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You are here: BAILII >> Databases >> United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office Decisions >> Picochip Designs Limited (Patent) [2007] UKIntelP o34907 (28 November 2007)
URL: http://www.bailii.org/uk/cases/UKIntelP/2007/o34907.html
Cite as: [2007] UKIntelP o34907
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Picochip Designs Limited [2007] UKIntelP o34907 (28 November 2007)
For the whole decision click here: o34907
Patent decision
- BL number
- O/349/07
- Concerning rights in
- GB 0304056.5
- Hearing Officer
- Mr R C Kennell
- Decision date
- 28 November 2007
- Person(s) or Company(s) involved
- Picochip Designs Limited
- Provisions discussed
- PA 1977 Section 1(2)
- Keywords
- Excluded fields (refused)
- Related Decisions
- None
Summary
The application related to the allocation of tasks to processors in processor arrays so that the resources for communicating data between the processors could be guaranteed without having to arbitrate for the use of bus or network communications in the system. Applying the test in Aerotel [2006] EWCA Civ 1371 and refusing the application, the hearing officer held that the contribution underlying all the independent claims irrespective of form was a method of allocating tasks in which a shared process was defined by the frequency or particular times within a sequence period or cycle at which data was to be transferred between individual processes. Since this merely fed into the array information provided by the user as to how the processors should be allocated and their operation timed, it fell solely within either the computer program or mental act exclusions.