Beware of Lightening Bolts!:
Brainstorming re-patenting technologies within a social space.

Shipka's Forum Prompt:
In Prep for the First Task

As always, posts must be at least 250 words and be completed by Wednesday, March 1 at 5:00 pm.

C. Gatton's Response ·  B. Bauhaus' Response ·  B. Mechairia's Response ·  P.C. Paul's First Response ·  S. Miller's Response ·  E. Berman's Response

N. Horstman's Response ·  R. Desai's Response ·  E. Woodward's Response ·  P.C. Paul's Second Response ·  A. Campbell's First Response

Y. Martin's Response ·  E. Jones' Response ·  K. Bailey's Response ·  H. Johnson's First Response  ·  H. Johnson's Second Response

M.J. Bowen's Response ·  A. Sheikh's Response ·  S. Norfolk's Response ·  N. Barsky's Response ·  K. Zajdel's Response ·  M. Purcell's Response

A. Reed's Response ·  A. Campbell's Second Response

1) The pet microchip re-introduced to children as a protective measure against dangerous predators.
This microchip would be inserted after the infant’s birth. The parents have a choice in this option, and if so, paperwork would be filled out and signed, giving the doctor permission to insert this microchip. The microchip would have a selection of places to insert into the body—this way if a predator is aware of the chip—he will still be unaware of the location of the chip on the child. Like the dog microchip, the chip would contain a smooth coating that would help the chip stay in place when in contact with body fluids and subcutaneous tissue. The parents would also have the choice in choosing the age range in which they want their child to have this chip, meaning after the range expires, the child can then remove the chip from his body by a small surgical operation by the physician. The chip would have constrictive measures, in other words, the parents could not use the chip to monitor their kids 24/7. For example, a 15 yr. old tells his parents that he is going over to a friend’s house “watch movies and play video games” when his actual plans are to go to a party and get smashed with a bunch of other under-agers. The parent would not be allowed to call the police, who would contain this database with his identification number (social security number), to track their son’s whereabouts or if their son has told them the truth. The use of the microchip will not be abused, but only used when a child disappears, is lost and can’t find his/her way, kidnappings or any other potentially harmful situations. The whole purpose of this re-invention is to cut down on kidnappings.

Potential Problems w/ this re-invention:
a. Conspiracy issues with the database and government officials
b. Attempted abuse of the microchip by parents or over-protective parents
c. The effectiveness of the microchip. For example, most kidnappings are on a time-sensitive basis. Kidnappings can happen in seconds Parents or care providers may not find out about the missing child or may not report the kidnapping in time before the child is harmed by the predator. Will the microchip be worth the money to invest in? Will it really work or be successful in deterring potential predators?
d. The acceptance of the human microchip.

Other Ideas (not as thought out as the first)…

2) Tupperware That Can Measure the Contents Freshness
It would be helpful to have food containers which indicate the freshness of the food. I don’t know how many times I’ve had to dump out my roommate’s rotten fruits, vegetables, and meats. You have to open the container and visually look at these rotten foods before throwing them out. I don’t know about anyone else, but after viewing some of these rotten products, I lose my appetite or a taste for these foods. It really does traumatize me (not to sound incredibly dramatic) but the look and smell of food are very important to me before I make the decision whether to eat the food or not. Anyhow, it might be helpful for users to visually see the piece of Tupperware containing a gauge which shows the freshness/rottenness of the food you’re about to eat. My thought was to have a gauge—sort of like a temperature looking gauge which measures the freshness of the product. The far left would be green (for freshness/go for it), the middle a lighter red/almost pink to indicate the food is still okay to eat but will soon by too spoiled to eat in a few days; and the far right would be red, indicating stop/rotten. I’m still not sure how I would produce this gauge to measure the freshness of a food so if anyone knows please let me know!

I thought it might also be cool to have a side slot on the container to “shoot out” the food into the trash can so if the food were rotten; the user wouldn’t have to look at the food as their throwing it away. To produce this ‘shoot out effect’ there would be a button (haven’t decided where) to press which would initiate the slot to open and release the food. Of course, the user would have to aim the food at the trash can opening.

3) Before I write/explain this invention—I want to say this now: PLEASE DON’T HATE ME FOR ALL THE SMOKERS IN THE CLASS!

The Tasteful Cigarette
This product would be tasteful, but not the kind of way that society or most people associate the word with: yummy, delicious, etc. The tasteful cigarette would be geared towards smokers who are interested in quitting cigarette smoking. The whole idea is not to false advertise but to give the customer the sense of false advertisement. This type of cigarette would claim that these cigarettes come in various amounts of nicotine and as the smoker decreases his/her nicotine take, the more he/she is on his/her way to quitting completely. The tasteful cigarette would claim: “The cigarette with a mouth full of flavor” and the claim would in fact be true, but the flavor chosen for the cigarettes would be to gross the smoker out of not wanting to smoke a cigarette again. Does anyone know that Jelly Belly has manufactured flavors such as puke to actually sell to consumers? I really don’t know what their purpose of it was but that’s how I got the idea of the tasteful cigarette—I would choose flavors that would repel almost anyone to try/eat. This idea is a bit shaky however, because most smokers who buy one pack of the tasteful cigarette would most likely never buy them again so sales would flop pretty quickly. I think this idea is a flop, but I also thought about making a spray for smokers who have the desire to quit. The spray would be produced in bitter flavors (with the smoker aware of the type of flavors) so the smoker can spray the cigarette with this spray before smoking a cigarette and with each one, he/she would have a lesser desire to smoke another one. I don’t know, there are more conflicts in this product so I’m doubtful of this idea.

Ideas for Re-inventing the Patent

1) Placing patents on the back of cereal boxes.
The format would have to be somewhat different considering the amount of space on the back of a cereal box. Also, the style or diction might be changed due to the broad audience of people reading the back of cereal boxes. If not changing the diction, then a key would be provided to help readers understand terms they may not fully comprehend.

2) Placing a Patent Section in the Sunday Newspaper.
I think that a magazine geared towards the information of patents might not sell too well as opposed to a section in the weekly newspaper. Also, magazines are more for a specific audience, whereas the newspaper is geared towards U.S. citizens or society as a whole. I think that there is a unsaid belief--it is the duty of a citizen to read the newspaper; therefore, a small section on patents might work well. I also thought that crossword puzzles requiring players to go to the government website to find these answers on patents would help label patent information as ‘important to know’ as well as showing the reader that there is a site devoted to patents and patent information. There would be an interaction and an urge to know the answers to the crossword puzzle requiring knowledge of patents.

3) Re-formatting the Website
I’m a visual person so I think that incorporating the images into the text of the patent might relieve the reader of the big chunk of text before them. Also, a table of contents into each patent may work well because it gives the reader an option of what they want to read. I don’t know about other users, but I get tired of scrolling down the page after awhile and sometimes, quit reading the whole piece at all. By having a table of contents, the user is more likely to read bits of information from each section or get through the whole bit by clicking on the material they’re interested in reading and then back clicking to choose another selection to read. A key is a must in my re-invention of the patent. I feel discouraged to read further if I don’t understand all of the jargon being used, especially with this patent website.

"A Lot More Than More" a response to C. Gatton's "Human Microchip, Tasteful Cigarette and More!" by P.C. Paul
1) The pet microchip re-introduced to children as a protective measure against dangerous predators
C. Gatton said, “The parents would also have the choice in choosing the age range in which they want their child to have this chip, meaning after the range expires, the child can then remove the chip from his body by a small surgical operation by the physician.” Wait, wait a moment! The child can have the chip removed? In your haste to post, is this in error? This means that you have now given the child legal control. Is it not such that the parent bears legal responsibly for the child until the child’s 18th birthday or am I wrong?

Continuing in the same vain, “The chip would have constrictive measures, in other words, the parents could not use the chip to monitor their kids 24/7. For example, a 15 yr. old tells his parents that he is going over to a friend’s house “watch movies and play video games” when his actual plans are to go to a party and get smashed with a bunch of other under-agers. The parent would not be allowed to call the police, who would contain this database with his identification number (social security number), to track their son’s whereabouts or if their son has told them the truth. The use of the microchip will not be abused, but only used when a child disappears, is lost and can’t find his/her way, kidnappings or any other potentially harmful situations. The whole purpose of this re-invention is to cut down on kidnappings.” I follow the purpose of the chip and in some ways this is a terrific invention for any person at any age, not just a child. We all know all kinds of people are abducted for all kinds of reasons and the technology I assume is based on global positioning.

Now here is my argument. I do not like the idea of putting the tracking portion of this technology in the hands of the police or actually ANY authority. My suggestion as a concerned consumer would be in the case of the child/parent relationship, the parent(s) have physical possession of the tracking mechanism. This way the parent(s) are left with the option of bringing the authorities into the situation or whether the parent, actually, maybe even better would be the terminology “legal guardian” because it doesn’t necessarily have to be a parent and may be “other.”

Second part of the argument is the use of the social security number. I have seen and had my imagination stimulated by wearable technology such as the “Health Suit,” which would monitor vitals at all times and as example one began to have a heart attack a signal would be sent by satellite alerting the nearest hospital and an ambulance would be sent. As with the “child tracker”(?), because we are tracking someone using GPS (Global Positioning System) I as a consumer find myself totally against the use of my social security number. The social security number attaches to too much information already and I am already afraid of someone (if they have not already done so) placing all that information into a database so they can perform data mining on it. I don’t have anything to hide, but on the other hand I do want some hands off of my life. I would recommend just some other numbering scheme which really isn’t a problem. I guess what becomes interesting here is that someone has or maybe they don’t depending on your choices that there is a central database that has the ability to track all these people. I guess I’m thinking of this from the point of seeing it like an ISP provider like say Comcast where Comcast has all these customers and can track the web cruising habits of their clients, but refuses to provide information to authorities. On the other hand, if they are similar to say a … (now I’m stuck, what’s similar?) I got it, each individual “child tracker” operates on a unique broadcast signal or something. The chip and the receiver are the only communication devices in the path other than the GPS, all with unique signals. (Forget about all the engineering stuff, I’m just trying to provide an objection as a consumer as to why I will not buy unless you can ensure security and privacy.

With your list of potential problems, I only object to:

(a) I have tried my best to suggest a way around this problem. I don’t figure into potential problem.
(b) Not a concern for me.
(c) Potential Problem: Yes I understand your argument, but the cost factor (I think this particular consumer has the kind of money where its safety vs. cost, so I don’t think they will care), that worst case scenario, the person is murdered before mobilization commences, okay, but you’re not considered a “missing person” until 24 hours have past. I’m not sure if that’s Federal or State law. One could be abducted and in 20 minutes be murdered so the problem is does the safety factor outweigh cost. If one can afford the device, I think this is a minor objection. So I think it’s a weak argument. As far as acceptance, That with all new technologies I think would come with time. Obviously, if the benefits outweigh the disadvantages and as new technologies emerge, the technology you are choosing to invent will become smaller, faster cheaper in the long run and will gain acceptance.

2) Tupperware That Can Measure the Contents Freshness
Do you mean these people are not just frugal and are not trying to make homemade penicillin?

Thank you for this quote, “The look and smell of food are very important to me before I make the decision whether to eat the food or not.” You have just made a contribution to an argument I am working on. I can now refer to a like mind and I know there are others.

Do we really need to know how the technology works? After all we’re not scientists and even if we were the invention obviously would have to remain in a field where we can develop the technology. Instead of a color code, there could be another way around this which would be strictly mechanical. Why not a timer or a clock? For the sake of argument it was egg salad and egg salad was determined under some ideal refrigerated conditions to have a shelf life of say five days after being initially prepared. This does become cumbersome but maybe yourself or others can work out the kinks, or oh, oh a microprocessor with a database built in, you scan the database at a push of a button and select “egg salad” then the database takes over, the clock is set and in five days it does something really annoying like repeat a message to “Throw me out” over and over. The “shoot out” slot would be really kewl. You could take them to a play in NYC and if it’s really bad you could point it at the performers. That’s why when a performer has a bad night they will say to a fellow performer, “Do you happen to have a towel?”

3) The Tasteful Cigarette
C. Gatton said, “Does anyone know that Jelly Belly has manufactured flavors such as puke to actually sell to consumers?” I could come out with a new candy today and call it “Pig Vomit” or “Weasel Piss” or “Monkey Dung” and kids would flock to it because just the name of the candy is going to make the parents crazy. This game has been going on for centuries.

But this does not help with your technology. This product seems to have a weak position. May I ask are you a non-smoker, a non-smoker with smokers around you, a smoker who wants to quit or a reformed smoker (a person who has quit)? I assume that you are either a non-smoker or a non-smoker with smokers around you. This would place you in a position of outside looking in so you need to work with smokers and reformed smokers to develop this product further. I also think that if you were a smoker or a reformed smoker, you would understand the smoker and the addiction thus providing more valuable insight which would help to really develop the product (inside looking out). I think this is feasible but you need help from smokers with this.

Ideas for Reinventing the Patent
1) Patents on Cereal Boxes
That is way kewl! Or Trading Cards with the inventor’s picture! No stick to the cereal box. So many people sit at the kitchen table reading the cereal box as they eat cereal. If you had take science writing you could swing back and forth between reading the scientific research, the patent style of writing and then convey the information in a sort of Popular Mechanics genre (technology for a lay audience). Or even Mathematician trading cards like Fermat’s Last Theorem on one side and a picture of Mr. Fermat on the other side. Or how about Physicist Trading Cards with Biblical Quotes! That’s it! God stretching out his finger to touch Maxwell’s finger. On the other side it one would read the Maxwell Equations and then the Biblical Quote, “And then God said, “[here there would be the sting of the Maxwell Equations for light and then the English translation…] Let there be light!” Oh, Oh! “Dead Poet Society Cereal.” There could be the picture of dead poets on the back with one or two of their poems.

2) Placing a Patent Section in the Sunday Newspaper
:-p Naaaa! Hate it hate it hate it. I read newspapers online and only certain ones. I cannot read the Sun or its affiliates because of its left wing slant. If you pursued this it would have to be in the already dense technology and science weekly section which already indicates that it is a select audience.

3) Re-formatting the Website
The web site itself leaves a great deal to be desired. Breaking down the web site into categories would probably be helpful, or maybe Discipline specific and then categories. For instance say Medicine, then sub-categories such as tools, external machines, internal machines, pharmaceuticals, holistic medicine, bio-technology, etc.

I agree with the images. I need those images in order to understand what I’m looking at. Especially blueprint type diagrams so I can view the entire part or better yet 3D rotational forms that I can manipulate to see all views and exploded diagrams to understand what it is where it goes and what is in it. A technical writer would be shot on site without this stuff and putting it at the back of the patent or document is just as bad. Good technical writing will talk about the part, refer the reader to the part and have the image as close as possible (on the same page or opposing page of the text so the eyes can go back and forth from the text to the image and back again. This only makes for good technical writing.

In a huge document, I was interested in a patent for an object-oriented knowledge-base system I came across because I had to develop one in IS 425 and wanted to see what it was about. Well the document was 256 pages long! First, if one goes to print, there is no warning because of the way web sites work inside of web browsers (this is a Comp Sci problem and a fault of the browser and not the government web site). The only way to know was when the first printed page came out. I looked at it and it said “1 of 256.”

But this does not address what you had said. It is very easy to put internal links in the document itself. As an example see my Asian Philosophy Page. On this page one only has to scroll slightly to find a link for the definition of "Mahabharata” at Asian Philosophy. I find this word then click on the word which takes me right to the definition and I can ignore the rest of the page. This sort of web navigation is done on web sites all the time and is considered good web design. I agree with you on this.

4) Re-inventing the Genre of the Patent
I think this is what you meant to say and it became buried under re-formatting the web site. This is not only a problem of technical writing but more of a problem in the genre of Federal Government Writing. As an example go to http://www.usajobs.gov/ go into job search and bring up a job you think you would be interested in applying for. The application procedure will make you want to cut your head off. There was a student here on campus who was taking writing courses and wrote for the Federal Government for years. The voice was so ingrained into him that the same voice would come through loud and clear even when writing a non-fiction essay. The Federal Government also has its own style guides for each agency which are just awful. The jargon problem will exist everywhere you go. Each discipline has its own jargon as English has its own and this is to prevent “other voices” from entering the discipline. As a writing center tutor I see this all day long. Even though an argument may have an introduction, a thesis, a body for what is argued, and a conclusion, they are all different. Philosophy differing from English, English differing from History, and so on. I think the real problem has to do with the Federal Government Style Guide.

Response to C. Gatton's "Human Microchip, Tasteful Cigarette and More!" by S. Miller
In regards to the “pet microchip for children, I find this bordering along the lines of Orwell’s 1984 and Huxley’s Brave New World. Even though I see the many benefits of this chip as you have outlined, I see severe human rights issues emerging. By having this chip implanted at birth this is causing the new born to forfeit the right to a “trackless existence.” This also reminds me of the prophesies of the Antichrist where all the information regarding someone’s life, including their social security number, is implanted with a chip. Technology is an aid to us, as a society, in becoming more proficient as a whole unit but it is at the cost of the individual. The more information and tracking that is needed the more restrictions are placed on the movement and choices of each person. Credit cards allow to obtaining anything and anywhere. I can use my Visa on e-bay or to get tickets for a concert on line just by imputing the needed information. This is convenient but at the risk of stolen identity and fraudulent charges. The more tangled the details of out personal and financial lives are out for the government the more access the general public has to it as well because we all know no system is free from infiltration. What if these sexual predators the chip is designed to keep our children safe from hack and find this as a source for selection and exploitation?

         The proposal the “Tupperware that can measure the contents freshness” is a great idea. I cannot think of anyone that would elect to test out, what might be rank, failure of freshness with any of their senses.

A response to S. Miller's Post by P.C. Paul
S. Miller said, “In regards to the “pet microchip for children, I find this bordering along the lines of Orwell’s 1984 and Huxley’s Brave New World. Even though I see the many benefits of this chip as you have outlined, I see severe human rights issues emerging. By having this chip implanted at birth this is causing the new born to forfeit the right to a ‘trackless existence.’”

         Having read both these novels I am quite familiar with the issues. The issues in these novels arise if C. Gatton pursues the angle of placing the tracking unit within the hands of “authorities.” I believe these grave implications are reduced if the tracking unit is placed in the hands of the guardian, which is an issue addressed in my post. When the child becomes of legal age of course one could decide whether to “keep the chip” or “abandon the chip.” I do not think that C. Gatton is proposing that the chip must be placed under someone’s skin by government regulation (You vill do this and you vill like it!) but that this is a strictly voluntary procedure and that those of economic means will most likely be the target consumer of said chip.

         S. Miller continued, “This also reminds me of the prophesies of the Antichrist where all the information regarding someone’s life, including their social security number, is implanted with a chip.” The use of the social security number does have grave implications for one’s observance of privacy (we have to bear in mind as much as we (the American public would like to “think,” no where in the U.S. constitution nor the Bill of Rights does the “Right to Privacy” exist. This is STILL highly contested in the courts and the Supreme Court has ruled several times that the clause does not exist even though some Supreme Court Judges have argued that this clause exists in the penumbra of the law. Constitutionalists argue that the “Right to Privacy” because it does not specifically exist within the US Constitution the clause also does not exist within the penumbra. The strong argument for this is if the clause did exist, such a clause could be used for the purpose of down falling the government. The government does have to protect itself as an entity in addition to protecting its citizens. This is why I recommended creating an entirely different numbering scheme for the purpose of this device.

         S Miller said, “Technology is an aid to us, as a society, in becoming more proficient as a whole unit but it is at the cost of the individual.” Sometimes Technology is an aid to society at the cost of the individual, but on the other hand, the individual does have the ability to play the game also and foil society’s attempts to control the individual.

         Case in point; view “The Prisoner” a fourteen part series that deals with this very issue on a deep intellectual viewpoint. The main theme is the rights of society vs. the rights of the individual. Our Hero, Number 6, (if you consider the hero in this series to be the individual) basically is abducted and placed into a controlled society which for the most part is a group of spies from various countries who know too much. The problem it is impossible to determine which side is running this community. Therefore, every ex-spy feels they are being spied upon by the other trapped spies and by the controllers of the community. This sets up a position where there is only one person Number 6 can trust and that is himself. The premise to this analogy is this, Number 6 comes into “The Village” not knowing the rules to the “psychological game.” Through trial and error Number 6 begins to understand how the “game” is played learning its strengths and weaknesses. Number 6 exploits the weaknesses of the system and develops psychological techniques to play against the system within the parameters made available by the system. Number 6 develops beyond the simple manipulation of the system within its own rules. Number 6 begins to use the system not for his own advantages but uses the system to manipulate the system towards its own self-destruction.

         S. Miller said, “The more information and tracking that is needed the more restrictions are placed on the movement and choices of each person. Credit cards allow to obtaining anything and anywhere. I can use my Visa on e-bay or to get tickets for a concert on line just by imputing the needed information. This is convenient but at the risk of stolen identity and fraudulent charges.” That’s the simple level. Actually, by using the credit card for a purchase, a trail is left which tells us a great deal more. It tells us when you made the purchase, time and date, what you purchased, where you purchased it, etc. Over time a picture may be created of your consumer habits such as you only have interest in particular genres of music that your purchases are made during specific times of the day, we can determine what region of the country you live by the place where the concerts are held. It might even indicate that you are partial to outdoor venues or prefer to remain outside of major cites and on. By collecting such data, placing it in a database and mining the data, patterns that the researcher is not even looking for crop up. There could be a pattern of making new clothing purchases in order to appear in public for these concerts as an example. It could be in attending this particular concert you could be sending a specific message to the people who reside in that space “I listen to So and So because I agree with So and So, are you of a like mind?” Then one puts on a persona in order to “attract a person of a similar mindset.” I am like So and so are you like them, do you agree with them because agreeing with them is agreeing with me, and so on.

S. Miller said, “What if these sexual predators the chip is designed to keep our children safe from hack and find this as a source for selection and exploitation?” this possibility always exists as with any technology which means that C. Gatton then has to plan ahead and deal with the security issues. In security there is always a one-upmanship, but that also becomes a point of entrepreneurship also, “Security version n+1.” (n =what ever version number we are on today and +1 for tomorrow’s new and improved method of security.

Response to C. Gatton's "Human Microchip, Tasteful Cigarette and More!" by E. Woodward
Although you do not have all of the details worked out, I love your reinvention for Tupperware. I hate looking at rotten food. If I could have an ejector button and freshness guide on my Tupperware, I would be in heaven. With my mom in mind- you know how some things get pushed to the back of the refrigerator only to be discovered after an intense digging for some favorite item that has disappeared, and while your purging the shelves you discover something rotten--it would be cool if there was a Tupperware that beeped or made some kind of distinct noise when its contents were rotten. Then, if you couldn't see the container, you would at least be aware that it was still there, and rotten!

1) Create a website for a surf shop business. On the website, highlight the new "sensored surfboard leash" and provide a description with illustrations looking at it from various angles. Provide patent details on a sidebar or in the "about this item" section.
2) List patent details as rules/regulations of a surf competition.
3) create a surfing products catalog highlighting the details and patent description of the product.
4) list patent details as a surf competition injury report.
5) somehow incorporate a real surfboard into the patent description (don't know exactly how yet, still working on this one... any ideas? Just holler.)

         For representing the patent for the Foreman laptop, I could also use a webpage creation. Another idea would be to use my laptop and attach a faux Foreman grill to the top and then present a webpage, on the computer screen, containing the patent info. Or maybe I could cook some burgers and put 'em all on paper plates that have pictures of computers on them. When you lifted up the burger, on each plate you'd see a computer screen filled out with a detail or two about the patent. Yeah, I guess that'd be kinda weird, huh? I just pulled that one outta my... well, you understand :-)

"Oh no you don't..."a response to B. Bauhaus' "Re-invention Ideas" by P.C. Paul
You are probably not the only one who sees a problem with the arrangement, its just that patents are not easy to implement. Why do you think there are so many consulting firms that are ready, willing, and able to assist with an invention or with patenting their "widget"?

         Bill did excuse himself while he whipped it out didn’t he? (Whaaaaaat? "His laptop." Hahahaha.)

         Stick to your surfboard leash, it sounds better developed and plays to your strengths.

B. Bauhaus' response to P.C. Paul's "Oh no you don't..."
Chris, thanks for the advice. I would probably end up doing the surfboard leash thing anyway because it's just too cool to pass up. And, yes, Bill excused himself. He was a complete gentleman :-)

P.C. Paul's reponse to B. Bauhaus' post "Do you..."
really think it was necessary for Jimi Hendrix to "excuse" himself while he kissed the sky?

S. Miller's response to P.C. Paul and B. Bauhaus' series of posts "Do you..."
Wow. You guys go to extremes!

P.C. Paul's response to S. Miller's response
I think it all becomes a part of being with artistic people.

S. Norfolk's response to the series of posts
Like Billy Joel says in the song "I don't know why I go to extremes" That seems to be the way in is with patent and inventions. Either they're very subtly different from their predecessors, or they use the same basic principles of functionality and redesign the product radically.

P.C. Paul's response to S. Norfolk's post
Many of us ignore Aristotle's advice, "Live a life of moderation." On the other hand, the best ride in the amusement park is the roller coaster. It's the only one that simulates real life in a controlled state. Too many of us live on the "bleeding edge." In order to lead a long prosperous life one must balance their "Chi."

B. Bauhaus' response to P.C. Paul's post
Forget the "Chi." let's all go skydiving!!!

P.C. Paul's response to B. Bauhaus post
Are you suggesting we jump out of a perfectly good airplane?

S. Miller's response to the series of posts
Or we could all go and drink some Chai Tea.

P.C. Paul's response to S. Miller's post
That's interesting. What is Chai Tea? I'm curious. Also do you happen to be a member of the (oh what is the name of that club...) The Tea Empire?

Y. Martin's response to the series of posts
Too extreme for me.

N. Barsky's response to the series of posts
If the real lyrics were "...while I kiss THIS GUY," as some believe, then I can understand why he excused himself.

S. Miller's response to the series of posts
HAHAHAHAHAHAHHA! You Go 90's female rock lover!

3D Animation Explanation
I plan to re-invent 3D animation. Over the past ten years, there has been an evolution in computer generated imagery. CGI can be seen everywhere, video games, advertisements, films, and even medical imaging. This new art medium has quickly become the art of profit. I feel that this technology has held a rather limited niche in audience. This is why:

1. High cost in hardware. ($3,000)
2. High cost in software. ($4,000)

         Once these models are complete, the user can then animate these objects in the given three dimensional world. With the use of a time-line, the user can move the objects and record their next given coordinate. These coordinates are then saved, once saved the user can process the animation. The object would move from one coordinate to the other. Those are essentially the basics of 3D ANIMATION.

Solution
Though these processes seem complicated, they are relatively simple to explain. My solution is to create an electronic processor like a laptop with cheaper components. The LCD screen will be a touch screen much like a Palm pilot. The tool will decrease complexity, it will come with a pen; this pen will function much like a mouse. The pen will have three buttons on it; Select, Cancel, and Shutdown.

         The program will be equipped with a simple GUI. The program will come with many hours of tutorials and explanation. The key of this device is for it to be simple enough for a 12 year old to use.

Patent Re-invention
I plan to mimic the GUI (graphical user interface) of my re-invention as the patent. I plan to create a web-site that will house the exact GUI design that I have for de-complicating the process of computer generated animation. So the user can see the advantages of simplicity, both in reinventing 3D animation and the patent itself.

For an example of the LCD screen visit:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/tabletpc/default.mspx

For an example of a 3d program visit:
http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/index?id=5659302&siteID=123112

"Cost Prohibitive" a response to B. Mechairia's "3D Animation" by P.C. Paul
         The cost is what has kept me out of "trying" 3D animation. $3000 for hardware? Wow, things have changed, I thought it was around $5000 for the state of the art, the fastest and biggest I can go. Goes to show what I know.

         I understand your solution and it is quick, swift, and easy as there is a tremendous learning curve to using 3D animation software, being cumbersome and complex. Your solution makes it easy for all to use. I used to sell tablets like you have selected (2000) on the Microsoft web site but that was when they were in their infancy. This is now 2006, so I’m sure they have come a long way. When the industry was toying with this, as usual they made the mistake of using proprietary software making it cumbersome to use with the MS operating system.

         As far as Autodesk, who else would be involved with drawing tools other than the creators of CAD (Computer Aided Design) programs. This looks very interesting and we seem to be heading in similar directions. I find the difference is I am suggesting being able to tap into the electro-chemical synapses of the brain and manipulating the computer this way. I’ll post what I mean.

         I am definitely hot on your idea and I think it is an idea whose time is well overdue.

         "Who knows what darkness lurks within men’s (and women’s) minds…"

Response to B. Mechairia's "3D Animation" by S. Norfolk
I think your ideas are great and could change an industry. The biggest flaw with 3D is that it costs so much. This technology would be especially useful to architects in illustrating their designs. Speaking as a connoisseur of animation I still prefer cell shaded and 2D for such things as animated series and movies. Don't you think that the huge amount of 3D movies has cheapened the genre? Anyway, back on target, your idea would definitely be a boon to those who use 3D animation practically.

Response to B. Mechairia's "3D Animation" by K. Zajdel
I absolutely love your idea...I would definitely buy it. I can't draw for real, but I love to try using computer technology, and I certainly can't afford anything out there for 3D drawing now. I think it would be cool if you could change or upgrade the software - the introductory ones for kids would focus more on cartoon style drawing (Shrek, etc) and once they get more skilled they could update or add other components (architecture, realistic style, etc).

"Where has the Art in Cartoon Art Gone?" a response to S. Norfolk's post by P.C. Paul
Yes, I fully agree that computer animation does cheapen the art form of animation. I loved the Old Popeye I forgot who the producer was. The introduction always shows the credits between the sliding doors of the ship. I also loved Merry Melodies which was pre-Looney Tunes. All of these have backgrounds that are painstakingly drawn. Japanese anime harkens back to those old times when cartoon art was art, not the Disney Factory Production stuff where someone becomes an expert on drawing "arms" per say. The old stuff took true artistic talent to create.

        But, that is not to say that this idea does not have merit. Because you and I think similarly about cartoon art does not necessarily make re-patenting 3D animation in a simpler to use, more affordable package. If we think about this from a different aspect, dropping the cost and the learning curve allows more artists to enter opening the field to more imaginations and more different modes of thinking. In some ways it adds to the discourse to cartoon art and you can't tell me there isn't a discourse within cartoon art. Much of the animation is social commentary because an artist can use art as a fundamental means of conducting a discourse especially in a society and political climate that would lock up any opposition to the status quo.

Response to P.C. Paul's "Where has the Art in Cartoon Art Gone?" a response by N. Barsky
The computer animation has cheapened the movies in some ways. The special effects don't look real anymore, because when they make a creature, a landscape, etc., it isn't based on a real model, and it ends up looking like a cartoon.

From the assignment sheet:
Task: Target Re-invention
Communicative Objective One:
Re-invent a patent for the selected invention

• Whatever route you take with this first objective, your re-invented patent must still do the kind of work you’ve seen standard patents do.
• That is to say, it must contain detailed description of what the revamped artifact will be/do (i.e. what it is and why it is necessary/valuable — how it will alter the work the tool does), and it must make reference to how this patent positions itself in relation to other patent designs.

I’m hung up on two things.

1. What is the purpose of this post?
a) Am I being expected to free-write and brainstorm my patent providing a detailed description of what my new patent will be and do?
b) That is to say, it must contain a detailed description of what the revamped artifact will be/do?
c) What it is and why it is necessary/valuable?
d) How it will alter the work the tool currently does?
e) It must make reference to how this patent positions itself in relation to other patent designs.
2. Am I supposed to take that free-write and brainstorming post and beat it into the Genre of the Patent as we have seen other patents do on the patent web site when improving someone else’s patent.
a) The style of writing of the patent genre is screwing with my mind and the only way I visualize completing the first objective is to produce a document that looks exactly like all the other patent literature but describing my proposal.

What I am saying is that I am thinking outside of the box, but all we are doing is going box hopping. In thinking outside the box, I become confined in a new box conveying my re-invention, that new box being the genre and style of the patent format/style of writing? Am I over-thinking on this objective? The patent style of writing is stifling my innovation and the only way I see of attacking the problem is to free-write the re-invent then beat it into the form of the patent genre. Is that what we are supposed to be doing?

"I wonder What "They" Do in There?" a response to S. Miller's "It Could Really Get Crazy Here From Almond Cherry Tea to Green Tea with Mango" by P.C. Paul
S. Miller said, “Initially I was targeting people who found the whistling annoying/unpleasant but it never occurred to me that people who are deaf or hearing impaired would be the target audience that this invention might benefit the most.” An astute observation.

         S. Miller said, “Why should anyone have to watch water boil when they have better things to do?” they might be the same people that find watching paint dry, grass grow, computer hard drives defragging exciting, or for that matter talking about “corn.”

         S. Miller said, “I realize that by it omitting a smell the invention is borderline absurd but it is not without a direct use and purpose.” What seems absurd to one person may be wholly useful to another or on the other hand if an invention was completely absurd it may be cause for stimulation of another idea which may or may not be as absurd. Some of my colleges argue that it was completely absurd that we ever came out of the trees, but I argue that is absurd for we should have never come out of the ocean, I mean, who has more fun than a dolphin?

         S. Miller said, “I am also brainstorming how I would mark this to a broad audience. I think I could do this by making the patent into a box of tea. It would be informational and a venue for advertisement for tea drinkers. I love the little paper slips the individual tea bags come in. Tazo Tea is particularly attractive. I could use the standard 10-20 tiny sleeves in conjunction with the box so not only is the user coming in contact with the information when in the story but also every time they reach for tea. I could make a devise that would program the smells of the different types of teas the user typically drinks and this could be the aroma dispersed. It could really get crazy here from Almond Cherry Tea to Green Tea with Mango. I would not want the aroma to come from the tea itself because I would like to preserve the natural essence of the tea which is one of the major draws to it as a choice of beverage. If I doctored the smell to be more pungent then I would have to resort to artificial means. Not only would this invention be appealing because of its practicality but the personal settings of the tea will create an individual statement about the user/owner.”

         Whoa! There’s a selling and targeting point. Television, specifically Glade wants us to concentrate on what our homes smell like and how this also sends a message about ourselves to others when they visit. Also many people use scented candles for the same purpose. There are homes that do not feel homey because they lack any particular smell. The reason for this could be two working professionals who are home so infrequently, cook infrequently, and other possibilities. S. Miller also said, “This could even turn into how people socially judge one another; instead of looking in the medicine cabinet people will be sneaking into the kitchen to see “What teas do they drink?” Yes, a valid point. The olfactory senses are quite often overlooked except by some gifted writers and they will use them to their advantage. The last novel I read, James Joyce “Ulysses” and his description of the burning of the breakfast kidney is a smell that lingers in one’s mind long after reading the text. Smells can also jostle ancient memories stored way back in the mind where we recognize the smell but cannot associate it with the memory with when we first encountered such a smell, i.e., “that smells vaguely familiar to me…” or “Smells like teen spirit…” etc.

A response by S. Miller to P.C. Paul's "I wonder What "They" Do in There?"
Woah! You have read James Joyce's “Ulysses”? Did you use a companion? What about "Finnigan's Wake"? Joyce died while writing the companion so we will forever be locked out of it to some degree.

A response by P.C. Paul to S. Miller's response
Yes I did read it on my own I may add. I did read some college students' posts for the book but all they talked about was drawing some parallelisms to Homer (Homer?) I was surprised that the Firesign Theater used the (Penelope?'s stream of consciousness ending practically verbatim for one of their skits.

         I really had good intentions to read Finnigan's Wake during the Winter Break but got caught up in trying to resolve the mysteries of semiotics to get a handle on 324 & 407.

         Anyways, as you all know, I am planning on reinventing a car that can switch back and forth from manual and an automatic transmission. My other idea, as I look at my disgusting room, is a surface that is dust resistant.

         The cars, with help from Chris (Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!), have gone further and I have been able to get some more information on them. I still don’t know how I can actually reinvent it. I liked Brittany’s idea about voice activated shifting and stuff. We’ll see.

         A surface that is dust resistant is really appealing to me. I am sitting on my bed and from here I can see my TV covered in dust and two different lamps that are all dusted over. I am a college student; I don’t have time to clean and I HATE dusting. It would be wonderful to have a room full of surfaces that are dust free. Air purifiers help the situation, but also take up precious room in my room in a decent sized apartment. A purifier wouldn’t help the whole apartment, but dust resistant surfaces would. I’m sure it can be done. The spray that people can spray on their windshields that have rain go right off of it so they don’t have to use windshield wipers. When I googled dust resistant, it had a lot of information on dust resistant PCs and computer parts, so I feel like it has to be possible.

         With these two ideas, I am hoping to stick with the cars; unless I find all this information suddenly that discourages me even more. Thanks again Chris.

"What Happens at a "Clapper Party?'" a response to E. Berman's "Cars Amongst Other Excitement" by P.C. Paul
E. Berman said, “When Shipka mentions the patent and stuff like that, we are actually redoing the patent, in the form like it is on the site? I am thoroughly confused about the WHOLE patent thing. If someone could reply to this message on the discussion board I would appreciate it.”

         I would also appreciate it because I asked the same question in my clarification post. Right now I am working on answering these questions from Shipka’s Blackboard post which refers back to Step one of the assignment.

         Shipka: Assignment 1, First Step:

• Whatever route you take with this first objective, your re-invented patent must still do the kind of work you’ve seen standard patents do.
  • That is to say, it must contain detailed description of what the revamped artifact will be/do (i.e. what it is and why it is necessary/valuable — how it will alter the work the tool does), and it must make reference to how this patent positions itself in relation to other patent designs. (500 word min.)

         I’m not clear as to the style or format either. What I am compiling for this post is an answer to these questions in my own language. Once I have the information clearly laid out, if I have to force it into the language and format of the patent I should be able to do so. For me this means reading the patents I am positioning myself against, brainstorming, free-write, edit, and revise and applying these methods judiciously in order to create a document that does the work prescribed by Shipka.

         E Berman said,”… and I HATE dusting.” There are only a few people today that do and I think they tend to go to conventions where the exhibits consist watching paint dry, grass grow, computer hard drives defrag, and intellectual arguments on any and all aspects of “corn.” And you thought “Anime and Sci-Fi conventions were weird. It’s like attending a convention for mathematicians, the introverted mathematicians stare at their own shoes as the talk and the extroverted mathematicians stare at somebody else’s shoes as they talk. “It’s sick, but social.”

         E. Berman also said, “It would be wonderful to have a room full of surfaces that are dust free. Air purifiers help the situation, but also take up precious room in my room in a decent sized apartment. A purifier wouldn’t help the whole apartment, but dust resistant surfaces would. I’m sure it can be done. The spray that people can spray on their windshields that have rain go right off of it so they don’t have to use windshield wipers. When I googled dust resistant, it had a lot of information on dust resistant PCs and computer parts, so I feel like it has to be possible.”

         I would also think that it is possible. It will have to do with ionization I think, positive Ionization and negative ionization (charged particles). Or as Professor Kamp would say, “Fat stomachs can’t stomach each other.” (What?) I “Kamped Out” for two years in college and University Physics. On the SUNY Farmingdale campus, this meant that one learned everything that was necessary to learn in Physics in layman terms then one wrote it out in mathematical symbolism. What Kamp meant by fat stomachs can’t stomach each other is that if two particles held the same charge, positive or negative, they would never meet and would “repulse each other.” Further, opposite charges attract, therefore the dust is of one charge and everything else is of another charge so everything else attracts dust. Obviously, the idea is to set up a charge on everything else to repel dust. This is the principle by which these fresh air machines operate that have no moving parts.

         As far as the manual to automatic to manual again transmission, B. Bauhaus may be on to something there as far as voice command. Her suggestion would eliminate the stick shift, column shifter. In some cases this could provide more space in the vehicle. The disadvantages I can see so far would be if someone in the vehicle uses the specific command words in a sentence and the system isn't clever enough to disseminate the difference. Kind of like having a "clapper" in the room with the music on and people for some odd reason people decide to clap with the beat. On the other hand, this could promote some titillating party ideas.

E. Berman's response to P.C. Paul's "What Happens at a "Clapper Party?'"
So it is still in patent form...

         I had the idea of selling it like a booklet from a car dealership, or a coloring book. That is NOT the same as the patent, correct?

"A Lost Ball in the Tall Weeds" P.C. Paul's response to E. Berman"
The quick answer on advertising is, no advertising yet. That will probably be the next post that we are expected to kick around. I don't think some people are getting it. This is a student-centered classroom. There is meant to be a great deal of collaboration. One huge round table. We're supposed to help each other wherever possible. It goes beyond saying someone's idea is great or saying nothing because one disagrees.

         I can't answer about the form or expectations because I am in the same quandary as you. Peculiar how only two of us asked and I am seeing posts that are still brainstorming ideas and working on advertising. The way I understand the current task is one has a skeleton, now and some flesh to the beast.

         In engineering terms, we should be done brainstorming, selected something to re-invent, seems to me we are now in the blueprint stage, R&R (Research and Development), blueprint stage, design stage, fleshing out the patent against other patents. Here's brand X, and this is how brand Y compares, therefore this is why I need a patent.

         I think in this task the audience is the US Patent Office. The people who do the reviews and decide what will or will not receive a patent are "Greenhorn Engineers, Mathematicians, and Computer Science people fresh out of college with a BS. In essence we a throwing a sales pitch at the US Patent Office and what we have viewed on the Patent Site is the genre.

         I also chew gum a lot, but that comes in later.

         So my idea was to reinvent the poster adhesive so that it doesn’t ruin posters and cast the owner hundreds of wasted dollars in dorm fees to replace missing paint chips. How this can be achieved without a working knowledge of chemistry is beyond me at this point. I began by thinking more along the lines of a clip, like the ones they advertise for hanging lights and brooms, where you can pull a tab and it pops neatly off the wall.

         Then, during class on Thursday, an idea came to me. Why not also reinvent a gum that does not lose its flavor? By class each day I’m usually starving, and unfortunately I have Genetics immediately after and don’t have time to eat. I suspect that a lot of college students find themselves in the same situations, and wind up inhaling candy just to keep their stomach from growling during class. I myself prefer gum, because I am orally fixated, and because I’m poor and it lasts longer. Unfortunately, gum tends to become sour and tasteless after awhile. So why not reinvent gum so that it doesn’t lose its flavor, and can even taste like regular food for the student that doesn’t have time/money to eat real meal of a regular basis? This could be kind of like in Willy Wonka when Violet eats the 3-course gum, only without the blowing up like a blueberry part in the end.

         So my final idea was to reinvent gum that tastes good, fails to lose it’s flavor, and can be recycled as a quick and neat removable adhesive afterwards, to make it environmentally non-destructive. As far as representing it on a patent goes, my first idea was to maybe put the patent on gum wrappers, like the Bazooka Joe comics that used to come wrapped around gum. Another idea would be maybe a Facebook ad, or some kind of bulletin notice like the ones that are posted on classroom doors and hallways in order to appeal to college students, or maybe as a magazine ad in fashion or sports magazines, kind of like iPod or makeup ads. I’m still working on the patent ideas though.

"A Chewing Gum That doubles as an Adhesive" a response to N. Horstman's "It's Magically Delicious!" by P.C. Paul
N. Horstman said, “Unfortunately, the corners are horrible torn up from a combination of tape, thumb tacks, and the stupid “removable adhesive” the school bookstore sells that is supposed to not do exactly what it does, which is destroy valuable works of art. Well, to me anyways.” Don’t be surprised if 30 years from now that poster is worth $300 or more. I was at an Antique Flea market that I enjoyed going through and the vendor was a collector of paper products, posters being the most valuable. I was willing to pay $225 for a poster I talked him down from $300 which was a pinup girl in 40’s vogue because I had a similar poster in 60’s vogue. I think they differed in the colors used and hairstyles indicating changes in societies thinking (some good ideas never fade; they just recycle with the times).

         N. Horstman also said, “Through the past semesters I’ve also paid exorbitant fees to Res Life to pay for missing paint chips in the wall from where said “removable adhesive” has torn chunks of paint off the walls, or from holes put into drywall from tacks (As a side note, apparently it costs $75 to paint a spot app. 1 square inch).” I think the $75 dollars is compensation for the laborer’s time spent drinking coffee and watching the paint dry. (I seem to have developed a fixation on “paint drying” today).

         N. Horstman continues, “So my idea was to reinvent the poster adhesive so that it doesn’t ruin posters and cost the owner hundreds of wasted dollars in dorm fees (or for that matter any one renting anyplace) to replace missing paint chips. How this can be achieved without a working knowledge of chemistry is beyond me at this point. I began by thinking more along the lines of a clip, like the ones they advertise for hanging lights and brooms, where you can pull a tab and it pops neatly off the wall.” I’ve never seen that. It sounds to me and also from what I get out of the assignment, you’re not expected to know chemistry. To receive a patent, I don’t think you even need a working prototype. If you can find something about patents on adhesives, that’s the problem Matt Bowman has stepped into working together or exchanging findings might prove fruitful. M. Bowman was having trouble coming up with information about adhesive for the CD security label problem and adhesives are a fascinating technology in themselves because it seems whatever you need an adhesive for it never works for your specific application and the manufacturers of adhesives are always in hot pursuit of making that next adhesive that a specific target audience requires.

         “Then, during class on Thursday, an idea came to me. Why not also reinvent a gum that does not lose its flavor? By class each day I’m usually starving, and unfortunately I have Genetics immediately after and don’t have time to eat. I suspect that a lot of college students find themselves in the same situations, and wind up inhaling candy just to keep their stomach from growling during class. I myself prefer gum, because I am orally fixated, and because I’m poor and it lasts longer. Unfortunately, gum tends to become sour and tasteless after awhile. So why not reinvent gum so that it doesn’t lose its flavor, and can even taste like regular food for the student that doesn’t have time/money to eat real meal of a regular basis?”

         This idea makes me all hot and bothered. Students are not the only “hungry people” walking around. There are whole communities I would think. People on crazy shifts, crazy jobs… I would think there are all kinds of people that would be interested not only in gum that didn’t lose its flavor but also food tastes which might also be a reason why some people do not chew gum because of the sweet flavors. Back in the early 70’s there was a gum called “Quench,” it may have been lemon, and the stuff would satisfy dry mouth dry throat. The gum would cause one to salivate more using one’s saliva to reduce dry mouth.

         “So my final idea was to reinvent gum that tastes good, fails to lose its flavor, and can be recycled as a quick and neat removable adhesive afterwards, to make it environmentally non-destructive.” Hahahaha. Now you’re talking! This dates back to the television commercials of the old (the real old, originals) Saturday Night Live Crew advertising a Lemon Furniture Polish that doubles as a desert topping! That would be fabulous.

1) A car finder (so that you can easily find your car even if you’ve forgotten where you parked)
2) Lectures in the form of podcasts
3) Pill bottles that tell you when you need to get a refill

         I was unable to find patents on any of these things on the USPTO website, but did find helpful information by searching on Yahoo!. It seems that lectures are already being recorded as podcasts at some universities – so #2 is out of the question. As for #1, the idea dawned on me because I frequently forget where I park my car.

         I went to an auto shop yesterday and came across a key locator. I’m not sure how exactly it works, but apparently, it is a key ring that attaches to your keys and can be activated to beep. And by listening to the beep, you can locate your keys. Similarly, my parents frequently forget where they’ve put their cell-phones and end up calling themselves to figure out where their phones are. So, it occurred to me that I could create a car locator that functions like the key locator and maybe even has a musical alarm that goes off when activated.

         My third idea was a pill bottle that tells you when you need a refill. I know that pill bottles have already been created to verbalize information regarding the name of a medication and how often it should be taken, but I haven’t found any mechanism whereby the bottle will sense when there are no pills inside, and thereby indicate that your prescription is due for a refill. One possibility is that, using the existing technology, pharmacists simply record that information when they record everything else. The re-invention is, of course, very minimal. And in that case, I’d be modifying what information the bottle stores without using any new technology. However, I could also consider implanting some sort of weight sensor that can recognize when there are no pills inside a bottle.

"Beeping Keys and Pill Bottles" a response to R. Desai's "Re-inventions" by P.C. Paul
R. Desai said, “I went to an auto shop yesterday and came across a key locator. I’m not sure how exactly it works, but apparently, it is a key ring that attaches to your keys and can be activated to beep. And by listening to the beep, you can locate your keys. Similarly, my parents frequently forget where they’ve put their cell-phones and end up calling themselves to figure out where their phones are. So, it occurred to me that I could create a car locator that functions like the key locator and maybe even has a musical alarm that goes off when activated.” This sounds like a kewl idea. The “beeping keys” I think is probably radio frequency because it would be able to penetrate through most objects the keys would become buried under.

         “My third idea was a pill bottle that tells you when you need a refill. I know that pill bottles have already been created to verbalize information regarding the name of a medication and how often it should be taken, but I haven’t found any mechanism whereby the bottle will sense when there are no pills inside, and thereby indicate that your prescription is due for a refill. One possibility is that, using the existing technology, pharmacists simply record that information when they record everything else. The re-invention is, of course, very minimal. And in that case, I’d be modifying what information the bottle stores without using any new technology. However, I could also consider implanting some sort of weight sensor that can recognize when there are no pills inside a bottle.” This also has interesting possibilities because you only have to take the invention to the next level. I would say take a good look at the third part of Shipka’s objective. This is the part of the assignment is the most dense and you will need a great deal to write about. I think this is really the yard stick for whether an idea is good or not.

         Of course, I would love to have an article published, maybe a feature story, much like those on Addler, that would serve to market my product as well as advertise/ inform those in the dance world of it’s existence. After reading the texts on Addler, I want to get my next prescription filled at Target. If I could have similar articles written about me or my product, and have them published in the relevant publications, perhaps I could lure consumers the same way the articles on Addler lured me.

         Another idea for patent presentation would be in catalogs. Dancer’s often order their dance supplies through catalogs as opposed to shopping at stores. Sometimes, I wouldn’t learn about a new product till I flipped through a catalog. The same add I would publish in the dance magazines, could also be published in the catalogs as well, but, altered to scale, and to include information on how to purchase the product. The patent information would be placed by the order # etc. instead of on the rear of the page--since, a full page add which is ideal in a magazine, is impractical for a catalog.

Response to E. Wodward's "Idea for Patent Reinvention That Also Advertises Pointe Shoe" by P.C. Paul
E. Woodward said, “On the rear of the photo of the professional, I would like to put an illustration of the shoe on the back- in the manner of those on the patent website.” I’m sorry this sentence is not clear to me. I can’t visualize what you are going to do. Is it a problem in causality? (How does who do what to whom?)

         E. Woodward continues, “It would outline the shoe, show the altered shank, and list the changes/requirements of the patent.” Even though I cannot see the illustrations, based on the numbering of the text in the “Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment's” I assume that the portions of the diagrams have numbers next to them acting as indicators to aid the reader in flipping back and forth with the image and the text to understand how the image refers to the text and how the text refers to the image. This is typically done when one needs to work with exploded diagrams of entire systems such as in an automobile repair manual. There is no other way of conveying one’s message to the reader and the writer must be perfectly clear due to life and death implications.

         E. Woodward also said, I would have this published in the dance magazines so the patent would function in two ways: to educate, and to advertise.” Yes I see where becomes necessary. Allow me to project this onto a sport, Hockey as an example. This works well because the ice skate is an invention also designed for the foot. The Hockey skate goes way beyond the conventional skate and the conventional shoe, which from your examinations thus far a Pointe shoe goes well beyond a conventional shoe. When advertising a new design for a hockey skate, it is common to show a cut-away image of the skate with the afore mentioned numbering system, then an explanation of the current state of the art and how this new invention solves problems of the old invention. Also as with your dancers, in such an illustration there would probably be skaters wearing the new technology doing something that attracts the reader’s eye. The advertisement would not only advertise, but display the new design, and educate the consumer. I could be wrong, but I think I see where you are taking this and it seems quite logical and necessary. Since Pointe shoes are geared to such a small consumer base, relative to cell phones, Tupperware, and chip ‘Pez dispensers’, by publishing the patent in dance magazines I would reach the target audience- those who would value the product. In this manner, the patent would be functional, as opposed to just existing on a government website.

         “Another idea for patent presentation would be in catalogs. Dancer’s often order their dance supplies through catalogs as opposed to shopping at stores. Sometimes, I wouldn’t learn about a new product till I flipped through a catalog. The same add I would publish in the dance magazines, could also be published in the catalogs as well, but, altered to scale, and to include information on how to purchase the product. The patent information would be placed by the order # etc. instead of on the rear of the page- since, a full page add which is ideal in a magazine, is impractical for a catalog.” Yes, a catalog is a completely different audience and performs a completely different type of work. In some ways, the catalog is used to lure you in, but in other ways, I think they are meant to be more informative without all the hype. In some ways, the catalog assumes you are here because your intention is to buy new dance equipment. A catalog of this nature is also a reference tool, I would think for say a vendor or someone in the business of selling equipment for dancers so they would have many various catalogs from many various vendors.

         My real concern is how weak or strongly I have positioned myself against the other patents because none of them are doing what I am doing. They are edging towards what I propose but are doing this work in incremental steps. The other problem is being overextended, doing to many things in too many places and does the actual device/system make sense in explaining the work my invention does.

         The re-invention is a “Cyber-people Jack.” Bio-genetically engineered nerve bundles are created in the laboratory from biopsies of the subject’s own nerves in order to prevent rejection by the subject’s body. When the bundles reached full maturation, the subject undergoes surgery to implant the new nerve bundles to the base of the spinal cord. One bundle is grafted to the visual centers of the brain through the spinal cord and the other would is grated to the motor skills of the brain. One nerve bundle is for the purpose of outputting electro-chemical visual/spatial information and a second bundle is for the purpose of manipulating the computer the same way the brain manipulates a limb.

         The bio-genetically engineered nerve bundles nerves would attach to a small jack. The jack would be partially made of bio-genetic material for aesthetic purposes and an electrical conductive material that interfaces with the bio-genetically engineered nerve bundle. Within the jack is a slave flash BIOS chip converting the electro-chemical synapses of the human brain into a digital signal. The electrical conductive material permits the person to insert a cable similar to a IEEE 1394 standard firewire transmission cable for transmitting the visual signal of the brain into a computer. This modified version of the IEEE 1394 standard cable allows the user to input images in the user’s mind directly into the computer not only in 2D but also 3D. The user would be able to rotate the image so all positions could be viewed spatially.

         A second cable would attach to the jack adhering to the USB 2.0 standard currently in use. The purpose of this cable is to allow the user to manipulate the computer software and operating system the same way one uses a computer mouse. This will permit the user to manipulate the visual data by mind control.

         The bio-jack is surgically implanted in the nape of the neck of the subject just below the hairline for aesthetic purposes. The bio-jack allows the user to “jack in” to a computer as though the user is a “peripheral” to the computer. The user is manipulating the computer with their mind by being able to “jack in and out” their thought processes. The re-invention consists of bio-genetic nerve bundles as communication channels to and from the human brain to a slave processor, computer hardware, computer bio-firmware (a type of software that would convert the electro-chemical signal of the human brain to the digital signals), and computer software. The user is able to rotate the image so all positions may be viewed spatially. This re-invention allows the user to “jack in” to a computer as though the user is a “peripheral” to the computer.

         The problem begins with those who think visually/spatially but cannot draw or explain their ideas in words. Users may have physical disabilities or may have no physical disabilities. The problem is users develop visual/spatial images of ideas and concepts, but are unable to express these ideas in ways that others use art, sculpture, language, or mathematical symbolism. The present invention permits those without these various forms of communication to express the thoughts within one’s own “inner space” into an “outer space,” outer space equaling something which physically represents or conveys meaning of what is inside one’s head to others. The present system would allow the user to output their visual/spatial ideas on to a computer screen allowing the user to say, “This is what I mean.” Mathematicians already do this through mathematical symbolism. See the following links: http://sprott.physics.wisc.edu/fractals.htm and http://archives.math.utk.edu/topics/fractals.html. As an example a mathematician who thinks spatially, intuitively knows that f(zn) = sin(zn) + ez + c produces this image.

A mathematical function called a "Biomorph"
where the sample function is [f(Zn) = sin(Zn) + eZ + c]

Currently, the mathematician writes source code typically in C language to produce the image on a computer screen. The present invention move beyond the mathematical applications and positions the average computer user with the ability to create visuals that cannot be created by current methods.

         The conventional technique described in patent 5,265,201, allows for the changing of the program in the slave computer for programming the said computer for new work without loading a new master program reducing program storage requirements, program overhead, changeover time, and system complexity.

         The present invention improves on the design of patent 5,265,201, where the slave computer is controlling an electronic device and the slave computer is controlled by a master computer. The master computer is the human mind inputting to a mini-computer implant for the purpose of converting electro-chemical synapses of the user’s brain to digital input in the implant mini-computer. The mini-computer implant is then attached to the bio-jack for the purpose of streaming data into an external computer which now becomes the slave computer for the purpose of displaying visual/spatial images. The present invention improves on patent 5, 265,201 by inputting visual/spatial images and not audio into the external slave computer. The present invention makes the human brain the master computer and communicates to a computer in a master-1st slave- 2nd slave arrangement. The present invention permits for greater flexibility in loading new software programs to the 2nd slave computer, reduces human storage requirements, and system complexity.

         The conventional technique described in patent 6,686,844, a human interface system using a plurality of sensors (audio and video) that are external to the human body for protecting property and spaces. This patent is for the purpose of detecting the entrance of a human being into a secured space versus the subject being the said space.

         The present invention improves on the design of patent 6,686,844 as it is an integral part of the user permitting visual/spatial information to be displayed on a CRT display. This system displays sequence of events recorded by the user’s eyes allowing others to see what was viewed during a moment in time. This system uses the human subject’s vision as vision sensors eliminating the need for external sensors. This system improves surgically attached bio-genetic material grafted into the spinal cord of the human body versus using sensors external to the human body affording portability and flexibility.

         The conventional technique described in patent 6,931,359, a human interface method and apparatus provides a method and apparatus for measuring one or more physical conditions of a person with a sensor automatically inputting sensor signals corresponding to the physical conditions into a computer for control and monitoring purposes and for permitting computer users to interact with other remote computer users via a communications network. This patent uses clothing equipped with sensors or physically attaches sensors to the person’s body in order for input to be received by the computer.

         The present invention solves the problem of portability and flexibility by placing the sensors within a person’s body.

         The present invention solves the problem of inputting visual information into the computer via a keyboard, computer mouse, digitizing tablet, scanners or other manually operated input devices.

         The present invention solves the problem the high level learning curve associated with drawing and video editing programs associated with digital image manipulation by allowing the user to visually/spatially capture images and video on the computer and manipulate said visuals.

Potential Problems With the New Screw Cap
1) Corks are said to help age wine better than any other caps.
2) Many people enjoy the sound that corks make when removed from a wine bottle.
3) The actual image of the wine bottle may be altered due to a new cap.

Solutions
1) Create a screw cap capable of preserving the quality of wine over long period of time.
2) Convince consumers that the ever though there is not longer a “pop” sound, the screw cap is much more convenient for opening and closing wine.
3) Design the screw cap in such a way that the top of the wine bottle does not look drastically different.
4) Play off the fact that no extra tools will be necessary to open a bottle of wine because there will be no more cork screws or other bottle openers.

Method of Re-inventing Patent
The way in which I plan to re-invent the wine cap is by either creating an actual replica of what I want my screw cap and bottle to look like or use some kind of advertising to display my product. I am leaning towards advertising simply because I think I could make display my product quite successfully by creating a magazine ad or maybe a commercial. This way, I can target my needed audience by showing the new benefits of the screw cap, as well as capture new consumers for my product.

Response to A. Campbell 's "Wine Bottle Screw Cap" by S. Miller
The aesthetic aspect of wine drinking is one of the major draws to the beverage so I think you were right on track in thinking about how the changing of the bottle will affect the consumer. Wine is commonly associated with wealth, class, and even sensuality. This might be a good way to re-represent the product.

"Cork Taint" a response to A. Campbell 's "Wine Bottle Screw Cap" by P.C. Paul
I’m familiar with the “cork taint” except I have always heard wine drinkers say that the wine is “corked,” which apparently means the same thing. Also one knows right away if the bottle of wine has been corked.

         I wasn’t sure but I suspected the cork was still traditionally used so the wine would maintain its original taste. Thanks for the clarification.

         As far as the satisfying pop, there you might have some trouble convincing us. Most wine drinkers consider a bottle of wine with a cork to be a better wine. If one picks up a bottle of wine with a screw cap and another with a cork, both being cheap wines at a cheap price, the wine drinker will buy the corked bottle 9/10 times because they associate the screw top with cheap.

         I thought we had to create advertisements regardless. Artifacts (prototypes) would just be another form of advertising. Wait, that’s wrong. Look at the assignment sheet. A Prototype would come under the task we are currently working on which is optional. 2D, 3D models optional. (Nice if you can do, but not always feasible.)

         My thought is if you have the equipment to do a commercial I would by all means do it. Not only could it be fun for you but it is also fun for us because it’s not the same old re-hashed stuff. The commercial provides a great deal of flexibility even though it too has its constraints.

Response to A. Campbell 's "Wine Bottle Screw Cap" by K. Zajdel
I work at a bar, and trust me, having to uncork multiple wine bottles gets really old. I definitely think uncorking wine is a tedious task, especially when you have to do it repeatedly in a span of a few hours. Unfortunately, as Chris said, there is a stigma that comes with wine bottles with screw caps - they are seen as "cheap" and poor quality. I like where you are going with making wine bottles easier to open...maybe you should look in another direction instead of the screw cap. Perhaps you could invent a cork screw that was easier or quicker to use or maybe try something other than a cork. My parents recently went on a wine tour and came back with rubber stoppers that you use to seal the wine after you remove the cork - maybe you could try something like that. Anyways, I hope you come up with something...corkscrews are so annoying!

Response to K. Zajdel's post by A. Campbell
My entire angle is going to be creating a screw cap that doesn't necessarily look like a regular, ugly screw cap...if that makes any sense?

         I want to focus on making the new cap look very similar to a cork, with the foil and such.

Response to A. Campbell 's "Wine Bottle Screw Cap" by P.C. Paul
You could play up the new packaging in order to downplay the stigma.

Response to A. Campbell 's "Wine Bottle Screw Cap" by K. Zajdel
Oh ok, that's a good idea. I think as long as you focus on making it seem like a cork, and stay away from the traditional screw cap you should be fine. One thing you could do with marketing could be to market to the high-class wine snobs out there - if you make them think it's great then it will suddenly be "fashionable" to drink wine with your invention and a traditional cork will then be the "cheap" version.

Response to A. Campbell 's "Wine Bottle Screw Cap" by P.C. Paul
That's an excellent word "Stigma." I am not a wine connoisseur or a drinker of alcohol so I don’t know how much of this may be just a “social class status” thing. I think the idea is fine, I think where help is required is in removing or playing down the stigma. Could it maybe be downplayed through the semiotics of the advertisement, showing some high class people enjoying themselves with the product? Or maybe… your work gives me an idea about serving, say the wine (can’t spell the word, crap!) struggling with opening the bottle. (Now I see flashes of Monty Python’s Doctor sketch racing through my head. The doctor makes a house call and then has to reach into his medical bag for something. The bag won’t open and he wrestles with the bag with what seems like an extended period of time (slap-stick) hurling more and more curses at the bag, slamming it and eventually pulling out a gun to blow the lock off the bag). A commercial! Then, doing a back to back with the new packaging demonstrating how everyone is so happy and pleased that the first incident never occurs.

         In regards to the patent, I was reviewing the history of the CD, the origination idea by Klass Compaan, a Dutch physicist. There were many types of trials and errors from 1969 till current and since the 45-rpm was the prototype I feel that there was not to many revisions with using the poly-carbonate as a selection. The patent component I want to present is focusing on the pros and cons on using certain materials as a substitute for the poly-carbonate. I also want to prove my case as to how ineffective it really is in using the original material.

         One thought though about the material that is being used in regards to its ineffectiveness maybe it is meant to be used so they can be damaged and then you would have to purchase a new one? Maybe it is a twist to the madness in regards to the fact of sales. I can clearly remember purchasing these items over again and again. I want to also tap a little into that component of marketing as well maybe. How much has gone into repurchasing as a result of it being damaged? Seldom can you return a CD that is damaged prior to the purchase. A CD is so fragile that it can easily be damaged that you need spare CDs almost at immediate especially if you are me.

Response to Y. Martin 's "Out with Old" by P.C. Paul
I have no idea what this new material is. There was also something about the size and they did try to force us into yet another change going from vinyl to CD. Yes, this CD drive has the retaining slot, “3 ¼” disk. The problem was with walking with a CD player, the larger disk would wobble more while working so they went to 8x sampling, etc. and it appears that the MP3 slaughters all the ideas. No moving parts.

         The ineffectiveness may have been a designed obsolesce which was some of the chatter going around in the consumer electronic magazines years ago. (Btw, I wouldn’t put it past these companies because it is very uncommon now to find auto manufacturers offering seven year warranties and beyond anymore.) I never had trouble like what you mentioned with CD’s but mine were treated like glass and so was my vinyl. I got smart and would record the media on a first play to tape, wear out the tape and play the media for the second time to create a new tape. Funny too, the claim way back when was the CD’s were going to be only pennies more than vinyl and that never occurred. Oh, I’m sure you are not the only one who has problems with the CD’s, as I said I treat them like archival museum pieces. The reason is much of what I purchased one had to scour mom and pop record stores for in SOHO NY and other places. The music was recorded on Independent Labels with limited distribution. It would take a great deal of phone calling, long trips, and seedy neighborhoods to find stuff. I remember asking this one mom and pop place for a copy of the first “Third World” release on vinyl. He said he could have it in a week. Later I learned by listening to a Caribbean station coming out of the Bronx that this was the place he got it from. We went through a lot of this, one guy didn’t have it but knew where to get it and of course charged an extra buck for it.

Response to Y. Martin 's "Out with Old" by N. Barsky
When vinyl records became passe, hip-hop artists found a new use for them and kept them alive. Maybe musicians of the future will find a similar use for CDs when they become old-fashioned.

The Positives
1. The Ziploc opening with benefit all ages - Children have difficulties opening the bag. My younger sister is never able to open chip bags, so she just pops it and the chips fly everywhere. Also, with elderly who may lose strength in their hands or who may have arthritis, this will definitely help.

2. The bag is re-sealable- Of course, we have bag clips but no one carries them in their purse or to work. The re-sealable bag will not only save the leftovers but preserve the freshness of the product.

3. The noise factor- As I stated in Tuesday’s class my idea came to me because I was hungry for chips and I did not open them because the bag would open loud. For hungry students like me and greedy kids who like to sneak snacks, the Ziploc opening is perfect!!! The sound of the old bag is annoying and depending how it is opened determines the loudness of the bag. With the Ziploc, there are no concerns; it is only one WAY to open the bag.

The Negatives
1. Higher cost for packaging- The cost of the potato chip bag will increase.

2. Sealing in freshness- With the Ziploc opening, there still must be protective seal covering. I am marketing to make the bag easier to opening, but with the protective covering I don’t know how to present it in a way that is representing a simpler way to open the chip bag.

         My other idea that was suggested by Christopher is the chip ‘Pez’ dispenser. I conducted the patent search for that and I came up with the same information. I believe a college student has invented a Pez mp3 player. The Pez has some type chip and you will be able to download music to it. The student is working with Pez Candy in hopes of selling the device. Now, I have the Pez chip dispenser that will be very marketable for the younger children and adults fascinated with cartoon characters or things that are small and cute (like myself). There would be so many advantages for this product. It will be pocket-size, easy to handle, several of character containers, the chips would be less greasy (thanks Nicole) and so on… I have so much to work on with this idea…but I do not know which one I should go with. I am still in the process of creating a jingle for both. If anyone has ideas please respond.

Response to E. Jones' response by P.C. Paul "Credit Where Credit is Due..."
No, no, no! Credit where credit is due. That wasn’t me with the “Pez” I think that was Shipka, if not definitely someone else. The room got loud when that idea was blurted out. I think that’s why we have lost track as to who said it.

         The Ziplock bag is great and practical and I believe you said you intend to move forward with that for a real patent. Will the Ziplock really increase the coast of packaging? I mean we see it now for cookies, candy, I can’t think of what else, but not potato chips and it seems to make perfect sense.

         The Pez Chip dispenser still lingers as a cool idea because you can sneak it into places where you’re not supposed to eat like the bus, the library, etc. They look cool and there is an infinite number of characters that could be used especially modern cartoon characters. Has anyone seen a “Power Puff Girl Dispenser,” or... well... I could go on forever.

Problems That May Occur
1. What if one of my friends or family members wants to get into my purse?
There could be back up sensors that could be programmed to their fingerprints.

2. Wouldn't it be expensive?
Have to look into that one.

2. Would it still be a cute purse?
It would have to be. These parts could be bought separately so they can be put on the purse however the owner wants.

         I think this would really steer burglars away from stealing purses if they knew that they were not able to get into them. My main audience will be women of all ages. I could patent this by making a cute advertisement that is very colorful and put on some sort of purse paper. This would be visually appealing and make people want to but the product. Nobody wants her purse stolen.

Response to K. Bailey's response by P.C. Paul "Fingerprint Sensor"
Fingerprint sensor, I think you would be looking under bio-metric security. It is currently being used for computer technology and highly secured areas. I think it is extremely expensive so far, as are iris scans. These technologies aren’t even “cutting edge” yet, they are still “bleeding edge.” In Information Systems Security, IS 430, we had to kick around ideas of the next step, how is the hacker going to get around the technology. The snatcher will take the entire purse and cut it open elsewhere.

         As far as permitting someone to enter it, maybe a security override code which could get cumbersome. In other words pushing a button in a prescribed pattern that you program into it like a Morse code sort of thingy?

         Hmmm. Of course the lock would have to fit with fashion. Purses for most women are a delicate balance of form and fashion especially knowing how much time it takes to buy one or not… buy one.

Response to K. Baily's "Purse Safety" by S. Miller
You would strongly have to consider the fabric of the purse because no matter how secure a latch is with a lock, a thief can still penetrate the purse via ripping the shell. In order for the purse to be penetration proof the fabric or body of the purse would have to be resistant to blades, knives and other tools.

         However, I feel that it could be improved upon if it met the following goals:

1. Be flexible to adjust the level of math knowledge needed to play the game.
2. Be a little bit more attractive and striking in its look.
3. Have a math operation on every turn. In other words, there will be no turns where the player is trying to get a specific unused number.

Here are two methods of re-inventing this one game.

Method 1
This game will feature two twelve-sided dice and a board with twelve levers per player. The levers will flip from an "unused" position to a "used" position by the player. Each lever will have a lighted display on it. The player will start his round by rolling both dice. One die will be chosen as the base number. Once the base number is chosen it will be inputted into the game board along with the operation that this round requires, either multiplication, addition, division or subtraction. Once those two attributes are entered the game board will calculate the answers for the mathematical operation involving the base number and the numbers one through twelve. Those answers will appear on the lighted displays of the levers. For subsequent turns in this round the player will roll only one die and have to select the correct answer from the levers.

This is an important claim of my re-invention:
The game will be flexible and adjust the level of math knowledge needed to play the game. The numbers on the dice will be adjustable. They can either have one set of the numbers one through twelve or they can have three sets of one through four. The goal is that the game can be adjusted to match the math skill level of the child. This goal of adjusting to match the skill level will be accomplished by eliminating the larger numbers from the math problems. If each die only goes up to four, no addition problem will exceed ten. This limit eliminates the need to understand regrouping and borrowing.

Method 2
This method is similar to method 1 except that the base number will be chosen by having the player look at the clock and using whatever number, one through twelve, the minute hand is nearest. This method could also be adjustable by having the player use whatever number the minute hand was nearest but limiting it to a range of one through five. It would be one if it was on one of the hour numbers (one through twelve) but it would range from two to five if it was between two hour numbers.

"Watching Paint Dry..." a response to H. Johnson's "12 Sided Dice Math Game " by P.C. Paul
Level of difficulty was a problem in board games for me. I know these games are not along the same line, but I’m thinking in terms of strategy. Some things, I think it was “Sorry” had an easy learning curve, but because of this, one easily got bored. I remember we had one game that the rules were so complex it never got played.

         The only board game that moved fast enough for me was actually a French card game called Milles Bornes. This was an automobile driving game, which could be played as individual players or in teams. There was a steep learning curve but once one played often enough and continued to consult the rules the game would move faster. This was a game of strategy because extra or bonus points were awarded at the end for NOT playing certain cards. This became quite competitive when everyone knew the rules because the other team would pressure the person who was involved in a turn making it difficult to strategize.

         Could there be different die sets in order to decrease or increase the strategy skill involved. Beginner, intermediate, and advanced die sets with more numbers on the dies. I think the problem that occurs though is “dead or downtime” I think you said because it is difficult to hold children’s attention if the action is not swift enough.

         I cannot follow the purpose of the clock.

H. Johnson's response to P.C. Paul's post
Sorry it took me so long to reply. Regarding your comment on skill level, there are many dice available but they are unable to match the skill level of the child. I was thinking, what if there were dice with optional flip sides so that the dice can have 1-12 or 3 sets of 1-4. The 1-4 option will allow smaller children to play.

Y. Martin's response to H. Johnson's "12 Sided Dice Math Game"
Since I have a son that has an attention span of a small pea, sometimes anything that will get them to get them to learn and comprehend the concept well is a definite plus.

A response to Y. Martin's post by H. Johnson
Yes. Thank you. Regarding your bingo idea in class, I will try this. Thanks. How do/did you use Chinese checkers?

The URL of the site is:
http://www.bitlaw.com/forms/patforms.html

The actual form is at:
http://www.bitlaw.com/forms/pdf_forms/PatUtilAppTrans.pdf

Item 2 on this form lists the requested headings in the preferred order for both Utility and Design Patents.
These headings are:

- Descriptive title of the Invention
- Cross References to Related Applications
- Statement Regarding Fed sponsored R & D
- Reference to Microfiche Appendix
- Background of the Invention
- Brief Summary of the Invention
- Brief Description of the Drawings (if filed)
- Detailed Description of Invention
- Claim(s)
- Abstract of the Disclosure

You can see an explanation of some of the headings at:
http://www.bitlaw.com/patent/application.html

         The other idea that I have that I like is the automatic lawnmower. Now, the only problem that I ran into with this idea is that I actually did find patents for similar ideas. There’s a patent for a robotic lawnmower, a programmable lawnmower, an apparatus for self-propelling machines, etc. The good news is that they have a slightly different approach to it than I do. All of the patents I saw placed sensors on the mower so that the mower could detect islands (where the flowers and trees are) and the sidewalks or streets so that the machine would know when to change course. I am proposing that the mower have a specific route that it takes so that it automatically knows when it needs to change course and the sensors wouldn’t be needed, except for maybe a safety precaution to ensure that the mower doesn’t run over something that isn’t supposed to be on the lawn.

         A third idea I have is for the wireless ear buds. With the extreme increase in portable audio devises being such a big part of many people’s lives, what with the iPods and things like that—even portable CD players. I remember when I was in grade school and I used to bring my CD player on the bus so that I could listen to my “jams” on the way to school. Of course once I got to school I could listen anymore, and if I tried, I’d surely be caught. Even with the invention of the ear bud, headphones were still visible enough. With the popularity of wireless technology now, I thought it might be a neat idea to create a pair of wireless earphones—basically taking the idea of wireless headphones one step further. This way, you could have earphones clipped to your ears, but there wouldn’t be a cord to get in the way or be seen so that anyone could enjoy listening music a lot more. I know that it encourages the breaking of certain rules, but I wish that I could listen to music more often, even when I’m not supposed to, and the absence of a chord would be beneficial to even the listener who is completely allowed to be listening—like a biker or a jogger. I would just combine the patent for the wireless headphones and the ear bud style headphones. I was thinking that I might also look up the patent for the hearing aid, since that is somewhat like what I am trying to create. I’m not sure what problems would arise from having the speaker of the headphones inside the ear, but if I could find a way to make that safe, that would probably be even better than just regular wireless ear buds. And maybe having a receiver implanted might work better. Then the player device would send the signal to the receiver implant and the music would expel through the head. Maybe people could even send from different players to the implant, so that one person could hear what is on someone else’s iPod before they decide to but the iTune or whatever. I can see that causing problems too when people send voice messages in the mp3 format to someone and make them think they are hearing voices. It’s still an interesting idea.

"Automatic Lawnmowers and Wireless Earbuds" a response to M.J. Bowen's "Re-Invention" by P.C. Paul
M.J. Bowen said, "The other idea that I have that I like is the automatic lawnmower. Now, the only problem that I ran into with this idea is that I actually did find patents for similar ideas. There’s a patent for a robotic lawnmower, a programmable lawnmower, an apparatus for self-propelling machines, etc. The good news is that they have a slightly different approach to it than I do. All of the patents I saw placed sensors on the mower so that the mower could detect islands (where the flowers and trees are) and the sidewalks or streets so that the machine would know when to change course. I am proposing that the mower have a specific route that it takes so that it automatically knows when it needs to change course and the sensors wouldn’t be needed, except for maybe a safety precaution to ensure that the mower doesn’t run over something that isn’t supposed to be on the lawn."

         I saw one of these mowers advertised on late night TV and thought it was a slick idea. So in essence you propose that the user programs a mowing pattern or maybe operating it remotely to "train" the lawnmower the mowing pattern? Yes, as a safety measure you would probably want to keep some kind of sensors on the mower.

         M.J. Bowen continued, "A third idea I have is for the wireless ear buds. With the popularity of wireless technology now, I thought it might be a neat idea to create a pair of wireless earphones—basically taking the idea of wireless headphones one step further. This way, you could have earphones clipped to your ears, but there wouldn’t be a cord to get in the way or be seen so that anyone could enjoy listening music a lot more. I know that it encourages the breaking of certain rules, but I wish that I could listen to music more often, even when I’m not supposed to, and the absence of a chord would be beneficial to even the listener who is completely allowed to be listening—like a biker or a jogger. I would just combine the patent for the wireless headphones and the ear bud style headphones. I was thinking that I might also look up the patent for the hearing aid, since that is somewhat like what I am trying to create. I’m not sure what problems would arise from having the speaker of the headphones inside the ear, but if I could find a way to make that safe, that would probably be even better than just regular wireless ear buds. And maybe having a receiver implanted might work better. Then the player device would send the signal to the receiver implant and the music would expel through the head. Maybe people could even send from different players to the implant, so that one person could hear what is on someone else’s iPod before they decide to but the iTune or whatever. I can see that causing problems too when people send voice messages in the mp3 format to someone and make them think they are hearing voices. It’s still an interesting idea."

         I am hot for this idea as I find the wire annoying and I am surprised with radio wave tech that it hasn’t been finally removed. They have this arrangement for studio headphones so why not ear buds? The problem of making yourself deaf with headphones has always existed even with studio headsets. You would think that users would take responsibility for themselves and their own actions. We have become a "victim mentality" society that does not accept responsibility for our own actions so there must be someone else to blame other than ourselves.

M.J. Bowen's response to P.C.Paul's "Automatic Lawnmowers and Wireless Earbuds"
Thank you for your feedback, Chris. I agree that it is amazing that the ear bud idea has not already been tackled. I would expect with the rise in iPods and other forms of portable media, there would somewhat of a demand for such a kind of listening device that is completely simplified down to just a little bud you pop in and out of your ears so that you don't need to worry about the wires, which can often be dangerous to the user, depending on who the user is.

A Shout Out to M.J. Bowen by P.C. Paul
Hey, talk with Ryan Dorrill, tutor in the Writing Center. He's studying to be a physicist. Today in ENGL 495, Bonnie Cowgill mentioned how she would love to have ear buds without wires as she got tangled up in the wires of her iPod trying to remove it. This began a small conversation on the topic. Ryan Dorrill is also in the class, I told him what you were working on.

The brief technical problems/concerns he quickly mentioned were the following:

1) Power source
         a. It will take more electricity to power a radio wave emitting arrangement
2) A Mini Antenna
         a. How could an antenna be made that would be small enough yet pick up the transmission signal

Could be that radio frequency may not be the way to go but another frequency in the transmission spectrum.

M.J. Bowen's response to P.C.Paul's Shout Out
Thanks for the heads up. I think I'll send him an email, maybe, even though I am probably not going to go with this idea for the actual project.

         To represent the patent, I think introducing it to the kid’s world would be my first start. I would introduce it in the children shops, with that I think web sites are another best way to bring out the points out. The websites would be like ads, not explaining how it works exactly just showing it, in different ways. Listening on class on Thursday, there were ideas of displaying inventions on info commercials and QVC. Which I think is not a bad idea to do. I think QVC is a successful business, so giving a certain time slot to introduce this wouldn’t be a bad idea.

"Camo Blankets" a response to A. Sheikh's "Blankets" by P.C. Paul
“[My] re-invent is the wedge feet blanket. They are blankets that (basically one can use to how ever they want) bottom of the blanket would be made so a persons feet up to the knees can go in there. I don’t want to go all the way because I [don’t think it would] be as practical.”

         Yes, this would b a practical idea, because if one wanted to go further, then one might as well use a sleeping bag for the same purpose. Seems to me how you would be positioning your product against the sleeping bag is easy in easy out of the foot pocket(s). One wants to get out easily, just as an example one is curled up in it on the couch and then one wants to jump up and make popcorn, etc.

         “The feet part of the blanket is attachable. One could attach the bottom warmers if they wanted to. Or if someone wanted to use it as a regular blanket they could do that to, with the blanket being long enough. Also I don’t know if it is highly appreciated but I would love the idea of blankets having pockets on them. I think they do come in handy especially with little kids. But again these pockets would be attachable. So one could make the blanket as plain or as high tech they wanted. I guess my line would be it is your choice.”

         Flexibility is always a good thing and leaving it up to the user. The pocket I would think would work for those who carry some hooch (alcohol) and the (outdoor people) sportsman would like that idea. I think there are some possibilities for the pockets too. Oh it just occurred; you may want to also consider forest camouflage for the outdoors, desert camouflage for the beach.

         “To represent the patent, I think introducing it to the kid’s world would be my first start. I would introduce it in the children shops, with that I think websites are another best way to bring out the points out. The websites would be like ads, not explaining how it works exactly just showing it, in different ways.”

         Those are good ways, but I would also consider targeting the sports fan and the outdoorsman too. Of course advertising for them would be different and then too there is the time constraint of how much of this stuff you can create within the time we have before “pass it forward” comes.

         “Listening on class on Thursday, there was the idea of displaying inventions on info commercials and QVC. Which I think is not a bad idea to do. I think QVC is a successful business, so giving a certain time slot to introduce this wouldn’t be a bad idea.”

         Again, if there’s time and resources you could make an infomercial or a 30 second or 1 minute time slot commercial.

"You Have A Peculiar Sense of 'Fun'..." a response to S. Norfolk's "[Cheese] Grating Made Fun" by P.C. Paul
almost as peculiar as my reading James Joyce' Finnigan's Wake as 'light' reading.

S. Norfolk said, “… handheld electronic graters today.”

         I didn’t know there was such a thing. I would assume something like that would be used in a restaurant or a semi-production type environment.

         S. Norfolk continues, “My re-invention of the patent involves changing the marketing audience and the practicality of the grater. The main purpose of my re-invention is to make the grater into a whimsical conversation piece while still fulfilling its original purpose. The audience that the grater would be directed toward is individuals who enjoy novelty items or cartoonish machinery. The customizable grasping claws that are able to be replaced by metal four fingered gloved hand accentuates the cartoony feel of the machine. This whimsical grater also will feature several different outer skins (patterns made to fit around the framework to express the owners tastes). The whimsy continues with a choice of magnetic images to optionally place on the outside of the machine. On the practical side, the grater will feature several choices of the style of grating mechanism on the inside of the machine. Additionally, this machine will feature a tray to catch the gratings underneath and a clear safety plastic window box framework. This allows the owner to see the workings of the machine, while not having to worry about getting cut while the machine is operating. The machine does all the actual grating according to the style of grater that is current inside (the graters types will be interchangeable) The claws/hands hold the item being grated and the grater, so the owner avoids risk of injury while grating. As I said this idea is rather off the wall, but it is not intended to be ordinary.”

         Ah, now I see, so you’re going to modify function and fashion. In other words this could be something left on the kitchen counter as not only functional but also decorative. A cheese grater is ugly. You’re also going for novelty it sounds to me. Now I see why a cheese grater.

         I want to work on something having to do with juggling. My more down-to-earth possibility is to make a new and improved club. I talked about the club designs at the patent website on last week's post. I thought of the problems I have had with clubs, and the most immediate problem which came to mind was that they were painful to learn. I taught myself when I was a teenager, but before I went out and bought a set of clubs (which were expensive), I practiced on miniature baseball bats. I thought at the time that I was at a distinct disadvantage, because when I didn't catch a bat, it would frequently hit my arm, and it hurt! But I persevered, and I soon learned to juggle the bats proficiently, though the practice left me with bruises. When I finally bought clubs, I discovered that the bats weren't an exception: clubs, in fact, are even more painful than bats, if you aren't yet proficient. And even after you get proficient, it can be stressful on the arms to keep catching them for long periods of time. Wikipedia claims that the world record for juggling three clubs is one hour and twenty minutes. I find this sort of hard to believe--I suspect I could juggle three clubs for longer--but then, maybe it's the continual stress on one's hands that makes it so difficult to sustain a pattern for that length of time.

         I'm thinking of searching for a material that will make it easier, less stressful on one's hands. The current clubs are made out of plastic, of course, plus the tape, and the bats I juggled with were made of wood. Insulating the clubs with some kind of soft material, like a fabric, might do the trick. The problem is that it might hinder the center of gravity, making the clubs harder for a juggler to control. An alternative possibility is to create special juggling gloves that the juggler can wear--or perhaps a band around the hand, anything that insulates the hand from the impact of the falling club. It has to be comfortable, but enough of the juggler's hands and fingers should be accessible so that the juggler can feel the club enough to maintain control of the pattern.

         My more far-fetched possibility of reinvention is to create a new method of teaching juggling. The idea I have is of juggling equipment that can either hover in midair, or perhaps descend more slowly. Some beginning jugglers use scarves, but I'm talking about regular juggling equipment--balls, beanbags, rings, clubs, etc. Let's say we create this hovering or floating ball. If I get really far-fetched, you can even set in advance how slowly it descends. (This might have to be electronic; balloons would be too hard for a juggler to grip to be an effective training tool.) The point of all this is to make learning the patterns easier. One of the big challenges of juggling is that the objects go so quickly, and you have to gradually improve your reaction time in order to master a pattern. But if you can start by juggling objects that go very slowly, but you have control over how fast the object moves, and you can gradually increase the speed by setting it higher and higher, that might be an effective systematic way of learning new patterns--you wait till you get used to the current speed, then you set it slightly higher (sort of like Stairmaster). I'm thinking of there being a digital display on each piece of equipment, and buttons you can press to increase or decrease the speed of its fall. The problem is that electronics will make the equipment quite heavy. Are there any natural gasses that would make this kind of feat possible? If this idea works, it can be applied to other sports. Think about practicing tennis, baseball, etc. by having balls that can vary their speed according to how you set them.

"A BEAGJC (Bio-genetically engineered anti-gravity juggling creature)" a response to N Barsky's "New Juggling Ideas: Reality and fantasy" by P.C. Paul
N. Barsky said, “Wikipedia claims that the world record for juggling three clubs is one hour and twenty minutes. I find this sort of hard to believe--I suspect I could juggle three clubs for longer--but then, maybe it's the continual stress on one's hands that makes it so difficult to sustain a pattern for that length of time.”

         That’s not a long period of time and with the position one’s arms are in that has to become painful. Evidently a club has some weight to it? How much do they weigh anyway? I have no experience with them and never actually held one.

         N. Barsky also said, “I'm thinking of searching for a material that will make it easier, less stressful on one's hands. The current clubs are made out of plastic, of course, plus the tape, and the bats I juggled with were made of wood. Insulating the clubs with some kind of soft material, like a fabric, might do the trick. The problem is that it might hinder the center of gravity, making the clubs harder for a juggler to control.”

         I see the CG problem would be a factor. When you change the material, thereby changing the weight, one also changes the CG due to the change in mass. Are these clubs solid? That’s what I’m getting out of this. I was thinking maybe hollow and filled with an inert gas maybe to prevent them from being too light? If they are plastic then that seems to imply working with polymers and polymers in Material Science is an entire field in itself. I guess it’s the small end the juggler needs to catch that creates the pain, that and acceleration due to gravity, ah plus momentum = (velocity times mass). Yes, maybe as you said, maybe the club should be left alone and maybe it’s the juggler’s hands that should be considered.

         N. Barsky continues, “An alternative possibility is to create special juggling gloves that the juggler can wear--or perhaps a band around the hand, anything that insulates the hand from the impact of the falling club. It has to be comfortable, but enough of the juggler's hands and fingers should be accessible so that the juggler can feel the club enough to maintain control of the pattern.”

         Yes, maybe as you said, maybe the club should be left alone and maybe it’s the juggler’s hands that should be considered.

         “My more far-fetched possibility of reinvention is to create a new method of teaching juggling. The idea I have is of juggling equipment that can either hover in midair, or perhaps descend more slowly. Some beginning jugglers use scarves, but I'm talking about regular juggling equipment--balls, beanbags, rings, clubs, etc. Let's say we create this hovering or floating ball. If I get really far-fetched, you can even set in advance how slowly it descends. (This might have to be electronic; balloons would be too hard for a juggler to grip to be an effective training tool.) The point of all this is to make learning the patterns easier. One of the big challenges of juggling is that the objects go so quickly, and you have to gradually improve your reaction time in order to master a pattern. But if you can start by juggling objects that go very slowly, but you have control over how fast the object moves, and you can gradually increase the speed by setting it higher and higher, that might be an effective systematic way of learning new patterns--you wait till you get used to the current speed, then you set it slightly higher (sort of like Stairmaster). I'm thinking of there being a digital display on each piece of equipment, and buttons you can press to increase or decrease the speed of its fall. The problem is that electronics will make the equipment quite heavy. Are there any natural gasses that would make this kind of feat possible? If this idea works, it can be applied to other sports. Think about practicing tennis, baseball, etc. by having balls that can vary their speed according to how you set them," said N. Barsky.

         Interesting. You want to slow down the decent speed and also make it obviously so as the trainee becomes more proficient one can increase the drop speed to increase the level of difficulty. But once the object does drop the juggler in order to practice needs to be able to accelerate the object back into the air once again so this could be considered the free- state position. I’m thinking in terms of a machine also. Wait how about a bio-genetically engineered creature that likes being thrown into the air but doesn’t like crashing to earth. A BEAGJC (Bio-genetically engineered anti-gravity juggling creature).

         For the patent, I thought it would be neat to make it a short, interactive game that one could play through using the controller. I can't program a game, but I can make the storyboards for it. My other thought was to make the patent in the form of a review - like when magazines or users review products and rate them. I would definitely market it to teenage/adult women probably using either a website or an advertisement that would be part of a website. I'm not sure whether my other audience should be kids or their parents. A lot of parents aren't that fond of video games, and a couple of you that have kids said the other day, you prefer 'real' games to video games for your kids. If I marketed to parents I would make a website that focused heavily on the good aspects of games, like developing hand-eye coordination and reading skills, and mention games that are very kid-friendly. I would certainly want to downplay all the bad publicity adult games have been getting lately. If I marketed to kids, I'm not sure if I'd want to do some kind of commercial or a little game itself, using bright colors and maybe some sort of character to sell the product.

         The content of the patent was also nothing like what I was expecting. I thought the structure was very interesting (abstract, claim) and it really reminded me of a research study. I was not that surprised at the length; I figured anything patenting a device would be very wordy, but the language, at least for electronic products made my head hurt (and I like to think I have a pretty decent vocabulary concerning electronics).

         I really had no idea that patents were so involved and specific, which is probably foolish of me. It definitely makes sense that everything has to be patented and there is little room for ambiguity. I guess I'll have to get very specific myself when it comes to the re-invention of a device...if anyone has any ideas please let me know!

"A Whole New Nitch Market" a response to K. Zajdel's "Video Game Controller" by P.C. Paul
K. Zajdel said, “I have pretty small hands, and I have a hard time comfortably holding the controller and reaching all the buttons. This is particularly a problem for me when using the Xbox controller. It's just not designed with females or children in mind (the Xbox doesn't really have any child-appropriate games, so I can understand this). I would like to re-invent the video game controller to make it smaller and more comfortable, and in this sense, it would work for both females and kids. I also wanted my controller to be wireless, so you could buy different adapters for different systems, so it would essentially be universal. Since the users would be women and children, I would also make it aesthetically pleasing for them - maybe sell it in a variety of bright colors instead of basic black.”

         That’s a real good idea because the gaming industry is quite sexist and they seem to forget women enjoy playing computer games, including running down hallways shooting everything in site or the genre we used to call “senseless violence.” It’s a great way of dropping one’s stress level. I would like to see game controllers go both ways, larger and smaller because this is an ergonomic device an one can tend to play them for extended periods of time. Of course wireless also makes sense once again.

         K. Zajdel also said, “For the patent, I thought it would be neat to make it a short, interactive game that one could play through using the controller. I can't program a game, but I can make the storyboards for it.” Even storyboarding is a great deal of work especially if one begins developing the strategy for the game. Game theory is anything but a game. Because of the complexity involved in gaming, you might want to consider children.

         K. Zajdel continued, “My other thought was to make the patent in the form of a review - like when magazines or users review products and rate them. I would definitely market it to teenage/adult women probably using either a website or an advertisement that would be part of a website. I'm not sure whether my other audience should be kids or their parents. A lot of parents aren't that fond of video games, and a couple of you that have kids said the other day, you prefer 'real' games to video games for your kids.”

         I don’t have children, and I don’t object to computer games either because even they teach children something if nothing else, how to operate the computer. I just think computer time should be limited or “live a life of moderation,” a little of this and a little of that.

         “If I marketed to parents I would make a website that focused heavily on the good aspects of games, like developing hand-eye coordination and reading skills, and mention games that are very kid-friendly. I would certainly want to downplay all the bad publicity adult games have been getting lately,” said K. Zajdel.

         Of course, and the way you handle the objections is by demonstrating the benefits. You don’t completely ignore the objections, but as with any good argument, you bring them forward and then show how the benefits outweigh the objections.

A response by M. J. Bowen to K. Zajdel's "Video Game Controller"
I think this is a really good idea. It is totally true that controllers are often created with only a small "hand audience" in mind. I have big hands, so the XBox controller isn't bad for me, but the Gamecube controller on the other hand, which does have kiddy games as well as adult games, gave me a lot of trouble in the beginning. I bought a MadCatz brand controller that was a little bigger and it was a bit better, but it still wasn't perfect. I eventually got used to the original controller and I bought a wicked cool orange one too. I think that another idea that you might go for is an adapter that, instead of creating a controller to fit to different systems, would allow people to take a controller that does work for them that came from an older system and attach it to any system they wanted. I think that Sega actually did this with Saturn controllers so that they could be used on the Dreamcast as well. Some people didn't like the DC controller and they liked the controller they were used to from the earlier system. Eventually, the button count would possibly present a problem (you couldn't use an NES controller for a modern system--imagine playing Halo with two buttons).

• New cell phone clip: Instead of making the clip out of the standard cheap plastic that most companies already use, I want to make them out of light weight metal or a more durable plastic. The problem with the original is that the clips break too easily, and they are all the same ugly black. So that I also want to make them more aesthetically pleasing.
• A Beer Bottle that stays cold: I hate it when I open a beer and after awhile, it gets warm. When you put it back into the refrigerator, it gets cold, but it also gets flat. So I think there needs to be a bottle that keeps the beer cold, kind of like a thermos bottle. I looked on the patent site and the only thing that I found were the insulators for beer cans.
• Mood Sheets: This is my favorite idea, just for fun. I think this is a great idea for kids and adults alike. Have sheets that can change color according to the mood of the owner. I wanted to make it out of the material that mood rings were made, or possibly weave lights into the fabric somehow. Attached is my fully thought out idea for this invention.

A response by K. Zajdel to M. Purcell's "Ideas for Reinvention"
I really like the idea of a beer bottle that stays cold. When I was in Virginia this summer they had aluminum beer bottles. I'm pretty sure the purpose of these was so they couldn't break and spread glass everywhere. I'm sure there's some way to make the aluminum beer bottle insulated, like a coffee mug that is metal on the inside and plastic on the outside. You could model it off of that. Wow, first I write about opening wine, now beer bottles...I seem like such a lush!

A response by P.C. Paul to M. Purcell's "Ideas for Reinvention"
M. Purcell said, “Aluminum beer bottles. I'm pretty sure the purpose of these was so they couldn't break and spread glass everywhere. I'm sure there's some way to make the aluminum beer bottle insulated, like a coffee mug that is metal on the inside and plastic on the outside.”

         No, no, you’re thinking the wrong way here. What one does is make the bottle a double wall with an air gap in between. That’s what they do with the coffee mugs and also if you have seen (well maybe not because they come on so late) the infomercials with these new types of cook ware where you only heat them for a little bit and then take them out to leave sit. They work by thermo-conductivity. The problem may be that it is easier to pour in some extra kilo-calories into something versus removing it. What I’m saying a bottle of this nature could insulate so well that it becomes impossible to get the beverage cold. Hmmmm. Maybe the beverage would have to be chilled at the brewer and then shipped cold. That might be it because back in the old days Coors Beer could only be purchased in a limited region of the west because they insisted that the flavor of the beer would change if they didn’t use the Colorado Spring Water they used. Therefore it wasn’t cost effective to ship in cold storage to target the East. (What they did was they decided to begin using spring water from different regions of the country and they probably did a great deal of research in trying to maintain the authentic flavor of the beer.)

"A Re-invention That Will Live in Infamy: Mood Sheets" a response by P.C. Paul to M. Purcell's "Ideas for Reinvention"
M. Purcell said, “Mood Sheets: This is my favorite idea, just for fun. I think this is a great idea for kids and adults alike. Have sheets that can change color according to the mood of the owner. I wanted to make it out of the material that mood rings were made, or possibly weave lights into the fabric somehow. Attached is my fully thought out idea for this invention.”

         It’s a novelty and a fad and there’s nothing wrong with that. Maybe this material could be made into a thread like fish line and wove throughout the fabric. I don’t remember how mood rings were made but Thursday it sounded like you did the research and said that it was a liquid, I could be wrong. So something like fish line that was hollow could contain the liquid and the nylon material considering this is meant to be like a thick thread could be woven into the fabric, therefore maybe you might modify the idea to a mood blanket?

         The fact that this compound is of a crystalline form and that you want to work with sheets which are very fine to begin with plus people desiring soft sheets is what’s throwing me for a loop. Anything crystalline is going to be anything but soft.

         I looked up the definition of a “fob” at www.dictionary.com and found out that one of the definitions for it is: an ornament or seal attached to such a chain or ribbon. On Wikipedia however, the definition changed slightly. This definition said that it is a decorative item which many people carry with their keys, on a ring or a chain, often to provide a better grip or to simply make a personal statement. There is essentially no limit to the forms of key fobs available. It went on to say that many key fobs are remote keyless systems for opening automobile doors. Thanks to ideas from the class, my searches have been much more successful. I have found some information on a little bit of everything that I wanted to change and improve about the key fob.

         I’ve run into several problems while researching is that while “key fob” is the actual name for the device, many people call it various things and so my searches cannot just be limited to the search words “key fob.” I found this out on the patent website where I only acquired a few hits. However when I typed in words such as “auto keyless entry remote,” or “electronic car remote,” I was able to find hits that related to my key fob.

         While I would like to make this re-invention cheap enough for a good number of people to acquire, I’m not sure if that will work. The ideas that I am basing my re-invention are may cause it to be extremely expensive and only available to the upper class. I am trying to decide what materials and production processes I could use to keep the cost reasonable enough that I could try to afford one too.

"Waterproof Please..." a response to A. Reed's "What to Reinvent" by P.C. Paul
         Please make your beeper thing waterproof!

         I was so upset about my jeans that I started thinking...I wonder if there's a product that can undo bleach marks? I think if someone came up with one they would make a lot of money!

         So if anyone wants to use this idea feel free! I think it would appeal to a lot of people!