Xref: utzoo gnu.misc.discuss:3081 comp.misc:12543 comp.dcom.modems:9713 Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!mips!decwrl!pa.dec.com!jrdzzz.jrd.dec.com!tkou02.enet.dec.com!jit533!diamond From: diamond@jit533.swstokyo.dec.com (Norman Diamond) Newsgroups: gnu.misc.discuss,comp.misc,comp.dcom.modems Subject: Re: hayes lawsuit Message-ID: <1991May14.001350.4394@tkou02.enet.dec.com> Date: 14 May 91 00:13:50 GMT References: <1991May13.044909.3617@netdev.comsys.com> Sender: usenet@tkou02.enet.dec.com (USENET News System) Reply-To: diamond@jit533.enet@tkou02.enet.dec.com (Norman Diamond) Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation Japan , Tokyo Lines: 29 In article tmb@ai.mit.edu (Thomas M. Breuel) writes: >Hayes is claiming to have invented the idea of using timeouts to >transmit out-of-band data to modems (in particular, their use of the >"+++" sequence with timeout to switch a modem from transparent mode >into command mode). >If you can think of uses prior to the mid-1980's of timeouts or timing >to transmit out-of-band commands or data to a computer or communications >device, please drop me a note, Timeouts were used all the time. However, modems were little dumb peripherals and they didn't time themselves out; a smarter device (such as CPU and software) did the timing out when desired. And early modems didn't have a command mode. When several old ideas are combined together in a new way, even though the new way is blatantly obvious and trivial, is that an invention? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Knowing an invention when you see it is even harder than knowing obscenity when you see it. If one puts signal-converting electronics in one box and software smarts in another box and snaps them together so that a Hayes modem is emulated by two boxes instead of by one, then surely there is no infringement of anything that could be patentable. -- Norman Diamond diamond@tkov50.enet.dec.com If this were the company's opinion, I wouldn't be allowed to post it. Permission is granted to feel this signature, but not to look at it.