patents and mozilla.org

Individuals and companies holding software patents may assert that software code violates their patent rights. Sometimes these assertions are well founded. In other cases, however, such assertions are without merit, either because the patent is invalid (for example, because it was invented by someone else and/or disclosed in publications --prior art-- before the date of the alleged invention) or because patent holders contend their patents cover software which was not part of the original invention, if any, and try to impermissably extend the scope of the claims. This behavior is an abuse of the patent system and a drag on software development. It will be incumbent upon the development community to squash invalid patents and help ensure that patent claims are enforced only to the extent that they are valid and reflect the actual scope of the invention. In many cases, we know the patent is invalid based on prior art we find, but we believe there is even more invalidating prior art we don't find, but which is well known in the development community. Please review the information below, and if you know of relevant prior art, report it.

the '669 patent

UPDATE:

The Wang suit described below has been dismissed!

Wang is asserting that a patent that it holds for a video text system is infringed by the Netscape browser. Netscape is vigorously defending the lawsuit. Wang contends the patent discloses the invention of:

Saving web pages retrieved from a server using "Save As" (See Claim 23, 24),
Bookmarks (Claims 20-22),
Saving files with file extensions and then retrieving the pages and decoding the files based on the file extension (Claim 38).

The patent was filed in 1984. We believe the patent is noninfringed, unenforceable, and invalid based on, among other things, prior art such as the Alto & Star computers from Xerox Parc, Terminal Emulators, connectivity software prevelant in the the early 80s such as CrossTalk, Unix symbolic links (ln -s), and various other "video text" systems like Telidon, Prestel, Mupid used in the late 70s, early 80s.

It's easy to say "of course that's invalid", but what is required are specific references to prior art. If you know of additional prior art publications, software programs, books, or systems in existence --prior to March 30, 1983-- which disclose and/or describe the claimed elements send us a message. Send responses or questions to mozilla.org. Please include the following information:

Name of the Publication or System
Date of the Publication or Date System Was Publicly Known
Features it Discloses
Where Can the Publication or System Be Found (ie. university, reference library, company, contact person)

The claims of the patent are shown below. A full text of the patent can be found at: http://www.patents.ibm.com/details?patent_number=4751669

What is claimed is:

Claim 1.

Apparatus for locally displaying frames of digital information received from a central supplier, comprising

a port connectable to the central supplier for receiving at least one of said information frames from the central supplier,
a display device connected to locally display at least one of the information frames received from the central supplier,
a storage device connected to locally store, after it has been displayed, as a stored frame for later redisplay, at least one of the information frames received from the central supplier, and
a processor connected to be responsive to said port and said storage device and comprising means for displaying, while the port is connected to the central supplier, an indication that the port is connected.

Claim 9.

The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a data entry device for enabling the entry of data into said apparatus, the data including commands representing actions to be taken with respect to the information frames, and wherein the processor further comprises

means for delivering to the display device at least one menu frame for visually indicating possible actions which may be taken with respect to the information frames, including the actions of switching back and forth between displaying the information frames as they are received from the supplier, and displaying stored frames from the storage device, and
means responsive to the data entry device for accepting and executing entered commands corresponding to the possible actions.

Claim 10.

Apparatus for obtaining access via a switched communications network to a central supplier of frames of digital information for obtaining said frames to be visually displayed locally, comprising

means for delivering to the central supplier via the network stored coded information required by the central supplier as a condition to allowing access to the central supplier,
a display device connected to display the frames of digital information,
a data entry device connected to enable the entry of data into the apparatus, including commands, and
a processor comprising
- menu means connected to send to the display device a menu frame identifying the central supplier as being accessible, and
- log-on means connected to be responsive to the data entry device for accepting and executing an entered command to obtain access to the supplier, by triggering the delivering means to send the coded information.

Claim 19.

Apparatus for obtaining access via a switched communications network to a plurality of central suppliers of frames of digital information, each requiring its own coded information, for obtaining said frames to be visually displayed locally, comprising

means for delivering to one of said central suppliers via the network stored coded information required by said
one central supplier as a condition to allowing access to said one central supplier,
a display device for displaying the frames of digital information,
a data entry device for enabling the entry of data into the apparatus, including commands, and
a processor comprising
- menu means connected to send to the display device a menu frame identifying said one central supplier as being accessible, and
- log-on means connected to be responsive to the data entry device for accepting and executing an entered command to obtain access to said one supplier, by triggering the delivering means to send the coded information.

Claim 20.

Apparatus for retrieving selected frames of information from a central videotex supplier of the information frames, each information frame having an associated unique identifier assigned by the supplier for retrieving the frame, the apparatus comprising

a display device connected to display the information frames,
storage means connected to store the identifier and a unique keyword selected by an operator and associated with the identifier,
menu means connected to display on the display device a menu frame containing the keyword,
data entry means connected to enter into the apparatus a request for retrieval of a selected information frame by moving a cursor to the keyword associated with the selected information frame, and
a processor connected to be responsive to the data entry means for retrieving the information frame in response to the entry of the request by transmitting the associated identifier to the supplier.

Claim 23.

Apparatus for locally storing frames of digital information received from a central videotex supplier, comprising

a port connectable to the central supplier for receiving at least one of the information frames from the central supplier,
a display device connected to locally display at least one of the information frames received from the central supplier,
a storage device connected to locally store, after it has been displayed, as a stored frame for later redisplay, at least one of the information frames received from the central supplier,
a data entry device connected to enable the enable of data into the apparatus, and
a processor comprising
- means connected to accept from the data entry device a name specified by a subscriber to be associated with a particular displayed information frame,
- means connected to store the particular information frame in the storage device together with the associated name, and
- means connected to retrieve the particular information frame from the storage device in response to entry through the data entry device of a command corresponding to the name specified for that frame.

Claim 24.

The apparatus of claim 23 wherein the processor further comprises

means connected to group information frames into directories, and
means connected to accept from the data entry device commands designating in which one of said directories a particular displayed frame is to be stored.

Claim 25.

The apparatus of claim 24 wherein the processor further comprises

means for displaying on the display device a menu listing by name the information frames stored in a given directory, and
means for accepting from the data entry device a command corresponding to the name of an information frame for retrieval from the directory.

Claim 26.

The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the command is entered by steps which include moving a cursor to the name of the information frame on the menu.

Claim 27.

The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the command is entered by steps which include typing the name of the information frame on the data entry device.

Claim 28.

Apparatus for locally storing frames of digital information received from one of a plurality central videotex suppliers, comprising

a port connectable to said one central supplier for receiving at least one of the information frames from said one central supplier,
a display device connected to locally display at least one of the information frames received from said one central supplier,
a storage device connected to locally store, after it has been displayed, as a stored frame for later redisplay, at least one of the information frames received from said one central supplier,
a data entry device connected to enable the entry of data into the apparatus, and
a processor comprising
- means connected to accept from the data entry device a name specified by a subscriber to be associated with a particular displayed information frame,
- means connected to retrieve the particular information frame in the storage device together with the associated name, and
- means connected to retrieve the particular information frame from the storage device in response to entry through the data entry device of a command corresponding to the name specified for that frame,
- means connected to for group information frames into directories,
- means connected to accept from the data entry device commands designating in which directory a particular displayed frame is to be stored, and
- means connected to accept from the data entry device commands for storing in a single directory frames received from different suppliers.

Claim 29.

Apparatus for printing frames of digital information received from a central videotex supplier, comprising

a port connectable to the central supplier for receiving at least one of the information frames from the central supplier,
a printing device connected to locally print at least one of the information frames received from the central supplier and,
a processor comprising
- means connected to deliver to the printer digital information corresponding to an information frame to be printed, and
- means connected to configure the digital information to cause the printed information frame to be one of a plurality of selectable overall sizes.

Claim 30.

The apparatus of claim 29 further comprising

a data entry device for enabling the entry of data into the appratus, and wherein the processor further comprises
- means for accepting from the data entry device commands corresponding to the different selectable overall sizes.

Claim 31.

Apparatus for locally decoding a stream of bytes representing a frame of information received from a videotex supplier, comprising

means for receiving each byte in turn for decoding,
means connected to store a table of entries each indicating what action is to be performed with respect to each byte based on the byte and on a current state of the apparatus, and
means connected to decode each byte by finding an entry in the table corresponding to the action to be performed and thereafter performing that action.

Claim 32.

The apparatus of claim 31 further comprising means for updating the current state of said apparatus, after each byte is decoded, in accordance with the current state of said apparatus and the decoded byte.

Claim 33.

The apparatus of claim 31 further comprising means connected to store an index array indicating, for each said byte, a location in said table wherein said action to be performed will be found, given said current state.

Claim 34.

The apparatus of claim 31 wherein said current state is a display state and said action to be performed is to display a character corresponding to said byte.

Claim 35.

The apparatus of claim 31 wherein said current state is other than a display state and said action to be performed is to implement a visual attribute of said frame as specified by said byte.

Claim 36.

The apparatus of claim 31

wherein, when said apparatus occupies a particular state, certain said bytes, according to a predetermined protocol for encoding said bytes, cannot properly appear in said stream of bytes, and
wherein said entries in said table corresponding to: (1) said certain bytes, and (2) said particular state, indicate that said action to be performed is to display a space.

Claim 37.

The apparatus of claim 31 wherein the entries in said table correspond to a Prestel encoding protocol.

Claim 38.

Apparatus for locally processing frames of information received from central videotex suppliers, different frames being encoded in accordance with different protocols, comprising

means connected to locally store the information frames,
means connected to locally display the frames,
means connected to decode the locally stored frames as they are displayed, and
means connected to tag each stored frame with a header indicating one of said different protocols as having been used for encoding the frame, the means connected to decode being arranged to decode each frame in accordance with the protocol indicated by the header of the frame.

Claim 39.

Apparatus for displaying a frame of information represented by a stream of bytes received a videotex supplier, said bytes being encoded in accordance with a particular videotex protocol, comprising

a device for visually displaying said frame based on bit images that are encoded in accordance with a display device protocol different from said videotex protocol,
means for decoding said bytes into alphanumeric and mosaic characters that are based on said protocol and are independent of said display device protocol, and
device dependent driver means for converting said characters into said bit images in accordance with said display device protocol.

Claim 40.

The apparatus of claim 39 wherein said display device is arranged to display said bit images in accordance with visual attributes that are encoded in said stream of bytes in accordance with said videotex protocol, said visual attributes being conveyed to said display device in accordance with said display device protocol, said means for decoding is arranged to decode said stream of bytes into visual attributes that are based on said videotex protocol and are independent of said display device protocol, and said device dependent driver means is arranged to convert said visual attributes into visual features of said bit images in accordance with said display device protocol.

Claim 41.

The apparatus of claim 39 comprising

a plurality of said display devices having different display device protocols, and
a plurality of said device dependent driver means, one for each said display device, for converting said characters into said bit images in accordance respectively with said different display device protocols.

Claim 42.

Apparatus for decoding a frame of information represented by a stream of bytes received from a videotex supplier, said bytes being encoded in accordance with a videotex protocol, said apparatus comprising

means for decoding said bytes into alphanumeric and mosaic characters based on said videotex protocol, and
means for controlling said decoding by accepting said stream of bytes from said supplier and delivering each said byte to said decoding means,
said controlling means being arranged to accept and deliver said bytes to said decoding means without regard to the protocol-dependent information content of said bytes.