US 10084840

US patent 10084840, titled "Social networking with video annotation", was issued on September 25, 2018, from an application filed on September 19, 2016. The current assignee is ART RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY LLC, and the inventors are David Hirschfeld, Barry Fernando, Mark C. Phelps, and Theodore V. Haig. [cite: The full patent text confirms these details]

Abstract:
A method and system for annotating Playable Media Files in a social network having a plurality of members is disclosed. The method includes receiving the Playable Media File from a first member, receiving an annotation from another member, and saving the annotation in a file other than the Playable Media File. [cite: The full patent text confirms these details]

Independent Claims Overview:

• Independent Claim 1 (Method Claim): This claim describes a method for creating and saving an annotation linked to a "Playable Media File" (which can be various audio or video file types). The method involves:

  1. Receiving the Playable Media File.
  2. Creating an annotation related to it.
  3. Sending the annotation to a network server.
  4. Sending a "data profile" to the network server, specifying where in the Playable Media File the annotation should be visible.
  5. The network server determines if this is the first annotation for that Playable Media File.
  6. If it's not the first annotation, the data profile is added to an existing "table of contents" for the Playable Media File.
  7. If it is the first annotation, the network server creates a new table of contents for the Playable Media File and adds the data profile to it.

• Independent Claim 12 (Article of Manufacture Claim): This claim describes an apparatus (an "article of manufacture") that includes a processor and a computer-readable medium. This medium contains computer program code designed to make the processor perform the same steps outlined in Independent Claim 1 for creating and saving an annotation associated with a Playable Media File.

• Independent Claim 23 (Non-Transitory Computer Usable Medium Claim): This claim describes a non-transitory computer usable medium (like a hard drive or flash memory) that is encoded with a computer program product. This program product contains computer readable program code that, when executed by a programmable computer processor, causes the processor to perform the same steps as detailed in Independent Claim 1 for creating and saving an annotation associated with a Playable Media File.

CAFC 2026 Dockets:
A search for "CAFC 2026 dockets 10084840" did not return any specific results regarding litigation for patent 10084840 in the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) dockets for 2026. The provided patent information on Google Patents notes that the family has litigation in the California Northern District Court and a PTAB case (IPR2025-01403, which is procedurally terminated), but no specific CAFC cases for 2026 are immediately apparent from the provided text or the search results. [cite: The full patent text lists litigation, but not specifically CAFC 2026]