US 10380873

US patent 10380873, titled "Interactive wireless life safety communications system," was invented by Michael Halverson. The current assignee is Ricmic LLC. The patent has a filing date of April 16, 2019, and an issue date of August 13, 2019.

Abstract:
The patent describes an interactive wireless life safety communications system. It includes a central coordination server connected to a first network, which in turn links to at least one resident life safety device. These devices, associated with a specific location or resident, generate and transmit an alarm signal upon detecting an alarm condition to the central server. A separate second communications network connects the central server to multiple caregiver communications devices. These caregiver devices receive alarm notifications from the central server and accept user input. From this input, a caregiver acceptance response is generated and sent to the central server, indicating that a caregiver is responding to an alarm.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims:

• Claim 1 (System Claim): This claim describes a physical system designed for assisted care facilities. It involves:

  • Resident life safety devices (like motion detectors or pull cords) connected via a first network to a central server. These devices send an alarm signal when a problem is detected.
  • Caregiver communication devices (e.g., tablets or smartphones) linked to the same central server via a different second network.
  • When an alarm occurs, the central server sends a notification to all caregiver devices.
  • Caregivers can then use their devices to send an "acceptance response," signaling they are responding.
  • Critically, when one caregiver accepts, all other caregiver devices are automatically updated to show who is responding, but the alarm notification itself remains active until the alarm condition is physically cleared at the resident's location.
  • The system also records all these responses for tracking.

• Claim 14 (System Claim): This claim is similar to Claim 1 but focuses on the central coordination server's role in receiving alarm signals from resident safety devices and interacting with caregiver devices over a communications network. Key elements include:

  • A central coordination server that receives alarm signals from resident life safety devices (associated with a location or resident) when an alarm condition is detected.
  • Multiple caregiver communication devices, each linked to a specific caregiver and connected to the central server via a communications network.
  • These caregiver devices receive alarm notifications and accept caregiver input.
  • A "caregiver acceptance response," generated from caregiver input, is transmitted to the central server, indicating a caregiver is responding.
  • Upon receipt of this acceptance response, all caregiver devices are automatically updated to show the responding caregiver, and the alarm notification stays active.
  • Once the alarm condition is cleared at the resident life safety device, the central server updates all caregiver devices to indicate the alarm is cleared.
  • The central server records the acceptance response, the responding caregiver's identity, and the associated alarm notification.

• Claim 15 (Method Claim): This claim outlines a step-by-step process for coordinating caregiver responses to alerts in an assisted care facility, performed by the central coordination server. The method involves:

  • Receiving an alarm signal from a resident life safety device (which detected an alarm condition at a specific location or for a resident).
  • Transmitting an alarm notification to multiple caregiver communication devices in response to the received alarm signal.
  • Receiving a "caregiver acceptance response" from a caregiver's device, which signifies that a particular caregiver is responding to the alarm.
  • Automatically updating all caregiver devices to show that the identified caregiver is responding, while keeping the original alarm notification active.
  • Updating all caregiver devices to indicate that the alarm condition is cleared once it has been addressed at the resident life safety device.
  • Recording the acceptance response, the responding caregiver's identification, and the details of the alarm notification.

CAFC 2026 Dockets Search:
A search of CAFC 2026 dockets for patent number 10380873 did not yield any direct results indicating active litigation specifically within the CAFC dockets for the year 2026 as of the current date. However, Google Patents notes that the patent family has litigation, with multiple US cases filed in various District Courts (Texas Eastern, Florida Middle, California Southern), but these are not specifically CAFC 2026 dockets.

https://portal.unifiedpatents.com/litigation/California%20Southern%20District%20Court/case/3%3A22-cv-00190
https://portal.unifiedpatents.com/litigation/Florida%20Middle%20District%20Court/case/6%3A24-cv-00893
https://portal.unifiedpatents.com/litigation/Texas%20Eastern%20District%20Court/case/2%3A25-cv-00586
https://patents.google.com/patent/[US10380873](/patent/US10380873)/en