Action Technologies (Alameda, CA) has two new patents on "workflow" conversations between humans. The patents cover management and recording of structured transactions where each participant has a specific set of options at each turn. E.g., ".. enables time and date commitments related to calendar activities, such as meeting schedules, appointments, and the like, to be integrated into the database." Patents #5216603 and #5208748. See also Communcations Week, 12/6/93, p. 5. [Greg Aharonian (srctran@world.std.com), patents, 12/8/93. Phil Agre, RRE, 1/18/94.]

Greg Aharonian recently circulated 2,700 1992-93 titles in 42 categories from his list of 11,000 software patents. (IBM holds 1/8 of the patents.) AI/fuzzy/NN patents were posted to comp.ai; the full list to misc.legal.computing and misc.int-property. A set of diskettes with patent descriptions is $595. For more information, send a "help" message to patents@world.std.com, or call (617) 489-3727. [comp.ai, 1/4/94. Bill Park et al.]

The patent office is trying to hire software-literate patent examiners for $28K-$60K per year. They are finding that such people can get far better pay in the private sector. [Jube Shiver Jr., LA Times. SJM, 1/16/94.] (Analyzing patents for specific customers would be an interesting occupation.)