10 million US patents since 1790... and counting (Part 3)

This is part 3 of a series of posts containing Andrew Waugh QC's review of US Patents since 1790. Parts 1 and 2 can be found by clicking here and here.

Patent no. 6,000,000 - December 7, 1999

1,000,000 in 8 years – 125,000 a year


Patent No. 6,000,000 - 1999

Jeffrey C. Hawkins and Michael Albanese developed a means that with the press of a single button, a person could synchronise files found on one computer with those found on another. The patent was assigned to 3Com. Per the Abstract:  Many users of handheld computer systems maintain databases on the handheld computer systems. To share the information, it is desirable to have a simple method of sharing the information with personal computer systems. An easy to use extendible file synchronization system is introduced for sharing information between a handheld computer system and a personal computer system. The synchronization system is activated by a single button press. The synchronization system proceeds to synchronize data for several different applications that run on the handheld computer system and the personal computer system. If the user gets a new application for the handheld computer system and the personal computer system, then a new library of code is added for synchronizing the databases associate with the new application. The synchronization system automatically recognizes the new library of code and uses it during the next synchronization.


Patent no. 7,000,000 - February 14, 2006

A million in 7 years – 142,857 a year

Patent No. 7,000,000 - 2006

Six years after patent number 6,000,000 was issued, John P. O'Brien received patent number 7,000,000 for the strong, biodegradable, low-cost, polysaccharide fibres invented for use in textile applications. Specifically – The “invention pertains to novel fibers made of α(1;3) polysaccharides, and a process for their production. The fibers of the invention have “cotton-like” properties but can be produced as continuous filaments on a year-round basis. The fibers are useful in textile applications.”

Patent no. 8,000,000 - August 16, 2011

A million in 5 years – 200,000 a year 

Patent No. 8,000,000 - 2011

The USPTO issued patent number 8,000,000 to Second Sight Medical Products, Inc., for a visual prosthesis apparatus that enhances visual perception for people who have gone blind due to outer retinal degeneration. The invention uses electrical stimulation of the retina to produce the visual perception of patterns of light. Visual prosthesis apparatus and a method for limiting power consumption in a visual prosthesis apparatus. The visual prosthesis apparatus comprises a camera for capturing a video image, a video processing unit associated with the camera, the video processing unit configured to convert the video image to stimulation patterns, and a retinal stimulation system configured to stop stimulating neural tissue in a subject's eye based on the stimulation patterns when an error is detected in a forward telemetry received from the video processing unit.

US Patent No. 9,000,000 - 12th March 2013

A million in two years – 500,000 a year

Patent No. 9,000,000 - 2013

Granted to Matthew Carroll and assigned to Wiperfill Holdings: “A system and method of collecting and conditioning rainwater and other moisture, such as dew, from a windshield of a vehicle and utilizing the collected fluid to replenish the fluids in the windshield washer reservoir. A collection funnel is positioned on a vehicle in order to collect rainwater and other moisture. Rainwater and other fluids from the collection funnel are directed to a conditioning cartridge where the water is de-ionized and windshield washer fluid is added. The cartridges are designed to be single replaceable units. The mixed fluid from the mixing cartridge is directed to the pre-existing windshield washer reservoir.”


US Patent No. 10,000,000 - 19th June 2018

A million in 5 years – 200,000 a year

 

Patent No. 10,000,000 - 2018