“Apple has received a Granted Patent that relates to a MacBook that could utilize a unique Clutch Barrel antenna structure,” Jack Purcher reports for Patently Apple.
“The design hold two interesting features,” Purcher reports. “The first is that the clutch barrel antenna structure could carry 3G capabilities allowing a MacBook to offer telephonic services. The Telephonic MacBook was thought to be first introduced last August, but we now see with this newly granted patent, that this project may have started as early as 2008. Since that time, Apple has been aggressively filing patent applications throughout 2010 and 2011 (one, two, three and four). It’s a forming trend that is certainly illustrating that Apple’s industrial design team, lead by Jony Ive, is trying different approaches in creating the perfect Telephonic MacBook.”
Purcher reports, “The second attribute of today’s invention is that a hinge structure would allow a MacBook to ‘rotate relative to the base of the laptop computer.’ This is very much like the second or third generation Ultrabook design spec that will allow an Ultrabook to transform into a tablet for simple reading, surfing and/or scribbling with a Smart Pen.”
More in the full article, including Apple’s patent application illustrations, here.