Windows Phone Thoughts: Button Click Timing Patent Granted to Microsoft

"Microsoft Corp. has been granted a patent relating to the use of buttons on hardware devices that form part of a user interface. U.S. patent 6,727,830, granted April 27, is described as a "time-based hardware button for application launch." The patent abstract goes on to explain that the patent relates to how different functions can be invoked depending on whether a button is clicked once, clicked and held down for a period of time, or double-clicked within a short period of time."

So you know how when you press the button on your Pocket PC once to start up the Calendar app, then you press it again immediately after to switch the view? Well, Microsoft has not patented this. Seems a bit frivolous to me, but I suppose in the world we live in, if Microsoft didn't patent it someone else would. Does prior art apply to before the patent was granted, or does it have to come before the patent holder first used the patented technique? :roll: