OT: Microsoft patents "timed button presses"

[Keith F Weatherhead]

Sounds like the person that invented the lights for stoves and 
clothes dryers should sue M$.  Those were "limited resource 
computing devices" as they timed cooking meals or drying clothes and 
you had to press and hold the button to turn the light on or press 
and release to turn it off.  I figure this should cost M$ a few 
billion as these were established LONG before M$ existed.

Keith
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Kenneth Brody wrote:

> US Patent 6,727,830 dated 27-April-2004
> 
>     A method and system are provided for extending the functionality
>     of application buttons on a limited resource computing device.
>     Alternative application functions are launched based on the length
>     of time an application button is pressed. A default function for
>     an application is launched if the button is pressed for a short,
>     i.e., normal, period of time. An alternative function of the
>     application is launched if the button is pressed for a long, (e.g.,
>     at least one second), period of time. Still another function can
>     be launched if the application button is pressed multiple times
>     within a short period of time, e.g., double click.
> 
> http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=/netahtml/srchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=6,727,830.WKU.&OS=PN/6,727,830&RS=PN/6,727,830
> 

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Keith F. Weatherhead                   keithw at ddltd.com

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