Apple Awarded Patent For iPhone Interface

Toe, The writes "Apple's 358-page patent application for their iPhone interface entitled Touch screen device, method, and graphical user interface for determining commands by applying heuristics has been approved after more than two years of review by the US Patent Office. Apple's claims include: '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. The one or more heuristics comprise: a heuristic for determining that the one or more finger contacts correspond to a one-dimensional vertical screen scrolling command, a heuristic for determining that the one or more finger contacts correspond to a two-dimensional screen translation command, and a heuristic for determining that the one or more finger contacts correspond to a command to transition from displaying a respective item in a set of items to displaying a next item in the set of items.' As Apple seems eager to defend their intellectual property, what will this mean to other touch developers?"

Computer-implemented?

[daybot]

A computer-implemented method...

Oh God, is iPhone becoming self-aware?

Patent to the touch

[ArtificialPulse]

Can you patent a hand gesture? A little birdie told me one for these guys...

"one or more finger contacts"

[bschoate]

This patent seems pretty bound to fingers, so multi-touch toe interfaces are wide open, folks!

Re:Waiting..

[m26k9]

I wish Steve Jobs can see my middle finger gesture.. I hope he hasn't patented that already..

Re:Waiting..

[Tablizer]

The patent seems like it might be pretty broad, but it seems to basically cover touch 'gestures'.

Hey Apple, patent THIS gesture: ,,|,,
     

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[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Re:Waiting..

[Whiney Mac Fanboy]

Well, if WMF knows no prior art, that must be proof prior art exists. And since he knows nothing...

The obliviousness-in-the-face-of-sarcasm is strong in this one.

Watch - (s)he will post again, proving me right.

Re:Waiting..

[Zordak]

Where would we be if the creator of the first spider patented the concept of a spider

I'm pretty sure that God had the spider market cornered for more than 20 years, even without a patent.