[release]While Samsung and Apple have been dealing blows back and forth in their current patent disputes spanning the globe, Apple just received another patent to put in their arsenal.The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has awarded Apple a patent for their “core iPhone multitouch”. While touch screen smartphones predated the iPhone over at Apple (like the Pre and Treo), multitouch technology originated with the iPhone. Today, multitouch technology is present in many Android and Windows phone devices.[B]More after the break[/B]
An excerpt from the awarded patent reads:[I]In general, multi-[URL="http://nexus404.com/Blog/2011/12/27/apple-wins-new-iphone-multitouch-patent-could-use-it-in-future-legal-battles-apple-awarded-core-iphone-multitouch-patent-will-we-see-it-used-in-fight-against-android/#"]touch panels[/URL] may be able to detect multiple touches (touch events or contact points) that occur at or about the same time, and identify and track their locations. Examples of multi-touch panels are described in Applicant’s co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 10/842,862 entitled “Multipoint Touchscreen,” filed on May 6, 2004 and published as U.S. Published Application No. 2006/0097991 on May 11, 2006, the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein.[/I]
[I]In view of the above, although this disclosure may describe detecting input in terms of touch-events, it should be understood that the various embodiments disclosed herein may detect near touches or hover-events as well. Accordingly, a touch, a near-touch or a hover may be referred to as an “event” and multiple events that occur at or about the same time may be referred to as a “multi-event.”[/I]
When Apple filed this patent they stated that the multitouch technology could operate on various types of hardware including laptops, desktops, tablets, PDA’s, handhelds and phones.While this may be seen as a big blow to Android it’s good to keep in mind that Samsung and Motorola hold critical patents that pertain to 3G and cellphone technologies that are found in the core “phone” part of the iPhone.[/release]
[URL]http://thedroidguy.com/2011/12/apple-wins-important-multi-touch-patent/[/URL]
[release]
[URL="http://www.patentlyapple.com/.a/6a0120a5580826970c01543906e02d970c-pi"][IMG]http://www.patentlyapple.com/.a/6a0120a5580826970c01543906e02d970c-800wi[/IMG][/URL]
On December twentieth, [I]The Washington Post [/I]reported that "Apple Inc. [URL="http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/apple-win-in-patent-case-a-setback-for-googles-android/2011/12/20/gIQAPLDC7O_story.html"]won a patent-infringement ruling[/URL] that bans some HTC Corp. smartphones from the U.S. starting next year, bolstering efforts to prove that devices running Google Inc.'s Android operating system copy the iPhone." And today, the US Patent and Trademark Office officially published yet another core iPhone multitouch victory for Apple that will bolster their legal arsenal. This particular multitouch related patent focuses on the oscillator signal and circuit, which are central to sensing a touch event on a touch display. And Finally, we add a Classic Photo collage of Steve Jobs introducing the revolutionary iPhone at Macworld in January 2007. These are images that are seared into most of our memories of Steve.
[B]Apple Wins another Key Multitouch Patent[/B]
Apple has received another original Multitouch patent from the USPTO. This is the type of patent that could help Apple in legal battles with copycat designers. It's one of the 200 patents that Steve Jobs pointed to when launching the iPhone.
[URL="http://www.patentlyapple.com/.a/6a0120a5580826970c01675f7c5fc9970b-pi"][IMG]http://www.patentlyapple.com/.a/6a0120a5580826970c01675f7c5fc9970b-800wi[/IMG][/URL]
During this historic event, Steve Jobs stated that "We've been pushing the state of the art in every facet of this design. We've got the multi-touch screen, miniaturization, OS X in a mobile device, precision enclosures, three advanced sensors, desktop class applications, and the widescreen video iPod. We filed over 200 patents for all the inventions in Phone and intend to protect them."
It was a clear warning to copycat designers back in 2007. So the almost daily whining that we hear in the blogosphere by the copycatters and their fans about Apple abusing the patent system is a farce of the highest order. The fact is that prior to the 2007 iPhone, smartphones were a hassle to use, butt ugly, without an innovative operating system and without a workable multitouch display. Of course the copycatters of this world would love nothing better than to have nothing standing in their way of scooping up profits on the backs of others' work. Knock-off products from Asia are a huge market problem today and it appears that this trend continues through to the copying of the iPhone's features. In the big picture, this is what IP is all about: stopping illegal copying of someone else's intellectual property. Apple is only following through as promised. It's also a duty to their shareholders to do so.
[B]The Problem with Single Touch Screen Devices[/B]
Apple's patent begins by their pointing out the problems of single-point touch displays of the past and provides us with a classic overview of the situation a time prior to the iPhone as follows:
Touch screens may include a touch panel, which may be a clear panel with a touch-sensitive surface. The touch panel may be positioned in front of a display screen so that the touch-sensitive surface covers the viewable area of the display screen. Touch screens may allow a user to make selections and move a cursor by simply touching the display screen via a finger or stylus. In general, the touch screen may recognize the touch and position of the touch on the display screen, and the computing system may interpret the touch and thereafter perform an action based on the touch event.
One limitation of many conventional touch panel technologies is that they are only capable of reporting a single point or touch event, even when multiple objects come into contact with the sensing surface. That is, they lack the ability to track multiple points of contact at the same time. Thus, even when two points are touched, these conventional devices only identify a single location, which is typically the average between the two contacts (e.g., a conventional touchpad on a notebook computer provides such functionality). This single-point identification is a function of the way these devices provide a value representative of the touch point, which is generally by providing an average resistance or capacitance value.
Moreover, many touch-panel devices use oscillating signals to power and clock electronic elements. Examples of their use include providing clock signals, or providing carrier signals which could later be modified to include information. For example, an oscillating signal could be used to drive a row in a capacitive touch sensor panel. Changes to the sensed signal indicate a touch event at the panel.
There are various known ways to create an oscillating signal. For example, persons of skill in the art would recognize that a simple circuit including an inductor and a capacitor would create such a signal. However, most circuit based oscillators suffer from the fact that they do not provide a signal with a precise and predictable frequency.
[B]Apple's Patent Casts a Wide Net Concerning Multi-Touch Displays[/B]
Apple's granted patent corrects the problems laid out in their overview noted above. And while the focus of this particular patent covers all-things related to oscillating signals and circuits, Apple states that they incorporate the content of several other major multitouch patents into this patent. Apple states that "In general, multi-touch panels may be able to detect multiple touches (touch events or contact points) that occur at or about the same time, and identify and track their locations. Examples of multi-touch panels are described in Applicant's co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 10/842,862 entitled "Multipoint Touchscreen," filed on May 6, 2004 and published as U.S. Published Application No. 2006/0097991 on May 11, 2006, the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein.
In view of the above, although this disclosure may describe detecting input in terms of touch-events, it should be understood that the various embodiments disclosed herein may detect near touches or hover-events as well. Accordingly, a touch, a near-touch or a hover may be referred to as an "event" and multiple events that occur at or about the same time may be referred to as a "multi-event."
Apple's multi-touch patent states that the invention could apply to computing devices such as desktops, laptops, tablets or handhelds, including personal digital assistants (PDAs), digital music and/or video players and mobile telephones. The computing system may also correspond to public computer systems such as information kiosks, automated teller machines (ATM), point of sale machines (POS), industrial machines, gaming machines, arcade machines, vending machines, airline e-ticket terminals, restaurant reservation terminals, customer service stations, library terminals, learning devices, and the like.
Apple's patent FIG. 1 shown below illustrates an exemplary computing system using a multi-touch panel input device.
[URL="http://www.patentlyapple.com/.a/6a0120a5580826970c0162fe87e72f970d-pi"][IMG]http://www.patentlyapple.com/.a/6a0120a5580826970c0162fe87e72f970d-800wi[/IMG][/URL]
Apple's patent FIG. 2a shown below illustrates an exemplary capacitive multi-touch panel; patent FIG. 2b is a side view of an exemplary capacitive touch sensor or pixel in a steady-state (no-touch) condition; and patent FIG. 2c is a side view of the exemplary capacitive touch sensor or pixel in a dynamic (touch) condition.
[B][URL="http://www.patentlyapple.com/.a/6a0120a5580826970c0162fe87e807970d-pi"][IMG]http://www.patentlyapple.com/.a/6a0120a5580826970c0162fe87e807970d-800wi[/IMG][/URL]
[/B]
Apple's patent FIG. 5A shown below is a flowchart illustrating operation of calibration logic tuning a local oscillator.
[B][URL="http://www.patentlyapple.com/.a/6a0120a5580826970c01543906e44b970c-pi"][IMG]http://www.patentlyapple.com/.a/6a0120a5580826970c01543906e44b970c-800wi[/IMG][/URL][/B]
[/release]
[URL]http://www.patentlyapple.com/patently-apple/2011/12/apple-adds-another-core-iphone-multitouch-patent-to-their-arsenal.html[/URL]
fuck apple
Wow you couldn't make that shit up.
Apple: Think cockblocking
[quote]It was a clear warning to copycat designers back in 2007. So the almost daily whining that we hear in the blogosphere by the copycatters and their fans about Apple abusing the patent system is a farce of the highest order.[/quote]
Oh and fuck the quy who wrote the article, apple fanboyism right there.
I hate this thing.
I predict that Apple's going to straight up lie and claim that people are using this, it seems too small to actually disprove
Somebody's worried that people might compete with them
apple is the absolute worst technological company of recent years
no matter what you think of their products/advertising, locking in ownership of technologies isn't innovation, and it's certainly not helpful for the tech industry. apple has done more than any company i can think of in recent years to control and restrict tech, and serve only to innovate and improve their profit margin.
The U.S. patent system is broken.
Apple is taking advantage of it.
Redirect your nerdrage to changing the patent system.
The war between Apple and Samsung is funny, it just doesn't feel right. You'd think that businesses getting into a dispute over patents would only want to have their patents protected and respected, but here it's almost like they are only out to destroy each other.
If Samsung released a revolutionary technology with a bunch of patented innovations, and then Apple released something extremely similar infringing on said patents, I think Facepunch would still be saying fuck Apple.
[QUOTE=Frederick;33946198]If Samsung released a revolutionary technology with a bunch of patented innovations, and then Apple released something extremely similar infringing on said patents, I think Facepunch would still be saying fuck Apple.[/QUOTE]
That's because in your example, Samsung actually patented something innovative
Apple just shits out tiny, obscure patents so they can jump on anyone who might have a chance at competing with them
[QUOTE=Frederick;33946198]If Samsung released a revolutionary technology with a bunch of patented innovations, and then Apple released something extremely similar infringing on said patents, I think Facepunch would still be saying fuck Apple.[/QUOTE]
[img]http://www.facepunch.com/fp/browser/osx.png[/img]
[editline]29th December 2011[/editline]
[QUOTE=kaze4159;33946210]That's because in your example, Samsung actually patented something innovative
Apple just shits out tiny, obscure patents so they can jump on anyone who might have a chance at competing with them[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=silentjubjub;33946233][img]http://www.facepunch.com/fp/browser/osx.png[/img]
[editline]29th December 2011[/editline][/QUOTE]
Hey I'm not some fanboy, I have a blackberry and an Android tablet.
Steve Job's ghost
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2c32SvJf54&feature=related[/media]
Snip
[QUOTE=J!NX;33946104]Apple: Think cockblocking[/QUOTE]
Apple: Patent first, sue later
I don't understand why Facepunch is so hurt up the ass over these patents. I could care less what a company's ethics are.
[QUOTE=Kopimi;33946146]apple is the absolute worst technological company of recent years
no matter what you think of their products/advertising, locking in ownership of technologies isn't innovation, and it's certainly not helpful for the tech industry. apple has done more than any company i can think of in recent years to control and restrict tech, and serve only to innovate and improve their profit margin.[/QUOTE]
Do you not know what the purpose of companies are? They exist to profit and deliver the money to their shareholders.
Anyways, why would companies innovate when all the other companies can profit off it equally? There is a reason why patents exist, you know.
[QUOTE=Abrown516;33946484]I don't understand why Facepunch is so hurt up the ass over these patents. I could care less what a company's ethics are.[/QUOTE]
We want the market to move further, more innovations, more stuff! Apple is restricting the market by doing this, this is why we are "Hurt up the ass" over this. It affects us, the consumer.
Hmm... This all seems weird when it was Steve Jobs that said 'Good artists copy, great artists steal'. Although it's not good to completely copy someone else's idea, surely this whole business is about taking something that somebody else has made, and making it better? That sounds good from both the buyer's and the company's standpoint. At least then, they're actually improving what they make, rather than churning out the same stuff year in, year out. I don't know, this is just how I feel about it.
[QUOTE=Abrown516;33946484]I don't understand why Facepunch is so hurt up the ass over these patents. I could care less what a company's ethics are.[/QUOTE]
Because some people (most of us) care, and this patent bullshit is screwing over the average user, and is being used to supress a free market. As opposed to innovating, Apple and Samsung are just having hissyfits at each other.
Instead of this bitchfight, they could be allocating these legal funds to research, especially into something useful, like longer lasting batteries. Even then, how exactly can you patent a screen detecting more than one thing at a time? What's wierder is that 'multiple events in a short period of time' doesn't specify a timescale.
Pollytouch sounds cooler anyway.
[QUOTE=SomeRandomGuy16;33946545]Do you not know what the purpose of companies are
Anyways, why would companies innovate when all the other companies can profit off it equally[/QUOTE]
apple is using vague concepts that have been utilized in less popular technology and then patenting the use of those technologies, and yet people actually call apple an innovator, and a company that is helping technology?
oh and, maybe companies would innovate because they want to provide better products that will attract customers, and they have a passion for technology.
-snip-
Im retarded.
[QUOTE=legolover122;33946853]Whenever apple patents another generic thing it makes me want Steve Jobs back. This stuff didn't happen when he was around.
Hope apple crashes and burns as a company.[/QUOTE]
Rose tinted goggles, bro.
It happened all the time when Jobs was alive, and in the last year, he wasn't even really working at Apple.
[QUOTE=legolover122;33946853]Whenever apple patents another generic thing it makes me want Steve Jobs back. This stuff didn't happen when he was around.
Hope apple crashes and burns as a company.[/QUOTE]
hahaha what
steve jobs was a cunt that paved the way for apple's patent wars
in his biography he swore that he would destroy android if it took every penny he had
steve jobs was a bitter old man who had stolen and falsely claimed everything until his only real invention was the over application of gloss
I hope some company breaks this copyright and when Apple sues them the other company win; that would sorta uncopyright this.
are you mad android nerds?
I don't give a fuck if I choose Android or Apple (even while I'm not in the US) but it's just completely wrong for a company to go in and force itself a monopoly by patenting evrything.
Sorry, you need to Log In to post a reply to this thread.
