Microsoft Files Patent for Apple's iPad Page Turning

[Chadh25]

"The virtual page turn curls a lifted portion of the page to progressively reveal a back side of the page while progressively revealing a front side of a subsequent page"

 

[Chadh25]

[citation][nom]ChadH25[/nom]"The virtual page turn curls a lifted portion of the page to progressively reveal a back side of the page while progressively revealing a front side of a subsequent page"[/citation]
This is the "non-Obvious" portion that allows the patent to be registered and Obvious Page turn Could simply have been an arrow going from page 1 to 2...

 

[domenic]

It doesn't matter what is described -- only what is claimed.

 

[Guest]

System 7 Desk Accesories

 

[masop]

I hear patent trolls in the distance... 🙂

 

[fulle]

Non-obvious my ass.

And I suppose that developing multi-touch gestures for a hardware designed to have multi-touch support wasn't obvious? The whole system is ridiculous.

GUI ideas should NOT be patentable, and neither should control method ideas.

Let's change history a little:
"How come all 3D games have horrible camera controls?"
"Nintendo patented everything they did in Ocarina of Time."

 

[gm0n3y]

[citation][nom]ChadH25[/nom]This is the "non-Obvious" portion that allows the patent to be registered and Obvious Page turn Could simply have been an arrow going from page 1 to 2...[/citation]
Except that what they are doing is what would happen in real life it you tried to turn a page the same way. How can you patent something that already exists? That's like patenting peeling a banana, "you click on the top of the banana and slowly move the mouse downwards to remove the peel while progressively revealing the inside of the peel". I call BS.

 

[cookoy]

No comment. Maybe somebody already patented what i wanted to say here.

 

[digiex]

A patent should be awarded only after presenting a working device.

 

[tolham]

Its not just the animation. its the concept of the recognition of the movement etc...

So this MS patent is not ridiculous. Specially when you spent some $$$ in R&D to create a good human/machine interaction.

this stuff already existed and was not invented by microsoft. this is like if you built a paved pathway in your yard and then tried to patent roads. ridiculous.

 

[tethoma]

As an Enterprise Admin, I do not like Apple anything. Mac's require twice as much work, and cost twice as much to buy. They donot belong in the corporate workplace period.

But on this one, I am siding with Apple.

 

[zaznet]

I don't think Apple uses the transparency or an effect that "actively follows" the UI gesture.

Also the prior art and obvious nature of this technique should make most of the patent invalid.

 

[ssddx]

It seems the readers here at THW are quick to judge and complain as always. Instead of commenting on how much the patent system sucks perhaps you(all) should be more proactive about it. I'm all for patent reform; however, since i'm not about to get involved... I won't complain.

We have yet to see what microsoft will do with such a patent. Perhaps they will use it against apple so that they will play nice with multi-touch. In any case, i'll reserve my opinion when information is available from a source other than gorumors and when msft acts.

 

[jimmysmitty]

[citation][nom]abcd1211[/nom]Its not fair that a company can just sit back and patent as many potential technologies that they want, without needing to deveop a product that utilizes that technology. They can just sit back and demand royalties from companies who actually do use that patented technology.[/citation]

You have heard of Surface right? This type of patent would probably go there since its geared towards businesses who might have catalouges of products and such. Then there is Windows based tablets.

It could be that MS decided to patent the idea because they are going to use it in future software.

[citation][nom]mitch074[/nom]I'm pretty sure that prior art + obviousness would make that patent invalid: neither MS nor Apple were the first to do a page turning animation, and "use your finger to turn a page" is hardly an invention.[/citation]

The only way this patent for MS would be invalid is if the other people failed to patent it. If you came up with an idea but never patented it and someone else did, that would mean they hold the rights.

Doesn't seem fair but its the way things are.

 

[Mathos]

Going by the date, the patent was most likely filed due to upcoming touch screen and multitouch technologies that were being integrated into Windows 7 pre release.

 

[gamerk316]

...you could patent that?

 

[bourgeoisdude]

[citation][nom]hixbot[/nom]The patent system is out of control. I'm not blaming MS for doing this, but I don't think such trivial things should be able to be patented.[/citation]

^This

 

[TheDuke]

i hate these random patents
things like these don't deserve to patented as long with little ideas for software and games that are never made just patented. There should at least be a need for a prototype for something to be patented not just an idea. An idea has no substance if it is never used. I wonder if back in the early days of the patent system, would I be able to patent the idea of a glass like object that illuminated with the power of electricity without actually having a prototype or without even knowing how to make one.

 

[dheadley]

I can't believe that the MS patent won't get invalidated because that kind of animation has been around for years... and years. Both as javascript for webpages and as effects in presentation and DVD creation software, plus in DVD based children's "books" and activities.

 

[falchard]

MS really isn't a sue-happy company. They pretty much make thousands of patents a year as sue protection.

 

[maestintaolius]

[citation][nom]digiex[/nom]A patent should be awarded only after presenting a working device.[/citation]
What if you have a device design and the IP is stolen from you by Johnny Millionaire and he uses his larger resources to manufacture it while you're still trying to secure capital to begin production?

 

[kingssman]

An automobile using a form of magnet and capacitor to recover kinetic energy and store it as potential energy to later be released via use of electric motor.

^^^---- You see that! i just patented all future hybrid cars thus stifling 20+ years of technological advancement unless somebody pays me a billion dollars

 

[tolham]

What if you have a device design and the IP is stolen from you by Johnny Millionaire and he uses his larger resources to manufacture it while you're still trying to secure capital to begin production?

call the police and report the theft.

 

[gm0n3y]

[citation][nom]tolham[/nom]call the police and report the theft.[/citation]
And you could prove it how? An NDA would help to prevent that from happening, but it still means you need extremely tight security for the years it can take to develop a product. All it would take is one employee to give out / sell the idea to a competing company and you're screwed. And good luck getting a loan to finance the development of your product without a patent.

 

[arlandi]

their lawyers will get richer because of this. i think we need a new patent system.