http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/ Engadget Comments for http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/
Good on them!
They have some product and not just words.]]>Apr 12th 2009 10:36AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/Apr 12th 2009 11:18AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/Apr 12th 2009 12:33PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/08/elan-turns-the-tables-on-apple-sues-for-multitouch-patent-infri/

I'm just proving that as an Apple FANBOY, I can go "Up yours Apple!"]]>Apr 12th 2009 1:28PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/
You are an idiot maybe you should get an Apple tattoo on your forehead, do you also identify yourself with the brand of breakfast cereal you love ?]]>Apr 12th 2009 2:34PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/
If you must know, I eat toast instead of cereal.

Gah. I'm trying to show that not all Apple fanboys are mindless zombies, kay? My gosh. I'm trying to be different and here I am getting beaten back into what everyone thinks we are "NO! YOU ARE FANBOIII. MUST. HELP. APPLE. NO MATTER WHAT."]]>Apr 12th 2009 3:48PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/Apr 12th 2009 5:56PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/
I liked that one ^_^]]>Apr 13th 2009 9:33AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/Apr 12th 2009 10:37AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/Apr 12th 2009 11:44AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/Apr 12th 2009 12:14PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/
http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-bool.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&co1=AND&d=PTXT&s1=7,479,949&OS=7,479,949&RS=7,479,949]]>Apr 12th 2009 12:25PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/Pity this is a patent case, not a copyright. then, or you might just understand that an insufficient patent search can sometimes result in two or more patent holders both having patents for the same or almost the same thing.

Copyright covers the actual code required to do the thing.

Patent covers the concept behind how the thing is done. ]]>Apr 12th 2009 12:43PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/Don't believe me?
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn2178-boy-takes-swing-at-us-patents.html
That is a patent on swinging sideways on a swing.
]]>Apr 12th 2009 12:44PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/
They'd let him do it too, since back then nobody would foresee the full potential of the invention and all its applications. That would suck ass.]]>Apr 12th 2009 7:25PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/
I agree, but only if you are a patent troll and have no intent on building/selling a product with
your patent. Then the patent office can take it back. ]]>Apr 12th 2009 7:44PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/Apr 13th 2009 4:19PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/Apr 12th 2009 10:42AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/
Android needs this, RIGHT NOW!]]>Apr 12th 2009 10:44AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/Apr 12th 2009 10:46AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/Apr 12th 2009 10:46AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/Apr 12th 2009 11:11AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/Apr 12th 2009 11:10AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/Apr 12th 2009 11:30AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/Apr 12th 2009 12:24PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/Only you can!
That's why you are so smart!]]>Apr 12th 2009 12:58PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/
If they did where are the lawsuits against Microsoft (win7 Multi-touch) or Perceptive Pixel ?]]>Apr 12th 2009 2:37PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/Me and anyone else with an IQ above 100.]]>Apr 12th 2009 2:39PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/
If they did where are the lawsuits against Microsoft (win7 Multi-touch) or Perceptive Pixel ?"

Win7 multi-touch is still about 5 years behind what Fingerworks had 5 years ago. It's also software only, meaning Elan's patent would cover it before anything Apple had. And it's Microsoft, no sense in throwing money away, because they aren't even close to competing anyway.

The previous patent posted of Elan's doesn't begin to cover Fingerworks' (Apple's) implementation. Fingerworks from the start included things like independent finger detection and non-synchronous gestures. Their patent apps are all about detecting the order of fingers on a surface and tracking them at any points on the surface not on "lines"... commands were second to the finger detection algorithms.

The closest thing to what Fingerworks did is what Perceptive Pixel is doing. But they are using optical/IR cameras to detect fingers on a non-electronic surface. So even though the results are similar, the implementation is way different. Microsoft Surface does the same thing, plus a few tricks but that's not what windows 7 uses.

From what I see Elan is trying to fire the first lawyer salvo across Apple's bow so they can release "any" product and get OEMs to buy it. They're trying to "backdate" their innovation under a patent that has nothing to do with what iPhone does. The guys like Google know Apple has the patent and sit on Apple's board so they're not going to disagree and put the feature in Android. That leaves Elan out of luck selling very expensive LCD chips and mods no body can use. Frankly, like Wacom, they've had years to do something new in the screen input department (and supposedly had already invented it!) but choose not to "popularize" their tech to cash in on the high profits. ]]>Apr 13th 2009 10:36AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/Apr 17th 2009 8:47PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/
They denied the G1 the ability to have this GORGEOUS DISPLAY OF MULTITOUCH because of a patent they didn't have the right to have in the first place. Super slick UI.]]>Apr 12th 2009 11:10AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/Apr 12th 2009 11:11AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/Apr 12th 2009 11:17AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/engadgetcomment/]]>Apr 12th 2009 11:18AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/
Want to fix the comment system? We have an app for that.

]]>Apr 12th 2009 12:10PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/Apr 12th 2009 12:52PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/Apr 12th 2009 2:06PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/Apr 12th 2009 2:19PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/
Talk about innovation. What a BS company Apple is !]]>Apr 12th 2009 11:19AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/Apr 12th 2009 11:35AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/Apr 12th 2009 12:14PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/People don't understand the patent system, and say stupid things.
You can't patent ideas only process. There are many ways to do multitouch.
So drop the whole multi touch has been around since the 80s so Apple can't patent it.
]]>Apr 12th 2009 12:40PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/Apr 12th 2009 1:16PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/
Bell Labs demoed multi-touch, including the pinch gesture in 1984, get over it.]]>Apr 12th 2009 2:40PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/
I can justify having a $300 MacBook alternative.]]>Apr 12th 2009 11:21AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/Apr 12th 2009 1:50PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/Apr 14th 2009 5:07PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/
it's Palm 3 yesra ago, iPhone last year, Android today and Pre in May ... one thing (which should be protected by patent) is making the same UI, the other simple things like this


]]>Apr 12th 2009 11:29AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/Apr 12th 2009 12:07PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/12/elan-microelectronics-demonstrates-its-efinger-multitouch-tech-r/There were zillions of devices with the same interface on the market, YEARS before the iphone was released!]]>Apr 12th 2009 12:56PM