“The US Patent and Trademark Office officially published a series of 7 newly granted patents and 5 design related patents for Apple Inc. today,” Jack Purcher reports for Patently Apple.
“The two notables within this group include one relating to Apple’s iChat feature known as ‘Take Video Snapshot,’ and the other relating to a major granted patent for a multipoint screen,” Purcher reports. “That patent is specifically focused on a larger two handed Tablet or as the patent defines as a Tablet PC”
“It almost appears that Apple held back their tablet, known as the iPad, until certain key patents came to light,” Purcher reports. “Apple’s IPS patent came to light on January 7 and was highlighted in our special report titled Apple’s iPad: Welcome to the Revolution – and on January 26, Apple was granted a major multi-touch tablet patent covering such things as a larger virtual keyboard which debuted on the iPad in connection with their word processor called ‘Pages’ and Apple’s Mail.”
Purcher reports, “Todays granted patent represents Apple’s third patent in this quarter thus far – and further protects Apple’s multi-touch technologies against challengers and would-be competitors such as Google.”
There’s much more in the full article, including Apple’s patent application illustrations, here.