According to Patently Apple, Apple has just been issued 3 patents by the USPTO related to multi-touch. The most interesting of these is related to the "Pinch-to-Zoom" gesture which Google recently added to the Android operating system.
As noted by Engadget, the pinch-to-zoom patent has some limitations with regards to the use of a "timer".
The first few claims of US Patent 7812826 read as follows:
Notice that claim 1 essentially claims any multi-touch gesture that adjusts some object, but then is discontinued, followed by starting a timer, and then detecting a time interval until the gesture is resumed. I'm not sure what (if anything) Apple can pursue here if their competitors do not employ the use of a timer after breaking the first set of multi-touch contacts. The following dependent claims clearly claim pinch-to-zoom for magnification or two-finger rotation with a timer.
The invention's description says the use of such a timer might be to automatically remove an object from a canvas if the multi-touch gesture is not removed within a specified time interval. For example, dropping a new object on a canvas, adjusting it, and then abandoning it -- leaving the system to automatically remove the object once abandoned. But a patent is only limited by its claims, not by the described embodiments it may take.
Very interesting......
As noted by Engadget, the pinch-to-zoom patent has some limitations with regards to the use of a "timer".
The first few claims of US Patent 7812826 read as follows:
1. A method, comprising: detecting at least two first contacts on a display surface of a multi-touch-sensitive display device; detecting a first motion associated with the at least two first contacts, wherein the first motion corresponds to a multi-touch gesture; adjusting a parameter of a graphical object in accordance with the first motion; detecting a breaking of the at least two first contacts; after detecting the breaking of the at least two first contacts, detecting at least two second contacts on the display surface; detecting a second motion associated with the at least two second contacts, wherein the second motion corresponds to the multi-touch gesture and the at least two second contacts are detected within a pre-determined time interval after the breaking of the at least two first contacts is detected; and continuing to adjust the parameter of the graphical object in accordance with the second motion.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the parameter is a non-linear function of a displacement of the first contacts during the multi-touch gesture.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the parameter comprises a magnification of the graphical object.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the parameter comprises an orientation of the graphical object.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the multi-touch gesture comprises rotation.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the multi-touch gesture comprises de-pinching, and wherein de-pinching includes displacing at least two contacts away from one another.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the parameter is a non-linear function of a displacement of the first contacts during the multi-touch gesture.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the parameter comprises a magnification of the graphical object.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the parameter comprises an orientation of the graphical object.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the multi-touch gesture comprises rotation.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the multi-touch gesture comprises de-pinching, and wherein de-pinching includes displacing at least two contacts away from one another.
Notice that claim 1 essentially claims any multi-touch gesture that adjusts some object, but then is discontinued, followed by starting a timer, and then detecting a time interval until the gesture is resumed. I'm not sure what (if anything) Apple can pursue here if their competitors do not employ the use of a timer after breaking the first set of multi-touch contacts. The following dependent claims clearly claim pinch-to-zoom for magnification or two-finger rotation with a timer.
The invention's description says the use of such a timer might be to automatically remove an object from a canvas if the multi-touch gesture is not removed within a specified time interval. For example, dropping a new object on a canvas, adjusting it, and then abandoning it -- leaving the system to automatically remove the object once abandoned. But a patent is only limited by its claims, not by the described embodiments it may take.
Very interesting......
