“The US Patent & Trademark Office published today a new series of five Liquidmetal patent applications from Apple which were originally filed in Q2 2012,” 3Ders.org reports.
“Two of Apple’s inventions are related to 3D printing,” 3Ders reports. “They are methods of construct[ing] a part with [bulk] metallic glasses (BMG – Liquidmetal) layer by layer.”
According to Apple’s patent applications, “The patent[s] can be used for producing poducts such as smart phone like iPhone, TV monitor, electronic-book reader, an iPad, and a computer monitor,” 3Ders reports. “It can also be used to make DVD player, video game console, music player, such as a portable music player (e.g., iPod), etc. It can be a part of a remote control for an electronic device, or a part of a computer or its accessories, such as the hard drive tower housing or casing, laptop housing, laptop keyboard, laptop track pad, desktop keyboard, mouse, and speaker.”
Read more in the full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Readers “Fred Mertz” and “Lynn Weiler” for the heads up.]
Related articles:
Liquidmetal already in iPhone 5s? Apple patent applications reveal methods for creating Liquidmetal iPhone parts – November 12, 2013
Apple developing two iPhones with bigger 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch curved displays for Q314 – November 10, 2013
Apple patent application reveals methods of forming 3D structures with Liquidmetal – July 25, 2013
‘iPhone 5S’ release date nears as Apple begins mass production of Liquidmetal case, report claims – July 22, 2013
Apple’s ‘iPhone 5S’ to feature indestructible Liquidmetal case, says BGR – July 17, 2013
Apple and Liquidmetal scientists granted new patent that could enable Liquidmetal production on a massive scale – July 16, 2013
Liquid metal exclusively licensed to Apple.
(For IT-related/electronics purposes.)
All that matters to Apple😉
This is fascinating to me, seeing two companies so thoroughly work successfully together to innovate a single invention.
Imagine if this was standard practice in the world.
Imagine all the people…
I have no idea why Apple even spends the time or money on getting patents. The thieves over at Samsung will just violate them anyway and never pay the true price of what their thievery costs Apple.
Think that way and they’ve already won.
Look at it this way. The billion from Samscum will cover Apple’s legal expenses.
It’s the current game Jimg. There are practical, sensible, logical reasons for protecting IP. The ideal is there in our minds with good intentions.
But there consistently are lazy ass parasites and meaningless berzerkers amidst our species who have no purpose and attempt to make sure nothing else has purpose as well. It’s called insanity.
There are also people looking to patent what they know Apple will need in 3 or 4 years and try to beat Apple to it.
Hence, Apple and other product developers need to have ammunition against that and ‘trading fodder’ when another company has technology they will license that Apple needs.
If you think it is bad now it would be far worse if they didn’t bother, indeed they wouldn’t bother to innovate at all in that atmosphere what would be the point and nothing would improve. Indeed if Apple becomes Samsung et al they would die rather quickly so innovation is a vital ingredient even if they are copied.
I’m going to patent “Solidmetal”. Sounds a lot more substantial, eh?
Don’t infringe my patent for “Really Yucky Gooey Metal!”
Still waiting for that “real world” use for LM.
Check out their deals with Lockheed Martin and Omega Watches.
Liquide metal & Sappire, a perfect marriage???