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You are here: BAILII >> Databases >> United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office Decisions >> Dell Products LP (Patent) [2010] UKIntelP o32110 (16 September 2010)
URL: http://www.bailii.org/uk/cases/UKIntelP/2010/o32110.html
Cite as: [2010] UKIntelP o32110
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Dell Products LP [2010] UKIntelP o32110 (16 September 2010)
For the whole decision click here: o32110
Patent decision
- BL number
- O/321/10
- Concerning rights in
- GB 0610518.3
- Hearing Officer
- Miss Ceri Witchard
- Decision date
- 16 September 2010
- Person(s) or Company(s) involved
- Dell Products LP
- Provisions discussed
- Patents Act Sections 1(2)
- Keywords
- Excluded fields (refused)
- Related Decisions
- None
Summary
The application relates to an automated method for placing orders for replacements to legacy information handling systems. The method operates to identify systems within an overall system that should be replaced, for example because they are too slow, have insufficient memory, have limited networking capability or are otherwise aged. The applicant asserted that there were technical considerations in determining which systems to replace and that therefore the application should not be excluded. The Hearing Officer held, on applying the Aerotel test that the contribution was in the excluded field of a business method and a computer program for applying that business method. The system operated to apply a number of rules to determine which systems should be replaced and automated the ordering process to obtain replacement systems. Any improvement in the computer system was achieved by the step of purchasing new systems. The Hearing Officer therefore refused the application.