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jstarkey(at)nimbusdb.com Guest
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Posted: Fri Dec 24, 2010 5:08 pm Post subject: FlightPrep patent |
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I'm not a lawyer and I'm not going to claim I'm an expert, but I am a software developer and entrepreneur and hold a number of software patents. I've also looked at the FlightPrep patent.
Prior to the FlightPrep patent, graphical flight planning required that digitized charts be present on the client computer. Given the size of computers and the speed of networks in 2001, this was a real problem. FlightPrep developed a system that would chop large charts into browser size hunks that could be easily loaded. That was the interesting part. They also had a mechanism to stitch the legs from different charts together, which is a no-brainer.
With cheap, incredibly fast hardware and ubiquitous high speed networking, this stuff isn't nearly as hard as it once was.
The point is that the FlightPrep guys apparently pioneered a useful technology when it was both diffficult and expensive to do so. That fact that subsequent developments made it less difficult doesn't detract from their original work.
Perhaps someone will find prior art that invalidates the patent. If, howevever, they knew of prior art and didn't disclose this to the patent office, the patent will be faund fraudulent, the patent invalid, and the inventor who signed the application is deep shit.
All that said, I don't consider it wise for the FlightPrep guys to press their case. The technology is too widespread and useful to be put back in the bottle. Doing what they're trying to do is going to piss off almost everyone with a pilot's license and many that don't.
FlightPrep's business is being wiped out by the iPad, better products, and much cheaper chart subscriptions. Like all businesses that won't or can't stay competitive, they should go out of business. Sorry about the earlier, guys, but you had something that anyone else would have invented six weeks later. You may own it, but good luck collecting.
A back the boycott. I had one of their convertible tablets. It worked, sort, but didn't belong in the cockpit. Faced with a chart renewal, it was apparent that the different between their subscription price and ForeFlight's would pay for half of the iPad in the first year. Again, sorry guys, your product stinks, and you change too much. (This is typed on an iPad.)
Don't trash their patent. It's probably deserved. If I were a competitor, I'd fight it. And if somebody I liked wanted to fight it, I'd contribute. It's probably their's, however, but they should be graceful and forget about it.
Founder, NimbusDB, Inc.978 526-1376
On Dec 24, 2010, at 3:12 PM, Bob Hodo <bob.hodo(at)yahoo.com (bob.hodo(at)yahoo.com)> wrote:
[quote]"Another object is to provide an interactive means of pointing and clicking on waypoints and other chart features and therefore, obtain information about these chart features."
Apparently these folks, while not claiming to have invented pointing and clicking, claim to have been the first to think of using this computer method for flight planning.
I don't sense that they are claiming to have invented anything. But have taken the position that things have been invented that nobody else has made a claim for, and so they have sought and received exclusive rights to use or license it.
Airnav and Navmonster and AOPA would be doing exactly what they were doing last week if these people had never been born. They stole nothing from them. The thieves are the first ones to hire a lawyer.
BH
[b]
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pitts_pilot(at)bellsouth. Guest
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flyv35b(at)minetfiber.com Guest
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Posted: Sat Dec 25, 2010 6:10 am Post subject: FlightPrep patent |
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Well Don,
Since yesterday (24th) until this morning at 5:57 AM I have received this same email from you 157 times! Apparently it is being duplicated to my address and not to others. I don't know how but someone needs to get this resolved.
Cliff
[quote] ---
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cloudvalley(at)comcast.ne Guest
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Posted: Sat Dec 25, 2010 6:28 am Post subject: FlightPrep patent |
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Hello Cliff!
That's because you are so likeable..smling. Merry Christmas to you and Barbara.
Ruth and Brian
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don.curry(at)inbox.com Guest
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Posted: Sat Dec 25, 2010 7:16 am Post subject: FlightPrep patent |
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Cliff,
Good grief! I don’t know why you are receiving all those copies – it is not something I did intentionally. I just went to my sent folder and recalled each undelivered message with that subject line. Hopefully that will stop it. Please let me know. In the mean time. . .
Merry Christmas,
Don
Isaiah 9:6
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
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flyadive(at)gmail.com Guest
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Posted: Sat Dec 25, 2010 8:24 am Post subject: FlightPrep patent |
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KILL THIS SUBJECT LINE AND START OVER.
THAT MAY IN SOME WEIRD WAY STOP THE REPETITION.
On Sat, Dec 25, 2010 at 10:13 AM, Don Curry <don.curry(at)inbox.com> wrote:
[quote] Cliff,
Good grief! I don’t know why you are receiving all those copies – it is
not something I did intentionally. I just went to my sent folder and
recalled each undelivered message with that subject line. Hopefully that
will stop it. Please let me know. In the mean time. . .
Merry Christmas,
Don
*Isaiah 9:6*
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government
shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful,
Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
--
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teamgrumman(at)yahoo.com Guest
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Posted: Sat Dec 25, 2010 8:40 am Post subject: FlightPrep patent |
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Yes
Sent from my iPhone
On Dec 24, 2010, at 2:21 PM, "flyv35b" <flyv35b(at)minetfiber.com> wrote:
[quote] Is anyone else getting numerous copies of this same email?
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teamgrumman(at)yahoo.com Guest
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Posted: Sat Dec 25, 2010 8:45 am Post subject: FlightPrep patent |
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Maybe it's time to get a Mac and start using Safari
Sent from my iPhone
On Dec 25, 2010, at 8:13 AM, "Don Curry" <don.curry(at)inbox.com> wrote:
[quote] Cliff,
Good grief! I don’t know why you are receiving all those copies – it is not something I did intentionally. I just went to my sent folder and recalled each undelivered message with that subject line. Hopefully that will stop it. Please let me know. In the mean time. . .
Merry Christmas,
Don
Isaiah 9:6
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
--
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dmwhite(at)e3ra.com Guest
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Posted: Sat Dec 25, 2010 1:00 pm Post subject: FlightPrep patent |
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Cliff,
I have had this problem before when getting intermittent contact between my Outlook and the server that the email comes to. Somehow, it gets the message but doesn’t reset the server so it knows it has been received. I have fixed it by rebooting and/or messing with the settings in Outlook that tell it whether and how long to leave messages on the server. Thank goodness that Microsoft doesn’t make planes.
Oops, I just looked and I got a bunch of them from Don, too. So it is him and not us that is the problem. I can still blame it on Microsoft, though.
Dean
Dean White (Tiger81166)
Edmonds, WA 98026
dmwhite(at)e3ra.com
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