[Openec] Patented NiMH charging algorithm

[Richard A. Smith]

Rafael Enrique Ortiz Guerrero wrote:
> 
> that really sucks...i know a little chemistry  but not too much to 
> completely understand the chemistry/algorithm integration.

So here in China I've had a discussion with David Woodhouse about this 
NiMh issue.  Seems I was not quite correct when I said that you can't 
have an open implementation of patented code.  You can.  You just can't 
_use_ it unless you have a license.  GoldPeak is going to give OLPC 
license to use the technology,  so if someone were to produce open code 
that did the algorithm OLPC could use that.

Previously I thought OLPC would be allowed to provide detailed 
information on the long life NiMh (LLNMH).  But I think this is no 
longer true.  I'm working with GoldPeak to figure out what and how much 
info we can release.

So if a LLNMH algorithm is to be produced it will probably have to be 
reverse engineered from what ever we are allowed to release and from the 
existing EC binary.

-- 
Richard Smith  <richard at laptop.org>
One Laptop Per Child