Microsoft Patents Way to Avoid Walking into Sketchy Areas

[1foxracing]

Many large cities are already way ahead of Microsoft, if you come across a road named "Dr Martin Luther King Jr Blvd" and your a beloved patriot you know to stay away.

 

[QEFX]

The 1st city that will get this: Cupertino

 

[Shin-san]

Is this the cause of MSFT's stock to soar?

 

[Gulli]

[citation][nom]twelch82[/nom]How did patents ever get so screwed up that you can patent something that you haven't made, and haven't even delivered a blueprint for how to make? If you can't create the thing in question just from the patent alone, then that patent shouldn't exist.[/citation]

+1

 

[Guest]

Does that mean I now have to pay royalties to use common sense when I walk from point A to point B?

 

[mpyusko]

"You're better off staying home."

 

[meluvcookies]

Whew! I thought you were going to tell me that had patented common sense...

 

[kronos_cornelius]

It is a path finding algorithm with a few extra parameters. I recognize the extra parameters take work to take into account, and that a product is different than theory, but this is too obvious to patent.

This is a trivial extension of the GPU direction with updates on tragic congestion.

By this standards, you can grab any problem from an algorithms book, add a few parameter and presto, you have a patent.

 

[juxtaposer]

This came to mind: Why did the chicken cross the road?

 

[mman74]

Well if they are going to earn money off this, then it is only fair that if this thing were to points you to an unsafe route where you might get hurt, injured or killed, then I think it is only fair that you be able to sue their ass.

 

[Guest]

I am going to patent the opposite. A hooker locating pedestrian walking direction generator that leads you to the place where you can most likely find hookers based on security information, terrain information, and Craigslist.

 

[willard]

[citation][nom]kronos_cornelius[/nom]It is a path finding algorithm with a few extra parameters. I recognize the extra parameters take work to take into account, and that a product is different than theory, but this is too obvious to patent.This is a trivial extension of the GPU direction with updates on tragic congestion.By this standards, you can grab any problem from an algorithms book, add a few parameter and presto, you have a patent.[/citation]
If those "extra parameters" have a meaningful impact on the function of the algorithm, then yes, you can. The algorithms in your textbook are so dead simple, however, that they're basically already as good as they're going to get. If you want to patent a new search algorithm, it's not going to be an extension of bubble sort.

I really don't get the nearly universal hate for this on this site. Yes, it's obvious you want to avoid bad neighborhoods, but if it's so obvious as to not be patentable, why does no GPS use this kind of information? If it's so damn obvious, somebody would be doing it already. Microsoft isn't patenting avoiding bad neighborhoods, they're patenting a GPS using crime information to give directions that avoid bad neighborhoods.

Totally different, but don't let that stop you from making repeated "zomg micro$oft patented common sense" comments. Not that it would.

 

[Namey]

So strategically place all your raping and murdering in order to guide the victims through your neighbor hood. Then take their loot. It's the perfect plan.

 

[nebun]

[citation][nom]John1969[/nom]people still walk?[/citation]
yes they do....not everyone is fat and lazy

 

[bv90andy]

Imagine if you live in one of those areas... going anywhere will say "helicopter recommended" and going home will say "we recommend sleeping under this bridge, just 3 miles away".

 

[mohsh86]

it seems a -robbed while leaving the club Microsoft drunk employee- came up with this idea to compensate his loss lol

 

[Gulli]

[citation][nom]willard[/nom]If those "extra parameters" have a meaningful impact on the function of the algorithm, then yes, you can. The algorithms in your textbook are so dead simple, however, that they're basically already as good as they're going to get. If you want to patent a new search algorithm, it's not going to be an extension of bubble sort.I really don't get the nearly universal hate for this on this site. Yes, it's obvious you want to avoid bad neighborhoods, but if it's so obvious as to not be patentable, why does no GPS use this kind of information? If it's so damn obvious, somebody would be doing it already. Microsoft isn't patenting avoiding bad neighborhoods, they're patenting a GPS using crime information to give directions that avoid bad neighborhoods. Totally different, but don't let that stop you from making repeated "zomg micro$oft patented common sense" comments. Not that it would.[/citation]

They didn't patent an algorithm, nor any special parameters. Basically they just patented the concept of an app app that gives you walking directions based on crime rates and the weather.

 

[rantoc]

What happens when US patent office grants all kind of silly "patents" like gestures ect is that the US patents office looses creditability and who wants a patent office that is worth water in the eyes of the rest of the world?

 

[doive1231]

I thought Americans didn't walk anyway.

 

[WyomingKnott]

Geez, my grandmother could do this. And they got a patent?

twelch82 is absolutely correct: Bring in a working model, or don't get a patent.