[Fedora-legal-list] question about patent

[robert song]

Hello, everyone.
Now I am using Pettis-Hansen method as follows to reorder functions.
http://www.cs.virginia.edu/kim/courses/cs771/papers/pettis90profile.pdf

But I found that the algorithm has its patent as below.
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/EP0459192.html

So if I use this algorithm in my codes, it will infringe the HP patent.
Does it mean that this algorithm can not be used in codes ?
Is there any method to solve this problem ?

Best wishes,
robert