http://appft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=H...
https://www.claybavor.com/blog/a-canvas-made-of-pixels
He claims to have invented it prior to Apple, but he didn't publish before they got their patent in.
People like that are the worst. The sorest losers. I have unfortunately known quite a few of them and they tend to overestimate their abilities by a lot.