Should RDRAM never gain the wide acceptance the company had hoped for, Rambus' patent claims are an attempt to ensure the company gets a piece of the action through royalty payments, no matter what type of memory takes hold, whether SDRAM, DDR or its preferred RDRAM.

FORBES: Rambus Patent Army Marches On

The patent gets even more creative, suggesting customization options similar to how people assign a variety of ring tones for different contacts and whether the incoming signal is a call, text or alert.

FORBES: Nokia's Buzzy New Patent: A Tattoo That Vibrates When Your Phone Rings