Apple files patent for multitasking gaming touchscreen

Apple's always had less-than-enthusiastic stance towards gaming, so the company's latest patent filing seems a bit out of character, seeing as it details a multitasking touchscreen that would allow games to be played while still controlling other applications like media players. The system works be categorizing touch inputs and routing the data to the appropriate application -- a simple tap might go to the game, while a longer press might be sent to the media player. According to Apple, "the invention allows various applications to be integrated and used on devices that are not readily suitable for supporting multiple applications at the same time." Of course, there's no word on when we might see this make its way into an actual product, but if this means we might see games on the iPod touch and iPhone, bring it on.

[Thanks, Mark]

[lotzosushi @ Dec 6th 2007 4:11PM]

Sweet, finally a games we can touch! I wonder if it's for a new Mac tablet? :)

I definitely just touch-typed this from my iPhone :D

[MARSHAK @ Dec 6th 2007 7:00PM]

you want an iCookie?

[Tristan @ Dec 6th 2007 7:01PM]

heh heh iCookie ^

[engadget-account @ Dec 6th 2007 4:20PM]

Every time Apple applies for a patent, the blogs speculate on why, how, and when the technology will show up in a product. Let me give you a hint: filing a patent has absolutely no significance with respect to those questions. Any technology company worth its salt patents whatever it dreams up that it believes is patentable. Engineers come up with ideas in the course of their work that may or may not have an application within the company, but a good company has a process for identifying those ideas and funneling them into an intellectual property process.

Here's a fundamental patent concept that may help: patents give you the right to stop someone else from doing what you teach in the patent for some period of time. They do not give you the right to do something. See the difference? If I have a patent that teaches X, and you start doing X, I can sue you to make you stop and/or pay me. It doesn't matter if you have a patent that seems to say you can do X as well. So it is just as likely that Apple patents technology to make sure others can't do what it has no intention of doing as it is that they intend to do that thing.

There, I feel better.

[redspear @ Dec 6th 2007 5:26PM]

While the above poster is correct for the most part. I have seen cases where patents were invalidated because there were no plans for commercial use(in some venues like the ITC) and the patents were just sitting around doing nothing. Also just filing a patent does not guarantee that the patent is truly valid even though the patents are prosecuted after they are filed(a process I am not familiar with I have only seen this mentioned when a patent is challenged after it is approved) there are many htings that can break a patent afterwords stuff like double patenting pre existing prior art and so forth. It does however add a layer of protection to the inventions of a company and so it is a common practice if they ever decide to use it.

[Matthew Hilario @ Dec 6th 2007 4:21PM]

my ds already plays music. thanks.

[Ireland @ Dec 6th 2007 9:53PM]

Ok.... random.

[iserge @ Dec 6th 2007 4:22PM]

Actually, it'll fit nicely with iPod/iPhone. I don't have 'touch, but I assume you can do other tasks while playing music in background. Now, if you want to stop playback, or change sound volume this feature will allow to do that without interrupting main activity.

[jm1 @ Dec 6th 2007 4:33PM]

Well, time to buy some more apple shares.

[superfresh @ Dec 6th 2007 4:49PM]

So...iDoom?

[Maestro @ Dec 6th 2007 4:54PM]

Finally! And with all the games available for the mac I'm goin....er....what? There aren't any? Oh well.

[Andrew @ Dec 6th 2007 10:17PM]

Ooh, looks like you've been sleeping this year. Of course nothing says games like EA releasing and promising future releases their titles on the Mac platform. Nevermind that UT3, Gears of War, Neverwinter Nights 2 and Starcraft 2 are all coming to the Mac. Now back to my Mac and Battlefield 2142 and CnC3.

[konakona @ Dec 6th 2007 5:00PM]

who uses touchpad for games?

[danny @ Dec 6th 2007 5:17PM]

http://www.nintendo.com/ds

Fail.

[rzlmlchm009 @ Dec 6th 2007 5:27PM]

@Danny: So, your saying that Apple plans on releasing a handheld game platform? I'm guessing that konakona was referring to games on a PC or Mac.

[danny @ Dec 6th 2007 5:44PM]

Well in that case, no. Using a touch pad compared to the precision of a mouse would be completely illogical. I would be surprised if that was the context of his comment. I also don't think Apple will be releasing any sort of gaming platform. That is unfortunate though... I would love to see an iBox 360. :P

[Speddy @ Dec 6th 2007 5:24PM]

Free Windows Screenwipes!

[Matt @ Dec 6th 2007 8:18PM]

"Apple's always had less-than-enthusiastic stance towards gaming"

Oh yeah, wayyy less than enthusiastic, as long as you ignore the fact that OpenGL has been a part of their OS since version 8.1, and that games like Myst were made possible by QuickTime and QTVR. And if you want to continue to invent the truth as you see fit, then I'd better not even MENTION GameSprockets...

http://developer.apple.com/documentation/mac/Sprockets/GameSprockets-2.html

The industry went a different direction, it's true, but it didn't stop Apple from innovating.

[ByronGman @ Dec 6th 2007 8:41PM]

Yeah Apple is GREAT at games. That's why the Ipod's flagship game is Brick Attack. I had brick attack on my cell phone before I had a color screen.

Just face it, Apple sucks at games. They do other things really well, but this is definitely not one of them.

I don't care what little dinky Apple initiative you can dig up to prove that they are "innovating" in the industry. If we had to be REMINDED about GameSprockets its obviously not a tech driving any triple A titles.

[Matt @ Dec 6th 2007 11:18PM]

My point was not that Macs are great for gaming, or that Apple currently has a gaming focus. My point was that Apple was very much behind game development, and that the Mac has not ALWAYS been a lackluster games platform (as stated in the opening sentence of the original article).

Fact is, a lot of current Macs are pretty sweet for gaming, but the developer interest has been lost by years of Apple hardware incapable of pushing bits to the screen fast enough to get a decent frame rate.

[Chris @ Dec 7th 2007 4:44PM]

They won't be 'sweet for gaming' until you can upgrade the gimped graphics cards that Apple deemed iWorthy.

[Brymo @ Dec 6th 2007 9:00PM]

This is obvious.

Has anyone ever thought they may come soon due to the iPhone? Ever drag the window open around like you would on any computer?

[Backlin @ Dec 6th 2007 9:13PM]

Man, a Touch-screen Apple Pippin? How many of these are coming out?
/sarcasm.

[Fenrry @ Dec 7th 2007 12:12AM]

Last thing on earth and this life for me is to get a Crapple product, simplistic stuff for the shortbrained, thx.

Even worst, now they want to mess with games??? sorry, MS is already doing that.