Patent decision
- BL number
- O/288/09
- Concerning rights in
- GB0600352.9
- Hearing Officer
- Mr H Jones
- Decision date
- 22 September 2009
- Person(s) or Company(s) involved
- Emerson Process Management Power & Water Solutions, Inc.
- Provisions discussed
- PA 1977 section 1(2)
- Keywords
- Excluded fields (refused)
- Related Decisions
- None
Summary
The application relates to a computer implemented method for converting control routines in a process control system from ladder logic into Boolean logic. The Hearing Officer applied the “technical contribution” test recently endorsed by the Court of Appeal in Symbian and found that the contribution made by the invention was not technical. The invention was found to be a program for a computer as such and the application was refused. In view of this, the issue of whether the invention relates to a mental act was left undecided.
Full decision O/288/09 31Kb