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New Patent Suit Threatens Bluetooth Standard
Aditi.Tuteja writes "A U.S. research institute has sued Nokia, Samsung Electronics and Matsushita-owned Panasonic for violating a patent on Bluetooth technology, potentially putting the free wireless standard at risk. The Washington Research Foundation, which markets technology from the University of Washington, is seeking damages from the three mobile-phone makers for using a radio frequency receiver technology without paying royalties. From the article: 'According to the lawsuit, Bluetooth-based computers, cell phones and headsets made by the companies have violated four patents for research done in the mid-1990s by Edwin Suominen when he was a student at the University of Washington. All four patents are now licensed by the Washington Research Foundation. The foundation's lead counsel on the case, Steven Lisa, said the court filing followed two years of informal attempts to resolve the issue with the major players in the industry.'"
Hello newb, it really seems you don't understand, but this is not an error. At /., we tend to repeat things in all areas because our most of our members (Americans) have ADD and/or short memories. This explains the reelection of our Beloved Leader in 2004 nicely.
/., we tend to repeat things in all areas because our most of our members (Americans) have ADD and/or short memories. This explains the reelection of our Beloved Leader in 2004 nicely.
Hello newb, it really seems you don't understand, but this is not an error. At
That's impossible. We're already six days into the year. There's no way slashdot could go six days without a dupe.
... and then they built the supercollider.
An interesting thing to note here... The Bluetooth standard was developed by Ericsson, the swedish company that manufactures mobile phones and phone switching systems. They also have the most complete and reliable Bluetooth implementation in their phones. However, they are NOT listed as one of the companies being sued.
War is one of the most horrible things a human can be exposed to. And one of the worlds largest industries.
I have to admit that I am not a Bluetooth Expert, but I do have a degree in Electrical Engineering.
With embedded devices (especially low-power ones, like bluetooth headsets),
the trick is in making the hardware comply with the protocol,
but the art is doing so with as little (electrical) effort as possible.
If he can design a chip that takes care of the entire Bluetooth side of things,
which consumes only a fraction of what a microcontroller does,
that chip design saves engeineers of embedded devices a lot of effort.
They are, however, expected to pay for the use of his design.
This form of outsourced development is what makes the patent-world tick.
Actually accomplishing the same, without infringeing on those patents, is one of the things makes the F/OSS world tick.
My guess is, that he probably came in contact with the early Bluetooth ideas and tinkered with those in his spare time in College.
This, of itself, means that the implementations he designed in college are owned by said college, which applied for a patent and got lucky
"I was in love with a beautiful blonde once, dear. She drove me to drink. It's the one thing I am indebted to her for."