The American patent system is a comercial system. They will grant a patent
on almost anything upon the payment of the application fee. The UK system is
not enormeously better.
Many companies file patents like confetti. Sometimes this is for marketing
reasons, like the Audi A8 where they claim more patents for that single
vehicle than NASA filed for the Apollo missions. Others state that their
invention has been granted a patent, as if that proves that it really works!
If a company is being taken over, or is trying to borrow money,or float on
the stock market, people will come in and do 'due dilligence as to the value
of the company. A monetary valve is put on every patent held, with no
assesment as to the real value of that patent. Honda for example hold dozens
of patents for motorcycle front suspension. Most have no practical
advantage, but they are 'unique' and can be patented.
Now of course, the patent system does not prevent you from using the
invention. A patent SHOULD enable someone with knowledge of the area of
appication to build a working example for personal use or reasearch
purposes. Improve on an existing patent as you have a good chance of simply
granting each other a licence to use the others patents. The Miller
Synchrowave patent (TIG welding power supply) DOES contain enough
information for an electronics engineer to build a working welder, but many
modern patents leave out esential information, or are even deliberately
missleading.
Paul Compton
www.evguru.co.uk
www.sciroccoev.co.uk
www.bvs.org.uk
www.morini-mania.co.uk
www.compton.vispa.com/the_named
----- Original Message -----
From: "Chris Tromley" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "ElectricMotorcycles" <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, June 24, 2007 3:13 PM
Subject: Re: [ElectricMotorcycles] Kelly's controller?
On 6/23/07, Andrew in Ann Arbor <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
For a bike I think you'd do better with a twist grip that would let you
ramp up the regen by twisting further away from you just as you ramp up
the acceleration by twisting the throttle towards you.
So the twist grip would have an "off" position (centered by two
springs).
Twisting one way would increase the power to the motor.
As you slowed down you'd return the grip to the "off position" which
should be large enough to allow coasting.
Twisting further the other way would gradually bring the regen in.
Doe any of the modern controllers offer a gradual regen feature?
Hi Andrew,
This is a great example of how our patent system drives me crazy.
Your idea is simple, elegant, intuitive. (Some would say obvious.) I
had the same idea myself. So have others. Turns out it's exactly
what Cedric Lynch did on his ultra-lightweight recumbent motorcycle,
and was posted on Paul Compton's(?) site years ago. Yet in spite of
that public disclosure, Vectrix was able to patent the idea. See the
last bullet point on this page:
http://www.vectrix.com/default.aspx?portal=1&page=68
Now anyone who wants to use it on a production motorcycle needs to
license it from Vectrix. (Hmmm. Paul, if it was posted on your page,
would you be able to prove when? I wonder if a verified prior
disclosure could be used to invalidate a patent?)
There are no limitations on personal use though. It seems to work quite
well.
Chris
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