Apple Inc. (Cupertino, CA)
What is a Patent for Mirror accessory for cameras that detect touch.
Search Patent for Mirror accessory for cameras that detect touch.
This disclosure is general in nature and pertains to touch detection.
Electronic devices nowadays offer a variety of options for users to interact with their environment. Users can interact with electronic devices using keyboards, trackballs and joysticks and also via virtual or physical keyboards. A common way for users to interact with information stored on their device is through the use of a touch screen interface. Touch screen interfaces allow the user to directly interact with the display surface by using fingers, stylus or any other object. A touch sensorrecognizes the area that was touched and sends a message to the user.
Mixed reality environments are getting more and more popular. The majority of users use an other input methods to permit virtual objects to interact communicate with actual objects. As an example the user can be able to touch an actual object to communicate with the real object in an immersive manner. Real objects rarely have sensors for detecting any touch by users. While cameras are able to be used for visual touch detection, often a camera cannot provide enough information to enable accurate detection of touch.
One example describes a method for touch detection. One embodiment of the method of detecting touch includes capturing first image data which includes a touch object as well as a target. This is captured from a first perspective. The second image data is also recorded and includes the touching object as well as the surface that is targeted, but the second image data is captured as a reflection of a mirror that is not connected to the surface that is targeted. This method includes the determination of the position of the mirror and the opposing touch object within the scene using the first and second image data. Then a touch status between the touching object in the target surface may be estimated based on the determined pose of thetouching object in the pose of the target surface.
In another way the method can be embodied in computer executable program code and stored in an untransitory storage device. A different embodiment of the method is that it can be implemented on an electronic device.
Click here to view the patent on USPTO website.
Get Patents with PatentPC
What is a patent?
Granted by the government to safeguard an invention, patents grant the inventor with the exclusive right to develop, utilize and sell the invention?society is benefited when a brand new technology is brought to the market. The benefits may be direct terms, as it can allow people to do previously impossible things, or indirectly, due to the opportunities for economic growth (business expansion and job creation) that innovation provides.
A lot of pharmaceutical firms and university researchers are seeking protection from patents in their research and developments. Patents may cover the physical or abstract nature of a product or process , or an approach or composition of material that are new to the area. Patent protection must be granted to any invention that is valuable or novel and is not yet known by other people in the same area.
Patents give inventors a reward for commercially profitable inventions. They are an incentive to inventors to come up with new ideas. Patents permit inventors and small companies to know that there’s the possibility that they’ll be paid back on their time, effort and investment in the development of technology. They can earn money from their work.
Businesses that have the capacity to:
Protect your innovative products and services.
Enhance the value, appearance, and visibility of your products market;
Your business and your products should be distinguished from the rest;
Get technical and business information.
Beware of accidentally using content from third parties or risking losing important information or creative outputs as well as other outputs.
Patents transform inventor’s knowledge into an asset that can be sold, that opens new avenues to create jobs through licensing and joint ventures.
Small businesses that have patent protection are more attractive to investors involved in the development and commercialization of technology.
Patenting can generate new ideas and new inventions. The information you create may be protected by patents.
Patents can serve as an obstacle to unscrupulous third parties that profit from the efforts of an invention.
Patent-protected technology revenues that are commercially profitable may be used to fund technological research and development (R&D) which will increase the chance of better technology in future.
Intellectual property ownership is a way to convince investors and lenders that there are real opportunities to commercialize your product. Sometimes, a single patent can open the door to multiple financing options. Patents as well as other IP assets can be used as collateral or as security to finance debt. You may also present investors with your patent assets to boost company valuation. Forbes and others have stated that each patent can increase the value of your company by as much as $500,000 to $1 million.
Startups require a well-designed business plan that leverages the IP to prove that your product/service is unique and superior or ingenuous. Investors will be amazed if your IP rights are secured or are on the verge of becoming secure, and if they support your business plan.
It is essential to keep your invention private until you submit a patent application for protection. The public divulging an invention could frequently devalue its originality and render it invalid. Thus, disclosures that are filed prior to filing (e.g. for test-marketing investors, test-marketing, or any other business partners) should only be made following the signing of a confidentiality agreement.
There are many kinds of patents, and understanding the different types is crucial to protect your invention. Utility patents cover new techniques and machines. Design patents cover ornamental designs. Utility patents are the most beneficial since they protect the proprietor from copycats and other competitors. They are typically granted to enhance or modify existing inventions. Utility patents also cover improvements and changes in existing inventions. For example, a process patent covers acts or methods of performing a specific act, whereas a chemical composition will include a mixture of ingredients.
What is the typical length of a patent? Utility patents last 20 years after the earliest filing date, but their expirations can be extended due to patent office delays, for example.
Are you looking to patent your ideas? Since patents are only granted for first-to-file applicants, you need to make your application quickly. Contact an attorney for patents at PatentPC to patent your idea today!
Patent searches are essential when you’re writing an application for patent. This will enable you to see other concepts and provide an understanding of their potential. This can help you limit the scope of your invention. It is also possible to learn about the technological advancements in your field of invention. You’ll get a better understanding of what your idea should be and be better prepared to write your patent application.
How to Search for Patents
The first step to obtain the patent you want is to do a patent search. You can do a google patent search or do a USPTO search. After the patent application has been filed, the item covered by the application can be referred to as patent-pending and you will be able to locate the patent application on a public pair. Once the patent office approves the application, you are able to do a patent number search to find the patent that was issued which means that your product is now patented. You can also utilize the USPTO search engine. Read on for more details. Patent lawyers or a patent attorney can assist you with the process. Patents in the United States are granted by the US trademark and patent office, or the United States Patent and Trademark office. This office also evaluates trademark applications.
Are you interested in finding other similar patents? These are the steps to follow:
1. Think of terms to describe your invention, based on the purpose, composition and usage.
Write down a concise, but precise description of the invention. Avoid using generic terms like “device”, “process” or “system”. Instead, look for synonyms to the terms you selected initially. Next, take note of important technical terms as well as keywords.
Use the questions below to help you determine keywords or concepts.
- What is the objective of the invention Is it a utilitarian device or an ornamental design?
- Invention is a method to make something or carry out an action? Is it an item?
- What is the composition of the invention? What is the physical makeup of the invention?
- What is the goal of this invention?
- What are the technical terms and keywords that describe the nature of an invention? To find the right terms, refer to the technical dictionary.
2. Use these terms to find pertinent Cooperative Patent Classifications for your invention at the Classification Text Search Tool. To find the most appropriate classification for your invention, look through the class scheme of the classification (class schedules). If you don’t see any results using the Classification Text Search, you may want to consider replacing the words for describing your invention using synonyms.
3. Check 3. Check the CPC Classification Definition for confirmation of the CPC classification you found. The hyperlink to the CPC classification definition is given in the event that the title of the chosen classification has a blue box that includes “D” to its left. CPC classification definitions can aid you in determining the classification’s scope so that you can choose the one that is most appropriate. These definitions may also include search tips or other suggestions that can be useful for further study.
4. Get patent documents using the CPC classification from the Patents Full-Text and Image Database. You can search and find the most relevant patent publications narrowing down your search to the abstract and drawings representative of.
5. Take advantage of this list of most pertinent patent documents to study each one in depth for any the similarities to your idea. Pay close attention to the claims and specifications. Consult the applicant and patent examiner for additional patents.
6. You can find published patent applications that match the CPC classification you chose in Step 3. You may also employ the same strategy of searching you used in Step 4 to narrow your search results to just the most relevant patents by reading the abstracts and representative drawings for every page. Next, examine all published patent applications carefully with particular attention paid to the claims as well as other drawings.
7. You can search for additional US patent publications using keywords searching in AppFT or PatFT databases, and also classification search for non-U.S. Patents as per below. Also, you can use web search engines to find non-patent literature disclosures about inventions. Here are some examples:
- Add keywords to your search. Keyword searches may turn up documents that are not well-categorized or have missed classifications during Step 2. For example, US patent examiners often supplement their classification searches with keyword searches. Think about the use of technical engineering terminology rather than everyday words.
- Search for foreign patents using the CPC classification. Then, re-run the search using international patent office search engines such as Espacenet, the European Patent Office’s worldwide patent publication database of over 130 million patent publications. Other national databases include:
- European Patent Office (EPO) provides esp@cenet to access a network of Europe’s patent databases with access to machine translation of European patents.
- Japan Patent Office (JPO) – with access to machine translations of Japanese patents.
- World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) offers PATENTSCOPE with a full-text search of published international patent applications and machine translations for some documents, as well as a list of international patent databases.
- Korean Intellectual Property Rights Information Service (KIPRIS)
- State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO) with machine translation of Chinese patents.
- Other International Intellectual Property Offices with online patent databases include Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, India, Israel, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and Taiwan.
- Search non-patent literature. Inventions can be made public in many non-patent publications. It is recommended that you search journals, books, websites, technical catalogs, conference proceedings, and other print and electronic publications.
To review your search, you can hire a registered patent attorney to assist. A preliminary search will help one better prepare to talk about their invention and other related inventions with a professional patent attorney. In addition, the attorney will not spend too much time or money on patenting basics.