Apple has won patents from the US Patent & Trademark Office for the Aperture tool for straightening digital images and for a computer housing design that displays the illuminated Apple logo. Aperture is the company's software for pro and semi-pro photographers.

Patent number 7679625 is for a digital image straightening tool. Per the patent, as the user operates the straighten control, the rotational orientation of a selected image is changed. According to one embodiment, a grid is superimposed over the image while the straighten control is being operated, to assist the user in selecting the proper rotational orientation. In addition, after a rotational adjustment, the image is automatically cropped to ensure that the orientation of the peripheral shape of the image remains unchanged. The inventors are Joshua D. Fagans, Jeffrey L. Robbin, Timothy B. Martin and Timothy E. Wasko.

Patent number 7,679,894 is for a display housing for a computing device. An improved housing for a computing device is disclosed. The improved housing can have one or more of the following aspects. A first aspect of the invention pertains to a computer housing having a logo or other symbol that can be illuminated using light from the backside of a display panel. A second aspect of the invention pertains to a suspended frame that is able to support a display panel within a display housing. A third aspect of the invention pertains to a computing device provided with an internal antenna. A fourth aspect of the invention pertains to a stiffener for a computer housing so as to increase the rigidity and strength of the computer housing. A fifth aspect of the invention pertains to a housing having a logo, symbol or other device that can be illuminated using light from the backside of a display panel. A sixth aspect of the invention pertains to a lid for a computing device, such as a portable computer, that is provided with a translucent housing. The inventors are Lawrence lam, Jory Bell, Chris J. Stringer and Roy Riccomini.

Five other Apple patents have also appeared at the US Patent & Trademark Office. Here's a summary of each.

Patent number 7,680,181 involves spooling during video format conversions. Techniques are provided which allow computers with relatively less computational power to perform dynamic conversion of video from inter-frame dependent format to an independent-frame format while playing the video as it is being converted. If the conversion operation is not keeping up with the arrival of the incoming video, the video is spooled within the computer system. The playback and conversion operations proceed as the spooling is performed. Thus, to a viewer of the video, the video may appear to slow, but the playback and conversion operation proceed without losing frames. The inventors are Ken K. Lin, Kelly M. Hawk and Vaidyanath.

Patent number RE41,165 is for a method and apparatus for identifying user-selectable regions within multiple display frames. The method and apparatus determine a specific position of a user-selectable region at a particular point in time within a sequence of display frames. The method and apparatus first interpolate between a first matrix representing the user-selectable region at a first point in time and a second matrix representing the user-selectable region at a second point in time. In one embodiment, the matrix generated by this interpolation is then applied to a region definition for the user-selectable region to determine the specific area occupied by the region at the particular point in time. According to one embodiment, the first matrix and the second matrix are both stored within the same sample of a container track. This sample corresponds to one or more frames of the sequence of display frames. In an alternate embodiment, the first matrix and the second matrix are stored in two separate samples of the container track. The inventors are Peter J. Hoddie and Sean D. Allen.

Patent number 7,680,181 involves a method for variable length decoding using multiple, configurable look-up tables. Methods and apparatuses for variable length decoding using multiple look-up tables simultaneously. In one aspect of the invention, a method for execution by a microprocessor in response to receiving a single instruction includes: receiving a string of bits; generating a plurality of indices using a plurality of segments of bits in the string of bits; looking up simultaneously a plurality of entries from a plurality of look-up tables using the plurality of indices; and combining the plurality of entries into a first result. The above operations are performed in response to the microprocessor receiving the single instruction. The inventors are Sushma Shrikant Trivedi, Jack Benkual, Joseph Br. Bratt and William C. Athas.

Patent number 7,680,963 is for a DMA controller configured to process control descriptors and transfer descriptors. In one embodiment, an apparatus comprises a first interface circuit, a direct memory access (DMA) controller coupled to the first interface circuit, and a host coupled to the DMA controller. The first interface circuit is configured to communicate on an interface according to a protocol. The host comprises at least one address space mapped, at least in part, to a plurality of memory locations in a memory system of the host. The DMA controller is configured to perform DMA transfers between the first interface circuit and the address space, and the DMA controller is further configured to perform DMA transfers between a first plurality of the plurality of memory locations and a second plurality of the plurality of memory locations. The inventors are Dominic G, Mark D. Hayter, Zongjian Chen and Ruchi Wadhawan.

Patent number 7,680,849 involves multiple media type synchronization between a host computer and a media device. Improved techniques for transferring media assets between a host computer and a media device are disclosed. The transfer of media assets between a host computer and a media device can be referred to as synchronization. According to one aspect of the invention, media assets being transferred can be formatted (e.g., rendered) in advance at the host computer and then delivered to the media device. According to another aspect of the invention, media assets can be grouped into collections and transferred on a collection basis. According to still another aspect of the invention, media assets to be transferred can be limited based on an amount of storage capacity available at the media device. According to yet another aspect of the invention, media