Slashdot Mirror
Boingo Awarded a Patent For Hotspot Access
Boingo has scored a patent for accessing a Wi-Fi hotspot by a mobile device. The patent, no. 7,483,984, was issued in January, but Boingo only started talking about it recently. The patent application was filed in December 2002. According to the company, the methods covered by the patent include: "...accessing wireless carrier networks by mobile computing devices, where a client software application hosted by the device accesses carrier networks using wireless access points. For example, when a computer — or netbook, smartphone or any other Wi-Fi-enabled device — is in a location where there are multiple signals, the patented technology looks at each signal and alerts the user which signal will work, showing the signal as an understandable name and ID for the user.The patent covers all wireless technologies and spectrums, as well as any mobile device that access wireless hotspots." The company is not saying anything about whether or how they will attempt to wield this patent.
Yeah.
I mean, I wasn't even an early adopter and I had a home wireless setup before they filed this, and a computer that would present a list of hotspots by SSID.
This is nuts.
Poster Child for PATHETIC!!!! Speechless, simply speechless.
Hope is the currency of fools
But wait!
I've applied for a patent for the method of patenting the process of abusing the patent system!
Too bad it's patently obvious.