1. Apple R & D storm five next-generation innovative technology;
Set micro-mesh news, Apple Inc. actively research and development of new technologies, from self-driving 3D detection, smart fabrics, ECG test, optical identification of liquid metal, can see the layout of Apple's intentions.
According to Taiwan's Central News Agency, the iPhone has brought a lot of profits for Apple Inc. According to the survey, Apple's 60% to 80% profitability in the global smartphone and mobile device products has given Apple sufficient funds to research and develop other innovative technologies .
These technologies are not limited to the field of consumer electronics or information and communications. Part of the innovation and technology involved by Apple is often beyond the expectation of the outside world. It shows that Apple is aggressively trying to capture the next generation of innovative business opportunities.
The following is Apple's active layout, storm research and development of the five major areas.
First, Apple fell in love with driving a 3D detection caught
Although Apple has been abiding by the idea of developing electric vehicles, Apple has made initial achievements in autonomous driving technology. It has actively developed self-driving navigation technology and related technology to integrate sensing devices to monitor the characteristics of driving routes during navigation. The car navigation system also has the same effect Test equipment to work with each other.
Apple also reported the development of 3D technology that detects autopilot applications for detecting pedestrians and cyclists, a technology called VoxelNet that can detect pedestrians with sophisticated computer vision and artificial intelligence algorithms.
Second, Apple R & D smart fabric
Not only in the car, Apple also developed smart fabric fabrics.Apple is reportedly developing intelligent fabrics that can be applied to the future Apple Watch strap through the combination of intelligent weaving circuit components, the future of Apple Watch strap can have the sensing and control Buttons and other functions.
Apple also uses the Apple Pencil to enhance the function of sensing fabric. In the future, the Apple Pencil senses and sends the image of the fabric, enabling consumers to feel the texture of clothing on the website through the tactile feedback device. The technology can be applied at retail Clothing industry.
Third, Apple's ECG test exposed mystery machine
Apple's in-depth development of medical and health applications, like the iPhone and Apple Watch turned a small nurse.Apple is also reported the development of advanced smart card in the future can be used in advanced cardiac detection function, you can press the watch through your fingers, track the general can not detect, from Chest heart beat current signal, to detect heart rate.
However, the signal may be affected by mobile artifacts, making the rhythm detection by noise.Apple through the design of the accelerometer to measure the user's mobile and light volume measurement PPG (photo-plethysmogram) signal, you can part Eliminate unwanted mobile artifacts for more complete measurement results.
Fourth, identify more accurate Continuous development of optical components
Apple's iPhone X TrueDepth camera system, face recognition Face ID application is amazing, but Apple is not complacent, and continue to develop optical components.
Apple Actively Develops Key Components for 3D Sensing Vertical Cavity Surface-Shielded VCSEL Arrays Increase the angle at which component beams diverge to enhance component functionality.
In addition, Apple also came out to develop a new generation of infrared detection and recognition technology, combined with visible light sensing components, identify the user's position or face, the future can be applied to iMac desktop and television products.
Recent advances have also been made in near-infrared NIR (Near-Infrared) imaging lenses. Patents in related optical systems are gradually being formed. Near-infrared light is an invisible light region with a wavelength range greater than 700 nm and can be used in medical diagnosis, food inspection and Night vision and other fields, near infrared imaging device can also be used in the field of consumer electronics.
Fifth, apple play liquid metal
Since 2010, Apple has been updating the exclusive patent of Liquid Metal every year. Recently, Apple and Glassimetal Technology have jointly developed metallic glass alloy materials, which can be applied to watch glass components, medical implants, implants, magnet cores, Sports equipment and other fields.
It remains to be seen whether the associated liquid metal materials have high tenacity, chemical techniques that integrate metals and glass, and whether the iPhone or iPad products will be used in the future.
Liquid metal technology is a block solidified amorphous alloy, with high strength, corrosion resistance, high ductility, light weight and other characteristics, in addition to block solidified amorphous alloy material, but also includes bulk metallic glass BMG material.
2. Apple's new patent exposure: to give the new iPhone plus external lens?
Tencent Technology News In the past two years, Apple's cell phone sales in more than one quarter of the decline in the fourth quarter of last year Apple fell into the quagmire, it is clear that the patch upgrade mode is undermining Apple's mobile phone sales.Apple Need to introduce more meaningful innovations in mobile phones.
According to the latest news from foreign media, Apple applied for five patents this week, showing the new features and technologies that Apple may bring to mobile phones in the future. Apple may give mobile phones external lenses.
According to foreign media reports DigitalTrends, this week, Apple has applied for a total of five patents, involving mobile phones, augmented reality development, sleep monitoring and other fields.
Although Apple does not necessarily turn all the technology patents into real products and technologies, these patents reveal a trend or trend of the future development of Apple products.
In the smart phone industry, external lenses are already commonplace, and for users who have special requirements for photography or video quality, they can spend extra money on a more professional optical lens that can be mounted on a cellphone camera.
Apple applied for a patent titled 'Adapting Camera Systems to External Lenses'. As can be seen from the patent, Apple plans to add optical lenses to the smartphone camera in the future to achieve better image zooming and zooming options.
External lens there are some technical challenges, the external lens and the optical axis of the built-in lens must be strictly aligned.
It is still not clear what the exclusive benefits of the patent applied to Apple are compared to what is already available in the market.
In another Apple patent, the development team is prepared to make different areas of a display screen refresh rate, for example, in a game screen, if the background remains stationary, then Apple only needs action on the game characters Regional refresh screen, this technology will save the cell phone battery consumption.
In smart phone battery consumption, the display has become a big energy consumer.Over the last year, Apple in a new phone with OLED screen, lower power consumption than the LCD.This also helps Apple to solve its traditional mobile phone poor battery life The disadvantage.
The other two patents that Apple applied are related to sleep monitoring, such as the ability for Apple to monitor when users fall asleep by using electronic devices and cellphone sensors, and the system automatically adjusts for various subsequent alarms (wake up alarm, go to work alarm, etc.) based on how often they fall asleep.
It is reported that Apple had earlier acquired a sleep monitoring technology company, the future may be the introduction of appropriate technology and functionality of Apple.
Mobile health is one direction in the development of Apple's electronic devices. Apple has also incorporated a large number of health features in its handsets. Apple has also introduced health-specific development kit tools and is working with U.S. hospitals and universities.
Earlier, Apple also made significant adjustments to the positioning of the Apple Watch, is no longer a luxury fashion, but as an essential exercise of health monitoring tools for consumers, Apple also reduced the price, since Apple watch sales have risen sharply, Almost become synonymous with smart watches.
Another patent Apple applied for this week relates to augmented reality.
3. BlackBerry new patent exposure: the slider phone in the end;
According to foreign media sources, a camera design patent submitted to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) on December 23, 2016, was approved by BlackBerry four days ago, Patents on electronic devices for images and methods for controlling the device involve a camera system that works on a slide-out QWERTY phone similar to the BlackBerry Priv.
BlackBerry new patent (images from the network)
According to the patented display, this feature allows an extra lens on the slider panel to be called a 'conversion lens' that allows the user to use a regular camera when the QWERTY keyboard is on. As the QWERTY slider panel is turned off, the camera and The conversion lens provides additional functionality for the snapper behind.
In addition, BlackBerry's parent company TCL recently registered a trademark Uni with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, which BlackBerry introduced at last year's conference call, according to people familiar with the matter.
The BlackBerry unit said shortly before this year that it will launch two new 'berry handsets' that will be extended with the previous QWERTY keyboard design, one of which is likely to be the 'slider' design handset, Have to say, BlackBerry is the QWERTY keyboard style design to the end of the rhythm.
4. Samsung's new patent exposure: flexible screen plus mechanical hinge, creative full
Samsung recently applied for a new design patent, the patent mainly describes a collapsible cell phone, from the patent map we can see that this phone is not clamshell folds so simple, because the upper and lower folding area are the screen, So this is a new screen phone plus hinge design.
It has an entire screen that can be bent inwards, while bending bends are made by mechanical hinges that look a lot like Microsoft's Surface Book from a hinge design.
In fact, Samsung has been trying to mass production of folding screen phones, but it is understood that they have been in the durability and yield problems encountered difficulties, it is assumed that Samsung's first folding screen phone is likely to launch this year, as 'Galaxy X' lineup One member.
Although the patent is now exposed, there is indeed such a folding flagship (planned to be launched in 2019) from Samsung's handset plan. After the launch, the flagship lineup will be formed from the current Galaxy Note and Galaxy S series. The new flagship may Named 'Galaxy X'.
In addition to Samsung, handset makers such as Sony, LG and ZTE are already trying to design curved screen phones (foldable) and expect to see more than one product coming in the next year or two, which will also create a niche for smart phone design The new reference template. IT House