HTC patents USB Host adaptor
USB Host is a pretty useful feature to have on a smartphone, but also a feature that has so far been pretty rare on HTC’s devices.
It is therefore of interest when they apply for a patent for an adaptor which makes USB Host a little bit easier. The adaptor allows one to power the smartphone at the same time as powering the USB accessory using the same port.
It is of interest that the HTC HD2, which does have USB Host, will only function if the device plugged is powered externally suggesting that HTC may have intended to release this accessory at some point.
See the patent here.
Apple sued for multi-touch patents
In a delicious twist on Apple’s attack on HTC, the company itself is now being sued by a small Taiwanese firm for infringing on its multi-touch patents.
Just like Apple, Elan Microelectronics Corp. is asking the U.S. trade agency to ban the import and sale of both the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad due to patent infringement.
Elan’s complaint filed with the U.S. International Trade Commission in Washington claims Apple “knowingly and deliberately” used Elan’s technology, while continuing to introduce infringing products, the company claims in the complaint.
“Our goal is to protect our technology and to stop sales of those products in the U.S.,” Dennis Liu, spokesman for Hsinchu, Taiwan-based Elan.
Elan makes chips and touch-screens, and has previously won against Synaptics Inc. in 2008 in Federal Court in California, claiming they infringed the same technology and has previously also sued Apple in April 2009 in federal court in California claiming infringement of the same patent.
Apple declined to comment.
More at BusinessWeek here.
Microsoft sued for ZuneHD “Buy from Radio” feature
An ophthalmologist in Wisconsin is accusing Microsoft of wilful patent infringement for its Buy from Radio feature.
The suit, filed in U.S. District for the Western District of Wisconsin earlier this week, alleges that Microsoft’s Zune music player’s "Buy from FM" feature infringes a pair of patents that were granted in 2002.
He claims her contacted Microsoft with the idea of tagging music heard on the FM radio and allowing purchases via a WIFI hotspot in 2006, and was then ignored by Microsoft, only to see the idea appear almost unchanged in 2008 with the release of the first Zunes.
In his suit, Yavitz asks for a permanent injunction against Microsoft selling the Zune with the allegedly infringing technology, along with treble damages, and court costs. He also said that his patents are broad enough that other broadcast technologies such as HD radio do not undercut the validity of his patents.
"I came up with the [patents] before there was even an iPod," Yavitz said, adding that his patents have another ten years to run.
Microsoft officials declined to comment on the suit or its merits but Yavitz said it’s possible that Microsoft is now more open to negotiation with Windows Phone 7 Series devices, which will include Zune-like features, including an FM radio.
"Windows Phone 7 has the potential of turning every phone into a Zune," Yavitz added. If the new phones take off, they could bring in a lot of income, which would make the two patents that much more valuable. Yavitz’s suit also alleges that the feature is implemented in Zune HD devices, which shipped last September, replacing earlier versions of the player.
With all the talk of patent trolls and patent wars, its often easy to forget sometimes patents protect the little guy with a bright idea. Did Microsoft steal this idea, or was it just extremely obvious? Let us know your thoughts below.
Read more about the suite at ItManagement.com
Microsoft patents turning your phone into a Wacom graphics pad
Microsoft has applied for a patent to turn your phone into a graphics tablet for your desktop computer.
The application, dated the 25/2/2010, seems more suited to a device with a resistive screen, states:
A system and method for using a mobile device having a touch screen as a graphics tablet input device for a user computer is disclosed. A graphics tablet application executing at the mobile device displays a simulated graphics tablet surface and, optionally, programmable or nonprogrammable soft buttons. The graphics tablet application configures the mobile device to be recognized as a graphics tablet input device when connected to the user computer and sends an indication of user input to the user computer. A mobile device support pad stabilizes the mobile device while it is used as a graphics tablet input device. A recess in the support pad having length, width, and depth dimensions that are substantially similar to dimensions of the mobile device restricts movement of the mobile device and places the touch screen of the mobile device in substantially the same plane as a top surface of the support pad.
While I know there is plenty of prior art for this concept, hopefully this patent is some indication of some intent by Microsoft to make our phones that little bit more useful while they are charging on the side of your desk
Read the full patent here.
HTC – Apple suit “unlikely to have significant impact … in near term”
HTC issued a response to Apple’s patent law suit filed yesterday, insisting it has developed its technology, including its iconic HTC Sense user interface, in-house and has a 13 year history of rolling out innovative smartphones.
In what may be good news for US readers expecting the HTC HD2 soon, HTC also stated it believes that the patent complaint is unlikely to result in a significant impact on its operations in the near team, or affect its business guidance for the first quarter of 2010.
Apple has claimed a number of software and hardware patent infringements, many of them attacking fundamental OS operations found in the open source Linux core of Android, which may see Apple taking on a much larger pantheon of companies than they initially expected.
Via Digitimes.com
HTC patents Palm Pre-like automatically adjusting appointment reminders
As if Palm does not have enough trouble, HTC is now trying to poach their technology. In this patent application they constantly calculate the travel time between your current position and where you need to be for the next appointment, and adjust your appointment reminders appropriately, so as to always remind you in enough time to allow travel to your next location.
The abstract reads as below:
A method and an apparatus for reminding a calendar schedule and a recording medium are provided. First, a schedule and a location of an event are set in a calendar, and first positioning information of the location is obtained. Then, second positioning information of a current location of a mobile device is obtained. Next, the current location is determining whether to be within a signal range of a signal source. Once the current location is within the signal range, the time for moving from the location with the second positioning information to the location with the first positioning information is calculated. Finally, a reminding time is set according to the transferring time, and a reminding action is taken at the reminding time. Thereby, the reminding time of the event can be dynamically adjusted to avoid delay caused when the mobile device is too far from the event location.
This kind of smarts was to form part of Palm’s approach to smart mobile computing, but with their market failure will hopefully find a more wider home in more pockets.
Read the full patent here.
Microsoft patents an informational wireless charging pad
Regular readers will know at WMPU we have a thing for wireless charging, and it seems finally Microsoft may be having thoughts of getting into the game also.
Their idea however comes with a twist, and makes the charging pad useful even when the device is not in use. The patent calls for a display on the charging pad and an internet connection to update the data. The pad will also contain a sensor to make sure the actual device does not cover the information displayed.
Read the abstract below:
Systems and methodologies for efficient inductive charging of electronic devices are provided herein. A charging device as described herein can utilize a sensor-integrated resonating circuit with automatic frequency control to provide low-cost inductive charging functionality for electronic devices. As further described herein, a device to be charged can be equipped with a power receiver operable to receive power from the charging device via electromagnetic induction. The power receiver can additionally be utilized for initiation of charging such that charging for a device commences upon its associated power receiver being brought within range of an inductive charging surface at the charging device. Further, a charging device as described herein can have an inductive charging surface as well as a non-charging surface for providing other services such as information display. A charging device can integrate with an external information source to obtain items to be displayed at a non-charging surface thereon.
Read the full patent at US Patent & Trademark Office.
Via Engadget.com
Microsoft patents better pairing technology
Pairing our devices with our other gadgets have always been a bit of a hassle. Microsoft aims to simplify the process by only requiring that you enter your credentials once, by pairing with a master device, and then have all your other gadgets be automatically authorised.
In the example above, pairing manually with your desktop with automatically also authorize you with your laptop and other desktop also. Extending this, one can see for example the same principle applying to connecting your phone with your Xbox and photo frame also.
In more technical terms, Microsoft claims:
A technique that enables a portable device to be automatically associated with a plurality of computers. Information that a computer can use to authenticate a portable device and establish a trusted relationship prior to creating an association with the portable device is created and stored in a data store that is accessible by a plurality of computers and is associated with a user of the portable device. When a computer discovers such a portable device with which it is not yet associated, the computer can identify a user logged into the computer and use information identifying the user to retrieve authentication information that is device independent and is expected to be presented by the portable device to authenticate it and allow automatic association.
Read the full patent here.
HTC Patents new clamshell smartphone design
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HTC’s engineers have been called hinge nerds, and have brought many iconic designs to market, including the Tilt of the Tilt and the amazing hinge of the HTC Universal.
Now they have patent a new hinge design that will make opening your clamshell smartphone a snap.
HTC ads 3 screen lock patents
HTC has applied for 3 screen lock patents, two of which are still to show up on devices.
The first is a way to lock the screen by swiping vertically from outside the border of the display, in the same way the very first version of TouchFlo was launched on the original HTC Touch.
MOBILE ELECTRONIC DEVICE, METHOD FOR ENTERING SCREEN LOCK STATE AND RECORDING MEDIUM THEREOF
Abstract
A mobile electronic device, a method for entering a screen lock state and a recording medium thereof are provided. In the present method, an input signal is received through a touch panel of the mobile electronic device. Then, a movement track of the input signal is obtained if a starting point of the input signal is located in a non-display area of the touch panel, and a vertical displacement of the input signal is calculated if the movement track contains a specific direction. Finally, a screen lock frame is dragged and displayed, and the mobile electronic device is switched to the screen lock state if the displacement reaches a predetermined value. Thereby, an intuitional way for locking the screen is provided, and accordingly, the convenience in operating the mobile electronic device is improved.
The next is a way to change the lock screen wallpaper without unlocking the screen, using a series of screen swipes.
Abstract
A method for switching wallpaper in screen lock state, a mobile electronic device thereof, and a storage medium thereof are provided. In the present method, an input signal is received by a touch screen when a mobile electronic device enters a screen lock state. Then, whether the input signal is located in a specific area of the touch screen is determined. A moving track of the input signal is detected if the input signal is located in the specific area. Finally, wallpaper of the screen lock state is switched according to the moving track. As a result, a user can switch wallpaper arbitrarily even if the mobile electronic device is in the screen lock state, so as to increase convenience of switching wallpaper.
The last one seems the be the typical slide to unlock method used by nearly everyone.
METHOD FOR UNLOCKING SCREEN, MOBILE ELECTRONIC DEVICE USING THE SAME AND STORAGE MEDIUM THEREOF
Abstract
A method for unlocking screen, a mobile electronic device using the same and a storage medium thereof are disclosed. First, at least two signal input areas on a touch screen of the mobile electronic device are defined. When an input signal is detected within at least one signal input areas, a moving range of a trajectory produced by the input signal is calculated. And the touch screen is unlocked when the moving range reaches the predetermined value. Thus, the present invention provides a user with more virtual manner to close the screen locking function so as to promote the usage convenience of the mobile electronic device.
One of HTC’s HTC Sense pillars is these delightful featurelets, so I expect to see these little enhancements to show up sooner rather than later.
Does HTC own web page reflowing?
In our regular trawl of the patent office we came across 2 patent applications by HTC which appear to apply to reflowing text to fit in a small screen width and allows reading without side-ways scrolling.
This handy feature has been present in every version of Opera Mobile shipping on HTC devices, and also in the webkit browser on their android devices, but strange absent of the generic version of Opera Mobile and also from the standard Android browser.
The two patent abstracts reads as below:
METHOD FOR DISPLAYING INFORMATION, AND ELECTRONIC APPARATUS AND STORAGE MEDIUM THEREOF
Abstract
A method for displaying information is provided. A display area is provided for displaying at least a portion of an information page, wherein the information page includes at least an information column, and the information column is composed of a plurality of information units arranged along an arrangement direction. When a select event occurs in the information column, the information units in the information column are displayed according to a display size within a predetermined size range. Next, the layout of the information units in the information column is changed so that an arrangement length of the information units along the arrangement direction does not exceed the width of the display area.
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DISPLAYING INFORMATION AND STORAGE MEDIUM THEREOF
Abstract
A method and an apparatus for displaying information are provided. The information includes a word or a picture. The information is displayed with an original proportion. When receiving a first input signal, the information is displayed with a first proportion within a predetermined boundary, according to the first input signal. When receiving a second input signal, the information is arranged according to the second input signal so that the information is displayed with a second proportion within the predetermined boundary. Therefore, the information with adjusted proportion can be still displayed within the predetermined boundary.
It is rather unusual to have a software feature belong to a hardware OEM like this, but it provides a significant advantage to HTC, and in powerful devices such as the HTC HD2 may help turn the web browsing domination tide against devices such as the iPhone.
Samsung patents folding wings rear keyboard
In the eternal quest to have as large a screen and keyboard while having as small a device as possible, Samsung has just added a new crusader.
Their new patented rear keyboard system features 2 small and thin half-QWERTY keyboards hidden in the body of the system, from where they can fold out automatically when text entry is needed.
The main weakness I see with the design is the relative weakness of the wings, which will likely mean devices build like this will not be suitable for the next Omnia Pro 3.
See the patent here.
HTC patents G-sensor based text entry system
I don’t know if HTC is planning to bring this to a handset any time soon, but their invention “METHOD FOR INPUTTING CHARACTER” seems rather interesting.
METHOD FOR INPUTTING CHARACTER
Abstract
A method for inputting a character adapted for a handheld electronic device is provided. In the present method, a reference plane is determined first. Then, a tilting angle and a tilting direction of the handheld electronic device deviating from the reference plane are detected. Then, the tilting direction is indicated, and an input of a key of the keypad is received. Finally, a character corresponding to the key at the tilting direction is displayed on the handheld electronic device. Therefore, only two actions including tilting the handheld electronic device and pressing the key are required for the users to complete the input of a character. As such, the method is intuitive, convenient, and fast for inputting the character.
In plain English, by tilting the phone you would indicate which of the 3-4 characters on each key you wish to type when you actually press the key.
While the idea seems pretty smart, I fear for the wrist of a texter who actually gets proficient in this method.
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