Archive for February, 2007

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Host configured for interoperation with coupled portable media player device

Sunday, February 11th, 2007

Title:  Host configured for interoperation with coupled portable media player device

Patent application publication number:  20070033295

Publication date:  February 8, 2007

Filing date:  September 27, 2006 (priority to October 25, 2004)

Link to PDF:    (26 pages)

AIPW Summary:  This application relates to transferring images between devices (generally a host device and a portable device), including modifying the image format so that it can be displayed properly on the receiving device. The image is modified at the host device before transfer to the portable device, so that the computing load is carried by the host device and saves battery power at the portable device (paragraphs 0039-0040). This process can be accelerated by storing an image profile on the portable device, and then only downloading images that fit the profile from the host device.

Related cases:

Posted in iTunes software-related patents, Published Apple patent applications | No Comments »

I ran outside today!

Sunday, February 11th, 2007

While that doesn’t seem like much (especially if you read the running blogs of the folks listed to the right who are all hardier than I), I haven’t run outside in almost two weeks. Mostly due to the frickin’ cold. I have learned over my almost seven years of running (this latest stretch only) that I really can’t handle it when it’s below 20F, either with or without the wind chill. That may seem kinda wimpy, but I don’t like starting out a run and then having to bag it part way through because I can’t get warm. I put on the warmest close I have, including the balaclava. I looked like a goober (even moreso than usual), but at least I was a warm goober.

I did use Karen’s treadmill twice this past week, and it was fairly awful. First, because I’ve never really run on a treadmill before and I find it insanely boring (probably because there’s no TV down here in the office where the treadmill is) and I don’t like wearing headphone when I run (chalk that one up to living in Center City for over six year and having far too many vehicular run-ins when I could hear everything). Second, the treadmill is at least 10 years old. The belt rubs from time to time, so I have to run to one side for a little to move it back over. It’s not worth trying to have it fixed. I could only stand about 20 minutes per run.

If I don’t hit the treadmill more, running the Caesar Rodney half in a month will be rather rough. Check the course elevation map (scroll down a bit on the page) – yes, miles 5-7 are a bit rough due to the uphill, but the real kicker is the last 0.1 hill. You round a corner, knowing that the finish line is getting close because crowds are starting to form along the roadside, and then see the hill. “You’ve got to be kidding!” seems to be the response of those who haven’t seen it before. At least, that was my reaction, and I knew the hill would be there.

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Organizing information in a computer system

Saturday, February 10th, 2007

Title: Method and apparatus for organizing information in a computer system

Patent application publication number: 20070033537

Publication date: February 8, 2007

Filing date: July 31, 2006 (priority to April 30, 1992)

Link to PDF: (49 pages)

AIPW Summary: This application relates to organizing information into piles, each pile being a collection of documents. The piles can be displayed and manipulated graphically and can automatically be separated into subpiles, based on the document contents. The piles concept addresses the problem that users are lazy and don’t generally want to categorize their documents into folders (i.e., the folder metaphor stinks), leading to a top-level folder containing many unrelated documents (see paragraphs 0007-0009). This invention helps by putting the documents into easily sortable piles.

This application is a bit odd, because it only has one claim. Though it is a very broad claim, which reads on the general pile concept. A little more investigation into this patent family may be in order (I can’t promise when that will be).

Related cases:

Posted in Mac OS-related software patents, Published Apple patent applications | No Comments »

Multi-language document search and retrieval system

Tuesday, February 6th, 2007

Title:   Multi-language document search and retrieval system

Type:  issued patent

Patent number:  7,174,290

Issue date:  February 6, 2007

Filing date:  July 7, 2003 (priority to November 30, 1998)

Link to PDF: 

AIPW Summary:  A system for multi-lingual searching and indexing. A string of text is separated into individual words (tokens), with non-indexable tokens being removed. The words are then reduced to their grammatical stems and indexed. A problem with this process is that it is language-dependent. This invention improves both phases to be multi-lingual by removing accent marks from words and word endings from multiple languages. For example, during the tokenization phase, words that would not normally be indexed in one language would not be indexed from any language. The patent gives the example of the word “the” in English (which would not be indexed) and the word “thé” in French (which would be indexed). Under this invention, the string “the” would not be indexed, since in English it would not be indexed (see column 5, lines 21-41).

Posted in Issued Apple patents, Miscellaneous Apple-related software patents | 1 Comment »

Extensible, replaceable network component system

Tuesday, February 6th, 2007

Title:  Extensible, replaceable network component system

Type:  reissued patent

Patent number:  RE39,486

Issue date:  February 6, 2007

Filing date: April 3, 2003 (May 5, 1995)

Link to PDF: 

AIPW Summary:  This patent presents a different (although not unique) case because it is a reissue of a previously issued patent (6,212,575  ). A broadening reissue case (like this one) can be filed up to two years from the issue date of the patent to be reissued (which, in this case, was filed on the two year deadline). A broadening reissue permits the patent holder to reopen prosecution of the case to attempt to obtain broader claims than in the originally issued case. The reissued patent adds claims 14-20 to the case.

This patent relates to a platform for developing network navigation components that can operate across different computer systems via APIs. Components are designed to provide a specific service, and can be added and removed without affecting the overall operation of the system. Figure 4 provides a good overview of the system. According to the patent, this invention relates to the OpenDoc operating environment (OpenDoc background; OpenDoc developer documentation).

Posted in Issued Apple patents, Mac OS-related software patents, Miscellaneous Apple-related software patents | No Comments »

Transmission of AV/C transactions over multiple transports

Monday, February 5th, 2007

Title:  Transmission of AV/C transactions over multiple transports method and apparatus

Patent application publication number:  20070027998

Publication date:  February 1, 2007

Filing date:  September 28, 2006 (priority to February 16, 2000)

Link to PDF: 

AIPW Summary:  This application relates to transferring audio/video control (AV/C) data over a FireWire interface. The AV/C control protocol over a Function Control Protocol (FCP) via a FireWire bus is described. This invention separates the AV/C protocol from the AV/C transport, allowing the AV/C protocol to be used over multiple kinds of transports. As shown in Figure 2, but separating the AV/C protocol layer from the transport, the AV/C transport layer can act as a transfer point to different protocols, such as FCP, Serial Bus Protocol (SBP), and IP.

Posted in Published Apple patent applications | No Comments »

Transferring stored data between a media player and an accessory

Monday, February 5th, 2007

Title:  Method and system for transferring stored data between a media player and an accessory

Patent application publication number:  20070028006

Publication date:  February 1, 2007

Filing date:  May 22, 2006 (priority to April 27, 2004)

Link to PDF: 

AIPW Summary:  This application relates to the iPod dock connector, and utilizing the connector to transfer data between an iPod (made generic in the application to a media player) and an accessory. To transfer data, a unique identifier for a file is obtained from the player or the accessory. The unique ID and the file are returned and the file is accessed.

Posted in iPod-related hardware patents, Published Apple patent applications | No Comments »

Hot unpluggable media storage device

Monday, February 5th, 2007

Title:  Hot unpluggable media storage device

Patent application publication number:  20070028009

Publication date:  February 1, 2007

Filing date:  October 4, 2006 (priority to July 23, 2002)

Link to PDF: 

AIPW Summary:  An existing problem with removable media storage devices is that the device could be unplugged from the host computer while a data transfer is occurring, leading to data loss and/or data corruption on the storage device. According to this invention, the storage device is “prepared” to be removable at any time, without the possibility of data loss or corruption. The device is mounted to the host computer during a synchronization process and is unmounted once synchronization is complete (paragraph 0032). A media database in both the host computer and the storage device is used to perform the synchronization.

Posted in iTunes software-related patents, Published Apple patent applications | No Comments »

Configuration of a computing device in a secure manner

Sunday, February 4th, 2007

Title:  Configuration of a computing device in a secure manner

Patent application publication number:  20070028109

Publication date:  February 1, 2007

Filing date:  July 26, 2005 (priority to November 12, 2004)

Link to PDF: 

AIPW Summary:  A computing device (including a media player or a mobile telephone) can be configured by providing configuration data to the device, instead of providing an updated executable program to the device. The configuration data is digitally signed to verify its authenticity. One example given is purchasing songs through the iTunes store.

Posted in iPhone-related patents, iTunes software-related patents, Published Apple patent applications | No Comments »

Secure software updates

Sunday, February 4th, 2007

Title:  Secure software updates

Patent application publication number:  20070028120

Publication date:  February 1, 2007

Filing date:  July 26, 2005 (priority to November 12, 2004)

Link to PDF: 

AIPW Summary:  A method for updating software (in either stationary or portable devices) includes authenticating the updated software and determining whether the update is appropriate for the device running the software. A particular example given of a use of the method is for updating DRM software. The update process includes checking the current version of the software running on the device. The device connects to a server and checks to see if the current version running on the device is the most recent version available. If there is a more recent version available, an encrypted update is downloaded and installed on the device. For a mobile device, this can be a wired or a wireless process.

Posted in Mac OS-related software patents, Published Apple patent applications | No Comments »

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