Apple has been granted a patent (number 8166415) by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office for an user interface for backup management -- namely, for its Time Machine software in Mac OS X.

The patent involves methods and a computer program product for providing a user interface including earlier versions of data. In one implementation, a method is provided. The method includes receiving, while a current view is displayed in a user interface, a first user input requesting that a backup interface be displayed. In response to the first user input, the transition from displaying the current view in the user interface to displaying the backup interface is animated.

The backup interface is displayed including a display area for presenting at least a first visual representation of an earlier version of the current view, where the earlier version includes a first element. While the backup interface is displayed, a second user input is received requesting that the current view be modified according to the earlier version.

In response to the second user input, the current view is modified according to the earlier version. The inventors are Pavel Cisler, Mike Matas, Marcel van Os, Gregory N. Christie, Kevin Tiene, Gene Zyrl Ragan and Scott Forstall.

Apple has also been granted a patent (number 8166397) for an audio processing interface, which involves the GarageBand app. Per the patent, a graphical element resembling an instrument amplifier having audio control parameters is displayed through a graphical user interface (GUI). An additional graphical element resembling one or more instrument effects pedals is displayed.

Each instrument effects pedal has separate audio control parameters. An audio input is received from an instrument. The audio input is processed according to the audio control parameters associated with the one or more instrument effects pedals and the instrument amplifier. The audio resulting from the processing is provided as an output. Thorsten K.S. Quandt and Jan-Hinnerk Helms are the inventors.

Finally, Apple has been granted a patent (D658190) for the design of the current design form of the iMac. The inventors are Jody Akana, Bartley K. Andre, Jeremy Batailou, Daniel J. Coster, Daniele De Iulis, Evans Hankey, Richard P. Howarth, Jonathan P. Ive, Duncan Robert Kerr, Shin Nishibori, Matthew Rohrbach, Peter Russell-clark, Christopher J. Stringer, Eugene Antony Whang and Rico Zorkendorfer.