Yesterday, I saw the entry on the USPTO website under patent number 6598148 that Patent Expired Due to non payment of Maintenance fees under 37CFR1.362. This morning I spoke with a petition examiner at the patent office and was told that form SB66 may be completed and submitted with $$$ for the PTO to decide if this petition will be honored. I will be happy to provide anyone who asks with the name of the Petition examiner and her phone number.

Don't shoot the messenger, I am just passing along information that I saw on the USPTO website and heard from a petition examiner. You'd think the PTO and/or Chuck Moore would know whether the patent expired for any other reason other than failure to pay maintenance fees.