Personal Website of Yakov Shafranovich

« Changing Web Page Content on the Fly         Vern Paxson to Step Down from the IRTF »

More Patent Insanity

Slashdot is reporting on a new Microsoft patent that covers client-side data processing using drop-down menus, alphanumerical input boxes, check boxes, radio buttons, sliders, arrays, stacks, queues, linked lists, and decision trees. That’s right boys and girls - no more sortable DHTML tables, or any kind of fancy DHTML manipulations in your browser:

Specifically, first, a user requests information from a remote computer and then results of the requested information are collected at a host computer. Second, the results, sub-items and rules of enforcement of the sub-items relating to the request are transmitted from the host to the remote computer in a format that is preferably encoded and transparent to the remote user. Third, the results are remotely processed in response to user interaction of the results and sub-item selection and configuration. The processed results are dynamically adjusted and displayed as the user interacts with the results and the sub-items. Sub-item conflicts are prevented by enforcement of the transmitted rules of sub-item combinations and predefined interactive options. Graphical user interface control devices are used to allow user interaction and adjustment of the results. For example, alphanumerical boxes, drop-down menus, check boxes, radio buttons or the like can be used. The system and method of the present invention preferably utilizes client side-processing of the results instead of server-side processing. This enables the user to quickly access and adjust information dynamically and in real time without server delays.

Tags: ipr, microsoft, patents —

Permalink | Trackback URL | This post has