Author: Stuart Cracraft
Date: 20:26:51 02/20/98
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On February 19, 1998 at 20:25:06, Robert Hyatt wrote: >On February 19, 1998 at 15:02:07, Stuart Cracraft wrote: > >> >>I am curious as to who went to the Tasc company with the >>smartboard technology originally? >> >>Is there someone who holds a patent on this technology? >> >>I thought Ken Thompson and/or David Callenhdar invented >>this technology years and years ago? >> >>On another note, does anyone have one of these Smartboards >>and want to sell it to me? >> >>--Stuart > >To the best of my knowledge, Ken did it first. Using (first) reed >switches and magnets, then, later, coils in the bottom of the pieces >so that he could tell which piece was on a square. > >Dave Cahlander later made one for chess 4.6... > >I followed suit with several versions. One using hall effect >transistors >to detect magnetic strength, with various sized magnets so I could >determine >which piece (specifically) was on a square. Didn't work very well, even >though I put 4 transistors under each square so the piece didn't have to >be >centered. I then used reed switches which worked perfectly. I still >have >that board although I haven't tried it in at least 10 years. These all >date back to the late 1970's era. I first used mine in 1977, so Ken and >dave were somewhat before that. > >Problem was, none of us thought to patent the idea... so it can't be >patented now by anyone, since "prior work" can be proven... A shame >we didn't think of it... but it was all for fun with us anyway... Better tell ICD! I'm told by their 800 line representatives that they are prevented from selling SmartBoard because someone in New Jersey went to TASC with the original idea before SmartBoard indicating that they could not manufacture it but the presenter showing the idea wanted to show it. Later, they manufactured it anyway. The person sued and this stopped its manufacture. Imitations like the Novag board do not have the piece-sensing technology which is apparently what all the hullabullooo is all about. Those boards require the pieces either be started from the original opening position or that a new position have each piece "programmed" as to what it is by entereting in through the keyboard of the device, considerably lessening its utility for analysis purposes by players. This is almost a direct quote of what I was told at the ICD number 800-645-4710. I am curious who in New Jersey is claiming a patent on this device and whether TASC knows that there is prior art. --Stuart
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