6 Apple patents we hope will be used to make actual products

　　2015年12月28日

　　As nectar was to the Greek gods, patents are to the tech industry.

　　It’s not atypical for big players – your Googles, Apples, Microsofts – to add thousands of them to their portfolios every year. While many are granted only to remain unused, the most interesting ones offer sneak peaks at possible future products.

　　Apple may not lead the tech pack in terms of quantity, but many of its patents have a distinctive ‘it’ factor. For example, take Apple’s patent for earbuds that—get this—actually stay in your ears! (Apple seems to have followed through on this one.)

　　If we had our way, the company would consider doing the same on all five patents listed below.

　　1. A battery that lasts days (or even weeks)

　　Filed in March and already approved, this patent for a “portable and cost-effective fuel cell system for a portable computing device” suggests the tech giant is exploring ways to increase battery life for its array of devices.

　　The referenced fuel cells, which most often combine hydrogen with oxygen to create electrical energy, can be far more efficient than other battery types, potentially enabling “continued operation of portable electronic devices for days or even weeks without refueling,” Apple notes in the patent.

　　Even if Apple does pursue this patent, it’ll likely be awhile until it’s incorporated into consumer products. But that doesn’t mean that a day-long—nay, week-long—battery life is an impossibility—just that it hasn’t happened yet.

　　2. Biometric-tracking headphones

　　Approved last winter but originally filed back in 2008, this patent refers to a headphone system with built in sensors that can detect a wearer’s heart rate, temperature and perspiration to track his or her movements and activity level.

　　This sounds pretty cool—but also kind of creepy, especially when you pair it with another one of Apple’s patent applications, which lays out plans to serve consumers targeted ads based on their biometric data.

　　3. Waterproof electronics

　　In March, Apple applied for a patent that details plans to protect “water sensitive” electronics parts by coating them with a hydrophobic coating. Water-resistant iGadgets? Yes, please.

　　4. A ‘walk-and-text’ feature

　　Back in 2012, Apple filed a patent for a “transparent based” texting system that would, presumably, streamline the difficult process of texting while walking. The idea is fairly simple: when an iPhone user texts, the device will display video images of what’s directly in front him or her (captured by its rear-facing camera), with semi-transparent text bubbles replacing the typical opaque texting backdrop.

　　It’s a silly one, yes, but we’d still want to see it in action.

　　5. Voicemail screener

　　Originally filed all the way back in 2003, last year Apple was finally granted a patent that would enable iPhone users to listen to voicemails as they’re being left, with the option to pick up mid-message. Almost takes you back to the landline era.

　　6. Car-finder

　　Losing your car in a crowded parking lot is a uniquely hellish experience. It’s frustrating, but it also makes you feel kinda dumb.

　　As with the other listed items, a pair of patents filed in 2013 suggests Apple may be working to solve an all-too-common problem. The patents detail how an iPhone could establish a Bluetooth connection with a car and, using triggers such as open doors or shuttered ignitions, determine where it is parked and guide its owner to the location via digital breadcrumbs.

　　6項令人向往的蘋果專利

　　從續航時間達到幾天，甚至幾周的電池，到擁有生物追蹤技術的耳機，再到防水電子部件，這些專利產品肯定將受到消費者的歡迎。加油吧，蘋果。

　　專利對于科技產業的重要性，就如同仙酒之于希臘眾神。谷歌、蘋果和微軟每年都會新增幾千項專利，這并不是什么稀罕事兒。盡管許多成功注冊的專利還沒有得到應用，但我們不妨了解以下那些最有趣的專利，一窺未來產品可能的模樣。

　　蘋果的專利數量可能不是業內頂尖，但許多專利都有與眾不同的特色。例如，蘋果有一項入耳式耳塞專利，這種耳塞在你運動時都不會掉出來！（蘋果看上去正在繼續開發這款產品。）

　　要是我們能做主的話，蘋果應該考慮把以下6項專利變成現實。

　　1、續航時間達到幾天（甚至幾周）的電池

　　這項專利名為“供便攜式計算設備使用的便攜低成本燃料電池系統”，今年3月提交申請，目前已經得到了許可。它證明這家科技巨頭正在進行探索，試圖為旗下各類產品延長電池續航時間。

　　該燃料電池主要利用氫和氧的結合來產生電能，它的效能比其他類型的電池要高得多。蘋果在專利中寫道，它有可能“讓便攜式電子設備運行幾天甚至幾周時間，而不需要充電。”

　　即使蘋果繼續深入開發這項專利，要想把它應用到消費品上，很可能還需要相當長一段時間。不過，這并不意味著續航時間長達一天——不，是一周好嗎——的電池是不可能實現的，它只是暫時還沒有問世而已。

　　2、生物追蹤耳機

　　該專利是一種擁有內置感應器的耳機系統，可以探測使用者的心率、體溫和出汗情況，從而追蹤其運動和活動程度。這項專利在2008年首次提交，去年冬天獲得批準。

　　這聽起來簡直太棒了，不過也有點恐怖，尤其是把它與蘋果的另一項專利應用結合起來看——后者計劃根據消費者的生物特征數據，給他們定向投放廣告。

　　3、防水電子器件

　　今年3月，蘋果申請了一項專利，旨在添加疏水涂層，以保護“對水敏感”的電子器件。防水的蘋果設備？沒錯，要的就是它。

　　4、走路發短信的功能

　　早在2012年，蘋果就申請了一項“透明界面”的短信系統專利，意圖讓使用者在走路時也能輕松發短信。它的理念十分簡單：當iPhone用戶低頭發短信時，設備將會顯示他或她面前的視頻圖像（由手機背面的攝像頭拍攝），而傳統短信界面的不透明界面也將被替換成半透明的文本氣泡。

　　這項專利有點傻，的確如此，不過我們還是希望看到它變成現實。

　　5、語音信息過濾器

　　這項專利早在2003年就已提交申請，但直到去年，蘋果才終于獲得專利批準。該技術能讓iPhone用戶收聽留下的語音信息，還能選擇是否在信息播放期間接聽電話。這幾乎讓你回到了座機時代。

　　6、找車功能

　　在擁擠的停車場中找不到自己的車，是一種讓人非常不愉快的經歷。它讓你感到沮喪，甚至無語。

　　與上述專利一樣，在2013年申請的兩項專利說明，蘋果也許想要解決所有困擾大眾的常見問題。這項專利可以讓iPhone與汽車建立藍牙連接，利用打開的門或關閉的點火裝置等觸發條件，確定汽車的停車位置，然后用數碼導航指引車主找到自己的車。