More patent infringement news today, as computer maker Dell, Inc. (NASDAQ: DELL) is being sued by a company that creates touch-screen technology. Also named in the lawsuit is Motion Computing, who makes tablet PCs. You know, the kind that look like laptops with touch screens minus the keyboard in most cases.

It's hard to see how touch screen computing can be something under a patent infringement lawsuit, but Typhoon Touch Technologies filed the suit as co-plaintiff with its licensee, Nova Mobility Systems. Motion Computing is headquartered in Austin Texas, just outside Dell's headquarters of Round Rock, Texas.

Motion Computing VP Michael Stinson said that "we had no idea this was coming" when asked to comment about the lawsuit, adding that "we don't believe our products infringe on any valid claims in the alleged patents." Dell has not yet responded to the lawsuit, which was filed December 5th of last week.

But, I have to love the ambiguous title of the patent both Dell and Motion Computing are infringing upon: "Portable Computer with Touch Screen and Computer System Employing Same." That could apply to a few hundred products from the description alone, although the patents in question by Typhoon were filed in 1995 and 1997.