Apple Patents All Unlock Gestures.

[Vivi22]

Just? this is frelling ridiculous, this needs to get thrown out as far too broad, and if it doesn't I officially give up on the patent system. This? just? my brain can't HANDLE this level of stupidity. How the frak could the patent office allow something that broad? OH wait, these are the same morons who let someone patent throwing STICKS!

A Farscape and Galactica reference in one post? Christ, if you had managed to throw in a Firefly reference for good measure you'd be my new best friend.

But seriously, the American patent system is completely broken and has been for years. The system at this point needs to be completely dismantled and rebuilt because it simply doesn't work. Especially when patents are granted which cover things that a company didn't invent and has never used, but which are in use by other companies.

They obviously have gone farbot. What the hazmana are they thinking?

(am I spelling these right?)

Who the hell cares? Your post is still awesome!

 

[BlueMage]

After reading this, all I could think was that I've got a few gestures to aim at apple that they won't want to patent.

Ah. Genius. Thank you. That made my day.

Careful. Apple have a strangle-hold on the term "Genius" you know. It may have been patented also.

Nevermind those Mac geniuses have no idea how to end "cat /dev/urandom" without freaking out.

LORD INGLIP SPEAKS:

lointro nearby

An intro to my loin nearby? CERTAINLY MY LORD!

 

[Grouchy Imp_v1legacy]

"A device with a touch-sensitive display may be unlocked via gestures performed on the touch-sensitive display. The device is unlocked if contact with the display corresponds to a predefined gesture for unlocking the device. The device displays one or more unlock images with respect to which the predefined gesture is to be performed in order to unlock the device. The performance of the predefined gesture with respect to the unlock image may include moving the unlock image to a predefined location and/or moving the unlock image along a predefined path. The device may also display visual cues of the predefined gesture on the touch screen to remind a user of the gesture."

This has to be some kind of hoax. Otherwise Apple have just patented the touchscreen. Have I, the US patent office, or the world gone mad?

 

[Gamblerjoe]

The patent office no longer receives federal funding, so they will patent just about anything for a fee.

 

[Booze Zombie]

Quicker than you can say "Edge"... OH GOD, I'm BEING SUED BY A DOUCHE NOZZLE!

 

[Jayyy]

After reading this, all I could think was that I've got a few gestures to aim at apple that they won't want to patent.

Ah. Genius. Thank you. That made my day.

Careful. Apple have a strangle-hold on the term "Genius" you know. It may have been patented also.

Nevermind those Mac geniuses have no idea how to end "cat /dev/urandom" without freaking out.

LORD INGLIP SPEAKS:

lointro nearby

An intro to my loin nearby? CERTAINLY MY LORD!

Haha iForgot about that

 

[Broken Blade]

Just? this is frelling ridiculous, this needs to get thrown out as far too broad, and if it doesn't I officially give up on the patent system. This? just? my brain can't HANDLE this level of stupidity. How the frak could the patent office allow something that broad? OH wait, these are the same morons who let someone patent throwing STICKS!

A Farscape and Galactica reference in one post? Christ, if you had managed to throw in a Firefly reference for good measure you'd be my new best friend.

But seriously, the American patent system is completely broken and has been for years. The system at this point needs to be completely dismantled and rebuilt because it simply doesn't work. Especially when patents are granted which cover things that a company didn't invent and has never used, but which are in use by other companies.

Oh, sorry, how could I forget Firefly? Um? okay, I've got it. I swear by my pretty little bonnet that crazy stuff like this will be the end of me. There that should fix my mistake.

And does anyone remember when you had to be SMART to work in a patent office? Like, say, Albert Einstein smart? For that matter, the whole copyright and trademark thing is screwed up, with it getting to the point that companies can rape us to death, eat our flesh, and sew our skins into their clothing for violating their "intellectual property," and if we're very, very lucky, they won't charge us a fee for services rendered. But that's a needlessly complicated matter for another time.

They obviously have gone farbot. What the hazmana are they thinking?

(am I spelling these right?)

Who the hell cares? Your post is still awesome!

He certainly isn't a smeg-head.

 

[McMullen]

Wait, is this possible? We already have a huge number of products that use unlock gestures, couldn't this just be reversed in court in a number of minutes?

And how do you patent a finger movement? Isn't there laws to protect us from... our laws?

Historically, the solution has been torches, pitchforks, axes, tar, and pikes. There's gotta be enough spiky bits on that fence outside the white house to accommodate the heads of the entire Congress, right?

We could even, after tarring the heads and putting them on pikes, stick ipod earbuds in their ears and make it look like one of those silhouette ads. iPike.

 

[Sphinx86]

Anyways... On topic I don't really see the issue. Most people are complaining purely on the basis that the feature is in common usage. But who did it first? Isn't that the entire point of a patent, claiming rights to something you did first? As much as I dislike Apple, if they did indeed do this first, they have every right to do this, it just should have been in place a long time ago.

As some people have pointed out Apple didn't do it first. Also there has to be the test of inventiveness vs obviousness. Personally if your major design constraint is 'Use the touchscreen and only the touchscreen lest thee face my wrath - Steve' then putting the unlock feature on the touchscreen is pretty obvious. Of course I could just be a freaking genius to see that link so easily.

I'm guessing none of you guys know how a patent works. This is most likely a defensive patent so that no one else can patent the lock slide. Apple definitely doesn't want to get sued over someone claiming to have had the idea first and grabbed a patent. Most patents are made for defensive purposes. Most of the time, companies patent so that other's can't claim to have thought of it first.

Just a quick video on patents. (in regards to start-up businesses)
http://revision3.com/askjay/patents

Defensive? I'm sure Samsung and HTC would agree with you. I mean its not like Apple have ever used their (overly broad) IP offensively....oh wait they have.

Now considering the s**tstorm that tech blogs are having its entirely possible that they will never use in court for fear of it being struck down. That doesn't mean they wont use it in back room intimidation deals to pad the count. Of course I could be underestimating the hubris of Apple and they may very well bring it to court - where if all is right in the world it'll be struck down.

 

[timithy4569]

It doesn't seem effective

I'm guessing none of you guys know how a patent works. This is most likely a defensive patent so that no one else can patent the lock slide. Apple definitely doesn't want to get sued over someone claiming to have had the idea first and grabbed a patent. Most patents are made for defensive purposes. Most of the time, companies patent so that other's can't claim to have thought of it first.

Just a quick video on patents. (in regards to start-up businesses)
http://revision3.com/askjay/patents

Defensive? I'm sure Samsung and HTC would agree with you. I mean its not like Apple have ever used their (overly broad) IP offensively....oh wait they have.

Now considering the s**tstorm that tech blogs are having its entirely possible that they will never use in court for fear of it being struck down. That doesn't mean they wont use it in back room intimidation deals to pad the count. Of course I could be underestimating the hubris of Apple and they may very well bring it to court - where if all is right in the world it'll be struck down.

I see your point, but if I owned a smartphone company, I wouldn't be very threatened. But I would still have a bunch of lawyers throw a fit. But I really don't think this news is very important. I mean, someone was likely going to pick up the patent. Apple definitely has the power to bring people to court and can bring it up in "backdoor dealing"(We don't have to worry about unlock feature playing a huge part. It's a lot shadier than that)Plenty of other companies also have iffy patents like apple. But anyways, even if Apple somehow won in court against another company, they can just make a new opening screen. It might cause companies to make a better opener screen, and we all win.

 

[efAston]

- Coke patented that colour red.

Cadbury trademarked "the colour purple" (that's actually a range of colours, but anyway), it only affects you if you're making confectionery, because the law required that the two products can be mistaken, but what Apple's doing is more like patenting the chocolate block.

 

[exessmirror]

-double post-

 

[exessmirror]

that's it if i am going to invent something new and inovative i am going TO IMMIDIATLY PATENT THE SHIT OUT OF every part that hasn't been patented just so i could sue apple, the rest of the world can use it for free.

also is the moon already been patented?

 

[BabyRaptor]

And how do you patent a finger movement?

My exact thoughts.

*grabs phone and unlocks it*

Ooops! I just broke Apple's patent! And there's Fuck all they can do about it. ^_^

 

[Sphinx86]

But anyways, even if Apple somehow won in court against another company, they can just make a new opening screen. It might cause companies to make a better opener screen, and we all win.

They way I understand it is that the patents covers any gesture on a touch screen to unlock a device and any form of user prompt for said gesture, just redesigning a new unlock screen isn't going to work. Literally the only way to go is with a new technology - like the face unlock.

Edit:
The fact that this forces almost every other company to use face unlock should by no means be a reason to let this patent stand - it sets a bad precedence.

 

[LGC Pominator]

so... would now not be a good time to upgrade my phone from a windows mobile 6.1 serra (touch screen and keyboard used to unlock) to a HTC radar running WP7 (slide used to unlock)?
Because I REALLY don't want anything I buy to give any money to apple, I seriously hate those guys.

How the hell did they get away with this in the first place? I mean there has to be some bounds of reason here!

 

[lord.jeff]

This is what apple does takes an existing product make it shiny and then claim they have made to newest most important piece of technology ever.

 

[DarkSoldier84]

- Coke patented that colour red.

To be more precise, they trademarked that specific shade of red. Any other company can use a red logo as long as its RGB values or Pantone shade don't match Coca-Cola's. Pepsi did the same with their shade of blue.

 

[Kolby Jack]

What? I'm going to call my friend and tell him about this!

*unlocks phone*

*doors explodes off hinges*

SWAT: GET DOWN ON THE GROUND!!! GET DOWN!!! I SAID GET DOWN NOW!!!

Me: WAAAAAHHH! OH GOD! I'M SORRY IT WAS AN ACCIDENT! SEE? *holds up phone*

SWAT: GUN!!!! *shoots repeatedly*

Me: *is dead*