Start with the Historical Story

The main archive is organised into Sections 1 through 19. These sections follow the development of the architecture created by Richard Baker from its early origins, through patent activity, technical and commercial developments, later products and technologies, and the litigation that followed.

A reader approaching FINALSTEP for the first time may find it easiest to begin with Section 1 and continue in order. Each section is intended to build upon the material that came before it.

Commentary and Evidence Are Kept Separate

One of the central editorial principles of FINALSTEP is to distinguish the historical commentary from the underlying documentary record.

The written sections explain context, chronology and significance. Where supporting material has been preserved, evidence links are provided separately so that readers can open and examine the source documents themselves.

This separation is intentional. A document may establish that a filing, delivery, communication, demonstration or other event occurred without, by itself, establishing every conclusion that may later be argued from that event.

Use the Evidence Links

Many sections contain links identified as documentary evidence. These links open selected public source material preserved within the FINALSTEP evidence archive.

Depending on the section, the evidence may include patent documents, correspondence, court records, delivery records, technical material, commercial records, photographs, video demonstrations or other historical documents.

Readers are encouraged to examine the evidence directly rather than relying only upon the accompanying description.

Read Evidence for What It Establishes

FINALSTEP aims to describe documentary material according to what the document itself objectively records.

For example, a delivery record may establish delivery to an identified recipient. A patent-office record may establish that a document was filed or received. A video may show what a publicly demonstrated product did. A court document may record a party's allegation, argument, decision or procedural event.

Those different forms of evidence should not automatically be treated as proof of matters beyond what they actually record.

Patent and Litigation Material

Some parts of the archive concern patents, patent prosecution and litigation. These materials should be read carefully according to their role in the historical record.

Patent documents may record claimed inventions, examination history, prior-art citations, amendments, official actions and other procedural events. Litigation documents may contain allegations, infringement contentions, legal arguments, expert positions, judicial decisions or appellate material.

Where FINALSTEP describes a position advanced during litigation, that position should be understood as part of the litigation record rather than automatically as an independent finding of fact.

Commercial Products and Demonstrations

The archive also preserves material showing later commercial technologies and products, including public demonstrations and market-related evidence.

These materials can help readers understand what technologies became capable of doing as sensing, computing and communications systems advanced.

Where a commercial product is discussed in connection with patent litigation, the historical demonstration of what the product publicly showed or did is kept conceptually separate from any legal contention concerning infringement.

Follow the Chronology

The significance of many individual documents becomes clearer when they are read in sequence.

A communication may be followed by a patent filing. A filing may be followed by an examination record. A commercial development may later appear in litigation. For that reason, FINALSTEP generally preserves the chronology rather than presenting isolated documents without historical context.

Readers who wish to examine one particular subject can still move directly to a relevant section, but the surrounding sections may provide important context.

Reach Your Own Conclusions

FINALSTEP preserves Richard Baker's historical account together with the supporting record assembled over many years.

The archive does not require a reader to accept every interpretation simply because it appears in the commentary. Wherever practical, selected underlying documents are provided so that readers can examine the record, compare the chronology and form their own view.

That principle is particularly important where the archive deals with patent, commercial and litigation history.

FINALSTEP as a Historical Reference

The purpose of FINALSTEP is not only to tell a story, but to preserve a structured historical record of the development of the architecture created by Richard Baker and the events that followed.

The archive is therefore intended to be useful both to readers following the story from beginning to end and to future researchers looking for particular documents, dates, technologies, companies, patent records or court material.