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Another stupid patent. — Parallax Forums

Another stupid patent.

Heater.Heater. Posts: 21,230
edited 2013-03-11 15:41 in General Discussion
A while ago we had a discussion about how to communicate between a program on a mobile phone and our beloved Propeller hardware.
One suggestion that came up was using audio. After all a smart phone can make whatever sound on demand and has an audio input.

Well, it's time to get on to the US patent office and tell them about it because it seems the boss of Amazon now has a patent on that idea.

http://appft1.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PG01&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=%2220130060857%22.PGNR.&OS=DN/20130060857&RS=DN/20130060857

Not to mention that such audio communications between devices is hardly new.

Sometimes I do believe the world has gone mad. Or at least the patent office should be closed down and all it's workers sent back to primary school.

Comments

  • RobotWorkshopRobotWorkshop Posts: 2,307
    edited 2013-03-11 12:12
    Hmm. Wasn't that called a modem? I remember the days of the out acoustic modems and it sounds like the same thing to me.......
  • kwinnkwinn Posts: 8,697
    edited 2013-03-11 12:42
    On the plus side though the patent office must be providing a lot of jobs for the mentally challenged!
  • Peter KG6LSEPeter KG6LSE Posts: 1,383
    edited 2013-03-11 12:43
    Hehehe Acoustical modem Attachment not found. * Yes I almost bought it too. ....
    Perhaps I can telnet in to modor with it ....

    Amazon is Treading on thin ice with this patent ....
  • ZootZoot Posts: 2,227
    edited 2013-03-11 12:45
    Whether this is patentable I can't say -- seems like it shouldn't be -- but the patent is clearly for "sharing content" (i.e. music, e-books, pdfs) between devices in "audible range" and specifically using speakers and microphones, not the audio in/out jacks with a cable, and not transmitting serial info like micro controller commands.
  • TorTor Posts: 2,010
    edited 2013-03-11 12:50
    Well, sharing content via audio was invented hundreds of milions of years ago, and has been popular ever since. So I agree with the "send them back to primary school" argument, as the patent examiners are clearly somewhat underdeveloped in the educational department.

    -Tor
  • Heater.Heater. Posts: 21,230
    edited 2013-03-11 14:11
    zoot,

    When you say "content" I guess you mean data. What on earth is the difference between "content" and "serial info like micro controller commands". It's all just bits you know.

    Also, who said anything about cables? Using speakers and microphones is how acoustic modems worked when I was a lad in the 1970's.

    Also, reading the patent I see that it does not include sharing e-books, pdf's etc. You know, actual "content". No, what gets transferred acoustically is only a web site link so that the receiving guy can download the stuff from there. After all, transferring a whole e-book acoustically would take hours and be very unreliable.

    All in all, it's brain damaged.
  • WBA ConsultingWBA Consulting Posts: 2,934
    edited 2013-03-11 14:35
    This statement here is what should have caused this patent to be denied: "and accessing the content with the second device utilizing at least part of the information associated with accessing the content, wherein the second device accesses the content from a source other than the first device". This makes it sound like they could be patenting using an audible signal from one device to send an encoded URL to another device that then accesses the internet. Almost as if you would be trying to patent basic NFC transfers. How does this stuff get through the patent office?
  • tonyp12tonyp12 Posts: 1,951
    edited 2013-03-11 15:41
    >How does this stuff get through the patent office?
    I think it pretty much become a money making machine, they patent anything as long you pay.
    And then they just refer you to the court system to fight for your patent.
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