Sierra's Patents

[sonneveld]

I found this message printed on an old Kings Quest 5 CD I picked up at a market a year or two ago:

"King's Quest contains technologies described in US patent Applications No 598,184 and 658,297"

Looking this stuff up on the inner-net, I found two extra patents in a french phantasmagoria document: 5 377 997 et 5 430 835

phantas site

There's this horrible patent search engine that was bought from IBM as far as I can see. there's nowhere else I can access to read patents.

http://www.delphion.com/simple
(you need to register.. which is a pain)

I can't manage to find the original first two patents (they're about stuff that has nothing to do with computers in the delphion search) but I could be searching wrong.

The other two patents (with longer numbers) mention storing messages away from code (different languages, like sci?) and syncronizing sounds with graphics.

http://www.delphion.com/details?pn=US05377997__
http://www.delphion.com/details?pn=US05430835__

I thought it was interesting delving into these old Sierra patents.. I never noticed them before. Anybody able to search for the earlier patents? I'd be interested to see what they're about.

Anybody know of any fan made adventure game getting into trouble with any of these?

- Nick

PS Last exam on Saturday (electronics)
PPS whooooo
PPPS (TM) Mokalus of Borg

[failrate]

Here's the URL of the US patent office. I'm using IE right now and having a hell of a time navigating!!!!!!!! >:(. http://patft.uspto.gov/

However, they do seem to have the patent archives you're looking for. You'll want to go and do an advanced search and type pn/598,184 or pn/658,297, etc. in the query field. Very advanced search engine. It just doesn't seem to work with IE or something. By the way, patent 598, etc. is a patent for "drawing"??

By the way, good to have you back, Nick!

[HWM.]

Well, maybe you've found them already, but here are 2 others: 5,287,446 & 5,425,139.

[sonneveld]

not back yet.. just finding lots of different ways to not study.. should be free-ish after saturday though.

- Nick

[sonneveld]

stupid patent server didn't work for me the first time. thanks andrew. I think the reason why the smaller numbers didn't work.. is because they're actually patent applications.. they're like baby patents before they grow up and become proper patents (with proper patent numbers)

anyway.. using the us patent server, I found these:

6,373,488 Three-dimensional tree-structured data display
6,213,873 User-adaptable computer chess system
5,819,082 Data storage optimization using an access order resource list
5,430,835 Method and means for computer sychronization of actions and sounds
5,425,139 Methods for intelligent movement of objects on computer displays
5,377,997 Method and apparatus for relating messages and actions in interactive computer games
5,287,446 System and methods for intelligent movement on computer displays

some are the ones HWM found.. the others on the phantasmagoria page

interesting to see a patent about chess in there.

- Nick