Subject:
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Lego patent issued
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.cad
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Date:
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Tue, 3 Sep 2002 18:16:13 GMT
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Viewed:
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689 times
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Well folks, this is not cause for alarm, but Lego have got their software
patent on how they store model files:
US6389375: Virtual reality modelling
Published 5/14/02 Filed 1/14/99
The "novel idea" for which they have received patent protection is: in a
data strcture (read: model file format) the location of a piece is
represented by *integer* coordinates, plus a compact set of numbers
indicating a transformation of that coordinate system.
According to discussions several of us had with Lego about LDRAW and Lego
Creator, or my understanding of said discussions, the use of integer
coordinates was essential to the patent's novelty. LDRAW doesn't use integer
coordinates to achieve the same effect, so it's not the same thing.
As a practicing software engineer, this patent seems just as ridiculous and
trivially obvious to me as (most) all other software patents. But there it is.
-Erik
More details (It's frightening that after reading hundreds of these, the
language seems natural to me.)
Abstract:
A model of a geometrical object comprising: bits in a first data structure
encoded to identify a first set of elements from a collection of
representations of geometrical shapes for a collection of elements and to
represent positions of the elements by means of integer co-ordinates in a
first system of co-ordinates; bits in a second data structure encoded to
identify a second set of elements from said collection and to represent
positions of the elements by means of integer co-ordinates in a second
system of co-ordinates; bits in a third data structure encoded to represent
a spatial transformation of the second system of co-ordinates relatively to
the first system of co-ordinates. Thereby it is possible to create a very
compact representation of a model of a geometrical object. The model--prima
facia--seems to be constrained very hard, but is in fact a very flexible and
easy to access model.
(First of 89 claims in the full patent I don't have access to:)
What is claimed is:
1. A method of generating a computer readable model of a geometrical
object, the model being generated on a computer having access to a database
including representations of geometrical shapes for a collection of
elements, the method comprising the steps of:
* encoding bits in a data structure to identify a first set of elements from
said collection and to represent positions of the elements by integer
co-ordinates that constrain the positions to integer co-ordinates within a
first system of co-ordinates;
* encoding bits in the data structure to identify a second set of elements
from said collection and to represent positions of the elements by integer
co-ordinates that constrain the positions to integer co-ordinates within a
second system of co-ordinates;
* encoding bits in the data structure to represent a spatial transformation
of the second system of co-ordinates relative to the first system of
co-ordinates, which transformation is not constrained to integer displacements;
* taking said data structure as a computer readable model of a geometrical
object.
Trivia: of the first 7 patents referenced, 5 are Microsoft, one is DEC, and
the other is a company with an Elvish name.
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Message has 4 Replies:
 | | Re: Lego patent issued
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| (...) As usual I'm amazed at the ineptitude of the patent system when it comes to software. I think it's because all patent examiners eventually expect to become patent lawyers, so the more crap they let through the system as examiners, the more (...) (22 years ago, 3-Sep-02, to lugnet.cad)
| | | Re: Lego patent issued
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| (...) I'm not any kind of a lawyer, nor am I knowledgeable about patents, but this part sounds somewhat disturbing. The way I read it, this point/claim involves taking two (studs-up) subassemblies, and placing the second subassembly at any position (...) (22 years ago, 3-Sep-02, to lugnet.cad)
| | | Re: Lego patent issued
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| Here's another ridiculous Lego patent, which claims the idea implemented by the wave of "breakdance" games published in the mid-80s for machines like the Commodore 64 and described in magazines such as Compute! or Home Computer Monthly. US6353170: (...) (22 years ago, 3-Sep-02, to lugnet.cad)
| | | Re: Lego patent issued
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| "Erik Olson" <erik@olson.pair.com> wrote in message news:H1vK31.DJ8@lugnet.com... (...) [ ... snipped ... ] Storing database coordinates in integer format is pretty common in CAD tools, at least in my industry (Electronic Design Automation). My (...) (22 years ago, 4-Sep-02, to lugnet.cad)
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