微軟Live Tiles vs. US6,724,403

美國專利US6,724,403為Surfcast公司所有，為一種多種資訊來源的同時顯示方法，這是一個標準的軟體介面專利，專利範圍涉及一種用電腦處理（computerize）在顯示器上顯示多種資訊的方法，在其摘要中描述有個圖形使用者介面，可以管理同時顯示資訊的多種資訊來源，並置入顯示畫面中的一格一格的磚（tile）中，也提到其中資訊會根據設定的時間獨立被刷新。

這怎麼看來就像是看著微軟的Windows 8寫的內容，就再來看看其中專利範圍，Claim 1描述了透過程式控制由一裝置執行的方法，裝置就如一個電腦裝置，步驟包括：選多個資訊來源、劃分多個磚陣列、每個磚連結到一個資訊來源（information source）、指定內容的刷新率（refresh rate），每個磚可以有不同的刷新率、根據各刷新率更新資訊。

1. A method executed by a device under the control of a program, said device including a memory for storing said program, said method comprising:

selecting a plurality of information sources;

partitioning a visual display of the device into an array of tiles, wherein each tile in said array of tiles is associated with an information source in said plurality of information sources;

assigning a first refresh rate to a first tile of said array of tiles and a second refresh rate to a second tile of said array of tiles;

updating information from a first information source in said plurality of information sources presented to said first tile in accordance with said first refresh rate; and

simultaneously

updating information from a second information source in said plurality of information sources presented to said second tile in accordance with said second refresh rate.

另有一個主張載有程式的可讀取記憶體的權項，包括有控制同時通訊資訊來源的指令、安排顯示磚陣列的指令、連結各磚內容與資訊來源的指令、接收資訊的指令、在磚上顯示資訊的指令：
22. An electronic readable memory to direct an electronic device to function in a specified manner, comprising:

a first set of instructions to control simultaneous communication with a plurality of information sources;

a second set of instructions to arrange a display into an array of tiles;

a third set of instructions to associate a first information source of said plurality of information sources to a first tile of said array of tiles and a second information source of said plurality of information sources to a second tile of said array of tiles;

a fourth set of instructions to retrieve information from said first information source in accordance with a first retrieval rate and retrieve information from said second information source in accordance with a second retrieval rate; and

a fifth set of instructions to present information to said first tile in accordance with said first retrieval rate and present information to said second tile in accordance with said second retrieval rate.

這是專利內文顯示的動態磚：

以下是我自己在小筆電內安裝的畫面（公開測試版）

 

 

而微軟自己也有自己相關的專利，為美國專利US7,933,632，為一種用於行動裝置上的磚型使用者介面，專利審查過程中，審查委員甚至也有參考前述Surfcast公司的US6,724,403，

 

Claim 1涉及一行動裝置的使用者介面，元件有介面元件，可以獲得內容、磚的空間元件，管理可以動態更新內容的磚，每個磚空間元件包括管理profile的功能，以及顯示元件。
1. A user interface for a mobile device facilitating surfacing of content available through the mobile device, comprising:

an interface component that obtains the content;

a tile space component that manages a plurality of tiles dynamically updated based at least in part on the content and the plurality of tiles positioned within a tile space, wherein the tile space component includes a profile component that manages at least one user profile and the plurality of tiles are selected from a set of available tiles based at least in part on the at least one user profile; and

a display component that displays a view of the tile space.

Surfcast對Microsoft的相關訴狀內容，文中提到因為微軟專利US7,933,632的審查過程審查委員曾經引用Surfcast的US6,724,403，因此認定微軟早知有此專利前案，因此為故意侵權！
Surfcast v. Microsoft

Ron
感謝許多網路資訊、http://www.wired.com/