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Microsoft Patents "Fonts With Feelings"

Posted by timothy on from the schoolhouse-rock-prior-art dept.

theodp writes "Seems like those old IBM flaming logo commercials (video) should count as prior art, but the USPTO granted Microsoft a patent Tuesday for inventing Fonts With Feelings. Giving font characters sound, motion, and altered appearance, Microsoft asserts, gives a user 'the impression the fonts have personalities,' thereby enhancing the user's understanding and/or fluency of words. From the patent: 'As a few non-limiting examples, the word 'giant' can get very large; the word 'lion' can morph into a line drawing of a lion; the word 'toss' can morph into a hand that animates a ball toss; the word 'bees' could show bees flying around with or without a 'buzz' sound effect'. If you're curious, Microsoft Research offers some explanations and examples of 'fontlings' in action — don't miss 'f' kicks 'a'!"

22 of 150 comments (clear)

  1. and the world Microsoft... by Silly+Man · · Score: 2, Funny

    The world Microsoft can morph into a Monopoly game board.

    1. Re:and the world Microsoft... by eldavojohn · · Score: 2, Interesting

      And if you type 'Ballmer' the B morphs into a miniature Carl Brutananadilewski from Aqua Teen Hunger Force and starts sweating profusely while throwing the other letters at you while shouting 'DEVELOPERS DEVELOPERS DEVELOPERS DEVELOPERS!"

      --
      My work here is dung.
    2. Re:and the world Microsoft... by Jeremiah+Cornelius · · Score: 2, Funny

      HEY!

      <BLINK>

      tag gone WILD!

      --
      "Flyin' in just a sweet place,
      Never been known to fail..."
  2. Just like WordWorld and a million others by jbeaupre · · Score: 3, Informative

    http://www.wordworld.com/ Then again, the actual claims of the patent may be something entirely different than the summary.

    --
    The world is made by those who show up for the job.
    1. Re:Just like WordWorld and a million others by Yvanhoe · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Because if it is the idea that they claim, it is quite silly : http://creativebits.org/files/zoomorphic_calligraphy.jpg (Someone told me this is a fisherman's poem)
      But remember : a millenium-old practice is innovative when it is done ON A COMPUTER !

      --
      The Wise adapts himself to the world. The Fool adapts the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the Fool.
  3. Prior art exists by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

    There are kids shows already doing this "Word world" among them. Gratz to MS for patenting something that is probably 10 years old and in common usage.

  4. Prior fuzzy art! by djkitsch · · Score: 2, Informative

    I'm pretty sure Sesame Street's been doing this for quite some years!

    --
    sig:- (wit >= sarcasm)
  5. 40 years of Prior Art by lymond01 · · Score: 3, Informative

    Apparently no one at Microsoft watches Sesame Street.

    1. Re:40 years of Prior Art by Nerdfest · · Score: 2, Insightful

      ... or realizes that words are not fonts.

    2. Re:40 years of Prior Art by Nerdfest · · Score: 2, Funny

      No, but they do have a Mickey Mouse operating system.

  6. Hi there ! by thrill12 · · Score: 4, Funny

    I am seeing that you feel sad today ! Would you like me to comfort you by becoming a bit italic ?
    -> No
    You are very stubborn today, that fits just perfectly with a bold face type ! Would you like me to change to bold ?
    -> No
    Ah, you probably misunderstood me and want to get a clear sans-serif font ! Yes ?
    ....
    Clippy's offspring ? :)

    --
    Slashdot: stuff for news, nerds that matter, matter for news, stuff that nerd
    1. Re:Hi there ! by mtrachtenberg · · Score: 2, Funny

      So what would you like to write about?

      ->Google.

      (Turns red.) Oh, my.

      ->I hear they've banned Microsoft Windows.

      (Turns blue.) Oh, dear.

      ->Something about security, I think.

      (Turns invisible.)

      ->Bye now.

  7. Sounds stupid, looks worse by bhunachchicken · · Score: 3, Insightful

    The very first thing I thought of when I read the summary was those annoying cursors, graphical emotes, and the ton of Smiley Central-like websites that did the rounds a few years ago.

    If Microsoft having a patent on this idea stops us having to put up with:

    lol!! i just got an email with all the letters dancing and singing, and doing a poo on each other!! lol!! i'm going to forward on to everyone i know who won't give a fuck!!1 hahahaha!! lol!!!!

    then they can keep it. It'll likely be about as successful and world changing as the Zune was, anyway.

    --
    THE HONOUR OF THE KNIGHTS - CC Licensed Sci-Fi Novel
  8. Microsoft patents Schoolhouse Rock by bluefoxlucid · · Score: 2, Interesting

    We've seen this before....

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    Support my political activism on Patreon.
  9. MicroSoft patents Patent Process by theNAM666 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Redmond, Wash: Today MicroSoft announced that it had obtained a patent on the process necessary to obtain a patent, said Steve Ballmer, simultaneously announcing his position as MicroSoft's new Chief Extortionist. "This is a testament to MicroSoft's continuing innovation in the area of innovation," said Ballmer, "and the debt that all corporations owe to MicroSoft for innovating and, er, innovating the patent process."
    MicroSoft then announced a patent license application process, wherein all new patent license applicants will need to apply to MicroSoft and pay a licensing fee before applying to the USPTO. Rumours on the street also indicated that MicroSoft was preparing its legal division to send Cease and Desist notices to anyone filing patent application who had not applied for and received a license to apply for a patent from MicroSoft, and a concurrent series of suits claiming that patents granted to applicants who had not received licenses from MicroSoft were the property of MicroSoft.
    "Innovatively protecting our innovation and all our innovative property rights is the core of innovation," said Ballsymer.

  10. I'm actually OK with granting MS this patent by gman003 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I'm actually OK with granting MS this patent, because this is a terrible idea. These "animated fonts" are going to be worse than Comic Sans. Most people have difficulty reading text moving in any way besides scrolling, and even that can cause problems.

    If MS gets essentially a monopoly on this, then once they realize how retarded it is, nobody will be using them.

  11. Too big, too unfocused by Infonaut · · Score: 2, Interesting

    It's a shame, really. MS spends a lot of money on R&D, but they seem to get so few groundbreaking shipping products from it.

    --
    Read the EFF's Fair Use FAQ
  12. Coming soon to your Aunt Sophie's e-mail message by RevWaldo · · Score: 2, Funny

    http://www.theonion.com/articles/email-from-aunt-accidentally-opened,2391/

    Just another tool in the annoyance arsenal. If Splice was about software it'd probably be about a product like this.

    .

    --
    Prisencolinensinainciusol. Ol Rait!
  13. Re:animated fonts in the Amiga era? by keeboo · · Score: 2, Interesting

    What about this?
    Amiga had a tradition of animation and color fonts since the 1980s.

  14. Kawaii? by VickiM · · Score: 3, Interesting

    For some reason, this makes me think of the kawaii movement that happened in Japan. School girls started adding drawings to their letters, making them very cute and difficult to read. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kawaii

  15. Re:The words of the day are... by Richard+Steiner · · Score: 2, Funny

    Psst... This is with a computer. That makes it TOTALLY new.

    --
    Mainframe/UNIX Bit Twiddler and long time Windows/Linux Hobbyist.
    The Theorem Theorem: If If, Then Then.
  16. Re:This is Ballmer's Baby by silverglade00 · · Score: 2, Informative

    "Toxic Pit Stains"

    So THAT'S what a TPS report is!