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> Remote retrieval and display management of electronic document with incorporated images -- this patent actually falls in the ballpark that it might be reasona

> Remote retrieval and display management of electronic document with incorporated images -- this patent actually falls in the ballpark that it might be reasonable. It was granted in 1998 and filed in 1996. I don't know if there was prior art on this. How about this: > Portable Document Format (PDF) is an open standard for document exchange. The file format created by Adobe Systems in 1993 is used for representing documents in a manner independent of the application software, hardware, and operating system.[2] Each PDF file encapsulates a complete description of a fixed-layout 2D document that includes the text, fonts, images, and 2D vector graphics which compose the documents.

kenjackson 16y ago
The part of the patent that is interesting is that they optimize downloading of the electronic document by first ignoring the background image (if there is one). And if there are embedded images in the document they first download those that would be visible on the screen. And it also creates additional connections to the server to download other resources in the document in the background on these additional connections. AFAIK, PDF doesn't specify these things. And to be clear the patent isn't about a file format. It's about the method one uses to retrieve and display the document.
- rbanffy 16y ago
  I am quite sure pre-98 Netscape did that.
  - kenjackson 16y ago
    The filing was April '96, so it would have to be before that. Netscape may have. In which case, this will be easy to invalidate. If Netscape didn't, I think it will be a lot tougher as the current bar for invalidating patents in court is pretty high.
- muhfuhkuh 16y ago
  I'm quite sure that somehow, there was a web server or email system that has transferred, stored, and otherwise "managed" a PDF with graphics in it in 1995 or before. How on earth is that not prior art?
  - kenjackson 16y ago
    What does managing a PDF with graphics have to do with it? Is there something inherent in PDF files that capture this behavior?
  - bmelton 16y ago
    I'm pretty sure a PDF is served as a single file. The 'parts' of a PDF aren't loaded seperately, and hence aren't streamed individually of the entire document.

kenjackson 16y ago

The part of the patent that is interesting is that they optimize downloading of the electronic document by first ignoring the background image (if there is one). And if there are embedded images in the document they first download those that would be visible on the screen. And it also creates additional connections to the server to download other resources in the document in the background on these additional connections. AFAIK, PDF doesn't specify these things. And to be clear the patent isn't about a file format. It's about the method one uses to retrieve and display the document.

rbanffy 16y ago
I am quite sure pre-98 Netscape did that.
- kenjackson 16y ago
  The filing was April '96, so it would have to be before that. Netscape may have. In which case, this will be easy to invalidate. If Netscape didn't, I think it will be a lot tougher as the current bar for invalidating patents in court is pretty high.
muhfuhkuh 16y ago
I'm quite sure that somehow, there was a web server or email system that has transferred, stored, and otherwise "managed" a PDF with graphics in it in 1995 or before. How on earth is that not prior art?
- kenjackson 16y ago
  What does managing a PDF with graphics have to do with it? Is there something inherent in PDF files that capture this behavior?
- bmelton 16y ago
  I'm pretty sure a PDF is served as a single file. The 'parts' of a PDF aren't loaded seperately, and hence aren't streamed individually of the entire document.