For the whole decision click here: o14310
Summary
The invention relates to a touch sensitive user interface for an electronic device, for example, a mobile telephone, Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), MP3 player or similar hand-held device. The application as a whole describes various embodiments whereby gestures or combinations of gestures (e.g. movements of the finger across the surface of a touch-sensitive display associated with the device) can be used to invoke specific functions, such as, launching an application, dialing telephone numbers or controlling audio playback in an MP3 player.
The invention more specifically relates to an arrangement in which a first gesture, for example, a movement of the finger from left-to-right across the screen is used to move to the next page in a sequence of pages whilst a second gesture, retracing the path of the first gesture, for example, a reverse stroke of the finger from right-to-left across the display causes the display to move back to the previous page in the sequence. If the user, then combines, or links these gestures to create a third gesture e.g. by stroking the finger first from left-to-right and then right-to-left without removing his finger from the surface of the screen, an additional function is invoked.
The Hearing Officer found the invention as currently claimed to lack an inventive step in light of the prior-art cited by the examiner. However, the applicant was given 2 months to file further amendments to overcome the examiner’s inventive step objection otherwise the application is to be refused under section 18(3).