Palm Patent Application: Control Functions via Device’s Orientation 25
Thanks to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s rule that patents are made public 18 months after filing, we can now see Palm’s September 16, 2008 application for a patent for “Orientation Based Control of Mobile Device,” which shows some interesting near-future possibilities for both features and lawsuits.
While admittedly written in somewhat difficult-to-follow language (as patents generally are), the application describes ways to control non-navigation features of a smartphone or other mobile device based on its orientation, but also potentially on the context (location, date and time, nearby devices, etc.). Some of the examples given in the application include a universal remote control program which figures out the nearest device and controls it when pointed at it; a theme park program that displays a map when the smartphone is placed face up on a flat surface; downloading a file automatically when the phone is pointed at a sign at a conference, and so on.
For those who may be interested in what else Palm could have brewing on the patent front, Palm’s current U.S. patent applications can be viewed here and its issued patents here.
via gorumors, Thanks Arnad!
25 Comments
first.
good for you. now go away.
+1
Precentral should bust out the banhammer for 'first' posts.
I emailed them a couple months ago about this and didn't get a reply, which I take as an "I don't care" because I've gotten other responses from them before and after that mail.
But it's ridiculous. I don't see how anyone can like the fucking worthless waste of site space that is a "first" post.
what good is this without real world providers?
this seems to be a progression of augmented reality, but if Palm does pull this off i'm not sure it's gonna prevent webOS from being acquired ...
Palm stock price down more than 25% today. This should be something interesting for whatever holding company ends up with the company assets.
and?
I mean, do I have to care about souless assets and souless companies that buy economically weak companies because that souless assets can anyday be bullet points in a lawsuit or just more assets to keep in a drawer?
Do you ever use your phone?
So if this people one day create "methods and apparatus to read your mind", youll be here to say... "mmm....they are 5% down today, I dont care about this rubbish".
Im fresh in precental but I dont get that kind of obsession.
Software/Method patents are bad. From Palm, from Apple, from anybody.
Yes, if they are trivial. No, if they are truly revolutionary. The problem being that Patent Office wouldn't understand trivial if it bit them in the butt.
if palm gets this could they sue apple for those remote control apps?
I wish I could say this helps Palm, but the fact of the matter is Palm's patents do not help it in its current struggles to make money. They are bleeding badly, and If you read engadget and Gizmodo, it doesnt look like they are gonna last. Google needs to purchase them or Palm needs to get another flagship device WITHOUT ANY BUGS OR POOR QUALITY...and with something that will wow the people and then advertise it effectively. That is the only way they can benefit from anything like their patents. Patents are great for protection...
But its like wearing a bullet proof vest when your bleeding internally. Doesnt help too much. IMHO of course!
I am interested in what you all think though...:)
palm just need to get the soul of influential press people. a lot of them. the same way apple or google do.
If you are not aware android devices or iphone are full of rubbish and far more than a webOS device, then those tech bloggers are really doing their work in a great way.
Palm need a big brand that back them, not financially, but mind sharely. They just need to sell and people not be ashamed of that in a world of googles droids and apples.
If you want a landscape keyboard phone the size of a tablet, you DO NOT USE PHONES. You just want to enlarge your virtual pennis commenting how big and flashy your souless phone is while a tech blogger wank your mind.
Let get palm do rubbish with no taste so they can happily sell phones for ever.
Palm is in a lot of trouble and I do believe someone will pick them up very soon. Maybe HP or Nokia, or maybe someone like RIM.
I have a feeling Palm has a something up their sleeve. This is called the "Pre", in my eyes that's almost like an application coming out in "beta" they should have just called it that....Palm Beta. Then this website would be called BetaCentral! LoL.
I Love this phone and OS and am really gonna stick with it till the end.
+1 dude!!
I love the webOS and I'll stick with it until the ship goes down. Plus I'll keep using the hardware until it crumbles apart. Android just isn't as 'sexy' as webOS, iDon't want to be locked into the iPhone platform (and I'm a very long time Apple user/supporter), Don't like Blackberry, and I'll never touch Nokia phones or WinMo (even more so since WinMo7 is taking a page out of Apple's book with no copy/paste and no multitasking).
Palm stock is falling really fast. Last time I looked it was at $4.01 a share. This is really bad for Palm.
I will stick with them to the end too.
but meanwhile lets spread as much FUD as possible because the end cant come soon enough
Yeah, I'm gonna stick with it to the end too.
I think it will come down to a new device with webOS 2.0 that will have to have superior hardware and all the bugs out of its software. Then maybe a great phenomenal campaign comprised of about at least 6 commercials that span 6-8 months prime time talking about the power and speed of webOS and the multi-functionality of that palm device as well as Palm's one golden horse, synergy. Then also statewide campaigns in all major cities promoting and informing people on WebOS and Palm followed by contests like the one they are doing in SoCal. But, see now, its sad cause I do not think they will have the money for such a come back...
IMHO of course....
What do you guys think?
I don't mean to go off topic, but in a way im not really, because what good are patents if a company sinks? Patents are great to have for protection, but like i said in an earlier post, what good is that bullet proof vest if you are bleeding internally?
It's really frackin sad because Palm brings such innovation to the smartphone game and it makes me upset to think they may not survive.
There's just one damn problem...advertising.
The one and only problem is, that nobody knows Palm and what the webOS can do. I mean..the webOS has like 10x the features ALL the other smartphones have. Logically, anyone should want a webOS device. It's just that nobody knows it'S out there.
The fact is that this being a patent to ensure rights is not the topic, the topic should be that what is described in this patent can give an idea of something that you MAY use in the future in a palm device, and so, make our lives easier, funnier, or wharever it does.
Do I care this is patented or not? NO.
Do I care Palm ceases exist? NO, if in order to survive palm need to stop making and improving what is doing now and then begin to just create copy cats of the flashy android device of the year.
I DO care about not going back to the hidden rubbish I have had to stand with an iphone and a HTC android device.
I DO care about the fact that webOS and palm device design are asymptotically close to what I WANTED in a device when I screamed in frustration when using one of the aboves.
The problem is that they need to sell THIS or improvements of THIS, and a lot of the people tend to not support the underdog, but just to cry about it and buy something else.
People that dont know webOS... still dont know webOS.
People that know webOS dont evangelize, just cry.
Has anybody actually clicked on the "Palm
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