Apple granted patents covering push-to-talk and new slide-to-unlock features

[Justin Kahn]

Apple was granted a large cache of patents earlier this week by the US Patent and Trademark Office, one of which points at the company possibly being interested in push-to-talk technology.

Among about 45 other patents, the push-to-talk filing is described as a technology which allows users to initiate conversation that gets wired across cell or broadband networks and a feature specific server before hitting the destination. Similar to technology Nextel offered some time ago, it essentially amounts to a walkie-talkie like system for your smartphone where multiple users can communicate at once without any range limitations.

In June of last year, AT&T released a free iOS app that allowed for very similar functionality called Enhanced Push-To-Talk. The service currently requires a AT&T wireless service plus a monthly Enhanced PTT subscription to access, and can handle up to 250 users in a single walkie-talkie like conversation.

While there is no particular evidence that Apple is considering implementing a seemingly dated technology such as push-to-talk in its modern devices, the patent filing does show the company at least has some interest in it. Some kind of innovative take on push-to-talk features could be an interesting addition to Apple's mobile line-up.

Other patents Apple was granted this week cover digital content management, location-based services and a slide-to-unlock technology that is somewhat related to a patent in question at the current Apple vs. Samsung trial. According to Patently Apple, it sounds like a more advanced take on what we see now with slide-to-unlock and possibly something we may never see fully implemented with Touch ID now in use.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/56313-apple-granted-patents-covering-push-to-talk-and-new-slide-to-unlock-features.html

 

[VitalyT]

Ready to puke whenever I hear about Apple or Google being granted yet another patent. Those companies hold way in excess of 30,000 patents between them, so whoever thinks this makes a news worth writing about should get another job.

The technology is whoever worth covering

 

[Jad Chaar]

The push to talk is interesting. It will allow the iPhone to reach new markets/niches.

 

[Guest]

Would love PUSH-TO-TALK implemented in iMessage

 

[HellcatM]

The push to talk is interesting. It will allow the iPhone to reach new markets/niches.

Really? Push to talk has been around for years on other platforms. Nextel, Sprint and other carriers added this. apple just stole another patent.

Slide to unlock? Didn't they already have this? Haven't they been suing over this bogus patent? If they didn't have it the judge should drop that out of the law suite and why is this even patentable? What is apple going to patent next, holding your phone up to your ear to talk? Then they'll sue Samsung for that one too.

 

[Guest]

To Hellcat, you are over simplifiying what it is that the patent is on. Its NOT on simply "slide-to-unlock", its the process on how its done. You can go make a slide to unlock system, but can't use apple code.

 

[HellcatM]

Samsung's code isn't the same. Their code says to slide from left to right to open and right to left for camera. Its part of the same code. So if apple would have made after the fact slide right to left to start camera Samsung would have been able to sue them? I think they're just fishing. apples biggest scheme is to put any and all Android manufacturers out of business so they don't have to compete. That is what this is about. If apple didn't feel threatened by Samsung or HTC they wouldn't have used. They even said that they're suing because Samsung took possible business away from them. Ok, so that's business, when someone makes something someone else wants they the consumer buys it. apple motto should be "if you can't beat them sue them".

Also if it weren't for Samsung (their screens, ram and processors) the iphone may have been delayed for a while. Also Samsung pushed apple to develop their own processors (but they still use other companies RAM and screens) so Samsung pushed apple to do something on their own.

 

[SNGX1275]

Really? Push to talk has been around for years on other platforms. Nextel, Sprint and other carriers added this. apple just stole another patent.

I had a phone back in 2001, Nextel I guess, was a motorola phone that had PTT. It was pretty cool, but then the industry abandoned it. I'm sure there is some reason for that..

I didn't rtfa, but I don't think you did either, because since it existed a long time ago, it should have already been patented. So surely what Apple patented is different than what existed over a decade ago, if it isn't different, then shame on Nextel for not doing it back then.

 

[MrBlkfx1]

Apple granted more patents.... Like others, I thought this tech was introduced years ago. I wonder what variation of PTT Apple patented.

 

[HellcatM]

Really? Push to talk has been around for years on other platforms. Nextel, Sprint and other carriers added this. apple just stole another patent.

I had a phone back in 2001, Nextel I guess, was a motorola phone that had PTT. It was pretty cool, but then the industry abandoned it. I'm sure there is some reason for that..

I didn't rtfa, but I don't think you did either, because since it existed a long time ago, it should have already been patented. So surely what Apple patented is different than what existed over a decade ago, if it isn't different, then shame on Nextel for not doing it back then.

After Nextels push to talk Sprint came out with another version of it. They still use it today, though I think now its pure software based...they call it direct connect now.

 

[wastedkill]

Apple stealing yet more technology :/ Why do apple get granted soo many patents its like the patent office has no life what so ever and has no real understanding of anything I bet you could be awarded a patent for breathing and taking a dump they are that stupid.

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

The push to talk is interesting. It will allow the iPhone to reach new markets/niches.

I'll assume what you probably mean't to say it will allow iPhone to reach deeper into your back pocket.

 

[OliTheG]

That is a good point. It is already in common convention, and could be considered "obvious" and a product already invented, both in terms of software AND hardware (think padlocks)

Getting the patent is a disgrace, and I have no clue why the US Patents office is not account to liability and a complaints commission, similar to many organisations in place in the UK to prevent such actions from organisations that hold large amounts of power.

 

[MikeAcker]

Ready to puke whenever I hear about Apple or Google being granted yet another patent. Those companies hold way in excess of 30,000 patents between them, so whoever thinks this makes a news worth writing about should get another job.

The technology is whoever worth covering

push to talk has been around since the days of CB radion and slide to unlock was used on the shed door back in 1856 fac

 

[Guest]

JC713 said:
The push to talk is interesting. It will allow the iPhone to reach new markets/niches.
14 hours agoGuest said:
Would love PUSH-TO-TALK implemented in iMessage

Typical Apple users...excited about technology that's been around for years. There are multiple apps that do the exact same thing. The iPhone now is not much different from the iPhone 5 years ago.

 

[lipe123]

Ready to puke whenever I hear about Apple or Google being granted yet another patent. Those companies hold way in excess of 30,000 patents between them, so whoever thinks this makes a news worth writing about should get another job.

The technology is whoever worth covering

push to talk has been around since the days of CB radion and slide to unlock was used on the shed door back in 1856 fac

Haha that was beautiful! I can just see Apple's lawyers showing up at every farm soon suing them for sliding open their doors cause its their patent.

These patents getting handed out on things that everyone already uses and exists in multiple forms on other platforms is totally stupid.

 

[Guest]

Push-To-Talk was already invented before iPhone invented..even before Symbian invented. Back then, I always used this feature (called PTT) on my cell phone (yeah, a feature phone), so I'm using my cell phone just like walkie talkie.. And now apple is getting this patent???

 

[Jad Chaar]

I'll assume what you probably mean't to say it will allow iPhone to reach deeper into your back pocket.

You know me well .

 

[Guest]

A patent is designed to protect novelle intellectual property so as to allow the developer opportunity to recoup development and commercialisation costs.

As other posts I remember an early Nokia hand set offering PTT as a built in feature - reason it is not common globally is that it was not a feature widely deployed.

The technology is not novelle merely an iteration of widely available public knowledge so any one up for guessing when this will arrive in a California court to the further detriment of consumers?

At least someone saw sense when Google tried to trade mark the single word "Glass"

 

[Raoul Duke]

They will attempt to patent "the Apple way to hold the phone", after all wasn't their initial response to complaints after the release of one model of an iphone "your holding it wrong"