If you’ve used a touchscreen, an automated door opener or automated faucet today, it is probably based on the technology of inventor and entrepreneur Hal Philipp. Robert J. Marks and Hal Philipp address patents, litigation, and entrepreneurship today on Mind Matters.

Show Notes

• 0:00:52 | Introducing Hal Philipp
• 0:01:34 | Robot boxer
• 0:04:08 | Tektronix, Optical Technology
• 0:07:25 | Automatic doors
• 0:09:30 | Automatic faucet
• 0:10:48 | Moving to England
• 0:11:08 | Electric field and proximity sensing
• 0:18:37 | Charge transfer sensing
• 0:20:53 | Liquid level sensing and Formula One
• 0:22:18 | Key fob sensing technology
• 0:24:36 | Touch controls in kitchen appliances
• 0:26:50 | History of the touchscreen
• 0:29:42 | Making touchscreens cheap and reliable
• 0:31:25 | Defining a patent
• 0:35:12 | Patenting and plagiarism
• 0:38:20 | Patent trolls
• 0:41:58 | Mixed emotions about inventing the touchscreen and creating “a planet full of zombies”
• 0:43:27 | The Power Mac G4 Cube and beginning a relationship with Apple
• 0:44:40 | Terms and conditions and a souring relationship with Apple
• 0:45:50 | Meeting with Johnny Ive and the unlicensed use of patented technology via a third party, FingerWorks
• 0:50:23 | The iPod, Cypress Semiconductor, and an inexpensive capacitive wheel
• 0:53:10 | The Markman hearing delineating the patent claim
• 0:55:12 | Being nice in the midst of a nasty hearing, liking Apple, and the upside of Apple adopting and validating a technology
• 0:56:18 | Protecting patents is a costly and tough-minded endeavor
• 0:58:59 | Going to trial, an “offer you can’t refuse”, and selling the company
• 1:00:13 | The challenge of finding good engineers
• 1:01:57 | Apple and Atmel settle
• 1:03:06 | Advice to budding entrepreneurs
• 1:05:25 | Don’t Do This At Home
• 1:05:38 | Discovery and the litigation process
• 1:09:30 | Looking for a foundation
• 1:11:03 | The Thiel Scholarships
• 1:12:04 | Creativity & flashes of genius
• 1:13:07 | Two anecdotes of creativity
• 1:18:30 | A book release?

Additional Resources

• Atmel
• H. Philipp and R.J. Marks II “Microprocessor based light bridge sensors,” Industrial Optical Sensing, SPIE vol.961, pp.28-34, 1988 (The Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers, Bellingham, WA)
• besam?
• List of Hal Philipp’s patents
• Formula One
• Indium tin oxide
• IEEE
• Marius Meland, “Apple Sued Over Keyboard Technology“, Law 360 (January 1, 2006)
• “Sensor firm warns Apple over iPhone“, Electronics Weekly (February 19, 2007)
• “Apple/Quantum spat takes another twist“, Electronics Weekly (February 27, 2007)
• FingerWorks
• Markman hearing