Apple Patents Using Apps During Calls

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Apple Patents Using Apps During Calls

Posted by Soulskill on Tuesday December 20, 2011 @12:26PM from the that-sounds-a-great-idea dept.

bizwriter writes "Apple has had quite a week in patents for the iPhone, and it's only Tuesday. First was the victory at the International Trade Commission over HTC. And now there's a shiny new patent on switching to an app during a live phone call (#8,082,523). There may be non-infringing ways of doing something similar, but they probably will be clumsy in comparison."

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Prior art by Lexx+Greatrex · 2011-12-20 12:26 · Score: 5, Informative

The IBM Simon was a touch screen smartphone with features identical to those claimed in this patent. It was first announced in 1992. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_Simon
1. Re:Prior art by Fjandr · 2011-12-20 12:33 · Score: 5, Informative
  
  That's far older than the other obvious prior art: BlackBerry.
2. Re:Prior art by Anonymous Coward · 2011-12-20 13:00 · Score: 5, Informative
  
  I think the prior art clause died a month or two ago. Legislation was signed that turned the whole thing into a "first to file" system. I hope I'm waaaaaaay off base.
  You are. Prior art is just as relevant as before w/r/t novelty, first-to-file only affects the case where multiple entities apply for patents on the same valid (i.e. novel, non-obvious, etc. invention.
  I could explain at more length, as I did to the two people I've previously corrected on this, but it's getting old. How long till we can have one article about patents without this silly misconception coming up?
3. Re:Prior art by icebraining · 2011-12-20 13:10 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  Prior art didn't disappear with first to file. Just secret prior art. Any product or published document still counts to invalidate a patent.
  
  --
  Dilbert RSS feed
4. Re:Prior art by Anonymous Coward · 2011-12-20 13:14 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  Aye, been using that on my blackberry for years.... hit back, switch app and boom - still talking and using an app
5. Re:Prior art by EdIII · 2011-12-20 13:15 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  I was about to say that.
  On a call I can press the back button and it will ask me if I want to "Continue Call and exit to the home screen". I can run any app I want from that point all with the icons.
  Been using it for years now to get phone numbers for people, or look at some email, etc.
  For the record, this patent was filed on January 6, 2008.
  I know that the Pearl and Curve were released to market well before that date and had the same functionality from what I recall. I can't link to a manual or anything, but I distinctly remember being able to access other applications and data very easily while on the phone.
6. Re:Prior art by Zero_DgZ · 2011-12-20 14:09 · Score: 5, Informative
  
  I'm sure there's a lot more prior art even than that. My N900 can do this via the touchscreen. You can also switch apps any time when anything else is going on by pressing ctrl + backspace, which even breaks you out of things that are "supposed" to be full screen only. It doesn't predate the release of the original iPhone, but I think its release and certainly its development predates the filing of this patent.
  Harken back to the dark days of the original Windows CE/PocketPC based smartphones, many of which had touchscreens (like the PPC version of the Treo) and all of which supported multitasking and had nothing preventing you from tapping Start and going on your merry way to do something else while in a call.
  Even my old Samsung R450 let you do limited stuff while in a call, like get at your address book, notes, and calculator.
7. Re:Prior art by Lexx+Greatrex · 2011-12-20 14:25 · Score: 5, Informative
  
  No where on that page does it say you can take a phone call, and switch to one of the other apps will still on the call.
  From page 34 of the user guide for instance: "You can get to the Mobile Office screen from any screen by touching [icon]" There is no restriction prohibiting this function from the In-Call screen.
  User guide (PDF) http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/um/people/bibuxton/buxtoncollection/a/pdf/Simon%20User%20Manuals.pdf
  Interestingly the user guide page 20 states: "The ln-Call screen will appear as the Phone feature places the call. For example, this can be useful if someone sends you a phone number in an electronic mail message. Just mark it and dial." Which is also clearly prior art in relation to the Apple lawsuit against HTC.
8. Re:Prior art by Kenja · 2011-12-20 16:03 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  My old Dauphin 486sx 25mhz tablet computer running Windows 3.1 for Pens was a "portable electronic device with a touch screen".
  
  --
  
  "Have you ever thought about just turning off the TV, sitting down with your kids, and hitting them?"
9. Re:Prior art by TRRosen · 2011-12-20 19:28 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  The iPhone always multitasked. It just wasn't available for third party apps. This patent predates the release of the iPhone and is not about multitasking at all but the specific interface Apple used to make the switch.
10. Re:Prior art by IAmGarethAdams · 2011-12-20 20:08 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  You do realise that the patent is for a *method* of switching to apps during a phone call, not the *concept* of switching to apps during a phone call? Since the iPhone doesn't have a Ctrl or a Backspace key, that's probably not the method they're patenting
11. Re:Prior art by andydread · 2011-12-20 22:18 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  I read the patent. No method is elaborated.
Re:Doubtful by scot4875 · 2011-12-20 13:40 · Score: 5, Informative

Do the other applications on that phone change appearance when a phone call is in progress? It would seem not.
But even if those phones' applications don't, Android phones' do. Not only does the notification area show the state of the phone call, but the individual applications can query the state of the phone and update their interface if they want. Most don't, because it's generally an unnecessary and barely used feature anyway.
--Jeremy

--
Jesus was a liberal
Re:Evil enough yet? by Coolhand2120 · 2011-12-20 19:18 · Score: 4, Informative

From: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/evil
evil [ee-vuhl]
adjective
1. morally wrong or bad; immoral; wicked: evil deeds; an evil life. (Apple)
2. harmful; injurious: evil laws. (Apple)
3. characterized or accompanied by misfortune or suffering; unfortunate; disastrous: to be fallen on evil days.
4.due to actual or imputed bad conduct or character: an evil reputation. (Apple)
5.marked by anger, irritability, irascibility, etc.: He is known for his evil disposition.

Three out of five!