![]() Apple “Slide to Unlock” patent image |
In 2007 at the MacWorld Expo, former Apple chief executive Steve Jobs took to the stage to unveil the iPhone for the first time, and during that unveiling the Slide to Unlock gesture on the iPhone was first shown to the world.
At the time, Jobs touted the feature as a seamless and elegant fix to an otherwise common annoyance: unknowingly pressing buttons on your phone while it is tucked away in your pocket.
About two years before unveiling the iPhone, Apple had applied for a patent for the gesture, and fast forward years later to today, Apple has finally been granted the patent by the U.S. Patent Office (patent number 8,046,721).
Apple unveils iPhone for the first time in 2007. |
Apple competitors can no longer use a similar system without risking infringement. The patent abstract explains, “The device is unlocked if contact with the display corresponds to a predefined gesture [or path] for unlocking the device.”
It is unclear how easily the patent could be circumvented with marginal changes, given how general the patent application is. Apple competitors today already employ similar unlock features on their respective platforms.
Interestingly, Steve Jobs is not named among the seven accredited inventors.
The Apple stock (NASDAQ:AAPL) closed down nearly 200 basis points in today’s trading session to $397.77 per share.