Possible new locking device for G5 or Laptops

[Peyote]

just found this while snooping around:

http://patimg2.uspto.gov/.piw?docid=US006363759&PageNum=1&&IDKey=CA2F3FDEFAB6&HomeUrl=http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2%2526Sect2=HITOFF%2526p=1%2526u=/netahtml/search-bool.html%2526r=5%2526f=G%2526l=50%2526co1=AND%2526d=ft00%2526s1=apple.ASNM.%2526OS=AN/apple%2526RS=AN/apple


It's a new patent assigned to Apple for some kind of locking mechinism. To me, it looks like it could be a locking cover for a opening latch on a G5 case. Some kind of cover that prevents the door from being opened. Or maybe it's a lock to keep latops closed. Hmmmm...



Here's another:

http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=/netahtml/search-bool.html&r=3&f=G&l=50&co1=AND&d=ft00&s1=apple.ASNM.&OS=AN/apple&RS=AN/apple

This looks like a new text-to-speech method. Something along the lines of speakable items. Zarvox V2.0 anyone?



Here's another:

http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=/netahtml/search-bool.html&r=2&f=G&l=50&co1=AND&d=ft00&s1=apple.ASNM.&OS=AN/apple&RS=AN/apple

This one has to do with translucent overlapping windows for OSX.



New Apple trademarks:

Apple also has a new trademark out (not that new...Jan 17th) for a program called "AppleScript Studio"

"PowerGrade" (April 9) PROVIDING USE OF ONLINE NON-DOWNLOADABLE SOFTWARE FOR USE IN SCHOOL MANAGEMENT, NAMELY, MAINTAINING ATTENDANCE, GRADES AND OTHER STUDENT AND SCHOOL RECORDS.

That's about all I could find. There's a few other new patents (all new patents have been granted this month) but they're not very interesting.

[cb911]

not all that interesting, but its good to see that Apple is developing all these small things. this must mean that they have bigger things in the works.

[krossfyter]

why couldnt this just be a locking mechanism made for apple laptops in general? why do you think its for the G5 only?...if you thought that.

[digitalrampage]

Thats the door off the back of the old iMac's dope's!

The barrel is the lock that keeps the ram cage closed... Take a look and see for yourself

[digitalrampage]

To note : It probably took 2 or 3 years to get something so simple (stupid) patented, explaining the date...

[Mr. Anderson]

Oh, this is funny. I know one of the engineers who works with the PTO and her job is to review all 'locks' that come in for patents. She had to have worked on this, ha.

The patent process does take a long time. You have to make sure that there aren't already patents on similar items. You can't get a patent by improving on existing designs, it has to have some uniqueness, something patentable.