4.27.2021

Top 10 inventions that have preserved human health

 

The Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) announced the “Top 10 Inventions that Protected Human Health,” selected by Facebook friends of the KIPO in celebration of the “April Health Month” in Korea.

Vaccines were selected as the best invention, followed by antibiotics, refrigerators, masks, and soaps. In addition, air purifiers, endoscopes, anti-inflammatory analgesics, anesthetics, and flush toilets were selected as inventions that gained a lot of support.

 Looking at the results of the investigation,

Comments on the vaccine, which accounted for 17.5% of the effective responses and was selected as the best invention, were 'No. 1 public confidence to protect humanity from infectious diseases', 'I'm really scared if there was no vaccine in this corona virus times', 'The vaccines for the corona virus has been invented and now, the eradication seems to be coming soon'.

 Antibiotics, ranked second, accounted for 11.4% of the effective responses, and there were opinions such as “innovation in the medical field” and “it’s made dramatic increase to human lifespan.”

 Refrigerators, which were selected in the 3rd place, accounted for 9.4% of the effective responses, and supportive opinions are, ``refrigerator is also the way to store vaccines and medicines,'' and ``I lived without a refrigerator for two weeks because the refrigerator broke down, and the quality of life was poor”., and so forth.


Below are the results and explanations of the 10 inventions.

Rank

Inventions 

(%)

Contents

1

Vaccines

17.5

In 1796, the British doctor Edward Jenner injected the pus, which is from a cowpox patient into a boy’s arm who hadn’t been infected by smallpox.  After an experiment. in 1798, the medical community announced, and in 1853 the Congress made it mandatory to use vaccinia using cowpox.

2

Antibiotics

11.4

In 1928, chemist Alexander Fleming discovered that a green mold made staphylococcus stop to grow. After that, two professors, Florey and Chain, continued their research on the chemical substance (penicillin) obtained from the green mold, and succeeded in mass production of penicillin, the first antibiotic in 1942.

3

Refrigerator

9.4

In 1922, von Platen and Munters attending the KTH Royal Technical School in Stockholm, Sweden. invented a gas-absorbing cooling cabinet for preserving food. This refrigerator was produced in 1923 by a company called AB Arctic, but it was not popular.

4

Mask

8.6

Pliny, the ancient Roman natural philosopher, devised a mask using the bladder of an animal to protect the miners' respirator from asbestos. This is the first dust mask. In the Middle Ages, masks in the shape of a bird beak were used to prevent the Black Death.

5

Soap

6.3

Around 25000 B.C., the Sumerians of Mesopotamia boiled goat oil and wood ash and used it. This is the origin of soap. In 1790, when French chemist Nicolas Leblanc invented a method of mass-producing soda from sea salt and rock salt as raw materials, soap began to spread to the general public.

6

Air purifier

5.7

It is first known in 1830 that a device consisting of a copper helmet with a flexible collar and clothing was granted a patent to Charles Anthony Deane. In the form of a helmet, a long leather hose at the back was used to supply air, and the air inhaled through a short pipe was blown out.

7

Endoscope

4.3

The inventor of the modern endoscope was Basil Hirschowitz of America in 1958. He looked at his hair and came up with an idea, inventing an endoscope called a Fiberscope that used optical fibers. More than 100,000 optical fibers with 10-20 microns in diameter were bundled, and a camera was connected to the end of the fiber so that the inside of the human body could be observed through a screen.

8

anti-inflammatory analgesics

4.0

Dr. Felix Hoffman, who worked at Bayer in Germany, created a substance called acetylsalicylic acid and named it aspirin while researching a way to improve the drug resistance of sodium salicylate, which his father was taking to relieve the pain of rheumatoid arthritis.

9

Anesthetic

3.9

The effect of anesthetic, diethyl ether, that is to say nitrous oxide, which appeared only in the mid-19th century, was discovered in 1800 by British chemist and inventor Humphry Davy. It was the first time that ether was used as a general anesthetic in an operation to remove a molar tooth on a patient named Abbott by William Morton, an American dentist, on October 16, 1846.

10

Flush toilet

3.3

The first inventor was John Harrington, a British nobleman in 1596, but it was Alexander Cumming, a British watchmaker in 1775, who applied for the world's first patent for a flush toilet. His flush toilet succeeded John Harrington in many ways but it’s built an innovative system called, 'S- trap'.

 

▲ clipartkorea.co.kr



This article is excerpted from the blog of Korea Intellectual Property Office.
Original source








4.26.2021

Yogibo Patent Infringement Lawsuit

 


Do you know Bean Bag? A cushion-type sofa that is round like beans and made of small fillings is called a bean bag. The shape of the cushion changes by the pressure, so it can be used in various ways as a chair, bed, or sofa. Yogibo is a company that comes to mind when you say ‘bean bag’. Founded in the United States in 2008, it currently has more than 150 stores worldwide. In Korea, it was officially launched in the second half of 2016. You may have seen it at least once if you've ever looked for comfortable furniture as you stay longer at home.

▲ yogibo.kr

 Does the Bean bag has a patent?

Yogibo was confirmed to have applied for a technology related to functional pillows.

▲ wipsglobal.com> Search result

It is a pillow composed of a number of polymeric foam bead-type fillers, an elastic outer cover, and a core part that wraps the filler inside the cover. They said that the filling material moves fluidly within the core and makes the pillow firm in response to the pressure applied to the outside of the cover.

▲ wipsglobal.com> US patent 10869558


Who is the defendant,

Recently, Yogibo filed a patent infringement lawsuit in the US District Court. The defendants are Galaxy Relaxation, LLC and John Fiorentino.

Galaxy Relaxation is a bean bag maker called Moonpod, and John Fiorentino is the CEO and founder of Galaxy Relaxation. Moonpod has also received more than a million dollars in sponsorship from the famous funding site, Kickstarter.

▲ moonpod.co


The two companies' products look similar in appearance. Yogibo has been selling various lines of products such as sofas, pillows, and footrests based on its patents. The plaintiff stated that the defendant had purchased more than 10 of the plaintiff's products for about eight months from October 2017 to May 2018. At the time, they submitted the purchase record stating that the delivery destination was the location of another company (The Good Ones, Inc) established by the defendant in 2016. In addition, the plaintiff noted that the defendant established Galaxy Relaxation about a month after starting the purchase (Nov. 2017), and later announced the invention of Moonpod.

▲ yogibo.com
(Yogibo product that the plaintiff stated that the defendant purchased)


Doubts about the trademark,

The plaintiff claims that the defendant's brand, Moonpod, was also copied from Yogibo's products, Yogibo Moon and Yogibo Pod.

▲ yogibo.com

Searched for the trademark of Moonpod, the time of first use is stated as June 2018, and it seems that it was filed in the U.S. on October 20, 2018 and was registered in August 2019.

▲ intomark.com

The plaintiff stated that on October 25, 2018, it had notified the defendant regarding patent infringement. It is argued that the defendant has intentionally infringed the patent because the defendant has continued business since then. As the lawsuit has just begun, the defendant has not yet responded. We'll see how it goes.









4.20.2021

Three Technologies of the Sony PlayStation Controller

 


As virtual reality (VR) technology is applied to console games, the types of peripheral devices are becoming more diverse. Sony's flagship console game PlayStation has also continuously upgraded its peripherals. Now, it supports headsets, cameras, and various controllers so that you can enjoy virtual reality (VR) games. Let's look at the three technologies that Sony recently filed for the PlayStation controller.

▲ wipsglobal.com


You can play with bananas?

As VR peripherals became more diverse, the complexity of the game increased, and the cost of purchasing the device increased, and the hassle of management such as charging the battery increased. A technology that could relieve this burden has been filed. This is a US patent that was released in February of this year, and it is a method that allows you to use items in the house as a controller without purchasing a separate controller.

This is a method in which a virtual button (input location) can be assigned to the object by grasping the shape and color of an object with a camera. The idea is that any object that does not shine and maintains its shape is possible. It uses bananas or oranges as controllers.


▲ wipsglobal.com
US patent 16/929448


Motion controller that delivers a vivid feeling,

This patent is for a motion controller equipped with an electric function. It provides a tactile feedback (HAPTIC FEEDBACK) so that you can feel more realism. It can be seen in the drawings that it is designed to generate vibration.

▲ wipsglobal.com
US patent 17/096015


 Tracking motion with a headset,

In the spring of last year, an international patent filed by Sony is a technology for headsets and motion controllers. It is a technology that tracks the gamer's motion with a camera mounted on the headset. The camera mounted on the front of the headset seems to detect the light emitting unit in the motion controller and track movement such as posture and position. A motion controller form that can be held by inserting a hand is presented in the drawing. The controller also appears to contain control buttons, sticks, and touch sensors.

▲ wintelips.com> drawing search

The basic controller (Dual Sense) of the PlayStation 5, released at the end of last year, has also improved the motion control function. In addition, Sony has already announced the launch of the next-generation VR system. Sony's new motion controller design, which was announced ؂two weeks ago, also seems to be in the shape of a hand wrap.

▲ sony interactive entertainment


So far, we have looked at the application for Sony's PlayStation controller. We don't know if it will be released as a real product, but it's definitely good news for those who love games. Virtual reality technology is expected to continue to evolve. We must look forward to seeing what impact it will have on the game industry.

 

 ؂Sony’s next-gen VR on P55: the new controller

https://blog.playstation.com/2021/03/18/next-gen-vr-on-ps5-the-new-controller/






4.15.2021

[International Briefing] JP

 

JP

On April 5, 2021, the Japan Intellectual Property Office (JPO) has released ‘the basic concept of the patent examination criteria in cartoon ~AIᐧIoT edition~’ based on technologies related to artificial intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT), which are highly interested in society.

 JPO summarizes and discloses IoT-related technology review cases in Sept. 2016 and Mar. 2017 as social interest increases in ~AIᐧIoT edition~-related technologies, and released the cases of AI-related technology examination in Jan. 2019.

 On the other hand, since the examination cases of AIᐧIoT related technologies focus on judgments to these technical fields, it was particularly difficult to understand for those who are unfamiliar with the basic concepts of patent examination which are applied commonly in other technical fields.

 JPO is releasing the 'Cartoon Examination Criteria ~AI·IoT Edition~' so that many people, regardless of the general public and experts, can understand the basic concepts of AI·IoT related patent examination and increase their interest.

 The world's first cartoon-based AIᐧIoT edition aims to attract non-patent experts to patent examination by publishing highly specialized patent examination standards as cartoons.

The characteristics of the examination criteria are that the president of a venture company and its employees are the main characters so that it is easy for stakeholders such as SMEs, ventures, and universities to feel intimate and familiar. In addition, not only the characteristic judgment part of AIᐧIoT related technologies, but also It also explains the basic concept of patent examination that is common in all technical fields.

Therefore, even those who are not familiar with the basic concept of patent examination or those who are interested in other technology fields are able to learn the basic concepts of patent examination through cartoons.

The staff of the JPO Judging Criteria Office created this cartoon by themselves.



(Source for text and image)

https://www.kiip.re.kr/board/trend/view.do?bd_gb=trend&bd_cd=1&bd_item=0&po_item_gb=&po_no=20337

 






4.12.2021

Patent of Apple's foldable smartphone that endures the cold

 

Foldable smartphone, vulnerable to cold,

Foldable smartphones have grown rapidly since launch. However, the its durability is still doubt. In particular, foldable smartphones showed weakness in cold weather. When Huawei launched the mateX, they advised not to open the smartphone below -5 degrees (Celsius). Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip also failed to withstand the winter cold. At the beginning of this year, which was exceptionally cold, photos showing that cracked along the folds of liquid crystals were often uploaded in the online community.

▲ huawei.com

Why are foldable phones weak to sub-zero temperatures?

The reason why foldable phones are weak below zero is because of the adhesive that attaches the layers between the displays. A special adhesive called PSA (Pressure Sensitive Adhesive) is required to create a flexible display. However, this adhesive has the property of hardening at sub-zero temperatures. When the pressure-sensitive adhesive hardened in winter's cold weather, the thin liquid crystal could not withstand its cold and is broken.

▲ clipartkorea.co.kr

Apple's foldable smartphone patent,

On the 9th, Apple obtained a patent for "electronic devices with flexible display (US 10943529)." The peculiarity of this patent is the ability to control the temperature so that the display is not damaged by cold. First of all, it is said that a warning can be sent to the user when the temperature of the display drops below a certain level through the sensor. It is also said that it can generate heat by itself so that it is not damaged by the cold. The patent proposed two methods of self-heating by turning on the display or by inserting a heating device to generate heat.

▲ wipsglobal.com
US patent 10943529

Is Apple's patent the right answer?

So far, nothing has come out specifically about how foldable smartphones can withstand the cold. Apple's patent is, in some ways, the simplest way to endure the cold.

 

Many foldable smartphone manufacturers will also have a lot of worries regarding the cold. I am curious about what solutions other competitors will bring with.






4.09.2021

Smart phone, charging and sanitizing together

 

Introduce a wireless charging station with built-in UV sanitizer.

▲ lexon-design.com

▲ lexon-design.com

Oblio

Sanitizing Wireless Charger

 

Studies on smartphones having a lot of germs were published long ago. These days, anxiety has increased due to the aftermath of COVID-19, and various types of sterilization devices are being developed. However, charging the battery of the smartphone is cumbersome, and separate sanitizing is even more bothering. This product is a idea device that can sterilize ultraviolet rays at once when charging at the same time.

▲ lexon-design.com

It is designed in the shape of a vase, and when you insert a smartphone, charging and sterilizing begin. The product has received QI certification, an international standard for wireless power supply widely used in smartphones, and supports high-speed charging, so it takes about 3 hours to fully charge.

▲ lexon-design.com

At the same time, sterilization is possible with ultraviolet technology (UV-C LED). UV-C is a short-wavelength ultraviolet ray that destroys the viruses and DNA of  bacteria and kills cells. Scientifically, it has been proven to be effective in eliminating the virus type A (H1N1) which causes flu. Since the device is made of ABS material that is resistant to shock and heat, it can be safely used by the nature of ultraviolet rays that cannot penetrate glass or plastic.

▲ lexon-design.com

It can kill 99.9% of the germs on the smartphone screen in 20 minutes, so you can put your smartphone in and take a shower, you’ll get your smartphone fully charged and sterilized .