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This page contains all of the posts and discussion on MemeStreams referencing the following web page: More reasons to restart the patent system. You can find discussions on MemeStreams as you surf the web, even if you aren't a MemeStreams member, using the Threads Bookmarklet.

More reasons to restart the patent system
by Dagmar at 11:47 am EST, Nov 29, 2012

So, basically, here's a patent on using metal-impregnated fabrics to interact with a capacitive touchscreen. Nothing really new here, just an obvious solution to a technical problem which perhaps was counted as an "invention" based on the following factors:

1. They filed for a patent.
2. They used a large number of big words.
3. They specifically mention a number of very fancy-sounding conductive materials.
4. They cited specific electrical values, which clearly means that science was involved.

I stumbled across this thing with one Google search after five minutes of experimentation to figure out what I needed to do with my gloves so that I wouldn't need to take them off to work my screen. Simple answer: I needed to use a conductor to my actual fingertip, and I felt the shiny silver metalized thread I had around could maybe be done with something fancier.

Five fucking minutes. Obvious problem... gloves making touchscreen useless, and obvious solution... make fingertip ground to wearer.

I could literally put a blob of JB Quik on my glove fingertip and then spend a few moments stabbing pinholes through it and the glove tip so that the conductive epoxy is smeared through the holes and would be touching my fingertip once dried, and it would work.


 
 
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