The automatic unlocking function via Apple Watch has come under the observation lens of a US court (West Texas District Court) which will have to ascertain whether the Cupertino house has infringed a patent to make it. The judicial procedure was initiated by SmartWatch MobileConcepts, which accuses Apple of violating USPTO patent number 10,362,480 relating to “Systems, Methods, and Equipment to Enable Wearable Device Users to Secure Electronic Systems”.
Please note that the automatic unlock feature with Apple Watch was first presented by Apple during WWDC 2016 (June 13-17, 2016). The macOS Sierra beta 4 released on August 1 of the same year made it concretely available. In more recent times, Apple has also extended the ability to be unlocked via Apple Watch to iPhones equipped with FaceID. These timelines should be taken into consideration when reviewing SmartWatch MobileConcepts claims.
The application to obtain the patent mentioned in the summons was in fact filed with the USTPO on 11 August 2016, or after Apple had already made the function public. At first glance, the request of SmarWatch MobileConcepts, therefore, seems to be that of the patent troll on duty who tries to steal money from the Cupertino house by exploiting some legal quibble. In any case, the court will have to express itself on the matter.
It is not the first time that Apple has been accused of infringing patents to make its products, but there have been cases in which the company has managed to have the accusations rejected and/or to review the decisions. The story involving Apple and Caltech has recently returned to the fore: after a long dispute relating to the infringement of patents on WiFi technology, Apple managed to obtain a review of the compensation amount.
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