Apple granted patents for iOS audio controls, Game Center and Camera app

Source: USPTO

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Tuesday granted Apple three design patents for iOS assets, including the audio controls seen as part of the iPhone and iPod touch's multitasking bars, the Game Center's "Me" page and the Camera app's camera selection button.

Apple continues to patent nearly every facet of iOS, and the latest bundle of issued filings is no exception as the company now has rights to three graphical interface designs used in the most current iteration of the mobile operating system.

The first patent covers the audio controls "hidden" in the iOS multitasking bar, which in this iteration is limited to the iPhone and iPod touch. Shown are the screen rotation lock icon, rewind, play and fast forward buttons and the "Music" app icon.

Next is the Game Center's "Me" homepage, which displays the number of games a user has attached to the service, points, friends, status and other settings iconography. In the app, the skeuomorphic design resembles a felt card table with ribbon banners and a set of four icons along the bottom row, though Tuesday's patent only covers the page's basic layout.

Finally, Apple has patented the Camera app button that allows users to select between the front-facing and rear-facing imagers of their iOS devices.

The audio control and Camera button designs were filed for in 2012, with Imran Chaudhri and Ollie Wagner credited as inventors, respectively. Apple's Game Center design was filed for in 2010 and credits Mikio Inose and Marcel van Os as its inventors.