Neowin.net - Microsoft Patents Pause

Microsoft Patents Pause

Posted by malebolgia on 15 December 2005 - 20:20 · 7 comments & 1877 views

Microsoft has been granted an interactive TV patent that pauses the show while the viewer follows an embedded hyperlink, such as a URL. And so ends a 12-year battle. Incredibly, Microsoft originally filed for the patent in March 1993, and the language reflects its age: "The Internet has recently exploded in popularity," we learn, and that, "a computer user with a modem can get on-line."

In its current form, this archaic patent appears not be of immediate use to Microsoft. Patent #6,973,669 describes an invention which uses the vertical blanking interval (VBI) of analog broadcasts, a technology for which Intel once had high hopes. Intercasting delivered data at around 10kbit/s. As modern digital TV streams at 19Mbit/s per channel, there's little shortage of bandwidth.

News source: The Register

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#1 Posted by fubarshibby on 15 Dec 2005 - 23:33: Hah, that's pretty funny. I wonder why it took so long. Oh well, it seems pretty useless now

#2 Posted by lylesback2 on 15 Dec 2005 - 23:45: i think a verifcation would be better, over your cable box.. or you know.. parental controls!

#3 Posted by shafi on 16 Dec 2005 - 00:29: easy ideas, patents

(2 replies) #4 Posted by amrinders87 on 16 Dec 2005 - 01:09: The title is a bit misleading.

I thought they got banned from getting more patents.

#5 Posted by tiwaris on 16 Dec 2005 - 02:34: IBM by the way has most patents, over 30K (as of 2003). If anyone, IBM will be the first.

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