Hunting for Clues to the Galaxy S IV in Samsung's Trademark Filings
While Samsung has been tight-lipped about the new Galaxy S IV it will unveil tomorrow, they've been especially busy in recent weeks and months filing phone-related trademarks, brand names that maybe give us a peak inside the products they're planning to bring to market. While only some or quite possibly none of these will be in the phone that's shown tomorrow, deep in the bowels of the South Korean conglomerate, I.P. lawyers for Samsung have filed 63 phone-related trademarks with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office since November. It may not be a perfect X-ray into their R&D pipeline, but it is something. For example, that rumored that turns pages with our eyes, which may or may not already exist on the Galaxy S IV, could be related to the filings for Eye Scroll and Eye Pause.
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Admittedly, a filing doesn't tell us anything for certain. Companies obtain lots of trademarks for a products they never end up selling and can trademark lots of possible brand names for the products they do launch. And Samsung makes more phones than just the Galaxy S series. One of its recent applications that turned into a real product was the low-end smartphone the Samsung Rex 90. But even if none of the trademarks Samsung has filed recently are turn out to be related to the S IV, the survey does suggest the broad outlines of where Samsung thinks the future of smartphones is heading towards devices that practically read our minds and then share it everywhere. And, at the very least, there is some poetic insight into how Samsung thinks humans will best respond to their ideas.
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Features
Samsung has filed various trademarks for what sound like new cool things the phone can do, like that Eye Scroll thing.
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Application Date: February 5, 2013
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What it is: "Computer application software having a feature of sensing eye movements and scrolling displays of mobile devices, namely, mobile phones, smart phones and tablet computers according to eye movements; digital cameras; mobile telephones; smart phones; tablet computers"
What that could mean: As discussed above, and in the rumors, this is likely a filing for the feature that scrolls through articles with a user's eyes.
Alternative names: Smart Scroll
Application Date: January 24, 2013
What it is: "Application software for smart phones and tablet computers; digital cameras; mobile telephones; smart phones; tablet computers"
What that could mean: While at first this sounded a lot like Eye Scroll, a report today from Bloomberg described something that pauses the screen when a phone user looks away. This sounds like that.
Application Date: February 8, 2013
What it is: " Software used for smart phones and tablet computers having functions of optimizing sound with checking the user's hearing during a phone call or when listening to music; smart phones; mobile phones; tablet computers; computers; digital cameras."
What that could mean: This sounds a lot like the rumored eye-scroll function but for sound. Meaning: The phone will know what our ears are hearing and adjust the volume accordingly? That sounds incredibly future-now.
Application Date: February 8, 2013
What it is: "Software used for smart phones and tablet computers having functions of optimizing the color sense, brightness, and viewing angle of the display, in line with purposes such as web surfing, photography, and reading e-books when using smart phones and tablet computers; smart phones; mobile phones; tablet computers; computers; digital cameras."
What that could mean: This sounds exactly like the rumored Eye Scroll feature, with the phone scanning our eye movements to adapt the display.
Application Date: March 8, 2013
What it is: "Cameras; digital cameras having a phone function"
What that could mean: While this falls under the camera category the "Galaxy S 4" names makes it sound related to the phone coming out tomorrow. Will Samsung release a gadget that is more camera than phone? Or is this just a trademark for a camera phone function?
Application Date: March 5, 2013
What it is: "Application software for smart phones; application software for tablet computers; digital cameras; USB flash drives; mobile telephones; portable media players; portable computers; rechargeable batteries; smart phones; tablet computers; wireless headsets; lenses for cameras.
What that could mean: This one spurred rumors that Samsung would have a 3D camera.
Application Date: January 24, 2013
What it is: "Display screens for smart phones, tablet computers, digital cameras, notebook computers, computers and televisions; digital cameras; USB flash drives; mobile telephones; MP3 players; audio speakers; rechargeable batteries; smart phones; tablet computers; wireless headsets; flip covers adapted for mobile phone, smart phone and tablet computer"
What that could mean: This could indicate a super high resolution screen for the SIV.
Alternative Names: Samsung Ultra Clear LCD, Hyper Bright Display, Higraphix
Apps
Samsung has a lot of vague filings for app names, some of which don't give too much additional information. But, at the very least the names provide some clues for possibilities.
Application Date: December 5, 2012
What it is: "Application software for smart phones and tablet computers"
What that could mean: The name suggests motion-controlled something—maybe to ignore phone calls or delete emails?
Application Date: January 10, 2013
What it is: "Game software for mobile devices and for tablets, application software for mobile devices and for tablets, namely, software for use in online games; game software and application software for personal computers and for consoles, namely, software for use in online games"
What that could mean: We know this one is real. Samsung held a contest to make a real game for the fictional zombie unicorn title they've been using in their ad campaign. You can play the gaem if you want, but the reviews are dreadful.
Application Date: December 14, 2012
What it is: "Application software to share contents namely pictures, music and documents."
What that could mean: Sounds like some sort of cloud sharing thing.
Alternative names: Circle Cast, Fun Cast, Group Music Share, Direct Share, Chord
Application Date: December 12, 2012
What it is: "Application software for smart phones and tablet computers; digital cameras; USB flash drives; mobile telephones; portable media player; portable computers; rechargeable batteries; smart phones; tablet Computers; wireless headsets."
What that could mean: Some sort of photo feature. This is about as generic as it gets.
Application Date: December 11, 2012
What it is: "Application software for smart phones and tablet computers"
What that could mean: This sounds pretty similar to Drama Shot, in that it's some sort of video or photo related app, maybe a la Snap Chat? Perhaps they're getting in on the short-video feature a la Vine?
Alternative Names: Always, Dual Camera, Story Album
Application Date: February 7, 2013
What it is: "Application software for smart phones and tablet computers; digital cameras; USB flash drives; mobile phones; portable media player; audio speakers; rechargeable batteries; smart phones; tablet computers; wireless headsets."
What that could mean: While this has the same description as the Drama Shot, the name makes it sound like a remote control of sorts that would maybe handle other gadgets.
Application Date: January 31, 2013
What it is: "Apps with the function of viewing screens together on a display of mobile devices; computer application software with the function of viewing screens together on a display of mobile devices; computer software (recorded); computer program (recorded); digital cameras; USB flash drives; mobile telephones; MP3 players; audio speakers; rechargeable batteries; smart phones; tablet computers; wireless headsets; flip covers adapted for mobile phone, smart phone and tablet computer"
What that could mean: Sounds like a function that lets users view different windows, on their phone, much like the Dashboard view on a Mac.
Application Date: November 15, 2012
What it is: "Computer software to enable authoring, posting, uploading, downloading, transmitting, receiving, editing, extracting, encoding, decoding, playing, storing, organizing, showing, displaying, tagging, blogging, sharing or otherwise providing electronic media or information over the Internet or other communications network; computer software for personal information management; computer software for use in recording, organizing, transmitting, manipulating, and reviewing text, data, audio files, video files and electronic games in connection with TV, computers, music players, video players, media players, mobile phones..."
What that could mean: Sounds like Tumblr meets Twitter meets Google Drive for Samsung.
Software
This is the stuff baked into the phone, not in app form.
Application Date: February 4, 2013
What it is: "Software used for smart phones and tablet computers to provide the translation of the e-mail by text form; software used for smart phones and tablet computers to enable users to chat with foreigners in their each native language; smart phones; mobile phones; tablet computers; computers; digital cameras"
What that could mean: This one is pretty straightforward, it's some translation software.
Alternative Names: S Translator
Application Date: January 30, 2013
What it is: "Computer software to access internet and various applications; smart phones; tablet computers; digital cameras; notebook computers; computers; televisions"
What that could mean: Maybe this is a native web browsing app; or the name for the notification center.
Application Date: February 20, 2013
What it is: "Computer application software for mobile phones, namely, software for use in advertising, publicity and business services."
What that could mean: Sounds like ad serving software, specifically for apps. Maybe Samsung's getting into the ad business, sort of.
Application Date: February 12, 2013
What it is: "Computer software application for mobile phones, portable media players and handheld computers, namely, software for the administration, documentation, tracking and reporting of training programs, class room and online events, online learning programs, and training content for use by colleges, primary school and secondary schools; computer application software for mobile phones, portable media players and handheld computers, namely, software for managing training and educational record for use by colleges, primary school and secondary schools; computer application software for mobile phones, portable media players and handheld computers, namely, software for distributing course materials over the internet with features for online collaboration; computer notebooks; tablet PCs; smart phones; digital cameras"
What that could mean: Sounds like an educational related tool.
Phone Names
While the next Galaxy S series name will likely continue the numerical trend and earn the name the Samsung Galaxy S IV, the trademark bank is full of other possible names. These are probably reserved for other gadgets. Even so, they're funny.
Application Date: February 19, 2013
What it is: "Mobile phones; Smartphones"
What that could mean: So, this is a possible phone name for a new Samsung smartphone. Maybe the "ring" title has something to do with those rumored bendable smartphones. Samsung has filed for a bunch of these, as you can see below.
Alternative Names: Samsung Net, Definition, Galaxy Star, Samsung Savannah, Galaxy Vasta, Samsung Uto, Samsung Galaxy Fonblet, Galaxy Sol, Samsung Dare,Samsung Joy, Samsung Cap, Centura, and the Samsung Rex 90, which turned into a real life phone.
Miscellaneous Things
Many trademarks have a long list of electronics and words that don't really make sense. It's hard to tell what they mean. But I went ahead and made some educated guesses.
Application Date: February 15, 2013
What it is: "Downloadable digital images, namely, photographic or video images in the field of architecture, ballet dancers, costumes, musical instruments, set designs, communication equipment, sound waves, political figures, poverty, Germany, mountains, lakes, rock strata, soldiers, historical figures and places, courthouses, lawyers, court scenes, judges, criminals, manuscripts, books, book cover art, orchestras, rock bands, singers, guitar players, guitars, philosophers, printing presses, newspapers, newsrooms, laboratories, science labs, space, planets, galaxies, the moon, plants, space aliens, space ships, science fiction creatures, cars and computers."
What that could mean: Assuming that Samsung's lawyers haven't taken to Dadaist poetry, maybe this is Emoji?
Application Date: February 14, 2013
What it is: "Audio amplifiers; audio components; audio speakers; blank universal serial bus (USB) flash memory drive; built-in wireless audio and video receivers and electronic docking stations for use with electronic book readers, tablet computers, mp3 players, mp4 players, mobile phones and smart phones; camcorders; computer application software for mobile phones, portable media players and handheld computers, namely, software for use in voice recognition."
What that could mean: Voice recognition, huh? Maybe Siri for Samsung by Samsung? Again, Samsung has filed a bunch of trademarks under this description.
Alternative names: Keisync, Androsync, AllSync, Samsung Galaxy Player, Samsung Smart Switch, Samsung Proxia, Samsung Nosto, Samsung Cento, Zexy, Galaxy Samsung Kit, Galaxy S Mate, Galaxy S Impact, Galaxy S Active
Application Date: February 12, 2013
What it is: "Universal Serial Bus (USB) flash memory drive; computer software; computers; LCD panels; hard disk drives; Light emitting diodes (LEDs); Light emitting diode (LED) displays; semiconductors (chips); smart phones; Solid State disk (SSD); Television receivers."
What that could mean: Looks like something to transfer information between many devices.
Alternative Names: Smart Join
