Two rivals form pool for HDTV: would share rights from U.S. patents

Article Abstract:

Two of four groups developing high definition television systems have agreed to split royalties if either of them wins government support. The two groups are comprised of the General Instrument Corporation and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the Zenith Electronics Corporation and AT&T. The cooperative agreement allows both groups to hedge their bets, reduce financial risk and gain access to patent rights once a standard is chosen. HDTV provides a crisper picture and better sound quality than the television systems currently in use. The number of companies and groups competing has dropped from over 20 to just four. NHK is one remaining competitor, but it is developing an analog system that analysts believe will not impress the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). A consortium including NBC, North American Philips, Thomson SA and the David Sarnoff Research Center is developing an HDTV digital system.

Electronic computers, Computer terminals, Telephone communications, exc. radio, Electronic components, not elsewhere classified, Electron tubes, Management, Product development, United States. Federal Communications Commission, Standard, Standardization, General Instrument Corp., Television equipment industry, American Telephone and Telegraph Co., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Digital television, High-definition television, High definition television, Zenith Electronics Corp., Cooperative Agreements

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Algorithm ruling may aid software

Article Abstract:

A federal court of appeals has overturned the US Patent Office's claim that an inventor cannot patent a device or program that contains a mathematical algorithm as its principle constituent. Previously, the Patent Office held that an algorithm is a mathematical abstraction viewed as a description of universal relationships that could be discovered, but not owned. Algorithms play a large part in the software, consumer electronics and telecommunications industry. They are the basis for telephone switching systems, compact disk players and facsimile machines. The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit determined that Sharp Corp may receive a patent for a voice recognition circuit that uses an algorithm to measure the similarity between incoming sounds and words stored in the device's memory.

Laws, regulations and rules, Consumer electronics industry, Consumer electronics, Algorithms, Patent law, Algorithm, United States. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, Sharp Corp. (Osaka, Japan), column, Legal Issues, Lawsuits

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Inquiry starts on chip patent dispute

Article Abstract:

The Patent and Trademark Office will re-examine a disputed claim involving a patent issued in Jul 1990, to Gilbert P. Hyatt. According to Hyatt, his patent applies to a broad range of processors that are now used in everything from calculators to microcomputers. Such a patent could force companies to pay Hyatt millions of dollars in royalties. Texas Instruments (TI), for example, could be a big loser. TI contends that one of its own researchers, Gary W. Boone, was the first to invent the single-chip microcomputer. The Patent Office has informed TI that the agency will weigh Hyatt's claims against those of Boone. Hyatt's patent covers a chip design that includes a fixed memory for holding instructions, an alterable memory for holding data and a microprocessor for carrying out computations.

Semiconductors and related devices, Semiconductor industry, Integrated circuits, Intellectual property, Texas Instruments Inc., TXN, Hyatt, Gilbert

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