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HP Patents Bignum Implementation From 1912

Posted by kdawson on from the can-you-spell-prior-art dept.

I Don't Believe in Imaginary Property writes "The authors of GMP (the GNU Multiple Precision Arithmetic Library) were invited to join Peer-to-Patent to review HP's recent patent on a very old technique for implementing bignums because their software might infringe. Basically, HP's patent claims choosing an exponent based on processor word size. If you choose a 4-bit word size and a binary number, you end up working in hexadecimal. Or for a computer with a 16-bit word and a base-10 number, you use base 10,000 so that each digit of the base-10,000 number would fit into a single 16-bit word. The obvious problem with that is that there's plenty of prior art here. Someone who spent a few minutes Googling found that Knuth describing the idea in TAOCP Vol. 2 and other citations go back to 1912 (which implemented the same algorithm using strips of cardboard and a calculating machine). None of this can be found in the 'references cited' section. Even though the patent examiner did add a couple of references, they appear to have cited some old patents. The patent issued a few months ago was filed back in October of 2004, and collected dust at the USPTO for some 834 days."

11 of 144 comments (clear)

  1. Just wait to you see my patent. by mysidia · · Score: 5, Funny

    On finding the length of the hypotenuse of a right triangle.

    Scope of the invention:

    For right triangle with length of two sides denoted by A, B, the length of the hypotenuse denoted by C:

    C^2 = A^2 + B^2

    and

    Abs(C) = Sqrt(A^2 + B^2)

    Oh yes.. and my patent on trigonometric functions.. These things I like to call "Sines", "Cosines", "Secants", "ArcSecants", "Tangents", and "ArcTangents".

    And PI itself...

    Stand back Eolas, i4i, NTP, Unisys, get ready for Mysidia.

    Muahahahahahahahahaha!!

    1. Re:Just wait to you see my patent. by darthdavid · · Score: 4, Funny

      The scary thing is that you could probably actually get away with that as long as you make sure to put "On a computer:" at the start...

    2. Re:Just wait to you see my patent. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

      "... over a wireless connection..." seems to be the prevailing trend among patents I've seen for obvious technologies.

    3. Re:Just wait to you see my patent. by Ethanol-fueled · · Score: 1, Funny

      I wish to patent the "floor function". It takes as its input lots and lots of alcohol. The output then hits the floor.

      Using my floor function as a reference, I extend it to the ceiling function, which also accepts alcohol as an input. F(x) then becomes parallel to the floor function and faces upward. The projection is then called the ceiling function, which is a dizzying combination of periodic sine[(c)Mysidia 2010] and cosine[(c)Mysidia 2010] functions. The ceiling function is itself periodic and reverts to the floor function.

  2. Re:Now if we only knew what the patent was about! by drinkypoo · · Score: 4, Funny

    I wish the summary said something about what the patent was about.

    Actually, the summary explains the whole thing:

    Basically, HP's patent claims choosing an exponent based on processor word size. If you choose a 4-bit word size and a binary number, you end up working in hexadecimal. Or for a computer with a 16-bit word and a base-10 number, you use base 10,000 so that each digit of the base-10,000 number would fit into a single 16-bit word.

    It's okay if you don't understand the explanation, but perhaps you should try reading the summary before complaining about it.

    --
    "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  3. I'm waiting by Grand+Facade · · Score: 2, Funny

    I'm waiting for Al Gore to patent the internet.

    --
    Rick B.
  4. Let's keep this going by Weaselmancer · · Score: 3, Funny

    "... with one click..."

    --
    Weaselmancer
    rediculous.
  5. Nice by Greyfox · · Score: 3, Funny

    It's so much easier to be a patent troll if you patent stuff that's already been invented. I don't think HP actually makes... things... these days. The only thing I've seen out of them in recent days is crappy IT outsourcing and lawsuits. I'd have thought super-expensive ink would have been more profitable than any of the above, though.

    --

    I'm trying to teach myself to set people on fire with my mind... Is it hot in here?

    1. Re:Nice by SharpFang · · Score: 2, Funny

      C'mon. They are world leader in printer ink cartridge lifetime shortening and protection from copying technology.

      Wasn't that them who invented scanner-printer devices that refuse to scan if you don't have ink?
      Wasn't that them who invented ink level permanent kill switch to prevent refilling?
      Wasn't that them who invented disabling cartridges based on number of pages printed, ink level notwithstanding?
      Wasn't that them who invented printer cartridges with built in clock and killswitch to disable full cartridges after specified date?

      Who was first to create full C+M+Y+K cartridges so that if you run out of black, printing papers, you have to dump all the color ink as well?

      Unfortunately Lexmark beat them to use code of a program as authentication key for a cartridge to sue anyone authenticating their cartridges using the same key under DMCA for copying their code.

      --
      45 5F E1 04 22 CA 29 C4 93 3F 95 05 2B 79 2A B2
  6. Re:CmdrTaco Has A Tiny Penis by Tablizer · · Score: 5, Funny

    CmdrTaco patents having a 2 inch penis.

    Don't laugh, you're cited as prior art.
         

    --
    Table-ized A.I.
  7. Re:Newbie mistake by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    "Never use a big word when a diminutive word will do." (One of my Greek prof's quotes for the day.)