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Software Patent
of the year 2006

April– Patent 1

EP1192562 – Method and Equipment for Efficient Proximity Search

EU-Patent on software (algorithm)
Holder: Microsoft Corporation (USA)
Application to European Patent Office by Vicinity Corporation (USA)
Granted on 12/28/2005
Patent specification provided by FFII/Gauss
Patent specification provided by EPO/espacenet

Advice on the reading of patent specifications:

The decisive element are the claims, as they specify which actions are forbidden within the framework of the patent.
Violating one single claim is sufficient to be considered a patent violation. Generally, claim number 1 is the decisive main claim which covers all other claims relating to special cases.
The description is intended to help the reader interpret the claim. At the same time, it is supposed to document and disclose the details of the invention. This disclosure is the original purpose of the entire patent system.
In practice, a patent specification contains no detailed information on how the patented procedure could be implemented (even if the patent owner allowed the implementation). In particular, a software patent contains no program code (reference implementation), but merely describes the idea of a software.

Patented idea: Search on Maps

Main claim: A map with searchable places is divided into grid squares (more general: "spatial codes"). A table ("Bitmap") is created which assigns each search term ("attribute") its relevant grid squares.

Further claims:

Storing the table in compressed form
Counting how many searchable places are contained in one grid square
Specialization of the "spatial codes" on grid squares that are saved in recursive tree data structures
Using the above table for finding a place
Using the above table for finding restaurants, dentist or the like nearest to the user
Representation of the searchable places in text form
Equipment (e.g. computer with software) performing the search
Data medium on which the above-described software is stored

Description: Bitmaps can be processed efficiently with Boolean operations. Recursive tree data structures permit efficient handling of grid squares.

Everyday parallel: Next to a city map there is a table ("bitmap") showing which grid squares contain restaurants.

Examples for patent infringements: The claimed search method results in a natural way from the problem. It is thus very likely that numerous existing route planners and other programs working with maps violate this patent.

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