Apple innovates like none other. We love getting the latest details on what they’ve got cookin’ up in Cupertino. The latest dirt on the iPhone maker is the company’s 2005 patent filing that reveals the possibility of using your iPod and iPhone as a media remote control with wireless metadata communications. In addition to Apple’s patent outlining the possibilty for our iPods and iPhones of the future to wirelessly communicate with each other, we’re on the verge of total Apple wireless connectivity in the home.
It’s great that a 2005 filing has the snazz to catch our eye in 2007 – especially since a possible 2-year development time, and that other iPhone remote patent, makes this patent more likely to cross over into production. So, what are we talking about? Apple’s recently published patent details a “portable media player as a low power remote.” Essentially, the patent reveals the distinct possibility of having your iPhone or iPod work as a wireless remote control for your Mac or Apple TV.
And this is what they mean by “portable media player:”
“A portable multimedia player is used to wirelessly access and control a media server that is streaming digital media by way of a wireless interface to a media unit such as a stereo/speakers in the case of streaming digital audio. In one embodiment, the portable multimedia player is wirelessly synchronized to a selected one(s) of a number of digital media files stored on the media server in such a way that digital media file metadata (song title, author, etc.) associated with the selected digital media file(s) only is transferred from the media server to be stored in the portable media player.“
But, it doesn’t stop there. The patent also allows for the device to actually communicate metadata (information like song title, album name, artist name, etc.) wirelessly from the media server. So, not only will you be able to control your Mac from your couch, but the current song will display itself nice and conveniently on your iPhone’s display. Could this be a hidden feature waiting patiently in our iPhone for an Apple update to come out of hiding? We sure hope so.
[Via: ZDnet]