The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office officially published a series of 61 newly granted patents for Apple Inc. today. In this particular report we briefly cover a series of design patents covering Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro, an Apple Watch UI, the housing module for iPhone 12 Max and a mysterious display stand. Our report also covers a fitness tracking patent and as always, we wrap up this week’s granted patent report with our traditional listing of the remaining granted patents that were issued to Apple today.
Key Granted Design Patents
Apple was granted a series of design patents and the most notable are presented below. One design that stood out from the pack is for a ‘Display Stand’ under U.S. Patent Office Design Patent #D923,982.
As we’ve noted many times, design patents are limited to presenting patent figures alone. In this first case, it’s a frustrating limitation as there no way of confirming what Apple’s ‘Display Stand’ presented below is or will be used for. The protrusions shown on FIG. 2 below are very small, as if to support something like a future smart ring. But that’s a guess.
Only one of the three designers listed on the design patent is confirmed to work at Apple, while the other two designers are unknown on LinkedIn. Did Apple acquire this display stand design? If you happen to recognize this display stand, then please send in your information to pafeedback@shaw.ca.
Fitness Tracking for Constrained-Arm Usage
Apple has been granted a patent for a system and method for collecting motion data using a fitness tracking device located on an arm of a user, detecting that the arm is constrained based on the motion data, estimating a stride length of the user based on the motion data and historical step cadence-to-stride length data, calculating fitness data using the estimated stride length, and outputting the fitness data to the user.
Apple’s patent FIG. 4 below illustrates a fitness tracking device used with a constrained arm; FIG. 5 illustrates a fitness tracking device used while pushing an object across a surface; FIGS. 9 and 10 are flowcharts showing processing that may occur within a fitness tracking device and/or companion device
Apple notes in their granted patent that in some embodiments, calculating the fitness data comprises calculating at least one of distance traveled, speed, caloric expenditure, or exercise time.
In certain embodiments, detecting that the arm is constrained comprises: determining a pose angle based on the motion data; determining an accelerometer energy based on the motion data; and detecting that the arm is constrained based on the pose angle and the accelerometer energy.
In particular embodiments, detecting that the arm is constrained based on the pose angle comprises detecting that the arm is constrained if the pose angle is within a predetermined range of pose angles. In some embodiments, the predetermined range of pose angles corresponds to pose angles greater than about -45.degree.
Notice that in Patent FIGS. 4 and 5 Apple illustrates a classic slim “fitness tracking device” without the standard Apple Watch body. Although Apple does illustrate one patent figure with an Apple Watch, Apple simply states the image of an Apple Watch (not shown here) is “an example” of a fitness tracker.
Why be so picky? Because Apple was granted a patent for a fitness band last June that is visually closer to what Apple is shown to present in today’s patent figures 4 and 5 above.
For more details, review today’s granted patent 11,051,720.
The Remaining Patents Granted to Apple Today
