If they hadn't mentioned it, out of so many papers, it's evidence of an inventive step. Hindsight: it's misleadingly easy to think something is obvious... once

If they hadn't mentioned it, out of so many papers, it's evidence of an inventive step. Hindsight: it's misleadingly easy to think something is obvious... once someone has told you the idea. I wonder if Apple only implemented the idea after reading the patent or hearing about the idea; or if they developed it 100% independently (years later).