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 PDF document280Kb