Of Apple Patent US 7,479,949
and US 7,469,381
UC Berkeley, Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology
IEOR 190G Patent Engineering
Abhishek Gupta, BA CS
Touch Screen technology refers to using fingers
to manipulate objects on a touch screen.
Achieved through variety of ways:
◦ heat
◦ finger pressure
◦ infrared light
◦ optic capture
For invalidity on the two patents, touch screen
only refers to single touch methods on the Apple
IPhone and Palm Pre.
This includes:
◦ Flicking Left/Right
◦ Locking the screen
◦ Diagonal movements
◦ Document edge in screen auto-display
Developed a touch tablet capable of sensing
an arbitrary number of simultaneous touch
inputs, reporting both location and degree of
touch for each.
Developed by Bill Buxton at University of
Toronto, the video clearly demonstrates
multi-touch concepts of sliding finger across:
http://www.billbuxton.com/touchTabletWindo
ws.swf
A manipulation of a desktop display
An early front projection tablet top system that used optical
and acoustic techniques to sense fingers and objects
Clearly demonstrated touch concepts such as finger gestures
or a finger flick
Demo
video: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=57725308
28816089246
A film produced which displayed the idea of
pinching. Although nothing technology
related was developed – the film, produced at
Sun Microsystems, clearly envisioned the
future to include „pinching‟ and „diagonal
movements‟
Founded by two University of Delaware academics,
John Elias and Wayne Westerman
Product largely based on Westerman‟s
thesis: Westerman, Wayne (1999). Hand
Tracking,Finger Identification, and Chordic
Manipulation on a Multi-Touch Surface.
The company was acquired in early 2005 by Apple,
where Elias and Westerman moved to Apple.
“state C detects significant motion on all touching
fingers and advances to the manipulation state M,
the channel selection is locked in. Additional finger
touchdowns or liftoffs will not affect the channel
selection during manipulation unless they meet the
special synchronization sequence” (pg. 269)
Images placed on a wall, "to advance to the next slide in
sequence, one flicked to the right. To go back to the previous
image, one flicked left."
"The gestures were much richer than just left-right flicks.
One could investigate different behaviors, depending on the
direction you moved your finger."
"In this system there were eight options, corresponding to the
8 main points of a compass. For example, a downward
gesture over a video meant 'stop'. A gesture up to the right
enabled annotation, down to the right launched the
application associated with the image, etc."
The advancing from one slide to the next appears to read
directly on claim clause of flipping through items in a list and
is the same example as in the Apple Patent.
According to the video, the left/right flick can anticipate the
horizontal and vertical IPhone locked scrolling.
Also show‟s that other commands can be on the 8 other
compass points.
http://www.billbuxton.com/PW+Pda.swf
http://www.diamondspace.merl.com/bimanual.php
Developed by Mitsubishi Research Labs, a tabletop
similar to Microsoft Surface that could adapt finger
touches. Researchers published multiple papers
about it.
Videos clearly demonstrate ability for finger to do
vertical, horizontal, and diagonal movements which
translate into actual actions
Both videos show that scrolling on the screen can
occur with a manual finger touch
http://www.diamondspace.merl.com/videos/2006_wu_
gestures_lr.mov
http://www.diamondspace.merl.com/videos/2006_tse_
multimodal_gaming.wmv
http://www3.toshiba.co.jp/tm_dsp/pr
ess/2005/05-09-29.htm
A mobile touch screen display that
could detect finger movements.
It could be used to „navigate through
pages in the same manner as a
conventional touch-screen approach‟
Similar to scrolling of items through a
list with Apple‟s touch screen
Element Interpretation Prior Art (Portfolio Wall, Diamond
Touch, Toshiba Mobile Display)
“A computing device, Portfolio Wall works on a computing
comprising:” device, however is sold independently
as software.
Diamond Touch is computing device.
Toshiba Mobile Display is a computing
device.
“a touch screen display;” Portfolio Wall software works on a
touch-based monitor. Diamond touch
has a touch surface. Toshiba Mobile
Display has a touch screen display.
“one or more processors;” Portfolio Wall requires processor from
computing device in order to work.
Diamond Touch has a processor.
Toshiba Mobile Display has a processor.
“memory;” Portfolio Wall requires memory
Diamond Touch requires memory.
Toshiba Mobile Display requires
memory.
Element Interpretation Product
“one or more programs, One or more Portfolio Wall
wherein the one or more programs in software is executed
programs are stored in the memory that can on a CPU.
memory and configured to be executed by the
be executed by the one or CPU(s). Diamond touch is a
more processors, the one large interface that
or more programs can execute multiple
including:” programs.
Toshiba Mobile
Display is executed
by the device‟s CPU.
Element Interpretation Portfolio Wall Product
“instructions for detecting It is inherent that if there is
one or more finger a processor and a touch
contacts with the touch screen display whereby a
screen display;” user can use his finger,
that there must be
instruction for detecting
finger contacts with the
touch screen.
Element Interpretation Diamond Touch Product
“instructions for detecting It is inherent that if there is
one or more finger a processor and a touch
contacts with the touch screen display whereby a
screen display;” user can use his finger,
that there must be
instruction for detecting
finger contacts with the
touch screen.
Element Interpretation Toshiba Mobile Display
Product
“instructions for detecting It is inherent that if there is
one or more finger a processor and a touch
contacts with the touch screen display whereby a
screen display;” user can use his finger,
that there must be
instruction for detecting
finger contacts with the
touch screen.
Element Interpretation Portfolio Wall Product
“instructions for ("heuristics Heuristics are generally
applying one or more [programs] are inherent in computer
heuristics to the one used to translate programs processing
or more finger imprecise finger imprecise input, such as
contacts to determine gestures into the movement of a touch
a command for the actions desired by on a touch screen. There
device;” the user." must be instructions for
[column 109, line the computer to apply the
50-51]) one or more heuristics and
determine the desired
command for the device
from the finger contacts.
Element Interpretation Diamond Touch Product
“instructions for ("heuristics Heuristics are generally
applying one or more [programs] are inherent in computer
heuristics to the one used to translate programs processing
or more finger imprecise finger imprecise input, such as
contacts to determine gestures into the movement of a touch
a command for the actions desired by on a touch screen. There
device;” the user." must be instructions for
[column 109, line the computer to apply the
50-51]) one or more heuristics and
determine the desired
command for the device
from the finger contacts.
Element Interpretation Portfolio Wall Product
“and instructions for Executes the Inherently a processor-
processing the commands. driven device uses
command;” instructions to process
commands.
“wherein the one or
more heuristics
comprise:”
Element Interpretation Diamond Touch Product
“and instructions for Executes the Inherently a processor-
processing the commands. driven device uses
command;” instructions to process
commands.
“wherein the one or
more heuristics
comprise:”
Element Interpretation Toshiba Mobile Display
Product
“and instructions for Executes the Inherently a processor-
processing the commands. driven device uses
command;” instructions to process
commands.
“wherein the one or
more heuristics
comprise:”
Element Interpretation Portfolio Wall Product
“a vertical screen scrolling A heuristic According to the video, there
heuristic for determining (implemented as a is a horizontal screen
that the one or more program) that looks scrolling heuristic, which can
finger contacts for initial vertical anticipate a vertical screen
correspond to a one- movement of the scrolling heuristic for
dimensional vertical finger(s) and decides determining that the one or
screen scrolling command that strictly vertical more finger contacts
rather than a two- scrolling is desired correspond to a one-
dimensional screen even though the dimensional vertical screen
translation command finger may move off scrolling command rather
based on an angle of a vertical path after than a two-dimensional
initial movement of a initial contact. screen translation command
finger contact with based on the angle of initial
respect to the touch movement of a finger contact
screen display;” with respect to the touch
screen display. Hence this is
due to obviousness.
Element Interpretation Diamond Touch Product
“a vertical screen scrolling A heuristic According to the videos,
heuristic for determining (implemented as a there is a vertical screen
that the one or more program) that looks scrolling heuristic, where the
finger contacts for initial vertical user moves the finger and
correspond to a one- movement of the the screen locked into the
dimensional vertical finger(s) and decides movement of the finger.
screen scrolling command that strictly vertical
rather than a two- scrolling is desired
dimensional screen even though the
translation command finger may move off
based on an angle of a vertical path after
initial movement of a initial contact.
finger contact with
respect to the touch
screen display;”
Element Interpretation Portfolio Wall Product
“a two-dimensional screen A heuristic The Portfolio wall uses a
translation heuristic for (implemented as a two-dimensional screen
determining that the one program) that looks translation heuristic for
or more finger contacts for initial movement determining that the one or
correspond to the two- of the finger(s) not more finger contacts
dimensional screen close to vertical and correspond to the two-
translation command decides that some dimensional screen
rather than the one- degree of diagonal translation command rather
dimensional vertical screen (vertical and than the one-dimensional
scrolling command based horizontal) scrolling vertical screen scrolling
on the angle of initial is desired rather command based on the angle
movement of the finger than strictly vertical of initial movement of the
contact with respect to the scrolling. finger contact with respect to
touch screen display;” the touch screen display.
“A gesture up to the right
enabled annotation. Down to
the right launched the
application associated with
the image. ”
Element Interpretation Portfolio Wall Product
“and a next item A heuristic The Portfolio Wall uses
heuristic for (implemented as a a next item heuristic for
determining that the program) that looks determining that the
one or more finger for an unspecified one or more finger
contacts correspond to finger(s) contact to contacts correspond to
a command to move stepwise from a command to
transition from item to item in a set transition from
displaying a respective rather than scroll displaying a respective
item in a set of items through the set. An item in a set of items to
to displaying a next example reciting the displaying a next item
item in the set of text of this clam in the set of items.
items.” clause refers to an -The video makes this
image in an album of apparent
images.
Element Interpretation Toshiba Mobile Display
Product
“and a next item A heuristic Toshiba Mobile Display
heuristic for (implemented as a could clearly be used to
determining that the program) that looks navigate through a set
one or more finger for an unspecified of items. – The
contacts correspond to finger(s) contact to description and image
a command to move stepwise from show this feature.
transition from item to item in a set
displaying a respective rather than scroll
item in a set of items through the set. An
to displaying a next example reciting the
item in the set of text of this clam
items.” clause refers to an
image in an album of
images.
Based on the prior art of Portfolio Wall, Diamond
Touch and Toshiba Mobile Display – yes.
Although Portfolio Wall is not a piece of hardware,
when implemented on a computing device, the
software interacts with the hardware to make a
finger(s) touch-based device.
Portfolio Wall‟s heuristics were similar to touch-
based mobile devices available today.
The combination of the vertical scrolling from
Diamond Touch and slideshow from Toshiba
Mobile Display also contribute to the heuristics in
today‟s touch-based mobile devices.
Finding prior art for the „381 patent has been
difficult to find: document edge in screen auto-
displays to configuration.
Questions & Answers
References:
http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/28/apple-vs-palm-the-in-depth-
analysis/#continuedengadget.com/2009/01/28/apple-vs-palm-the-in-
depth-analysis/%23continued
http://www.billbuxton.com/multitouchOverview.html