From: srctran@world.std.com (Gregory Aharonian)
Subject: 200 software patents in two months - what's going on?
Organization: The World Public Access UNIX, Brookline, MA
Date: Fri, 24 Jul 1992 03:23:02 GMT

 
     To appreciate the magnitude of the problem of software patents, what
follows is a list of about two hundred patents from just TWO months of 1991.
The software community should start helping the patent office better manage
the process of awarding software patents.
      A good guess is that there at least 20,000 patents dealing with software
and algorithms.  I am preparing a compendium of all of these patents by title
and number and assignee.
     Recently Microsoft paid IBM $20 million to license IBM's software patent
portfolio, so software patents are starting to become big business.  On the
other hand, many of these patents are challengeable in court based on prior
art considerations.
 
Greg Aharonian
Source Translation & Optimization
617-489-3727
 
==============================================================================
 
 
Preprocessing means for use in a pattern classification system
 
Hybrid feature-based and template matching optical character recognition
 
Apparatus and method for digitizing and segmenting a handwriting movement
based on curvilinear and angular velocities
 
Mechanism for measuring the service times of software and hardware components
in complex systems
 
Method and apparatus for supporting the operation under radioactive rays
 
Dot placement technique for speed optimization of raster printing devices
 
Probabilistic inference gate
 
Method for quasi-key search within a national language support data processing
system
 
Medical information system with automatic updating of task list in response
to charting interventions on task list window into an associated form
 
Assignment-dependent resource allocation method
 
Remote meter configuration
 
Data access system for a fileaccess processor
 
Character and phoneme recognition based on probability clustering
 
Method and apparatus for recognizing table area formed in binary image of
document
 
Figure hidden-line processing method
 
Apparatus for automatically designing jig
 
System for modelling low resolution atmospheric propagation
 
System for translating a source language word with a prefix into a target
language word with multiple forms
 
Translation communication system
 
Management of defect areas in recording media
 
Method and apparatus for computer program encapsulation
 
Apparatus and method for interpreting image data for use in a raster plotter
 
Computerized method of matching two dimensional patterns
 
Generalized neighborhoods parameter transform for image features extraction
 
Image processing method using improved Bresenham algorithm in creating an
outline of a figure to be painted and apparatus adopting the method
 
Method for recognizing previously localized characters present in digital
gray tone images, particularly for recognizing characters struck into
metal surfaces
 
System and method for automatic document segmentation
 
Method and apparatus for controlling the use of a public key, based on the
level of import integrity for the key
 
X Window security system
 
Computerized tomographic apparatus
 
Remote agent operation for automatic call distributors
 
Geophysical exploration using near surface structure corrections developed
from common endpoint gather stacked traces
 
Method of enhancing geophysical data
 
Network protocol translator including method and apparatus for reducing
interprocess communication and data exchange overhead
 
Orthogonal transform coding apparatus for reducing the amount of coded
signals to be processed and transmitted
 
Image data coding apparatus and coding method
 
Discrete Fourier transform imaging
 
Automatic determination of labels and Markov word models in a speech
recognition system
 
User interface with multiple workspaces for sharing display system objects
 
Self-developing computer system
 
Rete network with provisional satisfaction of node conditions
 
Routing system and method for integrated circuits
 
Figure determination method in automatic programming
 
Navigation system with easily learned destination selection interface
 
Modular interlinked marine fire-control system and method for compensating
alignment errors in such modular interlinked marine fire-control system
 
Method for culturally predictable keysort within a national language
support data processing system
 
Method and system for automated computerized analysis of sizes of hearts
and lungs in digital chest radiographs
 
Medical information system with automatic updating of task list in response
to entering orders and charting interventions on associated forms
 
Methods and apparatus for measuring multiple optical properties of biological
specimens
 
Measuring utilization of processor shared by multiple system control programs
 
System and method for monitoring electronic data processing equipment
 
Immediate duplication of I/O requests on a record by record basis by a
computer operating system
 
System using only two passes searching to locate record having only
parameters and corresponding values of an input record
 
System for reducing the information transmitted in the variable length
encoding of numerical data blocks with encoding of values and string lengths
 
Monopulse processing systems
 
Interpretation of mass spectra of multiply charged ions of mixtures
 
Method for estimating and correcting bias errors in a software air meter
 
Simplified CAD parametric macroinstruction capability including variational
geometrics feature
 
Method for encoding color images
 
Method and apparatus for providing error correction to symbol level codes
 
Defect tolerant set associative cache
 
Modifying text data to change features in a region of text
 
Methods for handling calendar information in a data processing system
 
Topography simulation system
 
Plant fault diagnosis system
 
Method and apparatus for combination information display and input operations
 
Numerical control data creation method
 
Parcel processing system with end of day rating
 
Method for facilitating the sorting of national language keys in a data
processing system
 
Imaging system and method using scattered and diffused radiation
 
System and method for scheduling data transfers among a plurality of data
processing units to avoid conflicting data requests
 
Computerized medical insurance system including means to automatically
update member eligibility files at pre-established intervals
 
Forth specific language microprocessor
 
Computerized door locking and monitoring system using power-line carrier
components
 
Optimization method and an optimized filter for sidelobe suppression
 
Method and apparatus for generating quantifiable video displays
 
Method and apparatus for detecting mark from image data
 
Voice recognition system
 
Route based network management
 
Credit control system for long distance telephone services
 
Method for synchronizing interconnected digital equipment
 
Spectrally efficient digital FM modulation system
 
Apparatus and method for documenting faults in computing modules
 
Hardware implemented moving average processor
 
Non-recursive half-band filter with complex valued coefficients for complex
input and output signals
 
Interactive adaptive inference system
 
Event-controlled LCC simulation
 
Formatting system
 
Document input method and apparatus
 
Method and apparatus for filling contours in digital typefaces
 
Graphic drawing method and system with input coordinates automatically
adjustable
 
Method and means for grammatically processing a natural language sentence
 
Quantitative computed tomography system
 
Method and apparatus for controlling initiation of bootstrap loading of an
operating system in a computer system having first and second discrete
computing zones
 
Industrial control system device
 
Image filing method
 
Data display
 
Computer input device using an orientation sensor
 
Method for generating an image using nuclear magnetic resonance signals
 
Spectral estimation utilizinga minimum free energy method with recursive
reflection coefficients
 
Method and apparatus for DP matching using multiple templates
 
Character recognition system
 
Hierarchical constrained automatic learning neural network for character
recognition
 
Method for determining a desired image signal range from an image having
a single background
 
Method and apparatus for verifying identity using image correlation
 
Motion-pattern recognition apparatus
 
Linear predictive residual representation via non-iterative spectral
reconstruction
 
Method for generating a random number for the encoded transmission of data
upon fundamental of a variable starting value
 
Terminal management method and apparatus
 
Method and apparatus for vector quantization
 
Method and apparatus for planning telephone facilities network
 
Service processor tester
 
Efficient generation of traveltime tables for two dimensional and three
dimensional prestack depth migration
 
Method for removing coherent noise from siesmic data through F-X filtering
 
Continuous computer performance measurement tool that reduces operating
system produced performance data for logging into global, process and
workload files
 
Programmable protocol engine having context free and context dependent
processes
 
Method and apparatus for displaying and editing mathematical expressions
in textbook format
 
Topography simulation method
 
Methods and apparatus for monitoring system performance
 
Slope-aspect color shading for parametric surfaces
 
Sequence processing artificial neural network
 
Circuit design conversion apparatus
 
Composite figure definition method
 
Optical robotic canopy polishing system
 
ative loop of a source program into
parallelly executable object program portions
 
Method for evaluating and designing lenses
 
Method of processing video image data for use in the storage or transmission
of moving digital images
 
Three-frame technique for analyzing two motions in successive image frames
dynamically
 
Method and apparatus for processing digital data
 
Streak removal filtering method and apparatus
 
Character recognition apparatus determining whether read data is a
character line
 
Pattern recognition apparatus
 
Pattern recognition apparatus
 
Character recognition apparatus with inputting function of ruled lines
 
Identification and segmentation of finely textured and solid regions of
binary images
 
X-ray Computerized Tomograph
 
Pattern recognition using stored N-tuple occurence frequencies
 
Method for editing and executing computer programs
 
Telecommunication network trouble recovery system
 
TDMA satellite communication method and system
 
Network controller billing system and method of operation
 
Network controller scheduler system and method of operation
 
Text processing apparatus for adjusting pagination to accomodate a second
text field on a page
 
Automatic routing method for LSI
 
Queued posted-write disk write method with improved error handling
 
Method and system for transforming a free curved surface
 
Hierarchical folders display
 
Method of and apparatus for obtaining image data used for filling inner
or outer region of graphic figure
 
Apparatus for preparing image reproduction data
 
Expert information system and method for decision record generation
 
Decoding type select logic generating method
 
Method of involute interpolation in three dimensions
 
Figure element revising method
 
Method of translating a sentence including a compound word formed by
hypenation using a translating apparatus
 
System and method for scheduling and reporting patient related services
including prioritizing services
 
Distributed data base system of composite subsystem tupe, and method fault
recovery for the system
 
Personal computer note-taking facility
 
Image contrast enhancement technique
 
Method for scale and rotation invariant pattern recognition
 
Method and means for recognizing patterns represented in logarithmic polar
coordinates
 
Dynamic method for recognizing objects and image processing system therefor
 
Hybrid information management system for handwriting and text
 
Electronic image lift
 
Flow control for high speed networks
 
Programming conflict identification system for reproduction machines
 
Electronic translator capable of producing a sentence by using an entered
word as a keyword
 
Method for calibrating a phased array antenna
 
Network management system with event rule handling
 
Multi-user, artificial intelligence expert system
 
Computer aided process for network analysis
 
Profile revising method
 
Goods database employing electronic title or documentary-type title
 
Cost optimimzation system for supplying parts
 
Computer aided management system for public utility wastewater collection
systems
 
Information control system for reserve locking infrastructure nodes for
subsequent exclusive and share locking by the system
 
Information control system for selectively locking an entity with requested
intermediate reserve exclusive and share locks
 
Information control system for counting lock application against composite
information infrastructure
 
Information control system selectively transferring a tree lock from a
parent node to a child node thereby freeing other nodes for concurrent
access
 
System for executing segments of application program concurrently/serially
on different/same virtual machine
 
Method for a virtual memory system by redirecting access for user stack
instead of supervisor stack during normal supervisor mode processing
 
Signaling attempted transfer to protected entry point BIOS routines
 
Method of associating document processing states with an action market
 
Radar warning receiver compressed memory histogrammer
 
Method and apparatus for shading images
 
Intelligent mass flow controller