Method, apparatus and computer program for displaying marks in an image data set
US Patent 7,672,495
March 2, 2010
A method and an apparatus display marks in an image data set, wherein an image data set comprising marks is provided and wherein during a review phase not all marks within the image data set are displayed at the same time. A list of the marks can be generated by sorting the marks depending on a predetermined sorting criterion and wherein the marks are displayed temporally one after another within the image data set in accordance with the generated list. The image data set is for example a medical image data set, wherein the marks are computer-aided detection (CAD) marks and wherein the sorting criterion is the probability of marking illness, in particular the suspiciousness.
Method for secure multicast repeating on the public Internet
US Patent 7,673,136
March 2, 2010
A system and method for sending a secure multicast transmission. The system includes a computer system coupled to a public network and configured to generate a multicast broadcast, and encrypt the generated multicast broadcast. The system also includes a router coupled to the public network, and a user system configured to request to join a multicast broadcast, wherein the user system is associated with the router. The router is configured to retrieve the encrypted multicast broadcast from the computer system over the public network, decrypt the sent multicast broadcast, and send the decrypted multicast broadcast to the user system requesting to join.
Medium and method providing the ability to display or hide a wood load from buyer view
US Patent 7,689,471
March 1, 2010
A method implementable in an electronic system coupled to an electronic device, the electronic device being coupled to a display device. A description of a load to display is received from the seller. At least one term governing the sale of the load is received from the seller. A definition of product items that will appear on the load is received from the seller. A web page displayable on the display device is served to the electronic device. The displayed web page includes a description of the load. A purchase order for the load is received from the electronic device.
Insole and shoe having an insole
US Patent 7,617,618
February 26, 2010
This invention relates to an insole which is essentially adapted to the profile of a human foot and has, in the middle foot area, an elastically deformable dome-like arch that faces the foot. To reduce the technical and financial production expense of an insole and to improve the wearing comfort of a shoe through an insole, in particular an insertable insole and to improve the fitting shape of the shoe by means of an insole and to feed air into and out of the shoe interior with the aid of an insole, the insole according to the invention exhibits in the region of the elastically deformable arch at least one ventilation opening, which during walking causes ventilation of the shoe interior in conjunction with the elastically deformable arch.
Steering system for a vehicle
US Patent 7,617,900
February 26, 2010
A includes two skis turned by a handlebars gripped by a user. A shaft formed of two sections couples the handlebars to the skis. The sections are angled with respect to one another and coupled to one another by means of a U-joint oriented such that for small rotations from a straight orientation of the handlebars the U-joint transfers a greater force to the skis than for rotations between large angled orientations of a range of angled orientation of the handlebars.
Patent 7,624,025
US Patent 7,624,025
February 26, 2010
Methods and systems for supporting the production of shipping labels are provided. Example embodiments provide a Shipment Management System (“SMS”), which facilitates the production of shipping labels. The SMS may be configured to generate a shipping uniform resource identifier (“URI”) that identifies a shipping protocol and includes shipment information and post-back information. The shipping URI may be provided to a shipping label module configured to produce a shipping label in accordance with the shipping protocol by outputting a shipping label based on the shipment information, and automatically posting information about the producing of the shipping label to a code module identified by the post-back information. This abstract is provided to comply with rules requiring an abstract, and it is submitted with the intention that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.
Patent 7,624,165
US Patent 7,624,165
February 26, 2010
A method and system to provide multiple connections to a device from separate physical networks through the same logical network layer while keeping connections persistent. In order to keep connections persistent and change physical networks, at least one additional connection is needed to seamlessly accomplish the “hand-off”. If one or more signals from the network host to the device (35) are weak or degraded, then multiple connections can provide redundancy of data being sent from the host to the device reducing the amount of lost data. Multiple connections can be used to increase the amount of data that can be sent to the device at any given time. The system also contains various multiplex servers (49-42) that are assigned to one or more mobile devices, and acting as the device’s proxy in order to transfer data back and forth.
Weather incident prediction
US Patent 7,664,601
February 16, 2010
A method for short-term prediction of storm cells in aircraft using a modified weather radar system, and a modified weather radar system embodying the method. The storm cell prediction method including the operations of accessing first and second weather radar images generated relative to the aircraft and having a similar relationships to the aircraft; mapping the first weather radar image onto the second weather radar image; comparing the first and second weather radar images; forecasting information describing a weather condition represented by the first and second weather radar images; retrieving a phase of flight of the aircraft; and generating a warning as a function of the forecast information describing a weather condition and the aircraft phase of flight.
False patent marking requires greater attention
February 5, 2010
| Intellectual Property News
For more than a century, the patent statutes have made it illegal to include a patent number on a product that is not actually covered by the patent. 28 U.S.C. 292 provides that the use of a patent number, or the words “patented” or something similar, on a product or in advertising for the product, is illegal if it is done with an intent to deceive the public into thinking that the product is patented when it actually is not. The same restriction applies to the use of terms such as “patent applied for” or “patent pending.”
The false marking statute of Section 292 has been largely ignored because of its weak remedies. The statute provides for a fine of not more than $500 for every offense of false marking. Although there have been very few court decisions applying the statute, most of the courts that had encountered it had concluded that the $500 cap was the maximum remedy no matter how many units had been sold with the erroneous patent number. Even a continuous and ongoing campaign to falsely mark products for years would merit no more than a $500 fine.
That is, until recently. On December 28, 2009, the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals held that the $500 total cap should not be applied in this fashion. Instead, the penalty applies to each unit of a product that is sold with the false marking. Here’s a link to the decision: http://www.cafc.uscourts.gov/opinions/09-1044.pdf.
In the wake of this precedential interpretation of the false marking statute, a cottage industry of lawsuits has sprung up, with potential plaintiffs scrutinizing patent numbers appearing on products in the hope of finding an error that might support a lawsuit. Notably, a false marking lawsuit can be filed by literally anyone, and a plaintiff need not be a competitor or someone who was actually harmed by the marking.
In a few high profile cases, the number of units sold is great and the potential damages are astronomical. In one recent case involving lids made by the Solo Cup Company, the case alleged that 21 billion lids were sold with expired patent numbers on them. If the court were to award $500 per lid, the damages would be enormous. While a maximum of $500 per unit seems unlikely in most cases, even a penny per infraction can be huge if the volumes are high enough.
Although patent numbers should always be applied carefully, in this current environment it’s wise to be especially accurate. Congress is evaluating new legislation that might cap the damages award and stem the tide of false marking litigation, but for now the use of patent numbers on products and in advertising should be carefully scrutinized to ensure the numbers are accurate and the patents are still valid and enforceable.
