Apple files patents for methods originally developed by Intelliscreen
You may recall when Apple was at the center of controversy when it introduced "Dashboard" in Mac OS X, which was a little to similar to a desktop widget program named the Konfabulator. It looks like the company is trotting down the same path with its recent patent filing for a notification screen on the iPhone.
The problem lies in the fact that Intellisync has been using this concept in their popular iPhone "notification screen" software for over a year now, and is already offering it for jailbroken iPhones, according to the Apple Insider. The patents document some interface enhancements that could potentially find their way into a future version of the handset’s operating system- including more immediate access to application settings and an interactive notification panel that presents a list of communications missed while the phone is in a locked state. While it’s good to see this kind of functionality brought to non-jailbroken iPhones, you think credit would be given when it’s due.
Back in December, Apple made its first move toward its patent when it introduced a method for letting users alter settings directly via the Home screen, instead of having to wade through several options under "settings." It would act as a sort of "Global Preferences Panel," and could even include an API. It would act much like Apple’s Dashboard Widgets. An "i" icon would be hidden from view until the user triggers a multi-touch action that would reveal the icon for all applications on the home screen with user-configurable settings.
The second filing, which was made a few months earlier, outlined improvements to the iPhone’s notification dialog that informs users of missed calls, text messages, and voicemails when they’re away from their phone or the phone is locked. "In response to detecting an interaction by a user with the device, the plurality of icons display notification information for the plurality of communication modalities," the filing explains. "In response to detecting an unlock interaction by the user with the device, the device is unlocked, and a communication in the plurality of communications is presented that was received while the device was in the locked state, or information about the communication is presented."
Whatever happens in the way of Intellisync, I hope Apple gives them at least some credit for their achievements. If nothing else, the company can take pride in knowing their technology and methodology made it into production iPhones one way or another.
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September 21st, 2008
You need to understand patents better. A patent released now was actually filed more than a year ago!. The patent in question as filed in June 2007, and Apple had probably been working on it for some months or years before that. Intelliscreen was not released until after July! So it seems that Intelliscreen has stolen its ideas from Apple.
September 21st, 2008
@Bill you are absolutely correct. The author needs to learn little bit about the patent filling process.