“Apple has filed for a patent describing expanded Apple TV/Front Row functionality, including live iChat and broadcast TV programming as part of potential future Front Row features. The filing illustrates a process for associating widgets with content displayed by a multimedia center application, with one example revealing a yet unreleased version of Front Row and/or an Apple TV remote that includes a new set of Widget Keys,” MacNN reports.
“Apple filed for another 46 patents alongside its new Apple TV/Front Row application. The highlighted patent describes the display of real-time information, live iChat session widgets, text messaging widgets, and more. The addition of such features would expand Apple TV’s functionality to allow full communication right in the living room without the need to sit down at a computer,” MacNN reports.
More info and patent app illustrations here.
So pleased to see Apple taking this approach to patents.
Unlikely they want to throw them around or enforce them, but it sure stops all the useless parasitic patent baggers out there…
If Apple were to offer a viable alternative to cable TV (subscription v.s. pay-per-download), I just may subscribe. I don’t want to pay for each episode, but I would happily replace my existing service for something that makes sense. Of course, there would need to be comparable content–Network and local stations, sports, news, premium packages, etc. They’re getting close to making that a reality, but they’ve not quite reached that point.
I can see iChat on Apple TV really taking off too, especially for people communicating with loved ones, such as those in the military.
Add DVR to the mix, and you’d have a real winner!
APPLE!
Just buy Sony and get it over with.
This set of patents appears to be very significant. A rich TV and internet experience on a television without a computer. Maybe the the big hedge funds will let Apple’s stock price rise again.
so that USB port could be used for a web cam?
we love iChat, but sitting on the couch with the whole family, chatting with our extended family would be too cool, versus everyone crowed around the computer!
I would love to see Joost on Atv, or something similar, and a subscription to HBO!! bye bye Direct TV
TV RSS.
I dig my Apple TV with my new HDTV. Can’t wait for the new software to arrive that will allow our family to rent from the couch. We have completely changed our living room and our “entertainment” life has already changed. I don’t care if I ever own another movie but having our music, pictures and movies we make for sports or whatever is unmatched by anyone around us.
As a sports coach, it’s worth everything. If I could hook-up to live chat and speak with players/coaches while each watched content, I would never again have to have them all over. We already are light-years ahead of our competitors, this would make our teams and coaches a dynasty! Go Apple!
I wonder if their patents will lead to an iSight camera plugged into the AppleTV USB 2.0 port to support iChat?
I said way back when Apple TV first came out, after looking at the effect of displaying photos, that video iChat on HD big screens is going to be a killer app.
Awesome. Video chat with a friend who’s on the other side of the country while watching your favorite teams, movie, whatever. Great idea. This will get me to buy an Apple TV. The video chat alone would have done that.
AppleTV with iChat would be so cool.
all of our cousins could stay in touch and my kids could video chat with the grandparents.
make it work Apple!
@Marty McFLY
Why? When Apple can save themselves a couple billion dollars and still create better products than Sony ever could. There is no point in Apple getting into all those other markets and spreading themselves out too thin. Apple offers products that are very specialized and fun use and they do this more so than anyone else.
So I ask why would Apple want to step into an area that would just weight them down and take away focus. Lean and mean is why Apple is able to do what it does and Microsoft understands this which is why MS was broken down into divisions.
clinicaltechmaster: “This set of patents appears to be very significant. A rich TV and internet experience on a television without a computer. Maybe the the big hedge funds will let Apple’s stock price rise again.”
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To be most accurate, the AppleTV is a capable OS X computer already. It’s just partially dumbed down by the software. The AppleTV is already a nice experience, but if they would just turn on some of the additional great Mac OS X software, it would really be a rich internet and multimedia experience. Even just giving us a Safari browser like the iPod touch has would be great. Add iChat video, and AppleTV would blow people’s minds.
@ ReneLA–
Actually, Microsoft was ordered to break up into different divisions. There’s a big difference.
Now Apple TV is looking veddy interesting….glad Apple is finally on board with this. It has potential. streaming TV, internet surfing, could be very cool.
AppleTV is a computer. Just because they call it something else doesn’t mean it’s not a computer.
I’m gonna have to get a better couch.
Time to head down to the Sofa King/La Z Boy Showroom…..
Apple TV is the future. Even though I’m not planning to dump cable, I can see this device becoming at least, a GREAT complement.
If one day Apple TV features iChat + iSight + all the extras, then GAME OVER. The iPod success will even look ridiculous.
I hope this portends an overhaul of the Dashboard subsystem. It, sadly, appears to be largely untouched in Leopard. So much more could be done with Dashboard in OS X. Hello? Dashboard Spaces? The idea is practically a no-brainer.
Could this patent be a part of the Apple TV 2.0 software update delay and the announcement at the end of the month? Deals recently finalized? I don’t believe Apple wants to see Apple TV fail to take off again. They may be dedicating their best engineers and making partnerships for a jaw dropping update. We shall see.
Bringing your s*x chats to your couch and HDTV in the livingroom…oh the possibilities are beyond your average wet-dream.
If AppleTV could be an all-in-one PVR with a Satellite/Cable reciever box with CAM (Conditional Access Module) slot. I’ll definitly buy one. At the moment you cant do any PVR functions with AppleTV from any broadcast tv signal. Its pretty obvious the Apple TV is capable of so much things. Its just being crippled by Apple Inc. They are trying to control all the content that can be used with the box around iTunes. If your an overseas Mac fan which the iTunes store is not available. That AppleTV thing is kind of useless, If all you can watch from the internet are stuff from Youtube and others are your own personal home movies and dvd ripped collection.
AppleTV is not the first product to envision this type of user experience. Remember the old AOLTV service? It included overlays like this, including chat and instant messaging features tied to the channel being viewed. Very cool for its day.
AOL has already been awarded patents for these and other technologies. There were also synchronized games to play along with broadcast TV, and news and sports scores, and interactive tie-ins with TV commercials.
It’s questionable whether all of Apple’s patent applications will be approved. There’s tons of prior art of the subject. One of AOL’s patent authors has an interesting post at http://www.broodingsavage.com/journal/2008/2/10/apple-patents-time-machine-appletv.html