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中国特許審査指南 第2部第9章5.2
昨日の続き。中国特許審査指南(審査基準)より。ソフトウェア関連の参考クレームが記載されている。
ディスプレイ上のキャラクタのカーソルによる制御に関するもの。
下記[Example 1]は、方法クレームによってコンピュータソフトウェアに関する特許を請求する場合の参考のクレームである。
As references, the following are examples of inventions relating to computer programs, which are drafted as process claim and apparatus claim respectively.
[Example 1]
The independent claim of a patent application for invention, entitled “the cursor control of the characters on the CRT screen”, may be drafted as the following process claim:
A method for controlling the characters on the CRT screen by a cursor, comprising:
the inputting step for inputting information;
the step of storing the starting position addresses of the horizontal movement and vertical movement of the cursor into a H/V starting position memory unit;
the step of storing the designation addresses of the horizontal movement and vertical movement of the cursor into a H/V designation memory unit;
the step of storing the horizontal and vertical addresses of the current position of the cursor into a cursor position memory unit; and
characterized by further including:
the step of comparing the current horizontal and vertical addresses of the cursor stored in the said cursor position memory unit with the corresponding horizontal and vertical designation addresses stored in the H/V designation memory unit respectively;
the step of transformation of the cursor position controlled by the output signal from the said inputting keyboard and output signal of the said comparator, which may select the following performances:
increment as a single character position to the horizontal and vertical addresses stored in the cursor position memory unit; or
decrement as a single character position from the horizontal and vertical addresses stored in the cursor position memory unit; or
setting the horizontal and vertical starting position addresses stored in H/V starting position memory unit to cursor position memory unit;
the step of cursor display, in which the current position of the cursor on the screen is displayed according to the memory state of the cursor position memory unit.
英訳時の問題と思われる部分(the step of comparingをthe said comparatorなどで受けているなど)があるが、とりあえず細かいことは気にせずに。「OR」による択一的な表現もある程度認められる。
中国ではクレームは、プリアンブルと特徴部分(characterized by..)とに分けて記載すること。
以下の[Example 2]は、装置クレームによってコンピュータソフトウェアに関する特許を請求する場合。
[Example 2]
The claim of the patent application for invention described in example 1, which relates to a computer program, is drafted as an apparatus claim.
A cursor controller for CRT screen, comprising:
an inputting means for inputting information;
the H/V starting point memory means for storing the starting position addresses of the horizontal movement and vertical movement of the cursor;
the H/V designation memory means for storing the designation addresses of the horizontal movement and vertical movement of the cursor;
a cursor position memory means for storing the horizontal and vertical addresses of the current position of the cursor; and
characterized by further including:
a comparator for respectively comparing the current horizontal and vertical addresses of the cursor stored in the said cursor position memory means with corresponding horizontal and vertical designation
addresses stored in the H/V designation memory means;
a cursor position transformation means controlled by the output signal from the said inputting keyboard and the output signal from the comparator, which includes:
means for increasing as a single character position the horizontal and vertical addresses stored in the cursor position memory means; or
means for decreasing as a single character position from the horizontal and vertical addresses stored in the cursor position memory means; or
means for setting the horizontal and vertical starting position addresses stored in the H/V starting position memory means to the cursor position memory means;
a cursor display means which displays the current position of the cursor on the screen according to the memory state of the cursor position memory means.
基本的には、方法の各ステップを「means」にすることでも装置クレームとして成立する。
但し、日本語の「手段」は、中国では、「方法」と「装置」の両者のニュアンスを含む概念である。それを理解していないと、誤訳や現地代理人との議論の齟齬が生じやすいので留意を要する。(よくよく考えると一般用語では、「means」も「手段」も、「方法」の概念を含むので、特許用語として用いられている「手段」の語が特殊なのだと思います。)
また、機能的クレームについて審査指南第2部2章3.2.2に記載が許される場合が定められている。
上記例によると、装置クレームでも、「OR」による択一的な表現が認められることとなっている。
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Post Author: tsubakipat