USB inventor Ajay V. Bhatt Wins 2013 European Inventor Award

AMSTERDAM, May 28, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

• Ajay V. Bhatt & team win European "Technology Oscar" in "Non-European Countries" category
• Honouring invention of Universal Serial Bus (USB)
• USB replaced competing plug designs, made plug-and-play a reality
• "Invention that triggered true progress, and helps us making the most of out digital technology" said Benoît Battistelli, President of the European Patent Office

Ajay V. Bhatt, the Indian-born US researcher won the European Inventor Award 2013 presented by the European Patent Office (EPO) in the Non-European countries category for leading a team of computer experts at Intel that developed USB technology. Out of a group of 15 nominees from 11 countries, he is one of five Award winners announced today. Mr Bhatt received the award today at a ceremony in Amsterdam in the presence of Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands and 500 international guests

Bhatt's achievement: Making easy computer connections "universal"

He won the prize together with his team consisting of, Bala Cadambi, Jeff Morriss, Shelagh Callahan, and Shaun Knoll for inventing the USB technology. Frustrated with the process of reconfiguring and rebooting the computer while installing a printer for his wife's computer, Bhatt decided to create a connection interface that would recognize and run new devices automatically when they were plugged into a computer -  the idea of the Universal Serial Bus was born: The USB interface works by 'translating' the different signals from peripherals and delivering them into one centralized message stream to the computer's operating system,

 "Ajaj V. Bhatt helped greatly simplify the way we interact with computers today. To get all the different devices to understand each other is example of technological progress that is really benefitting our life by making it easier. It helps us making the most of out digital technology and enjoying its advantages", said Benoît Battistelli, President of the European Patent Office, at today's announcement of the five winners.  

Bhatt's invention is now found in billions of electronic devices the world over. USB not only allows users easy connections of computers with webcams, smartphones and even complex scientific instruments. It also streamlines work for hardware and software developers.

15 nominees from 11 countries; 5 winners in 5 categories

The winners of the 2013 European Inventor Award in the other four categories are: Category Industry: Claus Hämmerle and Klaus Brüstle, Austria, for the invention of a damping furniture hinge that became the global industry standard, and allows the smooth closing of drawers and kitchen cabinets; Category Research: Patrick Couvreur, France, for using nano-technology to create tiny capsules that allow anti-cancer drugs to be transported straight to diseased cells, where they take action without harming healthy tissue; Category SMEs: Pål Nyrén, Sweden, for the invention of pyrosequencing, a technique that has made DNA analysis easier, faster and radically less expensive, thereby paving the way for "personalized" medical treatment of serious illnesses. Category Lifetime Achievement: Martin Schadt, Switzerland, for the invention of Liquid Crystal Displays (LCDs). The Popular Prize went to José Luis López Gómez, Spain, for his invention a unique 'independent guided' wheel design rather than a standard axle on high-speed passenger trains.

For more details about the European Inventor Award 2013 please visit http://www.epo-presschannel.com

For TV films and footage please visit http://www.hellosports.com/inventions

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SOURCE European Patent Office (EPO)