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Apple's Iphone patent looks like Ken Knowlton's
From: David Farber <dave () farber net>
Date: Wed, 1 Aug 2007 20:39:07 -0400
Begin forwarded message: From: Ted Nelson <tandm () xanadu net> Date: August 1, 2007 6:07:50 PM EDT To: David Farber <dave () farber net> Cc: Ted Nelson <tandm () xanadu net>, Ken Knowlton <KCKmosaics () aol com> Subject: Apple's Iphone patent looks like Ken Knowlton's Reply-To: tandm () xanadu net Hi Dave-- Apple's put in a patent application for the Iphone keyboard--http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/31/apple-patent-app-reveals- intelligent-keyboard/#comments
I haven't seen the app itself, but changing key displays dynamically was patented thirty years ago by a pal of ours. This appears to be a rework of Ken Knowlton's patent3,879,722 (1977), "Interactive Input-Output Computer Terminal with Automatic Relabeling of Keyboard." Also described in Knowlton, K., "Computer Displays Optically Superimposed on Input Devices", The Bell Syst, Tech. Journal, 56(3), (March 1977), 367-383.
Whether there's a prior-art clash depends entirely on the claims; possibly Apple can wangle claims that are specific to the Iphone. (Or there may be no conflict at all, since Ken's prototype used a mirror-- but I'd imagine that BTL lawyers would have been smarter than to limit it.) Best, Ted -- - NEW XANADU SOFTWARE-- See xanarama.net - MY SPECIAL LECTURE on 14 non-computer topics-- http://www.ecs.soton.ac.uk/podcasts/seminars.php Theodor Holm Nelson Founder, Project Xanadu Visiting Fellow, Oxford Internet Institute Visiting Professor, University of Southampton ------------------------------------------- Archives: http://v2.listbox.com/member/archive/247/=now RSS Feed: http://v2.listbox.com/member/archive/rss/247/ Powered by Listbox: http://www.listbox.com
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- Apple's Iphone patent looks like Ken Knowlton's David Farber (Aug 01)