Apple Granted 56 Patents Including MacBook, iPhone, And AirPods Technology

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office published 56 Apple patents Wednesday. These patents are related to a range of devices including MacBooks, iPhones, and even its Bluetooth headphones — the AirPods.

One of the patent includes advanced environmental sensors which could double up as emergency warnings. These sensors can help an iPad or an iPhone detect dangerous gases in the vicinity of the device. Once such gases are detected, these devices can issue evacuation warnings and potentially save lives.

According to the patent, the company’s sensor can detect many gases including carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, alcohol vapor, water vapor (humidity), propane and other fuels, volatile organic compounds, ozone, nitric oxide, nitrogen dioxide, benzene, methane, hydrogen, oxygen, and others. It is not clear yet if these sensors could also be used for health-related applications. Apple had originally filed the patent back in 2015 but was granted it only in 2015.

Another patent details a cellular MacBook. The patent entails that a MacBook could work like some iPad models which offer both Wi-Fi and mobile data connectivity. This means that users will not have to depend on just Wi-Fi or Ethernet for connectivity, but rather they would be able to depend on mobile data accessed from a telephone application. It means that MacBooks could also have an Always On mode. These features might let the company’s laptops compete with the new range of hybrid devices, which have similar functionality.

This application could rest on a special connectivity related hinge on the MacBook.

According to the patent, “ Control circuitry may be used to run software on the device [MacBook], such as internet browsing applications, voice-over-internet-protocol (VOIP) telephone call applications, email applications, media playback applications (e.g., applications that display moving and still images on display 14), operating system functions, etc. Communications protocols that may be implemented using the control circuitry include internet protocols, wireless local area network protocols (e.g., IEEE 802.11 protocols--sometimes referred to as WiFi), protocols for other short-range wireless communications links such as the Bluetooth protocol, cellular telephone protocols, etc.”

It essentially means that the MacBook could have much more applications than it currently has using the new cellular protocol.

Another patent relates to Apple’s wireless earbuds — the AirPods. The company has patented seven new designs for AirPods with the varying placement of the speakers and microphones.

Other patents include mobile device management applications and predictive user assistance. While not much is known about this applications, chances are that they may pick up from the new artificial intelligence based Siri.

Another interesting patent is “light guide structures for display backlights,” which indicates the use of special backlighting to save battery.

A detailed list of patents is available on the Patently Apple website.