Patent

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 ...

Apple is researching a potential radical redesign for the Apple Watch, including a rounded watch face, wrap-around flexible display, and digitally-customizable watch bands, according to a newly-granted patent filing. The patent, spotted by MacRumors earlier today, is titled "Display Module and System Applications" and was filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The...

Apple is refining its as yet unused under-display fingerprint scanning technology, seemingly ahead of bringing Touch ID back to the iPhone, according to a newly-published patent application. The patent application, first spotted by Patently Apple and filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, is titled "Under-display fingerprint sensing based on off-axis angular light" and...

Multiple reports suggest that Apple is developing an augmented reality headset as well as smart glasses, and a newly granted Apple patent may provide a clue about one of the potential features that could be included in the latter device. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Tuesday granted Apple a patent describing "systems and methods for gaze-driven recording of video." Apple's...

Huawei will begin negotiating for royalties from Apple and Samsung for access to its portfolio of patents on 5G technology (via Bloomberg). Huawei is the owner of the world's largest collection of 5G patents and is seeking to charge other large tech companies a "reasonable" fee for access to them, creating a substantial new source of revenue. Huawei's Chief Legal Officer, Song Liuping,...

Apple is interested in expanding the use of haptic feedback on MacBook devices, according to a newly granted patent filing. The patent, filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and first spotted by Patently Apple, is titled "Laptop computing device with discrete haptic regions" and explains how a MacBook could provide significantly expanded haptic feedback across multiple areas....

Apple is researching a finger-mounted device with an array of sensors and haptic feedback, to be used as a control device for a mixed-reality headset, according to patent filings. The patent application, first spotted by Patently Apple, was filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and resurfaced earlier today. Titled "Finger-Mounted Device With Sensors and Haptics," the filing...

Apple is researching how it can reduce the appearance of fingerprints and smudges on the metal surfaces of its products and has hinted yet again at the use of titanium for future Apple devices, according to newly-granted patent filings. Image via Dbrand The patent, filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and spotted by Patently Apple, is titled "Oxide coatings for metal surfaces"...

A new Apple patent published today by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office describes an iPhone display that, with high refresh mode enabled, may be capable of updating content at two times, three times, or even four times the native refresh rate, as reported by Patently Apple. For example, an ‌iPhone‌ with a 60Hz display would be able to increase its variable refresh rate to 120Hz, 180Hz, or...

A number of Apple patent applications, published earlier today, appear to be directly related to its long-rumored mixed reality headset, covering a range of aspects including design elements, lens adjustment, eye-tracking technology, and even software. The patents, filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office by Apple, were made public earlier today and seemingly relate to specific...

Apple is researching the use of processed titanium with unique properties for future MacBooks, iPads, and iPhones, according to a newly-granted patent application. In a filing titled "Titanium parts having a blasted surface texture," granted by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and spotted by Patently Apple, Apple explains how various devices could adopt titanium casings with a...

Apple is researching a number of unique iPhone cases that can charge AirPods, as well as other accessories, according to newly-granted patent filings. The patent, spotted by AppleInsider, titled "Cases and folios for carrying and charging accessories" and was granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. While the patent predominantly "relates to a case for retaining a portable ...

Apple is researching the integration of multiple inductive charging coils into MacBooks and iPads to use them as wireless chargers for other devices, according to a patent filed by Apple. The patent, spotted by Patently Apple, is titled "Inductive charging between electronic devices" and was awarded by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Apple has been researching device-to-device...

Apple is researching keyboards with small displays on the keys to dynamically change the label on each key, according to a newly-granted patent filing. The filing, spotted by Patently Apple, is titled "Electronic devices having keys with coherent fiber bundles" and was granted to Apple by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on the final patent day of this year. The patent explains how...

Apple is researching adding Touch ID and an under-display camera to the Apple Watch, according to two newly-published patent applications. The first patent, granted by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, was spotted by Patently Apple and is titled "Electronic device having sealed button biometric sensing system." In short, the filing explains how a ‌Touch ID‌ fingerprint scanner could ...

Apple has filed a patent application for an intense light-absorbant matte black finish for a range of products, including the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and MacBook (via Patently Apple). Image via ColorWare The patent application, filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, is titled "Anodized Part Having a Matte Black Appearance," and outlines the characteristics of the finish and...