Roy Schestowitz wrote:
> yttrx on Saturday
>
>> Wow. You know, I have to wonder if microsoft has had a kernel
>> programmer of any skill since it lifted the NT kernel from VMS.
>
> Have a look at this.
>
> Painting over the patent earthquake
>
> ,----[ Quote ]
> | As Microsoft kernel guru Marc Russinovich said two years ago, "The
> | two operating systems are very similar from a kernel perspective,
> | because as engineers work on problems they look around to see what's
> | working elsewhere. So you end up with a lot of similarities".
> `----
>
> http://opinion.zdnet.co.uk/leader/0,1000002208,39284804,00.htm
>
> Microsoft is learning from Linux, possibly copying from or learning the
> source code as well.
Microsoft has several thousand patents filed or approved:
https://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2005/apr05/04-11IPSmallBizPR.mspx
| Microsoft remains committed to licensing its intellectual property to
| companies of all sizes and maintains a growing worldwide patent portfolio
| that includes several thousand issued and pending U.S. and international
| patents.
Some things are mind boggling. Here is one, just to give an idea of how
trivial an idea can be patented.
http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=
%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-bool.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&co1=AND&d=PTXT&s1=
microsoft.ASNM.&s2=(%22limited+resource+computing+device%22.BSUM.+or+
%22limited+resource+computing+device%22.DETD.+or+%22limited+resource+
computing+device%22.DRWD.)&OS=AN/microsoft+AND+SPEC/"limited+resource+
computing+device"&RS=AN/microsoft+AND+SPEC/"limited+resource+computing+
device"
or http://tinyurl.com/yh786y
| United States Patent 6,727,830
| Lui, et al. April 27, 2004
|
| Time based hardware button for application launch
|
| Abstract
|
| A method and system are provided for extending the functionality of
| application buttons on a limited resource computing device. Alternative
| application functions are launched based on the length of time an
| application button is pressed. A default function for an application is
| launched if the button is pressed for a short, i.e., normal, period of
| time. An alternative function of the application is launched if the button
| is pressed for a long, (e.g., at least one second), period of time. Still
| another function can be launched if the application button is pressed
| multiple times within a short period of time, e.g., double click.
|
| Inventors: Lui; Charlton E. (Redmond, WA), Blum; Jeffrey R. (Seattle, WA)
| Assignee: Microsoft Corporation (Redmond, WA)
| Appl. No.: 10/195,256
| Filed: July 12, 2002
Indeed this seems trivial. Time dependent momentary contact switch gets
patent. If it were something that was unique about the switch, then one
might consider it patentable. This is an example of what software has
received patents. It is like patenting mechanical switch key bounce
software.
--
HPT
|
|
