Friday, April 27th 2012

Apple Seeks to Patent MacBook Air Design, OLED Brightness

Apple wants to hold patents to the wedge-shaped design of its MacBook Air, and an interesting technique to adjust OLED display brightness. The application for this patent passed through USPTO, on Thursday. The application describes claims over "wedge shaped top case", with a lid hinged to a base. The wedge-shape contributes to the user's impression of a device, its lightness, and its durability. Apple's MacBook Air bears this design, and reports indicate that so will the upcoming MacBook Pro series. Wired.com opines that the move is to block out partners of Intel's Ultrabook ecosystem from imitating the design.

Another more interesting patent application for a technique to adjust brightness of OLED displays. None of Apple's products, not even the iPod Nano, feature an OLED screen, yet Apple is frantically applying for the patent. While conventional LCD panels use an augmented illumination source (such as LED or CCFL), in OLED displays, there is no external illumination, and hence adjusting brightness is very tricky from a technical standpoint. The method Apple described in its patent claim consists of converting an image (frame) on a logarithmic scale along the palette, dimming it, and then displaying that dimmed frame. This patent could prove valuable for Apple, as the industry is beginning to transition from TFT-LCD to OLED flat-panel displays.
Source: Wired
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57 Comments on Apple Seeks to Patent MacBook Air Design, OLED Brightness

#51
aayman_farzand
SteevoSorry, but thie idea of a thinner lighter laptop is what ALL laptop makers have been doing for years.
Having the idea and actually releasing one is two different things. Why didn't any other company come up with the design first? Why did they start having roughly the same design as the MBA after the MBA's release? If it had been in work for years then it would've been different by now.

I am by no means trying to justify Apple's patent trolling, but completely ignoring the drastic design similarities and saying stuff like 'ripped off from the guy who made the first laptop' is plain blind hating.

The X60 is a great laptop (for its time) but its nothing similar to the MBA, it has an optical drive (yes that is a HUGE difference) and is not natively designed (of the laptop not OS) for SSDs. Its doesnt have a slim profile and is as thick as the laptops back then, just that its smaller thats all.

Its an widely known fact that ht designs of UBs released by Intel is based on MBAs, so if you can't at least credit Apple for that then I have nothing else to say.
Posted on Reply
#52
eidairaman1
The Exiled Airman
I prefer PC/Android/Sansa over iMac/iPhone/iPod
Posted on Reply
#53
Steevo
aayman_farzandHaving the idea and actually releasing one is two different things. Why didn't any other company come up with the design first? Why did they start having roughly the same design as the MBA after the MBA's release? If it had been in work for years then it would've been different by now.

I am by no means trying to justify Apple's patent trolling, but completely ignoring the drastic design similarities and saying stuff like 'ripped off from the guy who made the first laptop' is plain blind hating.

The X60 is a great laptop (for its time) but its nothing similar to the MBAexcept it was thin and light and had magnesium covers., it has an optical drive (yes that is a HUGE difference)Of course, which Apple makes you pay more for, and it requires you to carry it as a separate device and is not natively designed (of the laptop not OS) for SSDsI was unaware we had cost effective SSD's in 2005, please go on, tell us more oh enlightened one en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solid-state_drive whoops, 2008-2009 they started becoming mainstream......shucks darn. Its doesnt have a slim profile and is as thick as the laptops back then, just that its smaller thats all.
Its an widely known fact that ht designs of UBs released by Intel is based on MBAs, so if you can't at least credit Apple for that then I have nothing else to say.
You are right, I'm so wrong.
Posted on Reply
#54
TheGuruStud
F1reFlyApple products have a great user experience. That's all i care about.
i pick up Android and Windows stuff and they have too many inconsistancies when using them, from stutter scrolling to various other quirks not to mention cheaper quality parts, you can often tell that no one before production of these various mobile devices ever sat down with the product and tried to perfect it.
what Apple innovates or not or what patent they have doesn't mean crap to a product that has a great feel and does what is expected with consistancy. Something that my Windows laptop has never had nor my Android phone...at least when i buy something Apple, i know what i can expect. i don't have to research 200 models from various companies just to use the same apps and OS they all offer.
My ipod and ipad to this day, have literally outlasted with consistant performance and quick access from a great feeling UI than any MP3 player and touch device that i've ever owned, which was quite a few more than i'd care to admit.
That alone speaks volumes more than what Patent they are abusing or what they stole from some company that obviously couldn't do enough with on their own.
:laugh: windows is crap, we all know that, but choosing iOS over android :roll:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMiY1kSTHZw He systematically destroys iOS.
It's all the same, eh. That's great except you're getting screwed in the process. One option isn't good. Who is proud of having only one choice, well, what choice. That's it. Group think is horrible.

Then you're basically condoning unethical and illegal behavior to use a crappy device, wow.

And learn how to spell. Hell, it's built in to browsers.
Posted on Reply
#55
Octavean
sykozisApple also has a habit of applying for patents on technology they've had nothing to do with.... Apple allied for a patent for using multiple OLED screens to produce 3D images, yet Apple was in no way related to the development of OLED screens according to the information I can find. So, why can they file for a patent that's specific to a technology they have no claim to?
A patent doesn't require the development of new technology. It does allow for the use of existing technology in a new or different way. With all due respect, your question seems to suggest that you were not aware of that fact.

So I don't question the OLED patent application because I don't know enough about how Apple plans to implement it in a new or different way.

I'm calling BS on the wedge design though. It seems sketchy to me for a number of different reasons. It references the basic shape of a palm rest on a keyboard in part or in whole that is not exclusive to Apple hardware and has been in practice for many years before Apple used it.
Posted on Reply
#56
MxPhenom 216
ASIC Engineer
Jurassic1024As soon as I saw that headline, I thought, Ultrabooks, and sure enough.... That's the last straw for me. Apple is garbage along with whoever is approving their patents. Innovators my ass.
yeah Apple and all this Patent BS is ridiculous. They are restricting innovation in technology. They innovate, now they want it to stop dead in its tracks. Oh and then they sue there competitors when even they made a better product, because of patent infringement on technologies that aren't even Apples.
Posted on Reply
#57
MxPhenom 216
ASIC Engineer
F1reFlyApple products have a great user experience. That's all i care about.
i pick up Android and Windows stuff and they have too many inconsistancies when using them, from stutter scrolling to various other quirks not to mention cheaper quality parts, you can often tell that no one before production of these various mobile devices ever sat down with the product and tried to perfect it.
what Apple innovates or not or what patent they have doesn't mean crap to a product that has a great feel and does what is expected with consistancy. Something that my Windows laptop has never had nor my Android phone...at least when i buy something Apple, i know what i can expect. i don't have to research 200 models from various companies just to use the same apps and OS they all offer.
My ipod and ipad to this day, have literally outlasted with consistant performance and quick access from a great feeling UI than any MP3 player and touch device that i've ever owned, which was quite a few more than i'd care to admit.
That alone speaks volumes more than what Patent they are abusing or what they stole from some company that obviously couldn't do enough with on their own.
here you go. how is this for quality? Oh wait the Iphone shattered.:rolleyes:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=jViSKlAeYYs&feature=related
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