Originally Posted by SD69

This is a nice history of multitouch.

http://www.billbuxton.com/multitouchOverview.html

IIRC, according to Nokia, multitouch is defined as where the touch screen is contacted at a first point and the contact moves to a second point where it is released and so most HW is capable of multitouch according to this definition. This would mean the first handheld communications device with multitouch was invented by Nokia (not iPhone) in 2004.

Originally Posted by allnameswereout

http://tweakers.net/nieuws/57525/nok...lti-touch.html

Originally Posted by SD69

I don't understand that page or the patent. I was talking about multitouch on a touch screen display and that patent looks like they are swiping the keyboard?

Nokia wil ook patent op multi-touch

[...]

De patentaanvraag, die anderhalf jaar geleden is ingediend, maar Eerste Kerstdag werd gepubliceerd, beschrijft een techniek, waarbij de telefoon het plaatsen van knoppen aanpast op de manier, waarop de telefoon wordt vastgehouden. Het touchscreen kan daarbij meerdere vingers tegelijk detecteren, een techniek die voor het eerst in een smartphone werd toegepast in de iPhone. Het is onduidelijk of de patenten strijdig met elkaar zijn en of Apple actie wil ondernemen tegen Nokia vanwege dit patent.

Nokia also wants patent on multi-touch

[...]

The patent request which was submitted 1,5 year ago but made public on 24 decembre 2008 describes a technique in which the telephone adapts the places of buttons based on the way the telephone is held. This technique was on smartphones first applied in iPhone. It is unclear whether the patents are in conflict with each other, or whether Apple will sue Nokia because of this patent.

Originally Posted by allnameswereout

Forgot to translate and there is no English source in the article it seems except for the patent application.

The relevant part:



Rough translation:



Here is another interesting patent request: by Apple though...