Apple is one of the largest companies in the world in terms of the number of patents, as it is often among the first 10 except for the last two years, it became 11, as it registered 2103 patents in 2016 and 2229 patents in 2017. With the large number of patents granted each year, it is difficult to know who owns them . As a result, many legal disputes occur between companies, such as what happens between Apple and Samsung or Apple and Qualcomm or other companies. Through these disputes, we can learn about the importance and value of the disputed patent. In this article, we learn about some of the most famous Apple patents.


Important clarification

A patent means that this technology is exclusively owned by a specific entity, and no other party has the right to use it without its consent. However, this does not mean that other companies cannot provide the same order, but rather they can do so in a different way. For example, Apple has a patent for the icons with curved letters, and this is why no company has the right to provide the same thing exactly as Apple does, but it is not absolutely forbidden to provide curved characters. Rather, it is forbidden to be the same size, the same dimensions, and the same angle of bend as Apple. Thus, any company can provide icons of a different size, dimensions and design. We wanted to clarify this point in response to the expected comments that how do we say that Apple has a patent for a fingerprint, for example, and all companies make a fingerprint. This is the response to an inquiry.

◉ Slide-to-Unlock

Legal battles between Apple and Samsung over this feature came to an end last year. The lawsuit resulted in a fine of $ 120 million for Samsung for violating the patent. Say this feature is used after entering the fingerprint and face print to unlock, and if it is still available for other uses other than unlocking the phone, such as swiping to the right or left to call the camera or the widget.

◉ Multitouch

One of the distinctive revolutionary characteristics of the iPhone at the moment of its introduction in 2007, is the multi-touch, where the Patent Center in the United States granted Apple a patent for the invention of Multitouch, which means the technology to recognize more than one touch at a time. There have also been many cases between Apple, Samsung and HTC regarding this feature.

◉ Quick links

Apple acquired this feature in 1992 as the computer automatically recognizes these links and they become executable. For iOS users, quick links are found in addresses and phone numbers. By browsing the Internet and you found a phone number in front of you, by simply clicking on it you can make a phone call. This patent was among the patents also contested between Apple and Samsung, and Apple won in the end.

◉ 3D Touch

The 3D Touch feature is one of the revolutionary inventions that Apple made not only on the iPhone, but also added to the watch and some touch panels in its other devices. Although the usefulness of this feature varies from one user to another, it certainly added a new dimension to the iOS system.

Apple Pencil

The Apple Pencil is considered one of the wonderful input tools, and the inventors of Apple aim to make the pen not only work on touch-sensitive things, but rather it works anywhere, in other words you can use it to write on the hand, walls or table, and everything you do appears on the i-screen. IPad or Mac.

◉ AirPlay, AirPrint, AirDrop

Apple aims behind its devices to interact with the surrounding environment. It allows you to handle everything with your device. AirDrop lets you share anything with other devices. AirPrint helps you print your files on wireless editions with ease. AirPlay, share media with TV, too.

◉ The Digital Crown on the watch

You might think a crooked wrist or handle doesn't deserve to be patented? Apple has a different opinion. The Digital Crown, which is considered a key input tool in the Apple Watch, enables the user to zoom in or out of the application icon, or press it to return to the home screen like the home button on the iPhone. This crown has a Taptic Engine. It is also used in some applications to scroll up and down the screen, which is the experience that Apple wants to transfer to the iPhone, where it registered a patent for the use of the digital crown in iPhones and iPads, and in the new patent that was recently registered, Apple confirms in it On how to apply the use of the digital crown in iPhones, which is not known yet.

◉ True Tone and Night Shift

Apple aims behind this to make the phone screen like paper and here comes the True Tone function to adjust the light according to the surrounding environment to make the screen appear like paper. In other words, the glowing areas of the image become warmer and more comfortable on the eyes to achieve a more natural image.

As for the situation Night Shift It adjusts the image temperature automatically for eye comfort. And through it, the blue color that causes more attention and difficulty sleeping is reduced with its presence. By turning this mode on, it creates eye comfort so that you are ready for sleep.

◉ Touch ID or fingerprint ID

Apple introduced this feature on the iPhone 5s in 2013 and is still using it in its latest versions, the iPhone 8, then replaced it with the face print on the iPhone X, and it was recently said that Apple will give up the fingerprint permanently in all its devices to replace it with the face print, despite the presence of studies. It indicates that 30% of Apple customers prefer a fingerprint, while the rest find that face print is practical, fast, and much better.

◉ Face ID and TrueDepth

Do you think this feature suddenly appeared in 2017? This is not true, as Apple registered its patent in 2013, which indicates that the face fingerprint took time to develop and experiment a few years before it was used in the iPhone X, as Apple used in the face print a complex and very accurate system, which makes you trust it and replace it with an ID Fingerprint.

◉ Lightning Entrance

Apple began using this type with the launch of the iPhone 5, as it came in a small size and performed several functions. The entrance to Lightning faced several criticisms in its early days, although the major technologists, led by Hodgkins, praised this type and said that it is a very great invention and indicated its benefits, especially charging in any direction and its support for 12-watt power in charging the iPad.

◉ MagSafe

The ingenious innovation of Apple that appeared in 2006 and was recently abandoned by the company. It is a charger cord attached to your device and equipped with strong magnets. Its purpose is that if someone trips on this wire, the magnetic part is the one that will detach without the appliance being dropped on the ground and damaged. With the release of modern generations of MacBook, Apple abandoned this cable and switched to USB-C after 10 years in which it did its job well and won the admiration of millions.

Did you imagine that Apple had so many patents? Which previous Apple patents do you see as the most important? Let us know in the comments

Source:

idropnews

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