This week, Nissan applies for patents on self-driving vehicles and the resignation of the Director of the USPTO remains shrouded in mystery.
It’s another week in living…so it’s also another week in patent-related news, activity and controversy.
Check out some of the top stories from the world of intellectual property, patents and research and development below.
USPTO Director’s Position is Still Unfilled…
Michelle Lee, who was appointed director of the USPTO in 2014 by President Barack Obama, announced her resignation from her post on June 6, and she did not provide an official reason for her departure.
Now inventors and innovators are curious as to who will take over the position in the coming weeks.
Lee was the first woman in history to hold the position of USPTO Director—and she was previously employed as the head of Google’s massive patent office.
Her resignation comes as a bit of a surprise most notably because she had announced in mid-March that she would, in fact, continue to serve as the USPTO’s director under President Donald Trump’s administration.
While no official explanation for Lee’s departure has been given, there has been no shortage of speculation. Rumors in the IP and patent community assert that Lee was not an official candidate for retaining the position of Director moving forward in Trump’s term as President. Others assert that replacement candidates were being interviewed as early as February.
When Lee took over the role of Director in 2014, the post had been vacant for two full years. Her history at Google was considered a sign of hope for the office and the future of innovation in America, but opinions on her effectiveness as Director were largely mixed.
Despite wavering support for Lee as Director, a coalition of tech industry members banded together earlier in the year to ask Trump to keep her in the position.
Gene Quinn at IPWatchdog discussed a need for a director who would view patents as private property and assign them the same rights. The current culture of instability surrounding innovation in the United States has led many inventors to keep their ideas trade secrets instead of seeking patents—and that’s a big problem, Quinn says.
There is no word yet on a potential replacement for Michelle Lee.
Nissan Applies for Multiple Patents for Self-Driving Cars
Nissan, the Japanese auto giant, has applied for several very interesting patents related to self-driving cars.
In a May 25, 2017 article on their website titled “THE FUTURE IS NOW: Nissan plans to build commercially viable autonomous-drive vehicles on the road by 2020,” Nissan referenced its autonomous car goals.
“Working alongside researchers from the world's top universities, including MIT, Stanford, Oxford, and the University of Tokyo, we’ve put more than 80 combined years of research into the development of autonomous drive technology,” the article states.
This week, it was revealed that Nissan has, indeed, applied for several patents related to new self-driving car technology.
The series of patents includes methods for calculating a car’s travel route, traffic light recognition technology, and autonomous vehicle positioning recognition. There were also several patents for technologies that assist vehicle drivers and control vehicle activity.
All of the patent applications were submitted to Indian offices according to Business Standard, where Nissan plans to unveil many of their self-driving car technologies.
Nissan also announced a target date of 2020 for rolling out their first ProPilot autonomous vehicle. However, the company were careful to point out that the first iteration of their self-driving cars would utilize a combination of Artificial Intelligence and human support.
Apple Has Been Granted a Patent for Sleep Technology On Your Smartphone
According to PatentlyApple, Apple, Inc. has been at work on a sleep-related smartphone technology since 2014, when they hired a sleep expert to help develop sleep-related products for their brand.
On June 27, 2017, Apple was granted a patent titled “Adjusting alarms based on sleep onset latency.”
The patent covers a technology that adjusts a user’s smartphone alarm based on the time they actually fall asleep.
Since many people take a substantial amount of time to fall asleep after they get in bed, many users are not meeting the required 7-8 hours of sleep they need to function each day. Apple’s technology would adjust their alarms or suggest an earlier bedtime based on the amount of sleep they actually get each night.
The technology also covers methods for tracking a user’s particular sleep patterns, using sensors embedded in the user’s mobile device. The technology also includes methods for identifying adverse sleeping behaviors and helping users set and track their individual sleep goals over a period of time.
Having trouble sleeping? Apple’s got your back.
The Battle for Blue Ivy Goes to…Blue Ivy
Back in January of 2016, Beyonce Knowles and BGK Trademark Holdings (her company) filed a 2nd trademark application for the BLUE IVY CARTER standard character mark, for use on a wide range of consumer products.
Now, an event planning firm named Blue Ivy, which was founded in 2009, has filed a notice of opposition to the most recent trademark filing.
Since beginning their company, Blue Ivy has gained a reputation for being one of the top wedding planning services in the country. They were even mentioned in Conde Nast magazine, which helped nab them clients from Florida to California and all around New England.
After learning of BGK Trademark Holdings’ application to trademark the BLUE IVY CARTER name, Blue Ivy founder Veronica Morales fought back against the trademark, saying Beyonce never intends to use the trademark on any products.
Morales cited a magazine article from 2013, where Jay-Z (Beyonce’s husband) said the intent in gaining the trademark was to prevent others from using the name (which belongs to the couple’s daughter) and not to use it on products themselves.
Blue Ivy submitted a motion for early discovery in the case on May 17, and was granted that motion by the Trademark File and Appeal Board on June 21st, on the grounds of no bona fide intent and even fraud against the USPTO.
We’ll keep you posted on this story!
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