T 2004/17 - Patent for zoom bounce-back effect

 Key points

• This decision concerns a patent application of Apple with filing date in 2008.
• Claim 1 is directed to basically a device with instructions for displaying a document and deals with zooming in and the maximum zoom level. In the invention, in the words of the Board: “the zoom-in level reached during the user's gesture does not persist, upon termination of the user's gesture, if this zoom-in level exceeds a threshold value; instead, the document is then displayed at a zoom-in level equal to this threshold value”.
• D3 is the closest prior art and “implements a hard stop, wherein if a maximum zoom-in level is reached during the gesture, the zooming-in action is stopped during the gesture and the document is persistently displayed at this maximum zoom-in level even if the user's gesture is continued”
• Hence in the invention there is a “providing the zoom bounce-back effect”
• The Board finds this to be inventive. “the appellant argued persuasively that in D3 the absence of feedback when the hard stop is reached may confuse the user, who may then repeatedly attempt to perform the zoom-in gesture without receiving any response before understanding that the document cannot be viewed at a greater zoom level. In contrast, the zoom bounce-back in claim 1 definitely provides clear feedback that the maximum zoom level has been reached and that no additional input is required”
• As a comment, readers may recall  Apple's rubber band patent and the Apple's 2007 own iPhone presentation as killing prior art in Germany (the critical moment is I think around 32:40; ipcopy blog, FOSS blog both with embedded Youtube video). By the way interesting to see the first iPhone again. 

T 2004/17

https://www.epo.org/law-practice/case-law-appeals/recent/t172004eu1.html

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