Someone just shot the monkey. Patent Monkey, a Web-based patent database, is closing up shop and selling its assets to domain-name holding company Internet Real Estate Group (IREG) and Monster Venture Partners (MVP). (Disclosure: Patent Monkey is a CrunchGear affiliate). The Patent Monkey search and index capabilities will serve as the back-end technology for Patents.com, which IRG recently… → Read More
While Congress takes a break for August on The Patent Reform Act, two competitors are stealing some of the thunder: the USPTO and the US Circuit of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC). Heads are spinning to keep abreast of the broad, rapid-fire changes that are being dealt to the patent universe. Namely, just this week, the CAFC reversed its view on willful infringement damages in a case with… → Read More
OOOOH, multi-touch: Apple’s going to a multi-touch laptop and mouse.. Think of the possibilities!!!!! Remember FireWire? Apple poured tons of resources into a superior technology with hopes of driving an industry to see data transfer from device to device in a new, faster way. With 53 patents protecting the project, it represents one of a number of over-hyped, under-utilized areas of… → Read More
Recent news that Apple had applied for a means to disable recharging on a stolen device, we now have learned that Cingular conceived an even broader concept: shutting down a wireless device when out of a communication with a WiFi zone. Applicable to a number of devices beyond just cell phones, AT&T has patented a means to lock out stolen (or borrowed) wirelessly enabled gear… → Read More
Pulling my head out of monkey work, it is August in Towson, MD, my home town, and the Manly Arts Festival has arrived. The event: How did the gentlemen of Hampton settle their differences, show off their physical prowess, and learn the skills they might need at any time to defend themselves, their families, and their country? Historic martial arts! → Read More
As a consumer, I love the idea of the iPhone (=interoperability with Macs, iTunes, etc.), but in reality there are a number of features that need considering when looking at dropping several Franklins on a phone (e.g. GPS, WiFi, maintenance). Namely, Nokia announced this week that the N-Series line drove sales and profits. Despite being a big Apple fan, I’m going to lay out some facts from… → Read More
Sony PS3 has to work through a couple litigation suits and can now add the PS3 cell processor to the list. Sony is on the receiving side of a litigation suit that claims that the PS3 infringes an almost 20 year old patent (via the magic of continuations). Parallel Processing Corporation, which claims to be International Parallel Machines exclusive licensee, claims rights to US patent 5056000. → Read More
This week Nokia received a patent for more than just mere ringtones, but ringtones that can be modified with a secondary tone, or what they call “compound ring tones“. Oh yes, get all your friends to record singing to your favorite song as a way to know who’s calling. Details after the jump… → Read More
“May you live in interesting times”, or so they say. The USPTO and IP attorneys have been handed very interesting times indeed with recent Supreme Court decisions and Congressional alignment in pushing ahead the Patent Reform Act of 2007. History may show the turning point of frustration to be NTP’s infringement case against RIM that almost shut down the Blackberry network. Ever… → Read More
What if the Zune was a cell phone? What if it had a touch screen on the back of it? What could you do with it? Microsoft slipped in a patent application covering a cell phone that can be used as a touch screen computer mouse for your PC. After searching on the topic, we’ve uncovered Microsoft-two-sided-cell-phone-touch-screen-control-your-PC-by-WiFi patent application goodness. Whew, details… → Read More
We get asked about how to search patents, more from people that know a little bit, but want more insight into how to search a better. In this post, we’ll give you the five steps we use to perform an initial review of an idea in the patent arena. While not as comprehensive as Patent It Yourself, techies interested in some 411, come on in… → Read More
Sony’s seamless game system to mobile device published application has me thinking about the allure of the iPhone and the state of hype in the cell phone industry. Throughout 2007, Sony has had a slew of platform crossing technologies leaked out mostly through patent applications, which end up making for great vaporware, and all possible fanboy excitement has been greatly dampened by Apple… → Read More
Getting home, to a hotel or to a friend’s house in the wee hours may get easier thanks to Samsung’s new patented technology covering a means for transmitting directions from where you are to a desired destination location using your cell phone at the push of a button. Let’s just say this feature is as smart as Facebook opening up a developer API platform. Some potential mash-up… → Read More
Local.com (NASDAQ: LOCM) announced today the issuance of a patented technology for paid search results provided in response to a request for directory assistance. The company hopes to tap into mobile and voice application paid search market using a pay per referral model. Local.com says this complements its recently received location based search technology. Details, and a bit of commentary, after… → Read More
In the past two weeks, Peer-to-Patent has opened up a USPTO approved project allowing an open review of pending patent applications. Registered members are encouraged to read through the patents available and provide opinions on prior art and obviousness that can then become part of the PTO Examiners review of non-patent references. Today, Peer-to-Patent announced that they have taken a space on… → Read More
Apple notes it is the only player one of two players in WiFi enabled smart phones offering expanded reach when cell coverage is, well, not so good. This week, NEC was issued a related patent on wirelessly downloading files by selecting between cellular or WiFi networks reminding us that the iPhone is going to launch with so many cool features, and will most happily step on some toes in doing so. → Read More
So genesis of the iPhone was sometime back in 2005, right? Interestingly, Apple happened to file a continuation on a patent application around that time covering a Universal Remote for controlling a number of home entertainment devices. A touch screen, hand held controller with a dynamic display that interacts with your entertainment appliances for information and can control a growing array of… → Read More
Sorting through this week’s cell phone makers’ issued patents, I found a couple examples of patented concepts (dating back to 2000-2001) that have found their way into the market more than once by means of “fast following”. In this post-KSR patent world, fast following on cool features will likely become even more important for manufacturers. Seen the above from a couple… → Read More
Smart, simple and marketable. Samsung’s male adapter USB antenna for a cell phone is all of these things, yet, it is a feature not easily found. No losing a cord to charge my cell phone on the road, just a friendly USB connection to suck power from anything else in my bag with a port, and, well, power. This kind of universal access would be a major convenience. More description and why this… → Read More
Two things show a company is getting ramped up to enter a business – filing for patents and lining up a trademark. Microsoft has done both in the online video arena and could be in a position to take on Joost. A recently filed trademark image and a look at Joost matched up to Microsoft’s video + chat patent after the jump. → Read More
Microsoft recently received a patent covering enhanced TV by streaming an interactive layer in conjunction with the broadcast content. One of many video related patents that they hold, actually. While the Nintendo Wii has brought us one step closer to point-and-click TV without much of a word being uttered about its potential and Joost soaks up the glory of being an innovative new TV platform… → Read More
Sony has so many creative options. Case in point, while working on motion sensing camera image stabilization, Sony discovered a way to use the camera’s sensors to scroll the camera’s display around a stored image. This concept is kind of like the recently covered motion sensing tablet. This technology sparks some promising [suggestive] thoughts of applications for the other platforms… → Read More
With the news of Microsoft Surface announced, we found detail behind how the technology might work. During the Popular Mechanics interview, Microsoft noted that the display uses a series of IR sensors to detect objects on the surface providing controls of objects. A recently published Microsoft patent application provides further insight (and images) on how these sensors work. → Read More
Target Technologies has filed a patent suit against Sony stating that its Blu-ray technologies infringe on a Target Technologies patent covering Sony’s use of a less corrosive and less costly Silver based alloy layer for its Blu-ray discs. Target Technologies has a series of related patents dating back to filings in June 1998 covering the use of metal alloys for the reflective layer of an… → Read More
Nokia received a newly issued patent covering a laptop-style device with two touch screens and a removable keyboard. Nokia shows in this patent its development breadth towards the convergence of laptops and cell phones and has created this concept to smartly attain a smaller device size with improved functionality. → Read More
took far less resource and time to develop than that. Without a doubt, the KSR v. Teleflex Supreme Court decision has changed the patent landscape that we at PatentMonkey.com operate in. Without delving into a position piece on the pro’s of IP ownership, we now ask the question, “So what does this all mean?” → Read More
Dennis Dilbeck, a Netflix subscriber, filed a class action lawsuit claiming that Netflix controlled the online DVD rental market by leveraging fraudulently obtained patents making for an unusual patent-based anti-trust case filed earlier this year (recently made public) which is consistent with Blockbuster’s counter suit against Netflix. Dilbeck presents a case that Netflix withheld critical… → Read More
A fact about innovation is that ideas that are tried fail much more often than they succeed. Frequently, a team can shut down a dead project long before anyone in the market knows it was even attempted. In the case of companies like P&G that patent protect concepts as they are being market tested, some cleaning up becomes necessary after the fact. → Read More
Vonage is fighting possible bankruptcy, need for a new CEO and investor frustration. While the potential for it to escape Verizon’s litigation grip has some hope, a more radical step by an aggressive buyer could just be the trick. Vonage has appealed its loss to Verizon on patent infringement. The Supreme Court’s ruling on patent obviousness has begun to change the patent landscape… → Read More
, TiVo describes use of an encryption key technique that has so many possible combinations that the ability to crack it could take billions of years of number crunching. TiVo has developed technology to create a link between a host and a local hard drive using an encryption key to lock down any access by you, the user, unless the code can be correctly identified. This concept builds upon the… → Read More
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