In ultima vreme Apple a fost prinsa in batalii legale cu marile companii de pe glob si pana recent castiga orice i se punea in fata. Motorola a reusit sa o invinga pentru prima oara intr-un proces important insa Apple are un as in maneca, as care ar putea schimba complet bataliile din instante. Vorbesc despre un brevet de inventie pentru localizarea prin GPS, brevet de inventie inregistrat in anul 1998 si primit de Apple de la Xerox. Informatiile descrise in acest brevet acopera o foarte mare parte dintre serviciile de localizare folosite astazi in mai toate terminalele mobile si Apple s-ar putea folosi de el pentru a ataca unele companii importante.
A location information system that displays location specific information, the location information system, comprising: a receiver that receives location identification information from at least one site specific object identifying a location.Iadd., where the at least one site specific object is a beacon.Iaddend.; and a transceiver that transmits the location identification information to a distributed network and that receives the location specific information about the specified location from the distributed network based on the location identification information, wherein the location specific information provides information corresponding to the location.
Practic brevetul descrie baza in jurul careia sunt construite sistemele de localizare prin GPS a majoritatii smartphone-urilor dar si a unor servicii disponibile pe internet. Fie ca vorbim despre reclame afisate prin aplicatii sau despre informatii afisate intr-un anumit mod in aplicatiile de pozitionare prin GPS, brevetul de inventie acopera o plaja foarte larga de scenarii. Acum singurul lucru care ar putea impeidica, compania Apple sa foloseasca aceste brevet este includerea sa in standardul FRAND care ar forta compania sa nu dea in judecata vreunul dintre producatorii de terminale mobile. Daca acest lucru nu se aplica atunci este posibil ca foarte multi producatori sa viziteze sediul Apple pentru a discuta o posibila licentiere.
- The system will display information that is specific to the location the device is in. That could mean text, video, sound, or images. There is no restriction on what the information conveys, so anything from something informative in a visual display to a two-for-one burger special would seem to be covered.
- The device has a location information system that receives location information from at least one object that specifies the location of the site where the device user is. The patent description makes it clear that this could include GPS signals from space or a barcode plastered on a building. Because “receiver” is another broad term, you could include GPS radios in cell phones or a camera and software combo that would obtain a two-dimension QR barcode. Apple broadened the language to include GPS systems.
- A transceiver (another general term) sends the location information over a distributed network like the Internet to some unspecified destination and, in return, gets location-specific information in return.
De ce a aparut brevetul acesta abia acum in atentia tuturor? Greu de spus, poate Apple il tinea ascuns prevazand ce procese vor urma, insa clar este ca are o arma extrem de puternica impotriva producatorilor de terminale Android si nu numai.
Thanks to Sergiu.
