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Stantum, the company which we know for their multi-touch technology, recently announced that the European Patent Office and the China Patent & Trademark Office have granted patents (EP1719047 and CN100447723C, respectively) to Stantum on its multi-touch technology. This comes as an extension to the original patent filed in France in February 2004.
From the press release:
The patents describe a method and a system for controlling electronic devices by manipulating graphic objects on a transparent multi-contact touch panel. Beyond the process enabling the detection and tracking of an unlimited number of simultaneous contact points on a touch screen, the patents disclose various multi-touch interaction techniques, such as applying specific behavior to graphic objects according to finger gestures.
Now we’ve no clue how this will affect any legal battles between handset manufacturers on one, and Stantum on the other side, but we’re certainly hope it won’t stifle the innovation.
Stantum’s CEO, Etienne Paillard, said that the patents granted in Europe and China are further acknowledgement of Stantum’s pioneering position in the field of multi-touch technologies. “Moreover, they strengthen our intellectual property rights in geographic areas that account for about 40 percent of the global gross domestic product,” he added.
About The Author
Dusan Belic
Dusan has been using smartphones since their introduction and is now following the latest trends in the industry. The "convergence" is what he's most excited about, and writing about it is the next logical thing to do. He thinks that using a smartphone is what everyone who cares about their time should do. In addition to his interests in mobile phones, Dusan also loves to experiment with the latest web and mobile 2.0 services. The idea of accessing and managing your information from any device no matter where you are simply amazes him. Whether it's an online to-do list, note taking service or a video sharing social network, he's there to try it out. He admits though, he's still searching for the ultimate web-based organizational tool, which "sings" perfectly with the mobile PIM application. Dusan used to run SymbianWatch.com which later became part of IntoMobile. He lives in Serbia, South-East Europe, from where he edits the site on a daily basis.
