Information and Links
Join the fray by commenting, tracking what others have to say, or linking to it from your blog.
Apple Integrated Sensing display
Apple integrated sensing display- patent- 20060007222
Apple invents 1984’s
Interesting patent from Apple- incorporates the camera into the screen:
An integrated sensing display is disclosed. The sensing display includes display elements integrated with image sensing elements. As a result, the integrated sensing device can not only output images (e.g., as a display) but also input images (e.g., as a camera).
An interesting idea- basically you look at your screen and it looks at you- using the space between pixels (i didn’t know there was that much space!)
A lot of patents come to nothing so we’ll see. The iSight camera integrated into the iMac and MacBook seems to indicate they don’t need this technology. It would make a good digital mirror though- apply a few flattering core-image filters and it’d be perfect!
Apple has a few suggestion as well:
11. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is used in a portable communication device.
12. The device of claim 11, wherein the portable communication device is a telephone.
13. The device of claim 11, wherein the portable communication device is personal digital assistant.
14. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is used in a computer monitor or a television.
16. The device of claim 15, wherein the device is a medical device.
I think an iPredator invisibility suit would be a much better use!
Though, maybe some big brotheresq goverment will do a bulk order for the TV version ala “1984
Behind Winston’s back the voice from the telescreen was still babbling away about pig-iron and the overfulfilment of the Ninth Three-Year Plan. The telescreen received and transmitted simultaneously. Any sound that Winston made, above the level of a very low whisper, would be picked up by it, moreover, so long as he remained within the field of vision which the metal plaque commanded, he could be seen as well as heard. There was of course no way of knowing whether you were being watched at any given moment. How often, or on what system, the Thought Police plugged in on any individual wire was guesswork. It was even conceivable that they watched everybody all the time. But at any rate they could plug in your wire whenever they wanted to. You had to live — did live, from habit that became instinct — in the assumption that every sound you made was overheard, and, except in darkness, every movement scrutinized.
The inventor listed is Michael Uy:
iMovie Product Manager – Apple
As iMovie Product Manager for Apple, Michael Uy is responsible for positioning, marketing strategy, and on-going development of iMovie worldwide. Uy joined Apple in 2000, where he worked in Worldwide Developer Relations to manage key developers creating solutions for computer graphics and digital video. He worked to bring such products as Alias Wavefront’s Maya and ToonBoom Technologies’ Studio to the Mac platform. He also worked with digital camera vendors to adopt the QuickTime file format. Prior to joining Apple, Uy worked at Sony Corporate Headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, as a project manager in the Global R&D Strategy Department. He has also authored a case study on 3D game consoles for the Harvard Business School and an IT policy analysis report for the Japanese government. Uy received his bachelor degree from Harvard University and a Masters from joint studies at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government and the Harvard Business School.
and some lovely images from the patent (captions added by me):
Wireless transmitting iPod Patented by Apple:
A patent from Apple gives an insight to their thinking for the future development of the iPod in November 2004.
Other Apple articles at Hrmpf.com
Peter Power’s Photos
Interesting. Apple’s suggested uses seem very broad! ‘medical device’ could be so many things! I guess I haven’t read many patents, they’re probably all that broad… I like your ‘mirror with filters’ idea though!