idea for patent, too late

[vipergts2207]

Yesterday I came up with the idea of using e-paper on top of keys of a keyboard in order for it to be changeable on the fly. Doing a search online however revealed I was at least two years too late. Day late, dollar short I guess. That could be a great new feature for Macbook Pros. Similar to how backlit keys used to be a Pro-only feature. I also came across an article of Apple having an idea for an OLED keyboard. Either one sounds fantastic to me.

 

[GoCubsGo]

Yesterday I came up with the idea of using e-paper on top of keys of a keyboard in order for it to be changeable on the fly. Doing a search online however revealed I was at least two years too late. Day late, dollar short I guess. That could be a great new feature for Macbook Pros. Similar to how backlit keys used to be a Pro-only feature. I also came across an article of Apple having an idea for an OLED keyboard. Either one sounds fantastic to me.

Then you didn't really come up with any idea did you now?

 

[t0mat0]

Yesterday I came up with the idea of using e-paper on top of keys of a keyboard in order for it to be changeable on the fly. Doing a search online however revealed I was at least two years too late. Day late, dollar short I guess. That could be a great new feature for Macbook Pros. Similar to how backlit keys used to be a Pro-only feature. I also came across an article of Apple having an idea for an OLED keyboard. Either one sounds fantastic to me.

There's already an OLED keyboard out there
http://gizmodo.com/112517/optimus-oled-keyboard

Hasn't cracked the market yet though.

 

[vipergts2207]

Then you didn't really come up with any idea did you now?

If two cavemen in different parts of the world build a wheel, did they both not come up with the idea?

 

[themoonisdown09]

If two cavemen in different parts of the world build a wheel, did they both not come up with the idea?

Cavemen aren't that smart, so this is not a good example.

 

[Abstract]

Then you didn't really come up with any idea did you now?

He did.

He had no prior knowledge that this idea was already patented (which normally uses OLED keys, not eInk, but whatever), and no prior knowledge that it was actually created.


The point is that you had a great idea, although not a patentable one. It's pretty cool when you come up with a really cool idea that seemed really original to you, even if you were beat by a year or two.

 

[vipergts2207]

Cavemen aren't that smart, so this is not a good example.

You must work for Geico.

 

[Mousse]

There's already an OLED keyboard out there
http://gizmodo.com/112517/optimus-oled-keyboard

Hasn't cracked the market yet though.

That because they called it "Optimus Maximus" instead of "Optimus Prime" Oh and the price tag ($1500) doesn't help much either.

 

[Marble]

This happens to writers all the time. It's their job to come up with original ideas, but most draw from a similar cultural zeitgeist. It happens improbably often that someone will start working on a great and (seemingly) original idea only to find that another team is already wrapping up production on something freakishly similar.

What's worst is when you discover that something you thought was a complete novelty was actually first invented by the ancient Greeks.

 

[kymac]

samsung has used this idea in their new 'alias' on the verizon network.. the keys change depending on the way the screen is opened.. pretty cool..

http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/08/video-samsung-alias-2-dynamic-e-ink-keypad-in-action/