Apple Awarded iPhone and Multi-Touch Patent

[Masquerade]

"A computer-implemented method for use in conjunction with a computing device with a touch screen display comprises"

Apple PATENTED ONE ALGORITHM TO ACHIEVE PRECISION ON MULTITOUCH. MEDIA ALERT - START THE PRESSES : "APPLE PATENTED MULTITOUCH"

macrumors.com...

 

[kdarling]

Apple is trying to push email to the for(e)front of mobile media sharing in the hopes that with the millions of iphone users email will finally be established as the standard.

Not saying you're way off base, but...

If so, then they sure have a funny way of promoting it... with a crippled email client. No multiple attachments, can't add them on the fly, photos are squished down to save time just like MMS, and it's too stupid to forward attachments without first downloading and re-uploading them.

As for being a standard... I believe that iPhones account for less than 2% of world phones sold. Most of the world's users don't have or want data service for email.

 

[e-coli]

Apple is now a nuclear-armed state.

 

[Tallest Skil]

Apple is now a nuclear-armed state.

Weapons of Multitouch-ion?

 

[jimmer-uk]

As normal ashed load of intelligent 12 year old fanboy comments. I do like dropping in here

What's the problem with the pre? I see it as a great evolution of the iphone which is just what Apple need to up their game, how can this be bad for us, the end user?? Come on people, some of you support Apple like their your football team, don't be so sad and quick to make daft comments like "great let's see who get's sued first" hows that cool for anyone?

I love my iphone but there are many flaws that have been ignored by apple for too long and they need the competition to keep them going. How a patent can get passed on this is beyond me though, it won't hold water over here in Europe, that's for sure and I hope it doesn't. As someone else has said, who's going to patent the steering wheel or finger use on a keyboard? Pathetic

Was going to make a best of of quotes but don't have the time so I'll just leave you with this

The Pre is basically the iPhone, just with different software.

J.D Charme, 2009

 

[big dainjerus]

Apple is trying to push email to the forfront of mobile media sharing in the hopes that with the millions of iphone users email will finally be established as the standard.

is that another joke?

 

[Syrus28]

This is getting interesting. Yes, Apple was rewarded a patent for the multi-touch implementation found in the iPhone. Lets not forget, however, that many patents, thought to be a solid defense, have been considered void due to prior art. Not only that, but patent lawsuits can take years, and neither party is required to subdue the sales of their device (unless an injunction is filed) until a victor is chosen. So basically, even IF (and that's a big if) Apple brought Palm to court over the multi-touch support, there's little chance that that the Pre or iPhone would even be effected, as I doubt this will be a quick lawsuit.

Palm, on the other hand, owns many patents involving gestures, touch-screens, and smart-phones in general. They've been in this business for a long time. Whether Apple wants to risk a potentially large patent battle with Palm - which might even drag in other competitors such as Microsoft, RIM, Nokia, etc - is up to them. Saying that Palm isn't innovating or adding to this method is being ignorant. Most notably is Palm's Pre extension of the touch-sensitive area to the bottom half of the phone, which allows for more gestures. In fact, Apple Insider found that Apple has plans for one of their own.

Apple mentions a touchpad for activating or deactivating functions. The patent describes it as a "touch-sensitive area of the device that, unlike the touch screen, does not display visual output. The touchpad may be a touch-sensitive surface that is separate from the touch screen or an extension of the touch-sensitive surface formed by the touch screen."

Interestingly, this is a feature Palm is already touting about its upcoming Pre handset. According to Palm's press release: "[The Pre has a] gesture area, which enables simple, intuitive gestures for navigation." The gesture area is separate from the touch screen.

I'm confident there's not an existing smartphone manufacturer out there who's isn't heavily investing in touch-screen phones and such a broad patent like this, detailing such gestures like flicking, twisting (all natural methods of interacting with a touch-screen), is bound to attract some attention. Let the battle begin.

 

[NT1440]

is that another joke?

No, its a common thing for apple, leaving out an option in favor of advancing what they prefer to use.

 

[Syrus28]

No, its a common thing for apple, leaving out an option in favor of advancing what they prefer to use.

You missed the joke part. Email is not a competitor to SMS or MMS, because its not instant. Unless you have push-email, your going to be checking it at 15-30 minute intervals. SMS/MMS is meant to be carried out in conversations, and sitting in the mail client waiting for the next message isn't exactly pushing anything to the forefront.

 

[MagnusVonMagnum]

That statement is false due to a concept called prior art. Touch screens, in general, have been around for quite some time now.

I'm talking about MULTI-Touch, not just touch screens. I thought that was obvious (maybe not). To me, there is nothing special about using more than one finger for normal activities, so why should using more than one get a special patent for touch screens? But then I see some are claiming this is NOT for multi-touch in general. So it's just for multi-touch on PHONES or what? Or is it just one manufacturing process we're talking about? That I could understand, but giving Apple a monopoly on being able to use more than one finger wouldn't make any sense when any number of devices use more than one finger at the same time from joysticks to keyboards to my electric guitar. That isn't enough prior art?

That Amazon one-click example given on here sounds ludicrous to me. What's so AMAZING or SPECIAL about having one click to check out at an online store that they deserve a PATENT for it? It's just a hyperlink for goodness sake. So you can patent one, but not two click shopping?

 

[kurosov]

Come on people, some of you support Apple like their your football team

Well a football team is just a company afterall, so why not?

 

[goosnarrggh]

I'm talking about MULTI-Touch, not just touch screens. I thought that was obvious (maybe not).

You said that this patent meant you couldn't have a touch screen in your car. Seems like a fairly clear statement to me, and clearly false.

 

[MH01]

Guys,

read this article

http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/28/apple-vs-palm-the-in-depth-analysis/

You can come to your won conclusions, a very interesting article and about time someone looked at it from both camps. Apple has a really big fight on its hands that could backfire if it goes down this path..

 

[NT1440]

That Amazon one-click example given on here sounds ludicrous to me. What's so AMAZING or SPECIAL about having one click to check out at an online store that they deserve a PATENT for it? It's just a hyperlink for goodness sake. So you can patent one, but not two click shopping?

Why do you think something has to be amazing or special to be patented??

If its a new way of doing something, you can get a patent for it (yes, thats an extremely dumbed down version of the process.)

 

[jimmer-uk]

Well a football team is just a company afterall, so why not?

Where are you from? Maybe in the US that is the case but over here if they really were "companies" they'd of gone under a looooong time ago

 

[kurosov]

Where are you from? Maybe in the US that is the case but over here if they really were "companies" they'd of gone under a looooong time ago

I am from the UK. Football teams are companies and football is one big, very profitable business with a multitude of investors. It is an entertainment and merchandise business just like the film industry is.

If there wasn't any money to be made it would not be as widespread as it is.

 

[kernsy]

pointless

this thread reinforces my stance that the worst thing about apple is their business practices and fanboys.
i'm sure palm could dust off some touchscreen patents from their palm pilot days that would trump any apple multitouch patent.

 

[randyhudson]

You guys need to understand that the surface and iphone use two VERY different methods of multitiouch. The surface isnt actually touch sensative, it uses a slew of cameras and sensors to distinguish between fingers and those other objects its compatible with.

The iphone uses capacitive touch that can detect more than one input.

Actually, the iphone doesn't use "capacitive touch", but that's not even relevant to the patent claims.

 

[NT1440]

Actually, the iphone doesn't use "capacitive touch", but that's not even relevant to the patent claims.

It sure as hell doesnt use pressure sensative touch.

Edit: Every article on the iphones screen ive found says capacitive touchscreen, meaning it deals with electrical currents.

 

[kdarling]

Actually, the iphone doesn't use "capacitive touch", but that's not even relevant to the patent claims.

Sure it does.

 

[Syrus28]

Here's an article on Engadget (with a Patent Attorney!) to speak on this whole mess. LINK So, if this does turn into a lawsuit, Apple isn't coming out unscathed.

 

[Stratus Fear]

and it's too stupid to forward attachments without first downloading and re-uploading them.

To be fair, all POP3/IMAP clients act this way. The only services that can get around this problem are all webmail-based.

 

[Stratus Fear]

Here's an article on Engadget (with a Patent Attorney!) to speak on this whole mess. LINK So, if this does turn into a lawsuit, Apple isn't coming out unscathed.

That's some interesting content but how do we know Apple didn't license any patents from Palm?

 

[kdarling]

To be fair, all POP3/IMAP clients act this way. The only services that can get around this problem are all webmail-based.

Mostly, but if they support the Lemonade standard, they can forward attachments without downloading them first. (MobileMe accounts should do this... after all, it's for a mobile device and any mobile engineer knows to cut down on transmission amounts.)

More importantly, Blackberry BES/BIS email knows how to forward attachments without the device having to download and resend. For that matter, it knows how to send down sections of the attachment for viewing without starting at the beginning.

Thanks!

 

[Stratus Fear]

Mostly, but if they support the Lemonade standard, they can forward attachments without downloading them first. (MobileMe accounts should do this... after all, it's for a mobile device and any mobile engineer knows to cut down on transmission amounts.)

I wasn't aware of that. Good to know. It would certainly make sense for it to be implemented in MobileMe.

More importantly, Blackberry BES/BIS email knows how to forward attachments without the device having to download and resend. For that matter, it knows how to send down sections of the attachment for viewing without starting at the beginning.

But that's all proprietary too, using RIM's middleware. It's a point for Blackberry, but to have it, you need a Blackberry. That's a bit of a problem for anyone else

Edit: For anyone interested. http://www.lemonadeformobiles.com/ Thanks again kdarling for the info!