Short stories of human inventions
Archive for April, 2010
Guide to Current Patent Reform Legislation
April 22, 2010
by merlin
in General Topics
Legislation that would dramatically overhaul U.S. patent law appears to be on a fast track in Congress, with Senators Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) and Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) leading the charge.
But legal and business groups are finding themselves at odds over the legislation, with some saying it would reduce patent litigation costs and improve patent quality while others say it would do just the opposite. Everyone, it seems, can find parts of the measure to love and others to hate.
In April, identical bills were filed in the Senate and House, each titled the Patent Reform Act of 2007. In the Senate, Leahy and Hatch introduced S. 1145, while in the House Representatives Howard Berman (D-California) and Lamar Smith (R-Texas) introduced H.R. 1908.
On May 16th, a House subcommittee approved the bill for further review by the full Judiciary Committee, which held hearings on it in June. The committee released a revised version of the bill June 21st.
In an effort to help make sense of this legislation, we offer this guide to its key provisions, together with summaries of the arguments being raised for… More >>
Future Medical Inventions – What Next?
Who can argue that the cell phone hasn’t changed our lives. And the changes we’ve experienced are nothing compared to what some third world countries have experienced with the cell phone. In many countries there is no infrastructure to support land lines, and thus outside of the cities there is basically no phone service. Not anymore, now cell phones are popping up everywhere, providing a service we take for granted.
Cell phones were great, smart phones are better…what’s next?
So getting back to future inventions, how about even more amazing cell phone devices? I’ve just recently obtained an iPhone, and it is amazing. But come on, there are more things it could be taught to do! How about setting on a table, and put it in projector mode where it projects its images onto a wall or screen? Build in a laser pointer. Build into it health diagnostics. You touch a sensor and it measures your pulse and blood pressure or whatever. How about building in a carbon monoxide detector? Since you usually have your cell phone with you even… More >>
What Will the Next Economic Drivers Be?
From 1982 to 2007 the U.S. economy had an unprecedented expansion. The twenty five year period was driven by innovation, economic global expansion, favorable economic policy, increase in population and expansion of debt. During this period most of the current professional started their careers. The resulting concern is the current professionals are not trained to offer advice in anything other than a near perfect economic environment.
Briefly, let’s review the 5 aforementioned economic drivers from 1982 to 2007 Dr. Albert Niemi, Jr. Dean of the Edwin L Cox School of Business at the Southern Methodist University. The first driver was innovation. The invention of the microprocessor and innovation of technology contributed to a new level of productivity and life style. Currently, Dr. Niemi does not see a new invention or technology to fuel growth. Also he does believe bio-tech discoveries may fulfill a pipeline in 15 – 25 years.
Second, free market economics has opened up the economies around the world. During the past 25 years former closed communist economies from Easter Europe, the former Soviet Union countries and some… More >>
Ideas For New Products And Inventions
How many new products and inventions can you dream up with in thirty minutes? At least a few if you know the techniques of innovation and creative problem solving. The following are thirty minute’s worth, with some notes at how they were arrived at.
New Products and Inventions From Old
A fast way to invent new things is to start with existing concepts and find new applications. With the concept of inflatable things, the first thing that comes to my mind is inflatable shelters for emergency situations, such as after earthquakes or hurricanes. Such shelters could be transported easily, and erected quickly with a simple air pump. A basic large tent design, but with inflatable ribs instead of poles might work.
We can always find new products and inventions for babies. Inflatable cribs or playpens come to mind. Deflated, they could be folded up and stored almost anywhere. A simple design for a playpen might be a plastic floor with a simple wall that surrounds it and is attached to it. Think of air mattresses for swimming, set on… More >>