Apple might have just been awarded the patent to rule all other mobile patents, and made all future legal battles more interesting. As of this morning Apple is officially the only company that is allowed to unlock a touchscreen device by using a sliding motion. We see this used on Apple devices as the familiar “slide to unlock” screen, but almost every other touch screen phone or tablet on the market currently use some form of sliding to unlock the device.
Apple originally applied for the patent way back in December of 2005, but it did not appear on a device until January 2007 when Steve Jobs unveiled the original iPhone. Seeing how every single Android device uses some form of sliding gesture to unlock the device this might be a momentous patent in the ongoing legal battles.
Samsung has been very publicly fighting Apple over patents in the recent months. Google recently purchased Motorola Mobility to protect Android from patent attacks from Apple or Microsoft. After reviewing the 18 most important patents involved in the Motorola purchase we can see that none of them protect them from Apple’s latest patent.
The language of the patent is very open, and basically any sliding motion used on a touch screen to unlock a device will infringe on the patent. It will be very interesting to see how this newly awarded patent will impact the future legal battles among touch screen operating systems. Read the description of the patent below.
A device with a touch-sensitive display may be unlocked via gestures performed on the touch-sensitive display. The device is unlocked if contact with the display corresponds to a predefined gesture for unlocking the device. The device displays one or more unlock images with respect to which the predefined gesture is to be performed in order to unlock the device. The performance of the predefined gesture with respect to the unlock image may include moving the unlock image to a predefined location and/or moving the unlock image along a predefined path. The device may also display visual cues of the predefined gesture on the touch screen to remind a user of the gesture. In addition, there is a need for sensory feedback to the user regarding progress towards satisfaction of a user input condition that is required for the transition to occur.
Its a UI/UX Design Pattern – Not a Patent to be awarded
Did Steve-o apply for the patent on death too?
Actually not every Android phone infringes on this patent. The Galaxy Nexus with Ice Cream Sandwich used face unlock remember. Maybe Google should screw Apple by putting a patent on the internet. Apple is getting out of control.
Face unlock is an option, but default is still a sliding motion.
Ridankulous patent – Unlock Screen
My android phone sucks though…..
Get a Windows Phone?
Just make the menu buttons at the bottom out of mouse pad like touch pad material, and when the user swipes them all in a row it unlocks the phone. Take that apple!
Just make the buttons at the bottom out of a like “mouse touch pad” material. When the user swipes them all in a row it unlocks. Take that apple!
The very fact that a company thinks this merits patenting is evidence of how bad our patent system is. This is not an invention.
maybe because apple made it famous that’s why they gave the patent to them
***** MONEY MOVES MOUNTAINS ****
THIS IS STUPID !!!!!
They are limiting access to technology with these actions.
I hope that soon a Court in USA remove this patent.
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ESTO ES ESTUPIDO!!!!
Están limitando el acceso a la tecnología con estas acciones.
Espero que pronto alguna Corte en USA elimine esta patente.
I wonder if this patent is worldwide!?
Yep Apple is evil! The best way we can fight this patient BS is with our wallet…