Another Apple Wii-like controller patent kills strays
Remote control systems that can distinguish stray light sources
Further support for the contention that Apple is building a Wii-like controller is found in the USPTO patent applications. Apple has applied for a patent for a refinement of a Wii-like controller which uses a number of means to stop interference with the system by reflection, sun light, light bulbs and the fat kid next door who is constantly shining his controller through your windows to annoy you (or maybe that’s just me) etc…
Apple Predicts Phone Signal Strength
An interesting patent application from Apple is for a method of informing a user that their phone/device may lose signal before it happens (i.e. if you’re driving along a road it will say “you will lose signal in 15 seconds, allowing youthe driver to pull off the road so you can finish your conversation or upload that twitter update (”I’m now losing signal”). I would have thought with multiple cells and changes in signal strength based on the number of users of a cell that these sort of calculations would be very difficult — Is this patent more for your home network devices or just to tell you how far you can get from StarBucks before your iPhone loses their Wifi?
Patent: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION OUT OF RANGE INDICATION
Inventors: Lee, McKillop and Schell
Pat ID: 20080125106
Abstract:
With respect to a wireless network, an out of range warning provides an estimate of an amount of time remaining until a wireless device is out of range of the wireless network. In this way, the user is presented with an opportunity to take corrective measures, if desired
Apple Bluetooth Device Finder
Apple Finder of Lost Objects
Are you like me — do you have more electronic gadgets than you can keep track of? where is that wireless mouse? where is the BlueTooth headpiece for the phone? Where is the damn phone? where is my GPS etc etc etc. Apple engineers have been staying up nights worrying about reuniting lost Apple gadgets and their owners and have come up with a system for using BlueTooth to allow you to use your computer or iPhone to use Bluetooth to find Bluetooth devices (and according to the patent your keys, wallet, TV remote, garage door opener)- either by electronically figuring out where the object is (Apple suggests a number of means including; utilising directional or multiple bluetooth transmitters on your computer; by timing how long responses take; or by reducing down the signal strength to get an idea of the distance to the object), or by sending a signal to the gadget telling it to make its presence known (by beeping or flashing lights etc). Additionally, they suggesting BlueTooth dongles to your keys and other loseables and never losing them again… if Apple pulls this off I can see a Nobel Prize for Steve.
Small items get lost. These items, such as keys or remote controls, often are close by, but can be out of sight. The resulting search for such objects is tedious, annoying and sometimes unsuccessful if the objects are never found. Some devices have been designed to aid users in locating lost objects. Such systems traditionally transmit a radio frequency signal to a transceiver which reacts by broadcasting an audio or visual alarm.
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