Enhanced Mobile Multi-Tasking Patent Application Surfaces

[MacRumors]

Apple has filed a patent application for techniques for providing input to interactive and multitasking applications, especially in regards to gaming.

The application appears specifically applicable to portable devices, where screen real estate is a premium. From the application:

A location on the input area can be designated, for example, for a gaming application if input is received in a particular manner different than that designated for the non-gaming application (e.g., tapping or touching the region would send input to a gaming application, but pressing would result in a media player function)

In general, Apple focuses on being able to control background applications via the same input surface without having to navigate away from the foreground application. For the iPhone/iPod touch, the patent is similar to the home button double-click functionality, but the touch screen would be utilized.

The application was originally filed in September 2006 and was published today.

Raw Data: Patent Application #20070279394


Article Link

[IEatApples]

I hope there will be a lot more games for the iPhone in the future … and by "games" I'm talking 3D as well + hopefully iPhone2 will compare to something like the PSP or Nintendo DS when it comes to gaming!

… a partnership with Nintendo would be great!

[deathshrub]

Gaming?

Let's hope this doesn't turn out like the n-gage.

[plumbingandtech]

Boy, Apple is going to be TOUCHING us a lot in the future it seems.

Good.

[ben5959]

and this is on the front page why? It tells us about a patent that was filed well over a year ago. Let me know when games come to the iphone/touch, thats front page worthy, otherwise dont waste my time

[QuarterSwede]

Originally Posted by IEatApples

I hope there will be a lot more games for the iPhone in the future … and by "games" I'm talking 3D as well + hopefully iPhone2 will compare to something like the PSP or Nintendo DS when it comes to gaming!

… a partnership with Nintendo would be great!

Not gonna happen. It's highly unlikely ... of course it would be cool though.

[IEatApples]

Originally Posted by QuarterSwede

Not gonna happen. It's highly unlikely ... of course it would be cool though.

hahaha! Agreed!

[RoboCop001]

It just means you can skip a track while trying to rotate a tetris block. Or wow!! Playing bubble bobble!!

Or watching battlestar galactica.... or playing bubble bobble!!

[SiliconAddict]

Umm I'm 90% certain this overlaps with existing patents. I don't know where I saw it, think Engadget, but I KNOW I've seen patents for multifunction on a screen depending on the action.
All these patents are typical Apple overreaction after getting their butts handed to them a few times by Creative.....and several other companies...the names escape me.
My money is on Jobs throwing a temper tantrum (To be fair I doubt he threw any chairs though like monkey boy.) and decreeing that Apple patent everything under the sun.

[MBHockey]

It's all about the claims, not the rest of it.

Boy, if all the applications i prosecuted were as well written as that one I'd be making a lot more money. Gotta love Apple's patent lawyers.

[pedroistheman]

This would be awesome. I can't wait to have some games that are at least equal to the current iPod games available. I can only imagine the gaming possibilities with the touch screen. Right now, the online games formatted for the iPhone are weak, and the only decent native games I have on my iphone are iblackjack and labrynth (which really isn't a game---it's just cool to use the accelerometer)

[hob]

um... okay!

[LostPacket]

Sounds like this is probably just a precursor to the home button double-click. Apple probably messed around with different on-screen actions and settled on using the home button for its simplicity.

[jouster]

Originally Posted by plumbingandtech

Boy, Apple is going to be TOUCHING us a lot .....

I see what you did there.

[plumbingandtech]

I touched myself?

[IEatApples]

Originally Posted by ckurowic

Okay Mr. Anti-Apple, get off this forum if thats your opinion. Truth is no one really knows whats going on unless you work for these companies.

Easy there! SiliconAddict is not "Anti-Apple", he's a very respected member of this forum! … just so you know…

On topic: I've been playing "mastermind/codebreaker" on facebook (I know, I know… ) with a friend of mine, and I just think that it's the/a perfect game for the iPhone & iPod Touch … anyone agree? … (anyone that can create it for me? )

[twoodcc]

i do wanna see games for the iPhone

[SiliconAddict]

Originally Posted by ckurowic

Okay Mr. Anti-Apple, get off this forum if thats your opinion. Truth is no one really knows whats going on unless you work for these companies.

I'm not anti Apple. I'm anti any company who throws out patents and never uses them. *coughs*piles*coughs* Apple is throwing out so many patents that could easily be used by people who really do want to create something new, but can't because Apple owns the patent. This doesn't apply to just Apple. MS, Apple, Sony, et all. In general if I'm anti anything its the patent system in its current form. Its broken hard core and needs a major revamp.
Let me ask you something. What would have happened if Xerox Parc had told Jobs and co to bugger off or charged them an enormous fee to use the original concept of the GUI\Mouse? Where would we be now? Patents are very much a double edged sword.

Originally Posted by IEatApples

Easy there! SiliconAddict is not "Anti-Apple", he's a very respected member of this forum! … just so you know…

On topic: I've been playing "mastermind/codebreaker" on facebook (I know, I know… ) with a friend of mine, and I just think that it's the/a perfect game for the iPhone & iPod Touch … anyone agree? … (anyone that can create it for me? )

Naa. I'm an equal opportunity hater. You should see me complain on Windows forums. They call me a Mac fanboi over there. No one has gotten it right and everyone deserves a little flack here and there from time to time. Thanks for the support though

[inkswamp]

Originally Posted by QuarterSwede

Not gonna happen. It's highly unlikely ...

Gosh, I just got a flashback to those rumors of Apple switching to Intel.

I think if the last few years have proven anything to Apple fans, it's that phrases like "not gonna happen" and "highly unlikely" should rarely surface in these discussions.

[inkswamp]

Originally Posted by SiliconAddict

Umm I'm 90% certain this overlaps with existing patents. I don't know where I saw it, think Engadget, but I KNOW I've seen patents for multifunction on a screen depending on the action.
All these patents are typical Apple overreaction after getting their butts handed to them a few times by Creative.....and several other companies...the names escape me.
My money is on Jobs throwing a temper tantrum (To be fair I doubt he threw any chairs though like monkey boy.) and decreeing that Apple patent everything under the sun.

Chill out. Sheesh. Apple has been targeted in the last few years with a LOT of lawsuits from companies attempting to enforce exactly these kinds of patents and take a chunk of Apple's pie. Creative is just the tip of the iceberg. Hell, they just settled with some company a few weeks ago. I think any company in Apple's position would be foolish not to pursue some preemptive patents of their own. There's only so many times they can get sued for their own ideas before they are forced to play the same stupid game.

[motulist]

Sounds like a great idea. Let's say you're writing a text document while listening to classical music on itunes, then a loud song comes up in itunes that you want to skip. Normally you'd have to alt=tab over to itunes, hit an arrow key, and alt-tab back to your text document. That would totally break your attention and workflow.

Now, imagine if you could set it up so that tapping your laptops trackpad or touch screen with 3 fingers would make itunes do a 'skip to next song' command regardless of whether itunes is the front application or not. So you'd be in the middle of typing your text document, and when you want itunes running in the background to skip to the next song, all you have to do is tap your trackpad or touch screen once using 3 fingertips, and the song is skipped!

That'd be pretty darn cool.

[diamond.g]

Originally Posted by inkswamp

Gosh, I just got a flashback to those rumors of Apple switching to Intel.

I think if the last few years have proven anything to Apple fans, it's that phrases like "not gonna happen" and "highly unlikely" should rarely surface in these discussions.

Nintendo won't ever partner with Apple. That is like saying that Sony is going to team up with Microsoft on the next game system.

What could Apple possibly do that would help Nintendo make more money?


I would be impressed if Apple could make a handheld + phone and not have it suck like the n-gage...

[wnurse]

I can't believe this.. no one raging about what a useless patent this is?.. about what an abuse of the patent system this is?.. that apple shouldn't be granted this patent?.. that idiots work in the patent office?. Hey, what is wrong with you people!!.. i've come to enjoy the almost daily rant against the patent system.. please don't stop now!!

[Yateball]

What a waste of time this Patent is... like other people have said it overlaps other's I'm sure, and it's just apple on a over-patent spree after they got sued so many times.

[John Musbach]

Originally Posted by MacRumors

Apple has filed a patent application for techniques for providing input to interactive and multitasking applications, especially in regards to gaming.

The application appears specifically applicable to portable devices, where screen real estate is a premium. From the application:



In general, Apple focuses on being able to control background applications via the same input surface without having to navigate away from the foreground application. For the iPhone/iPod touch, the patent is similar to the home button double-click functionality, but the touch screen would be utilized.

The application was originally filed in September 2006 and was published today.

Raw Data: Patent Application #20070279394


Article Link

This is cool and all, but first things first...Apple needs to work on getting more games on board for Mac development unless they plan to strike some sort of video game console emulation agreement