Microsoft gets its 10,000th U.S. patent

From InfoWorld: Microsoft is marking on Tuesday the recent awarding of its 10,000th U.S. patent, granted for its surface computing technology.

U.S. Patent No. 7,479,950 outlines how users can place objects, ranging from cell phones to fingers, on the surface computer's table-like display and the computer will identify the objects and track their position, orientation, and motion, Microsoft said. This allows objects to be associated with data or media, such as a collection of music or photos.

Microsoft was granted 2,000 patents in 2008, ranking it fourth among companies receiving U.S. patents, Microsoft said. The company spends about $8 billion a year on research and development.

"Most technology companies, Microsoft included, have been increasing their emphasis on IP in recent years, trying to derive greater business value from their intellectual assets," said Bart Eppenauer, chief patent counsel for Microsoft, in a statement released by the company.

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