>Apple's uses capacitive touch screen and a lot of VERY sophisticated software.
Here is a summary of the claims.
A multitouch display detects at least two contacts.
Those contacts perform a first gesture.
That gesture adjusts an image in some way
The first set of contacts is broken.
A second set of contacts is detected.
The second contacts perform another gesture within a pre-determined period of time.
The gesture continues to adjust the image in the same way.
That is the obvious way to implement pinch to zoom on a touch screen. You don't have to copy their "very sophisticated" software to violate that patent. If you implement a feature that copies the above claims, you are in violation.
Apple effectively has a monopoly on the feature pinch to zoom on touch screens. The patent is sufficiently broad that there is no way to do it on a touch screen that avoids the patent.
That is the problem with the patent system. Many patents are so broad that they don't cover a specific implementation.
If that were the case the infamous Amazon one click patent would cover a specific implementation of one click--say a particular way to store the user information, and you could implement a similar feature using a different method. However, you can't therefore Amazon effectively has a monopoly on a feature.
Here is a summary of the claims.
That is the obvious way to implement pinch to zoom on a touch screen. You don't have to copy their "very sophisticated" software to violate that patent. If you implement a feature that copies the above claims, you are in violation.Apple effectively has a monopoly on the feature pinch to zoom on touch screens. The patent is sufficiently broad that there is no way to do it on a touch screen that avoids the patent.
That is the problem with the patent system. Many patents are so broad that they don't cover a specific implementation.
If that were the case the infamous Amazon one click patent would cover a specific implementation of one click--say a particular way to store the user information, and you could implement a similar feature using a different method. However, you can't therefore Amazon effectively has a monopoly on a feature.