Re: [Patents] questions

[Bernard Lang <Bernard.Lang@inria.fr>]

seems my previous message was lost ...  may be a failure on my site.


What is supposed to be new about this MS patent ?

Wristwatches have had that for a long time.  And by any definition
they are "limited resource computing devices", and have application
buttons ... for example, one application is turning the light on,
another is switching to another time zone.

Or can one get new patents depending on whether the resources of the
computing devices are :
  - quasi unlimited
  - very large
  - somewhat limited
  - fairly limited
  - very limited
  - tightly limited
  - nearly non-existant

If we cross that with other possible properties of the device such as
size of buttons, number of buttons, existence and size of screen,
color of plastic case, age of the user, that can make a very large
number of distinct situations justifying new patents.

   ... which is good for patent offices because they have to make a
living.

so, more seriously, what is supposed to be the contribution ?


Bernard


* Jonas Maebe <jonas.maebe@ugent.be>, le 17-08-04, a écrit:
> 
> On 17 aug 2004, at 00:00, Magosányi Árpád wrote:
> 
> >1.
> >The United States Patent  6,727,830 is not about mouse doubleclick,
> >but about function keys of mobile computing devices.
> 
> It is not about mobile computing devices, it is about "limited resource 
> computing devices". Unless you have an "unlimited resource computing 
> device" in your closet, that applies to any and all computers. It says 
> nothing about function keys, only about "application buttons". I don't 
> know what an application button is, do you? I don't see why that 
> couldn't refer to a mouse button.
> 
> It's indeed not directly about double click however, since it's about 
> how long you keep the button pressed, not what the delay is between two 
> different clicks. There may be a way to interpret the claims so it also 
> covers a double click however. At least the applicants suggest it can 
> cover it, but that has no juridical value of course.
> 
> >2.
> >The patent numbers on the webshop graphics are bogus: they are six
> >digit, but EPO patent numbers are seven digit, hence the references
> >are unreachable.
> 
> As Eric said, the links on http://webshop.ffii.org work fine. Simply ;
> add a leading 0 to get 7 digit numbers if they are required by some 
> interface.
> 
> 
> Jonas
>