North Andover, Mass.—Schneider Electric Automation began publicly auctioning on Jan. 10 its U. S. Patent No. 5,038,318, entitled "Device for Communicating Real-Time Data Between a Programmable Logic Controller and a Program Operating in a Central Controller," and foreign counterpart patents.

This offer is proposed as a unique solution to thousands of companies currently employing this critical technology pioneered and patented by Schneider. These patents reserve rights to a technology that controls the interface between spreadsheets and factory automation equipment including DDE servers and OPC servers, which are software packages that provide the "glue" between Microsoft Excel and Lotus 1-2-3 and programmable logic controllers.

Confidential bid packages are available from PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP at www.ipex.net/schneider.asp. The dollar amounts of bids are listed on PricewaterhouseCoopers' Intellectual Property Exchange (IPEX) at the same web site, which allows bidders to track the auction's progress. Bidding opened Jan. 10, 2001 and closes March 9, 2001.

No bids had been received as of Jan. 24, 2001.