Apple Patent Lawsuit: It appears that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is busy once again in the wonderful world of patents. This time around, the company is focusing on the content magnification system used in iOS – something that iPad and iPhone users have become quite familiar with.
Here is what AppleInsider had to say about the patent:
“The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Tuesday granted Apple rights to a variation of the content magnification system used in iOS, a common tool many iPhone, iPad and iPod owners utilize on a daily basis to enlarge graphical assets.”
If you are interested in reading the patent in its entirety, visit this page on the United States Patent website.
Here is the abstract, which should give you a better idea of what is covered:
“Context-sensitive, automated use of a magnification loupe is disclosed to facilitate management and manipulation of user interface content and small user interface elements via gestures on a touch-sensitive surface. In one embodiment, a magnifying loupe is displayed based on the context associated with a finger-based gesture on a touch-sensitive surface. For example, a magnification loupe is displayed when one or more user interface elements corresponding to the location of the gesture on the touch-sensitive surface is smaller than a predefined size threshold, but the loupe is not displayed when the user interface elements corresponding to the location of the gesture on the touch-sensitive surface are larger than the predefined size threshold. In another embodiment, the magnification power of the loupe varies based on the size of the one or more user interface elements corresponding to the location of the gesture on the touch-sensitive surface.”
Are you a bit confused as to what all this means? If so, the following overview from AppleInsider may help you better understand the patent:
“As described in the patent language, a user first selects a given point on a touchscreen which corresponds to a location on the display of one or more UI elements. From these targeted elements, the system compares the smallest displayed feature with a predetermined size threshold. If the feature is smaller than or equal to the threshold, the loupe displays a magnified image of the element in accordance with a scaled magnification factor. If the features are larger than the predetermined threshold, no magnification is applied.”
Like many patents from Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), understanding all of the language is not always simple. All you really need to know is that this technology is something that has made life easier for iPad and iPhone users.
Check back here for more updates on Apple Patent Lawsuit.
DISCLOSURE: I have no positions in any stock mentioned.
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