[TowerTalk] N4XM Match Info request

[Paul Christensen, Esq.]

While I do not have experience as a patent examiner, I do have several
patents pending with the USPTO.  I agree with John's assessment of the
XMatch patent.

The validity of any patent stands or falls based upon its claims.  The
XMatch patent contains only seven claims with claims 5 through 7 describing
a means for switching an input to an aux port (5); a bypass to ground (6);
and a bypass to an aux port (7).

Claims 2 and 3 simply describes the use of a Pi and L network.  The meat of
the claims rest with claims (1) and (4) in that it describes a way for
switching the networks alone....little more is claimed in the XMatch patent
other than a means for switching a Pi and/or L network.

In order to obtain a valid patent, the invention must be (1) useful; (2)
novel;  and (3) non-obvious. Useful means that the invention is capable
(through utility) of serving a useful purpose. Novelty in this context means
that the invention was not fully disclosed in a single prior-art reference.
*The obviousness standard refers to the invention not being obvious to one
skilled in the art to which the invention pertains on the basis of a single
reference or a combination of references.*

In my opinion, the XMatch patent completely fails to satisfy the third
requirement.  I suspect the issuing patent examiner did not comprehend the
patent claims:  Bogus patents are issued every day.

-Paul, W9AC


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "W0UN -- John Brosnahan" <shr at swtexas.net>
To: <towertalk at contesting.com>
Sent: Monday, December 01, 2003 7:48 AM
Subject: [TowerTalk] N4XM Match Info request


> At 04:48 AM 12/1/2003, Larry Stowell wrote:
>
> >http://n4xm.myiglou.com/
> >
> >I don't see the price and it costs $3 for more info by snail mail?
>
>
> If you want more information you can always review Paul Schrader's
> patent --  4,763,087  issued August 9, 1988.
>
>
http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=/netahtml/srchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=4,763,087.WKU.&OS=PN/4,763,087&RS=P
N/4,763,087
>
> Paul uses quality components but the tuner is nothing more than
> a configurable PI-network or L-network with complex switching
> to allow the specific configuration to be easily chosen from the
> front panel.  To me at least, a patent on how to switch a capacitor and
> an inductor to various arrangements is not rocket science and
> probably doesn't deserve a patent.  But rather it just represents
> good engineering art.  (My opinion on patentability is from one who
> holds a number of US and foreign patents but does not possess
> any legal insight!  YMMV)
>
> It is a commercial product using commercial (read--expensive)
> components but the functionality can easily be duplicated using
> surplus parts for a lot less money.  Building an antenna tuner
> from surplus parts is one of the easiest and yet most satisfying
> home brew projects there is.
>
> 73--John   W0UN
>
>
>
>


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