Palm envy: Apple applies for inductive charging dock patent 50
by Robert Werlinger Sun, 18 Jul 2010 2:22 pm EDT
Apple has been sending all kinds of love Palm's way these days, from its recently revealed intention to purchase (and even fund) the the venerable handset maker to CEO Steve Job's admission that the company makes "good" software. The latest has Apple taking a page from Palm's Touchstone technology with a patent application titled "Methods and Apparatuses for Docking a Portable Electronic Device That Has a Planar Like Configuration and That Operates in Multiple Orientations", that would cover the inductive charging of a device such as an iPhone or an iPad. It's looking like Palm users won't be the only ones enjoying an elegant inductive charging option in the near future.
Via: UberGizmo; Source: AppleInsider
50 Comments
As long as we can still keep pinch to zoom.
I hope they don't get it. BTW, just as Apple didn't "invent" capacitive screen, palm did not come up with induction charging. They both simply applied existing tech to smartphone, and do not deserve patents for it; IMO.
I hope they don't get it too, this is inevitable tech. It's almost a stupid as patenting plug-in charging.
@taharka, but inductive charging was alpha at best for public release until Palm implemented it in a retail package.
IIRC some of the pre-palm inductive tech was lighting a light bulb (at least that's what I remember reading about).
I think the inductive chargers for things like electric toothbrushes would beg to differ on the "alpha at best" assertion.
I'd say the multiple orientation induction tech is the patentable part of Palm's Touchstone tech.
They were alpha in the current required to charge a Pre. An electric toothbrush charges much slower.
But the tech has been around in many devices for years. It is just a two part transformer.
Some of the other posters have already corrected you on the "alpha" statement. All ill add is this: even if it were only alpha, it still could not be considered as created by palm.
My apologies, really never knew electric toothbrushes were using induction over a year ago.
Also if so many were using it, how/why did Palm win awards for it? (serious question, not trying to be a dick)
As I said in my OP, not saying Palm invented it, but to my knowledge had seamed Palm perfected it for retail performance. When I was reading about it (almost a year before I got my Pre) I never saw any news article mention and/or compare it to current consumer retail use of induction.
My guess is they won awards the same way Apple got praised for allowing you to idea finger instead of a stylus. I don't think any of the awards were anything "official". In the end, I really don't know. I personally think the touchstone is a very cool and useful piece of tech; just not something palm or Apple should receive a patent for.
I almost never used a stylus with my treo but I must admit Apple helped bring it to a new level. I just hope they don't take the Touchstone idea from us. I always thougt it would be cool ifyou could sync your data to your computer like that. Or even hook it to a stereo or speakers like that similar to the way the ipod dock system works.
As much as I would love to see Apple not getting it and to claim Palm invented it, toothbrushes have been using it for at least 5 yrs !!!
Dbl post del'd
So would an inductive data connection be faster than WiFi? It seems silly to me to reinvent the wheel just to transfer data wirelessly when the devices in question already have WiFi. Unless they plan to use it on future iPods that don't do WiFi?
I can't see the multiple orientation induction charging part holding up, Palm's Touchstone is definitely prior art. The addition of data via induction is interesting and justifiably patentable but like I said, doesn't seem worthwhile.
I don't see anything in the article about data.
The AppleInsider article mentions syncing, I assume that would mean data.
I'm wondering, would this infringe on Palm's Patent?
What patent?
iPhone users will swear Apple invented it.
+1
Palm Pre would be hot if someone invented a hot synch function that didn't require data to flow to the cloud if you needed some sensative stuff to remain limited access.
Pre users seem to thing Palm invented "it" too.
WWDC 2011: "Introducing the brand new iTouchstone, you can charge your iPhone4 S (S for signal, not speed) without cables, it's something magical".
I hope HP has the balls to demand Apple if they release an inductive charging dock.
The Palm and Apple discussion will never end.
Duh. competition is ingrained into the nature of life.
It has ended. There is new Apple and HP discussion now. LOL
I don't get it? This is a blatant patent ripoff though.
I can charge my Palm Pre with the Touchstone at ninety degree angles. Put it on the Touchstone upside down and it will charge. Place it on the Touchstone then at 90deg in either direction and it will charge. Try it.
What is the palm patent number for inductive charging. i'll go research if it's infringing.
Once again Apple copies an idea and will probably take credit for the innovation.
HP then needs to start advertising this then so that people will know that it is a ripoff.
One of my cousins who just switched from Palm Pre said that is what he was going to miss most about the phone.
yes Apple does it again... Started w/ windows & Xerox..
What do you mean about Windows? Apple visited Xerox's PARC labs to see its GUI it had created, with the intention/understanding that Apple was creating a GUI product. In exchange Xerox was given opportunity to buy pre-IPO stock from Apple, so at the time it was something mutual between the companies. This whole "Apple stole from PARC" will never die, facts be damned.
It is not about "stolen" technology, it is about the perception that Apple "created" the GUI which is blatantly untrue. Ask 90% of Apple users though, and they will swear it came to Steve Jobs in a dream. They are happy to claim popular credit for creating lots of things they didn't, and this in no way insinuates any illegalities or theft. It's just how they choose to present themselves.
90% of Apple users simply don't think about it with such fervor or intensity as some of you. I think most consumers are just happy if a product works the way they think it should.
Few get caught up in the credit.
Not really. Xerox bought Apple'stocks as an investment but never gave Apple a license for the GUI. This is why years later Xerox sued Apple but it was too late and all end in prescription. So it's true that Apple stole from Xerox.
I never said it got a license from Xerox. Apple sent engineers to Xerox with the expectation they would see Xerox's work to go along with their own work on the Lisa. Apple gave Xerox opportunity to make money off the improvements they would make. I never explicitly nor implicitly said "license".
Honestly, I wonder what took them so long. Every phone company should have a Touchstone.
It's too bad Palm didn't jump on the chance to make back plates for other companies that would make other phones compatible with the original design.
It's going to be hard to improve upon the great design of Palm's TS.
They still could for most Android phones. Apple on the other hand has that closed lid crap.
I can't help but wonder, with the heat the touchstone generates, if that contributes to the poor battery life.
My pre got SO hot when on the touchstone, and everyone knows excessive heat - left in a car, in a window that gets a lot of sun - degrades a battery. Why wouldn't it when on the touchstone?
There is not patent infringement on this issue. It looks like a whole different beast as far as design goes. They can't patent the process of inductive charging, just the device that utilizes the concept which is what it looks like they are doing.
in early testing apple reports that it works well unless you stand too close to the left side...
I'm wondering if this will affect reception too. Inductive charging...but you cannot receive phone calls while on the dock. Be a great FAIL!
sooo no compass?.......
as someone who works very closely with mobile phone patent applications i'd say at a first glance...apple will not get that patent
I can't find the Patent that Palm owns. I found one that Dell owns. "The invention relates generally to portable electronic devices and particularly to a system for inductively coupling such devices to a power source"
http://patft.uspto.gov/netahtml/PTO/srchnum.htm
Patent #5455466
I wonder if maybe they license it?
See, this is why iPhone needs a blinking LED, Rene must not see the tips on his phone and thus not on the front page yet. You all are pretty quick at putting up the competitions news first :D
So, here's why I don't think it's an issue.
Apple's patent relates to having three "electrical interfaces": one in the device, and two on the dock (to accommodate portrait and landscape). This is the central claim that all the others depend on.
Palm only has two "electrical interfaces", one in the device and one in the dock. Because of its setup, it doesn't need that third "electrical interface". That should strengthen their case.
Interesting factoid. According to AppleInsider, the patent was filed in August 2005. Source: http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/07/02/15/apple_may_turn_to_inductio...
you can't patent the idea of charging without wires nor can you copyright it. Not to mention there were already wireless charging methods before the touchstone.
wrong...you can patent the "method" of charging without wires as long as it's tied to a machine, and of course its already been patented, but you can always add new ways to do it
Patent: US 7471062
http://www.google.com/patents?id=3bSyAAAAEBAJ&printsec=abstract&zoom=4&s...
Inductive data transfer? Back in mid 1980s I had a Seiko Datagraph wristwatch I would just lay on a wireless dock and synced with my computer (Apple IIc).