In a previous post, the patent infringement law suit filed by Paul Allen’s Interval Licensing LLC against numerous technology companies, including AOL, Google, Apple, Facebook, Yahoo, and Netflix, was noted. We decided to take a closer look at each of the patents asserted to be infringed in the case.

6,757,682 — Alerting users to content of current interest

This is a very interesting patent!

Essentially, it is a method that allows users to submit items of interest.  The items of interest are assembled by category and are then presented to other users who have elected to receive such notifications.  In particular, the items of interest can include a URL to the item.

An example provided in the application is to a Webcam in a nature preserve showing a watering hole.  Most of the time, the Webcam shows only the watering hole.  But when users see a rhino at the watering hole, they submit this in real time, and other users are alerted to this fact.

The claims are broad.  For instance, claim 1 recites:

1.         A system for disseminating to a participant an indication that an item accessible by the participant via a network is of current interest, comprising:

a computer configured to receive in real time from a source other than the participant an indication that the item is of current interest; process the indication; determine an intensity value to be associated with the indication and an intensity weight value, and adjusting the intensity value based on a characteristic for the item provided by the source; and inform the participant that the item is of current interest; and

a database, associated with the computer, configured to store data relating to the item.