Apple’s latest whizzy user interface technology is found in Force Touch and 3D Touch, both of which use haptic feedback to make touchpads and screens come to life. But it might not have been so new after all, because now Apple’s being sued for allegedly infringing three patents over the tech.
A company called Immersion is suing Apple over for infringing patents that go by the titles “Haptic feedback system with stored effects,” “Method and Apparatus for Providing Tactile Sensations” and “Interactivity Model for Shared Feedback on Mobile Devices“. All of which do sound a lot like the features Apple’s developed in 3D Touch!
In a statement, Immersion’s CEO Victor Viegas said:
While we are pleased to see others in the industry recognise the value of haptics and adopt it in their products, it is important for us to protect our business against infringement of our intellectual property in order to preserve the ecosystem we have built and the investments that we have made in continuing to advance haptic experiences.
Immersion’s seeking damages — it will be interesting to see if it manages to win the case.
[Immersion via The Next Web]