Despite the incredible realism of the drawing above to the left, we're probably not looking at iPhone OS 4.0 right here. Instead we've got Apple doing what Apple does:
applying for a patent for some pretty vague functionality that may or may not end up in a device someday. No harm in that game, but it looks like Google's already done the "put a contact on the home screen with their picture" thing before Apple got a chance, as demonstrated on the right. There are other little tidbits to Apple's approach, however. Apple is naturally showing that little numeric badge we know so well, to show what sort of new activity the contact has (hopefully that pulls calls, SMS and email into one pretty little package, like we've seen on other
modern operating systems), but Apple also mentions that "an icon associated with an entity can be temporarily displayed on the mobile device based on the proximity of the mobile device to the entity." So, Stalking 2.0. We like it, and hope to see it in some future iPhone software, but between the crazy broad claims in the rest of the patent and Android's prior art, we'd say Apple's chances of getting this 2008 submission approved are pretty slim.
posted January 14th 2010 2:51PM
contact with pic is also available on s60v5 from 2008
@Nokia N900
Exactly... I've used the exact feature on Nokia N97, Nokia 5800 XpressMusic. Whats going on here???
READ THE POST! It recognises and shows up, ONLY WHEN THE CONTACT IS NEAR BY! There is a difference here folks!
@Nokia N900
lol! If Engadget had to mention Nokia in the headlines it would have been more on the lines of "Nokia has 'add a contact to a home screen' in S60/Maemo5 but Apple beat them to the patent".
@PATRICKmcnicholl
Yes we did read the post.
@kris120890 obviously not all of it
eilimo.fi/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/Nokia_X6_black_red_homescreen_lowres.jpg
@PATRICKmcnicholl
And how would you know.
@kris120890 because no-one is taking in the fact it only shows up when they are close by!
@vvnraman and @Patrick,
People are not just complaining that S60v5 has this feature, what everyone is trying to say that the comparison Engadget used was faulty since S60v5 had the Android feature since the beginning and not only that, S60v5 displays relevant recent communication with that contact like sms,email, mms, etc. So Android is even lacking that i believe.
I agree, Apple patent may be regarding that it pops up when some contact is nearby. Sure, it may be a different idea on paper for which someone might have filed patent first time, but i am sure, this idea has been thought over by other companies too. But Apple just files patents for everything that they think has not been implemented in the market by anyone so far.
I know that the above idea has been already under development by Nokia. (can't give more details).
@PATRICKmcnicholl Yep, if this new contact slider doesn't push through then expect that the 4G and perhaps their tablet won't have this functionalities as well.
On the 27-28th of January. Expect the technews garnering around the Apple Tablet (curiosity wins again to say the least) http://bit.ly/apple-tablet-details-compiled
Apple today is starting to get so hype of having one patent from another -- Didn't they receive another lawsuit from Kodak now.. Hmm
@(Unverified) Hmm. HTC's SenseUI (for android and WM phones) has unified contact history (SMS, email, facebook, twitter, etc).
That said, having a photo of nearby contacts has been a feature of some of the GPS-enabled WM Home Plugins since like...2007? I'll see if I can track down the one I'm thinking of in particular.
@Nokia N900
The most IMPORTANT thing here I think...is that you're looking at the next gen iPhone...look at the dimensions, sensors and other stuff that is pictured...don't you think so??? It's not the same as the current iPhones...
If that's what coming out - it's what I've always wanted it to look! Unless it's gong to be bigger than the current iPhone, then that's what i dreaded...:)
@Nokia N900
I'm pretty sure that RIM announced that some future version of BBM would ping you or something if you were within a certain distance of a BBM contact. And I'm pretty sure they announced this a good while ago.
So Apple's patent would merely be a combination of Nokia's/Google's contact on screen and RIM's ping when a contact is nearby. INNOVATION!!!
I should patent "Add a mobile number to your contact list" and become a millioner ?
How come did they even grant Google this patent? My phone from 2005 can display pictures for the contacts
People created airplanes/cars/phones/tvs yet everyone else copied them even though these are things that have changed our lives yet in the corner you see apple crying like a baby over something they claim they created "multitouch" with their patents "tip: they did not create Multitouch first, same with touch phones"
Patent system is backward and stupid as hell.
@Nokia N900 My cheap LG enV touch can do this as well... I'd say the feature has been around for quite a while.
@PATRICKmcnicholl
"an icon associated with an entity can be temporarily displayed on the mobile device based on the proximity of the mobile device to the entity."
CAN is a key word here.
READ THE POST.
@G@@gleCEO:
The article did not say that Google has a PATENT on this, only that they have implemented it.
True, they forgot WinMo and S60v5.
@vvnraman
Nokia doesn't generate any traffic or revenue in United States of Engadget.
"No harm in that game"
No harm? It is extremely harmful with this abusive use of the patent system. It hinders competition and innovation to have patents for bogus 'inventions' like this.
@vvnraman
it's not really different, basically sense ui with an icon or shortcut or lack of apple inventiveness
@essensial
Yes, I agree on the sensor layouts - they do seem different. However, I don't think the dimensions are changed - the picture is just stretched a little (look at circles like the home button - in the picture they're ovals).
This seems appropriate: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZriospNZJfQ
@Dale P
my comment has nothing to do with yours, but I just want it to be seen.
The palm pre ALSO allows you to put contact short cuts in the launcher. Like individual contacts you can press to bring up the contact info so you can choose to send e-mail/call/text/etc. Why the limited comparison engadget? Just android vs iphone? C'mon now
Apple fanboy spin in 3, 2, 1...
@Dafrety Spin: Using more work to get the same action is a better "user experience."
@Dafrety
Actually today is the best day for such irony. On macrumors, this story has 21 positives and 16 negatives while the kodak sue story has 30 +ves and 46 -ves. Gotta love mac fanboys.
How can you even patent something so basic anyway. Stupid patents from stupid companies.
@kris120890
Exactly what I was about to say. Software patents hurt the consumer, and in general, suck ass.
Patenting something this absurdly trivial seems the equivalent of patenting the ability to, say, adding a certain type of shortcut to an operating systems desktop.
@kris120890
Cause God forbid someone get paid for something they created. Remember this is back in 2008, Android was still a pile of primordial ooze.
But you invent something that could potentially sell millions and don't patent it, and tell us how that works out for you.
@7egend
It is not an invention, So I should patent the Short cut I just drop on my desktop. Fools and their Lawyers...
@TXToast
A method for performing a function is an "invention". It's obvious cause Microsoft just had to stop selling Office 2007 for it's violation of a patent on how XML was handled in the software.
@7egend Adding a shortcut to a desktop is ever so slightly different to the whole system by which a programme operates.
@7egend You don't 'create' algorithms, you find them. They always existed, will always exist, and trying to claim them is the same as trying to claim the number 42.
tl;dr: Intellectual property isn't property, and if you believe it is you're no intellectual. And yes, software patents harm consumers by stifling competition.
@7egend
This is not an invention ! The lightbulb is an an invention.
This is a software path that only is coming to recognition being needed because a smart phone has the capabilities now.
The patent system is so broken, all it does is hurt progress and allows a company to charge higher prices due to lack of competition, but mostly is used to bury something to prevent others from using it, (oil, battery, car companies ect..) Where would we be today in technologies if the patent system didn't exist ? Probably a hell of a lot greener world. If anything patents need to have there life span reduced, 6 months to a year should be all one gets for holding said patent. If you cant capitalize on your patent within such a time frame then you didn't deserve the patent in the first place.
@kris120890: I have never liked the idea of software patents. Algorithm patents make sense but I personally think this is ridiculous.
@JJ
You are soooo correct.
I do defend patents, because they are legally granted, and thus legally theirs.
However, these things are now becoming the equivalent of those motorcycles in TRON. You have two people on a field racing to box the other in with patents on every minuscule thing, and one false move...BAM! Right into a wall or lawsuit.
@kris120890
Patents are not supposed to granted to concepts that are "obvious," but the USPTO doesn't generally enforce that too strictly, unfortunately.
@kris120890 These shenanigans occur precisely because US patent law doesn't follow EU patent law, where software cannot be patented.
@paul34
You my friend are very wrong. Most rejections are based on obviousness.
People, bear in mind 99% of the patent application rarely become a patent without at least a couple of prosecution histories (revisions of claims). So people, this is an APPLICATION. It hasn't been patented yet. And I bet if you actually see the claims, you'd be less angry. Cuz it won't be, "Claim 1. A method of a mobile computing system, where a user places an icon in the background"
FYI, as long as the examiner finds any document whether it be an obvious variation or not, which I guarantee the examiner will do so, Apple will not get the patent as is. And somewhere down the prosecution history, the claims will be revised enough to actually become something novel.
Now, how's trying and looking at the claims yourself and then judge.
@LucasHenderson Or like trying to sue somebody for copying "overlapping windows".
Oh wait...
@kris120890
I believe Apple holds 11 patents on the letter A.
@kris120890 Amen. I should go patent being an ass and then could sue both companies. (pardon the language)
@7egend Yeah and that still is a giant load of crap. Patent squatting is stupid and shouldn't be allowed. Unless you come to the patent office with something that works, I don't think you should be allowed to patent it. No more f'ing Apple wire frames no more companies that think shit up, patent it and then sue the poor company that is actually trying to build something useful.
Is that an Android UI on the right there?
If so its' actually quite nice which surprises me. Aside from the htc phones I've yet to see a phone running android that has a decent UI...
@TheRogueFFAngel
Yes, that's Android 2.0. Version 2.1 looks even better.
@TheRogueFFAngel
Android is pretty amazing overall, if you've never messed v2.0 or above i suggest you stop by a store and mess around with it
@TheRogueFFAngel
The UI I saw on the Droid looked quite ugly to be honest. And the Nexus One didn't look much better.
But perhaps they were running some old version.
@TheRogueFFAngel
yeah, Android FINALLY looks crisp and beautiful, unlike the cartoony mess of 1.x.
@TheRogueFFAngel That's literally the same background picture I'm running on my nexus one. Since it's mostly black my battery life is uber on the phone due to the AMOLED display. I can't get over how much longer the batter life lasts on this phone than on my G1.