2012年5月18日 星期五

從這個訴訟學幾件事(Apple US7479949 vs. Motorola)


從FOSS PATENTS部落格內容學到這個訴訟給的功課

功課O:判斷侵權前先做專利範圍解釋(Claim Construction)
功課一:Apple v. Motorola判決看到專利範圍不當擴張的解釋錯誤
功課二:一個訴訟可能導致另一個訴訟的合理性,比如此訴訟中判定Google影像搜尋侵權成立,可能導致Apple直接告Google侵權(Apple v. Google)
功課三:看到一個可以讓使用者安裝軟體的裝置來看,其中特定軟體功能的侵權議題,合理地應該由提供軟體的廠商負責,裝置本身的侵權議題不成立;但是若裝置本身預安裝(pre-install)侵權軟體,裝置的侵權成立
功課四:侵權訴訟中,告訴人可能隨時撤回附屬項的告訴

US7,479,949,據FOSS PATENTS部落格的描述,這稱為賈伯斯專利"Steve Jobs Patent",看到專利公告內容,Steve Jobs名列第一發明人


這件專利鉅細靡遺地描述各種在觸控螢幕上的各種手勢與應用程式的互動,是個觸控手勢的代表作,侵權涉及專利範圍Claims 1-10,利用手勢執行各種命令,就所涉及的方法包括先偵測一或多個手指在觸控顯示器上的觸控事件,藉此"直覺手勢"判斷出命令,在處理此命令。相關手勢包括一維垂直的捲動、一或多個手指觸碰的二維指令、螢幕上項目之間的切換等。

Claim 1為這組範圍的獨立項,涉及一個裝置,而非方法,顯然是針對手機廠商的侵權裝置,此裝置元件包括觸控顯示器、一或多個處理器、記憶體與一或多個儲存在此記憶體內的程式,並由,這為此類專利的主流寫法,專利性就在這些程式所帶出的新穎性與進步性。之後界定程式內容所產生的步驟:偵測手指觸碰、判斷指令、指令包括一維的垂直螢幕捲動、不同於垂直捲動的二維手勢的變化指令,以及不同項目間的切換。
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. 

Claim 2界定出在針對一個框(frame)內的指令,而非整頁的指令(整頁包括有框)。
2. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the one or more heuristics include a heuristic for determining that the one or more finger contacts correspond to a command to translate content within a frame rather than translating an entire page that includes the frame. 

3. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the one or more heuristics include a heuristic for determining which user interface object is selected when two user interface objects have overlapping hit regions. 

4. The computing device of claim 1, wherein, in one heuristic of the one or more heuristics, a contact comprising a finger swipe gesture that initially moves within a predetermined angle of being perfectly vertical with respect to the touch screen display corresponds to the one-dimensional vertical screen scrolling command. 

5. The computing device of claim 1, wherein, in one heuristic of the one or more heuristics, a contact comprising a moving finger gesture that initially moves within a predefined range of angles corresponds to the two-dimensional screen translation command. 

6. The computing device of claim 1, wherein, in one heuristic of the one or more heuristics, a contact comprising a finger swipe gesture that initially moves within a predetermined angle of being perfectly horizontal with respect to the touch screen display corresponds to a one-dimensional horizontal screen scrolling command rather than the two-dimensional screen translation command. 

7. The computing device of claim 1, wherein, in one heuristic of the one or more heuristics, a contact comprising a simultaneous two-thumb twisting gesture corresponds to a 90.degree. screen rotation command. 

8. The computing device of claim 1, wherein, in one heuristic of the one or more heuristics, an N-finger translation gesture corresponds to a command to translate an entire page of content and an M-finger translation gesture corresponds to a command to translate content within a frame rather than translating the entire page of content that includes the frame. 

Claim 9所界定的手勢指令用於網頁顯示,手勢指令有垂直捲動、二維手勢造成的轉變、相簿功能的手勢、照片間的切換等。
9. The computing device of claim 1, including: instructions for detecting one or more first finger contacts with the touch screen display while a web browser application is displayed on the touch screen display; instructions for applying a first set of heuristics for the web browser application to the one or more first finger contacts to determine a first command for the device; and instructions for processing the first command; wherein the first set of heuristics comprises: the vertical screen scrolling heuristic; and the two-dimensional screen translation heuristic; and instructions for detecting one or more second finger contacts with the touch screen display while a photo album application is displayed on the touch screen display; instructions for applying a second set of heuristics for the photo album application to the one or more second finger contacts to determine a second command for the device; and instructions for processing the second command; wherein the second set of heuristics comprises: the next item heuristic, wherein the respective item in the set of items is a respective image in a set of images; and a heuristic for determining that the one or more second finger contacts correspond to a command to transition from displaying the respective image in the set of images to displaying a previous image in the set of images. 
 

Claim 10界定出一維水平捲動,而非二維螢幕的轉變。
10. The computing device of claim 9, wherein the first set of heuristics comprises a heuristic for determining that the one or more first finger contacts correspond to a one-dimensional horizontal screen scrolling command rather than the two-dimensional screen translation command based on the angle of initial movement of the finger contact with respect to the touch screen display. 

雖然專利文字很難唸,但是就初步解讀,就如同常常操作ipad時的手勢動作,頗有感覺

功課O
地方法院法官在Claim Construction時,將此專利範圍區分為五種專利範圍:

Claim 1涉及對角線移動與垂直捲動的揮動手勢
Claim 2涉及在整頁與個別框(frame)間的操作
Claims 9, 10涉及網頁瀏覽器與相簿功能


蘋果認為"切換下一個項目(next item)"的手勢即為Motorola Android裝置中的"Gallery", "Music", "Browser"(書籤), "YouTube", "Google Image Search"與"Kindle Reader"的應用,但法官前四個(gallery, music, browser, youtube)被認定並未侵害專利,

功課一
其中有個手勢的解釋範圍頗為有趣,當蘋果解釋"a tap is a zero-length swipe"時,認為碰觸觸控顯示器為一種"零"長度的揮動,顯然蘋果想擴張這個手勢的解釋範圍。但此說法被法官駁回,法官倒是有點數學頭腦,法官反駁說,如果這個解釋成立,就可以說"點"是一種沒有長度的"線"("point is a zero-length line"),這雖然是個數學問題,而且就"極限"的純數學角度,可以這樣說,但是就一般認定,尤其是專利權人想要不當擴張專利範圍時,確實是一個理想的反駁!

功課二
但就Motorola的手機中"Google image search"的功能來說,在進行圖形搜尋時,可以透過碰觸顯示器而換到顯示下一個項目,因此法官認為這的動作確實已經侵害蘋果這件專利。這個決定可能預見將來蘋果與Google的可能訴訟議題

功課三
就Kindle Reader的功能來看,法官認為,因為這是使用者自行安裝的閱讀器,蘋果要告的應該是Amazon,或是使用者;
但是,若Motorola裝置預安裝(pre-install)此Kindle Reader,表示Motorola販賣此具有侵權產品的裝置,則Motorola不能迴避此侵權議題


功課四
因為有些手勢動作被法官認定現階段解釋並無侵權的可能,因此蘋果公司撤回一些附屬項的告訴,這也頗為有趣,因為獨立項尚在訴訟中,而過程中,附屬項的告訴撤回,就是因為一些細節動作並未能讀入產品的操作,或是部份專利範圍解釋有誤

Ron
資料參考:FOSS PATENTS

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