Apple Patent Details Flexible Battery Shape for Future Devices

[donutbagel]

Really? These seems like a vague design.

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It's the specifics that are potentially patentable. People here don't seem to understand that the design and the manufacturing process of making these is where the patents are applicable.

Like "slide to unlock". The idea of sliding to unlock was not patented. The specific design was.

 

[pgiguere1]

Now, Samsung created flexible screen while Apple created flexible battery. The war...

How can we expect flexible smartphone in the future without these two companies work together?

I'm not sure why I'd want a flexible phone… Also, don't forget there are a bunch of other components in the phone other than the display and battery that would need to be flexible too if you want the full phone to be flexibe.

A use for a smartwatch would be a lot more relevant, considering the strap has to be flexible and it would be a good place to put a battery if you don't want the watch face to be too bulky and want all-day battery life with the screen on. Apple has shown with the iPad mini that they can make super-thin batteries that last.

 

[newyorksole]

The iWatch is something between the iPhone and a “normal” watch. I do not see the big market.

consumers never see what Apple sees until it's in their hands and they can't live without it.

 

[bbeagle]

The iWatch is something between the iPhone and a “normal” watch. I do not see the big market.

Mac Rumors seems like bizarro world to me.

EVERYONE I talk to would much rather have a watch that they can forget about because it's on their wrist instead of always having to 'remember' to bring their cell phone along. The cell phone gets misplaced at home like a remote control, it's left in the cup holder of your car, it's bulky in your pants when jogging, have to put it down in your bag when you do something like play tennis, then have to remember to take it out. You won't drop it. etc. etc.

I'd much rather have a wristwatch where I can glance at it - oh, so and so texted or tweeted, good. continue on with my day. oh, so and so called, I'll call them back when I'm done here... and rarely use the actual cell phone except in the process of writing a text, looking up a web site or calling someone.

I really think the watch is a complete game changer once the right watch comes out. And nobody has done it yet.

 

[demodave]

[url=http://cdn.macrumors.com/im/macrumorsthreadlogodarkd.png]Image[/url]


An Apple patent application published yesterday (via Patently Apple) by the United States Patent and Trademark office details the creation of a flexible battery shape, suggesting that the company is exploring solutions for future products that may take on a unique shape, such as the rumored iWatch.

[snip]

According to Apple, its flexible battery solution could be used in a number of devices, including "wristwatches, calculators, laptop computers, tablet computers, and/or music players."

[snip]

Apple's much rumored "iWatch" could also take advantage of a flexible battery, as a February patent revealed that the company was experimenting with a potential wraparound touch-sensitive display.

In recent weeks, Apple has filed for a number of trademarks on the iWatch name around the world. According to rumors, Apple has 100 product designers working on the watch, which is likely to launch in 2014.

Article Link: Apple Patent Details Flexible Battery Shape for Future Devices

Looking at the image (which naturally won't come through with my comment) and thinking in terms of a watch band, this seems like a brilliant idea. With all the links of a wristband that are required to completed the wrist-wrap, there would be potential for quite a favorable ratio of volume of battery to volume of "watch". This could indeed lead to quite a long device/battery lifetime.

And if the iWatch (er ... device) only uses low-power Bluetooth to talk to a phone that is happily parked in a user's pocket and the phone handles long-distance data collection, the demand on the device could be quite low, further enhancing lifetime.

That sounds quite nice.

 

[carlgo]

My patent: flat phones. A round phone can roll off of the table and be lost or damaged. A phone having at least one flat side would be stable and safe.

Payment can be sent to support my foundation (I want to build a work shop and it needs one).

 

[samcraig]

Yea I could see this in the watch. Hopefully it wouldnt get to warm though?

that would be a feature!

 

[macs4nw]

Or iPad Smart Cover

One huge back-up battery, with a 2-3 week battery life,...hmmm.....

If this is for the rumored iWatch, you can bet that the batteries will be integrated into the watches wrist straps.

.....an application for embedding batteries in the curve of a over-ear headphone head piece.....

The applications of such tech are indeed limited by imagination only.

One of the most expected patent applications of the last 12 mos, with all those iWatch and flexible display rumors. Curved circuit boards/processors next?

 

[Tamara]

Battery belts

Battery belts have been around for decades....

 

[FirstNTenderbit]

Because Samsung is not the first, nor the only company that "invented" flexible screens? (despite all the "futuristic" demos they've done trying to make you think otherwise.)

Also, I still don't see how a flexible screen could be usable as a touch screen.

What an iWatch needs is not a flexible screen, but a curved touchscreen that doesn't deform when you touch it.

Uhh what? It doesn't even take a small stretch of the imagination to see a combination of flexible battery (Apple) and flexible screen (Samsung) could create a wearable device with excellent battery life and durability.

1. Flexible battery - majority of the band could be the battery.

2. Flexible screen - coupled with a hard substrate could produce a display that resist damage better than glass.

Anyone who wears a watch on a regular basis can attest to the dings they take on a daily basis. Although it may be pure fantasy from me, but... no, it is pure fantasy... I would love to see Apple create a watch using the flex screen. Before their heightened competition, Apple's designs and Samsung's underlying tech made some pretty amazing things.

This is all fantasy talk so it really doesn't matter, but a combination of those two pieces of flex-tech could produce an interesting product.

 

[theOtherGeoff]

Key word = wristwatch

Ding Ding Ding. Question is... will the watch 'dock' to the battery 'strap' or will it be an integrated unit.

Distributing the weight to the strap will make for longer times between charges (you don't want to be connected to a wall wart while working/driving;-), without having a 1" thick 'cube' on your wrist (style is all about sleekness).

 

[jouster]

Well, I'm pretty psyched for the calculator.

 

[Iconoclysm]

The iWatch is something between the iPhone and a “normal” watch. I do not see the big market.

The fitness tracker market alone should be easy to see.

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Now, Samsung created flexible screen while Apple created flexible battery. The war...

How can we expect flexible smartphone in the future without these two companies work together?

Samsung did not create the flexible screen. DuPont has been showing it off since 2001...Samsung merely manufactures it using the methods DuPont developed for them.

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How about OLED displays so thin they're like newspapers that change as news reports change a la "Minority Report"? That would be amazing!

This was also shown off by DuPont long before the movie.

 

[designaholic]

The iWatch is something between the iPhone and a “normal” watch. I do not see the big market.

The iPad is in between a netbook and a smart phone. I do not see the... oh, wait.

 

[Woodcrest64]

Here we go!!

 

[Iconoclysm]

Before their heightened competition, Apple's designs and Samsung's underlying tech made some pretty amazing things.

Samsung's underlying technology? You mean Samsung's manufacturing of something that is not "their" technology. Samsung did not invent the ARM processor, did not design Apple's processors, did not invent flash memory, or just about anything else that Apple uses. Samsung invents ways to manufacture things cheaper and faster...and that's about it.

 

[iMikeT]

It looks like iWatch is definitely happen.

 

[Fruit Cake]

The iPad is in between a netbook and a smart phone. I do not see the... oh, wait.

I don't even wear a wrist watch anymore.. Not sure why I would?

 

[Nightarchaon]

Sadly i see this meaning the iWatch strap will be the battery, which means non-replacable, no-iWatch for me if the strap is anything other than stainless steel, my skin destroys leather straps, rubber straps and any none-sugical steel metals (I have pitted my macbook pros case due to "finger tip grease" like you wouldn't believe

 

[bungiefan89]

Oh, boy... a flexible laptop.

 

[69650]

The iWatch is something between the iPhone and a “normal” watch. I do not see the big market.

There was no market for tablet computers before the iPad and look what's happened since. I think the iWatch has the potential to be even bigger simply because it will cheaper and more mass market.

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Sadly i see this meaning the iWatch strap will be the battery, which means non-replaceable

Why would they do that? It's more likely the battery would be built into the main unit/display like they do with the iPod nano, so you can buy all manner of customised straps and just snap them on. I'm sure the battery will be rechargeable but not replaceable (unless you pay) like they do with all their other iOS products.

 

[Confusius]

Uhh what? It doesn't even take a small stretch of the imagination to see a combination of flexible battery (Apple) and flexible screen (Samsung) could create a wearable device with excellent battery life and durability.

1. Flexible battery - majority of the band could be the battery.

Precisely what I thought as well when I saw the picture. But wouldn't heat from the battery be a possible issue?

 

[OrangeSVTguy]

The only thing flexible I see a battery like this could be is for a paper type product. Like a digital newspaper that can be rolled up and then used to swat that annoying fly.

 

[FirstNTenderbit]

Samsung's underlying technology? You mean Samsung's manufacturing of something that is not "their" technology. Samsung did not invent the ARM processor, did not design Apple's processors, did not invent flash memory, or just about anything else that Apple uses. Samsung invents ways to manufacture things cheaper and faster...and that's about it.

I had to go back and read my own post just to make sure I didn't say Samsung invented anything. I didn't. Maybe my choice of words lead you to your conclusion. Let me see if I can do better:

With Apple's superior design prowess and Samsung's underlying pedestrian manufacturing processes and components (better?), some pretty darn good products came to fruition. The relationship was beneficial to all of us. My whole point was to highlight 2 pieces of tech from Apple and Samsung, that together, could possibly produce something interesting. My intent was never to contribute to the Apple vs Samsung meme. If that is where this is headed, I'd rather not participate. As I read the previous sentence, I realize I could be misinterpreting your intent. Apologies if I am.

 

[Millah]

You see this and think wow how simple ... how is this not an existing patent. Apple you patent geniuses!

The most elusive ideas are often hiding in plain sight. It just takes someone with clear vision to see it. That's been the case throughout history. Think about how many inventions made you say "of course, why didn't anyone else think of that."