Microsoft Patents Ad-Hoc Wi-Fi Media Players

[Guest]

Microsoft has just been granted a patent covering ad-hoc wireless connections for portable devices.

Microsoft Patents Ad-Hoc Wi-Fi Media Players : Read more

 

[igot1forya]

When I look at that mind-map/graphic I thought of an engineer at Microsoft sitting at his desk:

Engineer: "OK, I opened Visio... now, let me make 3 boxes... ooooh how symmetrical of you... ummmm draw dome funny lines linking them."

Manager: "Have you invented anything yet?"

Engineer: "Ah, yeah... this is a patent for something, I, ah, invented"

Manager: "Great! What is it?"

Engineer: "Wa.. Wireless! Yes, it's for wireless!"

 

[ses27]

OCPL did this in 2007 with there laptop

Here we go again, another patent on old tech with little twist. (and i do mean little)

How is this helping innovation.

 

[izajasz]

American patent law is great. Antoher old tech pateneted by a big company to troll others. Apple is the king of those ofc .

 

[pharoahhalfdead]

"It may be difficult, however, it may be nearly impossible for Microsoft to enforce the patent due to the existence of prior art..."

Apple patented prior art, but then again, some might well argue a favoritism towards Apple and against opponents.

 

[damianrobertjones]

Before all tech sites went 'patent news' mad hardly any tech reader would care about what patents went where until, of course, the post counts increased. Now we have to read about all the wonderful patent information. yay

 

[myromance123]

When they use vague terms like "portable media players" and then say its not limited to just those devices, they are practically giving themselves a 360 view for targeting potential suing victims.

Why do they allow such vague detailing in patents? I can understand wanting to give the company's idea the freedom to grow, but at the cost of destroying every other tech on that plane due to the defined similarities is not for the greater good. It's like choosing the greater evil over the lesser.

 

[audioee]

Wasn't this the point of Zigbee?

The article says Wi-Fi, are they using 802.11?

 

[the3dsgeek]

patent everything, so apple doesn't sue you for it later.

 

[jaksun5]

[citation][nom]pharoahhalfdead[/nom]"It may be difficult, however, it may be nearly impossible for Microsoft to enforce the patent due to the existence of prior art..."Apple patented prior art, but then again, some might well argue a favoritism towards Apple and against opponents.[/citation]

Some would argue that the US has a favoritism towards American companies when going against overseas companies

 

[L0tus]

It must be the best job in the world: simply sitting on your ass then dreaming & digging up random tech to patent. You don't even have to develop a product. All you need is Visio, a functioning brain and some lawyers. Where do I sign up?

 

[ojas]

Vague patent...it's reads funny too...

 

[GreaseMonkey_62]

Doesn't Bluetooth already cover this?