“On Oct 13, 2011, the US Patent & Trademark Office published a powerful group of seven Apple patents concerning the next round of FaceTime videoconferencing innovations. Some of these innovations include new PIP controls, new focus and exposure operations and a superimposing feature,” Jack Purcher reports for Patently Apple.
“The depths of these patents are mind numbing as they cover everything from the camera technology and software magic behind FaceTime through to actual user examples,” Purcher reports. “With Microsoft likely to integrate Skype into Windows 8 in 2012 or thereafter, Apple knows that they have to advance FaceTime with important conferencing features for the consumer and the enterprise user in order to stay ahead of the pack.”
Read more in the full article, which includes Apple’s patent application illustrations, here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Lava_Head_UK” for the heads up.]
Stay ahead of the pack, they’ve been doing that since 1984 they just THINK DIFFERENT
stay ahead? when did apple stay ahead in terms of video conferencing?
Since Face Time™
Now that was simply tooooo easy
I guess that means FaceTime is NOT going to be open-sourced then? I still think they should though, it would make Skypes price to MS very expensive.
These patents have nothing to do with the underlying FaceTime technology. They seem to have to do with new ways FaceTime can be visualized on the iPhone. Others can still use FaceTime if it becomes an open standard (which Apple did claim to be very interested in), they just have to built their own interface.
I don’t think they need to open source it, all Apple needs to do is make a free Windows client.
Some interesting ideas there. I’d like to see Apple open it up to Window users like they did with Safari and iTunes. It should be done by the time the iPad 3 rolls out or Apple’s once leading videoconferencing app will be relegated to the bottom of the pack forever.
What logic leads you to say “forever”?
Picky. Once Apple is out of the loop, it’ll be hard to get back in the game. Do you know that stats between Skype and FaceTime? I’m sure Skype is already in the lead and once built into Windows 8, the numbers will rocket. I like FaceTime, but I like Skype better.
Skype has been around for how many years? and was the ONLY game in town for how long?
FaceTime has been here for just over a year.
and you say built in to windows 8, like everyone will get 8… people are still using XP……
Helloooo! What about iChat? And, in respect to XP, Windows 7 surpassed it in Sept at 450 million units. So yes, windows 8 will do better as it’ll be on 5 times the devices. Skype will crush everyone in its way.
Skype is lead because it works on all platforms.
Apples best innovation would be to recognise the world is not only apple and make facetime and ichat available to all platforms.
Until now i hardly use ichat and facetime. I use skype a lot.