Microsoft Patents "Button Timing"

[OcellNuri]

http://maccentral.macworld.com/news/2004/06/03/microsoft/


This is amazing... I don't know how they got the patent. Apparetly it was applied for in 1999. Surely there were applications for PalmOS at that time that allowed you to launch different applications from the same hardbutton using extended button presses and quick successive presses. Looks like MS is trying to kill a pretty basic idea in all other handheld devices.

I'm not trying to MS bash... but I'm just amazed that this was granted. :eek:

[jmg_NX21]

I truly believe that the our current patent process is absurd: genes o_O.

SO does that mean ZL or even graffiti anywhere will have to pay for me to hold down the back button/scroll wheel to use the feature I have assigned to each LENGTHY push =/

[CWolf]

There are soooooooo many apps that use this system!

This is madness.

Also, as far as multiple button presses on mobile devices, what about double clicking on the touchpad for a Mac Powerbook? Will Apple end up in another suit with M$?

[OcellNuri]

I truly believe that the our current patent process is absurd: genes o_O.

SO does that mean ZL or even graffiti anywhere will have to pay for me to hold down the back button/scroll wheel to use the feature I have assigned to each LENGTHY push =/

Those are the exact examples I used in a response to the thread where I originally found out about the article.

[jmg_NX21]

Great minds think alike?

lol

[FIA WRC]

That's not all Microsoft is trying to patent.


US Federal Courts today granted Microsoft a patent for the "evacuation of waste from bodies after it has all the nutrients extracted". Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates defended the action by stating, "For years people have told us our products are crap so we talked to our lawyers who convinced us we can support this claim. We are only trying to protect the quality and future of our products". Already several US consumer rights groups are set to challenge the grant of the patent. Ludi Craus, President of Consumers For Computing stated, "Clearly Microsoft has no right to this claim. They control most of our lives as it is and now they want to control us even when we have a dump. What is more, I tried wiping my bottom with a PPC and it hurt like hell! They are really going to have make the device a lot softer and more comfortable if they even want to defent this patent in court!"

[OcellNuri]

I thought Apple was trying to take over the human waste market with the toilet seat iBooks? :cool:

Sorry, I know it's an old joke, it just fit so well! Back to the topic...

[Sentient Carbon]

The Monopolizer strikes again!

Yeah, I was shocked by this patent as well. I couldn't believe that this type of patent was even possible. This type of functioning is so ubiquitos in the handheld world, that it's like patenting an on/off switch. Apparently the wording of the patent is vaguely written, so that it can possibly be argued to apply to just PPC apps, or to all multi-function buttons. Does this mean the keyboard I'm typing on, which has multi-time/function buttons (type a letter once, you get one letter. Hold down a key, you get a lot of letters), will now have to give $$ to Microsoft? What about all those cellphone text message users who have to push a button several times to get the letter they want? And what of The Go Go for us TH55 users? Will this patent be grandfathered (affecting all multi-time, multi-function buttons) or will it only affect buttons developed in the future?

Savvy move by Microsquash.If this turns into a financial war of attrition in the courts, Microsoft certainly has more buck$ to throw into it.

Hm, I wonder if I can run Linux on my Mac and my Palm...

"Suddenly everything sucks."