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Advanced Multitouch Gesturing Patents

PCJoint.com points to ongoing research by Apple into multi-touch technologies. The most recent patent applications reveal techniques to recognize both palm and finger contacts in order to react appropriately.

PCJoint summarizes the possibilities:

- Need to move a cursor across the screen? Just slide your finger and it goes.
- Want to enter text? Just start typing and the text is there. You even get the touch feedback as if really pressing the keys.
- Need to erase some text? Use the backspace or just slide the finger backwards
- Have to write or draw something? Just pretend you hold a stylus or pen in your hand and start writing/drawing.
- If that is still not good enough, pick up the real stylus and start writing with it.
- All these cool touch gestures that Apple has implemented in iPhone and is exploring further? You know, scrolling, zooming, rotating & moving objects, etc; They are here too
- 3D object manipulation? Select a few 3D objects on the screen and use all 5 fingers on both hands to play with them.
- Want to take a break to relax and afraid to put your hands on the touch surface? Dont worry Multi-touch 2.0 thingie knows that and does not pay attention to your resting palms or fingers


This should come as no surprise to those who have been following Apple's patent applications as well as their previous acquisition of Fingerworks. Previous patent applications have also suggested the possibility of one surface acting for many different functions (such as typing and gestures).

Top Rated Comments

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55 months ago
I think there is a world of things we can do with multi-touch, but Apple just has to make sure it stays intuitive. I don't want to have to learn sign language and 300 gestures to get my iPod to do what I am telling it to do. Hopefully some firmware updates come out and we can get some cool new features on our new Apple toys.
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55 months ago
Apple DS? Input and output screen?
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55 months ago
we're definitely gonna see a big change in the way in which one will interact w/ a computer pretty soon. seriously, how much longer can they drag out the mouse/keyboard set-up?
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55 months ago
¡Que guay! Eso es muy interesante. :cool:
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55 months ago
What I hope the most is to get these features through a firmware update in Leopard, because Multitouch is really a "secret feature" that everyone will be happy to own.

On a bigger screen , you'll be able to have less mistakes. My iPod Touch is great, but still made some mistakes some time. Another surprise is how can Apple really handle with texting, this is a delicate work after all
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55 months ago
42 minutes
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55 months ago
and the rumored big iphone size thingie makes sense now.

GIMME!
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55 months ago
I forsee greater things in the future (near future) for this than just iPhone/iPod use. Imagine a glass (and aluminum, of course) surface that becomes everything we need to manipulate a computer and a media center. Virtual keyboard surface, virtual mouse surface and a virtual remote. The technolgy is already here and in use in the iPhone/iTouch....Apple, it's time to revolutionize the industry (again) with touch sensitive virtual input devices. Physical keyboards, mice and remotes are so 2007...It will be fun to watch other companies caught with their pants down again. While everyone wastes their time trying to copy Apple's iPod, iPhone, iTunes Store, and OS, Apple will once again shock everyone with their creativeness, foresight and innovation.
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55 months ago
wow so awesome!
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55 months ago
I hate to say this But I think the other half of the market, ie. Microsoft and friends have a more promising function for the distant future. While apple has a short terms plan. :apple: is only covering X and Y, while the big M is putting big money in the 'Z':o
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