Samsung Patents a Tri-Fold Phone That Uses Shifting Magnets to Hold Its Shape
Folding a phone once is tricky engineering. Folding it twice, and keeping all three panels locked exactly where you want them, is…
2051 filings · category
Hardware patents
The Big Tech patents worth knowing in hardware, in plain English. Updated weekly from new USPTO publications.
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2051 total
Qualcomm Patents a GPS System That Cross-Checks Satellites to Fix Its Own Errors
Your phone's GPS is only as good as the satellite signals it receives, and those signals can be distorted by buildings, atmosphere,…
Samsung Patents a Grip-Tuned Magnet System for Keeping Stylus Pens in Place
Sliding a stylus back into a phone sounds simple, but getting it to snap in firmly without being a pain to pull…
Qualcomm Patents a Way to Wake Your Screen the Instant the Chip Wakes Up
Every time you tap your phone screen, there's a tiny delay while the processor boots up and then tells the display to…
Qualcomm Patents a Way to Recover Detail Lost During Low-Light Photo Cleanup
When a phone cleans up a grainy low-light photo, it often wipes out real detail along with the noise. Qualcomm's new patent…
Samsung Patents a Way to Keep Colors Consistent Across Different Phone Cameras
Every camera sensor sees color a little differently, which is why a photo taken on your phone's main lens can look slightly…
Samsung Patents a Foldable Phone That Vibrates Differently When Folded
Your phone's vibration feels different when it's folded shut versus lying flat open, and Samsung thinks that's a problem worth solving at…
Intel Patents a Translator That Lets Computers Talk Directly to Microphones and Speakers
Inside most smartphones, audio chips talk to the processor over a specialized low-power bus called SoundWire. Intel's new patent describes a small…
Apple Patents a System That Changes How Audio Plays Based on Which Device Asked
Imagine your iPhone asking your HomePod to play music and getting a wide, room-filling sound, while your Apple Watch asking the same…
Samsung Patents a Camera That Switches Lenses Automatically When You Clip On an Accessory
Clip a lens attachment onto your Samsung phone and the camera reroutes itself to the right sensor without you lifting a finger.…
Sony Patents Technology to Save Battery by Slowing Parts of the Screen
Your phone's screen wastes energy refreshing parts of the image that aren't changing. Sony's new patent describes a way to slow down…
Samsung Patents a Foldable Phone Speaker That Redirects Sound When You Fold It
Every time you fold your phone shut, the speaker grille gets partially blocked. Samsung's answer is a second speaker hole that only…
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