Electronics
has applied for US and South Korean trademarks for a watch that
connects to the Internet in the latest sign that consumer technology
companies see wearable devices as the future of their business.
Samsung described "Samsung Galaxy Gear"
as a wearable digital electronic device in the form of a wristwatch,
wrist band or bangle in its July 29 application with US Patent and
Trademark Office. A month earlier, it applied for a "Samsung Gear"
trademark in South Korea.
The trademark applications did not show the shape of the
products. But drawings from a Samsung design patent approved in May show
a watch-like design with a flexible screen that curves around the
wrist.
The US trademark application said the
device will be "capable of providing access to the Internet, for sending
and receiving phone calls, electronic mails and messages" as well as
"for keeping track of or managing personal information."
The trademark filings in the US and in South Korea show that
Samsung is deep in preparations for what tech industry experts expect
will be a new generation of mobile technology that dramatically expands
the utility of single-function objects such as watches and glasses. The
South Korean consumer electronics giant was caught flatfooted by Apple's
invention of the smartphone but through what turned out to be a legally
risky strategy of imitation was able to capture a dominant share of the
global smartphone market within a few years.
Apple applied June 3 for a trademark in Japan for " ."
Industry watchers have long speculated that Apple is working on a smart
watch that uses a version of the operating system that powers the
iPhone and iPad. The company has not confirmed those rumors but CEO Tim
Cook has hinted it may be developing a wearable computing device.
Google is testing an early version of Internet-connected
spectacles called Glass. It uses a small screen above the right eye that
displays information and imagery retrieved from the Internet.
The South Korean patent office said the Gear trademark will not
be approved this year as it takes seven to eight months to start
reviewing applications due to a waiting list. Samsung applied for the
South Korean trademark on June 21.
It was not clear if Samsung would use the "Samsung Gear"
trademark for a Smart Watch. The trademark application covers 38
possible products including mobile telephones, bracelets, glasses and
software interfaces that monitor human vital signs.
South Korea's patent office said in June that Samsung had
patented watch designs in which more than three quarters of the device
is covered by a flexible display that curves around the wrist.
Illustrations showed 'back' and 'home' buttons at the bottom of the
screen. Another illustration shows a rectangular screen with an edge
that tapers toward the top.
The product is made of metal, synthetic and glass materials, Samsung's patent document said.
Samsung executive vice president Lee Young Hee said in March
interview with Bloomberg that the company's mobile division has been
working on a smart watch. Samsung declined to confirm the report then.
Company spokeswoman Chenny Kim declined to comment on the patent applications. - AP
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Showing posts with label Trademark. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Trademark. Show all posts
Sunday, August 11, 2013
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