Patents Reveal Ongoing Touch and Multi-Touch Research

[MacRumors]

The United States Patent and Trademark Office revealed at least a dozen new patent applications from Apple this morning. The majority of the applications revealed ongoing multi-touch research by Wayne Westerman, the former cofounder of Fingerworks.

We've seen many exciting multi-touch patent applications from Apple over the past few years including screenshots of a Mac OS X implemenation of advanced multi-touch gesturing.

Today's patent applications cover ongoing research in refining the touch experience by avoiding unintentional contact and advancing the hardware technology itself, but a few interesting tidbits were also found.

One patent application titled "Gesture Learning" describes methods to teach these advanced gestures to users. Many readers have been concerned that previously depicted gestures for advanced multi-touch applications may be too hard to learn. In order to combat this hurdle, Apple is researching the use of visible feedback such as animated motion trails and/or hand motions as well as interactive games to teach users these gestures.

Another interesting possibility raised is the use of both capacitance (finger tip) and resistance (fingernail) to provide additional functionality in future touch screens. The iPhone introduced a multi-touch capacitance based screen that allowed it to recognize bare finger touches only. This meant that the iPhone will not respond to fingernails, gloved fingers touches or a standard stylus.



Apple suggests the addition of pressure sensitivity to provide additional functionality. For example, touching an item in a list with your fingertip would select it, while pressing it with your fingernail (or otherwise shielded finger or stylus) could bring up a pop-up menu (see picture above). Another interesting possibility would be the ability to add text-selection and copy/paste functionality. In an email, for example, while swiping with your fingertip would scroll the screen, using your fingertip or stylus could invoke text selection.

Unfortunately, we'll have to wait for a future Apple device to take advantage of these features as the current iPhone is not capable of this functionality.

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[quigleybc]

Damn Arn,


how do you find out about this stuff ? lol

[bacaramac]

Not sure I would like the "multi" multi touch stuff. Fingernail vs. Finger. Hmm. I would have to wait and see it to pass judgement, but seems like it would be a waste and more confusing to people that already feel it is difficult.

[Bickity]

Do I finally smell "Copy & Paste"?

[arn]

http://www.uspto.gov

this sounds like "right click" or "two button mouse" for fingers. It might not be required, like the 2nd mouse button hasn't been required for use in Mac OS, but could add nice "advanced" features for those in the know.

arn

[Sky Blue]

I have no fingernails. How dare Steve Jobs implement this new system. How am I supposed to use it?

[MTrebbin]

sounds nice to me I wanna see more of this, Apple

[kprf]

Touch and iPod Classic? is that what i'm seeing there on that drawing?

[gkarris]

My job has me working on Point-Of-Sale systems with touchscreens. They are really cool, but ONLY really if you have the right GUI for it.

Apple, with the iPhone, has demonstrated that their GUI is awesome for it.

It only follows that more and more of their devices would have touchscreens.

Finally sorting through and consolidating my photos on this newer MacBook, I came across this photo that someone put together when there was speculation of the new iPods - it was pretty close to the iPod Touch that was introduced.

Looking forward to when the iPod Classics get a touchscreen.

[~Shard~]

Originally Posted by arn

this sounds like "right click" or "two button mouse" for fingers. It might not be required, like the 2nd button hasn't been required for use, but could add nice "advanced" features for those in the know.

This is exactly what I was going to say. What this really reminds me of is back when the first Mac came out and there were all sorts of games and tutorials included to teach people how to use the mouse. I remember some pretty clever ones on my brother's Mac Se/30 in fact. People were unsure about this new input method at the time, how difficult it would be to learn, etc. - I see mutli-touch as being the same.

I think multi-touch will not fully replace the keyboard and mouse anytime in the near future, however I do believe it will become more and more of a standard input method. Kids growing up in the next 10 years or so may learn multi-touch from the beginning when they start to use computers and we will all look dated for using computers back in the day when you had to use a keyboard and mouse for everything.

I'm really looking forward to seeing more multi-touch advancements in the computer industry - there is so much potential. I loved the concept when I first saw it in Minority Report, Jeff Han's demos really blew me away at the time and even seeing the use of 3D multitouch in Iron Man reminded me of how cool I think the technology is.

Thanks as always arn.

[bbeers]

rather then me having to struggle to try and use a fingernail, how about using the obvious. Tap and hold for secondary menu?

I do like the idea of secondary menus, but i think the fingernail it not the best solution yet. Would require new hardware, where as tap and hold can be a software update.

Apple should hire me... or maybe not.

[SkippyThorson]

I submitted an iPod Classic Touch Screen patent rumor a couple days ago.

That's ok. At least everyone got to know about it anyhow. Arn, you do awesome work. This patent really looks pretty cool.

Think about it. It addresses the issue about people wanting to just switch songs in their pocket without having to look at their deivice, and yet if they want, the added functionality is still there for Touch.

I also thought it was fishy that there was nothing different with the Classic / Nano aside from size and capacity. A new exclusive Touch feature for the Classic would truly set it apart from the Nano, and give it it's own name again.

[wwjdjoe]

This could be a new way to identify iPod-family owners: They'll all have long fingernails!

[mortlar]

I think my fingernails are a bit too long for this. Damn guitar plaing. =)

Btw: I can see the touch screen (or large trackpad on desk displaying duplicate of the screen) taking over for the mouse very soon, but not the keyboard yet. I think it's comming, but it's going to be slower...

[macsamillion]

This may simply be a preemptive strike at Apple's competitors. Given the amount of money in their checkbook; they can afford to patent ideas just to prevent other companies from using them. This may be nothing more than a wise chess move.

[~Shard~]

Originally Posted by SkippyThorson

I also thought it was fishy that there was nothing different with the Classic / Nano aside from size and capacity. A new exclusive Touch feature for the Classic would truly set it apart from the Nano, and give it it's own name again.

Conversely, touch functionality for the Classic would potentially introduce product differentiation issues between it and the Touch. I see the Classic adopting this functionality at some point in time so users can have the best of both worlds, but not until we see advancements to the Touch itself, to ensure there would be no cannibalization of sales. At the end of the day, it is important that all product lines remain fairly distinct, and I believe Apple has a realtively good balance of this right now.

[Abstract]

Originally Posted by MacRumors

One patent application titled "Gesture Learning" describes methods to teach these advanced gestures to users. Many readers have been concerned that previously depicted gestures for advanced multi-touch applications may be too hard to learn. In order to combat this hurdle, Apple is researching the use of visible feedback such as animated motion trails and/or hand motions as well as interactive games to teach users these gestures.

So you can now patent tutorials?

When is the US Patent system going to get an overhaul? Can I patent that?

[Rhalliwell1]

I can only think that twisting your hand upside down to use your finger nails is going to get painful!

An interesting one though...

[~Shard~]

Originally Posted by macsamillion

This may simply be a preemptive strike at Apple's competitors. Given the amount of money in their checkbook; they can afford to patent ideas just to prevent other companies from using them. This may be nothing more than a wise chess move.

Tough to say. I don't think Apple would file it for the sake of filing it, especially a patent of this nature, however that strategy has definitely been adopted before by many other companies! Also, companies such as Apple issue hundreds if not thousands of patents which never see the light of day, or only do so many, many years down the road. Remember the color-changing enclosure Apple patented years back?

[saturniphone]

I now interrupt this forum for some useless stories about Wayne Westerman. Wayne (as he liked to be called) was my professor for several classes in college. He was (and most likely still is) a tad bit of a mad scientist and/or insane.

A group of friends and I who were in his class saw him on the stairwell 20 feet from class and we all shuffled up and said, "haha, beat you" just to be dumb and funny. The next day while walking to we saw him on the other side of the giant grass courtyard and he literally took off running in a dead sprint with all his books and his laptop in tow determined to actually beat us to class this time. He won, but he had to delay the start of class 10 minutes so he could catch his breath and get water.

Another time we had a bug in our circuit design causing a race condition. He helped us while showing us firmware updates to the TouchStream keyboard that helped counteract the effects of static electricity that can build up on your fingers. He got hungry so we followed him to get food where he continued to intersperse bits of help while telling us stories about how the Midwest is different than the East Coast in his monotone, very slow drawl that sounded reminiscent of Rain Man. The food place closed and he followed us back to the lounge in our dorm (the only place open at night you could work) and he played piano (he's amazing) while we continued to work. It was due by midnight and we turned it in 4 hours late with his help, with no points taken off.

He had some letter from Microsoft in his lab that was some veiled threat about piracy or some such nonsense. He hung it up and told us how he would rather go broke than sell out to the evil corporation that was Microsoft. I guess by going with Apple he got the best revenge he could.

He was a crazy, socially awkward SOB, but he was an awesome guy. I'm glad he's doing what he loves to do and getting paid.

[~Shard~]

Originally Posted by Abstract

So you can now patent tutorials?

When is the US Patent system going to get an overhaul? Can I patent that?

Yeah, you can pretty much patent anything these days, including DNA patterns (so yes, effectively life) etc...

[TheOrioles33]

Originally Posted by bbeers

rather then me having to struggle to try and use a fingernail, how about using the obvious. Tap and hold for secondary menu?

I do like the idea of secondary menus, but i think the fingernail it not the best solution yet. Would require new hardware, where as tap and hold can be a software update.

Apple should hire me... or maybe not.

My thoughts exactly! They should hire both of us.

[Orng]

"You better stop biting those fingernails, young man, or you won't be able to copy and paste!"

Of course, if I manage to break the nail-chewing habit, I'll probably end up chewing the iPod.

[gkarris]

BTW:

What's an antennae, "inbox", and a "call me now" message doing on an iPod Classic?

[SkippyThorson]

Originally Posted by ~Shard~

Conversely, touch functionality for the Classic would potentially introduce product differentiation issues between it and the Touch. I see the Classic adopting this functionality at some point in time so users can have the best of both worlds, but not until we see advancements to the Touch itself, to ensure there would be no cannibalization of sales. At the end of the day, it is important that all product lines remain fairly distinct, and I believe Apple has a realtively good balance of this right now.

Very true. Lately it seems to me that somehow the Nano has taken over firmly as the 2 / 3 / 4 to 1 choice for people when picking an iPod Nano vs Classic. The people who really don't need the space are simply opting for the compact little Nano that offers everything else the Classic does in a smaller form factor.

While this new Classic would sit directly between the Nano and Touch in the product line, I can't see too many people finding differentiation issues. The GUI of the Touch vs standard iPod is too different, as well as the style of Calendar / Contacts / Photos, etc. The iPod Touch is a dedicated Touch device while the iPod Classic simply offers a different implementation of Touch functionality.

If I say the word Touch one more time, someone's probably gonna send me hate mail.

Originally Posted by gkarris

BTW:

What's an antennae, "inbox", and a "call me now" message doing on an iPod Classic?

I smell the rotary ClassicPhone! I had to.

This may not even be a Classic, but a placeholder image for an iPhone with a sort of physical input. The Clickwheel is too Nano-ish if I do say so myself.