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?

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.

Full bars?  Wait, is that full bars for voice or data?  Yea, apparently it’s different.  Palm aims on resolving this issue (if you want to call it that).  In patent application 11/932,577, filed on Oct 31, 2007, Palm reveals a new signal strength indicator, that will tell you both the voice and data signal strength, without taking up much more screen real estate.  Simple enough.  Above is one of three examples given.  Let’s see if this features makes it onto the Palm Pre.