Apple's 'shake to print' concept would add custom printing options to iOS devices
A pair of new patent filings reveal a concept from Apple that would allow users to select custom settings for printing by moving or interacting with an iPhone or iPad in unique ways.
The filings discovered by AppleInsider were published this week by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. They are entitled Systems and Methods for Defining Print Settings Using Device Movements, and Systems and Methods for Defining Print Settings Using an Input Interface.
In one example provided in the applications, a user could shake their iPhone back and forth to enable a print settings mode. In another implementation, a user could shake their iPad to cancel a print job.
Apple already has a system-wide "Shake to Undo" feature in iOS that uses a device's built-in accelerometer. The company also offers "Shake to Shuffle" when playing music.
With Apple's new concept, users could also change settings ? such as print orientation ? by rotating or moving an iOS device. For example, viewing a photo in portrait mode could then send the picture to a printer with the same layout.
The patent application also goes beyond motion and orientation of the device, and presents new ways that users could interact with an iPad to select printer settings. One illustration shows how users could select a range of pages to print from a document, while a template selector would show a user how their content would appear on various paper sizes.
When viewing multiple pages of a document at once on a touchscreen device, a user could also use their finger to draw across the pages and signify an order in which the pages should be printed.
The applications, made public this week, were first filed with the USPTO in March of 2011. The proposed inventions are credited to Howard A. Miller, David Gelphman, and Richard Blanchard Jr.
The filings discovered by AppleInsider were published this week by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. They are entitled Systems and Methods for Defining Print Settings Using Device Movements, and Systems and Methods for Defining Print Settings Using an Input Interface.
In one example provided in the applications, a user could shake their iPhone back and forth to enable a print settings mode. In another implementation, a user could shake their iPad to cancel a print job.
Apple already has a system-wide "Shake to Undo" feature in iOS that uses a device's built-in accelerometer. The company also offers "Shake to Shuffle" when playing music.
With Apple's new concept, users could also change settings ? such as print orientation ? by rotating or moving an iOS device. For example, viewing a photo in portrait mode could then send the picture to a printer with the same layout.
The patent application also goes beyond motion and orientation of the device, and presents new ways that users could interact with an iPad to select printer settings. One illustration shows how users could select a range of pages to print from a document, while a template selector would show a user how their content would appear on various paper sizes.
When viewing multiple pages of a document at once on a touchscreen device, a user could also use their finger to draw across the pages and signify an order in which the pages should be printed.
The applications, made public this week, were first filed with the USPTO in March of 2011. The proposed inventions are credited to Howard A. Miller, David Gelphman, and Richard Blanchard Jr.
Comments
This feels like one of those Galaxy S3 gesture gimmicks.
Quote:
Originally Posted by thataveragejoe
This feels like one of those Galaxy S3 gesture gimmicks.
Yeah, I kind of question whether many people print often enough to remember how to shake their iPad. Even shaking an iPhone is kind of a pain.
I can't see this being implemented, as shake already means undo.
Geez, I sure hope this never sees the light of day. People who are printing from iPads are not doing it right.
What's next- "Drop To Break"?
Shake it like a Polaroid picture.
Yeah, bad pun and even worse idea, I can't see me ever using that feature.
Why???
At least pick a really fun gesture for porn, 'kay???
I recall someone suggesting that slapping the edge of the screen from the side could be set to switch workspaces or switch apps.
I turn off that "shake to..." shit. It makes sense for shuffle or other randomizing actions. It's a stretch outside of that. Set something down too abruptly translates to a shake.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil
I can't see this being implemented, as shake already means undo.
Shake to undo is awful anyway. Try typing an article on the bus on an iPad sometime. Infuriating.
Quote:
Originally Posted by paxman
Yeah, I kind of question whether many people print often enough to remember how to shake their iPad. Even shaking an iPhone is kind of a pain.
It can also cause problems with the phone. There have been a few reports of iPhone 5's with a loose battery so that when you shake it you can feel the heavy battery sliding back and forth. This is usually fixed by adding a bit more glue, but still.
Shaking your iPhone/iPad is not really something to encourage IMO.
Quote:
Originally Posted by allenbf
Shake it like a Polaroid picture.
Yeah, bad pun and even worse idea, I can't see me ever using that feature.
Hey ya!
Why not make it shake left-right for print settings, up-down for general settings, and twist along the different axes to switch apps, call up Siri, and hard-reset the device? Intuitive for everyone!
How about giving iOS devices the native ability to Print to PDF? That alone would make a LOT of users happy.
That was my first thought. It's annoying and people look at you funny when you have several things to Undo.
I dislike the whole concept of saving a file as PDF and being required to go to Print to do it. I'd rather it just be general Save option.