Microsoft has cause to celebrate, since it has been granted a patent on the double-click! Yes, just when you thought that these patents should not get any sillier, now Microsoft owns the rights to double clicking. Patent number 6,727,830 was granted to Microsoft on April 27.
An abstract of the application says: "A method and system are provided for extending the functionality of application buttons on a limited resource computing device. Alternative application functions are launched based on the length of time an application button is pressed. A default function for an application is launched if the button is pressed for a short, i.e., normal, period of time.
"An alternative function of the application is launched if the button is pressed for a long, (e.g., at least one second), period of time. Still another function can be launched if the application button is pressed multiple times within a short period of time, e.g., double click."