Apple wins patent for iPhone touch-screen controls

Apple has won a US patent for touch-screen controls and gained a potential legal weapon against iPhone competitors.
US Patent 7,479,949 is awarded to "(Steve)" for a method of "detecting one or more finger contacts with the touch screen display" to command computing devices.
A multi-page patent available online at the US Patent and Trade Office on Monday details iPhone or iPod Touch commands such as finger or thumb swiping, twisting, or spreading to flip pages, rotate views, or enlarge images.
The patent was issued last week, a day before Apple on January 21 announced record-high quarterly profits.