Smith Hopen IP Weblog

Electronic Terminal Disclaimer

The United States Patent and Trademark Office announced the beta release of eTerminal Disclaimer in EFS-Web which permits the automatic filing and grant of a terminal disclaimer in a patent application. The new eTerminal Disclaimer provides applicants with many advantages and promotes greater efficiency in the patent examination process. This web-based eTerminal Disclaimer can be filled out completely online through web-screens and no EFS-Web fillable forms are required. eTerminal Disclaimers are auto-processed and approved immediately upon submission if the request meets all of the requirements.

Fees must be paid immediately which will then provide users more financial flexibility. A paper filed Terminal Disclaimer requires a fee but does not guarantee a Terminal Disclaimer approval. Each eTerminal Disclaimer filed requires a single terminal disclaimer fee, but can include up to 50 “reference applications” and 50 "prior patents".

During the beta period, eTerminal Disclaimers cannot be filed to a patent application that has yet to be docketed to an examiner. Applicants can check the Transaction History Tab of Public or Private PAIR to determine if their application has been docketed to an examiner. To file a terminal disclaimer to an undocketed application, please complete form SB/25 or SB/26 and submit the forms for manual review.

The Quick Start Guide for eTerminal Disclaimer is available at:
http://www.uspto.gov/patents/process/file/efs/guidance/eTD-info-I.jsp

For assistance with filing an eTerminal Disclaimer, or to suggest improvements, please call the Patent Electronic Business Center at (866) 217-9197 (toll free) or send an email to EBC@uspto.gov

Kevin Harrington Pitches for Young Inventors

Kevin Harrington, star of ABC's Shark Tank and Chairman of TVGoods shot a public service announcement for the USF Young Innovator Competition.  The program inspires young children to innovation and make their ideas become a reality.  Kevin is returning for a third year in a row to judge the competition.

Kevin Harrington is an amazing speaker….he does everything in a single take.

The competition was the brainchild of Anton Hopen, a patent attorney at Smith & Hopen, P.A. and his then nine (9) year old daughter.

LEDNovation® Technology Featured on MSN

Congratulations to LEDNovation and Israel Morejon. State of the art, green technology never looked so good.

Just a few samples of patents from LEDNovation:

• 7,922,355: Solid State Lighting Device Having Effective Light Mixing and Control
• 7,804,103: White lighting device having short wavelength semiconductor die and trichromatic wavelength conversion layers
• 7,960,872: Side illumination light emitting diode lighting device
• 7,923,741: Semiconductor lighting device with reflective remote wavelength conversion

For more information, see www.lednovation.com

Apollo 11…42 years later

The Apollo 11 mission blasted off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 9:32 AM on July 16, 20169.  On board were Lieutenant Colonel Michael Collins, Colonel Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin and Commander Neil Armstrong. On July 20th, Apollo 11 began to orbit the Moon.  Armstrong and Aldrin went through a crawlway to the Eagle, the landing module to begin their descent.  At 10:56:20 pm, US EST, Neil Armstrong stepped onto the surface of the Moon saying “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”  But the leap in technology had already arrived before the giant Saturn rocket has blast off four days earlier.

Software designed to manage a complex series of systems onboard the capsules is an ancestor to the software that today is used in retail credit card swipe devices. Race car drivers and firefighters today use liquid-cooled garments based on on the devices created for Apollo astronauts to wear under their spacesuits. The freeze-dried foods developed for Apollo astronauts to eat in space are used today in military field rations, known as MREs, and as part of survival gear.

Two years after Apollo 11, NASA created the Innovative Partnerships Program has connected NASA resources to private industry.  For an interesting list of NASA spin-off technologies, check out this link.

What Osama bin Laden’s death means to Innovation

In the abstract, the violent death of an individual is difficult to celebrate. However, the dispatch of Osama bin Laden by U.S. Special Forces last Sunday marked a far more meaningful event than retribution. Whether desperation, ignorance or fanaticism was the motivator, bin Laden’s actions and rhetoric were a threat not just to the United States, but to the foundation of civilization and progress world-wide. Read full analysis.

Very Interesting History of IBM Video

Innovation Forecast for 2011–Social Networking

Like the housing bubble, social networking appears to be on an unsustainable path of growth. Privacy breaches, workplace distraction and the eventual self-realization of time wasted, will shift technology focus to unobtrusive communication systems. Microsoft’s introduction of its new Windows Phone 7 included a commercial set at a children’s soccer game wherein the father with the new Windows Phone 7 was able to watch his child play while another dad wandered into the field of play, obliviously typing on his smartphone.

Opportunities for Innovation: Google and Microsoft have strong motivation to provide competitive offerings to Facebook and Twitter. However, rather than competing head-to-head, they will look to acquire technologies that have enhanced and understandable privacy models. Opportunities exist for a subscription model wherein either micropayments or a limited number of virtual tokens limits the amount of superfluous interaction with an opportunity for the author of content to share in revenue generated from meaningful content.

2011 Innovation Forecast for Education

With shrinking budgets educational institutions will look for cost saving technology and better metrics to monitor student and teacher performance. They will seek technology that limits social network and Internet distractions.

Opportunities for Innovation will include a nearly complete move away from hard-copy text books to those compatible with Amazon’s Kindle, Apple’s iPad and other capable readers. Publishers will want strict controls on the copyright content so technology is needed to permit usability for only one semester. Software developers will write applications for the iPad, Kindle, and smart phones that disable and/or limit Internet access during school hours. Students wishing to bring their devices to school must have this software installed (and will promptly attempt workarounds). Teachers pay will be based on standardized tests that the educators take themselves - testing and curriculum for these tests will be revenue generators.

2011 Innovation Forecast: Aviation

Demand for unmanned aircraft will be driven by both political calculations and technological superiority. Where speed is not critical, unmanned aircraft may stay aloft for days at a time and in-flight refueling may extend that even further. The relatively fragile nature of satellites will motivate intelligence gathering organizations to utilize drone surveillance aircraft which are less expensive and less susceptible to a single crippling attack.

Opportunities for Innovation exist in a number of areas including artificial intelligence software development, guidance systems, optics, composite materials and wireless communications. Innovations developed for unmanned aircraft will likely percolate down to more advanced automobile crash avoidance systems and new drive-by-wire systems that assume additional levels of control over the vehicle driver. These innovations may also be used to develop unmanned cargo aircraft to deliver supplies to war zones as well as unmanned trucks that can navigate through dangerous regions in conflict.  Patent filings will be numerous in this area.

2011 Innovation Forecast for Transportation

Plug-in, not hybrid, vehicles will finally enter main stage. The Nissan Leaf (pure electric) and the Chevy Volt (shown below) will sell for 20-30% deal market-ups to early adopters.

Opportunities for Innovation will exist on several levels. For high-technology companies, extending battery life, more efficient air conditioning units, and composite, lightweight construction (perhaps with grapheme technology) may yield important licensing opportunities. Midrange companies may investigate improved plug and power system including “marina-style” remote charging units that can punch in 400+ volts for rapid vehicle recharging at the office or at pay stations. Companies that can integrate rapid charging systems with traditional gas stations may secure an early foothold. Lower technology companies may address the accessories market for these niche vehicles that have substantial electrical energy at their disposal.