Apple gets a patent for using apps during calls

APPLE = Apples Pathetic Patent Litigation Endeavour ... the brand warrants quality ...

AMD and intel have a license deal, you should not have used that comparison.

Please at least review the patent before commenting.

http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=8,082,523.PN.&OS=PN/8,082,523&RS=PN/8,082,523

All the patent does is protect the method that Apple uses in order to call application subroutines. This is more an interface and process patent. It DOES NOT prevent developers from creating their own methods to access applications while in call. Rather it states that they cannot use the same methods as Apple.

This is the equivalent of Intel's processors access instructions to run applications and how AMD does. They can't copy each other either.

Thus I don't believe this patent will significantly impact the development of other platforms which invoke applications while in call.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telephony_Application_Programming_Interface , yo.

The patent laws in the US were changed not too long ago, the prior art thing is no longer in effect, patents go to who first files and not who invented something now.

Yes, that's right, congress managed to make a bad thing even worse and it now allows stealing of ideas by people with the money to file quickly.

Meanwhile they want to close the internet to 'protect' against the 'unfair' sharing of files... big business runs congress and the US population ought to act.

Janice is incorrect, the filing date on patent 8,082,523 is January 6, 2008.

There is plenty of prior art before then. The first touchscreen smart phone is generally credited to IBM in 1992.

I am not sure if it was the "first" multitasking smartphone, but I know LG was showing a multitasking smartphone in 2005.

a piss while standing.
This is my brand-spanking-new patent for the method, it may involve holding something long and thick in my hands...

The US Patent office should be destroyed.

No Prior art in Multi-tasking previous to 2007...??

Call handling on a phone is just a combination of software with hardware support. Why is this this different to any other application in a smartphone (or PC for decades) that it deserves a 'special' patent

Look no further than Nokia Communicator series and multitasking under Symbian..

"Journalism, waaah!!!"

Just clue up! My ancient phone lets me access other functionality during calls, and that stuff is provided by applications. All Apple has done is to say, "Ooh no, we're not talking about applications: we're talking about Apps!" Only idiots are stroking themselves at the "genius" of it.

For all the self righteous Fandroids out here who mistakenly think they know more than what they really know- Apple patented the method.

While no one can patent the idea of multitasking, they can patent a method to do the multitasking ( including UI elements to achieve the purpose).

If Android copied the exact method that Apple has patented, they are screwed.

Apple is going to close down within three years, I'm calling it now.

http://bit.ly/dI3hcF

If it's true that there is prior art (I have no idea), then Apple's patent will be thrown out the first time it is challenged. You could blame this on Apple, but really the problem would be with the patent office and the granting of patents like this one.

Now, I do know this -- you can't launch an app during a phone call using Verizon, but you can with AT&T. Is this a limitation with CDMA? I think it is. So if you've seen this work on Verizon, we're not talking about the same thing.

To all the whingers: get your facts straight. If you had bothered to find the patent, you would have seen that it was filed in June 2007 before which there was no prior art.

As for the Inq: no journalism here!

Still, it's such a flimsy 'invention' it exemplifies why software patents ought to be outlawed.

The US International Trade Commission (ITC) sided with the 'cappuccino company'???

Patents don't make sense anymore.

Neither do copyright on software which is no longer supported by the inventor.

New law proposal 1: When more than 50% of a country's population uses a proprietary invention the proprietary rights are cancelled by default.

New law proposal 2: When an information-based service or product in demand is no longer support by its commercial inventor, it's associated proprietary rights becomes open source.

I'm going to file for a patent on all human multitasking, since this is obviously a new concept of mine that others should be paying me royalties for. There is NO POSSIBILITY that this is simply a natural occurrence of human thinking and behavior!

There are obviously too many Apple fanboys at the patent office. This patent should not have been granted!! Apple are the new Microsoft - evil business ethic.

uhmmm, multi-tasking software is definitely prior art (1960's maybe earlier).

Even in a smart phone, apple is way late to the multi-tasking party.

But I guess, if they can block samsung for a couple months before the patent gets thrown out, the damage is done.

This is stupid. I could do this on my old WinMo phone years before the iPhone came out.

Apple will now probably submit a patent for 'the process of making a phone call', despite their phone being the worst at it.

I remember a few years ago there was a commercial which highlighted this stark contrast between Android and iOS. It was one of the most useful features of Android - using apps while taking a call. iOS couldn't do that at the time. So, what does this mean now? Apple, who finally gets around to supporting this feature, now gets to go after Android, which has been able to do this since the beginning? What a bunch of crap.

I was able to play snake on my nokia 5110 in 1997, this utter BS and just shows the anti competitive nature of patents that is damaging our growth and the free market. Someone needs to reform these stupid arcane law

Come on, was there no prior art research?