Apple Granted Patents For Mouse, Portable User Accounts
Apple Granted Patents For Mouse, Portable User Accounts
by , 2:25 PM EDT, October 10th, 2006
Apple on Tuesday was granted a pair of patents by the U.S. Patents and Trademarks Office, one for a mouse that can be clicked with the palm, rather than the finger, and one for a method allowing a user to place relevant information on a portable device and take it to another computer, where they can log in and continue working.
The mouse patent improves on mice previously produced for Apple. The filing explains: "It is desirable to provide an electro-mechanical switch preferably in the form of a button for a mouse configured in an improved manner to provide convenience and comfort for users. These users include those having very large hands, those having very small hands and those having the ill fortunes to suffer from finger deformity." It describes a mouse that a user can click with their wrist, rather than with their finger.
Apple explained in its filing for the other patent: "There is a need for improved techniques to enable user accounts to be portable such that a user can carry their user account with them and login to any multi-user computer system that supports portable user accounts." The document specifically references Mac OS X, noting: "A few sophisticated users have modified operation of existing operating systems, such as Mac OS X, to provide some portability to their user account from a work computer to a home computer."
However, such an effort "requires specialized software tools to manipulate and modify the data structures for a user account in a database," Apple explained. Thus, the company looked to develop an easier way to achieve the same thing, noting: "In one embodiment, the external, portable data store can not only store the user account but can also provide general data storage. In another embodiment, the external, portable data store can be a portion of a portable computing device (e.g., media player) that provides other functionality besides data storage." The media player in question could conceivably be an iPod, but Apple's filing doesn't offer any specifics.
Thanks to MacNN for the heads-up.
Observer Comments
Tue Oct 10, 2006 4:27 pm Subject: RE: mouse
Read it more closely. As I said, the patent filing for the mouse builds on previous patents. The new filing says: "For data selection and command execution, the top member and the base member of the mouse are coupled and engaged in a manner that the entire top member via simple wrist action serves as a button for activating an internal switch to register palm clicking input."
As I explained, it's a mouse that lets you click with your *palm*, not your finger. I imagine Apple will provide it as an option for those with finger deformities, very large or very small hands, etc. Of course, the company may also decide not to sell the product, if Steve Jobs isn't happy with it. That can happen too.
Tue Oct 10, 2006 8:09 pm Subject: Apple Pro Mouse and Mighty mouse works like that.
How is this different from Apple's "no buttons" pro mouse and Mighty mouse?
This is exactly how Apple's current mice work, ever used one of them? This is one of the main reason why I loved my pro mouse and love my MM, as you can click with your whole palm.
The Mighty mouse will generate a left click if you click with your whole hand. You don't have to lift your fingers from the right part for a left click, but you do have to lift your finger from the left part to do a right click.
Since 90%+ of my clicks are left it means I can redistribute the effort and weight to the whole hand and fingers, instead of putting all the weight on one finger.
No dude. Sorry, but you can already click with your palm, try it. The whole point of the Apple Optical mouse is that the entire top shell is the button and anywhere you put pressure on it (except for the very back) it clicks. Most people however of course still use finger pressure to click because that's what they are used to.
Comments are currently closed. Please email the author instead.
Recent Headlines - Updated November 8th
- Sun, 11:59 AM
- Mac Geek Gab Podcast - MGG 226: Magic Mouse, Apple Battery Secrets, Q&A
- Sat, 7:58 PM
- News - Apple TV 3.0.1 Update Fixes Missing Content Bug
- Fri, 7:45 PM
- Rumor - Taiwan Leak Shows Verizon UTMS/CDMA iPhone for Q3 2010
- 6:40 PM
- News - iPhone Moves Into RadioShack
- 6:30 PM
- News - Apple to Open Stunning Paris Apple Store in Le Louvre on Saturday
- 5:43 PM
- Free on iTunes - Dictionary, Dictionary, Dictionary, And More
- 4:09 PM
- John Martellaro's Blog - Particle Debris (week ending 11/6) Failure IS an Option
- 3:32 PM
- Games - The Latest App Store Games: Gravity Sling, RocketBird, Ground Effect, Checkers!
- 2:25 PM
- Games - Star Soccer 2010 for Mac Puts Gamers in Role of Up-and-Coming Player
- 2:15 PM
- How-To - The Mysteries of Rosetta Housekeeping
- 1:33 PM
- News - iPhone Game Developer Sued for Collecting User’s Cell Numbers
- 1:17 PM
- Games - Warhammer Online Expands Trial Play Option
The Mac Observer Reader Specials
- TypeStyler For Mac OS X is Now Shipping! Download The Free Fully Functional 60 Day Tryout at www.typestyler.com
RamJet Memory: Mac Pro 8-core 8GB Kit $199.99, 4GB Kits $109.99! Sale on MacBook and MacBook Pro 8GB kits $549.99! New MacBook DDR3 2GB for $49.99. iMac and Mac mini 4GB Kits for $79.99! 1TB SATA Hard Drives for $109.99! Click here
OWC: Plug & Play Hardware RAID up to 8.0TB. High Performance, Data Redundant Solutions. FireWire 800, FireWire 400, USB2, or eSATA. Hot Swappable Bays, Data Rates over 200MB/s. Click here
If you're using a Mac, then you've gotta check out Full Tilt Poker for Mac. This Full Tilt Poker bonus code does the unthinkable, it actually rewards!For the latest Apple products use Ciao, a price comparison website, to find laptops like MacBook Air. Then find the best prices on MP3 players and use our comparison tool to evaluate mobile phones like the Apple iPhone.
Laptop Hardware Provided by TechRestore - Overnight Mac & iPod Repairs.
