[Patents] Revenge of the Pie Chart

[Nick Fleming marmalade@x-stream.co.uk]

Ok, while doing a patent search on IBM's database (its free!)
I came across this little gem :


US5475810: Pie chart processing method and processor

Application Number : US1992000834405

Abstract:
A pie chart processor obtains the coordinates of a point
indicated by a pointing device, calculates the distance between
this point and the center of a pie chart, and compares this distance
with the radius of the pie chart to decide whether the point is
located in the pie chart. If the point is in the pie chart, the
processor tests slices of the pie chart to find a slice containing
the point, then executes a program corresponding to that slice.

This is nothing more than stating a HIGH SCHOOL mathamatical
method for determining whether a point is in inside a circle or not,
right ? Sigh ....  Coming soon 'Teachers sued for patent infringement
on computer course maths test'..

NickF.