Microsoft Seeks Patent On Virtual Desktop Pager

ihabawad writes "Microsoft has a patent on file for this really cool new technology called 'virtual desktops' where you see a 'pager' on the screen. Read all about it by searching under "Published Applications" for patent #20030189597 at the US Patent and Trademark Office. You know, I had a dream that I was using such a thing once; what was it called? -- yes, FvwmPager! Weird, eh?"

Seems familiar

[SpiffyMarc]

Microsoft reminds me of that kid who always has to be "reminded" of the rules whenever he plays a game with the other kids...

"No Billy, that's not your toy. That's FVWM's toy. Say you're sorry!"

Major Corporation...

[GypC]

... patents idea with lots of prior art.

News at 11.

Post link to site!

[toyotaboy]

Geez, can't you post the link instead of us having to copy+paste? http://appft1.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=P TO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PG01&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2F srchnum.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=%2220030189597%22.PGN R.&OS=DN/20030189597&RS=DN/20030189597

Dreaming Prior Art ...?

[handy_vandal]

You know, I had a dream that I was using such a thing once; what was it called? -- yes, FvwmPager! Weird, eh?

Can a dream constitute prior art?

-kgj

Re:Direct Link

[Anonymous Coward]

Well, now:

It took ages to find it... *sigh*

Story Posted

Microsoft Seeks Patent On Virtual Desktop Pager
Posted by timothy on Wednesday February 25, @09:37AM

Comment posted:

Direct Link (Score:1)
by huha (755976) on Wednesday February 25, @09:41AM (#8385557)

Conclusion:

Either you are whoring for karma with the old poor me excuse, or you suffer from ADHD.

Innovative

[r0ckflite]

Ah, but you don't understand. MS's patent uses xml! That's makes it sufficiently different from all previous desktop pagers. :)

Re:Direct Link

[tunah]

Posted by timothy on Thursday February 26, @03:37AM

by huha (755976) on Thursday February 26, @03:41AM (#8385557)

It took ages to find it... *sigh*

Re:You may want to mention that

[cybermace5]

You know, why doesn't the US Patent Office simply open up a web submission system? Whip up your own patent document, upload it, and it's automatically assigned a number.

It's not really the Patent Office's job to ensure that every patent is totally original and has never been done before. A patent is only really used when the invention ends up in court. If it's not defendable, it will be nullified. However, who wants to sit across from Microsoft in a courtroom? Maybe if you slip and break your leg on the sidewalk in front of their office building. Even in that case you'd probably end up paying $10,000 to repair the scuffmarks you made in the concrete.

Re:You may want to mention that

[XpirateX]

Microsoft will probably get this patent and go on to sue anyone using the technology out of existence.

Translation:

They're "innovating"

Re:MS *doesn't* have a patent on this!

[nicky_d]

Well, we can still froth at the mouth about the fact that MS has been brazen enough to *apply* for the patent. And then if the patent is granted, we can froth twice as much.

dude they're gonna get so sued by SCO :)

[tommten]

since Darl thinks pagers are a derivate of unixware

Re:You may want to mention that

[Lussarn]

I don't think an invention counts until it's done on windows.

My New Patent

[pkphreak]

Everyone go check out my new patent on breathing over at the USPTO.

Re:There is a difference...

[alexo]

> Of course, this is exactly the kind of trivial difference that disqualifies it from being 'new and non-obvious', so it still deserves to get laughed out of the Patent Office...

And, as we all know, obvious [uspto.gov] and stupid [uspto.gov] patents always get laughed out of the Patent Office.

Re:Power Toys for Windows XP

[Anonymous Coward]

powertoys!

what a bunch of arse. since when has a simple tool that someone might or might not find useful been a 'powertoy'?

they really do think we're cunts.

I left my virtual pager

[Darth23]

on my BOB virtual desktop.

MS owns rights to blue screens too

[Anonymous Coward]

MS filed for the virtual bluescreen
desktop patent

Re:its not a joke

[Superfreaker]

>>I work as an examiner

Boy, you are in trouble now!

Wait, shouldn't you be reviewing patents instead of posting here?

Re:Post link to site!

[1u3hr]

Geez, can't you post the link instead of us having to copy+paste?

I'm not sure if that was irony or stupidity. Anyway, here's a clickable link to the patent. [uspto.gov]

OLVWM (OpenLook Virtual Window Manager)...

[shatteredsilicon]

... is the earliest implementation of this that I can remember. This was circa 1993, IIRC, i.e. in the days of Windows 3.x. I was running it on a Sun 3/260 running SunOS 4.1.1. It was a cool upgrade from Sun's standard OLWM... I am not sure I can shout PRIOR ART loudly enough on this one...

Re:nVidia Desktop Explorer does this on windows

[John_Booty]

Now...if I had a seperate monitor for each desktop, that would be cool.

If you actually had a separate monitor for each desktop, it would be hard to call them virtual at that point, wouldn't it? :P

Be sure to find the first one

[Anonymous Coward]

... because, you know, if it was taco he probably submitted it 2 or 3 times.

too obvious?

Re:its not a joke

[Anonymous Coward]

Wait, shouldn't you be reviewing patents instead of posting here?

Where better than here to research prior art? This one's already in the bag, so long as the investigator reads /.

Re:slashdotting the US Patent Office

[CjKing2k]

It's ok, you're paying for their bandwidth anyway.

But how can MS patent if they didn't it?

[Billly Gates]

After all we all know SCO wrote it.

Re:You may want to mention that

[iminplaya]

You know, why doesn't the US Patent Office simply open up a web submission system?

Uh..because it's been patented?

Re:nVidia Desktop Explorer does this on windows

[Zork the Almighty]

I also had my first VD (virtual desktop) experience with Sun's CDE. I use to think that the invented the concept. So can we now expect a new round of law suits against MS?

THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING. WE THOUGHT YOU MEANT VENEREAL DISEASE.

just made a test...

[teenkitten]

...if a windows user knows what a pager is :) and he didn't knew what i'm talking about. congratulation to the user (mcp) you made it ;)

Re:nVidia Desktop Explorer does this on windows

[rixstep]

My great great great great grandfather knew Charles Babbage. They met through Lord Byron; Ada left Babbage for my great great great grandfather later in life.

Anyway, my great great great grandfather and Babbage worked on a virtual desktop back then too.

They initially named it 'Vada' for 'Virtual Ada' but later changed the name, at Ada's behest, to 'Vader'.

I've seen sketches of it; it was really cool.