Wednesday, September 2. 2009

Palm's Location-based Advertising Patent App

The patent is titled "SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING ADVERTISEMENT DATA TO A MOBILE COMPUTING DEVICE" and many think it's behind the recent "find" that the Pre reports its location back to Palm. That made headlines last month even though users are told in the license it would happen.

The app was made public in August but was filed last year.

- via Boy Genius

Friday, August 14. 2009

Judges Invalidates Encyclopedia Britannica Patent on Interactive Maps

This case has been brewing for some years. Encyclopedia Britannica filed suit against a seven GPS vendors (TomTom and Toyota among them) alleging patent infringement on an old patent about providing data on interactive maps. The case was tossed out by US district judge Lee Yeakel in Austin, Texas since the patent was determined to be invalid.

The patent related to displaying information about locations, something EB did in its electronic encyclopedias. The company felt that invention was being used in navigation devices and began filing suit against GPS and in-car navigation device makers in 2006 and 2007.

- Business Mirror

Tuesday, July 21. 2009

Apple Patent App: Better Estimation of Travel Time

MacNN reports on the application filed in 2008, but only recently revealed. As I understand it, the system uses crowd sourced information, along with specific information about the vehicle in question, for better time prediction. Titled, Adaptive Navigation System for Estimating Travel Times, the patent is authored by Brett Gregory Alten.

via Apple Insider

Friday, July 10. 2009

Update: Let them read and comment on U.S. patent applications

Bad news: the Peer to Patent website was shut down last month (and apparently almost no one noticed). Officially, the pilot was closed, but it doesn't look good for a reopening. Mike Masnick suggests that there was simply not enough incentive for people to review patents before they were given. Comments to his post point out the interface for the site was poor.

- Tech Dirt

Apple ID app Patent Application: More Information About Object Around You

The patent is called "Systems and methods for identifying objects and providing information related to identified objects," or ID app for short. It revolves around a solution for somehow identifying (via RFID, GPS, photo, etc.) an object and then comparing it to a database of objects to provide further information on the object. There are already some apps out there that use photos of objects or photos of barcodes for just that purpose.

- InformationWeek

Wednesday, June 24. 2009

More Location Related Patents for Apple

One relates to "find my phone" type apps (among other things) and a second to using on body (and environmental sensors including GPS) for sports management (managing speeds in a ski area) and broadcasting (providing info on punches in boxing).

- MacNN