New Apple handset patent not the new iPhone
Apple have taken out a patent on a new handheld device that does something, and which contains the words 'mobile phone.' This naturally has led to feverish speculation along the lines of "oooh, it must be the new iPhone," but when you look closer at what exactly Apple has patented, it's nothing more than a user interface for a handheld device - any handheld device.
The device Apple is patenting is called a "multi-functional hand-held device" - so far, so mobile phone. More specifically, the patent focuses on:
"...a way of operating a handheld device with limited buttons that includes two or more functions including PDA, mobile phone, music player, camera, video player, game player, "handtop" (whatever that is), net terminal, GPS and remote control" (RegHardware).
Obviously the term 'mobile phone' has everyone excited, but this doesn't mean the patent will be used in a future mobile phone. Rather, 'mobile phone' is just an example of one of the features that the new user interface could control. Apple is patenting the user interface for a generic, unspecified handheld device - not a mobile phone.
The device may combine two or more features - the ones Apple has listed are just examples of what the user interface could control. It's specifically not saying that it will control a mobile phone, just that a mobile phone may be one of the features that could be controlled should Apple wish to implement this feature.
But the user interface could just as easily be used for a digital camera, or a video iPod, or a GPS Sat Nav, or in fact, any gadget you care to mention. So remember - this isn't a patent for a mobile phone, it's a patent for a user interface. Got that?!
Mind you, the legalese required to secure such a patent borders on the farcical. According to RegHardware:
Apple's invention can classify "one or more touches as a primary touch or a secondary touch; filtering out the secondary touches; differentiating whether the primary touch is a light touch or a hard touch; initiating a control event if the primary touch is a light touch; and implementing a selection event if the primary touch if a hard touch."
In English, it can tell whether a button is pushed once or pushed and held down (primary touch or secondard touch). Very clever, and certainly not seen on any gadget built before 1950!
[Source: RegHardware]
