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Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
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Apple was today granted a 2009 patent application to allow users to control a device by pressing on, or squeezing, parts of the casing. An illustration in the patent shows potential touch-sensitive areas across a whole range of different devices:

touch-800x669.png
The patent, discovered by AppleInsider, combines two different methods of detecting and measuring the amount of pressure applied: one physical, the other electrical. The capacitance test, which works in a similar way to touchscreens, would enable the device to tell human touch apart from accidental pressure applied while the device was carried in a pocket or bag.
Sensors disposed within the housing, in some embodiments directly beneath the surface, can detect when deflection occurs, which in turn denotes stress or pressure. In some embodiments, the sensors are connected to a printed circuit board that can in turn illuminate a light or other indicator when a minimum amount of readable stress is applied ... A processor can take the measurements with their corresponding deflection rates, and translate them into device actions. For example, a threshold stress level is reached when a user presses down on a certain area of a device's housing. The processor determines that the capacitance change is outside the bounds of normal readings and can trigger a UI event or other device feature in response. The system can be customized to detect patterns and varied sensitivities to support a broad range of tasks.
Apple patents a great many technologies it never uses, either as potential solutions that are later rejected or to protect against competitor use, although the metal casing of the iPhone 5 could make the system practical on any future iPhone models with a similar casing.

Article Link: Apple Wins Patent for Pressure-Sensitive Device Casings
 

ironsienna

macrumors regular
Oct 28, 2010
215
0
All these devices look so old! I can't believe in just 4 years how much mobile technology has been evolved!
 

Dan--

macrumors regular
Jul 30, 2008
237
23
So, if you squeeze the casing hard, it can tell the antenna to stop working properly ;)
 

Mac21ND

macrumors 6502a
Jun 6, 2007
724
167
You're holding it wrong.

No, really, you need to squeeze here and push there to check your email.
 

thewinelake

macrumors newbie
Jan 9, 2008
26
0
I think that unless you build it and sell it, you shouldn't be holding those patent rights after a specific period of time.

maybe I am dumb

Absolutely right - it's not you that's dumb, it's the patent system that is.

The other thing would be that if you don't use it within a certain period, you must licence it at a fair price to anyone else, as in the mobile phone industry.
 

needfx

Suspended
Aug 10, 2010
3,931
4,247
macrumors apparently
Absolutely right - it's not you that's dumb, it's the patent system that is.

The other thing would be that if you don't use it within a certain period, you must licence it at a fair price to anyone else, as in the mobile phone industry.

I was just going to edit my post to add the licensing part. totally agreed
 

Stella

macrumors G3
Apr 21, 2003
8,837
6,334
Canada
Generalizing here: A lot of these patents are used for anti-competitive reasons - stop competitors from doing the same thing. I agree - a patent should become invalid if not implemented within a given time.
 

Tankmaze

macrumors 68000
Mar 7, 2012
1,707
351
it would be great if apple could incorporate swipe from left or right in iOS
like the notification center on ML with the trackpad.
 

Intarweb

macrumors 6502a
May 30, 2007
561
0
Maybe they can now get rid of the stupid home button that's prone to failure because of dirt getting in-between the case and the button?
 

G4DP

macrumors 65816
Mar 28, 2007
1,451
3
So are they going to go after Amazon now? Given that alot of Kindle cases already do this?
 

samcraig

macrumors P6
Jun 22, 2009
16,779
41,982
USA
Pretty much a BS patent grant. And I'm sure will be invalidated when first tested in court.
 

ctcampbell

macrumors member
Aug 17, 2012
37
0
This would be good in addition to the thumb detection on the mini for greater accuracy when determining if a touch is deliberate or not.
 

wizard

macrumors 68040
May 29, 2003
3,854
571
Yeah you are dumb!

I think that unless you build it and sell it, you shouldn't be holding those patent rights after a specific period of time.

maybe I am dumb
If you invent something it is yours for a fixed time defined by the patent system. That is the whole point of the patent system!!! You are free to do what you want with that invention for the period of time the patent remains active.

In a sense what you want already exists, patents on inventions don't last forever. Now you could argue about the length of time for a patent but that becomes a very combative discussion. Frankly though the patent system is more rational than the copyright system which grants you exclusivity after you are dead. If you look carefully at the two systems it is pretty obvious that the patent system is less screwed up than the copyright system.
 
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