Apple patents "slide to unlock"

[Rob Williams]

Apple has been awarded another patent by the United States Patent & Trademark Office, this time it’s patent number 7657849 which grants them the rights to “Unlocking a device by performing gestures on an unlock image”. Yes, Apple now owns the familiar slide to unlock feature that has been synonymous with the iPhone… and anyone who uses something remotely familiar will have to pay them royalties, or be charged with patent infringement.

http://mobilesyrup.com/2011/10/25/apple-granted-patent-for-the-slide-to-unlock-feature/

I'd take the time to construct a good response to this, but I am sure I will have many fresh opportunities in the future, when I have more time.

 

[marfig]

I'm unfortunately not very good with good responses. I can only think of bad responses to give to this piece of news.

Let me put it this way: I implicitly know how to code a small program that unlocks a mobile device with a mouse gesture. Inside my head, at this precise moment, without ever have looked at Apple's code, I just know what steps and what type of code I need to write to make it happen. And my code will most likely not be anything similar to what Apple has implemented on their devices. And no, I'm not special or gifted. I'm just one in millions of programmers who can say the exact same thing.

So here's my bad response. To hell with the United States Patent & Trademark Office!

 

[RainMotorsports]

Well its over an image. Since obviously a physical slide to unlock is old as dirt the couldn't be too abstract.

Solution from what i just read. Slide to unlock on a blank screen lol, there is no image, no indicator no reference. Obviously you should know where to do it

 

[Rob Williams]

Next thing you know, Apple will patent the idea of holding the phone wrong.

 

[marfig]

Oh! ROFL at you two!

 

[OriginalJoeCool]

So every Android phone now infringes Apple's new patent?

 

[marfig]

So every Android phone now infringes Apple's new patent?

Apparently also on other phones prior to this patent, like a certain HP iPAQ back in 2003. Never used one, so I'm unsure as to the credibility of these claims. If true, this patent seems ripe for being demolished in an actual court of law.

I'm thinking... if I can patent gestures on a mobile device, can I patent my finger on Apple's face?

 

[Psi*]

The thing about patents ...

1) they are expensive to get

2) they are even more expensive to contest

3) prior art can defer infringement lawsuits for years. This expands to ... the patent holder & the one claiming infringement has the burden of proof on them. The defendant can just respond to the legal nasty grams as having proof of prior art. This can be a bit like poker actually.

4) before a patent is issued the "patent pending" exists and for many months if not a couple of years. Therefore the award of any patent (in the US) is never a surprise ... meaning it has been public and *pending* for all of that time.