Microsoft's Patent On Fast Shutdowns Shows Why Windows Is So Slow To Shut Down

from the you-need-a-patent-for-that dept

Thu, Sep 2nd 2010 6:55pm — Mike Masnick

A bunch of folks have sent over the story of how Microsoft recently patented its method of shutting down Windows (7,788,474), which plenty of people are mocking for all sorts of reasons. Reader Prashanth points out the fact that the patent actually helps demonstrate why Microsoft's shut down process is so slow. The whole thing just highlights how companies these days file for completely ridiculous patents just to pad their patent portfolio, and potentially to block others from doing pretty obvious things.

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Filed Under: operating system, patents, shutdown, windows
Companies: microsoft

39 Comments

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anthony, 2 Sep 2010 @ 7:21pm

my own patent for instant Windows shutdown
Although the details must be kept under wraps on advise from our patent attorney due to concerns that some big corporation will steal it.
We are proud to announce that after a decade in development.
An instantaneous shutdown methodology for Windows that rivals and out performs anything Micro$oft can release.
It is called
'Instantaneous Preemption of Further Computing via Immediate Termination of Power Source via Extraction of Energy Conductor'
Just rolls of the tongue, doesn't it!
Be forewarned it is being developed for all other computing systems.
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Anonymous Coward, 2 Sep 2010 @ 7:26pm

"Microsoft's Patent On Slow Shutdowns Shows Why Windows Is So Slow To Shut Down"

There, fixed that for you.
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Anonymous Coward, 2 Sep 2010 @ 7:51pm

Re: my own patent for instant Windows shutdown
also knows as "IPFCITPSEEC"
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Anonymous Coward, 2 Sep 2010 @ 8:18pm

Ubuntu should patent their 20 sec shutdown process along with red hat :)
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abc gum, 2 Sep 2010 @ 8:38pm

Microsoft Patents Ones, Zeroes
http://www.theonion.com/articles/microsoft-patents-ones-zeroes,599/
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Anonymous Coward, 2 Sep 2010 @ 8:42pm

grr
Greedy liberals and there evil lust to control people, steal others ideas, limit innovation, silence opposition makes me sick. I wish someone would invent a cure for Stockholm syndrome in all it's forms. It's so sad, the play ground bullies that tormented so many in elementary school/high school are the very wankers, George Soros/Al Gore/Bill Gates privileged wankers that have spent the last 40 years destroying the education system, morals, work ethic, compassion, standard of living in the world, so they could become even richer and the rest of us could be enslaved.
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Anonymous Coward, 2 Sep 2010 @ 8:52pm

Isn't this kind of like Ford patenting a system to get drivers out of the Pinto's that caught on fire and exploded?
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Willard T. Redneck, 2 Sep 2010 @ 9:08pm

Re: grr
Them damn libruls r at it agin
(turns up volume on AM talk radio)
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Anonymous Coward, 2 Sep 2010 @ 9:09pm

Clearly a patent for use as a "shield", and not to be weilded as a "sword".

Does anyone really believe this patent is for any other purpose, and if so...why?

Patents are sought for any number or reasons, but in the case of established products released to the consumer market it is not at all unusual to secure a patent for the sole purpose of mitigating the possibility that a third party may later attempt to secure rights in an "improvement" that can easily interfere with long planned product improvements.

It is called "heading off a potential headache before it comes to pass and becomes a real headache".
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Anonymous Coward, 2 Sep 2010 @ 9:10pm

Re:
Ah, our wonderfully efficient patent system.
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:Lobo Santo (profile), 2 Sep 2010 @ 9:12pm

Re:
I'm pretty sure the sword and shield cannot be patented as there is plenty of prior art...

: P
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Anonymous Coward, 2 Sep 2010 @ 9:22pm

Re: Re:
Yes, but how aware of the prior art are judges and juries and the USPTO.
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darryl, 2 Sep 2010 @ 9:45pm

Patents are not products,, but you should know that right !!!
Understand the patent system well do we ???

You dont take out a patent on something, that you have allready fully developed to a commercial product.

You patent your idea, then you develop that idea, with the protection of the patent for that development.

You can sell the license of that patent to someone else if they want to use your idea.

Or you can just hold onto it, its up to them, after all they came up with the idea..

If it was so obvious, why didnt YOU come up with it ? Or the OIN patent it ?

Often things are "obvious" once you've seen them, but that makes NO difference. Its still an original invention, just because you could not work it out until you saw someone else do it. does not make it obvious...

The only person it was obvious too was the person who invented it, all the rest of the plebs are all shocked.

"Oh right,, ofcourse, why didnt I see that".

Why, you are not a creative inventor, you did not see a problem and think of an effective method to help that problem.

BTW: My MS windows, shuts down just fine, and fast.. that is the problem again ?
*boots up damn fast too !!*.

But its usually weeks or months between shutdowns and restarts, so fast shutdown or startup ,,, who cares !!!.
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CoCO, 2 Sep 2010 @ 9:54pm

Re: Patents are not products,, but you should know that right !!!
I'm happy you finally admit that people are patenting ideas... Thats a big step for you, I know. Everyone, a round of applause for Darryl's breakthrough!
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darryl, 2 Sep 2010 @ 10:04pm

You dont patent ideas, you patents things or methods.
**NO** they are **NOT** patenting idea's.

And they are not patenting a finished commercial product, they are pantenting a method or technique or system that is new or unique that is able to be patented.

I can have an idea, but there is no way you can go to the patent office and say "I have this great idea".

So, NO you dont patent idea's, you patent the product of a new and inovative 'thing'.

So ofcourse, im sure you could go to the patent office and say "I have an idea for a new mouse trap" patent my idea.

They will laugh at you, they will say, "SO WHAT", or more probably "your an idiot".

Here is how it works,

You have an idea, (you think), during that thinking process you get the idea for a new mouse trap.
THAT IS THE IDEA,

But you dont patent the idea, you turn your idea into something that is functional, or show how it can be done physically by drawings and plans.

That is what you patent, the PHYSICAL manifestation of your idea, not the idea itself.

And when you get the patent you will have a patent for a new method of catching mice. You do not have the patent on the idea, you allready had that.

But accuracy and correct terminology or even simple logic are not strong points on this site..

Mabey you have never read a patent ?? certain it appears you have little understanding of the concepts.
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testcore (profile), 2 Sep 2010 @ 10:12pm

Re: Patents are not products,, but you should know that right !!!
Er, you use Windows? Sorry to hear that.
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The Groove Tiger (profile), 2 Sep 2010 @ 10:13pm

Re: Re: grr
Watches as AC imitates Michael J. Fox's spasms.
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The Groove Tiger (profile), 2 Sep 2010 @ 10:14pm

Re: Patents are not products,, but you should know that right !!!
But if you sell your ideas, the brain people will steal your neurons!
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Anonymous Coward, 2 Sep 2010 @ 11:44pm

Re: You dont patent ideas, you patents things or methods.
Your grasp of the English language makes me wonder how well you comprehend the patents that you've read (if you've even read any).
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Drekka (profile), 3 Sep 2010 @ 12:03am

Re: Patents are not products,, but you should know that right !!!
I once saw a windows system start up and shutdown fast. That was just after it had been installed and before it got attacked by hackers and anti-virus software, office, and applications were installed. I think it was up for almost 10 minutes. I've yet to see a windows system that doesn't require at least weekly reboots, if not daily.
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PaulT (profile), 3 Sep 2010 @ 2:54am

Re: You dont patent ideas, you patents things or methods.
"That is what you patent, the PHYSICAL manifestation of your idea, not the idea itself."

Software processes are physical now? Who knew?

"when you get the patent you will have a patent for a new method of catching mice. You do not have the patent on the idea, you allready had that."

Not really. The problems have been described here many times, and if you spent as much time reading and understanding the arguments instead of typing pointless reams of text then you'd understand this.

The arguments that you've failed to address are that:

1. With software patents there is no physical manifestations, and often only one way to implement the idea. If the idea is relatively obvious (e.g. the 1 click patent), this allows a company to monopolise a particular idea. Given that patents can be valid even if the company who owns it has not implemented the patented item, this leads to patent trolling - companies who simply sue people who actually implement obvious ideas.

2. There is an obviousness test that's meant to counteract this by not allowing patents that are obvious to those skilled in the field. The patent office has done a pitifully poor job so far of enforcing this.

3. These facts combined have created an environment where actually innovating is difficult or expensive, and the reward for creating a successful product is to be sued by patent holders who have not successfully implemented the idea (that the successful company often came up with independently). This is the exact opposite of what the patent system is meant to encourage, so it's criticised.

Please, try addressing those actual arguments being made and not depending on strawmen and ignoring major parts of the arguments presented.
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Anonymous Coward, 3 Sep 2010 @ 4:30am

Re: Patents are not products,, but you should know that right !!!
Months between shutdowns? Are you saying you don't install the numerous security patches every month?
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abc gum, 3 Sep 2010 @ 4:36am

Re: Patents are not products,, but you should know that right !!!
"You dont take out a patent on something, that you have allready fully developed to a commercial product."

That's right - instead, you patent something that someone else has developed into a successful commercial product and then sue them.
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Lawrence D'Oliveiro, 3 Sep 2010 @ 4:36am

Let Them Have Their Stupid Patent
It
a) doesn’t apply to any sanely-designed OSes, and
b) will stifle any third party that attempts to bring out a tool for speeding up Windows’ shutdown.

This isn’t a case of killing two birds with one stone, it’s more like Microsoft shooting itself in both feet with one bullet!
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harbingerofdoom (profile), 3 Sep 2010 @ 7:10am

Re: Re: Patents are not products,, but you should know that right !!!
sometimes you just have to.
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gyffes, 3 Sep 2010 @ 7:25am

I shouldn't feed the Darryl troll, but...
a) it's "ideas" not "idea's" (c'mon, my 8-year old knows that);

b) we have a chart at work of the machines up longest: Macs and linux boxes are atop with months 'tween shutdowns, most winboxes restart daily, at least (especially those whose users insist on using docks); and

c) the astonishing thing about Windows machines is that they shutdown slowly even when they crash.

What a doof.
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Anonymous Coward, 3 Sep 2010 @ 8:01am

It is way faster than Linux! Shut down the HP at work and we all go home for the rest of the day because when it fires up it will take most of the night to make it all operational. Not that I am defending Windows but it may actually be faster.
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ntlgnce, 3 Sep 2010 @ 9:40am

SLOW?
My pc, windows vista dual core, on a HP. Takes about 12 seconds to shut down. My Ipod and ipad both take longer then that.
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Pete Braven (profile), 3 Sep 2010 @ 9:50am

Re: my own patent for instant Windows shutdown
Haha,.. yup I already use that technology for censorship of TV!!
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John, 3 Sep 2010 @ 11:31am

Simply known as...
BSOD.
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vivaelamor (profile), 3 Sep 2010 @ 1:17pm

Re:
"It is way faster than Linux! Shut down the HP at work and we all go home for the rest of the day because when it fires up it will take most of the night to make it all operational. Not that I am defending Windows but it may actually be faster."

I'm guessing the 'HP' is your server? If so then that sounds like an apple to oranges comparison. Servers generally have lots of services running in the background, which need to do more work to shut down gracefully.
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CoCO, 3 Sep 2010 @ 7:41pm

Re: You dont patent ideas, you patents things or methods.
you're the one that said outright that patents are idea based.

'You dont take out a patent on something, that you have allready fully developed to a commercial product.

You patent your idea, then you develop that idea, with the protection of the patent for that development.

You can sell the license of that patent to someone else if they want to use your idea.'

That was YOU saying that in this very thread... buuut, you know... as long as you don't respond.. you can pretend you scored a point :D
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Anonymous Coward, 3 Sep 2010 @ 9:00pm

Re: SLOW?
Yes, and my linux reboots in less than 10s, including me logging in. (SSD ftw)

Your windows pc isn't reliable in this timing. If you want to leave your workspace, and have to store your laptop in a locker, and are forced by company policies to download-and-install updates, you're late at home quite often.
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Anonymous Coward, 4 Sep 2010 @ 6:40am

Re:
It's more like Ford patenting a system causes cars to burn and calling it a system that prevents them from burning.
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Anonymous Coward, 4 Sep 2010 @ 6:41am

Re: Re:
that causes *
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Anonymous Coward, 4 Sep 2010 @ 4:22pm

"Microsoft's Patent On Fast Shutdowns Shows Why Windows Is So Slow To Shut Down"

This is one example why patents are good, we can use this patent to learn why Microsoft shuts down so slowly so that teachers can teach new students how to avoid making similar mistakes in the future. Patents offer additional transparency for universities to use when they teach their students how to program.
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Anonymous Coward, 4 Sep 2010 @ 4:23pm

Re:
Perhaps teachers can also create a writing assignment for students. Examine this patent and identify what's wrong with the design.
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DigThatFunk(Scottie V) (profile), 4 Sep 2010 @ 9:28pm

Re: Re: Patents are not products,, but you should know that right !!!
LOL you're obviously not looking, then. I use Win7 and reboot MAYBE once every 3-4 weeks, usually only for updates that require it. I get it, everyone's got their "Favorite system", but let's quit with the fanboyism for the love of my sanity.
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alan turing, 6 Sep 2015 @ 11:39am

Re: Re: Patents are not products,, but you should know that right !!!
DigThatFunk(Scottie V)- "I use Win7 and reboot MAYBE once every 3-4 weeks, usually only for updates that require it."

Anonymous Coward - "Months between shutdowns? Are you saying you don't install the numerous security patches every month?"

WTF? The reading comprehension fail makes my brain hurt.
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