[Sigia-l] Re: Steve Jobs invented the hierarchical list???

[Ken Bryson]

>
> Has anyone ever applied for a patent on a navigation scheme
> they designed?
>

I'm sure it happens all the time.  For example www.thebrain.com patented
their file classification and navigation scheme/interface. See below.


If your business depends on the things you invent (eg. apple), you'd be
foolish not to patent your inventions....


-k



Patent#: 6,256,032
http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=/net
ahtml/search-bool.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&co1=AND&d=ptxt&s1=thebrain&OS=thebrain&R
S=thebrain

Method and apparatus for organizing and processing information using a
digital computer


Abstract
A method and apparatus for organizing and processing pieces of interrelated
information (or "thoughts") using a digital computer is disclosed. The
invention employs a graphical user interface to facilitate user interaction
with highly flexible, associative "matrices" that enable users conveniently
to organize digitally-stored thoughts and their network of
interrelationships. Each of the thoughts may be affiliated with one or more
application programs, such as a word processing or spreadsheet utility, or
an Internet browser. Users are able conveniently to select a current thought
along with any applications or content associated with that thought by
interacting with the graphical representation. That representation is
automatically reoriented about the selected thought, and is revised to
reflect only those thoughts having predetermined relations to that current
thought. Users can easily modify the matrix by interactively redefining
relations between thoughts. Further aspects of the invention include
techniques permitting automated generation of thought matrices, delayed
loading to facilitate navigation amongst thoughts without undue delay due to
bandwidth constraints, and matrix division and linking to allow optimal data
structure flexibility. Finally, the present invention is interoperable with
computer networks including the internet, and offers an intuitive scalable
methodology for the navigation and management of essentially immeasurable
information resources and knowledge bases that transcends the limitations
inherent in traditional hierarchical approaches.


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Inventors:  Hugh; Harlan M. (Los Angeles, CA)
Assignee:  TheBrain Technologies Corp. (Santa Monica, CA)
Appl. No.:  487701
Filed:  January 19, 2000