2013年10月22日 星期二

APPLE挽回了觸控專利-探再審答辯

這件稱為賈伯斯專利的US7,479,949為蘋果觸控技術的基礎專利之一(另一件有名的是US7,469,381,也曾被再審無效而保留幾項重要的),曾經以此打贏了與三星的侵權訴訟官司,也曾經用來對抗Motorola(Google),更面臨專利無效的挑戰,本部落格曾經相關的文章可以參考:

ITC裁定Samsung侵害Apple四件專利
http://enpan.blogspot.tw/2012/10/itcsamsungapple.html

從這個訴訟學幾件事(Apple US7479949 vs. Motorola)
http://enpan.blogspot.tw/2012/05/apple-us7479949-vs-motorola.html

蘋果觸控專利確實岌岌可危(二)
http://enpan.blogspot.tw/2012/12/blog-post_10.html

從專利US7479949學布局策略
http://enpan.blogspot.tw/2009/02/us7479949.html

這件再審程序的重要來往有:
05/24/2012由Joseph J. Richetti提出Ex Parte Reexamination

12/03/2012專利局發出審查意見,全部權利項被駁回:
再審內容可參考:http://enpan.blogspot.tw/2012/12/blog-post_10.html

06/13/2013面詢(06/20/2012發出面詢報告,內容可見於03/04/2013有提到概要)


03/04/2013曾經作出修正與答辯:
答辯書主要針對102核駁引用前案US2002/0036618(WAKAI案),WAKAI案也是一種手勢操作的使用者介面,也是至少兩點輸入操作的技術。
可以參考APPLE答辯意見,可以對照操作iPhone/iPad的經驗:
(1) WAKAI案並沒有揭露一種裝置載有可以分辨一維垂直螢幕捲動,與根據角度判斷二維轉移的指令; 
(2) 也就是認為WAKAI案並未於一個實施例中同時呈現一維垂直滾動與二維轉移的手勢,顯然WAKAI案並未能分辨這兩種手勢,無法同時運作
(3) WAKAI案並無教示分開兩個實施例結合的技術;
(4) WAKAI案所記載的實施例彼此並不相容,並列舉實例;
(5) WAKAI案並未揭露任何程式可以分辨垂直滾動與具有角度的二維轉移手勢
(6) WAKAI案甚至並未揭露二維螢幕移動的實施例,其中僅涉及一維運動,APPLE宣稱WAKAI案所揭露的轉動手勢並非它所謂的二維轉移;
(7) 接著是反駁進步性核駁理由。

09/04/2013專利局作出本案專利範圍有效的決定:



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.
 
我想,經此再審程序,更能瞭解此件專利的範圍,同時也形成將來解釋專利範圍的限制,或許還是可以找到迴避的方式。
Ron

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