Disclosure vs. Claim

Disclosure vs. Claim Disclosure vs. Claim Disclosure vs. ClaimInventors are often cash poor at the beginning of their efforts to commercialize a new invention and sometimes resort to preparing a kapitnskapitnspatent application for themselves. However, there are traps for unwary do-it-yourselfers, one of them being too much disclosure in the descriptive pspecies of the application, called the specification. This trap is known to catch even somewhat knowledgeable professionals.There are three kinds of patents, but the one most commonly sought is the utility patent. (The others are the konzept patent, which covers the appearance but not the works of an object, and a plant patent, for new varieties of growing things.) A utility patent application has different partstypically, a specification, claims, and a drawing.These sections help to meet legal requirements for an accurate description of the invention. According to the Supreme Court in an 1878 decision, an accurate description in a p atent application is required for three main reasons The government needs to know what is granted, and what will become public property when the term of the monopoly expires people who are licensed to use the invention need to know how to make, construct, and use the invention and other inventors need to know what part of the field of invention is protected and what part is not.One must be careful, though, in disclosing information.A patent serves to protect that which is claimed, not necessarily that which is disclosed in the description of the invention. Information disclosed, but not claimed, may have no patent protection at all.While it is generally true that it is important to be thorough in describing an invention in the specification, being thorough can be a trap because disclosure must also be linked to the claims. If it isnt linked, it may be best to leave it out, unless you want to give it away.A disclosure that is not also claimed is dedicated to the public and may be use d freely without concern for infringing a patent.A case in point is PSC Computer v. Foxconn, decided by the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., in 2004. It involved Patent No. 6,061,239, issued on May 9, 2000. PSC owned the invention, which was for an improved means of attaching a heat sink to a computer circuit board. When Foxconn introduced a clip made of plastic, PSC sued, alleging that the design infringed the patent.The specific language in the written description in the patent stated, The elongated strap is made of a resilient metal such as stainless steel although other resilient materials may be suitable for the strap. The patent specification also noted, Other prior art devices use molded plastic and/or metal parts that must be cast or forged which again are more expensive metal forming operations.One might logically conclude, since the specification noted that the strap is stainless steel but that other materials can be used, that the patent covers any strap materia l. One would be wrong in this case since the claim covering this element of the invention only mentions a metal strap. The patent claims a heat sink retainer clip that includes an elongated, resilient metal strap. There is no mention of a plastic strap in the claims.The court explained why a plastic strap is not protected under the patent One important purpose of the written description is to provide notice to the public as to the subject matter of the patent, while the claim provides notice as to the scope of the invention. The 239 patents claim language placed the public on notice that metal clip parts would infringe. Its written description served notice that plastic had been used as an alternative to metal in the prior art, and that the future use of plastic would therefore not infringe.The law is clear that the written description in a patent helps the public understand what is being protected by the claims by explaining which portions of the relevant art the patent does not co ver.In the 1985 decision of SRI International v. Matsushita Electric Corp., the courts expression was even pithier Specifications teach. Claims claim.A disclosure that is not also claimed is dedicated to the public and may be used freely without concern for infringing a patent.

Do this to not miss out on life

Do this to not miss out on lifeDo this to not miss out on lifeI took a trip recently to Carmel, California. Its a quaint coastal town of art galleries, restaurants, shops, and scenic beauty. My family used to live just north of Carmel, and we vacationed there often.I stayed in a local establishment and visited countless galleries, chatting with owners and artists. The purpose of my trip welches to indulge in some alone time to paint, write and think.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreWe often overlook the power of alone time. Most of our lives are filled with family obligations, work, appointments, and online activity. When we finally take a vacation, all the planning, travel and logistics can leave us exhausted. We end up missing a lot.The golden moments in the stream of life rush past us, and we see nothing but sand the angels come visit us and we only know them when they are gon e.?- George Eliot (Mary AnnEvans)Traveling on vacation with a partner or family has its rewards, but also a few drawbacks. You make concessions on where to go, what to eat, and what to do.Its different when youre by yourself. You have total freedom to do whatever you like and to be alone with your thoughts. The trick is to actually slow down and embrace the solitude.They werent having muchfunI welches enjoying a latte and shortbread cookie in a Carmel bakery, alone with my thoughts, when a French couple energetically strolled in.They approached the counter and ordered a menu item from the kitchen. It welches early evening and the proprietor told them the kitchen had closed. They could purchase coffee drinks or pastries, but nothing on the kitchen menu.The French couple was visibly upset. They gestured at the menu sign and began speaking rapidly in French. The bakery owner said, Im sorry, is there something in the display case you might like? but the couple spun around and headed fo r the exit.I dont speak French, but when I left the bakery I saw the couple on the street corner, arguing. The man pointed one way, and the woman pointed the other way. I presumed they were debating where to eat.Illustrations by John P. WeissThe argument went on for a bit, and then in exasperation, the woman held up both her arms in some kind of surrender and followed the man as he stomped off.They werent having much fun.Little demons in theluggageWeve all been here, havent we? On a trip with our significant other. Perhaps an overdue vacation to get away, relax and recharge our engines. But then the plane is delayed, the oysters you ate didnt agree with you, and jet lag makes you both cranky.You argue about which show to see. He wants to sight-see and you want to shop. You get lost on that coastal drive and he left the sunscreen back in the gasthaus room. She did all the planning and is mad because he wants to hang at the bar.Before long, youre bickering. The little resentments that exist in all relationships are supposed to stay behind when we vacation, but sometimes they tag along, like little demons in the luggage.Its best to work out who is doing what before the vacation, and agree to compromise with one another. Give one another space to do what you want.Most importantly, whether traveling with your significant other or alone, theres one thing you can do that will prevent you from missing out on lifeLet go ofcontrol.Release thestressIts weird and counterintuitive, but things seem to go more smoothly when you give up control. When you let things happen naturally instead of trying to make things happen.You must learn to let go. Release the stress. You were never in control anyway.?- ?SteveMaraboliWhen I first arrived in Carmel for my brief, personal get-a-way, I felt strangely alone. A bit adrift.Im used to traveling with my wife and enjoying her company. While I looked forward to hours of gallery hopping, I found meals by myself were less enjoyable. I avoi ded expensive, fine restaurants. They seem less appealing when youre alone.Toward the end of the first day, I decided tolet goof all control and expectations and just immerse myself in the experience. When I did this, I started to relax more.I took my time in coffee shops, observing people and writing thoughts in my Moleskine notebook. I enjoyed long conversations with gallery owners and artists. I found myself reminiscing about the past, and family trips to Carmel when I was a boy.If you try to control every aspect of your life, youll miss out on a lot. Peace and serendipity seem to find you more when you let go and settle into themoments.A more peaceful state ofmindMy mini-vacation was a helpful break. While I missed my wife, son and dogs back home, the time alone allowed me to think and reflect. Time seemed to slow down. At night in my hotel room, I read for hours and filled pages in my notebook.On the last day, I left Carmel in my rental car to drive back to the airport in San J ose. I left early and found I had a few hours to kill.Having let go of any itinerary, I found myself driving through my childhood town of Los Gatos, and onward to the town of Saratoga. Without much thought, I drove to La Madronia cemetery, where my Dad and maternal grandparents are buried.It was a beautiful day, as I listened to the birds and felt the breeze blowing through the trees. Heres a short video capturing the moment in the cemetery.Had I carefully planned out my Carmel trip, I doubt I would have thought to visit the cemetery where my Dad is laid to rest. Im so glad I let go of control and allowed my short, personal vacation to meander and find its own way.Letting go helps us to live in a more peaceful state of mind and helps restore our balance. It allows others to be responsible for themselves and for us to take our hands off situations that do not belong to us. This frees us from unnecessary stress. -MelodyBeattieIf you keep trying to control everything in your life, if y ou dont learn how to let go and trust in the moments, then you might miss out on the magic of life.If youre on vacation and you take a wrong turn, why not see where the unexpected road leads? If your spouse orders the wrong meal, dont get mad. Go out on a limb and try the dish. You might discover something delicious.Explore moments as theyoccurObviously, we cant abandon all our responsibilities in life and just see what happens. But not everything requires control. Vacations (and life in general) can be more fun when we let go and open ourselves up to new experiences.Carving out personal time to slow down, stop planning and just explore moments as they occur, can calm our minds and allow new ideas and thoughts to percolate.For example, one Sunday afternoon I let go of my compulsion to plan and be productive. I started experimenting in my art studio, trying new techniques with my landscape painting. The result was the paintingReflections(featured at the top of this article) which sol d a few weeks after I painted it.Give it a try. Stop trying to control everything and just let go once in a while. Its incredibly freeing, you might discover new things, and a little bit of magic just might come into your life.Before yougoImJohn P. Weiss.I paint, draw cartoons and write about life. Thanks for reading.This article first appeared on Medium.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people

Top Customer Service Interview Questions

Top Customer Service Interview QuestionsTop Customer Service Interview QuestionsGreat customer tafelgeschirr is critical to any organizations efforts to maintain strong relationships with its clients. But theres mora to the job than meets the eye - just as theres more to asking the right interview questions for customer service than you might expect when youre hiring.Customer service representatives must be fast-thinking, flexible and diplomatic. Whats more, they must have excellent communication skills in order to walk people through solutions to complex challenges, and they must be creative problem-solvers. In addition, these individuals also often perform data entry and research ways to resolve problems brought to them by the companys clients. Its a skill set you wont discover in many people, which is why top-notch customer service employees can be hard to find.In fact, every year, research conducted for the 2019 OfficeTeam Salary Guide shows that customer service jobs are high o n the list of administrative positions in demand, in every region of the country. To attract the top job candidates, companies are paying midpoint salaries of $30,750 for customer service representatives, $38,000 for senior customer service representatives and $45,250 for customer service managers.Salaries vary from city to city, and market variances can be calculated using our Salary Calculator.Hiring managers cant afford to pick just anyone. They must ensure theyre landing the right people for the position. The following 26 customer service job interview questions will help your company evaluate job applicants and find the ones that best match your needsUse these interview questions for customer service to learn more about skills and experienceTell me about your previous work experience in customer service.What first drew you to customer service? What do you like best about it, and what do you find most challenging?What types of customer service systems have you used?How familiar are you with the systems we use?How much experience do you have with data entry?How would you characterize your communication style?Pose these interview questions to assess the applicants fit with your company cultureWhat do you know about this companys products and services?Have you tried our products and/or services? If so, what do you think of them?Why would you be a good fit for our company?What makes you the best candidate for this particular job?Need help hiring a customer service representative? Youve come to the right place. Let us help you find the right hire.REQUEST TALENTunterstellung job interview questions can help you learn about the applicants work styleHow do you measure your success as a customer service rep?What types of team structures have you worked with in the past? What team structure suits you the best?Tell me about a time you had to handle a major change in the approach to service at your company or had to adapt to a new teamberaterins style.Describe an expe rience in which you received feedback from a client, positive or negative, and how you changed your approach to the job in response.Tell me about a time at a previous job when you disagreed with a policy or decision regarding service at your organization. What did you do about it?How would you handle a conflict between coworkers? What about a conflict with your supervisor?Ask a question like these to find out more about the applicants approach to the jobIn your opinion, what is outstanding customer service?When you are calling clients, how do you start the conversation with them?Do you ever chat with clients, other than simply providing an answer to their query or solution to their issue? If so, what sort of things do you discuss?To do this job well, you need to be a good problem solver. Solve this situation for me My coffee maker stopped working this morning. How do I fix it?Give me an example of an instance in which you went the extra mile for a customer.Have you ever had to answe r queries from a client whose request you didnt fully understand? Explain how you resolved the situation.Tell me about a time when you encountered a patron who was extremely angry and/or upset. How did you handle it?Have you ever been unable to answer a clients question or solve a customers issue? What did you do? Provide details in your answer.Give me an example of an occasion when you didnt know the answer to a patrons question. How did you explain that, and how did you ultimately resolve it?If you had to decline a valued clients request, how would you do it?