Two Magic Mouse patents that never made their way to the USPTO’s public database have magically showed up in the European Patent Office for reasons unknown. Patently Apple reveals that of the two patents covered, both reference optical tracking, and suggests that implementing laser tracking was a last minute decision. The patents themselves cover how Apple handles touch based input (mainly how the mouse decides between what’s an actual gesture or an erratic movement).

” […] when moving the mouse in order to move the input pointer in the UI, it could be difficult for the user to avoid making certain finger motions on the mouse surface, which can be erroneously interpreted as an intended gesture, e.g., a scroll gesture. Conversely, when making certain robust gestures on the mouse surface, e.g., a rotate gesture, in order to cause the computing system to perform an operation, it could be difficult for the user to avoid moving the mouse, which could be erroneously interpreted as an intended mouse motion.”

It’s a rather technical patent that covers things such as ‘errant motion suppression’ and how the Magic Mouse could still read a scroll as one rests their palm on the surface, but don’t take our word for it. The geeky type may want to head to the source for specific information regarding how Apple’s algorithms achieve such precise input.

[via Patently Apple]