Apple granted patent for touchscreen unlock gestures

[paddymph]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-15461732

 

[Ads_172]

I imagine any legal case will be thrown out as it will be considered the only way to unlock a touchscreen with no physical buttons will be via a 'gesture'.

Maybe Apple want to ban anyone else from using touchscreens, as part of their quest for World domination.

 

[Revels]

They have the patent, so it's done.

There's various other ways for unlocking.

 

[Ads_172]

On phones that have no physical buttons?

 

[Tyler@Ultimate]

New Android phones are unlocking by face recognition by using the front facing camera.
But you can still unlock most phones by using A gesture so I'm not quite sure what the patent consists off.

 

[Danny133]

unlocking with facial gestures?

what a load of s**t!

 

[theduck]

Apple have some weird patents.

 

[ipodsandguns]

Surely most phones have atlas one button if not two? Double press power button to lock. bye bye gesture unlock?

 

[Ads_172]

unlocking with facial gestures?

what a load of s**t!

Yeah the new Galaxy Nexus is having it supposedly! Not so much a facial gesture, but it facial recognition software so it unlocks to your face only!

 

[sn00p]

I imagine any legal case will be thrown out as it will be considered the only way to unlock a touchscreen with no physical buttons will be via a 'gesture'.

They have a patent.

If you make a touchscreen phone with no physical buttons then you can't unlock it with a gesture without obtaining a rights to do so from apple, regardless of whether it's obvious or the only way to do it. The simple answer is, put a button on it.

The longer answer is whether or not "others" with a vested interest in this patent can get the patent invalidated on prior art grounds. It also depends on how specific the wording on the patent is. A single patent on it's own compromises how useful it may actually be at protecting your IP.

(PS I'm sure that the unlock gesture is part of the set of patents that Apple will *not* license to any other vendors)

 

[Knuckles]

''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''

Could a loophole be; having a puzzle to solve before the phone unlocks?

one of those sliding square images, it could be called a game and unlocking te phone could be a by product of solving the puzzle?





that sounded so much better in my head lol

 

[Ads_172]

I suppose all it will really do is force other manufacturers to create more innovative ways to unlock their phones, such as facial or voice recognition.

 

[Knuckles]

I suppose all it will really do is force other manufacturers to create more innovative ways to unlock their phones, such as facial or voice recognition.

yearrrrrsss away from that!!!

'unlock phone'
'calling terry'
'unlock phone'
'playing nicki minaj'
'unlock Phone!!!'
'open angry birds'
'ffffffffuuuuuuuuu'

 

[Ads_172]

Lol, true.

 

[paddymph]

yearrrrrsss away from that!!!

'unlock phone'
'calling terry'
'unlock phone'
'playing nicki minaj'
'unlock Phone!!!'
'open angry birds'
'ffffffffuuuuuuuuu'

^ this, lol

 

[DB.]

4s has great voice recognition IMO.Even though im a brummy!

 

[@Spoonie]

Funny old things software patents. Microsoft were granted one this week for sketch-based password authentication which some would say is gesture like.

http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2110918/microsoft-patents-picture-passwords-windows

 

[Truffs]

4s has great voice recognition IMO.Even though im a brummy!

Agreed only once has Siri done something i didnt ask.

 

[Ads_172]

Interesting that you say 'it's done' Revels, but the article suggests that the patent could be invalidated as its too broad, simple or "obvious".

I'd copy and paste from the BBC but it won't let me do it on my iPhone for some reason...

 

[Addicted]

Not really surprised, some of the other patents Apple have are beyond stupid, they must have some bloody good lawyers to get away with it tbh.

 

[oska]

So now it's got the patent will any phones that have this gesture business have to be updated and it removed?

 

[olliewebbuk]

So now it's got the patent will any phones that have this gesture business have to be updated and it removed?

No. Don't be daft.

 

[BatFastard]

I don't understand how Apple can have this patent when none of their phones use it but Android does?

 

[Addicted]

I don't understand how Apple can have this patent when none of their phones use it but Android does?

iOS does use the Swipe gesture?

 

[@Spoonie]

I don't understand how Apple can have this patent when none of their phones use it but Android does?

The patent was filed in 2005. With software the ideas are there long before they ever see the light of day.

 

[DB.]

I don't understand how Apple can have this patent when none of their phones use it but Android does?

You don't have to have it to have the patent, you just need the patent. You can then make money off the patent.

 

[sn00p]

Interesting that you say 'it's done' Revels, but the article suggests that the patent could be invalidated as its too broad, simple or "obvious".

I'd copy and paste from the BBC but it won't let me do it on my iPhone for some reason...

They have a problem in that if they choose to try to get the patent invalidated and they lose then they end up strengthening that patent.

I think the only grounds they have for invalidating it is prior art, but that should have prevented it being issued in the first place.

The unlock gesture may seem "obvious" now, but, prior to the iPhone how many other phones do you remember seeing sporting that unlock method?

Personally, software patents suck, but manufacturers whining and crying about them while collecting their own stash of patents just makes the whole thing a big mockery.

 

[BatFastard]

You don't have to have it to have the patent, you just need the patent. You can then make money off the patent.

I thought in patent law, you had to use in products what you have patented? Or ultimately risk losing the patent? Whats stopping me from patenting a load of crap in the hope some big company uses it in future? Even though I don't have any software that uses it?

 

[olliewebbuk]

Nope! Hence patent trolls.

 

[BatFastard]

Nope! Hence patent trolls.

Just done a bit of reading - Seems to be the case for UK patent law, but not USA

 

[Dan519]

You don't have to have it to have the patent, you just need the patent. You can then make money off the patent.

this!!

It's not to stop other using it, it's to make money from licensing, pure and simple profit based move

 

[Munson]

Everyone copies Apple at every possible turn. It's hardly surprising they're quite protective of their patents.

 

[richy22]

They have a problem in that if they choose to try to get the patent invalidated and they lose then they end up strengthening that patent.

I think the only grounds they have for invalidating it is prior art, but that should have prevented it being issued in the first place.

The unlock gesture may seem "obvious" now, but, prior to the iPhone how many other phones do you remember seeing sporting that unlock method?

Personally, software patents suck, but manufacturers whining and crying about them while collecting their own stash of patents just makes the whole thing a big mockery.

Nokia 7710.