“On Feb. 2, the US Patent & Trademark Office revealed an Apple patent titled ‘Visual expander,’ filed originally on August 26, 2004,” Neo reports for Macsimum News. “A computer implemented method for a touchscreen display is disclosed. The method includes presenting graphical information on the touchscreen display. The method further includes detecting a touch over the touchscreen display. The method also includes expanding an area of the touch screen display proximate the location of the touch.”
“The patent states that the operating system may correspond to Mac OS, OS/2, DOS, UNIX, Linux, Palm OS, and the like. The operating system can also be a special purpose operating system, such as may be used for limited purpose appliance-type computing devices,” Neo reports. “The computer system may correspond to a personal computer, such as a desktop, laptop, tablet or handheld computer. The computer system may also correspond to other types of computing devices such as cell phones, PDAs, media players, consumer electronic devices, and/or the like.”
Full article with images from Apple’s patent application here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews reader “Rainy Day” for sending the link.]
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why do these filings always sound so vague and nebulous?
I’d like to see the mac OS X magnification feature (universal access) work like this. more like a magnifying glass.
so 5 years from now, others can’t claim patent infringement.
I have to believe (okay, really WANT to believe) in my heart that Apple is giving serious consideration to this product category. While the market for Windoze based products has not been great to date, I think you can blame poor implementation and poorly timed start on a product the market was not quite ready for yet (aka the Newton). Apple maybe trying to tie up technologies via patent applications as some are saying in other venues, but I guess they see the actual value of such a product at the right time. Steve has proved his skill in timing product introductions in the past and when the market is ready for a MacTablet, I believe we will see the best thing ever designed in this category, perhaps even redifining it along the way as they did with the iPod.
Nevertheless, add me to list of those who would buy one if it has even a portion of these patented features. Dare I hope that it is sometime this year? We’ll see…
SirROM
MW: moment – “Give me a moment to check my MacTablet for that information.”
I have to believe (okay, really WANT to believe) in my heart that Apple is giving serious consideration to this product category. While the market for Windoze based products has not been great to date, I think you can blame poor implementation and poorly timed start on a product the market was not quite ready for yet (aka the Newton). Apple maybe trying to tie up technologies via patent applications as some are saying in other venues, but I guess they see the actual value of such a product at the right time. Steve has proved his skill in timing product introductions in the past and when the market is ready for a MacTablet, I believe we will see the best thing ever designed in this category, perhaps even redifining it along the way as they did with the iPod.
Nevertheless, add me to list of those who would buy one if it has even a portion of these patented features. Dare I hope that it is sometime this year? We’ll see…
SirROM
MW: moment – “Give me a moment to check my MacTablet for that information.”
I have to believe (okay, really WANT to believe) in my heart that Apple is giving serious consideration to this product category. While the market for Windoze based products has not been great to date, I think you can blame poor implementation and poorly timed start on a product the market was not quite ready for yet (aka the Newton). Apple maybe trying to tie up technologies via patent applications as some are saying in other venues, but I guess they see the actual value of such a product at the right time. Steve has proved his skill in timing product introductions in the past and when the market is ready for a MacTablet, I believe we will see the best thing ever designed in this category, perhaps even redifining it along the way as they did with the iPod.
Nevertheless, add me to list of those who would buy one if it has even a portion of these patented features. Dare I hope that it is sometime this year? We’ll see…
SirROM
MW: moment – “Give me a moment to check my MacTablet for that information.”
I have to believe (okay, really WANT to believe) in my heart that Apple is giving serious consideration to this product category. While the market for Windoze based products has not been great to date, I think you can blame poor implementation and poorly timed start on a product the market was not quite ready for yet (aka the Newton). Apple maybe trying to tie up technologies via patent applications as some are saying in other venues, but I guess they see the actual value of such a product at the right time. Steve has proved his skill in timing product introductions in the past and when the market is ready for a MacTablet, I believe we will see the best thing ever designed in this category, perhaps even redifining it along the way as they did with the iPod.
Nevertheless, add me to list of those who would buy one if it has even a portion of these patented features. Dare I hope that it is sometime this year? We’ll see…
SirROM
MW: moment – “Give me a moment to check my MacTablet for that information.”
Dank said:
“I’d like to see the mac OS X magnification feature (universal access) work like this. more like a magnifying glass.”
REPLY:
Do you mean like the “Loupe effect” in Apple’s new Aperture softeware?
– DG
That filing was actually pretty f—ing brilliant.
Actually, I think it is designed for the iPod. Imagine getting rid of the control wheel. This frees up space to make the display bigger. Then you’d have to touch the screen to bring up a virtual control wheel that would cycle through things like the Dock on OS X… hence a “touchable” Dock.
You heard if from me first! Start investing in display protectors.
This was said by someone else at another point in time. But I agree with them that this may be a ver, VERY good product to use to control Front Row. Think about an integrated keyboard, trackpad, and you can run everything from that (it’ll be bluetooth, of course). all from the comfort of your sofa. Maybe implemented in ZFront Row 2.0 with TV tuner?? Ya never know……
Anyone know what’s happening in the last two images of the Compilation illustration?
I think a mac-tablet is a great idea.
DG-
Similar to aperture, but more like the cursor is just replaced with a ‘bubble’ and anything inside that bubble is magnified.
I wonder what Microsoft and others are making of all these new Apple patents..!
Ballmer: “What the f*ck? More f*cking Apple patents. Haven’t we got ANY f*cking thing AT ALL to patent out of VISTA…????