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GEN-ERIC Patent News
Tuesday, June 24, 2003

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HEADLINES (patents issued a few hours ago..)
The Can't Think of a Title Patent of the Day goes to Nokia Mobile Phones Ltd. of Finland
for a Computer and a method of operating a computer

The Jammin' Patent of the Day goes to an Inventor from Santa Barbara
for a Walking cane stringed instrument
    Index
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NEWS
Tyco's Sensormatic Wins Patent Infringement Lawsuit Against Universal Surveillance Systems
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?
ACCT=SVBIZINK3.story&STORY=/www/story/06-20-2003/0001969110&EDATE=FRI+Jun+20+2003,+12:10+PM
Sensormatic Electronics Corporation, which was acquired by Tyco International's Fire & Security business segment in 2001, today announced that it won a jury verdict in a patent infringement case against Universal Surveillance Systems, Inc. The jury found that Universal's UNIPRO anti-theft tag infringed upon a patent owned by Sensormatic and awarded damages based on lost profits and reasonable royalties. An injunction has been in effect that prohibits Universal from selling its UNIPRO anti-theft tag. This verdict upholds Sensormatic's patent related to its anti-theft tags. Sensormatic currently holds nearly 900 patents on its anti-theft systems, with more than 600 pending patents on file.
    Index
Dutch PC maker takes Dell to court
http://news.com.com/2100-1003_3-1020122.html
Trial proceedings started Monday in a patent-infringement case that pits Dutch PC maker Tulip Computers International against Dell Computer. Amersfoort, Netherlands-based Tulip filed suit in November 2000, accusing Dell of infringing on its patent for a motherboard design. Tulip is seeking unspecified royalties. The patent at issue in the case covers the placement of an expansion card slot in a motherboard that enables PC makers to create desktop computers that are smaller, have a more efficient cooling system, and can communicate more effectively with connected devices. Tulip said Dell has used the patented technology in its OptiPlex machines, the company's corporate desktop line. Tulip claims the infringement has resulted in more than $17 billion worth of sales for Dell.
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TSMC seeks to overturn 'Lemelson' process patents
http://www.siliconstrategies.com/story/OEG20030623S0005
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd. has filed a civil suit Friday (June 20, 2003) in the U.S. District Court in San Jose, California, seeking declaratory judgment that two patents owned by Syndia Corp. of Chicago, Illinois, are invalid, unenforceable and are not infringed by TSMC, the company said Monday. The two patents (United States Patent Nos. 4,702,808 and 5,131,941) were filed with the US Patent Office by Jerome Lemelson, a prolific inventor, in 1957 and 1964 and finally issued in 1987 and 1992 respectively. They passed through the Lemelson Medical, Educational and Research Foundation Limited Partnership in 2001 to Syndia.
    Index
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PATENTS OF THE DAY

6,584,510

Computer and a method of operating a computer

Background:  It has been proposed to replace the soundcard, loudspeaker, and microphone, used for multimedia conversations, with a portable communication device such as a mobile phone coupled to the computer. This generally requires the use in the computer of a dedicated or custom application to interface the phone and the network interface, effectively replacing the Application Manager (AM), Audio Device Driver (ADD), and the Audio Compression Manager (ACM) of the device. If a user wishes to have the choice of using either a soundcard (with associated microphone and loudspeaker) or a portable phone, he must have access to both the custom phone application and the AM/ADD/ACM system.

Claim:  A method of conducting real-time telephone conversation using a computer, the method comprising:
  connecting a mobile telephone device comprising an audio codec to the computer;
  receiving a compressed audio signal representing the telephone conversation over an external data transfer channel to the computer;
  providing the compressed audio signal representing the telephone conversation from the computer to the mobile telephone device; and
  decompressing the compressed audio signal representing the telephone conversation using the audio codec in the mobile telephone device to obtain an uncompressed audio signal representing the telephone conversation.

Index

6,583,345

Walking cane stringed instrument

Abstract: Disabled people requiring the use of a cane in order to be ambulatory have one hand dedicated to holding onto the cane. The other hand must remain available for routine tasks such as opening doors and answering the telephone. Accordingly, it is difficult for such people to carry a musical instrument when they leave the home. It would be desirable to provide a walking cane that, when not being used for support, can be used for practicing or otherwise playing a musical instrument such as a guitar. Such a modified, multipurpose cane can be used, for example, for practicing guitar while sitting in a waiting room or waiting at a bus stop.

Abstract: A musical cane comprising, in combination: (a) a cane operable for providing support for a person and having a handle portion adapted to be gripped by the person's hand, a tip portion and a hollow, elongate body portion therebetween; and (b) a stringed musical instrument affixed to said body portion.