Patent

Apple has designs on a future AirPods case featuring a built-in touchscreen display that would enable users to control audio sources and interact with apps associated with the connected device, according to a newly published patent. Filed by Apple in September 2021 and published last week by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, "Devices, Methods, and Graphical User Interface Interactions...

Apple has been awarded yet another patent for a foldable device, with the latest embodiment featuring a clamshell design with touch-sensitive areas on the sides that serve as virtual buttons (via CNBC). Filed by Apple in April 2021 and approved this week by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the new patent explores ideas for "Electronic Devices With Display and Touch Sensor Structures"...

Apple has patented a possible next-generation Apple Pencil that can sample colors from the real world and then input that same color onto an iPad, as well as other features, including the ability to sample textures. The patent, reported by Patently Apple, describes an ‌Apple Pencil‌ with color sensors built into the tip of the pencil that can sample the surface of real-world objects and...

Apple could be considering a return of the iconic backlit Apple logo on future MacBook models, if a newly published patent is anything to go by. Photo by Wes Hicks on Unsplash Once a common sight in coffee shops everywhere, the glowing emblem of an Apple logo featured on the lids of many Mac laptops launched in the early 2000s, but its demise in 2015 could turn out to be relatively...

Apple has been granted a patent for a temperature sensor suitable for the Apple Watch, just weeks before the company is expected to unveil the Apple Watch Series 8 with body temperature sensing capabilities. The newly granted patent, spotted by MyHealthyApple, was filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office and is titled "Temperature gradient sensing in electronic devices."...

Apple has been granted a patent that could well hint at a new design direction for the controversial Smart Case that comes with Apple's AirPods Max (via Patently Apple). When Apple unveiled its $549 high-end ‌AirPods Max‌ headphones last year, the included Smart Case stirred up plenty of online chatter for its odd appearance and poor overall protection when compared to the traditional hard...

Apple has won a patent for a dual monitor stand that appears to be based on the "Pro Stand" design option for the Studio Display and Pro Display XDR. The patent filing first surfaced in 2020, but now the United States Patent and Trademark Office has officially granted Apple the patent. The granted patent, spotted by Patently Apple, is simply titled "Dual Display Stand," and details a...

A new Apple patent has suggested that a future iPad or version of iPadOS could include the ability to transform the tablet into a macOS-like user experience when it's attached to an external keyboard. The patent, first reported by Patently Apple, is wide-ranging in its potential implementation. Apple regularly patents dozens of ideas, and only very few ever see the light of day. Nonetheless, ...

Apple is researching a one-way mirror finish, wireless charging systems, and charging stands for headset devices, according to newly granted patent applications. In a patent filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office simply called "Display system," first spotted by Patently Apple, Apple outlines how a head-mounted display device may be wirelessly charged via inductive coils placed...

Apple is exploring the possibility of integrating a fully functioning Mac within a keyboard, reminiscent of home computers of the 80s, such as the Commodore 64 and Sinclair ZX Spectrum. Image credit: Vissles The concept was revealed by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in a new Apple patent application called "Computer in an input device," which describes a thicker Magic Keyboard-style...

Apple is exploring methods to bring user authentication to AirPods, a newly published Apple patent application shows. In a patent application titled "User Identification Using Headphones," filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office and spotted by Patently Apple, Apple explains how it can authenticate AirPods users using other nearby devices, ultrasonic signals, voice...

Apple is exploring new security measures for Apple retail stores in an attempt to discourage and prevent smash-and-grab robberies. In a patent titled "Product-Display System" filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, spotted by Patently Apple, Apple details a number of mechanical systems for securing iPhones, iPads, and Apple Watches. The proposal effectively involves...

Apple has furthered its research on devices with all-glass enclosures, a newly granted patent filing shows. The patent, first spotted by Patently Apple, is titled "Electronic device with glass enclosure" and was granted to Apple by the United States Patent and Trademark Office earlier today. The research focuses on electronic devices with six-sided glass enclosures and glass casings that...

Following the last-minute rumor that Apple's upcoming new MacBook Pro models could feature a notch at the top of the display, much of the online discussion has involved concerns that such a notch would encroach on the active screen area, potentially eating into the macOS menu bar. MacRumors concept render of notched MacBook Pro display However, it's worth noting that Apple has explored ways...

Apple is researching a MacBook keyboard that features a removable key to be used as a precision mouse, according to a newly published patent application. The patent application, first spotted by Patently Apple, is titled "Deployable Key Mouse" and was filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The filing envisages a standard-looking MacBook scissor-system keyboard that features a...

Apple has developed a first-of-its-kind hydration sensor designed for the Apple Watch, a company patent filing has revealed. The patent, first spotted by Patently Apple, is titled "Hydration measurement with a watch" and was granted by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. "Traditional techniques for tracking hydration are generally invasive, expensive, or unreliable," according to Apple. ...

Apple is researching ways to hide the iPhone's notch when it is not in use and expand the display, according to a newly granted patent. The patent, first spotted by Patently Apple, is titled "Electronic devices with adjustable display windows" and was filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. It explains how a device's display could move as to show and hide the front-facing camera and ...

Apple has been granted a broad patent for a periscope camera system, which is rumored to be coming to the iPhone for the first time as soon as next year. The patent, spotted by Patently Apple, is simply titled "Folded camera," and was filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Periscope camera systems attempt to address the problem of internal size constraints inside a...

Apple is researching expanding the 2019 Mac Pro's distinctive "cheese grater" lattice design to other devices, including the iPhone and a "trashcan"-style ‌Mac Pro‌, according to a newly granted patent filing. Apple introduced an innovative milled lattice pattern on the ‌Mac Pro‌ and Pro Display XDR in 2019, which is created by machining a spherical array into the internal and external...

Apple is researching the use of "deployable feet" on the MacBook Pro to aid cooling, according to a newly-published patent application. The patent application, first spotted by Patently Apple, is titled "Deployable Feet for Display Articulation and Thermals Performance" and outlines how a MacBook Pro could feature feet that move to raise up the rear of the device. Apple's deployable feet...