News - Apple’s advanced new “Active Stylus” patent

[HEXUS]

Another product philosophy U-turn by the fruity Californian company?

Read more.

[sykobee]

Coming soon - Apple suing Samsung for the Galaxy Note range - date of release be damned!

(to be fair, the Apple Newton was a stylus system, but that would have been a pressure stylus, not a capacitative stylus like the Note's and I think this patent describe).

[Brewster0101]

Don't see why there should be a patent for this. Be like trying to patent the pencil...

[shaithis]

Or rounded corners....or a rectangular device....or a particular colour....

[Brewster0101]

Reading more around this story, seems like Apple have taken the tech from the Stylus and tech on the Note 10.1" and because Samsung haven't filled a patent for the tech, Apple intend to steal it themselves.

[keithwalton]

Is apple starting to get afraid they have too many patents

[Brewster0101]

Is apple starting to get afraid they have too many patents

Rumour has it they are planning to lease the building next to the patent office in Washington to save on postage fees...

[hapilynvraftr]

I'm not really a big fan of apple, but I think i heard someone says before that steave jobs doesn't want stylus for i-products or something similar to that.
not sure about that rumor.

[shaithis]

I'm not really a big fan of apple, but I think i heard someone says before that steave jobs doesn't want stylus for i-products or something similar to that.
not sure about that rumor.

I don't think Steve Jobs has much say in how things are done any more

[sykobee]

Reading more around this story, seems like Apple have taken the tech from the Stylus and tech on the Note 10.1" and because Samsung haven't filled a patent for the tech, Apple intend to steal it themselves.

Despite those devices existing as prior art!
I'd really like to know what the additional thing Apple have done in this patent to make it patent worthy.

[Kumagoro]

I believe they paid the patent office some money.

That seems to be the only necessary criteria to get a patent in the US

[synaesthesia]

So that'll be similar to the *insert random large number here* existing active stylii and relevant control devices of an exactly identical nature? GTFO Apple.

[alpha channel]

The reason that Samsung haven't patented the Note stylus is that it actually comes from Wacom. This'd mean Apple would have to not only sue Samsung but also Wacom (in fairness they'd probably give it a go), their stylus tech though predates Apples patent by an easy decade or so (I was using Wacom serial attached tablets in '99 at uni).

The 'unique' idea behind this stylus, as far as I can tell, is the use of haptic feedback giving the user a simulated feel of various types of surface (something which predates Apples patent by quite a way as well). when using the stylus (the idea of which also predates the patent, heh, had to do interface design research on my last course which covered haptic feedback).

[benzeman]

This is absurd. Having said that, it's apple, so I guess we should have expected them to patent simple and non innovative concepts...

[mark22]

Can't see this improving the damage Apple are doing to their own reputation.

[Darth Sidious]

god bless apple