USPTO

Read Cult of Mac’s latest posts on USPTO:

Hey Siri, darken the sunroof glass in my Apple Car

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This Apple Car concept is unrelated to the patent, but at least it shows a sunroof.
This Apple Car concept is unrelated to the patent, but at least it shows a sunroof.
Photo: Vanarama

The rumored Apple Car may not be on the verge of rolling off the assembly line, but someday a version of it may have sunroof glass that you can darken or lighten with the touch of a button or with a Siri command.

That’s according to a patent the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) granted Apple this week for a sunroof with variable-opacity glass. That means a driver could adjust its transparency.

Apple sues indie director over Apple-Man film title

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The movie is a super-hero satire about a guy who can levitate apples (the fruit).
The movie is a super-hero satire about a guy who can levitate apples (the fruit).
Photo: Apple-Man-Vasyl Moskalenko

Apple is no stranger to aggressive legal actions meant to protect the company’s image. In its latest move, the company filed a lawsuit against Ukrainian indie film director Vasyl Moskalenko, who wrote a comedy film titled Apple-Man.

And no, the film, currently in production, does not talk about the Cupertino tech giant or its products. It’s a superhero satire about a guy who can levitate apples. You see, in a bit of classic superhero movie plotting, his DNA got blended with DNA from the fruit.

The Apple Car could have the best bumper ever

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apple car
A rendering of an Apple car with a different kind of bumper
Photo: Motor1

Dying to see what Apple’s idea of a car looks like? Here’s a bumper.

OK, so a patent, like the one for an extendable bumper awarded to Apple today, doesn’t exactly give us a detailed picture. But we at least see one more piece of evidence Apple remains a committed player in the future of cars – whether we drive them or not.

iPhone could be key to Apple Car (and that’s just the start)

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Project Titan
Apple is invested heavily in self-driving tech.
Photo: Idiggapple/Twitter

The iPhone could transform into a secure version of a key fob that not only unlocks your vehicle, but it could also summon a parked vehicle to come to you.

Apple drops a breadcrumb on the path to an autonomous vehicle future, offering a possible glimpse into its Project Titan with a patent application for a keyless entry system.

Apple could let users transfer data by bumping iPhones

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bump transfer
Apple was awarded a patent for bump transfer of data between iPhones.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

The federal government has awarded Apple a patent for iPhone users to transfer data by bumping together handsets.

If this sounds familiar, it is because bump transfers for both iOS and Android have been possible through apps, most notably an app called Bump that debuted in 2008.

Samsung To Launch AppleCare+ Competitor For Smartphones, Tablets & More

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Samsung looks to be preparing its own extended warranty plans that will provide additional coverage for its smartphones, tablets, and other consumer electronics, according to a new trademark registered with the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office.

Called “Protection Plus,” the service is expected to offer the same kind of protection that is available to iPhone, iPad, and iPod users with AppleCare+.

Tokyo Court Finds Samsung Guilty Of Infringing Apple ‘Rubber Banding’ Patent

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iPhone-rubber-band

A Tokyo court has today found Samsung guilty of infringing an Apple “bounce-back” or “rubber banding” patent that covers the popular scrolling feature built into its iOS platform. Apple has been using the patent against Samsung in a number of courtrooms all over the world, but back in April, the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office deemed it invalid.

Apple’s Iconic “Steve Jobs Patent” Gets Discredited By U.S Patent Office [Report]

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Apple is about to lose the most iconic patent in the late Steve Jobs's 300+ portfolio.
Apple is about to lose the most iconic patent in the late Steve Jobs's 300+ portfolio.

One of Apple’s most prized software patents is commonly referred to as simply “the Steve Jobs patent.” The late CEO himself is listed as one of the key inventors in the patent’s documentation, and it was also referred to as “the iPhone patent” when it was approved back in 2009.

Apple has been using this famous patent in courtrooms to sue the likes of Samsung and Google’s Motorola, but now the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has entirely invalidated the patent until further examination.

Prior Art Evidence Leads USPTO To Declare Apple’s Rubber-Banding Patent Invalid

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Apple has just lost one of its magic patent bullets thanks to a non-final Office action by the USPTO. Patent No, 7,469,381 (used against Samsung in California) has been declared invalid after evidence supporting prior art (as well as being obvious) was brought about during a reexamination request.

This news is not only great for Samsung, but many other manufacturers who are currently caught up in Apple’s legal charades.