Apple Granted Patent for 3D Version of OS X

Apple has been granted a patent today for their invention relating to a 3D version of OS X titled "Multi-Dimensional Application Environment." Apple filed for this patent back in December 2008.

Apple's First Patent Claim Reads: A method executed by one or more processing devices, the method comprising: causing to be displayed a first surface and a second surface, the first surface and second surface intersecting at an edge and defining a three-dimensional display environment; causing to be displayed on the second surface visualization objects; receiving an input to scroll the second surface; and in response to the input, scrolling the second surface, including: scrolling the visualization objects with the second surface; and when the visualization objects are at the edge, moving the visualization objects into an anchor stack at the edge while the second surface continues scrolling.

Apple credits John Louch, Imran Chaudhri, Christopher Hynes, Tim Bumgarner and Eric Peyton as the inventors of this granted patent which was originally filed in Q2 2007.

Apple Granted Three Design Patents Today

Apple has been granted three design patents today covering the MacBook Pro, an icon and what appears to be the MacBook Pro's battery outlay under D676,437.

It's Granted Patent Day

Readers should be aware that every Tuesday the US Patent and Trademark Office publish Apple's Granted Patents. Granted patents are approved patent applications that Apple applied for months or even years ago. In the vast majority of cases, "granted patents" aren't covering any new kind of technology on the day the patent is being granted. New Apple technologies are generally revealed on Thursdays by the US Patent Office in the form of published patent applications. Some Mac sites confuse this process by making claims and presenting bylines on Tuesday that insinuate that Apple has just revealed a new technology or process. In 99% of cases, this is simply untrue and readers should be made aware of this fact. Known exceptions would include patents that were recently acquired by Apple or a domestic and/or foreign patent application that Apple had never presented in the US before under its own brand name.

Patently Apple presents only a brief summary of granted patents with associated graphics for journalistic news purposes as each Granted Patent is revealed by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. Readers are cautioned that the full text of any Granted Patent should be read in its entirety for full details. About Comments: Patently Apple reserves the right to post, dismiss or edit comments.

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