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Thursday, August 02, 2012, 08:01 am
Apple investigating iPad Smart Cover with secondary display
Apple has shown interest in creating an iPad Smart Cover that would act as a secondary touchscreen display for the device, showing simple status messages or even acting as a full-fledged touch keyboard.The details were unveiled in a new patent application published on Thursday by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and discovered by AppleInsider. The filing, entitled "Cover Attachment with Flexible Display," shows an iPad Smart Cover that would feature a MagSafe-like magnetic connection to the iPad, sharing data that would be shown on the external display.
Apple's filing presents a number of unique ideas how a touch-capable Smart Cover display could add new functionality to the iPad. In the most basic example, the cover shows an additional row of icons on the home screen, while a more complex concept shows movie playback controls at a user's fingertips on the rear of the device while in use.
Another example shows the Smart Cover acting as a touch keyboard for the iPad, a feature that would be very similar to Microsoft's "Touch Cover" keyboard for its forthcoming Windows 8 Surface tablets.
But Apple's Smart Cover display would go many steps further, and could allow even more versatile functionality. One example in the application shows a user wielding a stylus to draw an Apple on the secondary display.
In another example, the secondary display is on the outside of the iPad when the Smart Cover is closed. There, the user is presented with system-saved reminders such as daily appointments, but the touchscreen functionality would also allow users to write in new reminders without the need to open the Smart Cover.
The concept, made public this week by the USPTO, was first filed by Apple in August of 2011. It is credited to Fletcher R. Rothkopf.
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Previous Comments View All
I guess they patent every idea they come up... This seems overcomplicated to me and not very "Apple-like".
Already the losers at Engadget are saying Apple copied MS. But this patent was filed back in August of 2011, so clearly this is something Apple has been thinking about for a while. Plus who knows what will ever become of it? Has MS filed for a patent on their touch cover?
"Back in August of 2011" isn't that long ago. :)
For years Apple has been aggressive about applying for patents on everything they work on. It doesn't mean it's anything they actually planned to create, or even spent much time on investigating. They're covering all bases. It's just the way Apple does things, and it's helped them immensely. Competitors were way too slow in taking note of it, tho I think they've all received the memos now on the virtues of applying for patent protection on every little improvement or creation they think might be as least minimally unique.
And.....cue the fanboys who try to say this is not stealing MSFT ideas. Listen, I love Apple as much as anyone, but lets call a spade a spade here, they got beat to the punch.
"Back in August of 2011" isn't that long ago.
It was almost a whole year ago.
Did we see the Surface almost a whole year ago?
Hell, have we seen the Surface yet? ;-)
"Back in August of 2011" isn't that long ago.
It was almost a whole year ago.
Did we see the Surface almost a whole year ago?
Hell, have we seen the Surface yet? ;-)
+1. What an idiotic statement to make. So, yes, Apple copied MS. But because Apple has the ability to time travel, they can take the ideas from companies like MS today and go back in time, write a patent application and then be credited for something they didn't create. And of course they didn't actually create the time machine, but just stole the idea from some other company (probably Samsung) in the future and we just don't realize that's the case now.
Stupid stupid Apple. If only they'd spend some of their money creating their own ideas and products...
No but it's hard to copy something that doesn't exist. And if MS already has a patent on something like this would this patent application even be approved?
There's a high percentage of patents that get approved but later found to be invalid in whole or part. According to various studies, upwards of half of all patents are found invalid in some way once they're litigated. One study I read today goes so far as to claim 75% are trimmed once challenged. Simply because a patent was granted doesn't mean that it will be held valid if challenged. It's far easier and faster (and pays more?) for a patent examiner to approve a patent than deny one.
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120717/00232219721/patent-office-releases-rules-to-let-third-parties-provide-documents-to-help-reject-patent-applications.shtml
The perfect Smart Cover for me, should have a secondary E-ink display (reading books-reports, browsing outside etc...) I have no idea why some company didn't invented something like that already...:(
Looks like this patent is for a flexible touch panel/screen. So keyboard would be one of many uses for it. I'm not sure how you'd display app icons or draw on MS's touch cover.
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Already the losers at Engadget are saying Apple copied MS. But this patent was filed back in August of 2011, so clearly this is something Apple has been thinking about for a while. Plus who knows what will ever become of it? Has MS filed for a patent on their touch cover?