CONTEST
Competed
$4,500
This contest is closed.
Problem
Patexia is looking for descriptions for a USB peripheral device that can reconfigure itself based a configuration it downloads from a host computer without physically disconnecting the device.
Submitted documents describing this system must be:
- filed or published before 07/02/1997
- not on the known references list
The entire submission must describe a reconfiguration process with the following steps:
- USB peripheral device connects to a host computer using a default configuration
- USB peripheral device downloads a new configuration from the host computer
- USB peripheral device electronically simulates a disconnect/reconnect cycle without requiring a physical disconnect/reconnect
- USB peripheral device connects to the host computer using the new configuration
Figure 8. Flowchart showing the reconfiguration process.
This contest is for a prior art search for US Patent 6,249,825, with a focus on independent claims 1, 11, and 18, in addition to dependent claims 5, 6, 15, and 19.
Contest icon by Anbileru Adaleru from the Noun Project.
Questions
| # | Question | Value |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Is the reference either a US patent filed, US application published, a foreign patent published, or a non-patent document published before July 2nd, 1997? | T/F |
| 2 | Is the date that was submitted in question 1 before October 16th, 1996? | 10 |
| 3 | Does the reference show a peripheral device that connects to a computer and when plugged in and operating switches from (a) an initial default configuration to (b) a different configuration? | 25 |
| 4 | Does the reference show that after being connected using the (a) initial default configuration, the peripheral device has circuitry that downloads the (b) different configuration from the host computer? | 20 |
| 5 | Does the reference show that when the switchover occurs, the peripheral device uses another circuit that electrically simulates a disconnect/reconnect cycle to allow the device to switch over to the new configuration? | 25 |
| 6 | (4a) Does the reference further show that this electronic simulation is specifically designed to avoid requiring the user to physically disconnect and reconnect the peripheral device? | 10 |
| 7 | Does the reference show that the peripheral device disconnects and reconnects to the host computer without cycling power on the peripheral device? | 10 |
Additional Notes
This is a Prior Art Search contest aimed at determining if a patent idea was known and publicly available before a patent was filed.
+5 bonus points will be awarded for non-patent literature and for foreign language references.
This contest will close on Sunday, September 20th, 2015 at 11:59 PM PST.
Please review the Contest Rules. For more information on how to submit to this Contest type, please read the Intro to Prior Art Search page.
