2009年2月3日 星期二

從專利US7479949學布局策略

剛好得知蘋果最近獲得一項重要的觸控裝置專利,就花點時間研究一下

蘋果電腦的US7479949觸控螢幕裝置專利申請於2008年4月11日,2008年12月29日領証。此案策略是由五件不同日期的臨時申請案(provisional application)開始,整個歷程整理如下,可供專利申請的策略規劃參考:
  1. 順序提出多件臨時申請案,一件當然也是OK:
    60/937,991,申請日為06-29-2007
    60/937,993,申請日為06-29-2007
    60/879,469,申請日為01-08-2007
    60/879,253,申請日為01-07-2007
    60/824,769,申請日為09-06-2006
  2. 於最早臨時申請案的一年內提出正式申請案11/850,635(申請日為09-05-2007,恰於最早那件的前一天送件)
  3. 此正式案並未應用「加速審查」,再接著提出延續案12/101,832

  4. 此延續案請求「加速審查」(Accelerated Examination Request),加速審查需申請人自行提出新穎性與進步性的檢索結果與審查支援文件(Examination support document),同時提出Petition for 12-month Accelerated Exam


    在此可以看到steve jobs的簽名
  5. 於04-11-2008提出事先審查檢索(Statement of preexamination search)同時提出審查支援意見(Examination support document),這是加速審查的必要文件,USPTO由此文件判斷新穎性與進步性,如果內容並未誠實或是不夠充分,USPTO能撤回加速審查的申請,進入一般審查階段,且不會退費



  6. Apple公司接著再於06-12-2008提出另一份審查支援文件(Examination support document),期間更多次提出IDS
  7. 同時提出Terminal Disclaimer(期末拋棄),以與母案能終結權利,克服可能的阻礙
  8. USPTO於09-26-2008發出核准通知
  9. 此於一年內獲准專利
在此358頁的專利文件中,內含近300張圖式,鉅細靡遺地揭露了觸控操作的細節與圖形介面,可能是企圖讓往後需要特定應用的專利無處可容,猜測為將來增加更多延續案佈下了暗樁,此母案即成為佈置其專利地圖的主要母案之一。本案主要範疇如下,雖為硬體的標的,然其中保護了執行於硬體中的軟體程式:
1. A computing device, comprising:
a touch screen display;
one or more processors;
memory; and
one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs are stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including:
instructions for detecting one or more finger contacts with the touch screen display;
instructions for applying one or more heuristics to the one or more finger contacts to determine a command for the device; and
instructions for processing the command; wherein the one or more heuristics comprise:
a vertical screen scrolling heuristic for determining that the one or more finger contacts correspond to a one-dimensional vertical screen scrolling command rather than a two-dimensional screen translation command based on an angle of initial movement of a finger contact with respect to the touch screen display;
a two-dimensional screen translation heuristic for determining that the one or more finger contacts correspond to the two-dimensional screen translation command rather than the one-dimensional vertical screen scrolling command based on the angle of initial movement of the finger contact with respect to the touch screen display; and
a next item heuristic for determining that the one or more finger contacts correspond to a command to transition from displaying a respective item in a set of items to displaying a next item in the set of items.



資料來源:USPTO
Ron

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