Apple has filed a patent which could help users to track down easily lost objects such as a Bluetooth headset. The document with the title "Location discovery using Bluetooth" surfaced yesterday suggests that an iPhone could de used to ping a Bluetooth-paired device that would react with a high pitched sound or light.

A Bluetooth signal is much more sophisticated than your $5 sound-tracking device you can buy for your keychain, which means there are added benefits. For example, the time delay between sending and receiving a signal can be used to determine the distance between two devices. This information could be displayed in the iPhone’s display.

"The distance between the devices can be calculated by comparing the amount of time delay between the transmission of the signal sent from the master device to the slave device and the reception of the return signal from the slave device. With a precise timing system, the master device can be capable of performing such measurements.

Since the speed of the radio waves is known, the distance can be calculated using the time information," the filing states.

Another discovery method Apple proposes the use of directional antennas to determine the directive of a lost device relative to the phone.

knowing Apple...

May 30, 2008 22:06     

someone will already have a patent on this and sue Apple for it! HAHAHAHAHA!!!
cabose369 report abuse vote down vote up Votes: -3

can that be a patent.?

May 30, 2008 23:53     

"Since the speed of the radio waves is known, the distance can be calculated using the time information" Isn't that a common sense, a public domain knowledge.? By the way, that can only locate the object in radius range, which means the lost object is likely to be on 1 of the point on the locust of the radius, which still doesn't say where it is. The benefit of the "innovation" is sufficiently protected by the actual implementation itself, which means, the copyright of the implementation. This patent is likely to deter innovation and competition, which contradicts the definition of patent, as apple can use this patent to block the more advance implementation from competitors.

leeseng report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +5

OMG

Jun 02, 2008 06:41     

APPLE INVENTED...... sonar...
aL report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +2

Re: can that be a patent.?

Jun 02, 2008 08:13     

Yes it can. I'm filing a patent over "Multiplication" as we speak.
nke report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

patent number please?

Jun 09, 2008 21:34     

i keep hearing about this patent application, but cant find it. Anyone got an application number i can look up?
scott report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0