雲端技術要揭露甚麼？

筆記

雲端技術不是新的技術，但是卻有很多新的應用
但是這些雲端相關的技術要如何揭露在專利說明書與申請專利範圍中？

這個問題常是困擾了發明人與專利工程師，原因是，「技術多半是舊的延伸」，或是「純軟體」、「純數學」等法定無法專利的技術特徵

就「協助」發明人能夠順利取得這方面技術來看，顯然是要瞭解專利要件與技術特徵，通常我會提醒發明人的方式與意見如下：

1. 討論發明技術特點，並要求揭露週邊相關硬體的連結關係（如網路、近端通訊、實體連線），雲端技術常落於只是一些「交易流程」，但是這類流程並未能滿足一些國家對於方法發明的要求，比如：
   避免僅為抽象表達（abstract idea），應有產業上利用的可能
   要避免僅是資訊的表達與程式
   避免僅是訊號傳遞，但是並未有後續功效
   避免僅為一般訊號傳遞流程，如符合特定通訊協定、公知技術（雲端技術常為公知）
   
2. 希望發明人提出「硬體」特徵，特別是具有貢獻的硬體，比如：
   實現在「手持裝置」、「電腦主機」、「運算節點」上的應用軟體應涉及裝置運算處理
   資料取得來自資料庫，包括資料庫與伺服器的關聯
   
3. 揭露「軟體流程」，這常是雲端技術的重點，但其中涉及的判斷常常是軟體手段，這應要求發明人提出其中技術之必要性，比如根據各客戶端硬體規格做出權重分配(weight)、判斷網路流量的訊號等
4. 各種判斷訊號應具有影響發明功效與結果的「轉變(transformation)」
5. 軟體流程應產生轉變(transformation)，包括克服前案的問題在哪裡，產生的明顯改變在哪裡、是否有非預期的功效
6. 關聯的硬體應有發明貢獻，比如：
   避免只是必然有的硬體，如記憶體，如果記憶體僅用於儲存軟體程式，則為一般，沒有貢獻；若發明有根據記憶體的儲存效率、儲存容量分配來實施，則此記憶體就應具有貢獻
   如資料庫，若僅為記載各節點資料，應無貢獻；但資料庫分配於各節點，而設計連結索引，則應有貢獻
   
7. 技術確認後，可描繪出整體架構圖示，找出專利核心
   雲端技術通常有「一朵雲」與各端伺服器、主機、節點、網路裝置等，此例為US8032846
   
   
8. 雲端技術仍應用各端硬體設施，應該揭示細節，特別是相關專利核心的「功能方塊」
   
   
9. 描繪出技術流程，找出專利範圍，如：
   
   
10. 雲端技術常牽扯各端的訊號處理，也可有點示意圖，如：（此例為US7949711）
    
    
11. 檢索，迴避前案，找出專利範圍合適的範疇，雲端技術的流程如同軟體專利，可以包括方法流程：（此例為US7870044）
    

    1. A method, comprising:

    requesting payment of a first fee for access to cloud computing resources, wherein the first fee is a fixed fee;

    providing access to cloud computing resources via a communications network if the first fee is paid;

    monitoring computing resource usage levels for the cloud computing resources by determining computing resource demand and available computing resource supply;

    determining a grid-based batch computing price based on the monitored computing resource usage levels;

    requesting payment of a fee for grid-based batch computing service, wherein the fee is based on the grid-based batch computing price;

    providing idle cloud computing resources for grid-based batch computing service if the fee is paid;

    allocating the idle cloud computing resources for grid-based batch computing service based on the determined available computing resource supply when an idle cloud computing resources level exceeds a first threshold level;

    determining if at least one grid-based batch computing task is at a termination point;

    waiting for the at least one grid-based batch computing task to reach a termination point if the termination point has not yet been reached;

    de-allocating computing resources from grid-based batch computing when the at least one grid-based batch computing task is at a termination point; and

    wherein cloud computing resources are de-allocated from grid-based batch computing when the idle cloud computing resources level falls below a second threshold level that is no greater than the first threshold level.

    
    
12. 權利範圍應補入相關系統範圍，其中反映執行上述流程的裝置，此例利用"wherein"表達出技術特徵，如：
    

    14. A system, comprising:

    a processor;

    a memory in communication with the processor and containing program instructions;

    an input and output in communication with the processor and memory comprising a graphical interface;

    wherein the processor executes program instructions contained in the memory and the program instructions comprise:

    request payment of a first fee for access to cloud computing resources, wherein the first fee is a fixed fee;

    provide access to cloud computing resources via a communications network;

    monitor computing resource usage levels for the cloud computing resources by determining computing resource demand and available computing resource supply;

    determine a grid-based batch computing price based on the monitored computing resource usage levels;

    request payment of a fee for grid-based batch computing service, wherein the fee is based on the grid-based batch computing price;

    provide idle cloud computing resources for grid-based batch computing service if the fee is paid;

    allocate the idle cloud computing resources for grid-based batch computing service based on the determined available computing resource supply when an idle cloud computing resource level exceeds a first threshold level;

    determine if at least one grid-based batch computing task is at a termination point;

    wait for the at least one grid-based batch computing task to reach a termination point if the termination point has not yet been reached;

    de-allocate computing resources from grid-based batch computing when the at least one grid-based batch computing task is at a termination point; and

    wherein cloud computing resources are de-allocated from grid-based batch computing when the idle cloud computing resources level falls below a second threshold level that is no greater than the first threshold level.

    
    

Ron