Apple has been granted several patents by the US Patent & Trademark Office. Following is a summary of each.

Patent D623,404 is for the design of an armband for the 3G iPod nano. The inventors are Bartley Andre, Daniel Coster, Daniele De Iuliis, Evans Hankey, Richard Howarth, Jonathan Ive, Duncan Kerr, Shin Nishibori, Matthew Dean Rohrbach, Peter Russell-Clarke, Douglas Satzger, Calvin Seid, Vincent Keane, Christopher Stringer, Eugene Whang and Rico Zorkendorfer.

Patent D623,645 is for the power plug for the MacBook and MacBook Pro. The inventors are Jody Akana, Bartley Andre, Daniel Coster, Daniele De Iuliis, Evans Hankey, Richard Howarth, Jonathan Ive, Duncan Kerr, Shin Nishibori, Matthew Dean Rohrbach, Peter Russell-Clarke, Douglas Satzger, Christopher Stringer, Eugene Whang and Rico Zorkendorfer.

Patent number 7,795,553 is for the hybrid button on the iPod. The inventors are Douglas Weber, Pinida Moolsintong and Stephen Zadesky.

Patent number 7,797,242 is for a method and system for network-based purchase and distribution of media. The purchase and distribution of media by these methods and systems are not only secure but also controlled. The security restricts access to media within media files during downloads as well as while stored at a server and/or client. For example, a potential purchaser can search and browse through numerous media items on-line that are available for purchase. The potential purchaser can thereafter purchase one or more media items on-line with great ease. Upon purchasing a media item, the content for the media item can be downloaded over the network to the purchaser. The content for the media item is then encrypted for the purchaser's use and stored on the purchaser's machine. Thereafter, the purchaser can make use of the media item (e.g., play the media item). Improved graphical user interfaces suitable for reviewing, browsing, previewing and/or purchasing numerous media items are also disclosed. The inventors are Patrice Gautier, Max Muller, Thomas Burkholder, Jeffrey L. Robbin, Dave Heller, Thomas Dowdy and Mike Wiese.

Patent number 7,794,263 involves a connector receptacle housings having reduced wear finger contacts and reduced seam visibility. The patent involves structures, methods, and apparatus that provide connector receptacles that have a reduced tendency to scratch and otherwise mar connector inserts, have an aesthetically-pleasing appearance, and have an improved tactile response when inserts are inserted. Various examples reduce scratches and wear by utilizing domes, cylinders, balls, or other structures as finger contacts in a connector receptacle. Another example provides aesthetically-pleasing connector receptacle enclosures by forming receptacle enclosures using the same type of material, or material having the same or similar color or texture, as is used for enclosing the electronic device that includes the receptacle. Another example provides an aesthetically-pleasing receptacle enclosure by forming receptacle enclosures that are, in part or in whole, contiguous or formed with the housing. The inventors are Min Chul Kim, Greg Springer, Joshua Funamura and Stewart Shannon Fields.

Patent number 7,797,066 is for off-stage control of on-stage digital processing. Per the patent, a digital processing stage-box may be placed on stage to process audio input from on-stage audio input devices and generate output to audio output devices for playback to an audience. The on-stage audio input and output devices may be connected to the digital processing stage-box using an analog or network cable connection. The digital processing stage-box is controlled from a remote control device preferably connected to the digital processing stage-box via a wireless network connection. This arrangement allows the electronics needed to process audio input and output to be placed on or close to a stage. The inventors are Gerhard Lengeling and Nikolaus.

Patent number 7,797,446 involves a method and system for updating play lists. Improved techniques for automatic (or dynamic) updating (or maintaining) of playlists for a media system that stores and plays media content for a user of the media system are disclosed. The automatic update to playlists can occur when additional media content is added to or removed from the media system. The automatic update to playlists can also occur when previously stored media content is otherwise altered. The inventors are David Heller and Jeffrey L. Robbin.

Patent number 7,797,462 is for a method and apparatus for communicating with an embedded controller which includes a reference to metadata objects. During operation, the system queries the embedded controller to obtain information describing an interface for interacting with a functionality provided by the embedded controller. The system then receives a response from the computing device which includes a reference to a metadata object describing the interface. If the metadata object refers to other metadata objects, the system recursively queries the embedded controller to obtain information about the other metadata objects until a complete description of the interface is obtained. The inventors are David R. Falkenburg and Ryan A. Hoagland.

Patent number 7,797,471 involves a method and system for transferring album artwork between a media player and an accessory. The method comprises obtaining, by the accessory, artwork information associated with album artwork from the media player; and obtaining, by the accessory, the album artwork from the media player based on the artwork information. According to the system and method disclosed herein, the media player and accessory may utilize a plurality of commands utilized in a variety of environments, such as within a connector interface system environment, to facilitate the transfer of album artwork. The inventors are Jay S. Laefer, Gregory T. Lydon, Donald J. Novotney, John B. Filson and David Tupman.

Patent number 7,797,643 involves live content resizing. A user interface comprises an interactive control and method for quickly changing the amount of text displayed in each item in a list of text items. The control allows the user to choose from a large range of choices for how much text is displayed and provides live updates of the changes. The method saves the user time by eliminating the need to refresh the screen when changing the amount of text displayed. The inventors are Steve Jobs, Stephen O. Lemay, Jessica Kahn, Sarah Wilkin, David Hyatt, Jens Alfke and Wayne Loofbourrow.

Patent number 7,797,670 is for a mirrored file system. Mounting and populating a mirrored version of at least a portion of a file system of a recruiter machine at a volunteer machine performing one or more data processing tasks for the recruiter machine is disclosed. In some embodiments, an input stored in such a dedicated file system for the recruiter machine at the volunteer machine may be locally retrieved and reused, if still consistent with a corresponding input stored in a file system at the recruiter machine, when performing a data processing task for the recruiter machine at the volunteer machine. In some embodiments, if an input required by the volunteer machine to perform a data processing task for the recruiter machine is not cached in such a dedicated file system for the recruiter machine at the volunteer machine in a state that is consistent with a corresponding input stored in a file system at the recruiter machine, the input is obtained from the recruiter machine. The inventors are William B. Bumgarner, Adam C. Swift and Andrew R. Gross.

Patent number 7,797,633 is for streaming to a media device during acquisition with random access. Playing a media file can include receiving input from a user identifying a playback location associated with a media file; downloading media content corresponding to the identified playback location from the media file; displaying a status bar to the user on a display device; and presenting a download indicator associated with the status bar showing an amount of downloaded media content, wherein the downloaded media content comprises a contiguous portion of the media file that includes the identified playback location. Further, playing the media file can include receiving additional input from a user identifying a new playback location associated with a media file; downloading media content corresponding to the new playback location; and presenting a new download indicator associated with the status bar showing an amount of downloaded media content, wherein the downloaded media content comprises a contiguous portion of the media file that includes the new playback location. The inventors are Christopher Lance Flick, David L. Biderman, Rainer Brodersen, Jeffrey Robbin, Eric Taylor Seymour and Thomas Michael Madden.

Patent number 7,797,242 involves a method and system for network-based purchase and distribution of media. The purchase and distribution of media by these methods and systems are not only secure but also controlled. The security restricts access to media within media files during downloads as well as while stored at a server and/or client. For example, a potential purchaser can search and browse through numerous media items on-line that are available for purchase. The potential purchaser can thereafter purchase one or more media items on-line with great ease. Upon purchasing a media item, the content for the media item can be downloaded over the network to the purchaser. The content for the media item is then encrypted for the purchaser's use and stored on the purchaser's machine. Thereafter, the purchaser can make use of the media item (e.g., play the media item). Improved graphical user interfaces suitable for reviewing, browsing, previewing and/or purchasing numerous media items are also disclosed. The inventors are Patrice Gautier, Max Muller, Thomas Burkholder, Jeffrey L. Robbin, Dave Heller, Thomas Dowdy and Mike Wiese.

Patent number 7,796,693 involves search algorithms for using related decode and display timelines. Per the patent, a sequence of video images represented using multiple related timelines can be searched by identifying a first point on a first timeline associated with the sequence of video images, wherein the sequence of video images is comprised of one or more samples, determining a search range on a second timeline associated with the sequence of video images based on a positive offset and a negative offset associated with the one or more samples, and searching the second timeline based on the determined search range for a second point that corresponds to the identified first point. A display offset can be associated with each of the samples comprising the sequence of video images, wherein one or more of the display offsets can comprise a negative value. Additionally, the search range can be based on a maximum positive display offset and maximum negative display offset associated with the one or more samples. The inventor is John Samuel Bushell.

Patent number 7,796,139 is for methods and apparatus for displaying a frame with contrasting text. It involves mechanisms for displaying text or image over a background such as a video display frame that automatically improve legibility of text or image displayed against a background by increasing the contrast between text or image and background. The display frame may be a single image, but may also be an image within a dynamic sequence of recorded images such as a movie or other video media, or sequence of images captured in real-time by a camera or other device. In one embodiment, color component values are selected, and complementing and filtering applied to achieve contrast. In another embodiment, selecting a minimally used value for color components in the frame achieves contrast. In some cases both text or image, and background, may be altered to achieve contrast. Another embodiment provides background intensity modulation to achieve varying contrast within altered backgrounds, and smoothing over many frames in dynamic material. The inventors are Gary F. Feierbach and John Bates.