4 ms·

Sure, maybe Samsung will create a superior implementation to the ones they were found to be infringing and the consumer can benefit from their innovation.

by IBM 12y ago

Gigablah 12y ago
Yes, maybe a universal search with results arranged in a spiral.
dirkgently 12y ago
Because "slide-to-unlock" is an innovation.
- Bud 12y ago
  Uh, it is an innovation. You can tell, because even though it seemed obvious and self-evident AFTER the fact, nobody managed to think of it beforehand. That's what fucking innovation looks like.
  - malandrew 12y ago
    Yeah, so "obvious after the fact". here's some prior art: http://watermarked.cutcaster.com/cutcaster-photo-100329053-Old-medieval-lock-on-wooden-castle-door.jpg http://watermarked.cutcaster.com/cutcaster-photo-100329053-O... http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/z/wooden-castle-gate-24387358.jpg http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/z/wooden-castle-gate-24387358.j... http://images.fineartamerica.com/images-medium-large-5/gothic-castle-gate-lock-lusoimages.jpg http://images.fineartamerica.com/images-medium-large-5/gothi... http://www.artfactory.com/images/Medieval-Door-2219CDJ.jpg http://www.artfactory.com/images/Medieval-Door-2219CDJ.jpg Slide to unlock is as old as doors. The only other obvious alternative to someone skilled in the art of doormaking is rotate to unlock. Honestly only reasonable definition of obvious to use is: "based on the presence/awareness of innovation A, B, C, etc, how likely is it that two or more people are likely to come up with the same innovation simultaneously. The greater the likelihood of two or more people simultaneously arriving at the same solution, the less likely something should be patented.
    - sbuk 12y ago
      None of those are 'prior art'. You are confusing the mechanism with the application. RTFP.
      - malandrew 12y ago
        I have read the patent. Several times 1-2 years ago. It's the most obvious thing. Do you consider the slide to unlock on a floppy disk or SD card to be an innovation? Literally, humanity has been using the slide to unlock metaphor everywhere imaginable for years. It's very common metaphor. What's next? Patenting waving your hand in front of a electronic star trek door to unlock and option it? Quick someone go out and patent this obvious idea. Heck even the historical phenomena of signing X on a line in a contract when you're illiterate and don't know how to write/spell your own name is rooted in the same idea as slide to unlock on the iPhone. What's the simplest shape you can make with a writing utensil that demonstrates clear intent to someone who did not observe the act and cannot infer is something was intentional or accidental? Basically a circle or an X. A simple X is sufficient to communicate intent to a person that did not observe the action of signing the contract. This is essentially a "two phase commit". A slide to unlock mechanism is both performed and confirmed by the same person and doesn't require the second stroke requirement. With this in mind, the obvious design choice is only require one single stroke since it's sufficient to demonstrate clear intent and is cancellable (e.g. a half stroke doesn't count). Since the requirements are more lax a single phase commit is sufficient (i.e. a single swipe). Or how about those old TV remotes that used a sliding cover to hide the lesser used or configuration/setup controls? Or how about those phones that hid a phone keyboard behind the screen. There are three obvious choices, slide open, swivel open and flip open. What if I took the phone and slid my finger to the right but instead of sliding a skeuomorphic button the animation was instead a page or book cover flipping over? Or what if I did a arced swipe and "threw the lock screen" away the same way you force quit an app in iOS 7. What if I hold my finger down and the screen animates to a certain color over a short duration (maybe like when Mega Man powers up his special charged blaster cannon shot? These are all obvious since this are so incredibly analogous to other use cases. Take every new invention in the future where something needs to be unlock. I'll bet you the value of this settlement that almost every single future human invention that fits the narrative of unlocking or enabling is going to have some interface that either is literally slide to unlock or maps very clearly to that metaphor. Even opening your eyelids is slide to unlock.

Sure, maybe Samsung will create a superior implementation to the ones they were found to be infringing and the consumer can benefit from their innovation.

by IBM 12y ago

Sure, maybe Samsung will create a superior implementation to the ones they were found to be infringing and the consumer can benefit from their innovation.

Gigablah 12y ago

Yes, maybe a universal search with results arranged in a spiral.

dirkgently 12y ago

Because "slide-to-unlock" is an innovation.

Bud 12y ago
Uh, it is an innovation. You can tell, because even though it seemed obvious and self-evident AFTER the fact, nobody managed to think of it beforehand. That's what fucking innovation looks like.
- malandrew 12y ago
  Yeah, so "obvious after the fact". here's some prior art: http://watermarked.cutcaster.com/cutcaster-photo-100329053-Old-medieval-lock-on-wooden-castle-door.jpg http://watermarked.cutcaster.com/cutcaster-photo-100329053-O... http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/z/wooden-castle-gate-24387358.jpg http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/z/wooden-castle-gate-24387358.j... http://images.fineartamerica.com/images-medium-large-5/gothic-castle-gate-lock-lusoimages.jpg http://images.fineartamerica.com/images-medium-large-5/gothi... http://www.artfactory.com/images/Medieval-Door-2219CDJ.jpg http://www.artfactory.com/images/Medieval-Door-2219CDJ.jpg Slide to unlock is as old as doors. The only other obvious alternative to someone skilled in the art of doormaking is rotate to unlock. Honestly only reasonable definition of obvious to use is: "based on the presence/awareness of innovation A, B, C, etc, how likely is it that two or more people are likely to come up with the same innovation simultaneously. The greater the likelihood of two or more people simultaneously arriving at the same solution, the less likely something should be patented.
  - sbuk 12y ago
    None of those are 'prior art'. You are confusing the mechanism with the application. RTFP.
    - malandrew 12y ago
      I have read the patent. Several times 1-2 years ago. It's the most obvious thing. Do you consider the slide to unlock on a floppy disk or SD card to be an innovation? Literally, humanity has been using the slide to unlock metaphor everywhere imaginable for years. It's very common metaphor. What's next? Patenting waving your hand in front of a electronic star trek door to unlock and option it? Quick someone go out and patent this obvious idea. Heck even the historical phenomena of signing X on a line in a contract when you're illiterate and don't know how to write/spell your own name is rooted in the same idea as slide to unlock on the iPhone. What's the simplest shape you can make with a writing utensil that demonstrates clear intent to someone who did not observe the act and cannot infer is something was intentional or accidental? Basically a circle or an X. A simple X is sufficient to communicate intent to a person that did not observe the action of signing the contract. This is essentially a "two phase commit". A slide to unlock mechanism is both performed and confirmed by the same person and doesn't require the second stroke requirement. With this in mind, the obvious design choice is only require one single stroke since it's sufficient to demonstrate clear intent and is cancellable (e.g. a half stroke doesn't count). Since the requirements are more lax a single phase commit is sufficient (i.e. a single swipe). Or how about those old TV remotes that used a sliding cover to hide the lesser used or configuration/setup controls? Or how about those phones that hid a phone keyboard behind the screen. There are three obvious choices, slide open, swivel open and flip open. What if I took the phone and slid my finger to the right but instead of sliding a skeuomorphic button the animation was instead a page or book cover flipping over? Or what if I did a arced swipe and "threw the lock screen" away the same way you force quit an app in iOS 7. What if I hold my finger down and the screen animates to a certain color over a short duration (maybe like when Mega Man powers up his special charged blaster cannon shot? These are all obvious since this are so incredibly analogous to other use cases. Take every new invention in the future where something needs to be unlock. I'll bet you the value of this settlement that almost every single future human invention that fits the narrative of unlocking or enabling is going to have some interface that either is literally slide to unlock or maps very clearly to that metaphor. Even opening your eyelids is slide to unlock.