Apple is trying to patent a gesture unlock method that’s dangerously close to Android

For the last couple of weeks, in a courtroom in California, Apple has been trying to convince jurors to award it hundreds of millions of dollars as compensation for Samsung’s alleged infringement of its infamous slide-to-unlock patent.

Meanwhile, the Cupertino-based company is applying for two patents on a screen unlocking method which channels a feature that Android had for years.

Unlock pattern on a Motorola Droid (2010) running Android 2.0.1

To be clear, Apple is not trying to patent the specific gesture unlock system we know from Android. It probably couldn’t, as the prior art is undeniable. Rather than that, the company is proposing an evolution of the idea of drawing a specific pattern across a matrix of elements to unlock a mobile device.

Apple’s idea is to make the matrix of dots configurable and to add invisible dots, that the user would need to be aware of in order to enter the correct pattern. The applications also mention variations in the pattern entry, such as different speeds and pauses, that would add an element of complexity, making it much harder for an unauthorized user to guess the pattern. The system also includes a pattern strength meter, similar to the password strength meters used on many sites.

To be granted a patent, an invention must be novel and non-trivial. Apple’s applications may meet these conditions, at least at first glance. The US Patent and Trademark Office will decide if indeed these core conditions are satisfied.

Apple has clearly channeled the Android implementation of pattern unlock, and arguably enhanced it. There’s nothing wrong with that, as there’s nothing wrong with protecting one’s ideas with patents.

But these patent applications do raise a question – why? It seems unlikely that Apple would adopt pattern unlock for its devices, with Touch ID being well received on the iPhone and rumored to come to the iPads. Adopting the feature would also expose Apple to accusations of copying and, potentially, legal action from Google, who holds several patents on pattern unlock.

So if Apple won’t (or can’t) use pattern unlock on its devices, why would it try to patent this evolution of the idea? Probably just to make it unavailable to competitors. If Apple is granted the patents it seeks, Google would have a harder time enhancing pattern unlock to make it more secure or more useful for Android users.

If that’s the case, we’re again witnessing one of the uglier sides of the tech industry. Of course, it’s not just Apple that’s resorting to preventive patenting, as the entire industry is furiously seeking legal protection even for the most insignificant features. The problem is users are hardly winning anything from this state of affairs.

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Microsoft And Nokia Now Expect Their Massive $7.2B Deal To Close In April

Nokia has informed the world this evening that it now expects its behemoth deal with Microsoft to close in April of this year, as opposed to the first calendar quarter, a timeframe that was reiterated earlier this year.

The deal, worth $7.2 billion, has wound through most of the regulatory bodies of the world that an agreement of its scale must. Microsoft published a blog post on the current situation, claiming to be “nearing the final stages of our global regulatory approval process.” Close, no cigar, and so forth.

What is causing the delay? Here’s Nokia: “[T]he transaction is pending approvals from certain antitrust authorities in Asia which are still conducting their reviews.”

The companies failed to reach the mark in time. This will cause analysts to revamp their models, Microsoft to wait to absorb the division, and force Stephen Elop to wait before assuming his post atop Microsoft’s now larger hardware division. Also, Nokia’s big payday is now a non-first quarter affair.

A blow for both companies, given that slipping into a new quarter wasn’t in their planning, but here they are. Both firms are still saying publicly that the deal will close.

My theory that the lingering tax issue regarding Nokia’s failure to secure and appeal in India, which has frozen a factory that is supposed to be part of the asset transfer was shot down by Nokia:

Nokia reiterates that ongoing tax proceedings in India have no bearing on the timing of the closing or the material deal terms of the anticipated transaction between Nokia and Microsoft.

Given that, we should see this beast locked down inside the next 30 days.