Patent decision
- BL number
- O/372/09
- Concerning rights in
- GB0516638.4
- Hearing Officer
- Mr S Brown
- Decision date
- 25 November 2009
- Person(s) or Company(s) involved
- Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
- Provisions discussed
- PA 1977 Section 1(2)
- Keywords
- Excluded fields (refused)
- Related Decisions
- None
Summary
The application relates to a method for designing a roller cone drill bit comprising locating bearings at minimal moment centres along axes of rotation of various cone assemblies.
The Hearing Officer applied the Aerotel/Macrossan test and decided that the contribution made by the invention fell solely within excluded matter. He also considered the decision in Halliburton Energy Services Inc. v Smith International (North Sea) Ltd. and concluded that the claims could be saved by the addition of a suitable manufacturing step. The application was remitted to the examiner on the condition that the applicant files new claims. If the applicant does not do so within 2 months from the date of this decision the application will be refused as being a method for performing a mental act or a mathematical method as such.
Full decision O/372/09 280Kb