[Everything Goes]

Apple are trying to patent Wireless Charging. The basic technology dates back to 1826 and induction is used in a multitude of electronic equipment. Wireless charging has been commonly used in toothbrushes for decades. So obviously Apple had a time machine

Apple are obviously going to try and sue any mobile phone company who incorporates this technology. Nokia are using it in the 920.

Innovative Apple will no doubt patent fire and wheels next

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/12...arging_patent/

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/20120303980.pdf

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contact...nergy_transfer

[Stuart_h]

the whole patent thing is getting very silly now. Im all for people protecting their inventions but its gone way beyond that now !

[Zack06]

Obviously upset at the Lumia and Nexus....

[Anika Hanson]

Apple to Patent Breathing

[Roush]

I'm intrigued. People are saying this already existed, but where are the computers that provide wireless power to their own accessories, such as keyboards and mice?

Do they exist?

[IvanIV]

Here's another one to patent. Stick zinc and copper electrodes up Tim Cook's arse and it produces electricity.

[Stuart_h]

Originally Posted by Roush

I'm intrigued. People are saying this already existed, but where are the computers that provide wireless power to their own accessories, such as keyboards and mice?

Do they exist?

well there are already phones out on the market that have wireless charging ......

to be fair to apple they are patenting inductive charging over distances but this too has been around a while....

http://www.whathifi.com/News/JAPAN-S...ystem-for-TVs/

[Gormond]

Originally Posted by Stuart_h

well there are already phones out on the market that have wireless charging ......

to be fair to apple they are patenting inductive charging over distances but this too has been around a while....

http://www.whathifi.com/News/JAPAN-S...ystem-for-TVs/

There are many ways to do wireless charging, chances are Apple has patented one way.

Sounds pretty cool though, saves having to charge peripherals.

[Helbore]

They really ought to introduce some sort of penalty for patenting an existing technology. Or just employ people who know what they're doing at the patent office so such crap doesn't happen in the first place.

[Gormond]

Reading the patent it seems to do with the resending of power to daisy chain devices, sounds interesting.

So the keyboard would receive power from the computer and resend a portion of this to the mouse using NFMR.

Nothing is wrong with the patent system IMHO in the case of devices like this.

Ohh and to the people above complaining, you clearly didn't read the patent application as its got nothing to do with inductive charging as seen in the Lumia 920 and Nexus 4.

[grumpyoldbat]

If the patent system works properly it should be about patenting a previously unregistered implementation of something i.e. inventing a new technology or a new way of achieving an existing technology.

The key is the new implementation. If you're just patenting something that someone else has done but didn't bother to register, that's wrong. If you've figured out a new, better way of doing something, then fair enough.

[Stiggles]

Originally Posted by grumpyoldbat

If the patent system works properly it should be about patenting a previously unregistered implementation of something i.e. inventing a new technology or a new way of achieving an existing technology.

The key is the new implementation. If you're just patenting something that someone else has done but didn't bother to register, that's wrong. If you've figured out a new, better way of doing something, then fair enough.

But the principle is still wireless charging which they didn't invent. I heard this exact thing talked about years ago in a tech programme. Also I'm sure a power company talked about this a while back as well.

[m4tt24]

There have been phones out with wireless charging for nearly 4 years, the palm pre with its touchstone (some have recently converted their S3's to use the touchstone)

[Roush]

Originally Posted by Stiggles

But the principle is still wireless charging which they didn't invent. I heard this exact thing talked about years ago in a tech programme. Also I'm sure a power company talked about this a while back as well.

If you significantly improve an existing invention then you can patent the improvements that you've made.

So far, wireless power is essentially just a gimmick really when it comes to consumer devices. The direction Apple are going in with this patent is an invention that will deliver wireless power in a way that actually delivers tangible benefit to consumers, such as computers powering their own peripherals, and handling the charging of multiple devices.

[munta]

Originally Posted by Stiggles

But the principle is still wireless charging which they didn't invent. I heard this exact thing talked about years ago in a tech programme. Also I'm sure a power company talked about this a while back as well.

They are pattenting a particular implimentation rather than the implimentations already being used.

If Apple patented the wheel people would be rightly pissed off. But if Apple pattented a wheel that was self supporting by magnets, had no spokes or hub and was powered by sunlight then that would be fine. However, no doubt parts of the internet would still go mad that Apple were patenting "the wheel"

[moox]

Originally Posted by Roush

I'm intrigued. People are saying this already existed, but where are the computers that provide wireless power to their own accessories, such as keyboards and mice?

Do they exist?

There are replacement batteries and bottoms for some mice, including Apple's Mighty/Magic mice, no less, that provide inductive charging.

There are a number of phones that do it too, and of course things like electric toothbrushes as well.

[call100]

Still only one loser in the end...........The consumer...

[munta]

Originally Posted by call100

Still only one loser in the end...........The consumer...

Why? If its an implimenation that hasnt been designed or implimented yet why would it be bad for the consumer?

[MGS4SnakeRulez]

Apple will patent farting next

[barky99]

Originally Posted by munta

But if Apple pattented a wheel that was self supporting by magnets, had no spokes or hub and was powered by sunlight then that would be fine. However, no doubt parts of the internet would still go mad that Apple were patenting "the wheel"

suspect something similar already exists, Sbarro have probably either built it or have one coming soon already patented

[munta]

Originally Posted by barky99

suspect something similar already exists, Sbarro have probably either built it or have one coming soon already patented

Ok - It seems Sbarro have produced a hubless wheel concept car. But its not powered by sunlight And there was me thinking the example I gave would be new. So instead I will say...

If Apple patented a wheel made of rasberry jelly and ice cream that was 20% more fuel efficent and had 20% more grip in wet and icy conditions then some people would still be throwing a fit that Apple had patented the wheel.

Is that any better

[Gormond]

Originally Posted by moox

There are replacement batteries and bottoms for some mice, including Apple's Mighty/Magic mice, no less, that provide inductive charging.

There are a number of phones that do it too, and of course things like electric toothbrushes as well.

That is using magnetic induction that requires the devices to be very close to each another, essentially 2 coils that store energy in the form of magnetic fields, when the field from one coil overlaps the second it generates a current in the second coil.

Apple is using something called Near Field Magnetic Resonance that itself isn't new (Witricity did this, as well as things like RFID tags but in a larger scale) but using it to daisy chain devices is a new implementation of it.

Again they may not get the patent as Witricity may already have one but this isn't how your toothbrush charges.

[call100]

Originally Posted by munta

Why? If its an implimenation that hasnt been designed or implimented yet why would it be bad for the consumer?

Because I've decided it will........

[grumpyoldbat]

Originally Posted by Stiggles

But the principle is still wireless charging which they didn't invent. I heard this exact thing talked about years ago in a tech programme. Also I'm sure a power company talked about this a while back as well.

As someone mentioned above, a patent is supposed to relate to a very particular implementation, not the basic concept of something. This is usually where problems with the system arise. If it's done correctly, only completely original implementations should be patentable.

[twogunthom]

I'm going to patent the Helicar. Its a car that gets you out of teatime traffic jams by means of a rotar propeller concealed in a secret compartment in the roof, you just hit the copter mode button. I've got the drawings done all I need now is for someone to invent it then I'm suing.