Apple granted another key multitouch patent
Apple won a core multitouch patent regarding oscillating signals that was alluded to when Steve Jobs first announced the original iPhone in 2007, and adds to the company's already formidable legal arsenal.
The United States Patent and Trademark Office published on Tuesday that the Cupertino, Calif. company now owns a crucial patent that describes how touch events are recognized by a touchscreen device, and was one of the "200+ Patents for new inventions" Jobs lauded when the iPhone first debuted, reports Apple patent blog Patently Apple.
The newly granted patent focuses on the oscillator signal and circuit of a touchscreen-equipped device, an integral invention directly related to how users interact with their multitouch products.
Apple states in the filing:
"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."
Previous to the iPhone's introduction in 2007, most touch-capable devices relied on single-touch input like resistive touchscreens. The legacy technology "senses" a touch when two electrically resistive sheets separated by a small gap are connected by the push of a finger or stylus, which in turn creates a voltage division that is detected by a device controller that records the change along the x and y axes.
Resistive displays are limited in that they can only recognize single inputs no matter how many objects are touching the screen.
One way to record multiple touches at a time is to generate an oscillating signal circuit that can power and clock inputs over a substrate as in a capacitive touchscreen display, however it is difficult to create a precise circuit-based oscillator.
Apple wins oscillator signal and circuit multitouch patent | Source: Patently Apple
Apple's patent provides a solution to capacitive touchscreen problem by using calibration logic circuitry which compares the signal oscillation against a reference signal and tunes the clock frequency accordingly. The invention provides for an accurate capacitive display that can not only sense multiple touches, but also detect hover or near touches which are also recognized as "touch events."
Flowchart illustrating calibration logic tuning an oscillator | Source: Patently Apple
The patent wording states that the invention could apply to computing devices such as desktops, laptops, tablets or handhelds, including digital music and video players and mobile telephones. Also mentioned are public computing systems like kiosks and ATMs.
The news follows a Dec. 19 U.S. International Trade Commission decision which resulted in an import ban on HTC Android handsets that infringe on Apple's Data Detectors patent. The injunction will take take effect on April 19, 2012, however HTC CEO Peter Chou said the Taiwanese company is already testing workarounds to bypass the ITC ruling.
The United States Patent and Trademark Office published on Tuesday that the Cupertino, Calif. company now owns a crucial patent that describes how touch events are recognized by a touchscreen device, and was one of the "200+ Patents for new inventions" Jobs lauded when the iPhone first debuted, reports Apple patent blog Patently Apple.
The newly granted patent focuses on the oscillator signal and circuit of a touchscreen-equipped device, an integral invention directly related to how users interact with their multitouch products.
Apple states in the filing:
"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."
Previous to the iPhone's introduction in 2007, most touch-capable devices relied on single-touch input like resistive touchscreens. The legacy technology "senses" a touch when two electrically resistive sheets separated by a small gap are connected by the push of a finger or stylus, which in turn creates a voltage division that is detected by a device controller that records the change along the x and y axes.
Resistive displays are limited in that they can only recognize single inputs no matter how many objects are touching the screen.
One way to record multiple touches at a time is to generate an oscillating signal circuit that can power and clock inputs over a substrate as in a capacitive touchscreen display, however it is difficult to create a precise circuit-based oscillator.
Apple wins oscillator signal and circuit multitouch patent | Source: Patently Apple
Apple's patent provides a solution to capacitive touchscreen problem by using calibration logic circuitry which compares the signal oscillation against a reference signal and tunes the clock frequency accordingly. The invention provides for an accurate capacitive display that can not only sense multiple touches, but also detect hover or near touches which are also recognized as "touch events."
Flowchart illustrating calibration logic tuning an oscillator | Source: Patently Apple
The patent wording states that the invention could apply to computing devices such as desktops, laptops, tablets or handhelds, including digital music and video players and mobile telephones. Also mentioned are public computing systems like kiosks and ATMs.
The news follows a Dec. 19 U.S. International Trade Commission decision which resulted in an import ban on HTC Android handsets that infringe on Apple's Data Detectors patent. The injunction will take take effect on April 19, 2012, however HTC CEO Peter Chou said the Taiwanese company is already testing workarounds to bypass the ITC ruling.
Comments
Google and pals will pay for their crimes.
Google and pals will pay for their crimes.
I sure hope so.
Brace for hatter butthurt
Is that mad hatter butthurt?
Is that mad hatter butthurt?
Nah, he/she just doesn't know how to spell or use a spell-checker. The mad hatter is still busy making his hats.
The patent system is maddeningly slow and inefficient. But at the end of the day, if somebody is systematically ripping off patented technology, they will eventually pay a price -- so long as the patent owner has the financial resources and patience to stick it out until the end of the process. Apple meets those criteria and so does Oracle.
Google and pals will pay for their crimes.
I truly hope so.
Google created Android to kill innovation in the mobile world. Unfortunately for Google this isn't working as good as they hoped. Microsoft is collecting royalties on Android rendering Android non-free for hardware vendors. Also companies like Baidu and Amazon are using Android to compete against Google and cutting Google off of any profits that they might make. Android might stifle innovation as Google intended but it will also compete against itself, leaving Google with an expensive endeavor that can never be truly monetized and if we are lucky Google will slowly distance itself away from it.
Again, hopefully you are correct.
The patent wording states that the invention could apply to computing devices such as desktops, laptops, tablets or handhelds, including digital music and video players and mobile telephones. Also mentioned are public computing systems like kiosks and ATMs.
Is Apple going to ban all competing computing devices such as desktops, laptops, tablets or handhelds, including digital music and video players and mobile telephones and public computing systems like kiosks and ATMs?
They have to protect their IP. It is only fair.
But from all evidence I've seen so far Google committed some pretty blatant patent theft with Android.
Those not Google-biased suspected it when we saw the first Android phones that came to the market after the iPhone announcement. It was pretty obvious that Android was a "me too" OS. I for one was unimpressed, and didn't buy into Google's "Open" spin. But this string of Apple patent approvals, that I suspect will continue continue and intensify over the next few months/years, may reveal in very legal terms that Android is more than just a copy-cat OS, it's actually stolen IP.
Arguing that Apple copied the LG Prada phone is besides the point and not relevant to this legal situation (FYI the Prada phone was not multi-touch, and had almost zero similarity to iPhone OS, so no patents were violated).
Android's days may be numbered if they don't make some very drastic changes to their OS. I suggest they copy Apple in an entirely different way by actually innovating. I'd love to see Google create a game changing device like the original iPhone. But all we've gotten is a flakey, bug-ridden, fragmented, malware-infested copy.
The invention provides for an accurate capacitive display that can not only sense multiple touches, but also detect hover or near touches which are also recognized as "touch events."
It would be cool if you could actually access the hover event.
The patent system is maddeningly slow and inefficient. But at the end of the day, if somebody is systematically ripping off patented technology, they will eventually pay a price -- so long as the patent owner has the financial resources and patience to stick it out until the end of the process. Apple meets those criteria and so does Oracle.
Google and pals will pay for their crimes.
If there is anyone that could make Google pay and has the temperament to do it would be Apple. However, my experience as a patent attorney for the last decade would suggest it isn't going to happen. Big companies like Apple never throw down the gauntlet with a powerful patent if the competitor is a large well-established company with their own war chest of IP. Chances are Apple needs or has to respect Google in certain aspects of its business (e.g., maybe in mapping, searching, or mobile advertisements, just to name a few). Apple will undoubtedly seek competent legal advice and they aren't going to do something stupid just because it would make us all feel good.
But we can all hope it happens. It will be interesting to see how important this patent is. Is it critical to a usable multi-touch response? If so, and if there isn't a design around, and if Apple has the cajones to enforce the patent, this could be really interesting.
Whether this is going to hurt GOOG et al. shall be seen. Don't know what tech is in the current androids so I can't say but this isn't the only way to do multi-touch (see: jeff han or MS Surface or DiamondTouch). Not saying those are better/worse than AAPL, just saying there are many different ways to sort an array (or skin a cat, if you're more comfortable with that analogy).
Google created Android to kill innovation in the mobile world. Unfortunately for Google this isn't working as good as they hoped. Microsoft is collecting royalties on Android rendering Android non-free for hardware vendors. Also companies like Baidu and Amazon are using Android to compete against Google and cutting Google off of any profits that they might make. Android might stifle innovation as Google intended but it will also compete against itself, leaving Google with an expensive endeavor that can never be truly monetized and if we are lucky Google will slowly distance itself away from it.
Except Google doesn't need to monetize Android. I doubt even Baidu and Amazon creating alternative versions really worries them nor Microsoft charging royalties. As long as a single company doesn't dominate the market (like Apple did with mp3 players or Microsoft with PCs) Google is probably very happy.
Google makes money on all mobile platforms (I think I read somewhere they actually make more money on iOS than Android). The more people with smartphones, the more people seeing Google ads and the more money Google makes.
If there is anyone that could make Google pay and has the temperament to do it would be Apple. However, my experience as a patent attorney for the last decade would suggest it isn't going to happen. Big companies like Apple never throw down the gauntlet with a powerful patent if the competitor is a large well-established company with their own war chest of IP. Chances are Apple needs or has to respect Google in certain aspects of its business (e.g., maybe in mapping, searching, or mobile advertisements, just to name a few). Apple will undoubtedly seek competent legal advice and they aren't going to do something stupid just because it would make us all feel good.
But we can all hope it happens. It will be interesting to see how important this patent is. Is it critical to a usable multi-touch response? If so, and if there isn't a design around, and if Apple has the cajones to enforce the patent, this could be really interesting.
I have a suspicion mapping won't be a problem for long and maybe search won't be far behind. After all iOS is killing Google everyday since apps bypass the web entirely and iOS is so dominant in actual use (I am ignoring sales figures of Google toys here rather looking at stats of real users on the internet actually buying stuff). Steve didn't get shafted by Gates to ever let it happen again and even though he's left us, I have to think there is a strategy he crafted in play. When he presented the iPhone his comments regarding patents didn't sound like wasted air time to me.
Except Google doesn't need to monetize Android. I doubt even Baidu and Amazon creating alternative versions really worries them nor Microsoft charging royalties. As long as a single company doesn't dominate the market (like Apple did with mp3 players or Microsoft with PCs) Google is probably very happy.
Google makes money on all mobile platforms (I think I read somewhere they actually make more money on iOS than Android). The more people with smartphones, the more people seeing Google ads and the more money Google makes.
Google makes zip when you bypass the web and use the internet via an app and that is the future.
We all benefit from aggressive, innovative and legal competition.
But from all evidence I've seen so far Google committed some pretty blatant patent theft with Android.
Those not Google-biased suspected it when we saw the first Android phones that came to the market after the iPhone announcement. It was pretty obvious that Android was a "me too" OS. I for one was unimpressed, and didn't buy into Google's "Open" spin. But this string of Apple patent approvals, that I suspect will continue continue and intensify over the next few months/years, may reveal in very legal terms that Android is more than just a copy-cat OS, it's actually stolen IP.
Arguing that Apple copied the LG Prada phone is besides the point and not relevant to this legal situation (FYI the Prada phone was not multi-touch, and had almost zero similarity to iPhone OS, so no patents were violated).
Android's days may be numbered if they don't make some very drastic changes to their OS. I suggest they copy Apple in an entirely different way by actually innovating. I'd love to see Google create a game changing device like the original iPhone. But all we've gotten is a flakey, bug-ridden, fragmented, malware-infested copy.
My understanding is they bolted a touch UI in top of what was going to be their RIM knock off in a hell of a hurry once Schmidt brought home the inside info from Apple. This why it sucks so badly. The apps out there would be dead or badly needing rewrites if Google ever re wrote from the ground up and therein lies their almost Microsoft like dilemma.
Except Google doesn't need to monetize Android. I doubt even Baidu and Amazon creating alternative versions really worries them nor Microsoft charging royalties. As long as a single company doesn't dominate the market (like Apple did with mp3 players or Microsoft with PCs) Google is probably very happy.
Google makes money on all mobile platforms (I think I read somewhere they actually make more money on iOS than Android). The more people with smartphones, the more people seeing Google ads and the more money Google makes.
Is that why they have all those ad-supported apps on the Android Market?
Let's assume Google doesn't want to monetize Android. Amazon and Baidu do worry them. Here's why: 1) No Android Marketplace 2) No Google Apps 3) In case of Baidu no Google search. Amazon and Baidu are riding on Android and then 'forking' it to undercut Google.
Let's assume Google doesn't care about dominating and only cares about people using its search engine. Explain why Google brags about activation numbers? If they make more money out of iOS (or even equal amount) why are they aggressively pushing Android and giving it away for free such that no one can develop a business case in creating a competing OS (Amazon and Baidu found a way around that). Android is to Google what Bing or XBox are to Microsoft. Remember how Microsoft got its Windows and Office monopoly? There is a longterm plan and Google wants to control everything, what better way to sell you ads than controlling the OS you use to access the web on a device that has all your personal info linked to Google services. Why no company is actively developing a desktop OS to compete with Microsoft except for Apple (Linux and others have less than 3%)? Microsoft thru back-room deals with OEMs made it cost prohibitive, and this is Google's game with Android.