dmr@alice.att.com (Dennis Ritchie) (03/05/91)
To forstall misunderstanding, I typed in the abstract and claims of the famous patent. It is US Patent 4,555,775, inventor Robert C. Pike, assigned to AT&T Bell Laboratories, filed Oct 7, 1982, effective Nov 26, 1985. All typos are mine. Dennis Ritchie dmr@research.att.com att!research!dmr ---- Title: Dynamic generation and overlaying of graphic windows for multiple active storage areas Abstract: A graphic terminal is disclosed using bitmaps to represent plural overlapping displays. Graphics software is also disclosed in which the overlapping asynchronous windows or layers are manipulated by manipulating bitmaps. With this software, the physical screen becomes several logical screens (layers) all running simultaneously, any one of which may be interacted with at any time. Claims: What is claimed is: 1. A computer terminal display system comprising a display surface, means for simultaneously displaying a plurality of overlapping rectangular graphic layers on said surface, wherein each of said graphic layers comprises an autonomous level of graphical information, means for associating each of said graphic layers with an independent computer program, means for storing a complete bitmap for each of said graphic layers, and means responsive to the associated one of said independent computer programs for continuously updating each of said bitmaps. 2. The display system according to claim 1 wherein said bitmaps for all partially obscured ones of said graphic layers comprise a plurality of partial bitmaps of obscured layers linked together. 3. The display system according to claim 2 wherein said interactive means includes a keyboard. 4. The display system according to claim 1 further comprising means for selectively interacting with any one of said graphic layers. 5. The display system according to claim 4 wherein said interacting means comprises a graphical cursor device. 6. The display system according to claim 1 further comprising means for selectively displaying any one of said graphic layers in the topmost unobscured position. 7. A graphics terminal comprising a display, a keyboard, a graphics control device, and programmed apparatus for controlling said terminal, said apparatus comprising means responsive to said control device for creating a plurality of overlapping display layers on said display, wherein each of said display layers comprises an autonomous level of graphical information, and means for associating each of said display layers with an independent computer program, and means responsive to said keyboard for interacting with any selected one of said display layers to create, execute, and display the output of and independent computer program. 8. The graphics terminal according to claim 7 further comprising means for creating a bitmap corresponding to each of said display layers, and means for maintaining each said bitmap current in response to said interactive means. 9. The graphics terminal according to claim 8 further comprising means for creating a separate partial bitmap for each obscured portion of all said layers except the top layer, and means for maintaining an obscured bitmap list of all such partial bitmaps for each said layer. 10. The graphics terminal according to claim 9 wherein each said obscured bitmap list includes a specification of the size and position of the associated one of such layers. 11. The graphics terminal according to claim 7 where said means for creating, executing, and displaying the output of independent computer programs includes a digital computer remote from said graphics terminal, and means for communicating between said graphics terminal and and said remote digital computer. 12. The method of supporting a plurality of virtual computer graphical terminals on a single physical terminal including a display screen comprising the steps of identifying a plurality of overlapping working areas on said screen, associating each said working area with an independent computer program, selectively communicating data to each said program through its associated working area, and continually displaying the output from each said computer program on its associated working area. 13. The method according to claim 12 further comprising the step of maintaining full bitmaps of each of said working areas, including both visible portions and portions obscured by others of said working areas, and utilizing said obscured area bitmaps to record corresponding portions of the output of said associated programs. 14. The method according to claim 13 further including the step of maintaining a list of all the obscured area bitmaps associated with each of said working areas. 15. The method according to claim 14 further including the step of selectively bringing any one of said working areas to full visibility by assembling said obscured area bitmaps. * * * * *
chl@cs.man.ac.uk (Charles Lindsey) (03/07/91)
In <20018@alice.att.com> dmr@alice.att.com (Dennis Ritchie) writes: >To forstall misunderstanding, I typed in the abstract and claims >of the famous patent. It is US Patent 4,555,775, inventor >Robert C. Pike, assigned to AT&T Bell Laboratories, filed Oct 7, 1982, >effective Nov 26, 1985. All typos are mine. >Claims: >What is claimed is: >1. A computer terminal display system comprising >a display surface, Claims 2-6 are also for "display"s. In all these claims, it is a display system, with associated firmware that is claimed. >7. A graphics terminal comprising >a display, >a keyboard, >a graphics control device, and >programmed apparatus for controlling said terminal, said Claims 8-10 are also for "graphics terminal"s. >11. The graphics terminal according to claim 7 where said means for >creating, executing, and displaying the output of independent >computer programs includes a digital computer remote from said >graphics terminal, and >means for communicating between said graphics terminal and > and said remote digital computer. In all these claims, it is the combination of display, computer and software that is covered. So if I supply a complete system with a terminal AND a computer AND the software, then I have to pay royalties, but if I supply any one of the components separately, I do not see that I have infringed anything. When MIT supply the X-Windows, they just supply the software. Perhaps the customer who assembles the complete system is liable. >12. The method of supporting a plurality of virtual computer graphical >terminals on a single physical terminal including a display screen Claims 13-15 are also for "method"s. I did not know that it was possible to patent a "method".
metzger@arnor.UUCP (Perry E. Metzger) (03/13/91)
In article <20018@alice.att.com> dmr@alice.att.com (Dennis Ritchie) writes: >To forstall misunderstanding, I typed in the abstract and claims >of the famous patent. It is US Patent 4,555,775, inventor >Robert C. Pike, assigned to AT&T Bell Laboratories, filed Oct 7, 1982, >effective Nov 26, 1985. All typos are mine. > > Dennis Ritchie > dmr@research.att.com > att!research!dmr I had hoped that upon reading this patent my fears would be asuaged; they were not. So far as I could tell, the patent in question more or less covers every windowing system known to man. Its even worse than just backing store. >Claims: >What is claimed is: > >1. A computer terminal display system comprising >a display surface, >means for simultaneously displaying a plurality of overlapping > rectangular graphic layers on said surface, wherein > each of said graphic layers comprises an autonomous > level of graphical information, >means for associating each of said graphic layers with an independent > computer program, >means for storing a complete bitmap for each of said graphic layers, and >means responsive to the associated one of said independent computer > programs for continuously updating each of said bitmaps. Well, what doesn't that cover? The rest of the claims are equally nasty. Things like... >3. The display system according to claim 2 wherein said interactive >means includes a keyboard. and >5. The display system according to claim 4 wherein said interacting >means comprises a graphical cursor device. and >7. A graphics terminal comprising >a display, >a keyboard, >a graphics control device, and >programmed apparatus for controlling said terminal, said > apparatus comprising[...] There isn't any real point in continuing, is there. The only choice is to make a major push to stop software patents NOW, while we still can! Perry Metzger
bernie@DIALix.oz.au (Bernd Felsche) (03/17/91)
In <1991Mar12.210014.23142@arnor.uucp> metzger@arnor.UUCP (Perry E. Metzger) writes: >There isn't any real point in continuing, is there. >The only choice is to make a major push to stop software patents NOW, >while we still can! >Perry Metzger Of course, most of those software claims could be dismissed on the grounds that they are obvious (a priori) to anyone "skilled in the art", couldn't they? Are the patent examiners in a position to judge that? Only a peer review can reveal what is obvious. Or isn't that obvious?? No amount of legal to-and-fro will resolve matters as well as a peer review. Having read the setuid patent, I can see how some software ideas can be patented (logic elements in a circuit). -- ________Bernd_Felsche__________bernie@DIALix.oz.au_____________ [ Phone: +61 9 419 2297 19 Coleman Road ] [ TZ: UTC-8 Calista, Western Australia 6167 ]