Patent

So far, Dyson hasn't made any headphones, but a recently-published patent shows that its engineers are certainly thinking about it. And these cans are designed to provide the wearer with a steady supply of filtered air.

​Almost 5 years after Elon Musk allowed other manufacturers access to Tesla patents without fear of legal action – effectively making them open source – Toyota has announced that it's opening up its vehicle electrification patents to help speed up the development and adoption of electric vehicles.​

If you’ve ever wished for a third hand so you can watch your phone while doing the dishes, Samsung might be answering your prayers in a roundabout way. The company has just been awarded a patent for a “flying display device” – a screen mounted on a quadcopter that follows your gaze.

Right now the Apple Pencil stylus only works with the iPad Pro, but it seems Apple has bigger plans for its pointing device. The company's latest patent shows a new device that's capable of writing on any surface it's pressed up against, and even in mid-air.

Journeys in self-driving cars might be much less stressful, but could also increase cases of motion sickness, as drivers give up the wheel and visual distractions that help to ward off nausea. To combat the issue, researchers are developing a new wearable featuring a system of moving lights.

A patent filed by Amazon outlines the company's vision for drone delivery hives that could be destined for urban centers. These tall, multilevel cylinders would receive truck freight at the ground level, with delivery drones leaving and returning through windows dotted up the sides of the structure.

Commercial delivery drones are already taking flight, but before the system really gets off the ground, there are plenty of big-picture details to sort out. Now, Amazon has outlined plans to pack parachutes into shipping labels, so packages can be safely dropped as the drone buzzes by.

​There are times when at-a-glance notifications do more harm than good – driving is one of them. A recently awarded patent suggests that the Apple Watch could eventually prevent this distraction/nuisance by automatically detecting when you're driving and following suit by halting notifications.

​Flip phones may have died out with MySpace, but if technology in a patent awarded to Apple this week eventuates into a commercial product, a future iPhone may bring them back. The document describes carbon nanotubes in flexible printed circuits, allowing devices that can bend along a seam.

Boeing has been awarded a patent for a tilt rotor VTOL aircraft capable of carrying up to 100 passengers. By combining vertical lift of a helicopter with the speed and range of a conventional airplane, it could one day turn small airports into passenger hubs.

Imagine you’re trying to find your car in a crowded parking lot. Simply say “locate car” and a tiny drone on your shoulder flies off and guides you to it. Amazon has been awarded a patent for such a drone, which may also be used by emergency personnel to locate missing children or spot fires.

Though tools are available to remotely lock, clear data and track a stolen smartphone, Apple appears to be looking into ways to identify thieves. A patent awarded to the company last week outlines a system that would collect data on an iPhone thief and forward it to the owner or the authorities.