Documentation surrounding a recent Apple patent published by the United States Trademark and Patent Office reveals that the iPhone-maker is working on a new intelligent multi-tiered haptics system. The Cupertino-based company states that traditional tactile feedback systems provide a user with the ability to interact with a device through touch or contact. Using the technology described in the patent documentation, Apple’s invention could allow a future iPhone’s display to deform into a button, an arrow, or even a geological map with 3D depth, according to PatentlyApple. The system would adopt a tiered haptic response approach, in which one or more arrays of shape-changing elements would provide tactile interaction through an elastic screen interface.

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The United States Patent and Trademark office recently published details surrounding a patent from Samsung regarding a technology that strategically implants electrodes into the human brain called Implantable Medical Devices (IMDs). The South Korea-based company states that an IMD may be implanted into a human body and be used to help monitor primary organs such as the heart and brain itself, PatentBolt reported on Wednesday. The IMD may also be used to monitor a patient’s physiological and pathological state, though Samsung notes that it may be difficult to control or change operation of the IMD because of the complex procedure involved with implanting it into the body. The IMD would also be accompanied by an external user device that could be used to display information to a patient’s doctor or to medical personnel in the event of an emergency.

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The United States Patent and Trademark Office recently published details on a Microsoft patent relating to a two-sided smart device display system for phones and tablets, PatentBolt reported on Friday. The invention features an integrated second low-power, possibly E Ink, display on the back side of a smartphone or tablet that would contain certain types of information. The secondary display could provide vendors with an opportunity to move standard items like a clock off of the main display to free up space, or it could display a variety of other information that might otherwise not be shown. The second display would use its own low-powered processor and may reduce the power load from a device’s primary display. The patent appears to be similar in intent to Samsung’s “smart-device-skins” invention — a technology that may allow users to change the appearance of a handset using chameleon-like technology — and it could be used to display images or animations on the back side of a device.

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A recent patent application from Microsoft reveals that the software giant is looking to bring real-time hand-gestures to tablets, PatentBolt reported on Monday. The patent summary doesn’t provide an extensive overview of the invention — instead, the company states “its sole purpose is to present some concepts disclosed herein in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.” Microsoft goes on to say that there is “a need to provide simple, accurate, fast and computationally inexpensive methods of object and hand pose recognition for many applications.” The application highlights Microsoft’s image processing system, which will be incorporated into the tablet to be used to classify images captured by the camera. The classification information can then be used by the tablet to control software and the user interface.

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Apple patent documentation made public this week by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office indicates that the Cupertino-based company is exploring different ways to utilize the forward-facing camera on its devices. The patent, which was uncovered by AppleInsider, describes a system that could scan and detect a user’s face to unlock a device. If the user cannot be identified by the system, he or she would by asked to enter a security code, much like Google’s face unlock technology. Apple isn’t looking to use face detection to simply unlock a user’s device, however. After a user’s face is recognized, the software could be used to set pre-determined settings and launch various applications. “If the detected human face is recognized… an operation of the (device) can be modified based upon the recognized human face,” the patent application reads. “The modification can include executing a pre-defined set of operations such as opening email, opening text messages, and so forth.”

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Google is attempting to file a patent that would thrust smartphone users into Orwell’s “1984.” TheNextWeb reported on Wednesday that the search giant is looking to patent a technology that can analyze the background noise during mobile phone calls and then serve up advertisements based on the environmental conditions Google hears. In short, the company’s famous “don’t be evil” motto may soon evolve into “we are going to listen to your phone calls to make money.” One example of Google’s proposed technology would recognize the background noise made by rain when a user makes a phone call in inclement weather, and then serve an advertisement for umbrellas. In addition, the system might also analyze background noise while users take photos and videos to serve up similar targeted ads. Of course there is no reason to sound the alarms just yet, as technologies described in patents often don’t see the light of day.

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A recently-published Apple patent has revealed that the Cupertino-based company is contemplating new technology surrounding an advanced TV remote, that could work alongside its rumored “iTV”, PatentlyApple reported on Thursday. The patent suggests that Apple’s new universal remote could take a photo of a user’s current TV remote and send it to iCloud for analysis. iCloud would return a “virtual copy” of the remote along with data detailing all the remote’s features and functionality to a user’s iPhone, which will then be able to mimic the original remote’s functions. Apple’s rumored iOS-powered high-definition television, currently referred to as the iTV, will reportedly enter production in May or June ahead of a launch that may take place in the fourth quarter this year.

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A new Microsoft patent published recently by the United States Patent and Trademark Office revealed that the company is working on two types of headsets for its Xbox and Windows Phone platforms, PatentBolt reported on Monday. The first unit resembles an aviation-type helmet and is aimed at Xbox gamers, while the second looks like a pair of sunglasses for use with smartphones and other future devices. The software giant states that a compact display system can be integrated into goggles, a helmet or other eyewear, enabling the wearer to view images from a computer, media player or other electronic device. Since the human eye can’t focus on images less than a few centimeters away, however, Microsoft’s headsets will have the ability to virtually project an image.

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A German judge has suspended a patent infringement suit filed by Apple against Samsung covering the company’s slide-to-unlock patent, Reuters reported on Friday. The Mannheim court said that it will await a decision in a separate lawsuit covering the same patent in Munich before it makes its ruling. The lawsuit relates to the “slide-to-unlock utility model” and comes two weeks after the same court dismissed a suit covering similar technology. The Cupertino-based company recently filed a separate complaint against Motorola in Germany, also covering its slide-to-unlock patent. Since April, Samsung and Apple have filed more than 30 lawsuits against one another throughout various countries around the world.

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The U.S. Patent & Trademark Office recently published details surrounding a Samsung patent describing a new technology that will allow users to take an image and electronically wrap it around their devices, PatentBolt reported on Friday. The invention uses a “smart device-skin” or “film layer” that is integrated into the device. At any given time, a user will be able to change the appearance of a handset using the proposed chameleon-like technology. The South Korea-based vendor believes this new smart device-skin technology could become the next big thing and is even considering a retail version to be sold as an accessory for older Samsung smartphones.

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Late last month, Samsung confirmed that it will start mass production of flexible displays this year. The first set of screens will come off the line in the second or third quarter of 2012, with the second batch will be built in the second quarter of 2013. The South Korean manufacturer has dabbled with contoured displays in the past, however a flexible display could allow a device to be fully folded and unfolded like a book. According to Samsung, the displays are capable of decreasing power consumption by cutting the supply of operating power to a display based on the degree to which it is bent, PatentBolt reported on Monday. In a recent patent filing, the company states that flexible displays are bendable, can be made to appear crooked, and can be folded and rolled up like a magazine, all while maintaining the visibility and other features common among flat displays.

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Apple on Tuesday was granted a significant patent by the United States Trademark & Patent Office, Patently Apple reported. The technology, which is supported by 23 Patent Claims, allows credit card companies to send statements directly to a user’s iTunes account for purchases made using an NFC-enabled iPhone. Account holders will also be able to allow a secondary account holder, such as a child, to make purchases on the same card while allowing the primary account holder to control spending and implement various limits. Even though NFC technology has been featured in a number of Android devices, some believe that the technology won’t go mainstream in a number of markets until an iPhone is equipped with a mobile payment solution.

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A U.S. judge has ordered Google and Motorola Mobility to turn over information about the development of the Android operating system and Google’s pending $12.5 billion acquisition of the manufacturer to Apple, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday. Motorola opposed Apple’s request, arguing that Google isn’t a party to the lawsuit. “Google’s employees and documents are not within the ‘possession, custody, or control’ of Motorola, and Motorola cannot force Google to produce documents or witnesses over Google’s objections,” the vendor’s lawyers said in a court filing on Monday. Apple’s attorneys argued that “the Android/Motorola acquisition discovery is highly relevant to Apple’s claims and defenses.” Judge Richard A. Posner has scheduled back-to-back trials before two separate juries starting June 11th. The first trial will address six Apple patents while the second will cover three Motorola patents.

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Google may be in the process of bringing its mobile operating system to desktop and notebook computers, according to a recent patent filing. The patent, which was discovered by Patently Apple, showcases desktop control features similar to Apple’s multitouch MacBook trackpad and Magic Trackpad. The current Android operating system has been designed for touch commands and actions, however in the future it may be expanded to support different means of control, Google said in the patent overview. Using a multitouch trackpad, a user can “directly interact with graphical elements located at the current pointer location as if they are using a touchscreen device, and perform traditional touchscreen operations (e.g., dragging/flinging content, scrolling).” Following Google’s acquisition of Motorola Mobility, it is believed that the Mountain View-based company will now explore a variety of new hardware products.

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A patent filed by Google showcases a new technology that could enable users to control Google TV-equipped devices using their voices, reports Patently Apple. Using a specific smartphone app, users could be able to speak commands or queries that are then acted upon by a television, a set-top box, a DVD player or another device equipped with Google TV, according to the patent filing. The patent documentation also mentions an interesting feature where “the provision of the query to the television may occur when the user is within a set distance of his home also (e.g., by determining with GPS functionality on the smartphone that he is within 1/4 mile of the home), and the television may be turned on automatically as he approaches the home, with the television tuned to a channel that is determined to be most relevant to the query.” Google’s technology can also be applied to music, allowing users to remotely set up a playlist to be streamed on a TV or other device. Whether or not we can expect Google TV products to launch with the functionality described in this patent is unknown.

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