enpan's Patent & Linux practice: 蘋果觸控專利確實岌岌可危（二）

2012年12月10日星期一

蘋果觸控專利確實岌岌可危（二）

這也是一面專利牆，但有點危險！

蘋果觸控關鍵專利莫屬這件不可：US7,479,949（Touch screen device, method, and graphical user interface for determining commands by applying heuristics，透過啟發式手勢（heuristics）判斷指令的觸控裝置、方法與圖形使用者介面），也被稱為賈伯斯專利！

這件Steve Jobs專利介紹可參考先前對Moto訴訟的介紹：http://enpan.blogspot.tw/2012/05/apple-us7479949-vs-motorola.html
Apple也曾以此案告上Samsung，可參考：http://enpan.blogspot.tw/2012/10/itcsamsungapple.html（updated on Dec. 11, 2012）

（其中"heuristics"比較好的解釋為：Computers, Mathematics . pertaining to a trial-and-error method of problem solving used when an algorithmic approach is impractical.）

技術描述約略由獨立項得出：
1. A computing device, comprising:

a touch screen display;

one or more processors;

memory; and

one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs are stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including:

instructions for detecting one or more finger contacts with the touch screen display;

instructions for applying one or more heuristics to the one or more finger contacts to determine a command for the device; and

instructions for processing the command;

wherein the one or more heuristics comprise:

a vertical screen scrolling heuristic for determining that the one or more finger contacts correspond to a one-dimensional vertical screen scrolling command rather than a two-dimensional screen translation command based on an angle of initial movement of a finger contact with respect to the touch screen display;

a two-dimensional screen translation heuristic for determining that the one or more finger contacts correspond to the two-dimensional screen translation command rather than the one-dimensional vertical screen scrolling command based on the angle of initial movement of the finger contact with respect to the touch screen display; and

a next item heuristic for determining that the one or more finger contacts correspond to a command to transition from displaying a respective item in a set of items to displaying a next item in the set of items.

主要專利範圍界定一個計算裝置，具有觸控顯示器、處理器、記憶體以及儲存在記憶體與由處理器執行的的程式，這些程式有：
偵測一或多個在觸控顯示器上的觸碰事件；對觸碰事件判斷指令；並執行該指令；其中"heuristics"包括有：
如果是一維垂直的手勢則判斷為垂直螢幕的捲動（看有沒有操作角度？）；
如果是二維觸碰事件則為二維顯示器轉換（看有沒有操作角度？）；
從對應顯示的項目到下一個項目的轉換來判斷觸碰事件的對應指令！

不過，根據最新的美國再審程序（re-examination）的non-final office action結果，此件以Steve Jobs為首的專利是被撤銷的！（updated on Oct.22, 2013，本案專利權確立）