Google's Notification Bar Pull Down from 2009 is still Patent Pending

[dgstorm]

Here's a head scratching question to go along with another interesting Google patent story. How many of you guys knew that Google actually had a patent on the Notification Pull Down Bar that Apple "blatantly" copied? I know I sure didn't. In fact, we have had conversations around the office about it from time to time, wondering why Google never patented it. Well, as it turns out... they did. Back in 2009, Google filed for a patent for this brilliant little feature. Sadly, the patent is still pending, but rest assured, when it is finalized, you can probably bet hard money that Google will fire that arrow at a certain rotten fruit. Here is Google's patent explanation of the feature:

This document describes systems and techniques that may be used to alert a user of a mobile device about an event, such as about the presence of a recently-received message, e.g., an e-mail, voice mail, or text message, or other form of event such as a change in song on a music player running in a background state. In general, when a message is first received (or another event is triggered), a portion of the message may be provided in an area that is outside the main area of a mobile device display, such as by scrolling information about the message through a traditional status bar area of the device. A status bar area is the typically-static area on a device that displays information such as bars for wireless signal strength, a remaining battery life indicator, an icon that shows the network over which wireless communication is occurring, and the like. The main area or zone of the display is generally the central, largest area of a display where active programs are displayed, while supplemental elements are typically displayed around the periphery of the main area or over the main area in pop up windows or similar graphical elements.

Where the event that is being noticed is a message, the scrolling notification for the message may include, for example, an identifier for the sender of the message and a snippet from the message, such as the first few words in an e-mail or a subject line from an e-mail. The alert may also include an icon showing the type of message, such as an envelope for an e-mail message. Where the alert is not a message, the scrolling notification may include other descriptive or suggestive text or graphics, such as the title of a song, the status of a device parameter that is being reported, the identity of an item (e.g., a physical good or a computer application) that currently became available at an on-line marketplace, and other such information.

Hmmm... could get interesting.

Source: TalkAndroid

 

[johnomaz]

GOOD! I hope Google stick it to Apple in a big way. I always wondered why it was never patented especially when Apple released iOS5 and it was a blatant copy.

 

[jfe]

Apple has deep pockets, and I am sure they are somehow paying someone off to stop this

 

[liftedplane]

Apple has deep pockets, and I am sure they are somehow paying someone off to stop this

deep pockets or not, Google definitely has something to go after them for. Especially since Apple is suing over the slide to unlock feature. Maybe when google goes after them they will realize how stupid all these lawsuits are.... maybe (we can hope at least)

 

[Abs]

GOOGLE FTWWW!!! Apple, you should know better than to mess with the best. I hope that this ends all of these stupid lawsuits. The notification feature makes iOS much better, as does the slide lock that Apple for some reason claims. Fighting over these silly little software and design nuances is stupid. If you're worried about another company stealing your customers... make a better product.

 

[MissionImprobable]

Uh oh, Spaghetti-O! Apple jumped stupid this time. I didn't know about this either. Will be nice for Google to have some leverage over Apple for something that they took advantage of.

 

[Underscore_Hero]

I think they never mentioned it because Google ain't a dick, unlike some other patent troll fruit bastards.....

 

[tjk629]

Watch Apple's patent for a notification bar get passed before this.

 

[kodiak799]

Watch Apple's patent for a notification bar get passed before this.

Wouldn't surprise me a bit. Apple has been making all kinds of filings lately on vague concepts with little to no mechanism/architecture to get there, much less a working prototype. Pull-down notifications are actually rather non-obvious, unlike many of Apples patents, so perhaps they missed it.

Google can change the slide-to-unlock no sweat and it's really a non-issue for users. But heads will roll if Apple has to ditch pull-down notification, which IS a major issue and something their customers demanded for some time.

Shaping up to resemble some nuisance jab-jab-jabbing a foe and then suddenly the foe decks you with a crushing overhand right. Down for the count.

 

[blacksoxing]

I don't believe Apple passed this up. They got lawyers who got lawyers who got lawyers....whose jobs is to specifically deal w/patent law

I bet though Apple just...doesn't...care. They probably anticipated this. Google and Apple are probably negotiating patent trades as we speak....or determining how much they gotta divvy up to Microsoft (because it seems like M$ makes more money off these phones than both of 'em!)

 

[Valvoline]

The exerpt from the patent says nothing about 'pull-down'. it just talks about using it as a sort of scrollnig banner that can display messages. 'pull-down' is not part of this

 

[garrett]

honestly it would be dumb on Google to sue apple over this because it would make more business sense to license the pulldown notification to apple that way Google makes a little bit of money off every iOS device sold.

much in the same way that google pays microsoft gets close to 15 dollars for every android phone being sold now due to patent licensing.

 

[MissionImprobable]

Google files lock-screen patent, Attempts to dodge Apple

More protection for Google in the future, eh? Enjoy your slide to unlock, Apple, because you're going to have to pay if you want Voice or Facial Recognition.