Google Buys Foxconn Patents For Head-Mounted Tech

An anonymous reader writes "Google has snapped up a parcel of patents from Hon Hai Precision Industry, the Taiwanese electronic manufacturer more commonly known as Foxconn, in a move seemingly designed to bolster its Glass headsets against potential competitors. In a statement obtained by The Wall Street Journal, Hon Hai described the patents sold to the Chocolate Factory as 'Head Mounted Technology' that can create virtual images 'superimposed on a real-world view.'"

Comments

isn't there prior art

[Chrisq]

isn't there prior art in head-up displays used by airforce pilots for decades?

Re:isn't there prior art

[kthreadd]

It's a patent. Your point was ...?

Against or because of?

[AmiMoJo]

Google generally doesn't use it patents for attacking other companies, only for defence. It seems more likely that they are just making sure some troll doesn't sue them later on when they claim to have invented Glass in the mid 90s or something.

Re: Against or because of?

[tlambert]

Well that is mainly because they never really invented something new, except Earth.

I filed 2 patents while I was at Google. One of my colleagues filed 5. On the floor where I worked in a single building, I believe the total was 106 over the period of time we had all been there. Other groups turned in smaller numbers, but some, such as the "Google Van" and "Self Driving car" and "Google X" groups turned in more. As long as you count employee inventions assigned to the company, I'd have to say Google invents quite a lot.

Re: Against or because of?

[AliasMarlowe]

They were beaten to most of the features of Google Earth by Microsoft Terraserver, which launched first.

Which was beaten to most of its features by NASA Worldwind, which launched first.
BTW, the original Terraserver (i.e. non-Microsoft) came first, but lacked most of the features we know in such services today, such as stitching images together into a globe.
[insert NeverEndingStory reference here]

Re: Against or because of?

[zrelativity]

Here is the list of 300 companies with numbers of patents granted in 2012. Google is now #23, up nearly 60% from last year with 1151 patents granted in 2012.

http://www.ipo.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Top-300_6.23.13.pdf[ipo.org]

Re:Against or because of?

[houghi]

Sure and management will never change.

Furthermore, the problem with this type of defense is that even if they are infringing on your patent, you can not do anything about it, because they will bury you.
This makes them untouchable.

If it is only so others can't sue them, why don't they release it to the public? That way you they can still use it at defense.