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The original articles announcing that there was a ban noted that it would be easy to remove the feature well before the deadline, and turning off a feature does

The original articles announcing that there was a ban noted that it would be easy to remove the feature well before the deadline, and turning off a feature doesn't exactly seem hard, so this isn't much of a surprise. But the article I read also said that it was a Google Android feature that Google would also be removing from Android. I wonder which article is correct? Since I haven't seen any of this auto-linking in my Nexus One, I'm going to guess this was an HTC feature, but if anyone knows, now I'm curious.

jerrya 15y ago
The patent that’s causing HTC headaches describes a process for locating specific types of data in a document, such as a phone number, and making that item tappable so it launches a different app. If the data was a phone number, for example, tapping it would launch the phone app — a feature Apple has offered since the original iPhone shipped. If I send an email to myself, with a phone number in it, gmail (something) on my N1 links the phone number inside the email such that when I tap on it, I am brought to the phone app. That said, My Treo also did this. The Google Voice extension in Chrome does this. I must not understand what is going on here.... http://venturebeat.com/2011/12/19/apple-htc-itc-ruling/ http://venturebeat.com/2011/12/19/apple-htc-itc-ruling/ Claim 1: A computer-based system for detecting structures in data and performing actions on detected structures, comprising: an input device for receiving data; an output device for presenting the data; a memory storing information including program routines including an analyzer server for detecting structures in the data, and for linking actions to the detected structures; a user interface enabling the selection of a detected structure and a linked action; and an action processor for performing the selected action linked to the selected structure; and a processing unit coupled to the input device, the output device, and the memory for controlling the execution of the program routines. Claim 8: The system recited in claim 1, wherein the user interface highlights detected structures. This seems to be what Windows (maybe Apple before them?) has done for years.
seabee 15y ago
FTA: > Apple targeted HTC instead of Google because the data detector feature isn’t a standard part of Android OS. Instead, HTC modified Android to include the feature with its phones. So it's probably an HTC Sense feature, as I've only seen it on their customised apps. Given it's something I used on featurephones 5 years ago I think the whole thing is rather absurd, yet sadly it's one of the more insignificant patent battles that has been happening recently. It's madness.
- SomeCallMeTim 15y ago
  >FTA I saw that. The other article I read claimed the exact opposite was true. I do tend to believe this one, though.

jerrya 15y ago

The patent that’s causing HTC headaches describes a process for locating specific types of data in a document, such as a phone number, and making that item tappable so it launches a different app. If the data was a phone number, for example, tapping it would launch the phone app — a feature Apple has offered since the original iPhone shipped. If I send an email to myself, with a phone number in it, gmail (something) on my N1 links the phone number inside the email such that when I tap on it, I am brought to the phone app. That said, My Treo also did this. The Google Voice extension in Chrome does this. I must not understand what is going on here.... http://venturebeat.com/2011/12/19/apple-htc-itc-ruling/ http://venturebeat.com/2011/12/19/apple-htc-itc-ruling/ Claim 1: A computer-based system for detecting structures in data and performing actions on detected structures, comprising: an input device for receiving data; an output device for presenting the data; a memory storing information including program routines including an analyzer server for detecting structures in the data, and for linking actions to the detected structures; a user interface enabling the selection of a detected structure and a linked action; and an action processor for performing the selected action linked to the selected structure; and a processing unit coupled to the input device, the output device, and the memory for controlling the execution of the program routines. Claim 8: The system recited in claim 1, wherein the user interface highlights detected structures. This seems to be what Windows (maybe Apple before them?) has done for years.

seabee 15y ago

FTA: > Apple targeted HTC instead of Google because the data detector feature isn’t a standard part of Android OS. Instead, HTC modified Android to include the feature with its phones. So it's probably an HTC Sense feature, as I've only seen it on their customised apps. Given it's something I used on featurephones 5 years ago I think the whole thing is rather absurd, yet sadly it's one of the more insignificant patent battles that has been happening recently. It's madness.

SomeCallMeTim 15y ago
>FTA I saw that. The other article I read claimed the exact opposite was true. I do tend to believe this one, though.