This Study relates to one or more user accessible switches by which the authorized user may fully or partially limit the computer's access to one or more of its peripheral devices. The switch inhibits power or control lines to the peripheral device, or enables the programming of access limits to the peripheral device, in a manner which cannot be overridden by the computer. This added level of control allows the user to control the computer's activities so that access to these peripheral devices is allowed only under secure conditions, so as to preclude alteration or destruction of data by unauthorized users or computer viruses.

This Study is a request for prior art, including non-patent literature, that provides a path to invalidity for the Study patent claims that is not already known. The Reward is guaranteed to be paid to the Researcher who submits the highest quality prior art.

There is a preferred Latest Date for Prior Art of September 05, 1990.

This Study is subject to the Shared Reward program.

This Study relates to an apparatus and process by which to disable access to all or part of the computer’s memory or associated peripherals, so as to protect the computer from accidental or malicious damage of data files or programs that may result from the activity of computer users or computer viruses. The result is achieved by providing the authorized user with a token whereby the user can configure the security gateway to completely or partially disable the peripheral device without disrupting the operation of the computer or other peripherals.

This Study is a request for prior art, including non-patent literature, that provides a path to invalidity for the Study patent claims that is not already known. The Reward is guaranteed to be paid to the Researcher who submits the highest quality prior art.

There is a preferred Latest Date for Prior Art of July 17, 1996.

This Study is subject to the Shared Reward program.

This study relates to a programmable controller that causes an HVAC system to change an environmental condition, such as a temperature, of an inside space from a first initial set point to a second desired set point, the HVAC system achieving that change in an amount of time, wherein the programmable controller displays a message during that amount of time indicating when the desired set point is anticipated to be achieved in the inside space.

This Study is a request for prior art, including non-patent literature, that provides a path to invalidity for the Study patent claims that is not already known. The Reward is guaranteed to be paid to the Researcher who submits the highest quality prior art.

There is a preferred Latest Date for Prior Art of January 6, 2003.

This Study is subject to the Shared Reward program.

This Study relates to a video-on-demand system that provides efficient commercial distribution for renting and/or selling movies, video programs, video games and electronic data.

Data input stations upload original video data from videotapes, videocassettes, videodisks or film, or from electronic data format on transferable storage media or over a telecommunications line. 

A video data capture computer converts the original video data into a preferred video data storage format and stores the video data files in a first generation video data storage unit. The video data files are sorted by categories and classified in indexed master files stored on a second generation video data storage unit.  NTSC, PAL and/or HDTV versions of the video data files are created and stored in separate data storage units for serving different markets.

Customers access the system through computer servers connected to the Internet. The computer servers access the video data file in the data storage units and create a temporary video data file, which is downloaded to the customer via the Internet. The video data file is downloaded at high speed and stored on the customer's video player device for viewing at a later time.  The video data files can be downloaded, stored and viewed on a desktop computer, a laptop computer, palmtop computer, a set-top data storage device connected to a television set, video game device, or a personal digital assistant, cellular telephone or pager with video capabilities.

The multi-tiered system includes back-up mirror storage files at all levels of the system for security against data loss.

References of interest will focus on the multi-tiered systems. 

Suggested areas of search are: computer science department research publications, such as University of California, Berkeley, Stanford University, MIT, etc.;  publications by Lawrence Rowe.

This Study is a request for prior art, including non-patent literature, that provides a path to invalidity for the Study patent claims that is not already known. The Reward is guaranteed to be paid to the Researcher who submits the highest quality prior art. 

There is a preferred Latest Date for Prior Art of December 14, 1999.

This Study is subject to the shared reward program.

This Study relates to content based hashes for file identification in a data processing system.  The data items in a data processing system are identified by substantially unique identifiers. 

The unique identifiers must depend, at least in part, on a function or hash of the data in the data items, where two data items that have identical content must have the same unique identifier.  The data items are defined as a sequence of bits, and thus may be the contents of a file, a portion of a file, or any other entity which can be represented by a sequence of bits.

This Study is a request for prior art, including non-patent literature, that provides a path to invalidity for the Study patent claims that is not already known. The Reward is guaranteed to be paid to the Researcher who submits the highest quality prior art.

There is a preferred Latest Date for Prior Art of April 10, 1994.

This Study is subject to the Shared Reward program.

USPN 5,978,791: 

1. In a data processing system, an apparatus comprising:

identity means for determining, for any of a plurality of data items present in the system, a substantially unique identifier, the identifier being determined using and depending on all of the data in the data item and only the data in the data item, whereby two identical data items in the system will have the same identifier; and

existence means for determining whether a particular data item is present in the system, by examining the identifiers of the plurality of data items.

USPN 6,415,280:

1. In a system in which a set of data files are distributed across a network of servers, at least some of the data files being cached versions of data files from a source server, wherein the source server is distinct from the servers in the network, a content delivery method comprising:

determining a data identifier for a particular data file on the source server, the data identifier being determined using a given function of the data, wherein said data used by the given function to determine the data identifier comprises the contents of the particular data file; and 

responsive to a request for the particular data file, the request including at least the data identifier of the particular data file, providing the particular data file from a given one of the servers of the network of servers, said providing being based on the data identifier of the requested data item.

USPN 6,928,442:

1. In a system in which a plurality of files are distributed across a plurality of computers, a method comprising: obtaining a name for a data file, the name being based at least in part on a given function of the data, wherein the data used by the given function to determine the name comprises the contents of the data file; and in response to a request for the a data file, the request including at least the name of the particular file, causing a copy of the file to be provided from a given one of the plurality of computers, wherein a copy of the requested file is only provided to licensed parties.

 USPN 7,949,662:

1. A computer-implemented method of eliminating a particular data item at a given storage location in a distributed file system when a copy of said particular data item can be obtained from at least one other storage location in the file system, wherein said file system comprises

(i) a plurality of distinct storage locations, and

(ii) at least one computer distinct from said plurality of storage locations, and

(iii) at least one database, and wherein each data item in the file system is stored at multiple distinct storage locations in the file system, based, at least in part, on a predetermined degree of redundancy for said file system, and

wherein said at least one database comprises mapping data that identifies where data items are stored in the file system, and wherein the file system further includes a table including a plurality of records indicating changes made to said file system, said table being accessible by said at least one computer, the method comprising the steps of:

(A) obtaining, at said at least one computer, a request to delete a particular data item from said given storage location; and

(B) based on the request, ascertaining a particular substantially unique data identifier for the particular data item, wherein said particular data item consists of a particular sequence of bits and wherein said particular data identifier is based, at least in part, on a given function of all of the bits in the particular sequence of bits of the particular data item; and

(C) determining, using at least said particular substantially unique data identifier for the particular data item, whether deletion of said particular data item from said given storage location will leave a sufficient number of copies of said data item present at one or more other storage locations in the file system to satisfy said predetermined degree of redundancy for said file system with respect to that particular data item; and

(D) based at least in part on said determining, if it is determined that deletion of the particular data item from the given storage location will leave at least a sufficient number of copies of said data item at one or more other storage locations in said file system to satisfy said predetermined degree of redundancy for said file system with respect to that particular data item, then

(d1) adding an entry to said table to indicate deletion of said particular file from the given storage location in the file system, said entry including said particular substantially unique identifier for said particular data item.

USPN 7,802,310:

1. A computer-implemented method in a system which includes a network of computers, the method implemented at least in part by hardware comprising at least one processor, the method comprising the steps:

(a) at a first computer, obtaining a content-based name for a particular data item from a second computer distinct from the first computer, the content-based name being based at least in part on a function of at least some of the data which comprise the contents of the particular data item, wherein the function comprises a message digest function or a hash function, and wherein two identical data items will have the same content-based name; and

(b) by hardware in combination with software, a processor at said first computer ascertaining whether or not the content-based name for the particular data item corresponds to an entry in a database comprising a plurality of identifiers; and

(c) based at least in part on said ascertaining in (b), determining whether or not access to the particular data item is authorized.

USPN 8,001,096:

1. A computer-implemented method operable in a file system comprising a plurality of servers, the method comprising the steps of:

(A) adding a data item to the file system, the data item consisting of a sequence of non-overlapping parts, each part consisting of a corresponding sequence of bits, by:

(A1) for each part in said sequence of parts, determining, using hardware in combination with software, a corresponding digital part identifier, wherein each said digital part identifier for each said part is determined based at least in part on a first function of all of the bits in the sequence of bits comprising the corresponding part, the first function comprising a first hash function;

(A2) determining, using a second function, a digital identifier for the data item, said digital data item identifier being based, at least in part, on the contents of the data item, wherein two identical data items in the file system will have the same digital data item identifier in the file system, said second function comprising a second hash function;

(A3) storing each part in said sequence of parts on multiple servers of said plurality of servers in the file system;

(A4) storing first mapping data that maps the digital data item identifier of the data item to the digital part identifiers of the parts comprising the data item;

(A5) storing second mapping data that maps the digital part identifier of each part in said sequence of parts to corresponding location data that identifies which of the plurality of servers in the file system stores the corresponding part; and

(B) repeating step (A) for each of a plurality of data items; and

(C) attempting to access a particular data item in the file system by:

(C1) obtaining a particular digital data item identifier of the particular data item, said particular digital data item identifier of said particular data item being included in an attempt to access said particular data item in said file system;

(C2) attempting to match, using hardware in combination with software, said particular digital data item identifier of said particular data item with a digital data item identifier in said first mapping data; and

(C3) based at least in part on said attempting to match in step (C2), when said particular digital data item identifier obtained in step (C1) corresponds to an identifier in said first mapping data, using said first mapping data to determine a digital part identifier of each part comprising the particular data item;

(C4) using said second mapping data and at least one digital part identifier determined in step (C3) to determine location data that identifies which of the plurality of servers in the file system stores the corresponding at least one part of the particular data item;

(C5) attempting to access at least one part of the particular data item at one or more servers identified in step (C4) as storing said at least one part.

USPN 7,945,539:

1. A computer-implemented method of distributing a data item in a network of computers, the method comprising the steps of:

(A) dividing the data item into a plurality of segments;

(B) hardware in combination with software determining a plurality of segment identifiers, said plurality of segment identifiers comprising a segment identifier for each particular segment of said plurality of segments, the segment identifier for each particular segment being based, at least in part, on a first given function of the data comprising said particular segment and only the data in said particular segment, where any two identical segments will have identical segment identifiers as determined by said first given function;

(C) hardware in combination with software determining a data item identifier for said data item, said data item identifier being based, at least in part, on a second given function of a second data item comprising said plurality of segment identifiers, the second given function comprising a message digest function or a hash function;

(D) maintaining an association between said data item identifier and said second data item; and

(E) causing each segment of said plurality of segments to be stored on at least some computers in said network;

(F) maintaining information about the locations in said network at which said segments have been stored; and

(G) making the information available to other locations in said network.

USPN: 7,945,544

1. A computer-implemented method, the method comprising:

(A) for a first data item comprising a first plurality of parts,

(a1) applying a first function to each part of said first plurality of parts to obtain a corresponding part value for each part of said first plurality of parts, wherein each part of said first plurality of parts comprises a corresponding sequence of bits, and wherein the part value for each particular part of said first plurality of parts is based, at least in part, on the corresponding bits in the particular part, and wherein two identical parts will have the same part value as determined using said first function, wherein said first function comprises a first hash function; and

(a2) obtaining a first value for the first data item, said first value obtained by applying a second function to the part values of said first plurality of parts of said first data item, said second function comprising a second hash function;

(B) for a second data item comprising a second plurality of parts,

(b1) applying said first function to each part of said second plurality of parts to obtain a corresponding part value for each part of said second plurality of parts, wherein each part of said second plurality of parts consists of a corresponding sequence of bits, and wherein the part value for each particular part of said second plurality of parts is based, at least in part, on the corresponding bits in the particular part of the second plurality of parts; and

(b2) obtaining a second value for the second data item by applying said second function to the part values of said second plurality of parts of said second data item; and

(C) ascertaining whether or not said first data item corresponds to said second data item based, at least in part, on said first value and said second value. 

This Study relates to references in the area of rotary rod coaters for forming coatings of hot melt materials on substrates.

This Study is a request for a collection of patents and/or non-patent literature.  References of interest will describe the highest level of development of the items identified in the list below.  Early patents in this area include US Patent Nos. 4,167,914 (Mladota), 4,465,015 (Osta et al.), 4,899,691 (Fitzgerald et al.), 6,077,351 (Herzog), 6,803,076 (Loukusa et al.) and IT Patent No. 145740 (Osta et al.).  Some companies that have done in this area include Avery Dennison, Dow, Raychem, Tesa, and 3M.

The Reward will be paid for the 1-2 collections that best describe developments in this technology area.

Of particular interest are references that address one or more of the following items to produce uniform, low thickness coatings of high viscosity hot melt materials: 

1) Rotary rod configuration including rod diameter, rod length, and rod surface roughness;

2) Die lip configuration including arrangement of die orifice, rod, and back roll, and degree of rod penetration into back roll;

3) Methods of metering hot melt coating fluid;

4) Configuration of coating bead flow patterns and film splitting of the coating fluid;

5) Coater operation parameters including substrate web speed, rod rotation speed, relation of web speed and rod rotation speed, and coating fluid viscosity; and

6) Resultant coating features and artifacts including thickness, uniformity, surface features, and defects and analytical approaches for assessing them in process and on finished articles.

This Study is a request for a collection of patents and/or non-patent literature. References of interest will describe the highest level of development of the features identified in the list below.

The Reward is guaranteed to be paid to the Researchers who submit the highest quality collections.

Each submission must include the complete title and the names of all of the author(s)/inventor(s).

This Study is subject to the shared reward program.

This Study is a request for US PATENTS ONLY that relates to an automated method to fill-out or populate online regsitration forms with data. 

Each patent should have a filing date later than May 1995.

Specifically, this is a request for references that disclose ALL of the following features:

1.  a system that displays an online regsitration form via a web browser;

2.  a systemt that allows the user to fill-out or populate the registration form with data;

3.  a completion program that collects data from the user via a data collection interface;

4.  a data collection interface provides data entry fields for the user to enter a particular type of information;

5.  a encryption system accessible to users who enter the appropriate information into an authentication mechanism;

6.  a system that populates a form with data by obtaining an image of the form and then searching for a template file that resembles the form image within a certain threshold;

7.  a system that matches a form image with a form completion program and utilizes the template file to identify what kind of data to insert into each of the form's data receptacles when a match occurs

This Study is a request for US PATENTS ONLY.  Patents of interest will describe the highest level of development of the features identified above.

The Reward is guaranteed to be paid to the Researcher who submits the best collection of patents.

This Study is a request for US PATENTS ONLY that relates to compression and decompression of continuous signals, especially audio signals.

Each patent should have a filing date later than May 1995.

Reference of interest must disclose ALL of the following features:

1.  a novel block-discontinuity minimization framework that allows for flexible and dynamic signal or data modeling; 

2.  high data compression ratio/lower bit-rate; 

3.  ultra-low to zero coding latency; 

4.  ultra-low bit-rate compression of certain types of audio; 

5.  low computational complexity. 

This Study is a request for US PATENTS ONLY.  Patents of interest will describe the highest level of development of the features identified above.

The Reward is guaranteed to be paid to the Researcher who submits the best collection of patents.

This study is for references in the field of recording, generating and playing back or displaying images, and more particularly, to the generation and displaying of panoramic images stereoscopically.

References of interest would relate to a camera or movie system that can capture a series of images from a single lens perspective to generate a 3D image.  The system would capture a panoramic sequential series of images of a scene and process them in a way to provide a left eye and a right eye experience to produce a 3D image.

References of interest would also relate to a system for generating a stereoscopic panoramic mosaic image pair comprising:

A. a strip generator module configured to generate two series of image strips, all of said image strips in each series comprising strips of a series of images of a scene as would be recorded by a camera from a respective series of positions relative to the scene, the image strips of the respective series representing strips of the respective images displaced from one another by at least one selected displacement; and

B. a mosaic image generator module configured to mosaic the respective series of images strips together thereby to construct two panoramic mosaic images, the panoramic mosaic images comprising the stereoscopic panoramic mosaic image pair providing a stereoscopic image of the scene as recorded over the path.

This Study is a request for prior art, including non-patent literature, that provides a path to invalidity for the Study patent claims that is not already known. The Reward is guaranteed to be paid to the Researcher who submits the highest quality prior art.

There is a preferred Latest Date for Prior Art of September 16, 1997.

This Study is subject to the Shared Reward program.

This Study relates to a structure that prevents a valve from getting stuck when the valve is turned inside out.

When a valve or diaphragm is fully turned inside-out (inverted), it sometimes gets stuck in that position because of its shape or material.  So, it does not automatically spring back to its original non-inverted state.  To prevent the valve from sticking, a structure might be used to stop the valve from fully inverting.

References of interest will describe a structure which is used to stop the inverting or over-inverting of the valve or diaphragm and prevent it from getting stuck in the inside-out (inverted) position. 

When the valve or diaphragm is inverted, it should allow fluid to flow through the hole or slit in the valve or diaphragm. 

The described structure that prevents over-inverting or the valve/diaphragm from getting stuck should not block or prevent fluid or air to flow.  This structure might be considered a “flow bridge” or “flow gate”. 

Below, please find images of difference examples of valves:

Figure 1 - Examples of a valve, which may have a slit or hole at its center, that is made of a flexible material.

­­Figure 2 - Example of a valve inserted into a structure in a non-inverted state.

Figure 3 - Example of the valve after it has been inverted.

This Study is a request for prior art, including non-patent literature, that provides a path to invalidity for the Study patent claims that is not already known. The Reward is guaranteed to be paid to the Researcher who submits the highest quality prior art. 

There is a preferred Latest Date for Prior Art of August 20, 1997

This Study is subject to the shared reward program.

This Study relates to a system and method of a real-time 3D interactive environment.  In this system two-dimensional data values, embodied by a plurality of pixels, are obtained and represent a physical scene.  Each pixel has a corresponding depth value obtained by a depth sensing device. The depth value is the distance between the depth sensing device and a physical object in the physical scene.   A virtual object is placed on the physical scene and interaction between the virtual object and any physical objects are detected based on the coordinates of the virtual object and the depth values. 

This Study is a request for prior art, including non-patent literature, that provides a path to invalidity for the Study patent claims that is not already known. The Reward is guaranteed to be paid to the Researcher who submits the highest quality prior art.

There is a preferred Latest Date for Prior Art of May 28, 2002.

This Study is subject to the Shared Reward program.

This study is a request for US PATENTS ONLY that relate to the following technologies in the social indexing field.  We are interested in inventions relating to social indexing. 

Each patent should be ten-years-old or less. 

This Study is a request for US PATENTS ONLY.  US patent applications will NOT be accepted for this Study. Patents of interest will describe the highest level of development of the features identified in the list below.

Patents should be directed to the use or potential use of ALL of the following features in social indexing technology:

1.  Online tools, platforms or processes for social indexing.

2.  Categorizing or ranking within a social network.

3.  Searching, linking, following, bookmarking or communicating within a social network.

4.  Code G06Q 30/00 or Code 705.

This study is a request for US PATENTS ONLY that relate to the following technologies in the purchase-to-pay payments field.  We are interested in inventions relating to business processes that cover activities of requesting (requisitioning), purchasing, receiving, paying for and accounting for goods and services.

Each patent should be 20-years-old or less. 

This Study is a request for US PATENTS ONLY.  US patent applications will NOT be accepted for this Study. Patents of interest will describe the highest level of development of the features identified in the list below.

Patents should be directed to the use or potential use of 1 and (2 or 3), with all patents in Code G06Q 30/00 or Class 705:

1.  Automated purchase-to-pay (P2P) systems.

2.  Requesting (requisitioning), purchasing, receiving, paying for or accounting for goods and services.

3.  Procedures, workflows, platforms or e-procurement related to increased efficiency, increased visibility, cost saving or time saving.

This Study relates to retroreflectors which, when assembled, create cube-corner elements.  Specifically, this Study relates to:

• Retroreflective sheeting comprising an array of cube corner elements (i.e. full cube, preferred geometry cube corners, rectangular, square, hexagonal, triangular).

• Preferably, the elements are formed in a repeating pattern on one edge of a lamina or sheeting, which are then affixed together (see Figures 8 and 9 of Study patent).

• Preferably, all dihedral element errors are different from adjacent and opposite cubes.

• The cube corner elements have the following characteristics:

ο At least one cube comprises a 1-2 dihedral angle error and a 1-3 dihedral angle error varied in opposition.

• The sheeting have the following characteristics (see Table XI attached to the below diagram):

ο Exhibits an average brightness at 1° and 90° orientation of at least 375 candelas/lux/m² for an entrance angle of -4° and an observation angle of 0.5° (see ASTM D4596-1a).

ο Dihedral angle errors having magnitudes between 1 arc minute and 60 arc minutes.

ο Dihedral edges range from being nominally parallel to nonparallel by less than 1°.

This Study is a request for prior art, including non-patent literature, that provides a path to invalidity for the Study patent claims that is not already known. The Reward is guaranteed to be paid to the Researcher who submits the highest quality prior art.

There is a preferred Latest Date for Prior Art of March 5, 2002.

This Study is subject to the Shared Reward program.

This Study relates to computer systems of the kind that involve use of multiplicity of PC-CPU motherboards in combination with a plurality of pairs of power supplies.  Specifically, this Study relates to a computer system comprising:

•   a multiplicity of PC-CPU motherboards, each of the multiplicity of PC-CPU motherboards includes a CPU processor having electrical circuitry interconnected with the processor, and a power-input connector connected to the circuitry for use in the supply of electrical power to power the respective motherboard;

•  an electrical power-supply means for affording fault-tolerating redundancy for supplying electrical power;

•  a mounting means for mounting the motherboards together with the power-supply means as a single unit; 

•  a wiring means for connecting the power-supply means n common to the power-input connectors of the motherboards for powering the motherboards in parallel with one another; and,

•  wherein the power-supply means comprises a plurality of pairs of power-supply modules, means coupling the two power-supply modules of each said pair together for supplying power in parallel with one another and wherein the wiring means couples the pairs of power-supply modules together in parallel with one another for supplying power to the motherboards in parallel.

This Study is a request for prior art, including non-patent literature, that provides a path to invalidity for the Study patent claims that is not already known. The Reward is guaranteed to be paid to the Researcher who submits the highest quality prior art.

There is a preferred Latest Date for Prior Art of November 14, 1998.

This Study is subject to the Shared Reward program.

This study is a request for US PATENTS ONLY that relate to technologies in the group/social buying field.  

Each patent should be 10 or less years old.

This Study is a request for US patents ONLY.  Patents of interest will describe the highest level of development of the features identified in the list below.

The Reward is guaranteed to be paid to the Researcher who submits the best collection of US patents. 

Patents should be directed to (1 and 4) and (2 or 3), with all patents in Class 705 or Code G06Q 30/00:

1.  Group buying or group selling

2.  Price reduction based on number of people making purchases, with a participation from a minimum number of people required

3.  Price reduction based on quantity of product purchased, with a minimum quantity required

4.  Online forum, website or electronic network for wholesale or retail sales of services and products 

This Study relates to a rotational coupling mechanism in which a device with a male projection is joined to a device with a corresponding female recess are joined to permit joint rotation of the two devices in one direction, but due to the shape of the projection and recess, the devices separate if they are rotated in the opposite direction

Specifically, there is a rotatable member that couples or engages with a complementary member. The rotatable member engages the complementary member via an axial protrusion that mates with a recess in the complementary member. The protrusion is shaped as a twisted polyhedron or prism and matches the shape of the recess.

Functionally, the rotatable member couples coaxially with the driven member, by means of the twisted protrusion and the twisted recess. This allows the rotatable member and the complementary member to rotate together, but only in one direction.  Rotation in one direction holds and aligns the rotatable member; rotation in the opposite direction causes the rotatable member and the complementary member to disengage.

Ideally, the twisted polyhedral protrusion would have a triangular cross-section. Alternatively, it may have helical splines/threads/flutes or be generally screw-like, but if so, it would have less than a half-rotation of the splines/threads/flutes or be a short screw with a low pitch. The rotatable member is ideally, but not necessarily, a cylinder shape with the projection extending from a base of the cylinder. The complementary member is ideally, but not necessarily, coupled to a device that provides torque to rotate the rotatable member and complementary member. References would ideally, but not necessarily, be related to printers or copiers

This Study is a request for prior art, ESPECIALLY non-patent literature, that provides a path to invalidity for the claims that is not already known. The Reward is guaranteed to be paid to the Researcher who submits the highest quality prior art.

There is a preferred Latest Date for Prior Art of April 1, 1996.

This Study is subject to the Shared Reward program.

This Study relates to an image capture and display system that includes at least the following:

1) a camera capable of simultaneously capturing both images and information regarding the camera's position and orientation (e.g., pitch, yaw and roll);

2) a database containing the captured images and position and orientation informaiton;

3) a display system that allows a user to navigate among the captured images using spatial navigation controls; and

4) the display system shows a plan view of the camera path and a yaw orientation of the camera.

This Study is a request for prior art, including non-patent literature, that provides a path to invalidity for the Study patent claims that is not already known. The Reward is guaranteed to be paid to the Researcher who submits the highest quality prior art. 

There is a preferred Latest Date for Prior Art of January 31, 1994.

This Study is subject to the shared reward program.

This Study is a request for references that describe a keyboard having all of the following features:

•  a system where virtual keys are shown on top of (or mapped on) a capacitive touch sensor grid which is built of multiple sensor elements;

•  at least one sensor element of the sensor grid corresponds to at least two virtual keys; and,

•  there are no gaps in between the virtual keys.

This Study is a request for prior art, including non-patent literature, that provides a path to invalidity for the Study patent claims that is not already known. The Reward is guaranteed to be paid to the Researcher who submits the highest quality prior art.

There is a preferred Latest Date for Prior Art of May 24, 2005.

This Study is subject to the Shared Reward program.

This Study relates to a method of making a finger ring which comprises:

providing a jewelry finger ring that defines an aperture configured and dimensioned to receive a person's finger and which comprises a sintered mixture of at least two powdered materials comprising tungsten and a binder component in a relatively lesser amount than an amount of tungsten, with the annular ring having at least one external facet.

Tungsten carbide (WC) is a very hard ceramic (second only to diamond in hardness). It is a principle component in many powder metallurgy applications and is commonly referred to simply as carbide. Tungsten powder, either in elemental form or as a compound (most commonly WC), is either used alone or mixed with other powdered substances, such as other carbides, nitrides, ceramics and/or metals.  The other powdered substances are usually selected for the properties, such as color or corrosion resistance, they impart to the completed piece.  A powdered metal binder such as cobalt or nickel may also be included in the mixture.  The powdered mixture is then poured into a mold and pressed to form a blank which can be shaped. The blank is then heated. This "sinters" the blank into a very hard solid.

References of interest will describe this process for use in manufacturing conventional jewelry, especially rings.  References which do not include jewelry will be Declined.

Japanese and German-language references are of special interest.

This Study is a request for prior art, including non-patent literature, that provides a path to invalidity for the Study patent claims that is not already known. The Reward is guaranteed to be paid to the Researcher who submits the highest quality prior art.

There is a preferred Latest Date for Prior Art of September 7, 1996.

This Study is subject to the Shared Reward program.

This Study relates to conductive track structures arranged on a nonconductive support material. Specifically, this Study relates to a method for producing a conductive track structure comprising the steps of: 

•  applying a coating containing a nonconductive organic heavy metal complex to a microporous surface of a nonconductive support structure or mixing a nonconductive organic heavy metal complex and a nonconductive support material; 

-  wherein the organic heavy metal complex is a Pd complex;

-  wherein the Pd complex is formed by reaction of a palladium salt with an organic complexing agent and the organic complexing agent is a compound corresponding to the formula in the attached image;

•  selectively breaking up the nonconductive organic heavy metal complex in conductive track areas and releasing heavy metal nuclei in the conductive track areas; and, 

•  metallizing the conductive track areas by chemical reduction. 

This Study is a request for prior art, including non-patent literature, that provides a path to invalidity for the Study patent claims that is not already known. The Reward is guaranteed to be paid to the Researcher who submits the highest quality prior art.

There is a preferred Latest Date for Prior Art of June 5, 1997.

This Study is subject to the Shared Reward program.

This Study relates to a computer interface comprising:

1)  a display screen being able to display a number of screen display elements, each representing a function characterised in that the processor system comprises means for receiving a user code from a user, and for generating adjustable element codes in response to the user code;

2)  each adjustable code being allocated to a display element and enabling or disabling said element to be displayed on the screen dependent on the value of the element code;

3)  a further number of display elements, each representing a function, the processor system being adapted for selecting one of the memory fields in dependence of the user code, and

4)  in addition to the above functionality, the adjustable code further comprises a transmission code allocated to a transmission element representing a transmissions function.

References of specific interest will directly map to all elements of the claims of the Study patent with particular focus on claims 1 and 2.

This Study is a request for prior art, including non-patent literature, that provides a path to invalidity for the Study patent claims that is not already known. 

The Reward is guaranteed to be paid to the Researcher who submits the highest quality prior art.

There is a preferred Latest Date for Prior Art of July 7 , 1992.

This Study is subject to the Shared Reward program.

This study relates generally, to a technique for enhancing the endurance or useable life of nonvolatile memory, such as flash memory or EEPROM.  The ‘490 patent specification describes a round-robin technique designed to achieve uniform use of memory cells.  Specifically it claims a system and methods for enhancing the endurance of memory cells by (1) utilizing “flag cells” to store data indicating the location, in one or more “memory cells” where a value is stored, and the alternate location, in one or more “memory cells,” where a new value should be stored next, and (2) updating data in the flag cells with each store operation.

Exemplary claims are: 1, 20–25, 27–28, and 52–58

This Study is a request for prior art, including non-patent literature, that provides a path to invalidity for the Study patent claims that is not already known. The Reward is guaranteed to be paid to the Researcher who submits the highest quality prior art. 

There is a preferred Latest Date for Prior Art of October 19, 2002.

This Study is subject to the shared reward program.

This Study relates to a flash memory array architecture comprising a flash memory array, dual memory buffers, and an I/O interface circuit.  The dual memory buffers configuration allows for transferring data into/out of one memory buffer from/into the flash memory while simultaneously transferring data into/out of the other memory buffer.

Exemplary claims are:  1–2, 5, 8–11, 20, 23–27, and 37–48.

This Study is a request for prior art, including non-patent literature, that provides a path to invalidity for the Study patent claims that is not already known. The Reward is guaranteed to be paid to the Researcher who submits the highest quality prior art. 

There is a preferred Latest Date for Prior Art of March 25, 1996.

This Study is subject to the shared reward program.

This study relates to a memory device having nonvolatile memory cells and also including a security row (or column) of security bits that can be programmed into a lock status.  External memory access is blocked if the security column or row is locked.  Only external requests of unlocked locations, and all internal access requests, return the actual memory contents.

Exemplary claims are: 10–14.

This Study is a request for prior art, including non-patent literature, that provides a path to invalidity for the Study patent claims that is not already known. The Reward is guaranteed to be paid to the Researcher who submits the highest quality prior art. 

There is a preferred Latest Date for Prior Art of November 20, 2002.

This Study is subject to the shared reward program.

This Study relates to a nonvolatile memory device comprising two separate arrays and that allows for reading from one array while writing to the other array.  Simultaneous read/write is accomplished by an architecture in which the two arrays share significant circuitry, including sense amps, I/O circuitry, address lines, data lines, and a single row decoder, but have separate column decoding circuitry.

Exemplary claims are:  1, 3–4, 6, 8–9, 12, and 16.

This Study is a request for prior art, including non-patent literature, that provides a path to invalidity for the Study patent claims that is not already known. The Reward is guaranteed to be paid to the Researcher who submits the highest quality prior art. 

There is a Latest Date for Prior Art of March 17, 1997, but high preference for before June 17, 1996.

This Study is subject to the shared reward program.

This Study relates to a method for using one continuous motion on a virtual keyboard (including but not limited to a keyboard on a touchscreen) to input a word, specifically:

•  Recording/dectecting the path a stylus or finger follows along the virtual keyboard;

•  Comparing the input stroke pattern to patterns stored in memory;

•  Identifying words in which the first letter is near the initial contact location, the last letter is near the final contact location, and where any remaining letters are on or near the path;

•  (optional, but preferred - references having this feature in addition to the other features) Where including letters near the path to be considered is based on a threshold distance of the letter from the path;

•  Ranking or scoring the matching words based on the comparison to the input stroke pattern and/or frequency of use information; and,

•  Offering one or more words to the user based on the ranking or score.

This Study is a request for prior art, including non-patent literature, that provides a path to invalidity for the Study patent claims that is not already known. 

The Reward is guaranteed to be paid to the Researcher who submits the highest quality prior art.

There is a preferred Latest Date for Prior Art of January 15, 2002.

This Study is subject to the Shared Reward program.

This Study relates to a universal mounting apparatus allowing mechanical coupling and decoupling of a device to a support member having two components:

The first component (Fig. 7 of image below) is intended to be fixed securely to an exterior surface of an object or device (e.g. TV, flat panel TV, phograph, picture, etc.)  preferably the rear or bottom portion of the device. The housing of the first component further includes an integrally formed protrusion which comprises a wedge shaped protrusion (Fig. 7 & 9 #58).

The second component (Fig. 8 of image below) is a mating component which is intended to be fixed securely to any form of support member or surface (e.g. wall mount, wall mounted support arm, directly to a wall). The second component comprises a housing in the form of a wedge shaped recess (cup) (Fig. 8 # 66). The housing of the second component comprises a recess (cup) which is shaped complementarily to the projection on the first component (Fig. 8 #66).

The wedge shaped projection and recess (cup) will help align the two components as they are slid in to place and will also hold the two components securely together. Furthermore, the wedge shaped cup has a channel such that when the two components are sliding together, the channel prevents the two member from separating in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the sliding.  Shapes other than the wedge may also be used.

It will be appreciated that the two-piece mount described above can be used in a wide variety of applications, such as, but not limited to: within vehicles, wall mounted appliances or devices, or wherever a mounting apparatus is used.

The Study patent describes a mount with an electrical connection.  This Study is focused on finding references describing or showing the mechanical mount described above.  References describing or showing a mount with an electrical connection is not necessary but would be an additional benefit.

This Study is a request for prior art, including non-patent literature, that provides a path to invalidity for the Study patent claims that is not already known. The Reward is guaranteed to be paid to the Researcher who submits the highest quality prior art. 

There is a preferred Latest Date for Prior Art of August 22, 1998.

This Study is subject to the Shared Reward program.

This Study relates to multi-memory media adapters.  Specifically, the focus of the search is for references having a multi-media adapter in a device (e.g., either stand-alone or in a camera, mp3 player, laptop, etc.) capable of receiving different types of media cards (e.g., flash memory cards) into a slot and mapping power and signal lines to pins of each media card.  The same slot is used for each different type of media card.  The slot is formed from an upper planar portion and a lower planar portion.  The planar portions can be made of molded plastic.  The slot can include one or more sets of contact pins for making contact with pins of the inserted media cards.  The contact pins can be integrated into the molded plastic of one of the planar portions.  A different set of contact pins can be used for each different type of media card or the same set of contact pins (e.g., a different subset of contact pins) can be used for each different type of media card.  Based on an identified media card type, a controller maps pins of the media card to appropriate signal and power lines.  A connector interface can enable the adapter to connect to another system (e.g., a computer).

Media cards: xD, MMC, SD, Memory Stick, miniSD, RSMMC, MSDuo

Connector interfaces: PCMCIA, USB, WiFi, Firewire, IDE, serial ATA connector, CompactFlash connector

References of interest would have evidence of the date of product release, product sale, or product reviews.  Dated material with descriptions of product functionality would also be of interest. Pictures of the devices would be beneficial.    Products of interest would include, but not be limited to:

OnSpec memory card reader products the Uno, Duo, Trio, Uno Mas and the OmniFlash line of products;

Panasonic iPalm PV-DC3000;

Kyocera Finecam S3;

Microtech ZiO;

Toshiba MEA110 

This Study is a request for prior art, including non-patent literature, that provides a path to invalidity for the Study patent claims that is not already known. 

The Reward is guaranteed to be paid to the Researcher who submits the highest quality prior art.

There is a preferred Latest Date for Prior Art of July 5, 2000.

This Study is subject to the Shared Reward program.

This Study relates to releasing the information of two users to each other based on each user's settings regarding when its information can be released.

1) Specifically, a first user provides its information and specifies under what conditions the first user's information can be released to other users, and the system stores them.  A second user also provides its information and specifies under what conditions the second user's information can be released to other uses, and the system stores them.

The second user then submits a search request, and the system returns a result that includes the preliminary information of the first user. The second user then requests to see the detailed information of the first user and releases its own information based on the conditions it sets.  Based upon the second user's information, the system determines if the conditions to release the first user's information are met.  If the conditions are met, the first user's information is then released to the second user.

2) In another embodiment, a first user provides its information including its identity and specifies at least two conditions:

i) when the first user's identity can be released; and

ii) when the first user's other information can be released.

A second user also provides its information including its identity and specifies at least two conditions:

i) when the second user's identity can be released; and

ii) when the second user's other information can be released.

The second user then submits a search request, and the system returns a result that includes the preliminary information of the first user.

The first and second users then exchange their respective information, minus their identities, based on the respective conditions they specify for their information, except their identities, to be released. After exchanging their other information, the first user transmits its identity to the second user if the condition to release its identity is met. Similarly, after exchanging their other information, the second user transmits its identity to the first user if the condition to release its identity is met.

This Study is a request for prior art, including non-patent literature, software, websites, Bulletin Board System (BBS) services, matchmaking services, and employment search services that provides a path to invalidity for the Study patent claims that is not already known. The Reward is guaranteed to be paid to the Researcher who submits the highest quality prior art.

There is a preferred Latest Date for Prior Art of September 18, 1996.

This Study is subject to the shared reward program.

This Study relates to an improved triangular cube-corner retroreflective sheeting (also referred to as prismatic sheeting), specifically comprising:

•  a triangular cube-corner retroreflective sheeting having a printed layer;

•  the sheeting comprising at least a triangular cube-corner retroreflective elements layer, made up of a large number of triangular cube-corner retroreflective elements;

•  a holding body layer;

•  a surface protective layer;

•  a printed layer of a discrete repetitiive pattern of unit patterns provided on the triangular cube-corner retroreflective elements layer, the printed layer being provided on the lateral faces of the triangular cube-corner retroreflective elements or between the holding body layer and the surface protective layer; and,

•  the unit patterns each have an area of 0.15 mm² to 30 mm².

References of particular interest would include the elements listed above AND have a printed layer comprising an ink with a light colorant which brightens the hue of the sheeting and hides the color of the sheeting beneath the unit patterns. 

This Study relates to an electronic device that stores information pertaining to payment cards, electronic coupons, and loyalty cards.  Specifically, this Study relates to a wallet consolidator, comprising:

•  a controller to control operation of a wallet consolidator;

•  at least one input device connected to said controller of the wallet consolidator and positioned to receive a copy of information stored on at least one card;

•  a memory device connected to said controller to store said information received by said input device; and,

•  an output device connected to said controller and positioned to effectuate communication of at least a portion of said information stored in said memory device to a point-of-sale terminal located at a point-of-sale when the point-of-sale terminal is positioned receive said at least a portion of said information from the output device of the wallet consolidator for use in a point-of-sale transaction. 

Output device can be one of the following: RF transceiver, wireless interface, wireline communication interface, or infrared interface

This Study is a request for prior art, including non-patent literature, that provides a path to invalidity for the Study patent claims that is not already known. The Reward is guaranteed to be paid to the Researcher who submits the highest quality prior art. 

There is a preferred Latest Date for Prior Art of May  28, 1997.

This Study is subject to the shared reward program.

This Study relates to retroreflective articles and the following retroreflective sheeting features:

a substrate having a base surface and a structured surface opposite the base surface, the structured surface comprising:

•  a first array of cube corner elements;
•  a second array of cube corner elements optically opposing the cube corner elements of the first array, the optical axes of the cube corner elements in the first and second arrays canted to define a first primary plane of improved retroreflective performance at increased entrance angles, the first primary plane extending substantially parallel with a longitudinal edge of the sheeting;
•  a third array of cube corner elements; and
•  a fourth array of cube corner elements optically opposing the cube corner elements of the third array, the optical axes of the cube corner elements in the third and fourth arrays canted to define a second primary plane of improved retroreflective performance at increased entrance angles, the second primary plane being perpendicular to the first primary plane.

References of interest include all of the elements identified above.  An additional focus of the search would include references having all of the elements above AND at least one of the elements below:

•  the cube corner elements are full cube corner elements

•  the retroreflective sheeting have substantially similar retroreflective performance in response to light incident on the sheeting across a range of entrance angles in the first primary plane and the second primary plane.

An area of interest relates to Stimsonite sheeting which was used to "tile" as the sheeting made it look like a parquet floor.

This Study is a request for prior art, including non-patent literature, that provides a path to invalidity for the Study patent claims that is not already known. The Reward is guaranteed to be paid to the Researcher who submits the highest quality prior art. 

There is a preferred Latest Date for Prior Art of July 1, 1996.

This Study is subject to the Shared Reward program.

This Study relates to electric hair cutting appliances, specifically, all shaver-trimmer combinations wherein the trimming unit comprises two trimmers and wherein the trimming unit is pivotally mounted to the housing of the device.  The device of interest could be schematically drawn as in the image below. Alternative configurations are shown in the patent document.

References of interest include the combination of a shaver with an electric trimming apparatus, wherein the trimming apparatus has two trimming sides and is rotationally mounted to the main body of the device.  Examples of a trimming apparatus of interest can be found in e.g. WO02/055272A1 (element 20 and sub-elements) and US6684511B2 (element 24 and sub-elements).  The shaver and the trimming apparatus might be located at opposite ends of the device as shown in the image below.  Alternatively the trimming apparatus might be located at a side face of the device as shown in the Study patent.

Notes:

•  In the Study patent EP1641601, the wording, "a shorthair cutter" is a shaving unit and a "longhair cutter" is a trimmer.

•  The description of the equivalent US2006/0168816 offers an English translation of the Study patent covering most of the Study patent’s description.

•  The claims of the Study patent and its US equivalent differ significantly. In this Study the claims of the Study patent are relevant only.

This Study is a request for prior art, including non-patent literature, for the Study as described above and is not already known. The Reward is guaranteed to be paid to the Researcher who submits the highest quality prior art.

Alternatively we are looking for prior art supporting inventive step arguments against claim 1 or in support of the above drawing.

Additionally we are looking for prior art supporting inventive step arguments against claim 4.

There is a preferred Latest Date for Prior Art of July 02, 2002.

This Study is subject to the Shared Reward program.

The US equivalent to this Study patent is: US2006/0168816

Known prior art: WO02/055272A1, US6684511, US1519601

*******UPDATED STUDY DESCRIPTION*******

This study relates to a valve for dispensing fluid from a fluid container. This type of valve has the advantage over conventional valve that it closes tightly when fluid pushes against the part of the valve inside the container, e.g. when being shaken or turned upside down. Another advantage is that this type of valve also opens at a relatively low underpressure when a person sucks on the spout.

Working of the valve

The valve is actively opened when an underpressure is created on the fluid outlet (spout). This causes a flexible member to move. Attached to the flexible member is an element, which, in rest, blocks the fluid passageway (from the container to the fluid outlet). As the flexible member moves, the element is moved from its resting position, thereby opening the fluid passageway. Then the fluid passes the opening and flows towards the fluid outlet (mouth).

Possible areas of interest

would also include products such as:  Nalgene, Camelbak, medical devices for controlling flow, the Lil' Topper (http://liltopper.com/how.html), baby bottles.

This Study is a request for prior art, including non-patent literature, that provides a path to invalidity for the Study patent claims that is not already known. The Reward is guaranteed to be paid to the Researcher who submits the highest quality prior art. 

There is a preferred Latest Date for Prior Art of June 12, 2000.

This Study is subject to the shared reward program.

This Study is a request for INTERNET OFFERINGS, PRODUCT MANUALS, PRODUCT BROCHURES, US PATENTS and other references relating to systems and methods for online fantasy sports game.

References should be directed to the use or potential use of one or more of the following features:

1.  An interactive online portal that allows users to form fantasy sports teams;

2.  Participants form fantasy sports teams based on active, real-life sports players;

3.  Participants are ranked and rewarded based on the performance of the real-life sports players that are on their fantasy sports teams;

4.  Participants are rewarded based on points;

5.  Additional plug-in web services are made available to the participants to help them improve the performance of their fantasy sports team;

6.  To help the participants choose the appropriate plug-in web services for their needs, rankings are done on the plug-in web services

This Study is a request for INTERNET OFFERINGS, PRODUCT MANUALS, PRODUCT BROCHURES, US PATENTS and other references. References of interest will describe products with the features described above. 

The Reward is guaranteed to be paid to the Researcher who submits the highest quality art.

This Study is subject to the shared reward program.

This Patent Study relates to refining search queries.

We are interested in reviewing search systems in which a user enters a search query and the system offers refined search queries in which at least one, but not all, words in the original query are replaced.

References of most interest will describe a search system with an association graph. The “association graph” might be a data set that measures the strength of association between terms.  The most relevant references include a formula or process for calculating the strength of the association.  We are particularly interested in references that calculate the strength of association using the user’s interactions with the search results.  

Also of interest are search systems that perform the following steps:

1.  Receive a search query made up of keywords from a user;

2.  Use an association graph to suggest replacement keyword(s) for one or more (but not all) of the keywords in the original query;

3.  Present the replacement keywords to the user;

4.  Allow the user to select one of the replacement keywords;

5.  Fetch search results for a refined query comprised of the replacement keywords and at least one of the keywords from the original query. 

This Study is a request for prior art, including non-patent literature, that provides a path to invalidity for the Study patent claims that is not already known. The Reward is guaranteed to be paid to the Researcher who submits the highest quality prior art. 

There is a preferred Latest Date for Prior Art of August 27, 2006.

This Study is subject to the shared reward program.

***PLEASE NOTE REQUIREMENTS TO MATCH SECTION REVISION***

This Study relates to a system that uses flexible radio frequency identification (RFID) labels and tags (inlays) to track articles. Specifically, this Study relates to an article tracking system, comprising:

•  a plurality of articles;

•  a plurality of RFID labels, each of the RFID labels affixed to a respective one of the articles and comprising a respective first thin sheet having a respective first surface, a respective antenna disposed on the respective first sheet, a respective single integrated circuit (IC) comprising a respective transceiver, and a respective second thin sheet affixed to at least a portion of the respective first surface;

•  respective visual information on each of the plurality of RFID labels; and,

•   an interrogation system configured to use RF signals to determine, from at least one of the RFID labels, an identification code associated with at least one of the articles, and configured to use a light signal to determine, from at least one of the REID labels, data associated with at least one of the articles. 

This Study also relates to a method of tracking articles, comprising:

•  receiving a plurality of articles at a shipment destination, each of the articles having affixed thereto a respective RHO label comprising a respective first thin sheet having a first surface, a respective antenna disposed on the first sheet, a single respective integrated circuit (IC) coupled to the antenna, and a respective second thin sheet affixed to at least a portion of the first surface;

•  transmitting to the articles a spread spectrum RF signal; receiving, in response to the signal, data stored in a first IC of a first label affixed to a first article of the plurality of articles; and,

•  treating the first article based at least in part on the data received from the first label. 

This Study is a request for prior art, including non-patent literature, that provides a path to invalidity for the Study patent claims that is not already known. The Reward is guaranteed to be paid to the Researcher who submits the highest quality prior art.

There is a preferred Latest Date for Prior Art of August 11, 1991.

This Study is subject to the Shared Reward program.

Preferred prior art references for a system for recording the delivery of medication to a patient by a clinical device will show or in combination suggest that a comparison of identification data, preferably patient identification or medication identification data, should be done in an automated manner as part of the transfer of clinical device operating instructions between computers or processors for download to the device to control the operation of the device.  References showing devices other than medication delivery devices, such as monitors, pacemakers, or nerve-stimulators for example, will be appreciated if they show some automated pre-therapy or pre-configuration patient identification comparison. 

This Study relates to a system for recording the delivery of medication to a patient by a clinical device, comprising:

•  a first processor in operable communication with the clinical device; input means operatively connected to the first processor for input of information related to the delivery of medication to the first processor;

•  a second processor having a memory in which is stored a record associated with the patient containing patient information and information related to the delivery of medication to the patient;

•  a means for communicating information related to the delivery of medication to the patient between the first and second processors, the information including identification data, clinical device operating parameters and medication delivery information;

•  wherein identification data input into the first processor is compared to the stored identification data by either the first or second processor and the second processor downloads clinical device operating parameters to the first processor to program and operate the clinical device in accordance with the downloaded operating parameters if the comparison of the identification data satisfies a predetermined condition; and

•  wherein medication delivery information associated with the operation of the clinical device in accordance with the downloaded operating parameters is communicated to the second processor for storage in the record associated with the patient.

This Study is a request for prior art, including non-patent literature, that provides a path to invalidity for the Study patent claims that is not already known. The Reward is guaranteed to be paid to the Researcher who submits the highest quality prior art. 

There is a preferred Latest Date for Prior Art of May 14, 1994.

This Study is subject to the shared reward program.

This Study relates to technology in the field of presenting a series of questions, such as those in a survey or test, via a network, specifically, where the questions are created based on selected parameters and responses to those questions are evaluated to determine whether they originate from (i) a computer or (ii) a human not paying attention.

The above description should not be taken as limiting the scope of the study.  Please see the Description field for important information.

References should have the following features of a method for conducting a survey:

1)  Selecting a parameter, creating a question based on that selected parameter, and sending that created question to a respondent.  Additional questions may be created, each separately based on a separately selected parameter, and sent to a respondent.

2)  Evaluating a response to a question to determine whether it is a genuine respondent response as opposed to, for example, a response from (i) a computer or (ii) a human not paying attention.  The evaluation may, by way of example, include an evaluation of a comparison of at least two responses.  The evaluation may, as a further example, include an evaluation of the measured time for one or more responses.

3)  Creating another question based on the response to the previous question.

This Study is a request for prior art, including non-patent literature, for the Study as described above and is not already known.  The Reward is guaranteed to be paid to the Researcher who submits the highest quality prior art. 

There is a preferred Latest Date for Prior Art of July 24, 1995.

This Study is subject to the Shared Reward program.

This Study relates to technology in the field of testing, specifically: (i) determining whether a test-taker is entitled to a preselected reward or (ii) sending an encoded test result from a testing device to a central device where that test result is then decoded and compared to a test benchmark.

The above description should not be taken as limiting the scope of the study.  Please see the Description field for important information.

References should have the following features of a method for testing:

1)  A person selecting a reward from a website.

2)  Administering a test to that person and determining a test result.

3)  Determining, based on the test result, a proximity to a reward threshold.

References should have the following features of a method for computer-based testing:

1)  Generating and encoding a test result at a testing device.  The test result may include, by way of example, an indication of the raw test performance.  The test result may include, as a further example, an indication of the number of correct and/or incorrect test responses.

2)  Receiving and decoding the encoded test result.

3)  Comparing the decoded test result with a test benchmark.

4)  Providing a performance indication.

Please see details of each individual patent for LDPA and Preferred LDPA requirements by clicking "View Details" link below.

This Study is a request for prior art, including non-patent literature, for the Study as described above.  The Reward is guaranteed to be paid to the Researcher who submits the highest quality prior art. 

Please see details of each individual patent for LDPA and Preferred LDPA requirements by clicking "View Details" link below.

This Study is subject to the Shared Reward program.

This Study relates generally to manipulating website content by inserting hyperlinks to targeted advertisements and/or cross-references to network resources that customize the content for a user. Interesting systems should perform one or more of the following functions:

(1)   Receive and accept competitive bids from third parties so the third party can be associated with some user-viewable text on a website.

(2)   Determine information about a website user (e.g., user identity, user characteristics, user interests, indications that the user is a member of an organization or category of users, or user location). The information might be stored in a cookie file on the user’s computer.

(3)   Define an association between a computer network resource and an arrangement of user-viewable text. The selection of an association may be based on information about the user.

(4)   Determine that a portion of user-viewable text on a web page matches a pattern of user-viewable text in the association between the computer network resource and the arrangement of user-viewable text.

(5)   Include a hyperlink to the computer network resource (a) in a balloon window that emerges while a pointer is placed over the matching text on the page, (b) in place of the matching text,(c) as a mouse-over object assigned to the matching text, (d) just after the matching text, (e) substantially at the location of the matching text, or (f) in a margin adjacent to the matching text.

(6)   Alter the status of an association between the computer network resource and user-viewable text (e.g., enable the association) when a user accepts an offer from a third party to provide the user a benefit having monetary value in exchange for the user agreeing to include the association in a customized set of associations (a) for a predetermined period of time or (b) until a predetermine number of hyperlinks are generated using the association offered by the third party.

(7)   Present the computer network resource (with the inserted hyperlink) to the user.

The owner of this patent appears to suggest that this patent may cover all advertising systems that may perform the following functions:

(1)   associate a data pattern (e.g., a keyword) with a merchant;

(2)   determine that content from a website matches the data pattern;

(3)   modify the content to include the merchant’s advertisement; and

(4)   present the modified content to a website user.

This Study is a request for prior art, including non-patent literature, that provides a path to invalidity for the Study patent claims that is not already known. The Reward is guaranteed to be paid to the Researcher who submits the highest quality prior art. 

There is a preferred Latest Date for Prior Art of May 8, 1999.

This Study is subject to the shared reward program.

This Study relates to a method that allows users of portable electronic devices, such as a mobile phone or navigation unit, to select an image identifying a brand. In response, the device presents the user with an image of a map that indicates a current location of the device and shows one or more images representative of brand access sites where products and/or services of the selected brand may be accessed (e.g., purchased) by the user.

Specifically, this Study relates to a method comprising:

•  displaying, using a device, a first image associated with a first brand;

•  receiving, from a user of the device, an indication of a selection by the user of the first image;

•  identifying a first location of the device independently of any location-specifying input provided by the user to the device;

•  identifying a first brand access site at which a first branded entity having the first brand is accessible; and,

•  providing to the user, using the device, a first map image which describes a first geographic area derived from the first location of the device and which includes a first indication of the first brand access site, wherein the first indication of the first brand access site comprises a second image associated with the first brand, located at a position in the first map image corresponding to the first brand access site. 

This Study is a request for prior art, including non-patent literature, that provides a path to invalidity for the Study patent claims that is not already known. The Reward is guaranteed to be paid to the Researcher who submits the highest quality prior art. 

There is a preferred Latest Date for Prior Art of January 18, 2006.

This Study is subject to the shared reward program.

This Study relates to systems and methods for categorizing information into a hierarchy of geographical areas (eg, Country, State, City), and then into topics, and includes a database of such categorized information and a means for searching the database geographically and topically in response to a user request. 

Specifically, this Study relates to a system which associates on-line information with geographic areas, said system comprising: 

•  a computer network wherein a plurality of computers have access to said computer network; and, 

•  an organizer executing in said computer network, wherein said organizer is configured to receive search requests from any one of said plurality of computers, said organizer comprising: 

-  a database of information organized into a hierarchy of geographical areas wherein entries corresponding to each one of said hierarchy of geographical areas is further organized into topics; and 

-  a search engine in communication with said database, said search engine configured to search geographically and topically, said search engine further configured to select one of said hierarchy of geographical areas prior to selection of a topic so as to provide a geographical search area wherein within said hierarchy of geographical areas at least one of said entries associated with a broader geographical area is dynamically replicated into at least one narrower geographical area, said search engine further configured to search said topics within said selected geographical search area. 

This Study is a request for prior art, including non-patent literature, that provides a path to invalidity for the Study patent claims that is not already known. The Reward is guaranteed to be paid to the Researcher who submits the highest quality prior art. 

There is a preferred Latest Date for Prior Art of January 30, 1995.

This Study is subject to the Shared Reward program.

This Study is for a method of displaying video information based on receiving an electronic program guide linking a TV channel from a list of TV channels being broadcasted with a video clip, the method comprising:

(1) displaying icons on the program guide indicating which one of the programs have corresponding video clips or

(2) the simultaneous display of the video clip and of the TV channel:

The ideal prior art in relation to (2) describes a system according to the attached drawing below.

The input information comprises TV channels as part of a broadcast signal, the video clips and electronic program guide (EPG) information which links a TV channel from the plurality of channels broadcasted with the video clip. The processing device uses the EPG information to generate a composite signal allowing the simultaneous display of the TV channel and the video clip.  The processing and display may take place in the same device (e.g. in TV) or in separate devices. The use of a tuner to decode the TV signal may be implicit, and the Video clips may also be decode by the tuner. The input information may be carried via a single broadcast signal or via separate channels (e.g. broadcast signal and local availability/ via a network etc).

The ideal prior art in relation to (1) does not necessarily describe the simultaneously display of the video clip and the TV channel, but does describe displaying icons on the program guide indicating which one of the programs have corresponding video clips and allowing a viewer to select one of the video clips.

Of critical importance is that the EPG information links a TV channel with a video clip and the display of icons on the program guide indicating which one of the programs have corresponding video clips.

This Study is a request for prior art, including non-patent literature, that provides a path to invalidity for the Study patent claims that is not already known. The Reward is guaranteed to be paid to the Researcher who submits the highest quality prior art. 

There is a preferred Latest Date for Prior Art of May 18, 1994.

This Study is subject to the Shared Reward program.

This Study is for a method of displaying EPG information receiving in response to a query to a web server, the web server storing the EPG/ television scheduling information, the query being the result of running software which was downloaded from a second web server.

The ideal prior art describes a system according to the drawing attached below.

Herein we have a device incorporating a processor, which, in the 1st step, it receives (search) software from a first web server storing software for download. In response to user input, the processor executed the search software, which execution results to a query/search information being submitted to a second server storing the electronic programming guide/ television scheduling information (2nd step). In response the query, EPG information is provided back to the device (3rd step), which is displayed to the user  (4th step).

This Study is a request for prior art, including non-patent literature, that provides a path to invalidity for the Study patent claims that is not already known. The Reward is guaranteed to be paid to the Researcher who submits the highest quality prior art. 

There is a preferred Latest Date for Prior Art of October 1, 1995.

This Study is subject to the Shared Reward program.

This Study relates to client access to server-based applications.  References of interest focus on the client presenting information received from a server in response to a request by the client.

1)  Specifically, the client contacts the server and receives a response including embedded code.  The client runs the embedded code, establishing a second server connection and sending client operating environment information via the second connection.  The second server connection may be a connection to a second server or a second connection to the same server.  The server responds through the second sever connection to provide presentation information for presenting the application on the client.  In addition:

A)  The client stores a link to re-establish the server connection, whereby the link may include both a graphical component and a data structure containing information to re-establish the server connection; or,

B)  The client presents both an application and content.  The presentation information from the server is based on the client’s operating environment and comprises at least one of instructions to render components of an application, default parameters and data values exhibited within the components, and application-specific business logic for processing input which the client then presents.

2)  In another embodiment, a client sends operating environment information to an application server, receives presentation instructions from the application server, transmits events to the application server, receives updates from the application server to display updated content, and maintains an operating state of the application.  The application server transmits presentation information for display of the application, including one or more content items based on the operating environment information, and executes application specific business logic based on events received from the client to generate updated presentation instructions sent to the client for presentation.

This Study is a request for prior art, including non-patent literature, that provides a path to invalidity for the Study patent claims that is not already known. The Reward is guaranteed to be paid to the Researcher who submits the highest quality prior art. 

There is a preferred Latest Date for Prior Art of June 28, 2000.

This Study is subject to the shared reward program.

This Study is related to a digital camera or scanner that can capture and store image data, and that allows wireless transmission of the image data to a destination (examples of which include a remote PC, an email address, an Internet Service Provider, or an online bulletin board or other precursor of today's social media, photo-sharing sites, and photo-finishing sites) where:

'084: The image data can be sent to a plurality of destinations, and the camera's or scanner's user interface allows the user to select a destination.  A camera or scanner that displays the status of the image transmission (e.g., a status bar) is preferable.

'161: The camera or scanner has a user interface that allows viewing of image data, and selection of an image for transfer; additionally the destination should be an Internet Service Provider, online bulletin board or other precursors of today's social media, photo-sharing sites, and photo-finishing sites.  It would be preferable if transmission is via the TCP/IP protocol.

'391: The camera or scanner has a user interface that allows selection of the image for transmission, and transmission can occur via at least two possible networks.  It would be preferable if the two networks are the cell phone network and wireless LAN.

'605: The camera or scanner contains a memory for storing a plurality of email addresses, and a user interface that allows viewing of the images, selection of an image for transmission, and selection of an email address to which to transmit the selected image.

This Study is a request for prior art, including non-patent literature, that provides a path to invalidity for the Study patent claims that is not already known. The Reward is guaranteed to be paid to the Researcher who submits the highest quality prior art. 

There is a preferred Latest Date for Prior Art of Febuary 20, 1996.

Copies of the patents are available via the pdf links.

This Study is subject to the Shared Reward program.

This Study relates to a method for package offer redemption, comprising:

receiving a plurality of product identifiers indicative of a plurality of products;

identifying a package including the received product identifiers;

determining a package price for the products identified by the product identifiers included in the package;

processing a sale of the products identified by the product identifiers included in the package;

adjusting sales performance data based on the sale of the products; and

setting a status of the package to invalid when the sales performance data for the products included in the package fail to meet limits.

A storage medium encoded with machine-readable computer program code, said computer program code for directing a computer to perform the steps of:

identifying product identifiers of products that are complementary;

verifying acceptable sales performance for the complementary products;

identifying a package including the product identifiers of the complementary products having acceptable sales performance, in which at least one of the complementary products having acceptable sales performance is associated with a demand rate that is greater than a predetermined demand rate;

determining a package price for the products identified by the product identifiers included in the package; and

outputting the package via an output device.

***STUDY DEADLINE HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO 5/18/12***

This Study is a request for prior art, including non-patent literature, that provides a path to invalidity for the Study patent claims that is not already known. The Reward is guaranteed to be paid to the Researcher who submits the highest quality prior art. 

There is a preferred Latest Date for Prior Art of March 20, 1996.

This Study is subject to the shared reward program.

This Study relates to a method, executed by a computerized telephone services device, for providing enhanced telephone services comprising:

a) recognizing tones generated by an originating telephone line, the originating telephone line being associated with a calling number, wherein the tones represent a common number associated with a called party and assigned to two or more telephone lines;

b) identifying the two or more telephone lines associated with the common number;

c) causing a first telephone line and a second telephone line of the two or more telephone lines to ring substantially simultaneously;

d) awaiting the called party to answer via one of the two or more telephone lines;

e) sending a challenge to the answered telephone line and waiting for the called party to satisfy the challenge if one of the two or more telephone lines is answered, wherein the challenge comprises a menu of options for routing the call;

f) establishing a first telephone connection between the originating telephone line and one of the two or more telephone lines associated with the common number of the called party if the challenge is satisfied;

g) detecting entry of a code from the answered telephone line, the code indicative of a request to pass the established first telephone connection from the answered telephone line to a third telephone line associated with the common number of the called party;

h) calling the third telephone line in response to the detection of the service code;

i) detecting whether the third telephone line has been answered by the called party;

j) connecting the established first telephone connection between the originating telephone line and the third telephone line if the third telephone line is answered by the called party;

k) recognizing independently of steps a-j tones generated by an originating telephone line, wherein the tones represent a request for a telephone conference over a conference line and are associated with one or more telephone lines of the called party;

l) determining whether the calling telephone number associated with the originating telephone line is included in a set of defined telephone numbers permitted to connect to the conference line without requiring authentication of the calling party; and

m) establishing a telephone connection between the originating telephone line and the conference line if the set of defined telephone numbers includes the calling telephone number.

References of interest include one reference that depict all four of the claimed features listed below.

Secondarily, references of interest are one reference that includes the first three feature sets, and one reference that includes the last feature set.

Feature sets: elements (a) through (m), which embody four feature sets; namely:

(1) “Common Number Calling”  (Claim 1(a) – (d));

(2) “Challenge to the Called Party” (Claim 1(e) – (f));

(3) “Call Transfer to Another Line Associated with the Called Party” (Claim 1(g) – (j)); and,

(4) “Defined Numbers Admitted to a Conference Call”  (Claim 1(k) – (m)).

This Study is a request for prior art, including non-patent literature, that provides a path to invalidity for the Study patent claims that is not already known. The Reward is guaranteed to be paid to the Researcher who submits the highest quality prior art. 

There is a preferred Latest Date for Prior Art of February 8, 2006.

This Study is subject to the shared reward program.

This Study relates to an electronic still camera for initiating capture of a still image while previewing motion images on a display, comprising:

(a) an image sensor having a two-dimensional array of photosites covered by a mosaic pattern of color filters including at least three different colors for capturing images of a scene, each captured image having a first number of color pixel values provided in a first color pattern;

(b) a motion processor for generating from the captured images, a second number of color pixel values provided in a second color pattern having at least three different colors and representative of a series of motion images to be previewed, the second number of color pixel values being less than the first number of color pixel values, and the second color pattern being different from the first color pattern;

(c) a color display for presenting at least some of the motion images of the series of motion images corresponding to the captured images of the scene, the color display having an arrangement of color display pixels including at least three different colors in a pattern different from the first color pattern;

(d) a capture button for initiating capture of a still image while previewing the motion images presented on the color display;

(e) a still processor for generating a third number of color pixel values including at least three different colors representative of a captured still image; and

(f) a digital memory for storing the processed captured still image.

This Study is a request for prior art, including non-patent literature, that provides a path to invalidity for the Study patent claims that is not already known. 

References of interest include any digital imaging system that included a low-resolution preview mode.

The Reward is guaranteed to be paid to the Researcher who submits the highest quality prior art. 

There is a preferred Latest Date for Prior Art of December 29, 1993.

This Study is subject to the shared reward program.