UK Govt challenging patent on wireless networking in schools

[James Heald <j.heald@ucl.ac.uk>]

As Ian Lynch tries to explain to Malcolm Harbour, 

        http://mail.gnu.org/archive/html/fsfe-uk/2003-06/msg00224.html

EP0664061 gives Frontline Technology a monopoly on the use of wireless
networking in schools to update data about students (filed 1992, granted
1999).


The patent is now being challenged by the Treasury Solicitor (the
official lawyers for the UK government), 

        http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/management/tools/ims/patent/

and according to Ian the company also recently backed down in another
fight.


Claim 1:

http://l2.espacenet.com/espacenet/bnsviewer?CY=ep&LG=en&DB=EPD&PN=EP0664061&ID=EP+++0664061B1+I+

A student data collection system comprising a central computer (12)
including a data collation program and wireless transceiver means (14),
and a plurality of portable data collection units (2) for use by
teachers/supervisors, each of which also includes wireless transceiver
means (10) for communication with the central computer; characterised in
that the central computer includes means for downloading respective sets
of student data to each of the portable units, and in that each portable
unit (2) includes manual data input means (8) and a data logging program
so that the user can enter student attendance and/or other data to
produce an output for uploading to the central computer which is a
combination of the downloaded data and the manual input by the user.


The Frontline front page has a couple of (rather carefully selected?)
quotes from UK government ministers, apparently supporting the company.

http://www.frontline-technology.com/

http://www.frontline-technology.com/explained.html