Article One Partners Looking for Prior Art

Article One Partners, the world’s largest patent research community, has several interesting patent search projects ongoing at the moment. But there is no doubt that looking for prior art can be a little like looking for a needle in a haystack. The Article One approach, therefore, is to tap into a global community of researchers.

What is in it for the researchers? The incentive comes in the form of monetary reward, which can take three different forms. For each research project, called Studies, our researchers can earn up to $5,000 for submitting prior art.  Researchers can also win $100 Most Valuable Researcher rewards based on their submissions.  Finally, Researchers can be involved in the Article One Profit Sharing Program by earning points based on their involvement. See Get Rewarded for Your Research to learn more.

In the meantime, here are a couple interesting studies with closing dates over the next couple of weeks.

BRANCH CONTROL SYSTEM FOR ROM-PROGRAMMED PROCESSOR

This Study relates to a system for enabling a microprocessor to efficiently branch to an alternate program source when a portion of the read only memory (ROM) program is superseded.  Specifically, this study relates to U.S. Patent No. 5,581,776.

The invention in the ‘776 patent generally relates to a computer controlled apparatus includes a program counter for manifesting program count values and a processor for executing a prestored program in accordance with the program count values. The apparatus includes a read only memory with a prestored program that is accessible in response to generation of a span of program count values. Auxiliary memory includes a prestored program segment. A control circuit is coupled to the program counter and stores a predetermined program count value within the span of program count values in ROM. The control circuit is responsive to a match of a program count value from the program counter and the determined program count value to cause the program counter to be loaded with a branch program count value. That value enables the processor to immediately access and execute the prestored program segment from the auxiliary memory in lieu of a subspan of program count addresses in the ROM. The processor responds to the branch program count value as though it is a next program count value from a previous program count value, thereby seamlessly executing the second prestored program.

References of interest will describe a computer apparatus that provides an efficient means for providing substitute code for superseded ROM code and for providing a substantially seamless jump to substitute code when superseded code is reached in a ROM.

The responsive publications should be dated on or before February 2, 1994.

CLOSURE-ASSIST SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLE PANELS WITH TORSION BARS

This area of technology relates to closure-assist systems for vehicle panels (e.g., doors, tailgates, hatches) that include a torsion bar.

Of the references that disclose or describe all the above features, references that also disclose ANY of the following features are of particular interest:

1) The panel has an interior space that houses at least a portion of the torsion bar;

2) The torsion bar has a vibration isolator or dampener (e.g., a sleeve or coating);

3) The panel has a recess that extends from the exterior of the panel into the interior;

4) The torsion bar extends through such a recess as described above in (C); or

5) The panel includes one or more spacers to align the door between the vehicle body’s support members.

The responsive publications should be dated on or before December 31, 2004.

SECURITY METHOD FOR TRANSMISSIONS IN TELECOMMUNICATION NETWORKS

This Study relates to a method of operating a mobile station (or server).  Specifically, the study is looking at U.S. Patent No. RE 39,589.

This reissued patent relates generally to a method for providing connection security for the transmission between communicating parties in a telecommunication network, the method comprising the steps of: exchanging security parameters between communicating parties, providing connection security for messages based on these security parameters, and transmitting said messages between communicating parties. It is characteristic for the method according to the invention that it further comprises the steps of: reaching agreement between communicating parties on an interval for recalculation of the security parameters, monitoring of the interval for recalculation by the communicating parties, recalculating the security parameters at the agreed interval, and providing connection security for messages based on the latest recalculated security parameters.

The responsive publications should be dated on or before September 14, 1997.

DATA PROCESSING CIRCUIT WITH GATING OF CLOCKING SIGNALS

This Study relates to a data processing circuit having a plurality of elements, wherein said elements operate in response to coded instructions while receiving clocking signals.  This study relates to U.S. Patent No. 6,202,163.

References of interest for this study should describe a data processing circuit having elements which operate in response to decoded instruction while receiving clocking signals. Instruction types are identified and clocking signals to at least one of the elements is enabled or disabled in dependence upon whether the element is required for the execution of the identified instruction type.

The responsive publications should be dated on or before March 9, 1996.