ML patent Application

[Aziz]

A quick search of the US patent office brings up nothing, so, looks like this patent has lapsed. I wonder if it didn't work.

What's happened Ufox (and mikebg)? $hite $torming against Al now?
Bad boys!!!
Aziz

[Paul99]

What's happened Ufox (and mikebg)? $hite $torming against Al now?
Bad boys!!!
Aziz

What's your problem and what are you on about?

[mikebg]

What's your problem and what are you on about?

I think that Aziz likes the KISS principle used by Allan in his patents.
They are "Free science, knowledge and inventions to the mankind" (as patents of Minelab :-).

[Prospector_Al]

A quick search of the US patent office brings up nothing, so, looks like this patent has lapsed. I wonder if it didn't work.

Did it work? Yes, it worked. I use the old-fashioned method of filing patent applications: I design the circuit and THEN, I file the application. Other players in the field file "paper patents' on circuits they've never tried in practice. The main object there is to freeze out competition, in case the idea actually works. You can afford to do that if your corporation has a patent attorney on a retainer and he has to be kept busy. The drawback is that you have to pay a maintenance fee to keep the patent alive.

Even though a patent has lapsed, it still serves a purpose: It's now "prior art", and nobody else can patent the idea.

As an individual, I play by different rules. If I find a better way of doing what a patent covers, I let the old one lapse and I file a new one. That applies to this lapsed patent: I have improved the technology considerably and this will become apparent in a new application, in due time. How much time?


Tinkerer asked a rhetorical question: Do you know how long it takes for a patent to mature into a product that is marketed? It's usually years after the patent is granted. In my case, it's several years, because metal detector design is not my main occupation. In the grand scheme of things, there are more important things in life. I'm working an a project that will have a great impact on the health of millions of people--metal detector design is simple in comparison, and I use that to relax...

http://appft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-P...=IN/Westersten

All the best,

Allan

[Prospector_Al]

Did it work? Yes, it worked. I use the old-fashioned method of filing patent applications: I design the circuit and THEN, I file the application. Other players in the field file "paper patents' on circuits they've never tried in practice. The main object there is to freeze out competition, in case the idea actually works. You can afford to do that if your corporation has a patent attorney on a retainer and he has to be kept busy. The drawback is that you have to pay a maintenance fee to keep the patent alive.

Even though a patent has lapsed, it still serves a purpose: It's now "prior art", and nobody else can patent the idea.

As an individual, I play by different rules. If I find a better way of doing what a patent covers, I let the old one lapse and I file a new one. That applies to this lapsed patent: I have improved the technology considerably and this will become apparent in a new application, in due time. How much time?


Tinkerer asked a rhetorical question: Do you know how long it takes for a patent to mature into a product that is marketed? It's usually years after the patent is granted. In my case, it's several years, because metal detector design is not my main occupation. In the grand scheme of things, there are more important things in life. I'm working an a project that will have a great impact on the health of millions of people--metal detector design is simple in comparison, and I use that to relax...

http://appft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-P...=IN/Westersten

All the best,

Allan

I just realized that the significance of the patent I cited above is only obvious to those involved in medical research. So, I'll explain it in simple terms. At last count, there were about 5000 diseases that are genetically predisposed. The method described in the patent makes it possible to replace the defective genes, so that the diseases are permanently cured.

We demonstrated that the technique works in animals, but it needs to be refined to be applicable to humans. That's my daytime job, and you can see why my metal detector work is on the back burner.

Besides, gold fever does not need to be cured--all we want is a detector that obviates the need to dig up 100 pieces of trash to find one nugget. (This is the trash/nugget ratio cited on a forum. I don't have the time nor the patience to dig that many holes in vain, and that's the reason I'm working on a detector...)


All the best,

Allan

[Paul99]

Did it work? Yes, it worked. I use the old-fashioned method of filing patent applications:

All the best,
Allan

Allan, I see there are a few claims cancelled in 20080150537.
Specifically claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18.

I see claims 5, 6 and 10 remain in the patent. I am interested in trying to understand how patents are worded and how they work, and am wondering why, after you submitted this patent with 18 claims, 15 of them were cancelled before the patent was granted?

All the best,
Paul.

[Prospector_Al]

Allan, I see there are a few claims cancelled in 20080150537.
Specifically claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18.

I see claims 5, 6 and 10 remain in the patent. I am interested in trying to understand how patents are worded and how they work, and am wondering why, after you submitted this patent with 18 claims, 15 of them were cancelled before the patent was granted?

All the best,
Paul.

Hi Paul,

I submitted a number of claims, in case some were rejected. If there are objections by the patent examiner, you have to argue with him and present evidence why the claim should be allowed.

In this case, once the essential claims were allowed, I cancelled the rest to save time.

Writing claims is an involved subject which can not be explained in a brief post. I learned how to write claims by taking a course, given by a patent attorney. In addition to that, I bought the Manual of Patent Examining Procedure from the Government Printing office. ($400.00) That allowed me to see the applications from the examiner's point of view. There are many rules you have to follow, and unless you know them, you can't expect to have any claims allowed.

If you are seriously interested, you have to do what I did. That presupposes that you have quite a few patent applications you want to file--otherwise it's not worth the trouble.


All the best,

Allan

[technos]

Looking through this discussion of the first post

"Metal Detector Sensor Head" Patent No. US20130057286 A1

I see many comments about there is not much "unique" technology with this patent application. I would have to agree. Especially to using ferrite materials on connections and in search heads.

However there is not much discussion about prior art. Being a new law I am not too familiar with the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leahy-S...ca_Invents_Act - But it allows third parties to submit third party documents on an application.

I would like to suggest that we do so. Is anybody else interested?

Things that I consider to be prior art (so far);

1) The covering of soldered connection by a ferrite bead

2) The protection of a connection by RF interference using a ferrite bead.

This is only after a very cursory examination of material related to ferrite bead use.

Is anybody familiar with the specific procedure of sending material to the patent office?