Last week the PatentlyO blog ran a guest post by Stephen Schott arguing for a repeal of the "single sentence" rule. Schott alluded to the existence of at least one patent claim consisting of "a 250 word sentence [that] would drive even Proust to distraction."
IBM today was issued U.S. Patent No. 7,593,860. The patent contains four independent claims, the shortest of which contains 1,019 words. Here is the longest, weighing in at 1,053. (And we can leave the Bilski discussion alone for now.)
Can you find any patents with longer claims? Submit your entry by 12:01 a.m., Friday, September 25. Appropriate prize to be determined (initial thoughts: a copy of any Faulkner novel; an audio of a Joe Biden speech; a recording of Wagner's Ring Cycle... you get the idea.)
U.S. Patent No. 7,593,860 Career analysis method and system Assignee: IBM 31. A process for integrating computing infrastructure, comprising integrating computer-readable code into a computer system, wherein the computer system comprises a computer readable medium, wherein said computer usable medium comprises job related data, wherein said job related data comprises a first specified job title and a first list comprising a first plurality of required skills for said first specified job title, wherein said job related data further comprising a plurality of additional job titles, and wherein the code in combination with the computer system is capable of performing a method comprising: receiving by said computing system, job candidate data, said job candidate data comprising a job candidate and a second list comprising a second plurality of required skills related to a current job held by said job candidate, wherein said current job held by said candidate differs from a job associated with said specified job title; receiving, by said computing system, first job market data, wherein said first job market data comprises first internal market data and first external market data, wherein said first internal market data comprises first capacity planning data associated with an entity and first workforce management data associated with said entity, and wherein said entity is associated with said first specified job title; storing within said computer readable medium, said job candidate data and said first job market data; comparing, said first plurality of required skills with said second plurality of required skills to determine a first set of common skills between said first plurality of required skills and said second plurality of skills; applying, by said career analysis tool, a first set of weighting factors to said first set of common skills, wherein each weighting factor of said first set of weighting factors is applied to an associated common skill of said first set of common skills based on a predetermined relative importance for each said associated common skill with respect to said first specified job title; calculating, by said career analysis tool, a first score for said candidate by dividing the number of said first set of common skills by the number of said first plurality of required skills; comparing by said career analysis tool, said first job market data with said first plurality of required skills to determine a first set of market valued skills from said first plurality of required skills, wherein said first set of market valued skills indicate a first group of critical market place skills required to perform a specified job associated with said first specified job title, wherein said first group of critical market place skills are linked with first business unit skills associated with achieving first business priorities comprising growth in revenue and innovation, and wherein said first group of critical market place skills are aligned with a first specified market direction and a first specified business strategy for said entity; reviewing, by said career analysis tool after a specified time period, said first set of market valued skills; determining, by said career analysis tool based on results of said reviewing said first set of market valued skills, that said first set of market valued skills are outdated; receiving, by said computing system in response to said determining that said first set of market valued skills are outdated, second updated job market data, wherein said second, job market data comprises second internal market data and second external market data, and wherein said second internal market data comprises second capacity planning data associated with said entity and second workforce management data associated with said entity; storing within said computer readable medium, said second updated job market data; comparing by said career analysis tool, said second updated job market data with said first plurality of required skills to determine a second set of market valued skills from said first plurality of required skills, wherein said second set of market valued skills differ from said first set of market valued skills, wherein said second set of market valued skills indicate a second group of critical market place skills required to perform said specified job associated with said first specified job title, wherein said second group of critical market place skills are linked with second business unit skills associated with achieving second business priorities comprising growth in revenue and innovation, and wherein said second group of critical market place skills are aligned with a second specified market direction and a second specified business strategy for said entity; applying, by said career analysis tool, a second set of weighting factors to said second set of market valued skills, wherein each weighting factor of said second set of weighting factors is applied to an associated market valued skill of said second set of market valued skills based on a an amount of time that each said associated market valued skill has been determined to be a market valued skill; calculating by said career analysis tool, a second score for said job candidate by dividing the number of said second set of market valued skills by the number of said first plurality of required skills; comparing by said career analysis tool, said first score to a first numerical value; comparing by said career analysis tool, said second score to a second numerical value; comparing by said career analysis tool, said first plurality of required skills with said second plurality of required skills to determine a set of required skills of said second plurality of required skills that are not comprised by said first plurality of required skills; generating by said career analysis tool, a training program for said job candidate to obtain training associated with said set of required skills; determining by said career analysis tool, results of said comparing said first score to said first numerical value and said comparing said second score to said second numerical value; determining by said career analysis tool based on said results, that a first analysis score for said job candidate in relation to said first specified job title will be calculated; calculating by said career analysis tool, said first analysis score, wherein said calculating said first analysis score comprises adding said first score to said second score; comparing said first analysis score to a first predetermined value; and performing an action for said job candidate based on results of said comparing said first analysis score to said first predetermined value. |
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