[Gasification] Patents

[jim mason]

On Tue, Apr 1, 2008 at 8:25 AM, Greg and April
<gregandapril at earthlink.net> wrote:
> I go there quite often.
>

i agree the USPTO site is not a study in good UI.   in fact, it is
rather terrible/  about the only thing it has that you cannot find
better structured elsewhere is the classes and general info on the
classification system.  browsing through the classes is interesting to
see how "all knowledge/engineering" in a particular arena has been
organized into types.  looking at their system often reveals holes
where one has yet to completely all the basic options or logical
permutations.  the classes at times very quickly point out to you what
you do NOT know.

i find google patents to be the best general interface.  patentstorm
is also nice.  freepatents online comes up constantly on searches, but
is a little clunky to use.  the canadian patent office site is
pleasing.  also note the WIPO site, the world intellectual patent
organization.

there is no need at this point to go to virginia at this point to mine
the files.  though such still sounds fascinating.  i hope to see it
someday.

i find that reading the patent files can restore one's faith in the
future of us problematic humans.  it is a collection of some of our
best efforts and effects.  i find it really inspiring (and
educational) (and enraging for all the great ideas not realized in
public).

but reading the files for gasification one has to ask, "why all this
great work, come to so near nothing?"

for me the gasification files pose as many questions of business and
cultural strategy for propagating innovation, as they do technical
innovation.  most great ideas die, particularly in the world of
energy.  one should likely have a good answer to this question before
setting out on the oft traveled road of
patenting/licensing/commericalizing a new energy innovation.


jim