“An Apple patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Tuesday describes a portable media carrier that can transfer files and documents to a computer, or any recipient device with a display, after said computer senses the device is near,” Mikey Campbell reports for AppleInsider.
“While not specifically mentioned in the patent language, any iOS device can be used as the ‘media carrier,’ as each is of necessary portability and can host the various type of media described, such as photos, video, music and handwritten drawings,” Campbell reports. “The system is almost completely automated. The host device, being the portable unit, is detected by a second device and initiates a media transfer if it is determined that such an action is desirable. The receiving unit, being a computer or non-handheld device, then inserts the media into an open document window, such as an email message.”
Campbell reports, “To activate the transfer, the patent calls on near field communications (NFC), Bluetooth, a camera or other sensor that can detect the proximity of a portable device in relation to a computer. Once a threshold distance is breached, the system determines that a file transfer is desirable. The patent even notes that even a momentary touch between the devices can be used to trigger the function.”
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“Apple has been razzed for a while now for not having a technology for the iPhone that is similar to Samsung’s Beam that lets users share large files from one smartphone to another using NFC,” Jack Purcher reports for Patently Apple. “Apple’s newly granted patent provides such an interactions and so much more.”
“Apple had the technology mapped out in January 2010, or about 30 months prior to Samsung’s public release of this feature for the Galaxy SIII,” Purcher reports. “Apple credits Douglas Weber as the sole inventor of this granted patent that was issued today by the US Patent and Trademark Office. Considering that the patent was originally filed in January 2010, it would mean that the application must have been made public in early to mid-2011. Translation: it would appear that Samsung may have ‘quickly’ copied Apple’s idea and brought it to market faster. So on paper at least, this would still appear to be a typical Samsung copycat move to me.”
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