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How the hell did that become a patent? "File system methods and systems enabling efficient detection that a filename exists, by executing a hash function on th

How the hell did that become a patent? "File system methods and systems enabling efficient detection that a filename exists, by executing a hash function on the file name to reduce the overall computational complexity of determining that a directory entry might match the target filename, prior to performing the string comparison to determine the entry does match the target filename. A cross-device extensible means of providing a conversion function, such as uppercasing the filename, occurs prior to the hash. Methods of creating, deleting, and modifying the directory entries is further provided, as well as details of an embodiment of the file system described."

pwg 13y ago
What became a patent is actually this text: "1. A first one or more computer readable storage media having computer executable instructions that, when executed on at least one processor, configure the at least one processor to perform a method of detecting if a target file name exists on a second one or more computer readable storage media, the method comprising: (A) determining a name hash from the target name; (B) determining if the name hash corresponds to a directory entry set name hash value, the directory entry set name hash value corresponding to one of a plurality of directory entry sets, each of the plurality of directory entry sets stored on the second one or more computer readable storage media; (C) determining if the target name matches a directory entry set name corresponding to the one of the plurality of directory entry sets after step (B) determines the name hash corresponds to the directory entry set name hash value; and (D) indicating that the target name exists after step (C) determines the target name matches the directory entry set name, the step (A) comprising: determining the target name corresponds to one of a predetermined set of names, the predetermined set of names having a common portion; initializing a temporary value to a predetermined start value, the predetermined start value corresponding to a pre-computed partial hash value corresponding to the common portion; for each character of the target name other than the common portion: rotating the temporary value right by at least one bit; converting the character from a first value to a second value based upon a conversion table; and adding the second value to the temporary value; and using the temporary value as the name hash." Not defending it, just pointing out that what's "covered" by a patent is what is in the claims, not the abstract.
- makomk 13y ago
  Which is to say that it's a patent on hashing directory names using a particular (and by the sounds of it not very efficient ) hash function, then using the hash to find them in an on-disc directory index in the usual fashion, translated into patentese to make it sound more complicated and innovative than it actually is.
  - josephlord 13y ago
    But that's kind of OK because if you implement something that doesn't practice all the parts of the claim ( e.g. not doing the bit wise operation as described) you are not infringing.
zeckalpha 13y ago
How to read patents: http://www.danshapiro.com/blog/2010/09/how-to-read-a-patent-in-60-second/ http://www.danshapiro.com/blog/2010/09/how-to-read-a-patent-...

pwg 13y ago

What became a patent is actually this text: "1. A first one or more computer readable storage media having computer executable instructions that, when executed on at least one processor, configure the at least one processor to perform a method of detecting if a target file name exists on a second one or more computer readable storage media, the method comprising: (A) determining a name hash from the target name; (B) determining if the name hash corresponds to a directory entry set name hash value, the directory entry set name hash value corresponding to one of a plurality of directory entry sets, each of the plurality of directory entry sets stored on the second one or more computer readable storage media; (C) determining if the target name matches a directory entry set name corresponding to the one of the plurality of directory entry sets after step (B) determines the name hash corresponds to the directory entry set name hash value; and (D) indicating that the target name exists after step (C) determines the target name matches the directory entry set name, the step (A) comprising: determining the target name corresponds to one of a predetermined set of names, the predetermined set of names having a common portion; initializing a temporary value to a predetermined start value, the predetermined start value corresponding to a pre-computed partial hash value corresponding to the common portion; for each character of the target name other than the common portion: rotating the temporary value right by at least one bit; converting the character from a first value to a second value based upon a conversion table; and adding the second value to the temporary value; and using the temporary value as the name hash." Not defending it, just pointing out that what's "covered" by a patent is what is in the claims, not the abstract.

makomk 13y ago
Which is to say that it's a patent on hashing directory names using a particular (and by the sounds of it not very efficient ) hash function, then using the hash to find them in an on-disc directory index in the usual fashion, translated into patentese to make it sound more complicated and innovative than it actually is.
- josephlord 13y ago
  But that's kind of OK because if you implement something that doesn't practice all the parts of the claim ( e.g. not doing the bit wise operation as described) you are not infringing.

zeckalpha 13y ago

How to read patents: http://www.danshapiro.com/blog/2010/09/how-to-read-a-patent-in-60-second/ http://www.danshapiro.com/blog/2010/09/how-to-read-a-patent-...