Apple's 'Wobbling' Home Screen Icons in 1.1.3

[MacRumors]

As further evidence to the authenticity of GearLive's iPhone 1.1.3 firmware photos and videos that were leaked over the weekend, Hrmph.com dug up a patent application that was published in August of last year that clearly shows Apple's describing how one might allow customization of icons, and specifically describes varying the positions (wobbling) of the icons to indicate that the icons may be moved by the user.

Hrmpf compiled an animated gif demonstrating this wobbling effect, which looks identical to the 1.1.3 demo video. While it's certainly possible the images/video could simply be based on this patent application, it was not widely publicized at the time, and the description of wobbling icons is only obvious in retrospect.

One interesting description of the original patent application is that Apple suggested that icon movement could be elastic, allowing users to "throw" icons into the indended location.

Upon breaking contact with the touch-sensitive display, the respective icon may resume varying its position. In some embodiments, the respective icon can be “thrown,” so that the final position of the respective icon is different from the point at which the icon is released. In this embodiment, the final position can depend on a variety of factors, such as the speed of the “throw,” the parameters used in a simulated equation of motion for the “throw” (e.g., coefficient of friction), and/or the presence of a lay out grid with simulated attractive forces.

The leaked version of the firmware does not have this capability according to GearLive.

Article Link

 

[MarlboroLite]

lol imagine if the iphone actually looked like that brick!

 

[miketcool]

lol imagine if the iphone actually looked like that brick!

Using that hand and making it to that scale as well? I am sure deep in some R&D lab there is a prototype that looks like that. Either that, or Apple knew some copycat company would make an iPhone wannabe with those proportions...

 

[Drumjim85]

While it can't be "thrown", it is attached to a grid, so when released it could not end up where you last touched it ..

 

[Flight102280]

What else is in the patent?

Is there a gps, voice dial, voice recorder, flash based safari (that doesnt crash), video camera, camera flash, mms, ichat, custom background, gif picture support, iphone games, louder speaker phone, copy and paste patent somewhere in there? If so please let us know, I have an iphone but Im starting to miss my Nokia each day, I dont use maps, stock, clock button, notes, or even you tube (on my phone) that much. And I HATEEE web apps (on the edge network).

 

[tennismanclay]

looks cool, i will be getting my iphone next christmas, so hopefully every missing feature everybody is talking about will be in there by then. (above post) although i doubt it. But seriously apple how long does it take to put in small stuff like mms that i use almost everyday. I know of 2 people at my school that chose a sidekick or something over a iphone because the iphone cant take video and and cant handle pictures in text messaging. I hate my razor, but at least it can take video and copy and paste text. Im not against apple at all, i just think its silly that a phone can be times invention of the year, but it cant take a video. Apple has done a great job on the iphone, it just seems they need to update the little features everybody wants.


i love how technology advances.


-clay

 

[thesdx]

I think the jiggling icons are quite cool. It adds that extra touch (no pun intended) that Apple always seems to put in their interfaces.

 

[Drumjim85]

Is there a gps, voice dial, voice recorder, flash based safari (that doesnt crash), video camera, camera flash, mms, ichat, custom background, gif picture support, iphone games, louder speaker phone, copy and paste patent somewhere in there? If so please let us know, I have an iphone but Im starting to miss my Nokia each day, I dont use maps, stock, clock button, notes, or even you tube (on my phone) that much. And I HATEEE web apps (on the edge network).

1. how could apple patent a camera flash or mms ?
2. if they could / would / did ... it would be in a different patent application..

 

[Nicky G]

This offers some insight into how long it takes a relatively basic GUI technology to make it from patent application into an actual device.

 

[qntmfred]

AppleInsider had a post about this in August
http://www.appleinsider.com/article..._patent_on_customizable_iphone_interface.html

 

[jb510]

Throwing icons

This patent, especially the "throwing" part, reminds me of the BumpTop desktop.

http://bumptop.com/

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/131

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0ODskdEPnQ

 

[Flight102280]

1. how could apple patent a camera flash or mms ?
2. if they could / would / did ... it would be in a different patent application..

Hopefully for the next iphone, you can use ichat and have video conference kinda like the nextel phones

 

[twoodcc]

cool. looks like this is coming to the iPhone soon. looking forward to it

 

[Masquerade]

this patent is patetic. they got a lot of things that can do with core animation also why shake icons remembers me mariopaint???

 

[swrdfghtr]

Can't be a patent

This patent can't be valid. There's clear prior art: Weebles wobbled, although they did not fall down.

 

[Stella]

1. how could apple patent a camera flash or mms ?
2. if they could / would / did ... it would be in a different patent application..

You've not seen other patents that have been approved but obviously prior art?!

 

[macuserfan22]

What about the already existing ability to move and change icons on the Music screen (Artist, Podcast, Genre, etc.)? Apple can just use that technology for this purpose...

 

[shawnce]

You've not seen other patents that have been approved but obviously prior art?!

Patents can cover a very similar but unique implementation of existing related prior art / patent. ...granted some patents do get granted that really shouldn't given prior art and being obvious.

 

[SheriffParker]

Nobody better try to copy this wobble business.

 

[chr1s60]

Looks like 1.1.3 is the real deal. Now there is quite a bit of evidence out there. We know about it Apple, please let us have it now.

 

[Doctor Q]

It's interest to see how companies meet the challenge of keeping patents generic enough to (a) claim as broad an idea as possible and (b) hide details about their intended use of the idea while they (c) stay specific enough so that the patent will hold up as a novel invention.

Words like "varies positions of one or more icons in the plurality of icons in response to detecting the predefined user action" and "varying the positions of the one or more icons about respective average positions" seem to have accomplished that.

 

[evilyankeefan]

Kind of surprised Apple didn't stay consistent and make the icons bounce like they do in the dock when opening stuff. I admit the mass wobbling is quite appealing vs. a mass bounce.

Then again, they could update Leopard to make the dock icons wobble too.

 

[lookmark]

Kind of surprised Apple didn't stay consistent and make the icons bounce like they do in the dock when opening stuff. I admit the mass wobbling is quite appealing vs. a mass bounce.

Then again, they could update Leopard to make the dock icons wobble too.

That's not consistent in the slightest. Wobbling visualizes a very different function than bouncing: showing that iPhone apps on the home page are in "reconfiguration" mode vs. launching an app.

 

[ben5959]

i think that this proves that apple planned to put games on the iphone all along, look at the icon that the finger is touching, it says game, oh wait, nevermind the finger is taking the game away never to bring it back!!!!!!!!!!! i want games on my iphone, not stupid wiggling icons, it just makes me feel like ive had a few drinks too many. thumbs down for me.

 

[HornetOSX]

This patent can't be valid. There's clear prior art: Weebles wobbled, although they did not fall down.

+2 Funny


I'm still chuckling