Did HAZE allow you to do this in split screen local co-op?  Has any game actually done this before (allowed seamless joining/leaving of a co-op player in a SPLIT-SCREEN LOCAL CO-OP mode without saving and restarting)?

I'm pretty sure that in Europe the patenting of software is much more restrictive in US - i.e. you can't patent a vague technique, you have to have detailed code that is demonstrably unique and your own product.  I could be wrong, but from my days in (commercial) software I seem to remember this was the case.

From the descriptions with this patent it does seem pretty vague and I'm not sure would be upheld in Europe.

Personally I think current US patent law for SW is too lose, allowing for attempts to try and gain restrictive control via pretty vague descriptions.  But hey, I'm European, and tend to lean more towards heavier controls of commercial companies and their business practices.

yes, well warhawk did, i dont know about Haze , also Little big planet did it.

Hmm I see some differences to Warhawk and Little Big Planet.

First off LBP doesn't use splitscreen.
Then Warhawk is an online game, but this new feature is about AI partners who will be replaced by a joining human player and when he leaves the AI takes over the character again. Everything without loading.

Blah. With the amount of stuff being patented, it's probably easier to just violate the patent, and the kill anyone who tries to sue you. In the end, you're preventing overpopulation at least.

thats also Left 4 Dead

Yes...  Ofc Split Screen is awesome =D But why patent it?

and resident evil 5.

if your partner left, you are leave with a AI controlling his character with his weapon... though on the next chapter u have to equip her/him again.

But AFAIK when a player joins, the game goes back to the equipment menu and then you have to reload the chapter.

I can't even remember how it was in L4D. I played it co-op several times, but a friend never joined or leaved the game in an active session.

Well I just asked my friend that is in his 3rd year at the university of chicago law school to be a a patent lawyer and according to him your wrong. The original inventor must make an attempt to patent his invention within 5 to 6 months of invention. Under almost no circumstances can the original inventor not patent his invention for a year and then file a case against a competitor that patents his invention. So in your frisbee case yes if I did not patent the frisbee within those 5 years someone else can come and patent the design and I will lose my product.

Also making money off of a invention you have not pattented and then trying to patent it later severely weakens your case in a court of law. So basically every thing I have been saying is correct. Your clearly a bright individual but in this instance your just wrong, I'm sorry.