
The International Trade Commission (ITC) has just recently ruled in the favor of Apple in the Apple vs. HTC patent lawsuit regarding mobile devices (in the United States). According to the ITC, HTC is found guilty of violating Apple patent 5946647, which can be found below via Google’s Patent Search:
A system and method causes a computer to detect and perform actions on structures identified in computer data. The system provides an analyzer server, an application program interface, a user interface and an action processor. The analyzer server receives from an application running concurrently data having recognizable structures, uses a pattern analysis unit, such as a parser or fast string search function, to detect structures in the data, and links relevant actions to the detected structures. The application program interface communicates with the application running concurrently, and transmits relevant information to the user interface. Thus, the user interface can present and enable selection of the detected structures, and upon selection of a detected structure, present the linked candidate actions. Upon selection of an action, the action processor performs the action on the detected structure.
As you may have guessed, a ban on certain HTC products is a big hit to the company. Since it is software based, other Android device manufacturers won’t be too pleased. Luckily for HTC the patent Apple managed to enforce is one of medium value. If HTC was accused of infringing patents on realtime signal processing, then the company could have been in real trouble. Still, any ban is going to be detrimental for the handset manufacturer. For those of you who are interested, you can read the ITC’s full reading by hitting the appropriate source link below!
Source: Google Patent Search, The Verge (ruling)
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