December 30, 2011 - Apple announced that it has been granted a U.S. patent on the Multitouch technology that is integral to the iPhone. The new patent covers the oscillator signal and circuit necessary for sensing multiple touch events on a touch display.
The patent has been described as a victory for Apple because it will boost their IP arsenal. It was one of the over 200 patents the late Steve Jobs mentioned when Apple unveiled the initial iPhone in 2007.
Since Multitouch is almost ubiquitous in smartphones, new lawsuits are likely to be filed soon.