Patent decision

BL number

O/425/17

Concerning rights in

GB1505288.9 and GB1505308.5

Hearing Officer

Miss J Pullen

Decision date

11 September 2017

Person(s) or Company(s) involved

ABB Technology AG

Provisions discussed

Patents Act 1977 Section 1(2)

Keywords

Excluded fields (refused)

Related Decisions

None

Summary

The two applications relate to managing and configuring field devices in an automation installation. The functions and the data of these field devices is provided in information packets which can be displayed as input windows or dialogs which allow a user to integrate and configure the devices into a system. The problem that each addresses is that a lot of information is displayed to a user, and that information can become overwhelming leading the user to make errors. Both inventions implement a simplified information framework with the aim of reducing those errors, or making them less likely. Application ‘288 achieves this by grouping together input windows of the same device and for the same input context by a using common marking, whereas ‘308 achieves this by grouping together input windows of the same device and for the same input context and displaying them in a superordinate group window.

The Hearing Officer followed the four step test in Aerotel/Macrossan, reviewed the AT&T signposts and found that the claimed inventions each related to a program for a computer as such and also to the presentation of information. No saving amendments could be identified and the applications were refused.

Full decision O/425/17 87Kb