Steve Jobs PatentIt’s been almost four years since Steve Jobs died from pancreatic cancer, but that doesn’t mean he’s done getting patents. The US Patent and Trademark Office awarded Jobs a patent yesterday for an “improved portable media device and methods for operating a media device.”

Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs

In the filing’s illustrations, the patented device looks a lot like the original iPod Shuffle, which came out more than 10 years ago. The patent specifically refers to audible and illuminated indicators that respond to input, as well as the slider on the first-gen Shuffle that allowed users to switch between shuffle and repeat modes.

Jobs wasn’t the only inventor listed on the patent; current Apple design lead Jony Ive is listed alongside the former iPod division head, Nest founder and current employee of Google parent Alphabet, Tony Fadell. That means that two-thirds of the inventors listed on the patent no longer work for the company.

This isn’t some shady action by Apple though, or a proof that Steve Jobs didn’t actually die in 2011; patents can take incredibly long to get through the USPTO while they check that the patent is original. With patents being increasingly broad, it can take some time to make sure the idea hasn’t been thought of before.

In the meantime, we’ll be watching for the patent on those sweet candy-colored iMacs.

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