For everyone who ever wondered why we couldn’t track planes in flight, a professor from SUNY Fredonia has answered the call. We’ll get into that in a bit. First, we’ll talk about Blackberry bursting back on the scene with a patent license deal to Timex, a few fun Tesla patents, iRobot’s big court win, and, of course, Apple. Let’s get started.
Blackberry’s Back with Patent License Deal for Timex
Just as everyone had sort of accepted the fact that Blackberry was out of the picture, they came raging back this week with a lucrative patent licensing deal with Timex. While the details of the deal have not yet been divulged, it’s probably a good guess that the smartphone company’s patent might be used by a timepiece company to create a new smartwatch.
This is how using patents to see what innovation is coming down the pipeline might also work for you.
iRobot Wins an Important Patent Dispute
We’ve worried in the past that iRobot might face some infringement on their autonomous vacuum cleaner. Their Roomba has been copied by more than just Samsung, and one of those copycats now has to pay damages. Micro-Star International, maker of computers and components, will cough up an undisclosed sum.
It’s nice to see the iRobot is well able to protect their intellectual property without putting a damper on innovation as a whole.
Tesla’s Battery Swapping System
To charge any electric car right now, you must find a charging station. But other electric items can be repowered by simply swapping out the battery. That’s the logic behind the latest Tesla patent, which will make it possible for their cars to simply swap batteries and keep on moving.
Of course, it’s not as easy as just pulling the battery out yourself. There’s a massive machine needed to lift your car so that a technician can access the right parts. That means drivers will still have to locate facilities that cater to their specific cars. On the upside, getting back on the road will take about half the time it takes to charge the battery with the Tesla Supercharger.
Tesla’s Model 3 HVAC System
If you’ve seen any of the images of the Tesla Model 3, then one thing may have struck you as odd: There are no vents in the dash. How are people supposed to control their environment in their cars if there’s no vent?
The latest Tesla patent explains everything. There are, in fact vents; you just can’t see them. Patent images show two intersecting planes of air for vertical control, and then fins that control the horizontal output. It’s all slyly hidden behind a single slot.
Apple Patents Wireless Air Pods Charging Case
Looks like Apple is working to go as wireless as possible, at least as far as their mobile devices are concerned. This particular patent shows a case that can both store and charge the Bluetooth-connected earbuds. Users need not worry about using excessive energy, as the case can also detect when the Air Pods are present and when the lid is open. It’s a pretty cool piece of innovation, if you ask us.
SUNY Professor Patents Flight Tracking Technology…Finally
No one will soon forget the Malaysian flight that disappeared in 2015 without a trace. With only a short time to find the black box, we all knew we’d probably never know what happened to it. The question on everyone’s lips was, “Why can’t we track airplanes? Uber can track their cars.” Now, a professor from SUNY Fredonia has answered the question.
Not only is the technology helpful for tracking planes in the event of a crash, but they can also monitor the flights while they’re still in the air. The professor, Junaid Zubairi, believes his invention will render the black box obsolete, and that his system could be in wide use in as little as two years. Is it the answer we’re all looking for? We hope so.
Patents Tell the Future
We recently posted an article to Huffington Post in answer to an article by the Wall Street Journal: New Way to Track Auto Innovation: Patent Filings. In our article, IPVision founder Joe Hadzima discusses using patents as a way to tell the future. That’s exactly why we share this news with you—to help you better see the future of innovation. Knowing what’s coming down the pipeline not only shows you what you can’t make, it also shows you what you can. For some guidance as you navigate your next innovation, give us a call.
