Apple grants several patents: iTunes Store, Aperture, flexible arm and more

A series of patents guaranteed by Apple and cataloged by Patently Apple cover several different areas, ranging from services and software to hardware parts already on the market and one that is yet to appear.

One of the patents registered was related to iTunes and the associated content store with a client-server environment for media display. Another invention related to the automatic RAW image processing system in Aperture.

Patent keyboard, SuperDrive and iPod packaging

In terms of already released hardware, Apple has secured design patents for the Aluminum Keyboard with numeric keypad, SuperDrive for MacBooks Air, iPod packaging and two small components in the MacBooks Pro interface. Steve Jobs appears as an inventor in almost all these patents except for SuperDrive.

Articulated arm patent

Finally, a patent was granted by Ma describing a mechanism for screens supported by a flexible arm that is easy to operate. Given that the iMac G4 “Table Lamp” that contained an apparatus similar to this was discontinued a long time ago, the appearance of this and another patent covering a stand articulated for iPad makes us wonder if more accessories for the tablet would not be in Apple's plans.