Apple wins patent for iPhone touch-screen controls

[z28marols1]

It was rhetorical, mostly targeted at the idea that "touch gestures" in general seem too basic to patent. Just like patenting a mouse would be too basic. Its something that almost all PCs use. Touch screens are already in use by so many different devices, and the next logical step for all of them is to make the UI more effective with touching...

I dont want to fault anybody for wanting to make money, thats something that makes this country great. But apple is doing just fine without attacking other companies efforts on making touch control more intuitive.

[x10guy]

Originally Posted by z28marols1

It was rhetorical, mostly targeted at the idea that "touch gestures" in general seem too basic to patent. Just like patenting a mouse would be too basic. Its something that almost all PCs use.

Sorry about that... I just answered it because it was asked earlier too and you never know if someone is really looking for an answer.

But evidently the patent office didn't think it was too basic since Apple actually was awarded the patent. We can always debate on whether it will actually hold up in court but the fact they they were awarded the patent is significant.

[srtpusher]

wasn't the microsoft surface developed before the iphone?

[loginatnine]

Interesting page :
http://www.billbuxton.com/multitouchOverview.html

In Canada, patent laws says that you cannot patent something that has been out for a reasonable time and is a "common thing". So that would explain why no one could patent the mouse or the touch screen I guess...

For the record, I think this patent is ridiculous, patent should be awarded on algorithm not the concept.

[chronster]

Originally Posted by loginatnine

Interesting page :
http://www.billbuxton.com/multitouchOverview.html

In Canada, patent laws says that you cannot patent something that has been out for a reasonable time and is a "common thing". So that would explain why no one could patent the mouse or the touch screen I guess...

For the record, I think this patent is ridiculous, patent should be awarded on algorithm not the concept.

I thought it WAS based on the algorithm (programming) not just the concept...

See the way I understand this is simple: Lets say someone patented something they called "shocks" for cars, but it was based on powerful magnets, not coil springs. That doesn't mean the shocks that were out for cars that used the coil spring design would be affected, would it?

Its the mechanics behind the way they get these things to work which is getting patented. Touch gestures I could see getting patented though, but not forever. It just seems like some multi-touch gestures are common sense and there's no other methods without making it difficult and weird feeling.

[loginatnine]

Originally Posted by chronster

I thought it WAS based on the algorithm (programming) not just the concept...

See the way I understand this is simple: Lets say someone patented something they called "shocks" for cars, but it was based on powerful magnets, not coil springs. That doesn't mean the shocks that were out for cars that used the coil spring design would be affected, would it?

Its the mechanics behind the way they get these things to work which is getting patented. Touch gestures I could see getting patented though, but not forever. It just seems like some multi-touch gestures are common sense and there's no other methods without making it difficult and weird feeling.

Well, from dailytech.com :
"Apple was granted a patent for multi-touch, featured in its popular iPhone, on January 20, 2009. The patent encompasses the basic technical deals of multi-touch technology, as well as finger gestures such as pinch, swipe and rotation. Apple's CEO Steve Jobs, currently on medical leave, and Scott Forstall are among those credited with "inventing" multi-touch."

So the article says it encompasses the technical deals of multi-touch so it seems like there's a hardware part to the patent. Also, the patent seems to protect the gestures which are the concept and not the algorithm.

Funny how they say (between quotes) that Jobs and Forstall invented multi-touch

[skeegcpp]

well, could it amount to like a royalty thing?? for example, other companies can use, just pay Apple a percentage or something. sounds like an easy fix, especially if the government awarded them the patent and all? if someone wanted to use a variation of the technology, but are not owned by Apple?

[chronster]

a good read for everyone:

http://i.gizmodo.com/5142445/dissect...n-it-stop-palm

[skeegcpp]

sounds good, most points in the article support that this "apple threat"(of PPC nuclear fallout, lol) wont stand up. cross our fingers??

[hittingsmoke]

Originally Posted by No1ustad

well. hope it fails. are they going to put a patent on ultra-slim laptops as well? or capacitive screens?

Capacitive screens are what I was thinking at first when I read this. I'm sure it's mentioned somewhere in the patent about the capacitive screen technology in one way or another.