Haptic feedback company Immersion files patent infringement lawsuit against Apple

Apple just got hit with a lawsuit for almost every smartphone and smartwatch it has on sale. The company that filed the lawsuit is none other than Immersion, one that supplies haptic feedback tech to a number of manufacturers. The firm states that a number of Apple devices including Apple iPhone 6, Apple iPhone 6 Plus, Apple iPhone 6s, Apple iPhone 6s Plus, Apple Watch, Apple Watch Sport and Apple Watch Edition infringe Immersion patents.

Immersion in its official release stated that the above mentioned devices infringe on two of its patents. The first one is to do with the ‘Haptic Feedback System and Stored Effects’ (U.S. Patent No. 8,619,051) which allows a device to provide feedback by responding with a vibration and even the ability to store those patterns and effects. The second patent is to do with the ‘Method and Apparatus for Providing Tactile Sensations’ which involves the technology used to provide the vibration feedback.

Apple technologies like 3D Touch, Force Touch, the Taptic Engine inside the Apple Watch, and vibration patterns for ringtones and notifications infringe on Immersion’s patents.

“Immersion and its employees have worked diligently for over 20 years to invent solutions and build an ecosystem of content and playback devices that enable realistic and rich digital experiences. Touch matters, as it informs, excites and humanizes the digital world we interact with every day. Many of our licensed customers are market leaders that benefit from our innovation in touch technology,” said Immersion’s CEO Victor Viegas.

“While we are pleased to see others in the industry recognize the value of haptics and adopt it in their products, it is important for us to protect our business against infringement of our intellectual property in order to preserve the ecosystem we have built and the investments that we have made in continuing to advance haptic experiences,” added Viegas. “We will vigorously defend the intellectual property we have developed when it is infringed.”

Also a part of the patent infringement lawsuit is AT&T, a US carrier who so far has been picked up for promoting the use of the technologies that infringe Immersion’s patents.

Even worse is that the haptic feedback specialist has also filed a complaint with the US International Trade Commission. The same seeks an exclusion order that could see the a nationwide sales ban in the US on all Apple devices that infringe upon the said patent.