Apple has filed new patents today for its iPhone. Some of the items in the new patents include real world object identification, face detection and recognition, text messaging filtering, smart text messages and voice changer.The patents filed today may not be seen for awhile, possibly in the next 4.0 upgrade or in the next iPhone, something we could see next June or July, if the pattern of iPhone releases stay true.
Real world object identification will let users take video or snap shots of places around the world, for example The Pentagon, and then the phone would check a database of similar photos and give detailed information about the landmark. The technology may also check RFID tags and barcodes, almost like Microsoft's Tag, but without the specialized tags. The iPhone can already read Microsoft Tag through an application.
Face detection and recognition could match up tags already stored on the iPhone's photo gallery and match it up with that person when pointing the camera at somebody. The face detection would work very similar to that of the technology already found in most digital cameras that tracks individual faces for a clear image.
The smart text messaging will possibly include two new features like text messaging filters, blocking out swear words, correcting spelling, grammar, punctuation, vocabulary depending on the users age and grade level. The smart text message interface would resend messages that could not be sent earlier, checking the status of a message and resending it again at a later time to cut down on missed messages.
Last on the patent is the voice output on your iPhone, allowing users to customize voices for eBooks and other applications like turn-by-turn GPS. The patent shows a list of voice change options from the basic male or female voice, also including celebrity voices using different accents, emotions using your own voice, if you wish to let the iPhone read an eBook to your children, and even download a voice.
its not the principle that they patent as much as the tech behind it ( they way they do it) afaik
+1
ahh... iSee...
iSaw what you did there
Exactly.
Another example: using that thinking, if someone applied for a patent to "reduce the size of files by applying compression," we'd be stuck with only one format instead of dozens and dozens of compression algorithms, which at the end of the day do one common task: reduce the size of files. Restricting a specific implementation to a patent holder allows others to find sneaky ways to get around it, but still implement a similar result: see the recent story about the FAT patent.
At the end of the day customers really don't care how it's done, they just want the end result. If you think you can find an easier and more effective way to get the task done, by all means go ahead and claim the implementation for yourself... if you've done the hard work.
You don't think that as soon as something else has "object identification" Apple won't try and sue them for patent violation?
Last edited by Seņor Fake ASDF on 10 Jul 2009 - 13:49
How would they be able to patent this, when MS has not only patented this, but even showed a working prototype 1-2 years ago at CES or whatever.
Wait.. is apple copying MS... unpossible
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