Freely Available British and Irish Public Legal Information
[Home] [Databases] [World Law] [Multidatabase Search] [Help] [Feedback]
United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office Decisions
You are here: BAILII >> Databases >> United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office Decisions >> WesternGeco Limited (Patent) [2007] UKIntelP o13507 (23 May 2007)
URL: http://www.bailii.org/uk/cases/UKIntelP/2007/o13507.html
Cite as: [2007] UKIntelP o13507
[New search] [Printable PDF version] [Help]
WesternGeco Limited [2007] UKIntelP o13507 (23 May 2007)
For the whole decision click here: o13507
Patent decision
- BL number
- O/135/07
- Concerning rights in
- GB0329367.7
- Hearing Officer
- Mr H Jones
- Decision date
- 23 May 2007
- Person(s) or Company(s) involved
- WesternGeco Limited
- Provisions discussed
- PA 1977 sections 1(2)(a), (c)
- Keywords
- Excluded fields (allowed), Excluded fields (refused)
- Related Decisions
- None
Summary
The application relates to a method of processing seismic data or other geophysical data captured at irregular points over a multi-dimensional domain. The invention finds particular application in seismic imaging, which is described in the specification as the process of determining one or more parameters relating to the physical properties of the earth’s interior from seismic measurements at the earth’s surface. The application discloses a data processing technique aimed at improving the quality of the seismic image. The Hearing Officer considered the recent Court of Appeal judgment in Aerotel/Macrossan and decided that the actual contribution made by some of the claims fell solely within the meaning of a mathematical method and a program for a computer. He also reviewed the EPO Board of Appeal’s decision in Vicom and found that certain other of the claims extended beyond being a mathematical method per se. The application was referred back to the examiner for further processing.