Just how much does Steve Jobs matter to Apple? Quite a bit, according to a collection of earlier patents imbued with the CEO's name.
Technologizer's Harry McCracken dug through Google Patent Search, pulling up any patent he could find including Jobs' name. And though it's unclear just what the CEO's explicit contribution to each patent was, a more fascinating observation is that his name typically appears on patents depicting Apple products that eventually become a reality. A 2004 patent (pictured to the right) portrays what appears to be a touchscreen tablet, a rumored device that many are predicting Apple will deliver in the near future.
Other highlights? Jobs even contributed to the white power bricks used to charge Mac notebooks. You know, the ones with the little wings that flip out, which you twirl the cable around to safely store it away. Clearly he cares about the mundane stuff, too.
One minus point: A 1999 patent (filed in 1998) suggests Jobs had a hand in Apple's notorious hockey-puck-shaped mouse released with the iMac in 1998. Many view this peripheral as an ergonomic nightmare, and perhaps one of Apple's worst failures. Nobody's perfect.
And believe it or not, there's even a patent for the towering glass staircase at the Apple Store in San Francisco's Union Square. Similar to McCracken, whenever I ascend those steps I feel like I'm climbing into nerd heaven — an experience Jobs wants no other store to steal, apparently.
Check out McCracken's full story for some other interesting patents involving Jobs.
See Also:
- Apple CEO Steve Jobs Goes on Medical Leave
- Steve Jobs Cites Treatable Hormone Imbalance For Weight Loss
- Apple Patent Details GPS-equipped Nike+ Shoes
- Apple Settles Patent Infringement Case for $10 Mil
- Apple Patent Watch: Monitor Docking Station
- Apple Patents Clamshell Design — A Sign of iPhone Nanos to Come
Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired.com
