How Microsoft Can Defend Against Android Copycats
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Actually I thought of not writing on the Microsoft’s recent patents, but after seeing the Zune player clone for Android I thought its necessary to inform our readers on how Microsoft is going to defend these copycats from shipping their products. The answer is simple, patents. Patents are the only way we can protect the intellectual property. Here are some of the Microsoft’s recent patents related to Windows Phones.
INTEGRATED VIEWFINDER AND DIGITAL MEDIA :
A user interface can display active and passive content. For example, a
camera viewfinder image can be displayed on a screen, as part of a strip,
concatenated with one or more other images, for example, images that were
previously taken with the camera. A user can cause the viewfinder image and the
other images to move together across the screen. This can allow a user to easily
examine the other images and the viewfinder image without, for example,
switching between different screens in a user interface. Media captured with a
device can be associated with a media category by positioning a user interface
element near one or more other elements associated with the category.
GAME ACHIEVEMENTS SYSTEM
Systems and method for providing a game achievements system where players are
rewarded with game achievements based on mastering certain in-game facets of the
games they play. Each game achievement may be conveyed in a profile as a badge
or trophy, title, description, date, etc. Players may also accumulate points
based on game achievements. A display interface may be made available such that
a player may see his achievements and total points, as well as those of others.
PANORAMIC GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE
A panoramic graphical user interface includes a contiguous background and a
collection of mixed-media content objects. The contiguous background includes
one or more space-orientating graphical elements and is sized to fit within a
first dimension of a display and to extend beyond a second dimension of the
display. The collection of mixed-media content objects are anchored over the
contiguous background. The collection of mixed-media content objects are
arranged to fit within the first dimension of the display and arranged to extend
beyond the second dimension of the display
BTW, Ericsson owns Icon driven phone menu system which is the fundamental UI of both iOS and Android.
Microsoft clearly has the patents to defend their IP from being widely copied. Â Do our readers think they should or is there a benefit to having Android phone users enjoying the slick WP7 Metro UI? Let us know below.
