Number 3

[billvon 3,089]

Just got awarded patent #3, for a way to enter text into a phone that doesn't involve pushing the 5 button 3 times to get an L. I always hated that. It's patent number 6,822,852 (there are a lot of patents out there.)

So far the old truism "have an idea, get a patent, make a million dollars" hasn't come true (there's a big step between part 2 and part 3 of that formula) but the Qualcomm bonus is nice. Qualcomm encourages patent filings because they get the rights to the patents, and most of QC's value is in its IP. We have a patent wall downstairs covered with plaques that has something like 800 patents on it. Pretty impressive to see that many when they're displayed like that.

[wmw999 2,558]

That's awesome.

The only patents I have are shoes, and no, you can't look at them and see what's under my skirt
Wendy W.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[cpoxon 0]

Quote

It's patent number 6,822,852 (there are a lot of patents out there.)

Clicky ;-)

Congratulations!

Skydiving Fatalities - Cease not to learn 'til thou cease to live

[Adrock 0]

Congrats, Bill! I also hate the pressing of each button repeatedly to get the letter. Whichever phone company picks this up, they will really have an advantage.

[Lindsey 0]

Awesome for you, and very good for me too.... I think you might be making me a safer driver... (linz looks up from typing and swerves back onto the right side fo the road).

linz

--
A conservative is just a liberal who's been mugged. A liberal is just a conservative who's been to jail

[dan_iv 0]

i like the little tables in the patent, but i have one gripe... what about all of our lovely special characters like @.,)(*&^%$#!~`" and our numbers too...

[GiaKrembs 0]

Very cool!!! I think it's so awesome - you creative types!!!
ciao for now, g

Raddest ho this side of Jersey #1 - rest in peace brother
Beth lost her cherry and I missed it
.... you want access to it, but you don't want to break it.

[jsaxton 0]

So I guess you'll never see that million dollars since QC owns the poatent ;)

[davedlg 0]

congrats!! I went through all the trouble of getting a patent once. I know how much of a hasle it is! Good luck with the technology!!

[billvon 3,089]

>what about all of our lovely special characters like @.,)(*&^%$#!~`" and our numbers too...

Pick a key combination and assign them. The assignments I came up with made sense to me because I mostly enter text, but other people may well want other combinations.

[skymama 37]

Quote

We have a patent wall downstairs covered with plaques that has something like 800 patents on it. Pretty impressive to see that many when they're displayed like that.

I remember when you showed me that and I've told a lot of people about it. It IS quite impressive and so are you, Bill!

She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man,
because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon

[skymama 37]

I just told my daughter about your accomplishments. She said, "don't ever introduce him to me, I'll feel so stupid."

She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man,
because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon

[ACMESkydiver 0]

Wonderful!!! Congratulations, Bill!!

It is so cool to know smart people! ...uh, even if it is just over the internet.

~Jaye
Do not believe that possibly you can escape the reward of your action.

[Amanduh 0]

Congrats..but I have a question.

I know on my phone that if I set it when typing a text message to T9Word, all I have to do is hit the button once. If I need to wright 'you' I hit you. It automatically displays the most common word used when that combination of buttons is hit in a row. If it is not the right word, i hit next. Is this about the same?

*edited for grammar

[Deuce 1]

That's neat, Bill.

[Guru312 0]

Congratulations!!! Not too many of us out here.

I've been inventing most of my life. I have four patents and my AICommand system will probably yield a few more. Unfortunately, I had to pay for them all myself.

Can you imagine that Edison had 1049 patents?!

You idea is way cool, by the way.

Guru312

I am not DB Cooper

[livendive 8]

I thought everything that could be invented already had been.

Blues,
Dave

"I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!"
(drink Mountain Dew)

[Shotgun 1]

Quote

I just told my daughter about your accomplishments. She said, "don't ever introduce him to me, I'll feel so stupid."

Yeah, he is annoying in that way...

But congratulations, Bill... That's pretty cool.

[NWFlyer 2]

Quote

Just got awarded patent #3, for a way to enter text into a phone that doesn't involve pushing the 5 button 3 times to get an L. I always hated that. It's patent number 6,822,852 (there are a lot of patents out there.)

Maybe everyone here already knows it, but I'll ask the newbie question: "what were #1 and #2?"

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

[TheAnvil 0]

Congrats Bill! That's awesome!

Vinny the Anvil
Post Traumatic Didn't Make The Lakers Syndrome is REAL
JACKASS POWER!!!!!!

[ltdiver 3]

Very cool, Bill!

And to think, this guy was serving beers on Saturday night in the Bombshelter!
ltdiver

Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon

[RoadRash 0]

That's cool! Congrats Bill!

~R+R...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Fly the friendly skies...^_^...})ii({...^_~...

[bob.dino 1]

Isn't that just chording on a handheld?

I would have thought the references in the provided link would constitute prior art that would invalidate the patent. That said, I'm not the greatest fan of the USPTOs current working practices.

And you really do like the word plurality, don't you?

[Shark 0]

That means I'll have to get a new phone, again.

Congratulations!

BTW, how did QCOM do?

[billvon 3,089]

>I would have thought the references in the provided link would
>constitute prior art that would invalidate the patent.

Hasn't been used in mobile communication devices, nor has it been done interactively with programmable changing definitions on the device display itself. The basic idea (chord keyboards) has been around for a while, of course - ever since the first piano, and more recently in devices like the Twiddler (replacement chording IBM-PC keyboard.)

Interesting side note - in 1978, Jalbert patented airlocks in ram-air canopies. Germain re-patented them about 20 years later by just describing them differently.

>And you really do like the word plurality, don't you?

Boilerplate. Our laywer rewrote it according to their boilerplate application; all our patents look like that.