Some relatively simple forms of haptic feedback have become common in mobile devices including smartphones, tablets and media players.  For example, my smartphone offers a setting for selecting haptic feedback to be provided in the form of a vibration of the device when pressing soft keys and on certain user interface interactions.  The Apple patent filing addresses the needs of touch sensor display users who complain of the lack of tactile feedback when operating touch screen interfaces in tasks such as typing or “pressing” buttons or keys

Several other firms, notably Tactus, Senseg, Artificial Muscle and Disney Research, are also addressing opportunities to combine advanced haptic feedback with touch displays in mobile devices.  The video below from the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show illustrates haptic product developments intended for touch interface devices.

Researchers at Disney Research in conjunction with the Human-Computer Interaction Institute at Carnegie Mellon University are exploring tactile feedback based on electrovibration as described in the following video.

Current mobile devices including smartphones and tablets offer consumers popular and effective means to interact with their devices.  What is perhaps not yet clear is whether consumers will widely embrace further haptic feedback features in their mobile devices.  Regardless, researchers, inventors and product developers are marching on seeking the next insanely great thing.

The MOD Live is a microdisplay equipped Android-based system that integrates with ski goggles available from manufacturers including Smith Optics, Scott Sports, Uvex, Alpina, and Briko. The MOD Live is intended to provide skiers, snowboarders, snowmobilers, and other outdoor sports enthusiasts with real-time data acquisition and display capabilities. MOD Live utilizes Global Positioning System (GPS), accelerometer, gyroscope, altimeter and temperature sensors to provide skiers and riders with speed, jump, vertical, altitude, location, distance, and temperature measurements and readings in real-time. MOD Live also offers smartphone connectivity and onboard applications.

Recon Instruments also made headlines directly following CES 2012 when the firm announced that it had “secured a $10 million Series A investment from a group led by the venture capital firm Vanedge Capital, with participation from Kopin Corporation, for the purpose of further commercializing its proprietary technology.” Kopin Corporation is a well-known manufacturer of liquid crystal microdisplays. Recon Instruments’ MOD Live product represents an interesting new market application for microdisplays.

The MOD Live product and its capabilities were shown in an early hands-on review at The Verge and are perhaps best illustrated by a couple web videos.

Source: Recon Instruments

Source: Forbes

A helmet cam and Camera Connectivity app from Contour that will integrate with the Mod Live has also been announced. Darcy Hughes, Chief Marketing Officer Recon Instruments says, “The Camera Connectivity app transforms our display into a view finder, allowing skiers and riders to setup shots without taking off their goggles or gloves.” Recon also promises a SDK (System Development Kit) that will enable developers to offer additional applications for the Mod Live.

With the Contour HD cameras available for $299.99 and $499.99, and the MOD Live priced at $399 plus the cost of a compatible set of goggles, the system is not inexpensive. However, for the dedicated outdoors enthusiast, MOD Live offers the kind of high tech solution that was formerly available only to Navy Seal teams. The Recon MOD Live system points the way to new and expanding applications for microdisplay technology.

Roland Heiler, CEO Porsche Design Studio, in describing their approach to the set design states, “Our goal was to develop a design concept that turned the unfolding process into a special effect. We wanted to make sure that the C SEED 201 conveyed a sophisticated aesthetic in every phase of its movement. It starts as an obelisk rising from the ground, then opens up with a butterfly-like motion. The realization of this idea was a true challenge for the engineers.” So it seems that the Kubrick-esque reference to a monolithic obelisk was in fact no coincidence.

The technical details and specifications of the display system are pretty impressive. While there are many examples of large format LED outdoor display systems, C Seed claims that “no other outdoor LED screen has a pixel pitch of only 6 mm.” Diving further into the technical details reveals that the 201 inch LED TV is an HD display with 16:9 aspect ratio, offering 100,000 Hz refresh rate, and is “moisture-repellent” with “ultra-wide viewing angle.” Further specs include 5000 nits brightness for daytime outdoor viewing and 42-bit color depth.

The audio portion of the system is also impressive with 6 broadband speakers for the left and right audio channels, and 3 subwoofers (700W) for low frequencies. The speakers are said to be “specially designed to withstand the rigors of outdoor use,” and the housing is constructed of lightweight carbon fiber. To further ensure survival in the outdoor environment the system includes “reliable wind, temperature and laser sensors (to) prevent adverse outdoor conditions from damaging the C SEED 201.” Since the set’s owner must be in charge of the remote, and surely wants to prevent “lowering the boom” on an unsuspecting guest, the television remote control has a fingerprint sensor that enables the owner to set the position of the screen. The C SEED 201 also includes a multi-source media server that transfers HD video and audio data to the screen using Windows 7-based software. Further hardware features include inputs for digital and analog video sources, digital wireless HD video link, glass-fiber data lines, central radio remote control of all operational functions, and integration with home automation systems. The system integration is illustrated below.

Surely this television is a niche product appealing to a relatively narrow segment of consumers. However as a technical and consumer electronic tour de force, it is quite impressive. We are sure that this is a purchase that if you have to ask the price you can’t afford it. The video below provides a compelling case for equipping your patio with the next insanely great consumer electronic gadget. When I watch the “2001 Space Odyssey”-inspired video, I can’t help thinking that the iPad actually looks a bit insignificant by comparison.

The need for effective device controllers beyond the traditional remote is becoming even more extreme as was indicated at CES 2011 by the widespread emergence and growing acceptance of internet-connected, or so-called “Smart” displays and televisions.

Consumers have been presented with a variety of so-called “Smart” or internet “Connected” displays and televisions over the last 12 months.  Moreover, consumer electronics manufacturers have added wired and wireless network connectivity to a variety of other products such as Blu-Ray disc players.

Increasingly, consumers would like to access over the top and streaming content on their large screen displays from a relaxed “living room lean back” seating position.  However, the implementation of internet connected displays and their user controls has left a great deal to be desired.  In addition to connected televisions and disc players, several manufacturers have brought out devices to add internet content availability to televisions including Apple TV, D-Link’s Boxee Box, Roku’s players, Netgear’s media players, and more.  Microsoft through its Xbox platform has also entered the fray offering Netflix streaming video through its Xbox LIVE portal.  At the same time, Google and its partners including Sony and Logitech have introduced “Google TV” calling it “a new experience for television that combines the TV that you already know with the freedom and power of the Internet.”  Although the price of some of these devices has fallen to the sub $100 range, all these devices to date have suffered to date from major deficiencies that have slowed adoption.

While the IP-connected display may be “smart,” the means to interact with and control the increasingly powerful features of these devices must move beyond the old remote paradigm.  Moreover, the industry must move still further, beyond the mouse and keyboard approach that has been the only widely applied alternative.

IP-connected devices driving large display output devices need more sophisticated controllers to satisfy users.  Google TV devices like Logitech’s Revue and Sony’s Internet TV products while not yet ready for prime time are the forerunners for tomorrow’s IP-connected display.  As such their controllers are prime candidates for our analysis.  So are devices like the Microsoft Kinect.  The Kinect promises to reset consumers’ expectations of how they should be able to interact with their display.

The Logitech Revue keyboard (below compared to a full size keyboard) is our starting point of reference.  Indeed, I am writing this article on the Revue keyboard and it’s actually a good keyboard and may also meet consumers’ needs as a smart display controller.   The Revue keyboard is compact, well-constructed, and has several design features that provide direct access to Google TV audio visual controls.  As a desktop keyboard my only complaint is the omission of double tap and scrolling functions from the integrated touch pad.  When used in the lean back position and held with two hands the combination of a left mouse-click button in the upper left hand corner of the keyboard and thumb actuation of the touch pad works well.  Right mouse-click functionality is provided by a key to the right of the spacebar. The very small USB Unifying receiver used with this and other Logitech input devices is a great way to pair up to six compatible wireless mice, keyboards, etc. with a single Unifying receiver.  The absence of the usual PC keyboard Insert, Delete, End, and Home keys are somewhat of a barrier to desktop keyboard use but the included directional pad and enter (OK) key are of utility in the lean back mode.  Since Logitech did not intend the keyboard for general PC keyboard input but rather as a Smart TV controller they cannot be blamed for this design choice.

As recently reported Google has provided developers their Google TV version 2.0 beta hardware and software.  Both sales and the balance of reviewer opinions suggest that Google TV 1.0 has not been strongly received by consumers.  However, in releasing the 2.0 beta units, Google has retained the Logitech designed keyboard – a further acknowledgment of Logitech’s successful keyboard design.

We look forward to future product releases of smart TVs including Google TV 2.0.  Although the products launched to date have not been wildly successful, as developers work to improve the user experience and particularly the input controller for smart TVs we expect the improved products to achieve considerable success.  Perhaps now that the Microsoft Kinect SDK has been released, we will see some creative efforts to utilize voice and gesture input for smart TV control and perhaps relegate hand held remotes and keyboards to the dustbin.

In addition to displays, the SID Symposium in recent years has extended its coverage to include advances in solid state lighting.  I am looking forward to Tuesday’s Keynote by Shuji Nakamura which should be an interesting reflection on the expanding role that light emitting diodes (LEDs) play both in back lighting of liquid crystal displays and the expanding solid state lighting industry.

As I list the events and topics to take in here at SID I realize it is going to be a long and interesting week.  If I bump into some interesting developments to share, I will try to find time to put some of the highlights up on this site later in the week.

A new type of high-tech industry has developed over the last decade or so – a sort of intellectual property co-op called a patent licensing pool.  Businesses join groups which combine their intellectual property assets, allowing each member of the group to use the combined assets of the group in intellectual property litigation they may enter into, and also they agree not to sue any other member of the group.  It’s the evolution of the cross-licensing agreement which has been popular among high-tech companies for quite some time.  In the cross-licensing agreement two or more companies agree they will not sue each other given certain stipulated conditions.    The groups or companies which pool their intellectual property resources often use those resources to sue other companies in court for infringing one or more of the patents in their pool.  You can think of it as a way for a smaller company to leverage the intellectual property they own into a larger pool of intellectual property that it can use.  You can think of it as a company buying an insurance policy that will ensure not only that other members of the group will not sue them, but also that they will have access to a larger pool of assets to use in patent lawsuits which do occur. Or –you can think of it as nothing more than extortion.  Some feel that it is merely a new form of paying protection money – join the group or face the consequences in the form of patent lawsuits.

Related to this activity is a new type of company, a company whose sole business is the buying, selling, and use of intellectual property assets.  Often these companies do not manufacture or sell the products described by the intellectual property assets they own.   The term “non-practicing entity”, or NPE, was developed to describe entities which are enforcing intellectual property rights describing a product which they do not make or sell.   The use of the term “patent troll” has become a popular pejorative term for NPEs .

One of the largest – if not the largest – of these intellectual property-gathering companies is Intellectual Ventures, founded by Nathan Myhrvold, formerly chief technology officer for Microsoft.   IV is the Big Dog in this field, which I guess makes them the Big Troll?   In the last decade Intellectual Ventures (IV) has amassed a huge portfolio of intellectual property.  IV buys intellectual property, and sells ownership in IV to companies or individuals who would like to share in the intellectual property assets of the firm.   IV also invests in intellectual-property developing companies and in developing their own home-grown intellectual property.  Many small technology firms are thriving due to investments from IV.

IV has become feared and respected by many in the technology world for its intellectual property portfolio.  IV initially seemed to indicate that it was not going to be active in patent litigation. But this recently changed.  The Big Dog is awake and has started to growl, and technology companies are paying attention.  The recent lawsuits against numerous high-tech firms indicates that they are ready to take action against firms that they feel are infringing their patents.    Intellectual property practitioners are also paying attention, with some fearing the outcome will not be a good one.  The results of the lawsuits may indeed change the high-technology playing field – the stakes are high and the amounts of money involved are staggering.  Will joining an intellectual property co-op become a necessity for technology firms?  Will technology firms demonstrate that high-quality patents are able to stand on their own against the co-ops?  It will be very interesting to see whether IV invested in the right intellectual property or whether they find out that quantity does not necessarily beat quality.   The stage is set in court, and many are watching.  Whatever happens, the court battles should be historic and game-changing.

WRT Associates is also pleased to announce two new brands – WRT Media and WRT Engineering.

We are establishing WRT Media to better serve our clients who have requested that we expand our offerings for market and technology reports, news reports, electronic books, journal articles, educational materials, and other authored products.

WRT Media offers exclusive research and analysis that addresses our clients’ specific information needs. WRT Media will expand our focus on rapidly delivering timely reports and analysis of new technologies, product developments, and business opportunities. WRT Media aims to provide its clients with rapid access to valuable information by accessing expert analysts and providing the communication and workflow tools to match client opportunities and needs.

WRT Engineering offers technical consulting and services including design, analysis, intellectual property assessment, and business development in multiple knowledge domains.  These domains include semiconductors, displays, metrology, human factors, optics, optoelectronics, lighting, assembly and packaging, failure analysis, new product development and more.  WRT has ongoing projects in several market areas involving smartphones, imaging, solid state lighting using both LEDs and OLEDs, green and renewable technologies, and interactive displays.

WRT Associates through our Media and Engineering services can connect your business with world class technical professionals.  WRT Associates creates teams of competent technical professionals to deliver solutions for your project needs.

If you have a project requirement, or have skills and experience to bring to the WRT Associates team, contact us as soon as possible so that we can move forward and help you build your business.  Also let us know if you would like to contribute a guest post to our website.  We always seek to highlight the analysis and insights of our Affiliates, Associates, Colleagues and Clients.

Samsung video wall at Las Vegas McCarran Airport

Each year I highly anticipate and enjoy attending the Consumer Electronics Show (CES).   However, I am reminded of the advice and recommendations of a colleague of mine at Insight Media, Mr. Ken Werner.  When a few years ago, I asked Ken his recommendations on covering CES, he remarked that of all the events he attends, CES is the only event that is physically painful to cover.  As I sit at the gate at McCarran Airport waiting to return to Denver, I find that that it’s time to down a Motrin or Aleve.

When I arrived at Las Vegas McCarran Airport, I was confronted with a large video wall display supplied by Samsung (see photos and video below) as I descended the escalators to take the train to the main terminal.  This 627 square foot, quad-high-definition display consisting of 100 tiled Samsung 40 inch diagonal LCD displays was staggering.  This was just a hint of the scale of the products and developments to be seen during the week at CES.

Since arriving in Las Vegas on Tuesday morning I have been moving nonstop with brief breaks to sleep, and meet with clients, vendors, developers, exhibitors, journalists, as well as old and new friends.  Thankfully, after a few lean years owing to the global economic meltdown, CES, as well as the economy, are showing signs of an economic rebound.  It is about time.

I note that my personal observations and business results during the fourth and final quarter of 2010 reveal that the economy is indeed ascending again.  Holiday selling season sales were up somewhat likely owing to the fact that folks are weary of deprivation and are again ready to spend some of their hard earned money.

However, to make the recovery stick and accelerate we need to drive job growth and employment.  By jobs, I mean that we need to put people to work whether in temporary or permanent positions.  By employment, I mean we need to see folks be offered and accept jobs with companies that have a commitment to maintain their employment, to grow their business, and in so doing grow the economy.

Many images and new product developments from CES 2011 come to my mind and camera.  At the WRT Associates website and for Insight Media, I will be discussing some of my findings and analysis from Las Vegas.  As I am leaving Las Vegas, I look forward to a new decade in which the global economy moves away from the casino approach of the prior decade and turns forward to a more sustainable approach that will offer improved opportunities and prospects for all citizens and participants.

First of all, in my first post to this website you are not reading a blog post right now – you are reading a blawg post.  A blawg is a ‘law blog’ and today we’re discussing patent law, and in particular its importance in the competition among smartphone manufacturers.   We know that the last few years has seen the entrance of new and exciting players in the smartphone arena, heating up competition in the marketplace.  This competition among smartphone manufacturers has spilled over into the courtroom.  Many of the major players have levied patent infringement suits against competitors, and the intensity of these patent litigation wars is increasing. Motorola and RIM have ongoing patent litigation battles, Nokia sued Apple, Kodak sued Apple and RIM,   Motorola and Microsoft are battling, as well as Google and Oracle.  And these are only the highlights.

So is this how technology companies conduct business today – in the courtroom as well as in the marketplace?   Well it seems it is in today’s world, although it hasn’t always been that way.  Fifty years ago, patents were rarely litigated.  If Company A had a product and a patent that related to that product, it was accepted by others that Company A had the monopoly on the product and other companies either stayed out of the market or licensed the technology from Company A.  The patent for the frisbee (US patent #3,359,678) provided Wham-O Corporation with many years of monopoly on the popular flying saucer toy.  Other companies chose not to try to copy the product, assuming the patent protected Wham-O from competition.  Reading the claims for the patent, however, reveals that the patent was quite narrow and only covered specifically shaped ribs on the top of the Frisbee.

But back then this was enough to provide Wham-O with many happy years of market domination.  In those days the patent holder had the advantage.  But the situation has changed greatly since then.  Competitors decided to try their luck in court instead of assuming patent holders had all the rights.  Alleged infringers began to push back.  The push back took the form of two arguments, 1) non-infringement – the alleged infringer argues that they did not infringe the claims, and/or 2) invalidity – the alleged infringer argues that the patent at issue is invalid and therefore they cannot be infringing.

As more and more patents were challenged in court, the defenses of non-infringement and invalidity began to become stronger, more well-defined, and more powerful.  The court system has been instrumental in defining and clarifying the rules involved in patent infringement.  The Supreme Court in recent years has accepted and ruled on numerous cases instrumental in helping to define patent law.

The 2007 Supreme Court KSR decision made it easier for alleged infringers to show invalidity of a patent due to obviousness of the idea over other similar art.  The 2010 Supreme Court Bilski decision did not result in software or business method patents becoming extinct, but it did clarify the rules by which they must abide.

The rules are still being defined.  The Federal Circuit Court of Appeals recently heard arguments on updating the rules regarding inequitable conduct – which is a common defense used in proving a patent invalid.   The Supreme Court recently agreed to hear a case which could re-set the standard for finding patents invalid when prior art is found that was not considered by the United States Patent and Trademark Office when examining the patent application.

The further definition of patent rules and law has provided potential infringers with tools they can use against patent holders, allowing more companies to compete in the marketplace.  But of course patent holders have taken steps to improve their position also. The new rules provide the guidelines for writing patent application which are stronger and clearer.  This has resulted in patents becoming more precise, more accurate, and, when done right, more valuable.

Today having a strong patent portfolio is a valuable component of competing on the forefront of technology.  A company developing leading-edge technology not only has to develop and market the best technology, they have to be sure their technology is supported by a strong patent portfolio.  If not, their business plan will have to include the resources to license the technology they need, or the resources to challenge in court the patents they may be infringing.

The looming court battles over smartphone technology will provide an interesting measure of where we stand in this country regarding patent rights.  How valuable are patents in major technology areas?  Is it possible for disruptive products and their manufacturers to hold their own in the marketplace and in the patent courtroom?  What is the balance of power between patent holders and infringers?  Is the United States Patent and Trademark Office upholding its duty of issuing quality patents?  And finally, how will the smartphone patent litigation wars affect the products available in the marketplace? We shall see.

EDITOR’S NOTE:  Karen Jachimowicz (Karen J) is a new Affiliate of WRT Associates and a Registered Patent Agent with the law firm of Schmeiser, Olsen, & Watts LLP.

Mozilla Lab Seabird mobile phone concept

I finally caved in and picked up a smartphone.  I am pretty happy with the device (Samsung/Verizon Fascinate) although I need to find the time to become familiar with the Android OS, set up my email accounts, and more.  Just as I adopt a 21st century mobile phone, I find that mobile device concepts are continuing to evolve.  Mozilla Labs has recently released an interesting new mobile device concept developed by Billy Mays (not that Billy Mays).  The concept device shown below is futuristic, but given the capabilities of today’s smartphones, really not too far fetched.

The Seabird mobile device concept emphasizes how user interaction might evolve with advanced motion capture and emerging optoelectronics technology such as embedded picoprojectors.  The Seabird concept includes the use of multiple picoprojectors and imagers for both color display output and projected keyboard input, as well as motion capture for gestural navigation and manipulation of content in 3D space.  Mozilla Labs have illustrated their Seabird concept in a well-produced video (below).

While I am still working to find time to make good use of my Android smartphone, once I master the feature set, I expect that newer models, perhaps building on some of Mozilla Labs’ Seabird concepts will be available for my next upgrade.