It wasn’t so long ago that we reported the news of the first royalties being paid to the Australian patent-holder of Wi-Fi technology. Considering that Wi-Fi is now a standard technology in many computers and mobile devices, it’s not difficult to see how important it is to respect the patent process. Now, according to Engadget, the word has come through that a rather vague accelerometer patent (filed in 2006) has recently been granted.
A Vegas-based company, Durham Logistics, was granted the patent that seems to cover any computing device that makes use of accelerometer technology. Put simply, any “computer system” that makes use of a motion detection sensor to alter the state or control functionality in a device is covered by the patent. This broad category applies to pretty much every touchphone that’s in use today as well as certain laptops that use accelerometer technology to protect hard drives against drop damage.
Examples provided in the successful patent included selecting icons, swiping through various pages and even scrolling: all the features that a touchphone prides itself on offering. The big question remains as to whether Durham Logistics will chase up any potential royalty payments from the many multi-billion dollar companies that are currently making use of their patented technology.
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