Comments on: rapid serial visual presentation, software patents

By: Michael Cox

Michael Cox — Sun, 10 Jun 2007 16:41:46 +0000

If someone has a patent on RSVP software, what are they going to do about subtitles? :D

I thought that for a patent you had to have an “invention”. Guess I’m happy to live in Europe. But since it’s 2007 you can post the script now…

By: Anthony Loera

Anthony Loera — Thu, 06 Jul 2006 02:54:48 +0000

Guys,

first off… the technology is public domain, and was put in the public domain by the air force. So anyone telling you otherwise and asking you for a “license” fee can kiss off.

second, I created a pocketpc version call “FastReader” and it can still be picked up at pocketgear or handango if anyone wants to play with the demo and send me feedback. I created it a few years back… but it still works pretty well. (I use it on my 6700 sprint phone)

third, I believe the reason it hasn’t taken off, maybe because most folks want a video, or audio book now a days, rather than to read a book. Another idea that comes to mind, is that some folks like to saviour a book, youknow, take their time, flip a page…etc.

Using FastReader and other products like it, allows you to read fast and understand what is going on… but sometimes i find myself pausing my reading to catch up on feelings that the book’s words produces…

it’s like if you are thirsty, and the only water available is from a powerfull firehydrant … you’ll quence your thirst, but you have to recover a bit afterwords. Or for someother folks, it would be like listening to music notes without the proper delay or spacing in between… the feeling of the music may be all wrong…

for a concentrated effort to do something, building “Flash Card” text for the FastReader, or gain book knowledge, it works well, but for enjoyment from RSVP, you need to think differently, and pause every so often to get the juicy nuggets of enjoyment out of the book you are reading.

By: Paul

Paul — Mon, 27 Mar 2006 23:18:03 +0000

Hi there - I’m interested in another aspect of RSVP - why hasn’t it taken off? Particularly for handheld devices. I’m a ’slow’ reader so I find it useful - maybe this is relatively unusual?

By: Rob Fentress

Rob Fentress — Mon, 05 Sep 2005 12:22:13 +0000

I have recently created an open-source javascript-based RSVP reader and Firefox extension and was contacted by one Bill Phelan claiming that the RSVP technology was patented by him and I would need to get a license from him to use it. Was his one of the patents you encountered? There seem to be several RSVP readers out there and I’m wondering if he is raising this licensing issue with them too. I’ts certainly a disappointment, as I don’t have any money to pay licensing fees for a product I developed as a free service and I don’t want the work I’ve done to go to waste.

By: Joe

Joe — Wed, 24 Aug 2005 06:04:59 +0000

It’s not really the software that’s patented, it’s the concept. Frankly, it is pretty amazing, unintuitive, and surprisingly effective. Unfortunately, no one yet seems to know how to make money off it, but I’m glad to see it will be in public domain soon.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Mon, 27 Jun 2005 15:58:07 +0000

July 2006 isn’t that far away. And if you do post the code, all you do is wait for the “cease and desist” order and then take it down. It would probably take until July 2006 for them to realize you posted the code anyway.