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Dear list(s),<br><br>
Has anyone actually <b>done </b>a full search of GI/GIS related patents
(software and methods) on USPTO <b>and </b>reported it to the GI/GIS
community(ies)?<br><br>
I just typed in the words "geographic information" to be
searched in the Abstract field and found <b>75 hits</b>, such as the one
below - which I am *sure* many software developers here in Europe are or
may be infringing, given the scope of the claim!<br><br>
Kind regards<br><br>
Roger<br>
ral@alum.mit.edu<br><br>
=======================================<br><br>
<b>United States Patent 6,772,142 <br>
Kelling , et al.</b> <b>August 3, 2004 <br>
</b><hr>
<font size=4>Method and apparatus for collecting and expressing
geographically-referenced data <br><br>
</font><div align="center"><b>Abstract<br><br>
</b></div>
A web-based implemented system <b>in which observers may pinpoint
locations on a scalable map in order to fix data by latitude and
longitude and to collect data describing that location</b>. Also
permitted within the system is the selection of non-contiguous groups of
geographic data points for analysis. Although not limited thereto, the
system may be used to track bird sightings and migration patterns as well
as other bird related information and data. The mapping is scalable and
can be integrated with a <b><i>Geographic Information</i></b> System
(GIS), e.g. elevation, vegetation or city maps. Variations over time can
be analyzed for a specific point, and pattern movements across points can
be tracked. <br>
<hr>
Inventors: <b>Kelling; Steven T.</b> (Berkshire, NY); <b>Beloin; Ronald
M.</b> (Ithaca, NY); <b>Fitzpatrick; John W.</b> (Ithaca, NY); <b>Gill;
Frank B.</b> (Rushland, PA); <b>Slothower; Roger L.</b> (Ithaca, NY);
<b>Fredericks; Thomas A.</b> (Van Etten, NY) <br>
Assignee: <b>Cornell Research Foundation, Inc.</b> (Ithaca, NY);
<b>National Audubon Society, Inc.</b> (New York, NY) <br>
Appl. No.: <b>702407<br>
</b>Filed: <b>October 31, 2000<br><br>
Current U.S. Class:</b> <b>707/3</b>; 701/206; 707/10; 709/217 <br>
<b>Intern'l Class: </b>G06F 017/30<br>
<b>Field of Search: </b>707/3-5,100-104.1 709/217,218,200,206,208,220,229
701/200,206,208<br><br>
>>>>>><br><br>
Unfortunately for the GI/GIS open source community (referring to previous
announcement that IBM was "<font face="arial" size=2>making 500 of
its software patents freely available to anyone working on open source
projects such as Linux operating system."</font><font face="arial">
for that community</font>), only two hits result from "geograhpic
information" <b>and </b>"IBM" or "International
Business Machines" - although one of these is quite valuable, one
would have thought, given the predicted size of the location based
services market (see below)!<br><br>
>>>>><br><br>
<b>United States Patent 6,526,284 <br>
Sharp , et al.</b> <b>February 25, 2003 <br>
</b><hr>
<font size=4>Transmission of geographic information to mobile devices
<br><br>
</font><div align="center"><b>Abstract<br><br>
</b></div>
Provided is a data transmission method, a communications network, a
mobile receiving device and data processing methods for use in broadcast
of <b><i>geographic information</i></b> to mobile devices. The invention
overcomes the problem of lack of currency of static information
distribution via CD-ROM, and the problem of the cost of lengthy
connections to the Internet which is a requirement of some dynamic
solutions. The geographic data which is relevant to a transmitter in the
network is broadcast by the transmitter as a plurality of separate data
elements which each relate to and include an identification of a specific
map segment of a segmented map, such that the data elements can be
transmitted independently of each other and the map segment identifier
can be used by the receiving device to position the <b><i>geographic
information</i></b> of each data element within the appropriate map
segment. Each data element is retransmitted periodically such that gaps
can be filled in and the map can be built up over time even if
transmission failures occur during a transmission. <br>
<hr>
Inventors: <b>Sharp; Christopher Edward</b> (Winchester, GB);
<b>Stanford-Clark; Andrew James</b> (Chale, GB) <br>
Assignee: <b>International Business Machines Corporation</b> (Armonk, NY)
<br>
Appl. No.: <b>510623<br>
</b>Filed: <b>February 22, 2000<br>
<div align="center">Foreign Application Priority Data<br>
</div>
<hr>
</b>Nov 10, 1999[GB]9926492<br><br>
<b>Current U.S. Class:</b> <b>455/456.6</b>; 340/995.1; 342/450; 342/457;
455/457; 701/208 <br>
<b>Intern'l Class: </b>H04Q 007/20<br>
<b>Field of Search: </b>455/456,457 342/450,457 701/208,209,211,212
340/990,995,998<br><br>
>>>>><br><br>
to find out more, have a go at
<a href="http://www.uspto.gov/" eudora="autourl">www.uspto.gov</a><br><br>
Kind regards<br><br>
Roger<br>
ral@alum.mit.edu<br><br>
<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite>Legal-Econ mailing list<br>
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Roger A. Longhorn<br>
Director, Info-Dynamics Research Associates Ltd<br>
EC Projects Office<br>
1A Potters Cross, Wootton<br>
Bedfordshire MK43 9JG, U.K.<br>
Computer voicemail & Fax +44 (0)870 134 6492<br>
E-mail: ral@alum.mit.edu<br>
Mobile +44 (0)7879 875288</body>
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