Apple filed claim, Face ID and other iPhone camera functions infringe an engineer’s patent

Apple has been sued recently, accused of infringing on a series of patents owned by an engineer with many camera functions of its iPhone.

This lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas on Thursday, claiming that Apple knowingly infringed five patents related to mobile phone cameras.

Specifically, these patents relate to technologies that can assist users to interact with smartphones, including unlocking devices, capturing images or videos, and other functions.

The plaintiff in the lawsuit, Gesture Technology Partners, LLC, was founded by Dr. Timothy Pryor in 2013. Pryor is the sole inventor of five sued patents. The patents indicted are US Patent Nos. 8,194,924, 7,933,431, 8,878,949, and 8,553,079.

According to the complaint, a series of different Apple functions infringed intellectual property rights, including Face ID, Smart HDR, facial recognition in images, and optical image stabilization. Interestingly, the lawsuit also pointed out that Apple and Dr. Pryor had a previous partnership.

Apple has purchased patents and technologies from Dr. Pryor in the past, including his patent portfolio for multi-touch’ in 2010. The patent stated that Dr. Pryor later assisted Apple in claiming the multi-touch portfolio to HTC.

The complaint stated that Dr. Pryor had contacted Apple regarding camera-based patent licensing issues. The complaint stated that Apple responded to Dr. Pryor but did not take any measures to avoid infringement. Because of this, the lawsuit alleges that Apple directly and knowingly infringed these patents, and the plaintiff was harmed.

These patents themselves cover a variety of patented technologies, including camera-based interaction and instructions and camera-based sensing in handheld, mobile, gaming, or other devices.

The lawsuit requires a jury trial and a verdict that Apple has violated intellectual property rights. Additionally, it also seeks compensation for all losses and expenses incurred due to the alleged infringement, interest on compensation; as well as attorney’s fees, and other legal expenses.

(Via)