MS patents pay as you go computing

[Modelworks]

I saw this first on slashdot then followed the links to the actual patent application.

Rent the pc and pay by the hour ?

This has to be a joke:


http://appft1.uspto.gov/netacg...9910&RS=DN/20080319910

Metered Pay-As-You-Go Computing Experience

A computer with scalable performance level components and selectable software and service options has a user interface that allows individual performance levels to be selected. The scalable performance level components may include a processor, memory, graphics controller, etc. Software and services may include word processing, email, browsing, database access, etc. To support a pay-per-use business model, each selectable item may have a cost associated with it, allowing a user to pay for the services actually selected and that presumably correspond to the task or tasks being performed. An administrator may use a similar user interface to set performance levels for each computer in a network, allowing performance and cost to be set according to a user's requirements.

Some of the highlights :

A different business model may allow a more granular approach to hardware and software sales. A computer may have individually metered hardware and software components that a user can select and activate based on current need. Beyond simple activation, the user may be able to select a level of performance related to processor, memory, graphics power, etc. that is driven not by a lifetime maximum requirement, but rather by the need of the moment. When the need is browsing, a low level of performance may be used and when network-based interactive gaming is the need of the moment, the highest available performance may be made available to the user.

Because hardware yields and software duplication costs allow very low cost on the margin of increased performance, manufacturers and software developers may see an overall increase in revenues when their product is available to users on a per-access or subscription basis that reflects actual consumption. Certainly the overall technology experience is that when given an opportunity to have increased capability, users migrate to it. Thus, users get the performance they want and sellers get incremental sales from a greatly-expanded user base that would have never considered a one-time purchase of a fairly exotic-looking and high-price hardware or software component.

 

[Mday]

Who said this had to do with a PC. It's computing power. You're renting CPU cycles from some processing farm.

 

[sandmanwake]

Your title says Microsoft patents pay as you go--implying they've already obtained the patent. Your link goes to an application for a patent.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Wow that's retarded. Another reason patents should not exist. They lead to monopolies and shut down creativity. One person has the idea, but someone else could make it better - not when it's patented. This means google will have to scrap all their online stuff like their spreadsheet app and such. I'm sure other companies are already into this as well. Even though they're not charging directly for the product they do make money off the ads.

 

[Modelworks]

Originally posted by: sandmanwake
Your title says Microsoft patents pay as you go--implying they've already obtained the patent. Your link goes to an application for a patent.

Do you really think they don't have the power to put the patent through ?
They patented the scroll lock key.

 

[Modelworks]

Originally posted by: Mday
Who said this had to do with a PC. It's computing power. You're renting CPU cycles from some processing farm.

It is referring to a pc not a cpu farm.

In summary, the system and methods described above allow use of an entirely different business model for manufacturing and collecting revenue from a computer asset. Rather than creating highly customized, but still overbuilt, computers for an individual user, a standard model can be created. Improved component and system-level yields already make many performance-related product grade-outs obsolete, allowing cost-effective sale of a computer with very high maximum performance levels. Because the computer user is only charged for the performance level and features actually used, the user can select to modify the performance to suit his or her needs and budget. Although the cost of ownership over the life of the computer may be higher than that of a one-time purchase, the payments can be deferred and the user can extend the useful life of the computer beyond that of the one-time purchase machine. A security mechanism that enforces payments may also be supported by the security module 202 and is discussed elsewhere.

All this is possible because the metering agents and specific elements of the security module 202 allow an underwriter in the supply chain to confidently supply a computer at little or no upfront cost to a user or business, aware that their investment is protected and that the scalable performance capabilities generate revenue commensurate with actual performance level settings and usage.

 

[sandmanwake]

Originally posted by: Modelworks

Originally posted by: sandmanwake
Your title says Microsoft patents pay as you go--implying they've already obtained the patent. Your link goes to an application for a patent.

Do you really think they don't have the power to put the patent through ?
They patented the scroll lock key.

The broadest claim in the so called Microsoft "scroll lock key" patent:

1. In a computing environment, a method comprising: displaying at least one page of a document that has multiple pages, at least one of the multiple pages, and the displayed at least one page including a first page displayed beginning at a starting point offset from a top of the document and from a top of the first page; calculating a height of at least the first page; calculating a row offset of the starting point of the first page; calculating a vertical offset at the starting point of the first page, wherein the vertical offset is calculated according to a formula of the form {[(p-1)/c]h}+r, where p is equal to the number of pages in the document, c is equal to the number of columns of the document which are simultaneously displayed, h is equal to the height of at least the first page, and r is equal to the row offset of the starting point of the first page; receiving a command indicative of a whole page-based incremental scroll request related to changing first content currently being displayed in the at least one page; determining a whole-page increment for scrolling from first content to second content, wherein determining the whole-page increment includes calculating a vertical offset at a second starting point in the document, the vertical offset being calculated according to the formula V.sub.1.+-.(cr), where V.sub.1 is the vertical offset at the starting point of the first page; and changing the display to display second content, by replacing the at least one page of the document with at least one other page, the display of the at least one other page beginning at the second starting point.

You can see the rest of the claims here: http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi.../7415666&RS=PN/7415666

The claims define the scope of what's being patented. Explain to me how the above boils down to just a "scroll lock key" and where you would find a reference to reject the claim.

 

[Modelworks]

Originally posted by: sandmanwake

Originally posted by: Modelworks

Originally posted by: sandmanwake
Your title says Microsoft patents pay as you go--implying they've already obtained the patent. Your link goes to an application for a patent.

Do you really think they don't have the power to put the patent through ?
They patented the scroll lock key.

The fucking claims are what's patented and defines the scope of what's being patented. Explain to me how the above boils down to just a "scroll lock key" and where you would find a reference to reject the claim.

I didn't see porn mentioned anywhere, must have missed that part.

Look up Page Up and Page Down while your at it.

 

[sandmanwake]

Originally posted by: Modelworks

I didn't see porn mentioned anywhere, must have missed that part.

Look up Page Up and Page Down while your at it.

What the heck are you talking about--porn?

 

[Modelworks]

Originally posted by: sandmanwake

Originally posted by: Modelworks

I didn't see porn mentioned anywhere, must have missed that part.

Look up Page Up and Page Down while your at it.

What the heck are you talking about--porn?

Too late, should have edited before I quoted
The point is they have the lawyers and money to put just about any patent through. If they can patent a key on a keyboard, then controlling how a pc is sold isn't a far stretch.

 

[sandmanwake]

Originally posted by: Modelworks

Originally posted by: sandmanwake

Originally posted by: Modelworks

I didn't see porn mentioned anywhere, must have missed that part.

Look up Page Up and Page Down while your at it.

What the heck are you talking about--porn?

Too late, should have edited before I quoted

You mean the word fuck? Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck. It's a word, not porn.

Edit 1:
Whoops, I used the word "fucking", not "fuck". Apologies.

Edit 2:
The point is you haven't shown how they've patented a key.

 

[DangerAardvark]

Why don't they just go ahead an patent genetic information while they're at it... oh wait.

 

[Red Squirrel]

tbh I'm surprised microsoft has not already patented things like the mouse or the keyboard. They have the power to do it. The only industry that has more power to patent is probably the oil industry, even then that could be debatable.

 

[Modelworks]

Originally posted by: RedSquirrel
tbh I'm surprised microsoft has not already patented things like the mouse or the keyboard. They have the power to do it. The only industry that has more power to patent is probably the oil industry, even then that could be debatable.

I think it was Apple that tried to patent the mouse. Keyboard would probably be IBM.
I really can't see how this will benefit the hardware manufacturers. If they sell me a cpu with 4 cores and I only get 2 by default and have to pay extra to use the others then they can recoup cost. But what if I never pay to use those other cores. The manufacturer never recoups the cost.