Article: New Multitouch and 3-D Gesture Patent Emerges

[Phillip Swanson]

The Unite States Trademark and Patent Office published a new Apple patent focused on re-imagining how media is edited within a gesture-based OS.

While the patent does delve into some Minority Report like 3D gestures, this is not the focus of the patent, and other Apple patents have detailed 3D gestures in greater detail. However, what this patent does propose is a new way to interact with media via a gesture-based editing solutions.

The patent proposes a gesture-based video editing toolbar for the iPad. The gesture bar would allow users to use gestures in the form of shapes, symbols, letters, or user-defined patterns. This would greatly increases the amount of user control when editing media on the iPad or other tablets. One example showed a gesture bar complete with gestures for simple actions like making selections and pointing as well as complicated processes like facial recognition and grouping objects.

Throughout the paten Apple refers to a "Table 1." This table apparently contains a number of gestures already created by Apple ready for implementation. This table is never included in the patent leaving the number of gestures Apple already has a mystery. The number of possible gestures is exciting though. Apple described that gestures could be:

"performed by moving one or more fingers or other objects in a particular manner on touch I/O devices such as tapping, pressing, rocking, scrubbing, twisting, changing orientation, pressing with varying pressure and the like at essentially the same time, contiguously, or consecutively. A gesture could be characterized by, but is not limited to a pinching, sliding, swiping, rotating, flexing, dragging, or tapping motion between or with any other finger or fingers. A single gesture could be performed with one or more hands, by one or more users, or any combination thereof." – Patently Apple

The patent—if implemented—could create a new exciting way for users to edit media on the iPad. The iPhone isn't likely to support the gesture-based editing in this form due to screen size limitations, and processing power, which the authors allude to in the patent. Video and media editing takes a lot of processing power though, and for any iDevice to competently pull off what the patent suggests current iDevices might need a little hardware upgrade.

Source: Patently Apple

[unison999]

They better not get the patent, already have it on xbox360.
If anyone should be granted patent on something like this it should be Microsoft.

[DaLsim]

yea, Even some of the game on the iDevices already have moving gesture? Apple sooo lateWho gonna sue apple. jump on the laws sue wagons!!!

[iLoveWindows&iPhone]

Getting closer and closer to Minority Report, cool stuff. I really don't care about who has what patent or who doesn't. But Apple is obviously in the best position to make this kind of tech a reality.

[unison999]

Getting closer and closer to Minority Report, cool stuff. I really don't care about who has what patent or who doesn't. But Apple is obviously in the best position to make this kind of tech a reality.

Are you kidding? Apple is stealing but it is ok because it's Apple... apple's patents should be scrutinized more than others, simply because they are known to steal, patent then sue.