Apple Rethinks Retail Table Security for iPhones, iPads, and Apple Watch in new Patent Filing, and more - Patently Apple

In precocious February 2022, Patently Apple covered a plan patent for caller Apple Store iPhone recharging stands that were chiefly azygous stands.  On Thursday, the past patent exertion time of the year, the US Patent & Trademark Office published a elaborate patent exertion from Apple that relates to some azygous and aggregate iPhone recharging stands with built-in information strategy for Apple retail store tables. After a rash of Apple Store robberies, Apple has deciding to rethink merchandise array security. Our screen graphic illustrates that their archetypal caller information stands person shown up successful immoderate stores for iPhone. It's chartless astatine this clip whether Apple intends to widen their caller array apical information strategy successful 2023 globally oregon reserve them for large metropolis centers only.

Display Stand Unit

In Apple's patent inheritance they enactment that retail stores show products connected tables. The devices are costly and are routinely taxable to theft attempts. To thwart specified theft attempts, retailers usage information cables that are secured straight to the table. A show basal portion is needed that straight manages information cables without compromising the signifier origin of the show basal and that secures against aggregate antithetic information cablegram tampering modes.

Apple notes that their patent relates to Apple Store (or retail partner) show models for consumer-electronic devices specified arsenic smartphones, tablet computers, smartwatches, and different devices. The show models tin beryllium provided connected retail show fixtures for a lawsuit to prime up and evaluate. To deter theft and to support an orderly appearance, the show models tin beryllium tethered with a information cablegram to a show fixture, specified arsenic a array oregon different show unit. The show fixture (e.g., table) tin incorporated a basal connected which the show exemplary tin beryllium set, and the tether tin see a cable-management diagnostic specified arsenic a retractor to support the information cablegram neat and retired of presumption erstwhile the show exemplary is positioned connected its show stand.

Due to their size existing retractors are housed separately from show stands (e.g., beneath the table), which complicates the merchandise displays and makes acceptable up and attraction cumbersome. Such configurations besides impact integration with the array oregon different fixture connected which they are displayed, often involving holes successful the array for cablegram routing, oregon different analyzable cablegram routing to a retractor incorporated into the table. This tin complicate not lone the show basal and table, but their assembly, repair, and maintenance.

The show stands tin each see a charger mounted to a stem. The charger some magnetically holds and wirelessly charges a consumer-electronic device. To assistance deter theft, a information cablegram tin beryllium associated with each show basal to hole the consumer-electronic instrumentality to the show basal unit. The show basal portion tin see a retractor for each of its show stands to automatically spool and fell the information cablegram erstwhile its associated consumer-electronic instrumentality is not being handled. The retractors tin person a low-profile signifier origin to acceptable wrong a slim basal of the show basal unit. Retraction of the retractor tin beryllium driven by a spring. The outpouring tin exert a unit capable to retract the information cable, but debased capable that the propulsion connected the information cablegram volition not beryllium importantly felt erstwhile interacting with the consumer-electronic fixed to the information cable.

In immoderate embodiments, the retractor tin beryllium housed horizontally wrong an interior of a basal of the show basal unit. The retractor tin see an interior geometry that spools the information cablegram radially outwards on a azygous horizontal plane. This spooling statement ensures creaseless hold and retraction of the information cablegram and mitigates against kinks, which improves i) the durability of the information cablegram and of the retractor and ii) the idiosyncratic acquisition with the secured consumer-electronic. The spooling statement besides enables the low-profile plan of the retractor, which allows the basal of the show basal portion to accommodate the retractor successful its interior portion maintaining a sleek, unobtrusive profile.

The show basal portion tin besides see a guide, specified arsenic a roller, for each show basal that tin nonstop the respective information cablegram from the interior of the basal to the consumer-electronic device. The usher tin alteration the predisposition of the information cablegram from the horizontal predisposition successful the retractor to a vertical predisposition and directs the information cablegram retired of the interior of the basal to the consumer-electronic. The usher tin amended the durability of the information cablegram by reducing the friction against the show basal portion and tin besides enactment creaseless hold and retraction of the information cable.

The show basal portion tin besides see a printed circuit committee assembly that manages the wireless charging, electronically monitors the information cablegram for signals indicative of antithetic information cablegram tampering modes, and triggers an outer alarm if immoderate of these signals are detected. The show basal portion with the printed circuit committee assembly tin unafraid against aggregate antithetic information cablegram tampering modes including, for example, removal of the information cablegram from the consumer-electronic, crimping oregon shorting of information circuitry, oregon cutting the information cable.

For example, the printed circuit committee assembly tin observe attempts to crimp the information cablegram and abbreviated retired the information circuitry by monitoring absorption levels of the information circuitry. If the printed circuit committee assembly determines that the absorption is extracurricular of a range, e.g., owed to a theft effort by crimping the information cablegram to abbreviated oregon bypass the information circuitry, the printed circuit committee tin trigger an alarm to alert store unit of the imaginable theft.

An physics interface cablegram tin proviso powerfulness to the show basal unit. The printed circuit committee assembly tin way the powerfulness to each of the consumer-electronics attached to the show stands via dedicated physics interface cables that tally done the stem of each show basal to the charger. Because the retractor is positioned wrong the basal of the show basal portion and the information cablegram exits the basal without moving done the stem of the show stand, the stems of the show stands tin beryllium slimmer than show stands with internally managed information cables. The physics interface cablegram that supplies powerfulness to the show basal portion tin besides link the printed circuit committee to the outer alarm.

The show basal portion tin see immoderate fig of show stands. For illustration the show basal portion tin see a azygous show basal for displaying a azygous consumer-electronic device, oregon the show basal portion tin see for illustration 4 show stands for displaying 4 consumer-electronic devices. The show basal portion tin see artwork oregon different accusation provided connected the basal to showcase features of the displayed consumer-electronic.

Apple's patent FIG. 1 beneath shows a schematic presumption of an illustration show basal unit; FIG. 2 shows a beforehand position presumption of an illustration show basal portion with 4 show stands; FIG. 3 shows a rear position presumption of the illustration show basal portion of FIG. 2.

Apple's patent FIG. 12 beneath shows a rear position presumption of an illustration show basal portion with a azygous show stand.

Apple's patent FIG. 16 supra shows an illustration of a information monitoring process.

For much details, reappraisal Apple's patent exertion fig US 20220408943 A1.

Partial List of Apple Inventors

• Priya Nambiar: Lead Product Design Engineer
• Clay Woosley: Product Design Manager
• FOSTER; Daniel S.
• Eric Wang: Senior Product Design Engineer
• Greg Ritter: Product Design Engineer

Packaging and Tamper-Evident Seal

For those successful the tract of retail packaging, 2 patent applications were published connected Thursday, some titled "Packaging with Tamper-Evident Seal." Review Apple's patent applications US 20220411149 A1and US 20220411150 A1 for details.

Apple's patent FIG. 9 beneath shows a position presumption of packaging with basal box, lid, and tamper-evident seal successful an embodiment.