Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Google Patents Displaying Athletes On Sports Fields

Posted by timothy on from the all-an-elaborate-joke dept.

theodp writes "Just about anyone that's familiar with sports has seen position and depth charts, in which athletes are portrayed on the athletic fields their sport is played on. But that didn't stop Google from asking for — and the USPTO granting — a patent on displaying pictures of athletes on the fields on which their sport is played, or in legal-speak, its Method, System, and Graphical User Interface for Personalized Online Sports Team Charts. 'One aspect of the invention,' explains Google, 'involves a graphical user interface on a computer that includes a graphic of an athletic playing field or a portion thereof, and a plurality of player positions on the athletic field. At least some of the player positions contain thumbnail images selected by a first user. The thumbnail images provide links to corresponding profiles in an online social network.' Six Googlers, including Orkut Buyukkokten, were credited as inventors in the 2007 patent application."

9 of 52 comments (clear)

  1. Slashdot Patent Fail 69105 by the+eric+conspiracy · · Score: 4, Informative

    The article is wrong.

    This is what Google patented:

    1. A graphical user interface on a computer having one or more processors and memory storing one or more programs that when executed by the one or more processors generate the graphical user interface on a display device of the computer, the graphical user interface comprising: a graphic of an athletic playing field or a portion thereof, and a plurality of player positions on the athletic playing field, wherein at least some of the player positions have superimposed thereon thumbnail images selected by a first user, and wherein the thumbnail images provide links which, when selected by a user, provide access to corresponding profiles in an online social network, and wherein the athletic playing field graphic and the plurality of player positions containing thumbnail images selected by the first user are viewable by a second user who accesses a page corresponding to the first user, and wherein the first user and second user are both members of a same online social network.

    In other words it's images of athletes linked in a particular way to via a social network.

    1. Re:Slashdot Patent Fail 69105 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

      In other words it's images of athletes linked in a particular way to via a social network.

      It's far from obvious what Google is claiming based on that paragraph. Do these social profile networks have anything to do with the athlete, or are they avatars for 'friends' of the user? Why does the fact that they are adding the linking a capability to a diagramming convention commonly seen broadcast sports make this a patentable invention? If the linking itself is novel, then why is the invention purportedly about pictures of athletes?

      They can go shove this patent in a plurality of the Google employees' arses where it belongs.

    2. Re:Slashdot Patent Fail 69105 by PolygamousRanchKid+ · · Score: 5, Funny

      In other words it's images of athletes linked in a particular way to via a social network.

      Haven't porn sites been doing this already for years?

      Their definitions of "athletes", "playing field" and "player positions" are just a bit different . . .

      --
      Schroedinger's Brexit: The UK is both in and out of the EU at the same time!
    3. Re:Slashdot Patent Fail 69105 by Dachannien · · Score: 2

      The most hilarious thing about TFS was the part where he says, "or, in legal-speak," and then quotes from the part of the patent that arguably has the least impact on claim scope.

  2. But you see... by scotts13 · · Score: 4, Funny

    The pictures will contain links, which means it's ON A COMPUTER - which as we all know makes it inherently patentable.

  3. Re:Ambiguous summary by JustOK · · Score: 2

    There's prior art. If had said "on a computer", you'd be RICH!

    --
    rewriting history since 2109
  4. Prior Art: Me? by InfinityWpi · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Christ, I did this for a startup back in 2000. You've got to be freakin' kidding me. It's not even an invention! It's a way of doing things! Just because it's done on a screen doesn't make it brand new!

  5. Madden? by gallen1234 · · Score: 2

    I'll admit up front that I haven't read the article but, based just on,

    "'involves a graphical user interface on a computer that includes a graphic of an athletic playing field or a portion thereof, and a plurality of player positions on the athletic field. At least some of the player positions contain thumbnail images selected by a first user."

    isn't this Madden NFL?

  6. Re:Ambiguous summary by Belial6 · · Score: 2, Funny

    "except in bed" already ends in "in bed".