Patenticulars

Going round in circles on Pi Day: A short quiz for all!  

Much to the delight of mathematical minds, 14 March is celebrated as “Pi Day” — a tribute to one of the most intriguing numbers that has fascinated us for thousands of years.   

Pi (represented by the Greek letter π) refers to the constant ratio between the circumference of a circle and its diameter. It is an irrational number, meaning that its decimal representation never ends and never repeats in a predictable pattern.  Approximations of Pi are 22/7, 355/113 or, in decimal notation, 3.14159. So, it is not surprising that 14 March — 3.14 — was chosen to represent Pi.

Adding to the significance of this date, 14 March is closely linked to two renowned masterminds: it marks the birthday of Albert Einstein and the anniversary of Stephen Hawkings’ passing. 

Pi Day: A tasty tradition

In honour of Pi Day, many celebrate by eating pie — a reference to wordplay and the round shape on which the mathematical concept is based. Patent Knowledge News, however, will mark the occasion differently with a short fun quiz on IP rights that are either related to Pi itself or to 14 March.  

You can find the answers further below.

Are you ready? Let’s start:

Question 1: 

In 2015, a patent application was published in Canada for a method of determining Pi. Search for this document in Espacenet and answer the following questions: 

a) Who was the applicant?  
b) Was the patent granted?

Question 2: 

Pi has not only captured the hearts of scientists, it has also inspired designers around the globe. Can you find and industrial design for a “pi illustration display device”?  Search for this document in Espacenet and answer the following questions:

a) In what country was the design granted?  
b) What is the kind code of the published design?

Question 3: 

This question is not about Pi, but about the auspicious date of 14 March. What famous patent was granted (and published) on this date in 1899? Perhaps a drawing of the invention below will give you a clue…