Apple files for patent on multiple input technique

Apple has filed a patent application with the US Patent Office to patent a technique that allows the combination of various sources of input. In its application for a patent on "multi-touch data fusion", Apple writes that the input from multiple fingers, voice controls, biometric data from the palm of a person's hand, fingerprints, body temperature, pupil size, skin resistance, and facial expressions can all be combined. The patent was filed before Christmas of 2007 but only published on September 4, 2008.

Diagram from Apple's patent application As the patent application explains, computer systems generally have various means of input, but usually these are all independent of each other and not combined. Apple wants to change that and improve the means of input. The computer company says that input from fingers can not only be combined with voice and speech recognition, but also with the user's viewing angle, sensed by a camera. Then, users could mark and move objects on the screen by looking at them. The technology even detects and filters out unintentional finger movements.

In an example given in the patent submission, Apple describes a possible application. Here, the user marks an object on the display with two fingers. The objects size can be changed, and it can be moved or rotated. In addition, the technology described in the patent application will allow using voice commands to insert text or change the colour of an object at the same time as the manual manipulation. Apple believes that this technology could be used in security applications, games, and fitness activities as well as for graphics and text processing

The technology was developed by Wayne Westerman and John Elias, employees of Fingerworks, which Apple took over in 2005. Fingerworks also had a number of other patents and patents pending, such as the further development of the multi-touch principle announced last February.

(trk)