“On September 15, 2005, the US Patent & Trademark Office revealed Apple’s patent application 20050201047 entitled Camera Latch. The inventor listed is Christoph H. Krah for serial number 800166, originally filed March 12, 2004. In this report: Background and Summary of the Invention along with special sections entitled Specific Points of Interest and Symbol Illumination System,” Macsimum News reports. “The following Apple invention relates to a unique Camera that’s built right into a Laptop computer via a new latch. The patent states: The portable computer includes a base. The portable computer also includes a lid that pivots relative to the base. The portable computer further includes a latch including a data capture device such as a camera that is configured to secure the lid to the base.”
Macsimum News writes, “Having a camera for stills or video conferencing built right into a laptop is long over due. In order for iChat AV to be ubiquitous, Apple has to provide this built-in feature on all their laptops. In addition, the fact that the camera will also be considered for other applications is very interesting, especially for the iPod, standard monitors and yes even televisions. The unit’s ability to use a functional illumination system to provide users with various status conditions could be interesting. When the unit is closed, the latch could be assigned a color LED scheme that could notify you that that new email has arrived or that someone is urgently trying to reach you via iChat AV for a work related brainstorming session or urgent problem. I’m sure that you could think of other unique applications here.”
Full article, along with links to the patent application here.
Haven’t Sony’s Vile-o laptops been doing this for ages?
Cool – but not as cool as my patent for a laptop lid latch built into a camera. One never knows when they have to latch a laptop lid when using their camera.
Makes you wonder why they haven’t built a camera into the imac – Other than that they then can’t easily charge for an isight.
Future Powerbooks may incorporate this.
Retinal scans AND voice authorization.
a la Octopussy: “Oh, Steeeve!”
The iSight Camera, as nice as it is, is about 3x as expensive as it should be. Why Apple has not included at least a simple webcam on it’s consumer desktops and laptops is a mystery to me.
– Haven’t Sony’s Vile-o laptops been doing this for ages?
Ya, but they never set the trend and not many companies wanted to copy or follow, just like the earlier MP3 player before iPod.
Apple will make this one so appealing that every others companies will make this as a standard thingy.
Remember, only Apple can set the trend.
long overdue indeed! I hope this comes as soon as next week! lol
Wouldn’t it be more beneficial to Apple and the platform, in general, if sites like Macsimum News kept their traps shut when they saw patent applications like this? “Hello McFly!!”
So which is it, you zealots? Apple’s an innovator and people who copy are unoriginal weasels? Or Apple’s bold for copying unpopular technology?
>>The iSight Camera, as nice as it is, is about 3x as expensive as it should be.<<
I’ve seen a lot of Web cameras, and those under $100 definitely look it. Any with comparable video and audio have prices similar to (or higher than) the iSight.
Dear PC Apologist
You seem to spend a lot of time on these Mac forums? What’s the matter, got nowhere else to play?
Go to PC Daily News and try your luck there!
You are an annoying chap to say the least!
A Pajero in fact!
Pete,
Is that your way of dodging the question?
PC Apologist,
I bet you’re one of those guys who goes to gay clubs “just to see what they’re like.”
In other words, you’re a clost Mac Lover.
Damn, I meant CLOSET.
I hate bad spelling.
mac and pc zealots are both idiots.
it’s clear Apple is a better innovator then Microsoft. that said, all of Apple’s ideas are not completely original…they often refine and develop ideas to great implementation. that is one of Apple’s strengths.
the mac/pc head divide is almost as dumb as the partisan line divide on political issues.
Take your homophobia Jimbo, and shove it up your arse.
Dear PC Apologist
I didn’t know I had a question to answer?
Nothing personal, just taking the mickey. Stay cool dude!
Keep adding to the forums, your input is essential to keep us Mac wankers in line!
Go Pajero.
Pete
Jimbo,
That was f*cking hillarious! Good one! Note to AGM, lighten up Frances.
What’s a wanker? Strange sounding put down of some sort obviosly.
Dear All, and in particular Fos,
A wanker is a quaint English/Australian term for someone who plays with his willie!
I have accused PC Apologist of this and I am wrong. He really is a nice man and we need him on these forums to keep us Mac W….kers honest.
love you all. Keep up the good work.
Pete
1) Zealot or not, I love the way Apple designs their stuff, innovative or not.
2) I dont see anywhere on the Sony Vaio site that mentions a built in camera, I see where you can buy an external one they made (please show it too me)
3) Apple takes these half baked ideas and thinks them through completely, gives them great industrial design and improves the original idea, whereas MS and its ilk takes great ideas, dumbs them down and gives them a different name. Look at MP3 players, before Apple created the iPod, no one bothered to worry about the UI efficiency or cared well they work with the accompying software. Apple innovated the space with how the device should work and look, everyone else likes to add partialy thought out ideas, call them features, and wonders why they are not hits? What good is a player without content? This is why video players aren’t going anywhere.
But if Apple wants to get iSights into the hands of consumers they need to lower the price to $99.00. The iSight is better than anything on the market, but people don’t NEED them, it’s just for fun right now and not really a necessary accessory. If the price were lowered more people might be inclined to buy one just to see if they like it or not. And I have a DV camera and I simply use that, I would think there are quit a few others that do the same thing.
Seriously folks, what sort of technology would be needed to put an Apple standard (Quality) camera into the top of a laptop screen that is already only 1/2 inch thin?
The boys are good but not that good! Apple would not offer anything less that what they offer today and it might be long time before something as good as iSight is intergrated into a screen?????
Any techophiles out there want to tell us HOW?
Pete
If Sony can put a 5.1 megapixel camera in a housing that’s less than .75 inches deep [see <objects/AppleStore.woa/72203/wo/6l57VSdR59VD2smfb4mfHnnifmR/1.0.0.15.1.0.6.9.9.17.0.1.1.1.1.2.1.0.1″>Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T7 Digital Camera</a> for an example], then surely Apple can put an even smaller camera of the same quality in the lid of a PB…