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Note that in the U.S. you can pretty much patent anything, no matter how non-sensical or untenable the patent is. I heard there is no research by the patent office on originality or correctness (except for perpetual-motion machines, where you have to provie a working model), like there is in most European countries. You pay the fee, you get the patent, that's it. The system is based on the idea that invalid patents will be challenged in court, and the court will then decide if the patent is upheld or not. So the fact that a U.S. patent exists for something doesn't prove a whole lot. It might just mean that no one felt the need to challenge it, despite the fact that it was total nonsense, or was done before by others.