Who Invented the Linux-Based Wireless Router?

mtaht writes "I've just had the interesting experience of being deposed to talk about one of the first embedded, Linux-based, wireless routers. Our (free!) 1998 publication of how to make one predates patent #7035281, filed September 13, 2000, by someone else. Their patent was recently granted and is now being disputed in court, in part using our how-to as an example of prior art. The lawsuit continues; the case goes before a judge shortly, and a jury trial if necessary is scheduled for the spring. I find myself plagued with the question: So... who invented the embedded Linux based wireless router? What relevance does 'who' have, when there is such an enormous confluence of ideas from thousands of people? What constitutes invention, anyway?"

Comments

Fireplug Computers

[rcpitt]

Stuart Lynne and I were partners in Canada's first ISP, Wimsey.COM

After we sold that company - and the purchaser tanked, we started up Fireplug Computers Inc. doing Linux for embedded devices, including "Thin-Linux" which was specifically oriented to being a router. I ran a version of that on a 486 system until it finally died earlier this year.

We had wireless capabilities in this, with drivers for a couple of the then available wireless chips.

Fireplug was sold to Lineo Inc. in 1999 - and I'm fairly sure that Lineo did some work on Linux wireless too.

Linux Router Project of Course

[Diesel Dave]

Certainly not the very first ever made, but likely the first mainsteam implementation that was available.

I had a 2U 386SX 16Mhz Workstation with full length ISA 900MHz WaveLAN card, that ran LRP off 3.5" 1.44MB.
Host name was 'Brain-Damage'. Some of the first LRP development was done on that back in 1997.

The boys over in Latvia that went on to form RouterBoard were doing much more then me with wireless but I'm not sure if it was with Linux at the time.

Dave

Claims in HTML

[bill_mcgonigle]

a TIFF? Seriously?

via Patent Storm:

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A wireless provisioning device for use in public domain networks wherein the wireless provisioning device is accessible by a user of mobile computing devices, comprising:

a chassis;

at least one network card;

at least one wireless card;

at least one processor;

an operating system, the operating system operably configured in the chassis to control the at least one, network card, the at least one wireless card and the at least one processor, which are operatively coupled with the chassis;

a packet-switched interface capable of receiving a multiplicity of inbound framed packet-data to provide inbound packets and transmitting a multiplicity of outbound framed packet-data comprising outbound packets;

a channeling controller, coupled to the packet-switched interface that channels the inbound packets based on the inbound address information and constructs the outbound packets and channels the outbound packets with the outbound address information, the channeling controller capable of being effectively connected to at least one network via the operating system; and

an authenticator in operative communication with the operating system to allow authentication at the wireless provisioning device;

whereby the user of a mobile computing device connects to the wireless provisioning device without having to first access the Internet.

2. The wireless provisioning device of claim 1, wherein the channeling controller routes the outbound packets.

3. The wireless provisioning device of claim 2, wherein the channeling controller routes the outbound packets.

4. The wireless provisioning device of claim 1, wherein the channeling controller bridges the inbound packets.

5. The wireless provisioning device of claim 4, wherein the channeling controller bridges the outbound packets.

6. The wireless provisioning device of claim 1, wherein the operating system of the wireless provisioning device is an open source UNIX based system.

7. The wireless provisioning device of claim 1, wherein the wireless provisioning device further comprises a second processor.

8. The wireless provisioning device of claim 1, wherein the wireless provisioning device further comprises a memory device and a storage device.

9. The wireless provisioning device of claim 1, wherein the network card, the wireless cord, the processor, the operating system, the packet-switched interface, and the channel controller are operatively disposed within the chassis of the wireless provisioning device.

10. The wireless provision device of claim 9, wherein the authenticator is operatively disposed within the chassis of the wireless provisioning device.

11. The wireless provisioning device of claim 1, wherein bandwidth to individual user can be controlled by the wireless provisioning device operating system.

12. The wireless provisioning device of claim 1, wherein the protocol type of an individual user con be controlled by the wireless provisioning device operating system.

13. A wireless provisioning device, comprising:

a chassis;

at least one network card;

at least one wireless card;

at least one processor;

a LINUX operating system, the operating system operably configured in the chassis to control the at least one network card, the at least one wireless card and the at least one processor;

a packet-switched interface capable of receiving a multiplicity of inbound framed packet-data to provide inbound packets and transmitting a multiplicity of outbound framed packet-data comprising outbound packets;

a channeling controller, coupled to the packet-switched interface that channels the inbound packets based on the inbound address information and that constructs the outbound packets and channels the outbound packets with the outbound address information,

ok, I'll spell it out

[ciaran_o_riordan]

Yep. He's looking for prior art that pre-dates him, and he's asking how to prove and attribute prior art to someone.

For this, there are some real common mistakes to avoid:
* You have to find prior art for the claims, not the summary
* You have to find prior art for *all* the claims
* Good news is that acceptable forms of prior art include ads, manuals, magazine articles...

It's not rocket science, but a lot of news stories like this end up wasting people's energy because people contribute their knowledge without knowing these simple rules, and it's all or mostly useless.

As someone who's spent time scraping slashdot stories with 200+ comments for possible *useful* prior art, I can tell you that a lot of people don't know these basic rules.

Re:Nice Job

[nickersonm]

He already gave his deposition in August. It seems that he is simply asking the question here because he is curious. IANAL and have no idea if that can affect the use of it in the future, though.

From the blog:

After giving my deposition, I've thought deeply about what happened in wireless and Linux from 1998 forward, and done a bit of independent research. I figure, maybe, by publishing what I know so far, more of the history and prior art behind the "embedding Linux in a wireless router" idea will come to light, and head off the second patent at the pass.

Also note that he's asking for different examples, not about the example that he is the source of.