Apple Applies for a Touchscreen Gesture Patent

SuperMog2002 writes "According to an article in PC Magazine, Apple has submitted an application for a patent on "several methods of applying gestures to touch-sensitive input devices." Could there be a new form of tablet PC or PDA in Apple's future?"

Enough already.

Argh! Enough already with the "doing foo... with a computer!" and "doing foo... on a mobile device!" patents. You're not impressing anybody.

Re:Enough already.

You're not impressing anybody.

Except the USPTO.

Re:Enough already.

Actually, Apple bought Fingerworks [dreamhosters.com].

Re:Enough already --- fingerworks description

Saying that Apple bought fingerworks may not be enough for folks who don't know what that is. Fingerworks made a series of keyboards and other devices that allowed users to use 'gestures' for commands. The surface was flat, like a touchpad, so there were

Scratches?

Has the tablet market come up with a way to deal with screen scratches? I think back to my trusty Palm IIIxe which after a few years suffered from horrible wear in the silk screen writing area. I'd hate to have dull spots on my computer screen where the GUI displays common elements.

Re:Scratches?

Has the tablet market come up with a way to deal with screen scratches?

If anyone can figure out a way to prevent unsightly scratches on a portable device screen, I'm sure it will be Apple.

Maybe...

Maybe I had it right when I came up with the iPod Touch [ohmfree.com], a while back.

Interesting if it pans out the way article leads

Apple did some really great things with the Newton. They were a little too early, though. Competitors like Palm and Casio did them one better in marketing and ubiquity (probably price, too, if I remember). The Newton and eMate are great, but didn't make it

YRO?

What exactly does this have to do with my rights online?

Re:YRO?

i think its because apple is applying for the patent, this will make it more difficult for developments in the future based around similar technologies just with different makers. The idea, if they can make it work well, will no doubt be a key feature in future devices when the push to make them smaller means less space for buttons etc... Holding back this is bad for the free market, therefore bad for your rights as a consumer

Re:YRO?

I think it's because apple is applying for a patent on something that is pretty obvious to anybody skilled in the art, and has actually been done in about 17 other places. Just check around this story for lots of examples.

The only thing there are lots of e

More Prior Art

B&W, Palm, etc. have already been mentioned as having prior art. Honestly, this is why I hate corporations like that. But I think there's another party [warioware.biz] who also has prior art on such a thing. I mean, these kinds of patents are just stupidly ridiculous.

Read the patent before you comment

As far as I can make out, each claim specifically mentions a multipoint touchscreen. Unlike the touchscreens normally used in PDAs, it can register pressure at several points simultaneously. Furthermore all described gestures need the screen to be touched at several places at once. But since the patent mentions virtual controls, I wouldn't really describe the interaction as a gesture. Gestures typically are not performed on a control.

Please take that into account when you try to come up with prior art.

Wonder if...

one of the new patents will include "navigating interface via tongue", cause we all know apples aqua UI is sooo good you want to lick it?
*runs away and hides*

Apple is teh evil ... NOT!

Honestly, I wish people would quit saying "Apple/Microsoft/Google/FooCorp is evil because they applied for patent X", even if the patent is for something really obvious (like this one seems to be) or stupid. Given the current legal climate, companies are forced to obtain patents like these so they can defend themselves against (usually smaller) companies that would otherwise get the patents later on (or dredge up old, semi-related patents) and then bring lawsuits. Save the complaints for companies that actually abuse patents (Eolas comes to mind), and the USPTO and the legal system that allow this **** to continue. Also, to the people who keep pointing out "prior art"... please note that this patent application is for a MULTI-POINT touch interface.

Also in Windows Vista

Vista also has touch screen guestures in the current beta2 builds.
Funny this article come up today. I have been playing with the touchscreen tablet UI in Vista all day.

multi-point already exists

Just to correct some people here, multi-touch pads already exist and work very well:
http://www.jazzmutant.com/lemur_overview.php [jazzmutant.com]

Re:Palm OS

Palms have had this for awhile have they not?

Maybe Apple can claim they were there first with the Newton. It is more cost effective to wait and see if something catches on before applying for the patent.

Re:Palm OS

yeah, but you had to use a pen there! http://www.fingerworks.com/ [fingerworks.com] is probably more like what they were considering, except now there's a screen under it, so you pick up on the icon itself, instead of moving the pointer and then doing a pick up motion! *

Re:Palm OS

Palms have had this for awhile have they not? Not handwriting recognition - you could, say, drag the pen from top to bottom and the backlight would come on.

Palms only recognize one point at a time. The patent covers multi-point gestures, like (as described), zooming in on a point by simultaneously selecting the point with one finger and using another to control the zoom.

The post title, summary, and the article itself all make it sound like Apple is patenting all touch-screen gestures, but that's not what the patent application itself says.

Re:Prior Art

Uhh dude... i don't think anyone wants to know what you are doing with your palm right now..

Re:Prior Art

What the heck am I doing on my Palm right now?

Using a one-point stylus. The patent application is for gestures using multiple points simultaneously. You can't do that with your Palm. Also note that it isn't a patent on multi-point touch screens or touch pads, which already exist, but on specific types of interfaces using them.

Re:Prior Art Example...

Not to mention the numerous Nintendo DS games that have this feature

The DS has, as far as I know, a single-point touch screen. The patent application is for gestures using multiple points. I don't have a DS, so tell me: can you touch the screen in two di

Re:Prior Art Example...

The touch screen reacts the same whether I use one finger or two.

That's because it's a single-point screen. Multiple-point touch screens (i.e. the only kind referenced by the patent application) behave differently.

The patent is vague

You've already demonstrated that you haven't read any of it. The very first claim specifies "touch sensitive device having a multipoint capability".

Besides, what's Apple going to do then? Sue the priest...

Now you're demonstrating that you are being willfully stupid.

Re:apple ireader

They invented the PDA, not the "Hand held PC" industry. Casio, Sharp, and Psion were selling pocketable, handheld, personal computers throughout most of the eighties (the Psion Organiser series was pretty much a yuppie icon at one point.) All were programm