Apple Awarded iPhone and Multi-Touch Patent

[MacRumors]

Perhaps adding teeth to Apple's recent comments that they would vigorously defend their intellectual property behind the iPhone, World of Apple notes that the U.S. Patent Office has awarded Apple the patent on their application titled Touch screen device, method, and graphical user interface for determining commands by applying heuristics.

The mammoth 358 page patent application incorporates patent applications filed as far back as September 2006 and has been previously dubbed "The iPhone Patent" by some. The application details the implementation of Multi-Touch on the iPhone alongside numerous diagrams of the device itself:

A computer-implemented method for use in conjunction with a computing device with a touch screen display comprises: detecting one or more finger contacts with the touch screen display, applying one or more heuristics to the one or more finger contacts to determine a command for the device, and processing the command.

Steve Jobs is prominently listed amongst the inventors along with other notable individuals such as Scott Forstall and Wayne Westerman.





Article Link: Apple Awarded iPhone and Multi-Touch Patent

[plumbingandtech]

Apple to Pre:

Bite me.

[klittle32]

Originally Posted by plumbingandtech

Apple to Pre:

Bite me.

Haha. Your response actually made me laugh out loud.

[Tallest Skil]

And tomorrow: The Apple vs. Palm suit.

Go get 'em, Apple.

I hope that we see Steve Jobs at the hearing...

Actually, while I don't hope that he is medically compromised, it would be more awesome to see him videoconferencing into the courtroom WHILE having surgery than to see him in person.

[MrM]

Good for Apple. It's a great idea.

[Packersfan27]

I really don't see this affecting the Pre.

[plumbingandtech]

Originally Posted by Packersfan27

I really don't see this affecting the Pre.

Because............................................................


Edit:

Arn: basically correct, at least in any way other then a gimmick.

[Shaved Kitty]

another one of those Monopoly Patents

[SydneyDev]

Originally Posted by Packersfan27

I really don't see this affecting the Pre.

Apple now has a patent on "detecting one or more finger contacts with the touch screen display [...] to determine a command for the device, and processing the command."

That would seem to be Pre territory...

[arturb]

let's see who's first in court!

[billandy]

Originally Posted by Packersfan27

I really don't see this affecting the Pre.

pre is the only device so far bravely adopts two finger gestures-zoom in&out- so far. all other firms seem to have chosen to avoid using such gestures. my guess is that this is where pre might have infringed apple's patent.

nevertheless, the pre we have seen is all just pre-production model. apple can only sue palm once it starts selling it later this year

[crisss1205]

Originally Posted by Packersfan27

I really don't see this affecting the Pre.

The Pre uses multi-touch that Apple now holds the patent to.

[jlwilliams]

I wonder if Jon Rubinstein, who worked in apple's ipod division, had some inside knowledge of the iphone and its working, and brought that over to palm, thus apples pledge to defend their IP. Im sure Tim Cook new that the patent was going to be granted any day now when he made his statement.

[lftrghtparadigm]

Originally Posted by crisss1205

The Pre uses multi-touch that Apple now holds the patent to.

Yep.

Goodbye, Pre. It was rather head-shaking to know you.


I hope they cancel the device all together. In a world where marketing and advertising are everything, anything else comes second. Its nice to see a little respect for innovation. The iPhone was (and still is) years head of the curve and Apple deserves some security for being such a pioneer....(again).

The iPhone had opportunity written all over it, Apple knew it, and they went for it. They succeeded.

Now, 1.5 years in, all of their innovation and marketshare accomplishments have been threatened by products with no goals besides:

1. mimicking the iPhone
2. confusing consumers into buying the wrong device (theirs)

I have no respect for this Chinese-manufacturer tactic of business (copying others work at fraction of quality/cost).

Its bound to happen, in every industry and market, but patents exist to prevent true intellectual property from being stolen....Up until today I felt Apple was allowing that to happen.

[jayducharme]

Originally Posted by crisss1205

The Pre uses multi-touch that Apple now holds the patent to.

This is what I don't get: how could Palm allow the Pre to be made when they must have known Apple would get a patent on some of the underlying technologies? It seems as if Palm didn't even try to come up with anything outwardly new (except for bulking up the icons). The Pre is basically the iPhone, just with different software. And having two former Apple employees as the heads of Pre development doesn't help their case much. Maybe Palm's legal department was on vacation.

[lftrghtparadigm]

Originally Posted by Packersfan27

I really don't see this affecting the Pre.

Oh really? I see this as the first step in the end of Pre, long before it hits market.

[DJJONES]

i was always wondering why all these companies was using multitouch in there devices

now i see that apple is the true owner.

will all these companies be sued?

[Tallest Skil]

Originally Posted by DJJONES

will all these companies be sued?

Apple would be suing Palm, Microsoft, and HP, among them.

Let's see it happen, shall we?

[ogee]

Originally Posted by Tallest Skil

Apple would be suing Palm, Microsoft, and HP, among them.

Let's see it happen, shall we?

I think it more likely Apple would wave the patent in the air and then say the license costs $$$$.

[Daniel0418]

Originally Posted by Tallest Skil

Apple would be suing Palm, Microsoft, and HP, among them.

Let's see it happen, shall we?

Apple would be suing, Palm, Google, Microsoft, LG, Samsung, Sharp, RIM, and many others. Which is exactly why this patent is not going to work like you all think it is. Palm will release the pre and it will be a success and iPhone owners such as myself will be pissed we are stuck in an AT&T contract. We still love in a world where the monopoly is not allowed thus there will be others allowed to use the technology in this patent. Have we no memory of the past?

[macrazee]

Originally Posted by Tallest Skil

Apple would be suing Palm, Microsoft, and HP, among them.

Let's see it happen, shall we?

No, no. You don't sue until someone decides to actually produce a product using your technology. And even then, you only sue if your patent portfolio is larger (and the prey's smaller) and a financial settlement can't be reached amicably.

This is somewhat shaky ground for Apple. It's a risk, whether Palm is violating any patent(s) or not. Can they afford to take another competitor out of the market especially with Obama at the helm now? Anti-Trust always has to be in the back of the mind...

[arn]

Originally Posted by DJJONES

i was always wondering why all these companies was using multitouch in there devices

Isn't the Pre the only other phone with multitouch?

arn

[Tallest Skil]

Originally Posted by arn

Isn't the Pre the only other phone with multitouch?

arn

Phone, yes, but there's Microsoft with the Surface (big... table ) and HP with their TouchSmart line (I think they use multitouch).

And Shaved Kitty, if it's a monopoly patent, why isn't the EU complaining?

[macfan881]

Originally Posted by arn

Isn't the Pre the only other phone with multitouch?

arn

i think the new blackbery does im not postive though.

[BoyBach]

Listen carefully. That sound you can hear is that of the mobile phone manufacturers returning to their collective drawing boards after checking their bank accounts!

The Apple iLawyers smell blood...