Not common

Submitted by kjetilho on Mon, 2008-09-01 18:10

The key to the patent is that the viewport into your page is positioned exactly the same after pressing PageUp or PageDown.  Almost all applications will reset the viewport to the top left of the page after a PageDown operation - try it yourself.  It is particularily noticable if you have zoomed in so much that the page won't fit on the screen.  Adobe Reader, OpenOffice.org, Firefox, etc. etc. do not infringe on this patent.  I know of one example of prior art, though: Ghostview (a PostScript viewer for Unix).

 

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WTF.

Submitted by allc0re on Tue, 2008-08-26 08:04

WTF.

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Look at the names of the

Submitted by Keith E. Whisman on Mon, 2008-08-25 21:08

Look at the names of the people that got my complaint and the name of the manager. It's like it went straight to India or some other Asian or middle eastern country. Name looks arabic.

 

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I just got a reply Email

Submitted by Keith E. Whisman on Mon, 2008-08-25 17:04

I just got a reply Email from Microsoft. Here it is in it's entirety.

 

Hello
Keith,

 

Thank you for
contacting Microsoft Customer service.

 

I understand that
you have a question about “Microsoft has patented the Page Up and Page Down
keys”

 

Keith, I would
suggest you to contact Microsoft Corporate team for information. You can contact
them at (800)-Microsoft (642-7676). They are available 24hrs a
day.

 

If you have any
other question please contact us again.

 

Thank
you,

 

Manish

Microsoft Customer
Service Representative

 

If you have any
feedback about your Online Customer Service experience, please send them to my
manager Zafar Iqbal at http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=6998852 Please do not
forget to indicate the name of my manager in the subject
field.

---

--- Original Message
---
From : whismankeith@cox.net
Sent :
24 August 2008 23:50:52 UTC
To :
CNTUS.PRCS.NA.00.EN.000.000.CS.CMR.CUS.00.WB@css.one.microsoft.com
Subject
: Microsoft has patented the Page Up and Page Down keys

CUSTOMER PROVIDED
SYSTEM PROPERTIES
O/S: any os
Br: any browser

CONTACT
INFORMATION
First Name: Keith
Last Name:
Whisman

PRODUCT
Other;Any keyboard

QUESTIONS OR
COMMENTS
Message: I just discovered that Microsoft has illegitimately
patented the page up and page down keys on the keyboard. This is wrong and
disgusting. How dare Microsoft patent something that it did'nt invent. This has
been part of the public domain and freely available as a standard impliment on
keyboards manufactured since the beginning of computing with a keyboard. I
learned of this at this URL
http://www.maximumpc.com/article/news/microsoft_now_owns_page_up_and_page_down#comment-8921
  I hope that Microsoft will make a commitment to keeping all aspects of the
standard 101 keyboard free to manufacture by anyone. Free from patent
infringement lawsuits. This is just so ugly and disgusting. If Microsoft does
not address this then I will have no other option as an American than to make it
my lifes mission to destroy Microsoft. I can't believe a Company that I have
loved and enjoyed for over 28 years can do something this dirty. Please take me
seriously. I am highly offended and I will make it as public as I can that
Microsoft has done something so dirty like this. You should be ashamed to be
part of an organization that has done something like this. I want this to reach
the eyes of the highest officer in the Microsoft organization.

Sincerely
Keith E. Whisman. Pondering becoming an ex-microsoft fan boy.

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Thank goodness...

Submitted by Number Six on Mon, 2008-08-25 16:14

I use Das Keyboard.  No "Page Up/Page Down" printed on any keys.  In fact, there's nothing on any of the keys whatsoever! :D

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I'm no legal analyst but....

Submitted by Subsect on Mon, 2008-08-25 03:37

This may be a stupid question, but is their patent for the functionality of the keys itself (which doesn't seem possible considering the dozens if not hundreds of manufacturers out there) or is it for how the functionality applies to MS apps?? Is there a difference?  In my experience, the keys don't behave the same way in every application.  

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The claims of the patent

Submitted by Bam on Sun, 2008-08-24 22:27

The claims of the patent define the scope of the power to exclude, not the description.  Claim 1 looks to be a bit narrower than the description in the patent body:

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. 

Not sure if anyone has performed this exact method before (in which case the claim is per se invalid), or whether the claimed methods would have been obvious in light of what has been done before (a factual inquiry).  Could also just be that the US Patent Office was asleep at the wheel, and didn't find/cite the relevant prior art.

 

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Wait a minute...

Submitted by burke166 on Sun, 2008-08-24 19:56

Isn't that a picture of an Apple keyboard?  Man, that makes this whole thing even funnier.  And the patent number ends in "666."  Oh, that's rich!

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Can I work for the patent office?

Submitted by dougau on Sun, 2008-08-24 19:40

Who grants these patents and how big of a bribe or kickback do they get? I bet Microsoft slipped a hundred thousand or so under the table for that one.

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I sent a nasty gram at this

Submitted by Keith E. Whisman on Sun, 2008-08-24 17:01

I sent a nasty gram at this url https://support.microsoft.com/contactus/emailcontact.aspx?scid=sw;en;1214&WS=mscom&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.microsoft.com%2feducation%2fmsitacademy%2fITAPContactUs.mspx

I gave microsoft a peice of my mind. I hope they take me seriously. This is something Bill Gates needs to be informed about. He is too good of a guy to not overlook something like this.

Here is the URL for Microsoft Corporation Contact information.

http://support.microsoft.com/contactus/cu_sc_corpinfo_master?ws=support%2cmscom#tab4

Send them a peice of your mind. Don't let this slide. This is just disgusting and evil. This is a standard part of the 101key keyboard and needs to remain part of the public domain free from patent infringment litigation. If I wanted to make a keyboard with these keys and functions then it should be free from ownership litigation. This is public domain. It should remain free. I sure hope that Microsoft is doing this just to protect it's free nature. To keep others from claiming ownership and harassing everyone. Holding every keyboard manufacturer hostage. This is just wrong and I home Microsoft has the best of intentions. I hope that I can count on Microsoft to do the right thing with this. I won't scream if it's for the public good.

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Huh?

Submitted by zeringue on Sun, 2008-08-24 16:39

i did not know one could patent something so universally used for so long.  WordPerfect used pg up and pg dn at least in version 4.  what a deal.

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I can't believe Microsoft

Submitted by Keith E. Whisman on Sun, 2008-08-24 16:24

I can't believe Microsoft is asshole enough to do such a thing. This is just being a bully. Shame on them. They should be ashamed. How dare they.

I suggest that everyone that reads this column should send Microsoft a shame on you letter. Hopefully they'll get it and make the page up and page down public domain without consequence. This is just wrong.

I wonder if Bill Gates knows what happened. If he can send a message to Microsoft.

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Trust?

Submitted by Strongbad536 on Sun, 2008-08-24 14:39

Let the anti trust lawsuits resume.  

 

Maximum PC is my homepage, click here to make it yours too! 

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