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LSI Patents the Doubly-Linked List
An anonymous reader writes "Back in April, LSI was granted patent number 7028023. This is a patent on a stunning new technique in data structures ... the concept that a linked list can in fact have multiple orderings. Of course, this has been used since the beginning of (computer) time in the form of doubly-linked lists. Even if LSI wants to (somehow) claim that the doubly-linked list doesn't count as prior art, maintaining linked lists of graphical objects sorted by both x and y co-ordinates for collision detection has been done since "graphical objects" meant ASCII characters on a green-on-black screen, and has probably been widespread in databases for probably even longer."
The author seems to think that rational thought, logic and common sense plays some part in the patent granting process in the USA.
AT&ROFLMAO
As someone that's currently working on some of LSI's driver code (as a customer, bought in), I wouldn't be at all surprised if they think its something new. Their code is terribly unstructured, uncommented, makes use of dynamically changing function pointers, has random inline assembler and has little in the way of API layering to make it understandable. Its a nightmare from a developers point of view. They probably think its a new and exciting breakthrough. :(
a patent on "An array data structure that automatically grows itself when it's current size is exceeded"...
:)
That patent is already owned by Microsoft, and is in use in their operating systems and device drivers. Most people call it "bloat"
Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
Object-oriented kittens have no ->microwave() method, but real world microwave ovens use a procedural model.
Your object model is screwed - microwave isn't intrinsic to kittens - microwaves have a method called nuke (thing t) (throws Sparks)
"We returned the General to El Salvador, or maybe Guatemala, it's difficult to tell from 10,000 feet"
Fuck, I'm patenting the binary search tree. What do mean prior art? Who do you think you are, Donald Knuth?
From an old slashdot comment by ShadyG (written before this patent was submitted btw) http://yro.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=11208&cid= 350375 :
:)
"The example of one-click shopping is even more illustrative. Something that is obvious will have no prior art, for the very reason that it's not worth publishing. What am I going to do, publish a solution for a doubly-linked list just to prevent a patent from getting issued on it? "
Indeed, I guess you should have
Those of you with a cynical nerve will probably claim that we will soon see a patent that deals with NUL termination of a string of characters...
If you describe something in a complicated enough manner then it is quite possible to pwnfuse someone into accepting it. Now if there was only some way to demonstrate prior art or the fact that it is an obvious function..
Until that day comes along, I guess we just have to see Parent and ensure we keep patenting appropriately.
Oops, I now have a doubly-linked post. I suppose I should expect a call from LSI soon.
Proof by very large bribes. QED.
"Method of using the method of strongly straining the waist muscles in order to help turd excretion"
"Method of dissolving a solid dissolvable material in water utilizing the method of mixing the fluid and solid with a tool"
"Method of moving a finger back and forth and applying limited pressure, thereby removing an itch in a body part which has been itching"
and so on.
Read radical news here
Not enterprise enough. You should set it up so that the ThingImpl superclass implements INukable, then update the XML mappings in 6 different places.
What the patent says is may be traversed in at least two sequences.
You mean like forward and backward???
What are you doing now, you lazy drunken obscene unsayable son of an unnameable gipsy obscenity?
you named your kitten Sparks?
Guy asked me for a quarter for a cup of coffee. So I bit him.
Why do people persist in the "nuke" and microwave myth?
Because "nuke" is 3 times shorter than "microwave," and approximately 5 times more fun to say.
I hereby place the above post in the public domain.
You realize you've been in the business too long when you actually find these jokes offensive...
Learn to code instead of whining ya damn kids!
I would have loved to tell my Data Structures professor a year ago that I couldn't do my homework because it would infringe on a patent.