I have to see the actual patenent from what I know you can not patenent an Idea or a number or letter. that is why Intel started naming there processors they lost a huge law suet aganst AMD when AMD use intels specs to form a processor chip. AMD won the law suet were told to be very carful. Intel was told that they could not patenent a number leter or an idea. You can patenent a process of construction or a design. Not all US patenents are valid in Canada they have to be registered in Canada to be recognised. When you applie for a patenent you have to list all countries that you want it registered in or someone can use your design and make one of their own. My father has been involved in patenents before it can be a huge night mare ever if the wording is not just right. As apple found out when microsoft stole the windows concept from them. Apple thought that their patenent for their computer also covered the operating system. The wording was there but it was not clear so microsoft was alowed to keep their version of windows which was exactly the same as apples. microsoft patenented it and now we have a operating system ment to work with an IBM processor not an intel chip. back during the battle for the operating system of the future there was some thing like 10 different operating systems.

Bill