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Apple Files Patent For New Proprietary Port
rwise2112 writes "Apple proposes a solution to multiple port requirements within limited space: the two in one port. The port is described as a 'Combined Input Port,' where two different interfaces could be in one port. The input port includes an outer wall defining a receiving aperture, a substrate positioned within the receiving aperture. One set of contacts is configured to communicate with a first connector and the second set of contacts is configured to communicate with a second connector. Looks like another addition to the special Apple cable lineup."
Samsung and HTC, and doubtless others, invented this first. My Galaxy S3 has a combined USB, HDMI and audio port. My ancient HTC Hero had a combined USB and audio port. Different connectors used different pins.
It seems like anything is new and worthy of patenting if it's on a computer, on the internet or on an Apple :-(
const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
Oh, fuck.
bad enough every video cable is an adaptor, now what, more? [groans]
I've fallen off your lawn, and I can't get up.
The summary is misleading in so many ways. This is just adding USB to a multi-card reader.
Windows has detected an undetectable error.
Specifically, this port allows either an SD card or USB3 cable to be plugged into the same physical opening. Either will fit.
While the submitted made their hatred of all things Apple very clear, they also made clear that their rage obscures their ability to read.
The patent is clearly for one port that you can plug multiple standard cables into -- so there is no call for the "looks like another addition to the special Apple cable lineup" snark.
This is just cramming two ports into one space (in the example, SD and USB) so you can add more functionality to the sort of thin & light products that Apple is obsessed with. No need for a "special Apple cable", since the whole point is that it can accept several standard interfaces.
What is it with Apple engineers and 1000 different connectors? Do they have a dongle fetish?
Normally I'm not a fan of the jump on the poster bandwagon, but this title and description could not be more misleading. The patent is on the idea of making one port take two standard connectors. The example used is a USB-or-SD Card physical form factor.
The design does not use "proprietary port"(s), rather it builds on existing standard port designs.
The design does not require a "special Apple cable", indeed the entire point is that standards compliant devices (not just cables, but things like SD cards) will just work.
As to the merits, it seems to me like there is probably prior art, and it may also fail the obviousness test. I'm not sure this is an idea that deserves patent protection. As devices get smaller, thinner, and lighter, I do think this is a great idea to reduce the physical space needed to provide all the ports a user might want.
The difference is that you have to pay Apple $5 for a license.
It's better to vote for what you want and not get it than to vote for what you don't want and get it.
- E. Debs
The idea might have deserved patent protection; I don't think you can say it's "obvious" to figure out how to cram multiple connectors into a single port and make them work. There's some neat engineering that goes into making that happen. The problem is that somebody else did it first; eSATAp, which combines eSATA and USB in a single port (and can be used as either an eSATA port, a USB port, or with a special connector that combines the two) predates the patent filing by several years, if nothing else.
So many jokes, so little time ...
Lost at C:>. Found at C.
I see you didn't read the article.
As to why you don't buy garbage, that's between you and the product descriptions that you also must fail to read.
That's not what they are doing here. Those sort of "one port, many protocols" thing has been around for a while. What this is, is a design for a port that can accept a standard USB cable or a standard SD card (not both at the same time) into one port, depending which one you needed to use at the time.
The apple bashing "lolz need a special connector" snark in the summary is nonsense, as usual, but apple bashers typically have their reading comprehension obscured by the fog of hatred. It's funny, because they're often pretty decent with technology and basic reading ability otherwise.
That's what this is. A USB port (that accepts normal USB cables) with the ability to also accept SD cards to save space on the device so you don't need two ports.
Okay, that's just trolling right there.
First, this is not a proprietary port, as that implies that it takes proprietary plus. It is a proprietary connector that takes standard plugs and SD cards.
Second, to the best of my recollection, not counting power connectors or internal card slots, Apple products have used only four truly proprietary ports in its entire history: the two iPhone dock connectors, the Apple high density video connector (early PowerPC desktops), and the HDI-30 external SCSI connector (68k era laptops).
All the other connectors that you seem to think are proprietary are either existing industry standard connectors (e.g. mini-DIN-8 serial and DB25 SCSI) or are connectors that Apple designed and made available as part of industry standards that it helped define (e.g. FireWire 400/800, Mini DisplayPort, and Thunderbolt).
Check out my sci-fi/humor trilogy at PatriotsBooks.
why is it that you were incapable of actually reading TFA and discovering that the patent is very narrowly for a combined USB/SD port, making every apple-bashing word about how you have some whatever combo USB cable irrelevant?
Is it that when you see apple and patent in the same sentence your mind turns off rendering you unable consider that in this case, the patent is a valid functional patent?
Democracy is a sheep and two wolves deciding what to have for lunch. Freedom is a well armed sheep contesting the issue
You'd actually have a point if you could plug SD cards into eSATAp ports. The difference in function & design is what renders this patent valid.
Democracy is a sheep and two wolves deciding what to have for lunch. Freedom is a well armed sheep contesting the issue
A man who was line-camping for the new iPhone is first into the first store stocking the item. He's there even before the employees.
The Apple Genius shows up looking rushed with a large white suitcase and says "Sorry to disappoint you, but we only have one iPhone to sell today due to the number of them that were pre-ordered online. So you there, first in the line, come with me." He opens the store and gets behind the counter, the man in the line walks up to the counter ready to receive his new phone.
The Genius pulls a small, sleek black box from behind the counter and hands it to the man. The man runs towards the door and is almost out when he notices the Genius running after him dragging the big suitcase he came in with, yelling:
Wait! You forgot the cables!
"When information is power, privacy is freedom" - Jah-Wren Ryel
Some have near-field communications and wireless charging. There's no need for wires.
My personal opinion is wireless charging works but isn't great. It does add complexity and cost to a device but at reduced performance. 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac is everywhere: why do servers need Ethernet anyways?
Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.
That's a strange accusation to make considering the patent explicitly states that the USB/SD combo is only an example of the general concept, and that the patent covers any such combination. I specifically point you to paragraph 54 of the actual patent, which directly contradicts everything you just wrote.
The application says that USB/SD is one example but that it could apply to many others as well:
"The foregoing description has broad application. For example, while examples disclosed herein may focus on an input port for receiving a USB plug and a SD card, it should be appreciated that the concepts disclosed herein may equally apply to connectors and plugs. Similarly, although the input port may be discussed with respect to a computer, the devices and techniques disclosed herein are equally applicable to any type of device including an external connector for transferring data and/or power."
>Even though I understand the idea, isn't there any standards conforming alternative?
Then you don't understand the idea, because this is just a way to save space by having one port accept either a standard USB cable or an SD card. This is probably for the next-gen 11" MacBook Air, because it doesn't currently have room for both.
As far as this quesiton for previous products?
Dock connector: No, there was no standard that was capable of handling power (multiple voltages), serial, USB, Firewire, composite video, S-video, audio in and audio out.
Firewire: No, there was no standard 400 Mbps peer-to-peer auto-configuring connector.
Thunderbolt: No, there's no standard near that league.
DisplayPort: It was a VESA standard, Apple was just the early adopter. Apple did come out with a mini DP connector, and licensed it freely, and it is now part of the standard.
Lightning: No, there's no standard connector that can auto-reconfigure to send whatever type of signals over whichever pins you want.
Personally I *like* having wired connections for charging, plugging in video out, plugging in headphones, etc.
There are basically no high-quality bluetooth headphones for listening to music, and can you imagine how long it'll take before every single monitor/tv out there can accept wireless video signals? Also, if you have inductive charging as your only option it immediately makes all of the aftermarket usb chargers useless.
Now I *would* appreciate ports with waterproof covers/plugs.
Actually, I think the ethernet/CF idea is spot on Apple's diagram in this patent. You'll notice they use two sets of contacts, one for SD, one for USB. In Apple's case they are at different depths, the SD card slides in further by the physical shape of the connector, hitting the deeper contacts.
Display Port is a bad example because it's one physical port that does two things electrically. Those headphone / AV out jacks on things like camcorders would would be another example. Those concepts are based on taking one physical form factor and doing two electrical things.
My Universal power strip idea is a bad example because it's multiple physical port types, but they all access the same thing, so there's no electrical difference.
But the Ethernet/CF idea is darn similar, take two physical ports and just find a way to physically overlay them in less space.