A patent’s figures are often central elements to understanding the disclosed invention.  They are also important for supporting the claims, which define the legal protection being sought by the inventor.  The one thing they usually are not is funny.  Then comes along Apple’s published application US2012/0246374 (‘374). “Device Orientation Based Docking Function” gained some notoriety because it appeared just after the iPhone 5 and Phil Schiller’s comments around wireless charging.


The face or front page of the ‘374 application is reproduced above, showing the Representative Figure.  Here one sees two mobile devices on some sort of pad or mat (docking device 150).  Personal communication device 120 having face 122 sure looks like a smart phone having a keyboard and pointing device.  In fact the drawing reminds one of a member of the berry family.  Sure this drawing could have been produced by the agent or attorney drafting the application, but it is a bit un-Apple to have an image looking more like a competitor’s phone gracing the front page of one of their patent applications.