Apple Inc. (AAPL): Does This Data Transfer Patent Blow Your Mind?

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) strikes again in the patent department. Earlier today, the Cupertino based company was awarded a patent by the US Patent and Trademark Office for a data transfer system that utilizes near field communications.

This is something that Apple may be serious about, being that its primary competitor in the smartphone market, Samsung, is using similar technology known as “S Beam.”

Whether or not Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is able to add this technology to future iPhones is yet to be seen, however, there is a good chance that the company is looking into the possibility. In other words, this is one of those patents that actually appears to be useful.

The patent was published with the title: System and method for simplified data transfer

As you can see, the title is pretty simple to understand. That being said, let’s take a closer look at the abstract for an even better idea of what Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is hoping to accomplish:

“Systems and methods of performing a simplified data transfer are provided. For example, a simplified data transfer system may include two or more devices configured to perform a simplified data transfer. The first device may be configured to save and transfer data associated with applications open on the first device. When the second device initiates communication, the first device may automatically send the open application data to the second device.”

Sounds easy enough, right? This pretty much explains what the technology brings to the table and how it would be used to improve the company’s iPhone (and other products).

If the above excerpt doesn’t help you better understand what this Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) patent is all about, we don’t have to look any further than the summary for more information:

“A method of performing the simplified data transfer may include initiating communication using near field communication (NFC) between two devices. Next, data associated with open applications on one of the two devices may be saved and then transferred to the other. Transferring the data may take place using a peer-to-peer connection other than via NFC.”

Does this example help you see how Apple is hoping to use the technology in the future?

This is an Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) patent that we definitely want to keep our eyes on in the months and years to come. It will be interesting to see if Cupertino finds a way to use the technology in a yet to be released device.

For an official image from the patent filing, visit the next page: