從專利學專利撰寫

從美國專利US8,082,523學專利

某位朋友似乎看到了這件有趣的蘋果專利，即與我分享，討論之間，發現這件專利確實有些可以學習的地方，畢竟蘋果專利發想之初，都可能是針對「產品」，特別是ipad, iphone一類的產品，而且應該都有訴訟的考量，這件又如之前滑動開鎖的案子一般，都是與觸控手勢等軟體方面有關

這件專利申請於2008年1月，12.20.2011核准，歷時近4年，自然有專利期限的調整（PTA），公報顯示為769天，這件主張了3個臨時案的時間優勢，這也是最近常與客戶討論的地方，尤其是美國專利將要改為「first to file」，臨時案的應用就顯得十分有用與重要！

申請後，答辯過程中不斷提出IDS（information disclosure statement），並包括許多非專利文獻（NPL, non-patent literature）：
07-18-2008 IDS Information Disclosure Statement (IDS) Form (SB08)
08-20-2009 IDS Information Disclosure Statement (IDS) Form (SB08)
01-08-2010 IDS Information Disclosure Statement (IDS) Form (SB08)
09-08-2011 IDS Information Disclosure Statement (IDS) Form (SB08)

8/8/2011獲得「第一次」核准通知（notice of allowance），並謹慎地又繼續與審查委員溝通，還繼續提出RCE（request for continued examination），並同時又提出IDS（上述9/8/2011），權利範圍甚至還縮減1項：


再於10/3/2011獲得「第二次」核准通知：


我細節並未探討，但是從整個說明書申請與答辯過程，可以看出蘋果對每件專利的重視與謹慎

若從專利範圍來看，又更是「全面」，也就是說，就本案「在可攜式裝置上支援程式切換的圖形使用者介面（在電話通話中切換不同應用程式）」單一技術而言，這件專利保護了「方法」，其中範圍如下：
1. A method, comprising:
at a portable electronic device with a touch screen display:
displaying on the touch screen display a first user interface for a phone application during a phone call;
detecting activation of a menu icon or menu button during the phone call, in response to detecting activation of the menu icon or menu button, replacing the first user interface for the phone application with a menu of application icons including an icon for the phone application and an icon for a non-telephone application;
maintaining the phone call while displaying the menu of application icons on the touch screen display;
detecting a finger gesture on an application icon in the menu of application icons other than the phone application icon;
in response to detecting the finger gesture on the application icon other than the phone application icon, displaying a corresponding application user interface on the touch screen display while continuing to maintain the phone call and modifying the corresponding application user interface to include a switch application icon that is not displayed in the corresponding application user interface when there is no ongoing phone call;
detecting a finger gesture on the touch screen display on the switch application icon; and
in response to detecting the finger gesture on the switch application icon, replacing display of the corresponding application user interface with the first user interface for the phone application while continuing to maintain the phone call.

保護了使用此方法的電子裝置：
7. A portable electronic device, comprising:
a touch screen display;
one or more processors;
memory; and
a program, wherein the program is stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the program further including instructions for:
displaying on the touch screen display a first user interface for a phone application during a phone call;
detecting activation of a menu icon or menu button during the phone call;
responding to activation of the menu icon or menu button by replacing the first user interface for the phone application with a menu of application icons including an icon for the phone application and an icon for a non-telephone application;
maintaining the phone call while displaying the menu of application icons on the touch screen display;
detecting a finger gesture on an application icon in the menu of application icons other than the phone application icon;
responding to detecting the finger gesture on the application icon other than the phone application icon, by displaying a corresponding application user interface on the touch screen display while continuing to maintain the phone call and modifying the corresponding application user interface to include a switch application icon that is not displayed in the corresponding application user interface when there is no ongoing phone call;
detecting a finger gesture on the touch screen display on the switch application icon; and
responding to detecting the finger gesture on the switch application icon, by replacing display of the corresponding application user interface with the first user interface for the phone application while continuing to maintain the phone call.

保護了儲存此方法程式的媒體：
13. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs, including instructions, which when executed by a portable multifunction device with a touch screen display, cause the device to: display on the touch screen display a first user interface for a phone application during a phone call; detect activation of a menu icon or menu button during the phone call, respond to activation of the menu icon or menu button by replacing the first user interface for the phone application with a menu of application icons including an icon for the phone application and an icon for a non-telephone application; maintain the phone call while displaying the menu of application icons on the touch screen display; detect a finger gesture on an application icon in the menu of application icons other than the phone application icon; respond to the finger gesture on the application icon other than the phone application icon by displaying a corresponding application user interface on the touch screen display while continuing to maintain the phone call and modifying the corresponding application user interface to include a switch application icon that is not displayed in the corresponding application user interface when there is no ongoing phone call; detect a finger gesture on the touch screen display on the switch application icon; and respond to the finger gesture on the switch application icon by replacing display of the corresponding application user interface with the first user interface for the phone application while continuing to maintain the phone call.

更保護使用此方法的圖形介面：
19. A graphical user interface on a portable electronic device with a touch screen display, a memory, and one or more processors to execute one or more programs stored in the memory, the graphical user interface comprising:
a first user interface for a phone application during a phone call;
wherein:
activation of a menu icon or menu button is detected during the phone call; in response to detecting activation of the menu icon or menu button, the first user interface for the phone application is replaced with a menu of application icons including an icon for the phone application and an icon for a non-telephone application; the phone call is maintained while displaying the menu of application icons on the touch screen display; a finger gesture is detected on an application icon in the menu of application icons other than the phone application icon; in response to detecting the finger gesture on the application icon other than the phone application icon, a corresponding application user interface is displayed on the touch screen display while continuing to maintain the phone call and the corresponding application user interface is modified to include a switch application icon that is not displayed in the corresponding application user interface when there is no ongoing phone call; a finger gesture is detected on the touch screen display on the switch application icon; and in response to detecting the finger gesture on the switch application icon, display of the corresponding application user interface is replaced by the first user interface for the phone application while continuing to maintain the phone call.

其實這個電話中「多工」的技術似乎並不稀奇，尤其在一般作業系統中，我先不討論。在其專利範圍結構中，用多種角度來保護單一技術（主體幾乎是重複的），如果這是個有效且足以告人的專利，其保護的層面可能讓對手無所遁形！

Ron