http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/ Engadget Comments for Apple granted patent on capacitive multitouch displays 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/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/
More likely however, Apple will simply "open" license it to anyone who cross licenses potentially infringing patents, or hold it back and slap it on the table when other questionable patents are thrown at them.

It;s not exactly rocket science to think up this technology, so i doubt this patent will survive a direct challenge, but it;s a nice bargaining tool, as most other Apple patents are. ]]>Feb 17th 2010 11:55AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/
Looks like Samsung will be getting a ton of sales for their new OLED capacitive screen then. It's better anyway, so who cares, but the fact that our patent office allows things like this to fly is getting ridiculous. ]]>Feb 17th 2010 12:21PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/
It's a legitimate idea, so I have no problem with it being patented. The ability to temporarily monopolize an innovation makes innovation worth the effort... that's the entire point.

The problem is the length of time... this should expire in more like 5 years, not 20. (Of course, is that 5 years from filing, or 5 from granting? The former would have already expired... maybe that's a good thing...)]]>Feb 17th 2010 12:34PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/
(With obvious limitations/conditions on licensing the patent... else an employee of a big company could be granted a patent, and just sell it or "license" it to their company for free...)]]>Feb 17th 2010 12:41PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/Feb 17th 2010 9:09PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/Feb 17th 2010 11:56AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/Erm, it's toughened glass.
It actually works really well. I've dropped my iPhone absolutely loads and the screen's barely got a scratch. This is the 8GB 1st Gen iPhone that I've had since May of '08.]]>Feb 17th 2010 12:08PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/Feb 17th 2010 12:12PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/
Angry smartphone is angry.]]>Feb 17th 2010 12:21PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/
IMO the iPhones screen is the most fragile out of all devices i ever owned]]>Feb 17th 2010 12:27PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/Feb 17th 2010 12:28PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/Feb 17th 2010 1:10PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/Feb 17th 2010 11:56AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/ we should be ashamed of our patant system, not because apple can get a patant but because something so vauge and broad can be patanted]]>Feb 17th 2010 11:58AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/
True, but like the article says it will spurn other companies to innovate elsewhere - will still aid in progress of tech. no?]]>Feb 17th 2010 12:07PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/Ditto for me]]>Feb 17th 2010 12:17PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/how do u manage to misspell "patent" when it has been mentioned 478487 times already on this page alone?]]>Feb 17th 2010 5:02PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/
We should be ashamed of people who can't spell patent.]]>Feb 17th 2010 5:05PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/If you're going to be pedantic about someone's spelling (on a blog comments section, no less), then perhaps you should have noticed he spelled "vague" wrong, too. Then again, maybe you just shouldn't be such a pedant.]]>Feb 17th 2010 7:01PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/Feb 17th 2010 11:59AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/Feb 17th 2010 12:01PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/
I'd love to meet the artists for patents.]]>Feb 17th 2010 12:01PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/It appears they are hurting the screen quite badly :(]]>Feb 17th 2010 12:04PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/Cut them some slack. They're scientists, not artists.]]>Feb 17th 2010 12:10PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/Was that left hand done by M.C. Escher?]]>Feb 17th 2010 12:19PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/
(patents process for drawing Apple patent diagrams)]]>Feb 17th 2010 3:34PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/Feb 17th 2010 7:10PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/Feb 17th 2010 12:03PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/Feb 17th 2010 12:03PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/Feb 17th 2010 12:12PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/
For source check the us patent office homepage.]]>Feb 17th 2010 12:08PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/
PATENT EVERYTHING. Dare Apple to sue over this.

If they do, sue them out of business. Mutually assured destruction.

Hey it worked for the U.S. And USSR.]]>Feb 17th 2010 12:08PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/Feb 17th 2010 12:11PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/Apple will do it sometime in the future..be sure for it..]]>Feb 17th 2010 6:24PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/
I don't mean to be a hater, and maybe I'm overreacting to the news, but can we get some real substance here? There's a pretty broad headline with a fairly open-ended conclusion with minimal commentary/analysis. I know that some articles are just run-and-gun, but this one seems like it merits some serious discussion and definitely a deeper level of analysis. An engineering perspective perhaps? Some serious legal commentary? There could be some seriously heavy implications to this patent, considering that capacitive screens will rule just about everything in the near future and all we get is a paragraph ending in "We'll see how this shakes down." Really??

Hurray for the attention span of the average ADD-inflicted reader and writers that have to cater to them.]]>Feb 17th 2010 12:17PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/
It's really up to Apple to decide how to play this now -- we'll just have to wait.]]>Feb 17th 2010 12:27PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/Feb 17th 2010 12:29PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/So what you're saying is that this is just business as usual? I certainly don't expect the world to grind to a halt, but am I wrong to think that this is some serious arsenal for Apple? We're not talking about a patent for a stupid pinching gesture. This seems like something that might brew some serious litigation down the road. Again, maybe I'm just out in left field on this one, but it seems to me like this deserves some more attention.


=|]]>Feb 17th 2010 12:46PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/Feb 17th 2010 12:52PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/I wish it were that simple. The patent passed the application process which is not always a sure thing(it is essential a trial) and we have no idea what or who or how it was contested.

However like multi-touch gestures this type of patent does not seem to be the type that would hold up in the ITC or federal court with a decent attorney since there is plenty of prior art and I would almost say that it would be considered common knowledge in the field. You can look to sources going all the way back to 1980's on this patent.

Patents do not get overturned all the time it does happen though. My guess is this is another weak patent and it will have almost no effect.]]>Feb 17th 2010 2:34PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/
It seems a shame that nothing can be done to stop to insidious pilferer who remains at large with the editors' REPORT/+/- buttons.

What's the 'net coming to...]]>Feb 17th 2010 3:39PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/:(]]>Feb 17th 2010 12:17PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/Feb 17th 2010 12:26PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/Yep, a little prior art to show that stevo copied this and it's off to the races. ]]>Feb 17th 2010 12:36PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/
And I'm sure this one will be exactly the same. The broader a patent, the easier it is usually challenged.]]>Feb 17th 2010 12:48PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/Feb 17th 2010 12:53PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/Feb 17th 2010 1:18PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/
Broken patent system is broken!]]>Feb 17th 2010 2:12PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/Feb 17th 2010 2:19PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/apple-granted-patent-on-capacitive-multitouch-displays/Feb 17th 2010 2:36PM