Most cited consumer electronics patents

1

This patent describes the underlying electronic circuits and methods for a multi-touch surface that can track multiple fingers and palms simultaneously, even before they fully touch the screen.

2

Apple's 2010 patent describes a touch screen that uses two layers of transparent conductive lines to detect several fingers touching the screen simultaneously.

3

Canon's 1988 patent on bubble jet printing uses a tiny heater to instantly vaporize ink, creating a bubble that pushes out a droplet of ink from the printer head.

4

Logitech's 1998 patent describes how a touchpad can detect two fingers touching it in a specific sequence to perform actions like clicking or dragging, going beyond single-finger mouse emulation.

5

This patent describes a specific process for rapidly stretching a highly crystalline form of PTFE plastic to create a strong, porous material with a unique internal structure, forming the basis for products like Gore-Tex.

6

Apple's 2010 patent describes unlocking a device by dragging a specific graphical image across the touchscreen along a predefined path, a gesture that became iconic with the original iPhone.

7

A method for web servers to route user requests to specific machines based on which files they store, rather than just blindly balancing traffic across all servers.

8

This patent describes how touchscreens use smart rules, called heuristics, to figure out if your finger movement means scrolling up, moving around a map, or flipping to the next photo, especially by looking at how you start your swipe.

9

This patent describes the foundational method for 3D printing, where a machine builds a three-dimensional object layer by layer by hardening a liquid material with light or other energy.

10

Eastman Kodak's 1982 patent on creating light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) using organic materials, specifically a layer of porphyrinic compounds to help inject electrical charges.

11

This patent describes the foundational RSA algorithm, a method for securely sending messages where anyone can encrypt a message using a public key, but only the intended recipient can decrypt it using a secret private key.

12

This patent describes a system for electronic devices, like phones, to detect a finger hovering just above the screen, display a specific interactive element below it, and then let you control that element with gestures without ever making contact.

13

This patent describes a computer method for scoring documents in a linked database, like the internet, by considering the importance of other documents that link to them, helping search engines find better results.

14

Prodigy's 1994 patent outlines an interactive online system that delivered news, shopping, and banking to personal computers by breaking applications into 'objects' stored locally or remotely, and used user data for targeted ads.

15

TiVo's 1998 patent on a digital video recorder that converts television signals into digital files, splits them into audio and video, and stores them on a hard drive to allow simultaneous recording and playback.

16

This patent describes a method and machine for creating three-dimensional objects by precisely depositing melted material, layer by layer, from a movable nozzle onto a base.

17

Chester Carlson's 1942 patent for xerography, the dry copying process that became the foundation for Xerox machines.

18

This 1980 patent describes a way for two people to create a secret code key over a public channel, like the internet, without ever meeting or sharing the key directly.

19

This patent describes a camera sensor technology that combines light-capturing elements with a special circuit to read out the image data quickly and efficiently, all on a single chip.

20

A 1994 invention that allowed web browsers to automatically launch and run external programs directly inside a webpage, enabling interactive content like 3D models or complex data viewers.

21

This is a design patent protecting the specific physical appearance and shape of Apple's iPod Mini, which helped define the look of portable music players in the mid-2000s.

22

A 1996 system that made the early web usable on slow, unreliable wireless connections by using two 'proxy' servers to shrink and simplify data before sending it.

23

MIT's 1999 patent on a special ink made of tiny capsules that can change color when an electric field is applied, forming the basis for early e-readers.

24

Netscape's 1998 patent on storing small pieces of website information (like login details or preferences) on your computer so the website can recall them later, enabling personalized experiences and smoother navigation.

25

This patent describes a system where a store can make a custom product for a customer, but only after getting permission and the necessary design information from a central, remote office.

26

A 1970 patent describing how to print images by using electrical pulses to bend a tiny crystal plate, squeezing individual ink drops out of a nozzle on demand.

27

A method for web browsers to identify the correct webpage address to show relevant advertisements, even when the ad code is hidden inside a frame.

28

Apple's 2008 patent describes how a touchscreen device displays a blank area when a user scrolls past the edge of a document, then smoothly snaps the document back into place when the user lifts their finger.

29

Google's 2007 patent on how to assemble small map images, called tiles, into a larger map view on your device, enabling smooth zooming and panning.

30

This 1972 patent describes how to make tiny, sticky, and durable plastic balls (microspheres) using a specific mix of acrylate chemicals and a special water-based process.