Apple patents disappearing vertical scroll indicator

[techbeck]

Intellectual Properly is a series where we seek to set the record straight on the day's hottest patent, copyright and related intellectual property issues in the tech world.

It's Tuesday, so you know what that means: newly minted patents are here. Today's fun comes straight from Cupertino via the US Patent and Trademark Office and includes another scrolling patent ? US patent no. 8,223,134 to be exact. The '134 patent claims priority back to 2007 and includes pretty broad coverage on a disappearing vertical scroll bar on portable touch screen devices. Here's a summary of the key portions of the first and broadest claim in the patent:

• a portable device with a touch screen display;
  
• displaying a portion of a larger document on the display;
  
• displaying a vertical bar, not a conventional full-length vertical scroll bar, at the screen's edge;
  
• detecting a movement on the display, and scrolling the document accordingly;
  
• moving the vertical bar; and
  
• ceasing to display the vertical bar ? e.g., after a short period of time.
  

If you think that claim has the potential to cover most Android devices out there, you may be right. The disappearing vertical bar has been a feature in Android going back to at least version 2.3. Below are side-by-side comparison shots highlighting such a vertical bar in use in iOS (left) and Android (right) ? just prior to its disappearance:

We don't have any idea how Apple will use this patent, if at all, but we do know it's been rather fond of asserting other patents in its portfolio relating to touch and scrolling features. On the other hand, there's always one easy workaround available to all: the traditional full screen vertical scroll bar that's existed since the dawn of graphical user interfaces. Only time will tell, but we'll certainly keep an eye out to see if this patent shows up in one of the many ongoing patent battles between Apple and Android OEMs.

http://www.theverge.com/2012/7/17/3165237/intellectual-properly-apple-patents-disappearing-vertical-scroll-bars

[djdanster]

oh god... Stupid patent is stupid...

[Knife Party]

"Hi we're Apple. remember us from the 90's..... we avoided turning into completely douches...oh wait"

[Eric Veteran]

I'm pretty sure there are multiple examples of prior art for this. The patent office really needs to hire examiners that know what they're talking about.

[theyarecomingforyou]

How innovative! It's great to see the US Patent office doing a top-notch job as usual. :rolleyes:

[Buttus]

glad to see the apple is innovating more, and not just patenting old stuff! oh, wait...

[iron2000]

THe guys in the Apple legal department need a holiday :p

Or are they Androids? :p

[(Spork)]

yea this is crazy ... how the hell is this happening or better yet WHO the hell is apple paying to get this type is BS patents

[Stetson]

I'm pretty sure there are multiple examples of prior art for this. The patent office really needs to hire examiners that know what they're talking about.

Would be interesting to see an example. I know that Ubuntu uses them but that was well after the original iPhone was shown.

[redvamp128]

HUH??? --

Patent number: 6014140

Filing date: Jan 10, 1997

Issue date: Jan 11, 2000

IBM

http://www.google.co...epage&q&f=false

Operating system and browser Movement Bars exit from users display after time out to allow for more visual display area and when pointer is placed in region return to their original state and placement.

HUH???

Patent system is really not doing their job.

[ATLien_0]

Yeah we can all fuss at Apple on this one because you know there is going to be a lawsuit sometime soon. However can we really blame them? The patent system is set up as such that this is allowed. If anything its the Patent system that needs fixing

[webeagle12]

I don't want to live on this planet anymore

[Growled Member]

The patent office is clearly a waste of time.

[PsYcHoKiLLa]

Apple makes me sad, does anyone else remember their famous advert where they played the "rebel" who rescued us from the huge Big Brother of IBM?

Anyone else think that Apple has now replaced the Big Brother in that advert?

Greedy, Megalomaniacal, Controlling.

Says Big Brother to me to be honest.

[Stetson]

http://www.google.co...epage&q&f=false

Operating system and browser Movement Bars exit from users display after time out to allow for more visual display area and when pointer is placed in region return to their original state and placement.

I'm trying to find the section of that patent where you got that quote. Could you point me to the right page number?

[rfirth]

Apple makes me sad, does anyone else remember their famous advert where they played the person who "rescued" us from the huge Big Brother of IBM?

Anyone else think that Apple has now replaced the Big Brother in that advert?

Greedy, Megalomaniacal, Controlling.

Says Big Brother to me to be honest.

Absolutely. The roles have definitely reversed.

[redvamp128]

I'm trying to find the section of that patent where you got that quote. Could you point me to the right page number?

It is a summary-- if you read the whole patent there are sections that describe placement -- behavior -- and movement.

I took segments from the whole patent -- one talks about the elevator and its inherent behavior including disappearing.

Also in diagram labeled 74

But if you want to get technical--65 basically talks about the "elevator" not appearing without indicator.

[Noir Angel]

Someone actually allowed this patent to go through? the mind boggles :/

[+virtorio MVC]

It's insane you can even patent s**t like this.

[Stetson]

It is a summary-- if you read the whole patent there are sections that describe placement -- behavior -- and movement.

I took segments from the whole patent -- one talks about the elevator and its inherent behavior including disappearing.

Also in diagram labeled 74

But if you want to get technical--65 basically talks about the "elevator" not appearing without indicator.

Did you maybe link to the wrong one? My understanding of that patent you linked to is automatically scrolling to the location of the editing cursor in a document, not hiding/showing scrollbars based on scrolling actions.

[Shadrack]

Did you maybe link to the wrong one? My understanding of that patent you linked to is automatically scrolling to the location of the editing cursor in a document, not hiding/showing scrollbars based on scrolling actions.

Whaaaat?? IBM patents such a common place feature? No. Friggen. Way. I thought only Apple did that.

The patent system is broken. This is some BS and no doubt there is previous art. It would really suck to see how far Apple can take this patent because it is such a useful feature of any mobile device.

[Matthew_Thepc]

Whaaaat?? IBM patents such a common place feature? No. Friggen. Way. I thought only Apple did that.

The patent system is broken. This is some BS and no doubt there is previous art. It would really suck to see how far Apple can take this patent because it is such a useful feature of any mobile device.

o.o what does that have to do with his comment? he was asking if redvamp128 linked to the wrong patent because the one he was describing seemed to be different from the one he linked

[redvamp128]

Did you maybe link to the wrong one? My understanding of that patent you linked to is automatically scrolling to the location of the editing cursor in a document, not hiding/showing scrollbars based on scrolling actions.

You were right--

I linked the wrong one POP Up scroll bars --

Last diagram look around 538 in the diagram

Patent number: 5655094

Filing date: Sep 29, 1995

Issue date: Aug 5, 1997

http://www.google.co...epage&q&f=false

[Stetson]

You were right--

I linked the wrong one POP Up scroll bars --

Last diagram look around 538 in the diagram

Patent number: 5655094

Filing date: Sep 29, 1995

Issue date: Aug 5, 1997

http://www.google.co...epage&q&f=false

Aha, that makes more sense now. Apple's implementation of overlay scrollbars still has some differences from simply hiding and showing a standard scrollbar though. Apple's patent isn't actually technically about a "scroll bar" at all.

There's no user interaction with the scroll indicator in Apple's patent, instead it is an indicator of the direct scrolling that the user does on the document. Their patent is very specifically about touch enabled devices, because it is touch based direct scrolling that creates the need for such an indicator instead of a scrollbar.

I'm definitely not a patent expert but the patent you linked to and Apple's patent seem to have some important differences.

[123456789A]

Quickly, someone patent the horizontal scroll indicator!