nest labs …. building a patent “nest egg”
It was always a hard sell for both young companies and sole inventors; patents can become more valuable when you develop a portfolio.
There are always business considerations for sure. The saying “cash is king” may have come from the investment world but it is equally applicable to early stage businesses. Yet, if resources permit a portfolio is the way to go.
Now nest. Almost exactly one year ago there was nothing published at the USPTO with “nest labs” as the assignee. It was then that ned posted some early thoughts on possible nest patent applications. Then the first one came out on March 15, 2012 and ned took a look. Now there are 23 published patent applications at the USPTO. A scant seven and a half months between zero and 23. With a quick scan of the titles one sees work in the areas of the user interface, power management, communications, modeling, thermostat circuitry and “Thermostat Wiring Connector”. Nest is building a portfolio for sure, one touching aspects of software, methods of operation and hardware.
Wow.