Communications of the ACM
Is Motion Control Patent a Powder Keg For Mobile?
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
Here's a potentially noteworthy development in the patent litigation-riddled mobile device market.
The patent is No. 7,679,604, "Method and apparatus for controlling a computer system," and it describes motion control as a means of interacting with smartphones and the like.
The invention, the patent's authors explain, "facilitates an intuitive motion control of the application by physically manipulating the electronic device...it enables a user to intuitively control the state and/or displayed content of a computing device without the conventional need of pressing button(s), or manipulating a trackpad, trackball, etc. In this regard, the motion control agent represents a new paradigm in user control of computing systems."
Sounds quite a bit like the motion control you find today in Apple's iPhone, doesn't it? Or in Palm's Pre. Or Google's Nexus One. Or Motorola's Droid. Or Nokia's 5800.
This is interesting because none of those companies owns patent No. 7,679,604. It belongs to Durham Logistics, a Las Vegas-based limited liability company about which I can find little information.
From CNET
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