Subject: cats and lasers

From: "Perry E. Metzger" <[email-masked]>
Date: 21 Dec 1999 17:31:50 -0500

Following my reply to the "this has to be the stupidest patent I've
ever heard of", several people wrote to me to say they couldn't find
the "cats and laser pointers" patent. It is:

http://www.patents.ibm.com/details?&pn=US05443036__

 Abstract: A method for inducing cats to exercise consists of
 directing a beam of invisible light produced by a hand-held laser
 apparatus onto the floor or wall or other opaque surface in the
 vicinity of the cat, then moving the laser so as to cause the bright
 pattern of light to move in an irregular way fascinating to cats, and
 to any other animal with a chase instinct.

-- 
Perry Metzger		[email-masked]
--
"Ask not what your country can force other people to do for you..."

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From: Mark Atwood <[email-masked]>
Date: 21 Dec 1999 15:26:21 -0800

> http://www.patents.ibm.com/details?&pn=US05443036__

My cat and I were given a laser pen as a joint present a few years
back, to do this very thing.  This is like granting a patent for using
a hammer to crack nuts instead of drive nails.

-- 
Mark Atwood               | 
[email-masked]             | 
http://www.pobox.com/~mra |

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From: Mark Atwood <[email-masked]>
Date: 21 Dec 1999 15:26:21 -0800

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From: Reto Lichtensteiger <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 21 Dec 1999 23:47:41 -0500 (EST)

Mark Atwood wrote:

<> "Perry E. Metzger" <[email-masked]> writes:
<> > Following my reply to the "this has to be the stupidest patent I've
<> > ever heard of", several people wrote to me to say they couldn't find
<> > the "cats and laser pointers" patent. It is:
<> > 
<> > http://www.patents.ibm.com/details?&pn=US05443036__
<> 
<> My cat and I were given a laser pen as a joint present a few years
<> back, to do this very thing.  This is like granting a patent for using
<> a hammer to crack nuts instead of drive nails.

Dammit, you let the cat out of the bag ... Now how am I going to get that
patent approved since you've demonstrated prior art, or something ...

RL
-- 
R A Lichtensteiger	 [email-masked] -or- [email-masked]
			 http://www.meitca.com/ITA/People/rali
    "Yes, you're doing things right, but are you doing the right things?"
    "Nope.  I'm just doing something dumb fast."

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From: Reto Lichtensteiger <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 21 Dec 1999 23:47:41 -0500 (EST)

Mark Atwood wrote:

RL