustrate states of a stereoscopic cover portion mounted to a smartphone. As shown in FIG. 9A, the stereoscopic cover portion provides only a stereoscopic effect in the state in which an LED is turned off. However, as shown in FIG. 9B, the stereoscopic cover portion can provide not only the stereoscopic effect but also unique illumination in the state in which the LED is turned on.
Every once in a while when I'm researching new technology IP I stumble upon something shocking or humorous. Today's discovery is the latter. One day this new invention could be the the most alarming peripheral that you'll ever find on the market today for Android and iOS. It's the first of its kind. It's the wireless alarm clock pillowcase that will wake you up to your favorite playlist tunes or via a gentle vibration directly to your face or ear. It even promises conveniently positioned snooze buttons so that you don't even have to stretch much to turn it off. Now, Is this dreamy or what?
It was interesting to note last week that HP had been granted a patent for WebOS. Under HP's joke-able leadership of CEO Leo Apotheker, WebOS based tablets and smartphones were taken off the market only a month after debuting. It was a corporate blunder that should have landed Apotheker in jail. Instead he reaped the benefits of a golden parachute when fired in September 11, 2011. HP acquired Palm in order to have a competing mobile operating to Apple's iOS. While WebOS has now been open-sourced and is part of both Enyo and Open WebOS projects, the operating system may one day resurrect in HP devices powered by future CPUs supporting multiple operating systems. Intels's upcoming Haswell is one such processor (see below). While we noted last week that HP is to likely adopt Android for future smartphones and tablets, their option to resurrect WebOS as a second OS remains open. With the US Patent and Trademark Office granting HP a patent for WebOS, it breathes a little life into their various ongoing projects. In the end, only time will tell if it really matters.
When Disney applies for a new patent relating to 3D animation, you pay attention. Disney along with their division Pixar makes the very best 3D movies we all love. In Disney's latest patent they state that 3D technology presents opportunities for the operators of amusement parks and other destination facilities to enhance the entertainment that they provide their many visitors. However, 3D video games are becoming common in home game systems, and 3D television sets are also now available for purchase by the general public. As a result, visitors of amusement parks and other facilities demand a different and more unique 3D experience to draw and retain their attention. Hence, there remains a need for a new 3D entertainment systems and methods that provide more personalized and immersive experiences for their users.
When Apple introduced the iPhone back in 2007, the high-end multitouch display ignited a mobile device revolution that now extends through to driving sales for full size and mini tablets this holiday season. The multitouch revolution will extend further into the market in 2013 with more notebooks and desktop displays being touch enabled. But a research and development team over at HP is going far beyond what we've seen in the market thus far regarding touch technology. HP's team is already well into a project that is creating a next generation material made of a sensor fabric that has shape perception. It's a material that could form the first intelligent skin to be applied to robotic hands. It could also be engineered, according to HP, to be integrated into biological environments such as inside a human body as part of prosthetics. And the best news of all is that the US Patent Office recently granted HP the patent for this wild invention.
Many road warriors love their notebook touchpads and many of them prefer the use of a wireless mouse. Yet the hassle of carrying a mouse around and recharging it separately could be an inconvenience to some. The good news is that a solution might be in the works. A new patent application published by the US Patent Office last week revealed that Hon Hai, the Taiwan manufacturer who makes Apple's iPhone and iMac, Microsoft's Xbox and computers for Dell and HP, has come up with an invention for a hybrid notebook trackpad/wireless mouse. The notebook's design shows us an ejection button that's built right into the front of the trackpad so that it's convenient for users to pop out and use it as a wireless mouse. When your work is done, it's easy to snap back into you notebook. The device is likely to function very much like an Apple Magic Mouse or a Microsoft Touch Mouse does today.
While researching tech patents from some of the top companies in the industry as we do every week, we happened to stumble upon a stray patent that just happened to reveal a next generation system of restraining devices such as handcuffs for law enforcement. While the new system focuses on handcuffs, the inventors clarified that the new system could equally apply to ankle cuffs, straightjackets, neck collars, helmets and even facial restraints such as the one used in the film Hannibal. The next generation handcuffs will be super high tech with built-in sensors such as accelerometers, potentiometer, inclinometer, biometric sensors, camera sensors and more. But the kicker to this invention is that these future handcuffs will be able to combine standard restraining mechanisms alongside those that could deliver a powerful electric shock to detainees and/or administer medications to sedate or irritate them. Whether you're in law enforcement or in an activist group, it's an interesting read that will keep your interest. Yes, the cuffs are designed to restrain "the bad guys," but it sure looks as though there's potential here for abuse in the form of mild torture. This kind of invention will have to be carefully monitored and legislated to exacting standards so that the "good guys" walk the line on this one. The filing presents us with a picture of one prototype-like design that appears to be far beyond just the "drawing board," phase. Ready or not, new law enforcement tools are on the way.
The patent behind Nintendo's latest 3DS gaming system has surfaced at the US Patent and Trademark Office. Nintendo just released their new gaming system in late August. While the patent does fill us in on some of the new features of the 3DS gaming system, its true emphasis is on their new 3D display which brings gaming to a new level. While our report touches on the very basics of Nintendo's 3DS, we provide you with the link to the original patent so that you dig into any of the details that may interest you most. Enjoy.
Recent patent applications published by the US Patent & Trademark Office have revealed a series of interesting inventions from Taiwan's Hon Hai, the company that's behind manufacturing Apple's cutting edge hardware in addition to Sony's Playstation and Microsoft's Xbox. The first invention, which we presented yesterday, covered a new wrist watch band for Apple's iPod nano. The other inventions covered in today's report reveal new touch controls for an eBook and a unique projection system for a future game controller. Both are interestingly straight forward inventions.
