Apple Granted Patents for Page Turn Animation & iPad Smart Case

 Apple was granted two notable design patents by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Tuesday: one for the "page turn" animation found in many Apple applications, and another for the design of Smart Case iPad cover, which replaced the original Smart Cover in 2011.Patent No. D670,713, entitled "Display screen or portion thereof with animated graphical user interface," was first filed in December 2011. As a design patent, the application relies on the included figures to illustrate the "animation" that Apple is seeking ownership of. Although the figures illustrate only a basic page turn, users familiar with iBooks and other Apple applications which utilize the animation know that the page turn is truly "interactive," with the animation dependent upon where the user's finger touches the virtual page and the direction and speed at which the user's finger moves.
Apple's attention to detail and realism with the page turn animation helped make iBooks a credible e-book reader and, for many, allowed the experience to be more enjoyable when compared to other tablet e-book software such as Amazon's Kindle application, which features a much more primitive page turn animation.The page turn patent claims Elizabeth Caroline Cranfill, Mikio Inose, and Stephen O. Lemay as inventors.Apple's second noteworthy design patent covers the Apple Smart Case, which the company first introduced alongside the third-generation iPad. An evolution of Apple's Smart Cover, the Smart Case protects both the front and back of the iPad while still providing the benefits of magnetically-triggered sleep/wake and a built-in stand for various positions.
The patent, D670,499, was first filed in April 2012 and lists a multitude of Apple employees as inventors.Including the two patents above, Apple was granted a total of 28 patents by the USPTO Tuesday. Those interested can check out the full list, arranged in descending order by date granted.The joint effort between Sanrio and Tokidoki is the Tokidoki x Hello Kitty Jeweled iPad Case. It features PVC leather, along with a fuzzy inner lining that should be easy on your iPad. The outside of the case is nonstop glamour – Hello Kitty and Tokidoki characters showered with diamonds, jewels, and high fashion. Even the gritty-cute creatures from Tokidoki can't help but feel fabulous.The bejeweled case (well, alright, no actual jewels, but we can dream) fits all models of the iPad. You can score maybe the most adorable iPad case in existence for $40 off the Tokidoki website.