USPTO issues 10 millionth patent [pdf] | Hacker News Reader

USPTO issues 10 millionth patent [pdf]

10millionpatents.uspto.gov

22 pointskjhughes9 comments

US Patent and Trademark Office today issued the 10 millionth utility patent to Joseph Marron and Raytheon, for Coherent LADAR Using Intra-Pixel Quadrature Detection.

The numbering system dates back to 1836.

See also coverage across the web:

- USPTO announcement: U.S. Patent 10 Million: https://10millionpatents.uspto.gov/patent-10-million.html

- Law.com: Raytheon Is Owner of Landmark 10 Millionth Patent From USPTO: https://www.law.com/corpcounsel/2018/06/19/raytheon-is-owner...

- Government Executive: Patent Office Celebrates 10-Millionth Award as Inventors Complain: https://www.govexec.com/technology/2018/06/patent-office-cel...

- CNN Money: In tech, patents are trophies -- and these companies are dominating: http://money.cnn.com/2018/06/19/technology/tech-patents/inde...

It's a shame patent 10000000 isn't something fun like US6368227B1 ("Method of swinging on a swing"). Someone should have submitted a carefully timed application for a patent that covers using one's top hat to bail out a bathtub when the plug is jammed and the taps won't turn off, for example.

Given the variable lag time between application and granting of a patent (on the order of months), even with the most careful timing, this seems unlikely to work.

Maybe this is a sign that there are too many patents.

The first U.S. patent was issued in 1790, signed by President George Washington. The current numbering system started 182 years ago. Which means 150 patents granted per day (400 a day in recent years). Is that a lot?

Dividing the total number of patents by 182 years masks some of the realities. Namely, there are significantly more patent grants in the past decade compared to any other. For example, 2015 had 325,979 patent grants, compared to 2005 with 157,718. There's a pretty clear trend, see https://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/ac/ido/oeip/taf/us_stat.ht....

That's a great resource. I notice there's a 31% jump from 1997 to 1998. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_Street_Bank_%26_Trust_Co....

I thought it was LIDAR? At least I don't know of a LIDAR not using a LASER.

I believe LIDAR and LADAR are interchangeable since it's based on a portmanteau of `light`/`laser` and `radar`

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