apple news/media reports
08/28/2007, 2:55pm, EDT
Tuesday, August 28th
Apple files iPhone movable-interface patent
Apple has filed a patent covering user interfaces on portable devices with touchscreen interfaces (presumably the iPhone and or iPod) that would allow for quick reconfiguration of on-screen elements, including icons. For instance" the user makes contact with one of the icons and moves the point of contact across the display surface; the motion and contact are detected by the portable "electronic device" and the displayed icon is moved accordingly. This would appear to represent an easy method for re-arranging the applications that appear on the iPhone's home screen, or SpringBoard. The patent also allows for icons to be automatically displaced by other icons, and the movement of icons to static-placed holders akin to the Dock in Mac OS X.
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Thank god Apple's patenting this!
a nickle for anyone who knows what lcars are...
Chris
Hey, I just used my finger on the trackpad to move an application icon onto the dock on my MBP, and the other icons rearranged themselves accordingly. Isn't my WiFi-enabled notebook a "portable communications device"?
Nice patent for Apple to apply for!
Apple patenting it does NOT prevent someone from claiming they patented it in 1984. (Of course, the patent from 1984 has expired, so that won't help anyway). If someone has a patent prior to Apple's application (and other paperwork/proof of development), they still can be sued.
Also a chance there will finally be games?