歐洲專利申請案原則上規定僅能接受一組專利範圍（一項獨立請求項），而歐洲專利細則Rule 43(2)規定申請專利範圍的內容，在不違反單一性的情況，歐洲專利申請案在相同類別（category: 製品、流程、裝置或使用）的情況下可以提出超過1項獨立請求項，其中必須是：(a)多個相互關聯的製品；(b)一個製品或裝置的不同用途；以及(c)對一特定問題的多個可替代解決方案，而不能以單一請求項涵蓋這些可替代方案。
Rule 43 Form and content of claims
(2) Without prejudice to Article 82（在不違反Art. 82單一性規定的情況下）, a European patent application may contain more than one independent claim in the same category (product, process, apparatus or use) only if the subject-matter of the application involves one of the following:
(a) a plurality of interrelated products,
(b) different uses of a product or apparatus,
(c) alternative solutions to a particular problem, where it is inappropriate to cover these alternatives by a single claim.
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Art. 82 EPC中單一性（unity of invention）的規定是一件歐洲專利申請案僅能關於一個發明，或是一組「具有單一共同發明概念（single general inventive concept）」的發明。
Article 82 Unity of invention
The European patent application shall relate to one invention only or to a group of inventions so linked as to form a single general inventive concept.
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在Guidelines "F IV, 3.2 Number of independent claims" of the EPO有進一步解釋：
According to Rule 43(2), as applicable to all European patent applications in respect of which a communication under Rule 51(4) EPC 1973 (corresponding to Rule 71(3) EPC 2000) was not issued by 2 January 2002, the number of independent claims is limited to one independent claim in each category. （在本節關於獨立請求項數量的規定中，一開始就先說每個類別（product, process, apparatus, use）"原則上(有例外可能)"僅能有一項獨立請求項）
Exceptions from this rule can only be admitted in the specific circumstances defined in sub-paragraphs (a), (b) or (c) of this rule, provided the requirement of Art. 82 with regard to unity is met (see F‑V). （在符合單一性的前提下，例外情況是以上(a)(b)(c)幾點。）
(a)"相互關聯製品"的範例：（編按，所謂＂相互關聯＂指的是不同物體為＂互補＂或是＂一起作用＂）
- 插頭和插座
- 傳送器與接收器
- 中間物和最終化學產品
- 基因 - 基因構建體 - 宿主 - 蛋白質 - 藥劑
(b)"製品或裝置的不同用途"範例：
- 藥品原本用途為已知，另外開發出多個用途。
- 請求項針對特定成分的多種用途。
(c)"特定問題的多個替代解決方案"範例：（編按，所謂可替代解決方案指的是不同或相互排斥的可能性）
- 一組化合物
- 用於製造上述化合物的多種方法
(d)列舉"可核准請求項態樣"範例：
- claims涉及一種化合物（多肽P）的多種方法，如一種控制化合物合成中特定步驟的酶，可以表示為多個獨立請求項：
一種製備多肽P的方法；
一種通過使用分離的多肽或表達所述多肽的宿主細胞製備所述化合物的方法；
根據宿主細胞是否表達本發明的多肽來選擇宿主細胞的方法。
- 一種在裝置之間傳送資料的方法；
- 一種在裝置之間接收資料的方法。
- 運作資料處理系統的方法；
- 一種資料處理裝置/系統；
- 執行以上方法的電腦程式(或產品)（如電腦可讀取儲存媒體、資料載體等）
範例：
EP1546972有三項獨立項：
1. A computer program comprising a plurality of calendars and a user interface wherein the user interface provides an interface for two or more calendars.
28. A machine readable medium containing executable instructions which when executed by a data processing system cause said system to perform a method comprising: displaying a calendar interface which is capable of displaying calendar events for a user; displaying a control interface which allows said user to selectively display calendar events from at least two calendars of said user in said calendar interface.
32. An apparatus for operating a calendar, said apparatus comprising: means for displaying a calendar interface which is capable of displaying calendar events for a user; means for displaying a control interface which allows said user to selectively display calendar events from at least two calendars of said user in said calendar interface.
EP2174489有無數個獨立項：
1. A system, comprising one or more integrated circuits, wherein the one or more integrated circuits are configured to: receive a video image; calculate a brightness metric associated with the video image; determine an intensity setting of a light source, which illuminates a display that is configured to display the video image, and scale brightness values of the video image based on the brightness metric; identify a region in the video image in which the scaling of the brightness values results in a visual artifact associated with reduced contrast; and reduce the scaling of the brightness values in the region to, at least partially, restore the contrast, thereby reducing the visual artifact.
14. A method for adjusting brightness of pixels in a video image, comprising: determining an intensity setting of a light source, which illuminates a display that is configured to display a video image, and scale brightness values for the video image based on a brightness metric associated with the video image; and restoring contrast in a region in the video image in which the scaling of the brightness values results in a visual artifact associated with reduced contrast by, at least partially, reducing the scaling of the brightness values in the region.
16. A computer system to adjust brightness of pixels in a video image, comprising: a processor; memory; a program module, wherein the program module is stored in the memory and configurable to be executed by the processor, the program module including: instructions for receiving a video image; instructions for calculating a brightness metric associated with the video image; instructions for determining an intensity setting of a light source, which illuminates a display that is configured to display the video image, and scale brightness values of the video image based on the brightness metric; instructions for identifying a region in the video image in which the scaling of the brightness values results in a visual artifact associated with reduced contrast; and instructions for reducing the scaling of the brightness values in the region to, at least partially, restore the contrast, thereby reducing the visual artifact.
19. An integrated circuit, comprising one or more sub-circuits, wherein the one or more sub-circuits are configured to: determine an intensity setting of a light source, which illuminates a display that is configured to display a video image, and scale brightness values for the video image based on a brightness metric associated with the video image; and restore contrast in a region in the video image in which the scaling of the brightness values results in a visual artifact associated with reduced contrast by, at least partially, reducing the scaling of the brightness values in the region.
20. A portable device, comprising: a display; a light source configured to output light; an attenuation mechanism configured to modulate the output light incident on the display, the display configured to display a video image; and one or more integrated circuits, wherein the one or more integrated circuits are configured to: determine an intensity setting of a light source, which illuminates a display that is configured to display a video image, and scale brightness values for the video image based on a brightness metric associated with the video image; and restore contrast in a region in the video image in which the scaling of the brightness values results in a visual artifact associated with reduced contrast by, at least partially, reducing the scaling of the brightness values in the region.
EP1499097有method與system：
1. A method for enabling a telephone to send and receive electronic messages, comprising:(a) providing at least one of a switch and server, said at least one of a switch and server being in communication with at least one internal telephone and at least one external endpoint; and
(b) performing, at the at least one of a switch and server, at least one of a first, second, third, and fourth set of operations,
...
20. A system for enabling a telephone to send and receive electronic messages, comprising:(a) at least one of a switch and server, said at least one of a switch and server being in communication with at least one internal telephone and at least one external endpoint, wherein the at least one of a switch and server is operable to perform at least one of a first, second, third, and fourth set of operations,
...
EP2603039有裝置與方法：
1. A wireless access node (275) comprising:a transmitter-receiver module (279) configured to wirelessly communicate with a plurality of user devices (150(1), 150(4)), including a first user device;
a backhaul interface module (285) configured to communicate with a core network (102) element; and
a processor module (281) coupled to the transmitter-receiver module (279) and the backhaul interface module (285) and configured to:
receive data packets, some of the data packets being associated with a data stream and the first user device in communication with the transmitter-receiver module (279),
...
8. A method for operating a wireless communication network, the method comprising:receiving data packets at a first wireless access node (775a), some of the data packets being associated with a first user device in communication with the first wireless access node (775a);
inspecting one or more fields of the data packets associated with each data stream to determine one or more characteristics of one or more applications associated with the data stream;
segregating the data packets into scheduling groups (520, 525, 530) and data queues (591, 592, 593, 594, 595), each scheduling group into which at least one of the data packets is segregated being associated with at least one of the data queues;
...
my two cents:
如此看來，歐洲專利雖規定僅能一項獨立項，但是仍是有多個獨立項的空間，並且寬容度應該不小。
Ron
