patents

Apple has been granted a patent for an intriguing Vision Pro accessory, which is at one point referred to as a digital “stone.”

The description of the device is intentionally vague, as Apple wants to cover all potential uses, but it appears that the company sees it as a way to allow augmented or virtual reality objects to persist even after a Vision Pro session has ended …

Vision Pro may only have been announced this year, and go on sale in 2024, but we’ve known for many years that the company was working on a product of this kind. What we didn’t know was quite how many years.

A newly-published patent reveals the answer to that question – at least since 2007, the year that the original iPhone launched …

If your commitment to fashion runs as far as color-coordinated Apple Watch faces to match your band or outfit, a future Watch may be able to automate the process.

A newly granted Apple patent describes how a future model could have a sensor embedded beneath the display, which can detect the color or a band or item of clothing, and then adjust the Watch face to match …

Apple has been awarded a second patent for a way to implement MacBook Face ID, but we’d still caution against expecting it to happen any time soon.

That’s both because of the company’s past statements about the idea, and a specific technical challenge involved in implementing it in MacBooks …

I know, the first model hasn’t even gone on sale, and we’re already talking about a future Vision Pro headset, but blame Apple, not us!

The company has just filed a patent application for a method of allowing a future model to automatically adjust its fit and display positions to suit different users, which would make it more practical to share between several people …

A newly published Apple patent describes how Vision Pro displays use technology designed to reduce both motion sickness and eyestrain.

While motion sickness is a known concern with head-mounted displays, an eyestrain issue caused by the illusions they create is something I hadn’t encountered before …

Just in case you thought Apple’s spatial computer wasn’t sufficiently expensive, a newly granted patent describes the possibility of a wide range of Vision Pro accessories.

These include additional cameras, for an even wider field of view, and a range of different sensors to add capabilities to the headset …

A Find My Apple Pencil feature could be on the way, described in a new Apple patent application published today.

Interestingly, the method Apple describes doesn’t use an ultra wideband chip, but rather an acoustic signal …

A patent application for Apple wearable tags has been revealed, after the company originally took steps to disguise its identity.

Apple describes how tags could be worn on the body, or attached to clothing, to perform a wide range of health and sports functions …

The Apple vs. Masimo court battle has ended in a mistrial, after six of the jurors found that Apple had not stolen trade secrets to create the O2 sensor in the Apple Watch – but the seventh juror disagreed.

The judge had already rejected half of Masimo’s patent infringement claims before handing the rest of them to the jury to decide …

A South Korean company has made an Apple Pay patent infringement claim, arguing that it owns a 2005 patent for the mechanism used by Apple’s mobile wallet service.

The claim follows shortly after the launch of Apple Pay in the country, but the company doesn’t appear to have filed a lawsuit, or even contacted the Cupertino company …

Apple has applied for a patent for an Apple Headset Continuity feature, so that a user could (for example) create a document on a Mac, and then use a really slick user interface to transfer it to a headset like the anticipated Reality Pro.

It also describes an equally slick way to handle audio Handoff using nothing more than glances and a gesture …

It sounds like science fiction, but Apple has been granted a patent for a color-changing Apple Watch band – with different color combinations selectable from a Watch app.

The patent even describes the band being able to display “icons, shapes, and text,” and using band color changes to signify notifications …

A new Apple patent application describes a way to transform an iMessage to a voice note. In this way, the recipient can choose to have your message read to them not in Siri’s voice, but in yours.

To do this, you would each need to share a voice file containing the data the iPhone would need to mimic your voice when reading the message aloud …

An Apple patent granted today appears to describe a new approach to under-screen Face ID, which could also allow the company to embed additional sensors into an iPhone display.

The patent seemingly describes an evolution of the Dynamic Island approach, but applied in a more flexible way …

Apple has suffered a setback in its long-running Apple Watch patent infringement battle with medical technology company Masimo. A court has ruled that Apple has indeed infringed one of Masimo’s patents in the Apple Watch Series 6 and up.

Masimi is seeking a US import on all current Apple Watches. If granted, this would effectively end Apple Watch sales in the US, as the company would not be allowed to bring in the devices from China …

The Emergency SOS via Satellite feature rolled out to four new countries yesterday, but a patent granted the same day suggests that Apple satellite plans may extend much further than getting help in an emergency.

While the emergency service is limited to text-based communications, Apple’s patent describes how it could use satellite comms for voice, video, and more …

An Apple patent battle with healthtech company AliveCor has been won by the Cupertino company, likely saving the Apple Watch from a potential import ban next week.

It’s a big step forward for Apple, but doesn’t end the legal fight between the two companies …

A new Apple patent application for iPhone reverse charging has been published today, further boosting speculation about when the Cupertino company will finally offer the wireless power sharing capability.

The application describes another possible application for the technology: placing two iPhones back-to-back to enable one to charge the other …

Apple gets caught up in all kinds of controversy, from antitrust issues to advertising, but one of the stranger ones concerns the company’s involvement with The App Association.

A piece this morning claims that the company exerts significant influence over a body designed to represent developers, when their interests may be at odds with those of the App Store owner …