Patented Gestures Detailed 87
An anonymous reader writes "Annalee Newitz wrote a fresh/interesting/informative piece on the io9 site about 10 Gestures that are already patented; unsurprisingly by the likes of Apple, Microsoft and Nintendo. But it's the other patent holders on the list that seem more interesting to me: Xerox, Lucent, Palm and lesser known Gesturetek have very broad patents for this tech."
Re:raised fist, knuckles down, middle finger exten (Score:5, Insightful)
I read it. They patented communication. That a particular action is interpreted as a sign of a particular intent.
Consider the hand signs used by the deaf, or the action in the title I used. An action is a symbol recognition for any intent is communication.
Patents can apply to a way to recognize an action. Or a way to apply a signaled intent.
But a symbol, and that is all a gesture of any sort is, is way beyond what should be covered.