Patentseed

If you own a Palm Pre or Pixi (WebOS device), you already know this well.  Palm has a patent application for their event notification system.  The main difference between this and other event notification systems on mobile phones?  Well, let’s see if we can simplify it for you.  This invention basically allows the notification to be displayed in an active part of the screen, while still letting the user continue doing what he/she wants.  The alert may be ignored, in which case, it will be displayed in a reduced size on a vacant portion of the display.  The key advantage is that the user is able to be notified, yet in an unobtrusive manner, whereby the user can easily ignore the alert. 

Will be interesting to see if this patent application (12/200,782) issues.  Does Android or iPhone do this?

Apple is advancing the usability of gestures with this patent application (12/199,532).  The idea is that you want to operate your iPhone/iPod without having to look at it.  For example, it may be strapped around your arm while you’re working out.  The application refers to this as “sightless navigation.”  Perhaps you want to skip to the next song?  Or fast forward?  Well, typically, you’d have to look at the screen, orient it rightside up, and perform your gesture.  Apple wants to do away with that and allow you to perform these gestures without looking at or worrying about the orientation of the device.   You can achieve this through a variety of touch and swipe patterns.  For example, if you begin a press and go clockwise, it can know to fast forward.  This can be done regardless or orientation of the device.  Similarly, you can press and move your finger counterclockwise to rewind.  The patent application also describes what other patterns are possible using multi-touch, hold gesture, etc.

Tapping may be the new way to interact two devices.  Sony Ericsson’s patent application 11/972,712 teaches of a method for two devices to perform an “application specific action” when those two devices are tapped together.  How is this useful?  Well, let’s look at two examples cited by the patent application. 

In the first diagram, we see how a headset may be tapped on a phone to activate it and perhaps tapped again to deactivate it.  This is infinitely more convenient than navigating through the phone’s menu system. 

The second diagram shows a more creative reason for tapping.  Here, tapping two phones together spans the image across the two screens.  Pretty cool huh?

Remember all the TV ads introducing the BlackBerry Storm?  A touch screen display with a virtual keyboard that also clicks?  Could it be?  The best of both worlds?  Many, including us, would say it was a good first attempt, but far short of the hype and expectation.

Will BlackBerry ever crack the nut and figure out a way to provide us with a full touch screen and a keyboard with the right tactile feedback?  We can’t tell you the answer to that question, but we can tell you that they’re diligently working on it.  Patent application 11/956,647 filed in Dec 2007 reveals what may be in the pipeline for the 2nd generation of the BlackBerry Storm.  The patent application discloses a virtual keypad (on a display of course), where “the display transmits external pressure to the switch assembly” when you press a key within the virtual keypad.  Each key within this virtual keypad has “an elastomer located between the display and the switch assembly.”  This “feedback system” may be comprised of a “collapsable dome.”  The point to be made is that each key has it’s own individual feedback, much like an actual keyboard.

In addition, there may be a “cap” on top of each key.  Presumably this is so that you can feel the keypad as your fingers glide over it.  The obvious question is, how will this distort the display, even if the caps are translucent.

The patent application also states that “the display may be a cholesteric liquid crystal display.”  We’re not sure exactly what that means, but persumably it has to do with the need for a flexible LCD?  If somebody knows, please chime in.

Research in Motion (the maker of Blackberry) filed a patent application titled “PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICE AND CAPACITIVE CHARGER PROVIDING DATA TRANSFER AND ASSOCIATED METHODS” - titles with all caps are not uncommon in patent applications, don’t ask us why.  What really catches our eye is the “data transfer” part.  Imagine being able to not just lay your phone down next to your computer on a pad for charging, but also for syncing with your computer.  Now, why doesn’t Touchstone support that for the Palm Pre?  Palm, you got $500mm from Elevation Partners and you missed this?  If Research In Motion has it their way, this may be a Blackberry exclusive for years to come.

Tired of taking forever to scroll through that 1000+ contact list of yours on your iPhone?  You could clean up your outdated contact list and remove the 8 out of 10 “Tom” that you no longer recognize, or you could get a future Sony Ericsson phone with scroll speed control.  Sony Ericsson’s patent application 11/941,306 covers the concept of adjusting the scroll speed based on where you swipe.  Swipe in the left region, up or down, and it will scroll at 1x (normal).  If you want accelerated scroll, swipe using the center region.  If you want even faster scroll, and your eyes can handle 5x, go ahead and use the right region.  We think this is pretty nifty.

Motorola is down but not out (yet).  They continue innovating as witnessed by their steady stream of patent filings.  Their recent patent application (11/937,830)  titled “Viewable Surface Having Unnoticeable Smudges” caught our attention.  Below is the abstract of the patent application.

A device (110, 151, 200) with a viewable surface (201) including a plurality of transparent pedestals (210) having a reflective material (406) disposed on its sides (408) make smudges forming thereon unnoticeable by taking advantage of optical characteristics including contrast and the user’s visual acuity. The pedestals (210) generally have a width (412) of less than 50 microns, a height (414) equal to twice the width (412), and a spacing (416) between adjacent pedestals (210) equal to the width (412). The device (110, 151, 200) may be an electronic device, and more particularly a portable electronic device such as a cell phone.

The application goes on to further explain that smudges are generally not observable when the display is on.   Smudges are also not very noticable when viewing the display dead on.  I.e., smudges are more noticable when viewing the display at an angle.  Thus, the “pedestal structure” of the invention “reduces the likelihood of the smudges being seen at these angles when the display is off.” 

Our iPhone and Treo Pro could definitely use this technology.  Let’s keep our fingers crossed that this helps with the glossy body as well as the screen.

LG appears to be a fan of the cameras that rotate and their recently filed patent application (12/263,259) is no exception.  The patent application covers a camera with a touchscreen, wireless communication, and a camera that “rotates in a perpendicular direction to the longitudinal direction of the terminal body.”  As you can see from the drawing, this could very well be a smartphone.

Imagine a candy bar cellphone that you unfold to become a palmtop.  This idea, brought to you by Palm, Inc. (patent application 12/266,041) allows you to have a decent sized palmtop computer and cellular telephone in one device.  Palm states that by “utilizing flexible display technology, both a PDA and a cellular telephone are incorporated into one device.”  The key here is undoubtedly the flexible display technology. 

The parent patent application of this was filed way back in 2004.  So it seems Palm has been working on this concept for quite sometime now.  Anyone seen a prototype?  With the Palm Pre currently in the limelight, it may be a while before we see this product (if ever).

You enter a meeting.  Your ex-girlfriend tries to call, and your phone automatically filters the call.  Your roommate tries to call, and again,  your phone automatically filters the call.  Then your boss calls, and immediately your phone begins to ring.  That’s Palm’s patent application 11/863,174 in action.  By allowing you to set a priority for each person in your contact list, and setting the priority threshold for each appointment in your calendar, Palm will allow you to filter out non-priority calls.  Or you can set it up by time, so that you can filter out middle of the night calls from your drunk friends.  Sounds like a great idea, unless you’re Mary.