Airbus designs mezzanine to seat plane passengers on top of each other

Recently featured in the Telegraph we had an insight into what Aircraft manufacturer Airbus has designed, which is a mezzanine level for planes that would stack passengers above others' heads to make the most of vacant space!

They have presented a number of different designs which also show how seats are built into another level on an aircraft which would create space for reclining chairs on both levels. They have also shown bunk bed-style steps leading to the upper seats.

Airbus have also talked about utilising the most of space on other forms of transport i.e. buses and trains.

Samsung keen to patent Google Glass-like invention that lets users interact with 3D images in mid-air

In the news this month we have also seen that Samsung has recently applied to patent a Google Glass-style device that is light years ahead of Google's current technology.

Samsung’s new innovation would have an image projected in front of the user – as perceived through her own headset – that she could then interact with as an input.

It enables users to interact with 3D images in mid-air to dial phone numbers, send SMS text messages and even play a virtual piano keyboard.

iPhone 7: should you skip the iPhone 6S and wait for the 2016 model?

On 29 September, Apple filed a patent application with the US Patent and Trademark Office for what it calls "sidewall displays".

The image accompanying the patent shows a phone with a screen that stretches all the way around the device which may mean Apple will do away with the home button!

The patent application also indicate that Apple may also finally be preparing to incorporate wireless charging into its next generation phones.

Facebook could check your loan applications against your friends' credit

JUST CALL IT “FRIENDLINING”

A new patent granted to Facebook would let lenders check those same friends' credit scores and take them into account when deciding to grant a loan.

The technology Facebook patented looks through “an individual's social network and a black list of persons that have been determined to be untrustworthy,” and then decides whether or not to proceed with that interaction. This is billed as a way to reduce spam, or unwanted messages and solicitations, by for example not letting people send email to users if they can’t trace a path between the sender’s network to the receivers.

If the technology judges those connections to be enough of a risk, this means the lender could turn down the loan. For risk-adverse lenders, this in theory reduces liability.

Michael Downing is an Intellectual Property and Patent expert at Downing IP and has the following advice;

"Patent applications can often be the first public information about what your competitors are doing.  It's really useful to set up a watching search that takes a regular look and lets you know what's been released recently.  Not only does that alert you to possible threats, it also gives you the inside line of what directions they are going."

For confidential, professional advice regarding Trademarks, Patents or Design Protection please contact us on 01494 422626 or email info@downing-ip.com