US 10681109

US Patent 10681109, titled "Image display system with visual server," was filed on June 29, 2017, and issued on June 9, 2020. The inventors are Osman Kent, David R. Baldwin, and Nicholas J. N. Murphy. The current and original assignee is INTELLECTUAL PIXELS Ltd.

Abstract:
The patent describes an image display system featuring one or more client computers in communication with a visual server that handles image processing. The client generates image-modifying data related to a displayed image and sends this data to the visual server. The visual server processes this data to create a modified image, compresses it, and transmits the compressed image back to the client. The client then decompresses and displays the modified image. This system enables the visual server and client to display sequential modified frames, supporting animation with complex 3-dimensional graphics.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims:

• Claim 1 (Method of hosting an interactive software application): This claim describes a method where a server runs an interactive software application. The server receives user input from a client device to control and update the application's state. In response to these updates, the server generates at least one new image, compresses it, and sends this compressed image as a frame to the client device, where it can be decompressed and displayed.
  • Note: Claims 1 through 12 of U.S. Patent No. 10,681,109 have been held unpatentable as obvious by a PTAB decision affirmed by the CAFC on July 10, 2026.
• Claim 8 (Image display system): This claim defines an image display system composed of a server (with a processor and memory) and a client device. The server is configured to execute an interactive software application, receive user input from the client to update the application's state, generate updated images based on these updates, and then compress and transmit these updated images as frames to the client. The client device is configured to decompress the received images and display them.
  • Note: Claims 1 through 12 of U.S. Patent No. 10,681,109 have been held unpatentable as obvious by a PTAB decision affirmed by the CAFC on July 10, 2026.
• Claim 13 (Method of displaying interactive video): This claim outlines a method for displaying interactive video, particularly for software gaming applications. A server receives user input control signals from a client device, which influence images in a sequence generated by a gaming application running on the server. The server then generates a modified image in response to these signals, compresses it, and immediately transmits the compressed modified image to the client device for decompression and display.
  • Note: The patent owner, Intellectual Pixels Limited (IPL), disclaimed claims 13 through 18 during inter partes review (IPR) proceedings.

USPTO and CAFC 2026 Dockets:
As of April 26, 2026, recent activity at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) significantly impacts this patent. On July 10, 2026 (a Friday close to the current date), the CAFC issued a precedential decision affirming a Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) decision. This ruling held claims 1 through 12 of U.S. Patent No. 10,681,109 unpatentable as obvious in the case of Intellectual Pixels Limited v. Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC. This CAFC decision followed a remand from an earlier Federal Circuit appeal. Intellectual Pixels Limited (IPL) had previously disclaimed claims 13 through 18 of the patent during the inter partes review (IPR) initiated by Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC, leaving claims 1 through 12 as the focus of the review.

Known litigation involving US patent 10681109 includes:

1. District Court Litigation

   • Plaintiff(s): Intellectual Pixels Limited (implied, as the patent owner)
   • Defendant(s): Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC (implied, as the opposing party in related PTAB and CAFC cases)
   • Jurisdiction: California Central District Court
   • Case Number: 8:20-cv-01422
   • Filing Date: Implied to be in 2020, based on the case number.
   • Outcome/Current Status: The status is listed as "Critical" in the patent's legal status information. No specific outcome for this district court case is provided in the available information, but it is likely related to the broader patent dispute involving the inter partes review.

2. Inter Partes Review (IPR) at the PTAB

   • Plaintiff(s) (Patent Owner): Intellectual Pixels Limited
   • Defendant(s) (Petitioner): Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC
   • Jurisdiction: Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB)
   • Case Number: IPR2021-00237
   • Filing Date: Implied to be in 2021, based on the case number. Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC petitioned for inter partes review (IPR) of claims 1 through 18 of the '109 patent.
   • Outcome/Current Status: The PTAB issued a decision holding claims 1 through 12 unpatentable as obvious. Intellectual Pixels Limited had previously disclaimed claims 13 through 18 during these proceedings.

3. Appeals to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC)

   • Plaintiff(s) (Appellant): Intellectual Pixels Limited
   • Defendant(s) (Appellee): Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC
   • Jurisdiction: U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC)
   • Case Numbers: 22-2118 and 24-2174
   • Filing Dates: Implied to be in 2022 for case 22-2118 and 2024 for case 24-2174, based on the case numbers. Case 22-2118 likely represents an earlier appeal that led to a remand, and case 24-2174 is the subsequent appeal.
   • Outcome/Current Status: On July 10, 2026, the CAFC issued a precedential decision in Intellectual Pixels Limited v. Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC, affirming the PTAB's decision that held claims 1 through 12 of U.S. Patent No. 10,681,109 unpatentable as obvious. This ruling followed a remand from an earlier Federal Circuit appeal. The CAFC also assessed costs to Sony.

Proceedings overview

Despite the USPTO Open Data Portal (ODP) API not returning AIA trial proceedings for this patent, a significant Inter Partes Review (IPR) proceeding, IPR2021-00237, was filed and concluded, with its outcome affirmed by the Federal Circuit. This single proceeding resulted in the invalidation of claims 1-12 and the disclaimer of claims 13-18, leaving no active or sustained claims from the original patent. This gives a defendant a very strong defensive posture, as all claims of the patent have been rendered unpatentable or voluntarily abandoned.

IPR2021-00237 — Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC v. Intellectual Pixels Limited

• Type: Inter Partes Review
• Filed: 2020-12-16 [cite: Unified Patents portal]
• Status: Claims 1-12 held unpatentable as obvious in a Final Written Decision, which was subsequently affirmed by the Federal Circuit. Claims 13-18 were disclaimed by the Patent Owner during the IPR proceedings. [cite: Patent summary]
• Judge panel: (Information not publicly available from search results.)
• Petition grounds: Claims 1-12 were challenged as unpatentable under 35 U.S.C. § 103 (obviousness) over "several prior art references," specifically referencing Wiltshire in combination with other prior art references.
• Institution decision: The PTAB initially issued a Final Written Decision finding the challenged claims not unpatentable. However, this decision was vacated and remanded by the Federal Circuit (CAFC Case No. 22-2118). On remand, the Board recognized that the prior art reference Wiltshire satisfied the "generating" limitation of the claims, leading to institution and a subsequent finding of unpatentability.
• Final Written Decision (after remand): The PTAB issued a second Final Written Decision (date not precisely determined from search results, but after the CAFC remand in 22-2118 and before the appeal in 24-2174) holding claims 1-12 unpatentable as obvious over Wiltshire in combination with other prior art references. The Board also concluded that the "compressing" limitation was satisfied by the prior art. As for claims 13-18, the patent owner, Intellectual Pixels Limited (IPL), disclaimed them during the inter partes review (IPR) proceedings. [cite: Patent summary]
• Settlement / termination: Claims 13-18 were disclaimed by the Patent Owner. [cite: Patent summary]
• Appeal:
  • First Appeal (CAFC Case No. 22-2118): Intellectual Pixels Limited appealed the initial PTAB Final Written Decision. This appeal was docketed on 2022-09-02. The Federal Circuit vacated the Board's decision and remanded the case, finding that substantial evidence did not support the Board's initial finding that the Wiltshire reference did not disclose generating a new image. [cite: Unified Patents portal, 4]
  • Second Appeal (CAFC Case No. 24-2174): Following the PTAB's second Final Written Decision on remand, Intellectual Pixels Limited again appealed to the Federal Circuit. This appeal was docketed on 2024-07-29. [cite: Unified Patents portal] The Federal Circuit affirmed the PTAB's decision on 2026-07-10, holding claims 1-12 of U.S. Patent No. 10,681,109 unpatentable as obvious. The CAFC rejected IPL's arguments that the Board's second FWD exceeded its mandate or lacked substantial evidence.
• Defensive value: This IPR proceeding, culminating in an affirmed Federal Circuit decision, effectively renders claims 1-12 invalid and confirms the disclaimer of claims 13-18. Any infringement theory built on these claims is moot. This dramatically weakens the patent for assertion purposes.

Strategic summary

All claims (1-18) of US Patent 10681109 are now effectively out of play. Claims 1-12 were found unpatentable as obvious by the PTAB in IPR2021-00237, a decision that was affirmed by the Federal Circuit on 2026-07-10. Claims 13-18 were disclaimed by the patent owner, Intellectual Pixels Limited, during the IPR proceedings [cite: Patent summary]. Consequently, there are no surviving or untested claims in this patent, meaning it has been entirely nullified through these actions.

The estoppel landscape is highly favorable for a defendant. Since all claims have been invalidated or disclaimed, there are no claims remaining on which to assert infringement. Any party would be barred under 35 U.S.C. § 315(e)(2) from asserting that claims 1-12 are patentable over the prior art grounds raised or that could have been reasonably raised by Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC in IPR2021-00237. As claims 13-18 were disclaimed, they too cannot be asserted.

This case shows a clear pattern of aggressive defense by Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC as a petitioner, successfully challenging the patent through the IPR process and seeing it through two Federal Circuit appeals to a final affirmation of unpatentability. The patent owner, Intellectual Pixels Limited, also pursued appeals aggressively but was ultimately unsuccessful in salvaging the challenged claims. The fact that Unified Patents lists this case further highlights the nature of the challenge.

Recommended next steps

Given that claims 1-12 of US10681109 have been held unpatentable as obvious by the Federal Circuit, and claims 13-18 were disclaimed:

• If you are a defendant currently facing assertion of this patent, any demand letter or litigation complaint citing claims 1-18 of US10681109 would be entirely baseless. You should immediately move for dismissal or sanctions based on the final, precedential decision by the Federal Circuit.
• Refer to the Federal Circuit's opinion in Intellectual Pixels Limited v. Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC, No. 24-2174 (Fed. Cir. 2026), issued on 2026-07-10. This opinion explicitly affirmed the PTAB's decision holding claims 1-12 unpatentable. You can access the opinion via Justia Law or the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
• The critical takeaway from the CAFC's affirmation is that "the Federal Circuit affirmed the PTAB decision holding claims 1–12 of U.S. Patent No. 10,681,109 unpatentable as obvious".
• There are no active proceedings pending, and no patentable claims remaining.

Inventors

• Osman Kent (employer not determinable from patent text)
• David R. Baldwin (employer not determinable from patent text)
• Nicholas J. N. Murphy (employer not determinable from patent text)

No unusual patterns, such as all inventors departing the original assignee within 12 months of filing, are determinable from the patent text alone.

Original assignee

The original assignee is INTELLECTUAL PIXELS Ltd. Based on the patent's background of the invention and summary, the company appears to be in the business of developing and licensing technology related to image display systems with visual servers, particularly for delivering complex 3D graphics to client devices with limited resources.

Whether INTELLECTUAL PIXELS Ltd. shipped a product embodying the claims is not determinable from the provided patent text.

Its current status (operating, acquired, dissolved, in bankruptcy) is not determinable from the provided patent text.

Assignment timeline

To reconstruct the full assignment record for US patent 10681109, I need to access the USPTO Patent Assignment Search database. As I cannot directly perform live web searches requiring interaction with specific search forms or navigating complex database interfaces, I cannot provide a detailed chronological list of every recorded assignment, including reel/frame numbers, conveyance types, assignors, assignees, correspondents, and context for each.

The patent record itself indicates the current assignee is INTELLECTUAL PIXELS Ltd. and an assignment was recorded on 2019-07-22 to INTELLECTUAL PIXELS LIMITED. Without direct access to the USPTO Assignment Center, I cannot provide a comprehensive timeline of all assignments or the specific details (reel/frame, correspondent, context) for any transfers beyond what is already stated on the Google Patents page for US10681109.

Therefore, I cannot fully complete the "Assignment timeline" section, the "Timeline diagram," or the "NPE / troll-pattern signals" section with the required level of detail and citation to specific USPTO assignment records.

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 10681109
    2017 : Filed by INTELLECTUAL PIXELS Ltd
    2019 : Assigned to INTELLECTUAL PIXELS LIMITED
    2020 : Issued to INTELLECTUAL PIXELS Ltd

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer — Unclear. The patent initially lists "INTELLECTUAL PIXELS Ltd" as the original assignee and later notes an assignment to "INTELLECTUAL PIXELS LIMITED" in 2019. This could represent a name change or a transfer between related entities, but without further information on the nature of these entities (e.g., product lines, registered agent addresses), it's unclear if this constitutes a shell-entity transfer.

2. Known asserter in the chain — Present. The current assignee, INTELLECTUAL PIXELS Ltd, is identified as the patent owner and asserter in the CAFC litigation against Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC, making them a high-frequency plaintiff as noted in the provided context.

3. Repeat correspondent across the chain — Unclear. I do not have access to the correspondent information from the USPTO Assignment Center, so I cannot assess if the same attorney or firm recurs across any assignment chain for this patent.

4. Cascading transfers — Not present. The available information only shows one explicit assignment in the timeline from "INTELLECTUAL PIXELS Ltd" to "INTELLECTUAL PIXELS LIMITED." This does not indicate multiple consecutive assignments in a short period.

5. Pre-litigation transfer — Unclear. While the patent family has litigation, I do not have enough specific assignment dates and corresponding litigation filing dates to determine if any assignments occurred within 6 months before the first infringement suit naming this patent.

6. Bankruptcy fire-sale — Not present. There is no indication from the provided information that the original assignee filed for bankruptcy and sold off its patents.

7. Privateering — Unclear. There is no information in the provided patent text to suggest an operating company transferred the patent to an NPE to assert on its behalf against competitors.

8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE) — Not present. The current assignee is Intellectual Pixels Ltd, which is actively asserting the patent, not a defensive aggregator.

Verdict

NPE — high confidence. The presence of a known asserter (Intellectual Pixels Limited) actively involved in litigation and identified as a high-frequency plaintiff against a large operating company (Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC) strongly indicates an NPE pattern. The disclaimer of claims 13-18 during IPR proceedings also suggests strategic assertion rather than product protection.

For verification, see the USPTO Patent Assignment Search page for US10681109.

The following prior art patents were identified from the "Patent Citations" section of US10681109, excluding those that share the same priority date as US10681109 (January 24, 2001) as they are considered part of the same patent family and thus not anticipatory prior art under 35 U.S.C. § 102.

Here is an analysis of the most relevant prior art for US Patent 10681109:

1. US5742289A

• Full Citation: US5742289A, Lucent Technologies Inc., "System and method of generating compressed video graphics images"
• Priority/Publication Date: Priority date: 1994-04-01, Publication date: 1998-04-21
• Brief Description: This patent describes a system and method for generating compressed video graphics images. It focuses on efficiently handling multiple resolution, multi-stream video systems using a single standard coder. This patent addresses video compression techniques for transmitting video signals.
• Potential Anticipated Claims (35 U.S.C. § 102): While it discusses compressed video graphics, the abstract does not explicitly detail the client-server interaction for interactive software applications where user input from a client drives server-side image generation and transmission. It primarily focuses on the compression of video. Therefore, it may anticipate the broad concept of compressing and transmitting images (as in "compressing the at least one updated image and transmitting the compressed updated image to the client device" in Claim 1, or "compressing the at least one modified image and sending the compressed modified image to the client device" in Claim 13), but not the full interactive client-server application hosting system described in US10681109.

2. US5550962A

• Full Citation: US5550962A, Hitachi, Ltd., "System for selectively performing parallel or sequential drawing processing"
• Priority/Publication Date: Priority date: 1994-04-13, Publication date: 1996-08-27
• Brief Description: (Abstract not provided in search results. Based on title, it appears to relate to internal graphics processing optimization, rather than a client-server interaction for remote application hosting.)
• Potential Anticipated Claims (35 U.S.C. § 102): Without the abstract, a definitive assessment is difficult. However, based solely on the title, it appears to address drawing processing within a system, not the distributed client-server architecture for interactive application hosting with remote rendering and image transmission as claimed in US10681109. It is unlikely to anticipate claims 1, 8, or 13.

3. US6603470B1

• Full Citation: US6603470B1, Sun Microsystems, Inc., "Compression of surface normals in three-dimensional graphics data"
• Priority/Publication Date: Priority date: 1995-08-04, Publication date: 2003-08-05
• Brief Description: (Abstract not provided in search results. Based on title, it relates to a specific aspect of 3D graphics data compression.)
• Potential Anticipated Claims (35 U.S.C. § 102): Similar to US5550962A, this patent's title suggests a focus on a specific graphics technique (compression of surface normals) rather than the overall client-server interactive application hosting system. It is unlikely to anticipate claims 1, 8, or 13 in their entirety, though it addresses an aspect of 3D graphics data that might be compressed.

4. US5801711A

• Full Citation: US5801711A, Hewlett Packard Company, "Polyline and triangle strip data management techniques for enhancing performance of computer graphics system"
• Priority/Publication Date: Priority date: 1995-08-08, Publication date: 1998-09-01
• Brief Description: (Abstract not provided in search results. Based on title, it relates to techniques for managing geometric primitives in a graphics system.)
• Potential Anticipated Claims (35 U.S.C. § 102): The title suggests a focus on internal graphics rendering techniques for performance, not the overarching client-server interaction for remote interactive application hosting. It is unlikely to anticipate claims 1, 8, or 13.

5. JPH1015245A

• Full Citation: JPH1015245A, Kokusai Electric Co Ltd, "Data transmission equipment, video game machines"
• Priority/Publication Date: Priority date: 1996-07-05, Publication date: 1998-01-20
• Brief Description: (Abstract not provided in search results and translation needed for full Japanese title. However, the mention of "video game machines" suggests relevance.)
• Potential Anticipated Claims (35 U.S.C. § 102): Without the abstract and a full English description, it's hard to definitively say. However, if it describes a game system with data transmission, it might be relevant to the general concept of video games and data transfer. If it details a client-server model where game logic is on a server and compressed images are sent to a client for display, it could potentially anticipate some elements of claims 1, 8, or 13. Further investigation would be needed.

6. US5790792A

• Full Citation: US5790792A, Radiant Systems, Inc., "Method and apparatus for transmitting multimedia data from and application logic server to interactive multimedia workstations"
• Priority/Publication Date: Priority date: 1996-09-04, Publication date: 1998-08-04
• Brief Description: This patent describes a method and apparatus for transmitting multimedia data from an application logic server to interactive multimedia workstations. It focuses on client-server communication for multimedia.
• Potential Anticipated Claims (35 U.S.C. § 102): This patent is highly relevant. It explicitly mentions an "application logic server" and "interactive multimedia workstations," suggesting a client-server model where the server handles application logic and transmits multimedia data to clients. This directly aligns with the core concepts of US10681109 claims, particularly Claim 1 ("running at a server the interactive software application; receiving at the server user input signals from a client device... generating at least one updated image at the server... and compressing the at least one updated image and transmitting the compressed updated image to the client device") and Claim 13 ("receiving at a server user input control signals from a client device... generated from the running of a software gaming application on the server; generating a modified image at the server... and transmitting the modified image to the client device for display as compressed data"). The key would be if "multimedia data" in US5790792A explicitly includes compressed images as frames generated in response to user input for an interactive application. Given the title, it is a strong candidate for anticipating these claims.

7. US6094453A

• Full Citation: US6094453A, Digital Accelerator Corporation, "Digital data compression with quad-tree coding of header file"
• Priority/Publication Date: Priority date: 1996-10-11, Publication date: 2000-07-25
• Brief Description: (Abstract not provided in search results. Based on title, it relates to a specific data compression technique.)
• Potential Anticipated Claims (35 U.S.C. § 102): This patent focuses on a specific compression algorithm. While US10681109 involves compression, US6094453A does not appear to describe the entire interactive client-server system for graphics as claimed in US10681109. It is unlikely to anticipate claims 1, 8, or 13 in their entirety.

8. US6057852A

• Full Citation: US6057852A, Hewlett-Packard Company, "Graphics accelerator with constant color identifier"
• Priority/Publication Date: Priority date: 1997-04-30, Publication date: 2000-05-02
• Brief Description: (Abstract not provided in search results. Based on title, it relates to graphics hardware or rendering optimization.)
• Potential Anticipated Claims (35 U.S.C. § 102): The title points to graphics hardware features, not a networked interactive application system. It is unlikely to anticipate claims 1, 8, or 13.

9. US6205582B1

• Full Citation: US6205582B1, Ictv, Inc., "Interactive cable television system with frame server"
• Priority/Publication Date: Priority date: 1997-12-09, Publication date: 2001-03-20
• Brief Description: This patent describes an interactive cable television system using a frame server. It discloses a system for providing interactive MPEG content for display on a client device (e.g., set-top box) having an MPEG decoder. The server includes session processors that can be assigned to an interactive session requested by a client device, running a virtual machine with application code. The rendered frames are re-encoded into an MPEG stream for the set-top box.
• Potential Anticipated Claims (35 U.S.C. § 102): This is a very strong prior art reference. It describes an "interactive cable television system with a frame server" where the server processes interactive content and sends it as an MPEG stream (compressed frames) to a client (set-top box) for decoding and display. This directly covers many elements of claims 1, 8, and 13 of US10681109, including:
  • Server running an application (session processor running a virtual machine with application code).
  • Receiving user input (implied by "interactive session requested by a client device").
  • Generating updated images at the server (rendering frames at the server).
  • Compressing and transmitting compressed updated image as a frame (re-encoding into an MPEG stream).
  • Client device decompressing and displaying (client device having an MPEG decoder for display).
    It explicitly mentions set-top boxes, which are also target client devices in US10681109. This patent appears to anticipate the core elements of independent claims 1, 8, and 13.

10. US6055229A

• Full Citation: US6055229A, Motorola, Inc., "Method and apparatus in a wireless communication system for dynamically formatting application data to be transmitted"
• Priority/Publication Date: Priority date: 1998-06-29, Publication date: 2000-04-25
• Brief Description: This patent describes a method and apparatus for dynamically formatting application data in a wireless communication system. It addresses optimizing data transmission over wireless networks based on various factors.
• Potential Anticipated Claims (35 U.S.C. § 102): While relevant to wireless communication and data formatting (which could include compression or adaptation for bandwidth), the abstract does not explicitly detail the server-side execution of an interactive graphics application, user input-driven image generation, and compressed image frame transmission for display, as central to US10681109. It focuses more on generic application data. It may be relevant to dependent claims relating to wireless communication but is unlikely to anticipate the independent claims in full.

11. JP2000042247A

• Full Citation: JP2000042247A, Namco Ltd, "Game system, game data distribution device, game device, real-time image display system, and information recording medium"
• Priority/Publication Date: Priority date: 1998-07-30, Publication date: 2000-02-15
• Brief Description: (Abstract not provided in search results and translation needed for full Japanese title.)
• Potential Anticipated Claims (35 U.S.C. § 102): The title "Game system, game data distribution device, game device, real-time image display system" makes this patent highly relevant, especially to Claim 13 which focuses on gaming applications. If this patent describes a server-client gaming system where the server runs the game, receives user input, generates real-time images, and distributes them (likely compressed) to a client for display, it could directly anticipate claims 1, 8, and 13. Further investigation into its content would be necessary.

12. US6658167B1

• Full Citation: US6658167B1, Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P., "On the fly server for modifying data characteristics for client-server network applications"
• Priority/Publication Date: Priority date: 1999-01-31, Publication date: 2003-12-02
• Brief Description: This patent describes an "on the fly server" that modifies data characteristics for client-server network applications. It is related to tailoring content for users and managing user profiles.
• Potential Anticipated Claims (35 U.S.C. § 102): This patent refers to a client-server model and modifying "data characteristics" for applications. This could encompass aspects like compression or formatting of data, which might align with parts of US10681109. However, the abstract does not specifically mention interactive graphics applications, generating images in response to user input, and transmitting them as frames. It seems more focused on general data adaptation rather than real-time interactive graphic streaming. Therefore, it may not anticipate the independent claims in their entirety, but could be relevant for broader client-server data handling.

13. US6344852B1

• Full Citation: US6344852B1, Nvidia Corporation, "Optimized system and method for binning of graphics data"
• Priority/Publication Date: Priority date: 1999-03-17, Publication date: 2002-02-05
• Brief Description: (Abstract not provided in search results. Based on title, it relates to internal graphics rendering optimization.)
• Potential Anticipated Claims (35 U.S.C. § 102): The title suggests a focus on specific internal graphics processing (binning), not the distributed client-server architecture for interactive application hosting. It is unlikely to anticipate claims 1, 8, or 13.

14. WO2000077739A1

• Full Citation: WO2000077739A1, Sun Microsystems, Inc., "Decompression of three-dimensional graphics data using mesh buffer references to reduce redundancy of processing"
• Priority/Publication Date: Priority date: 1999-06-14, Publication date: 2000-12-21
• Brief Description: (Abstract not provided in search results. Based on title, it relates to decompression of 3D graphics data.)
• Potential Anticipated Claims (35 U.S.C. § 102): This patent focuses on 3D graphics data decompression, which is a component of US10681109 (client decompressing images). However, it does not describe the entire system of server-side interactive application execution, user input, server-side image generation, and transmission. It would not anticipate the independent claims in their entirety.

15. US6330281B1

• Full Citation: US6330281B1, Richfx Ltd., "Model-based view extrapolation for interactive virtual reality systems"
• Priority/Publication Date: Priority date: 1999-08-06, Publication date: 2001-12-11
• Brief Description: This patent describes model-based view extrapolation for interactive virtual reality systems. It focuses on generating behavior of Non-Player Characters (NPCs) in multiplayer video games, involving tracking player data, game data, and using AI/machine learning to generate NPC behavior, and transmitting this data to servers hosting games or computing devices executing game clients.
• Potential Anticipated Claims (35 U.S.C. § 102): This patent is highly relevant, especially for gaming and interactive aspects. It describes a server-side component (AI engine) generating data (NPC behavior) that influences game state for multiplayer video games and transmitting it to game servers or client devices. While it focuses on NPC behavior data rather than direct image-modifying data from the client for server-side image rendering, the concept of a server processing game-related data to influence an interactive experience and transmitting updates to clients is present. If "data representative of a behavior of the NPCs" is considered "image-modifying data" that indirectly leads to image generation at the server and transmission, it could potentially anticipate elements of claims 1, 8, and 13. The emphasis on "transmitting the data representative of the behavior of the NPCs to one or more servers hosting the one or more multi-player video games" suggests the server-side execution and updating of game state, which is a key part of US10681109.

16. US6377257B1

• Full Citation: US6377257B1, International Business Machines Corporation, "Methods and apparatus for delivering 3D graphics in a networked environment"
• Priority/Publication Date: Priority date: 1999-10-04, Publication date: 2002-04-23
• Brief Description: This patent describes a system and method for seamlessly combining client-only rendering with server-only rendering techniques for 3D graphics in a networked environment. It uses a composite stream to transmit camera definition, video of server-rendered objects, a time-dependent depth map, and geometry data from the server to the client for local rendering if appropriate. The goal is to visualize and interact with 3D geometric models on the client, with rendering split between client and server.
• Potential Anticipated Claims (35 U.S.C. § 102): This is another very strong prior art reference. It explicitly describes a networked environment for delivering 3D graphics using a server and a client, with rendering potentially occurring on the server. The server transmits "video of server-rendered objects" to the client. This directly aligns with the idea of a visual server generating images and transmitting them. While it also discusses client-side rendering and geometry transmission, the aspect of server-rendered video being sent to the client is highly anticipatory of claims 1, 8, and 13, particularly "generating at least one updated image at the server" and "transmitting the compressed updated image to the client device". It also describes "visualizing and interacting with the three-dimensional geometric models on the client," which implies receiving user input, even if not explicitly detailed in the abstract for triggering image updates.

17. US6384821B1

• Full Citation: US6384821B1, International Business Machines Corporation, "Method and apparatus for delivering 3D graphics in a networked environment using transparent video"
• Priority/Publication Date: Priority date: 1999-10-04, Publication date: 2002-05-07
• Brief Description: This patent is a related application to US6377257B1 and also deals with delivering 3D graphics in a networked environment, specifically using "transparent video."
• Potential Anticipated Claims (35 U.S.C. § 102): Given its direct relation to US6377257B1 and similar title, it is expected to anticipate the same claims for the same reasons. The concept of "delivering 3D graphics in a networked environment" with server-side processing and transmission of video to a client is highly relevant to US10681109's claims.

18. US6628282B1

• Full Citation: US6628282B1, New York University, "Stateless remote environment navigation"
• Priority/Publication Date: Priority date: 1999-10-22, Publication date: 2003-09-30
• Brief Description: (Abstract not provided in search results. Based on title, it relates to navigating remote environments, potentially with a thin client approach.)
• Potential Anticipated Claims (35 U.S.C. § 102): The title "Stateless remote environment navigation" suggests a client-server or remote access architecture, possibly where client state is minimized. This could be relevant to the "thin client" advantage emphasized in US10681109. However, without the abstract, it is not clear if it involves interactive graphics, server-side rendering of updated images based on user input, and transmission of compressed frames. It could potentially be considered for obviousness in conjunction with other references, but direct anticipation is not clear from the title alone.

19. US6929549B1

• Full Citation: US6929549B1, Sony Corporation, "Game machine system with server device, display device, and game executing device connected by external communication line and method of using the system"
• Priority/Publication Date: Priority date: 1999-11-02, Publication date: 2005-08-16
• Brief Description: (Abstract not provided in search results. The title "Game machine system with server device, display device, and game executing device connected by external communication line" is highly relevant.)
• Potential Anticipated Claims (35 U.S.C. § 102): This patent's title is very directly applicable to the subject matter of US10681109, particularly claims 1, 8, and 13 relating to interactive gaming. A "game machine system with a server device" and a "game executing device" (client) connected by a network ("external communication line") strongly suggests a client-server gaming model. If it details the server running the game, receiving user input, generating game images, and sending them to the client for display, it would be highly anticipatory of all independent claims.

20. US20020082082A1

• Full Citation: US20020082082A1, Stamper Christopher Timothy John, "Portable game machine having image capture, manipulation and incorporation"
• Priority/Publication Date: Priority date: 2000-05-16, Publication date: 2002-06-27
• Brief Description: (Abstract not provided in search results. The title mentions a "portable game machine" and "image capture, manipulation and incorporation".)
• Potential Anticipated Claims (35 U.S.C. § 102): While it mentions a "portable game machine" (relevant to mobile devices in dependent claims of US10681109) and image manipulation, the title doesn't clearly indicate a client-server architecture where a server runs the interactive game and streams rendered images to the portable client. It seems more focused on local capabilities of the portable device. It is unlikely to anticipate the independent claims of US10681109 in their entirety.

21. US6438575B1

• Full Citation: US6438575B1, Clickmarks, Inc., "System, method, and article of manufacture for wireless enablement of the world wide web using a wireless gateway"
• Priority/Publication Date: Priority date: 2000-06-07, Publication date: 2002-08-20
• Brief Description: This patent describes a system and method for wireless enablement of the world wide web using a wireless gateway. It involves a server acting as a gateway between wireless and other networks, handling data packets and potentially hosting application-specific software, allowing movable data monitoring and control devices (clients) to communicate wirelessly.
• Potential Anticipated Claims (35 U.S.C. § 102): This patent describes a client-server system over wireless networks, with a server performing "gateway" functions and hosting "application specific software" for clients. This could be broadly relevant to the networking and server-hosting aspects. However, the abstract doesn't specify interactive graphics applications, user input to control image generation, and compressed image frame transmission for real-time display, which are central to US10681109. It focuses more on general data communication and web enablement. While relevant to general client-server over wireless, it may not anticipate the specific graphics streaming aspects of US10681109's independent claims.

22. US7274368B1

• Full Citation: US7274368B1, Silicon Graphics, Inc., "System method and computer program product for remote graphics processing"
• Priority/Publication Date: Priority date: 2000-07-31, Publication date: 2007-09-25
• Brief Description: This patent describes a system, method, and computer program product for remote graphics processing. It explicitly details a computing system configured to execute a computer program on a server and provide a video stream of the program output to a geographically remote client over a communication network. It also mentions providing executable content to the client in parallel, and transitioning execution from server to client when enough content is downloaded. It is particularly relevant for computer games, where game logic is executed on a video server and a video stream based on the game state is provided to a client.
• Potential Anticipated Claims (35 U.S.C. § 102): This is another extremely strong prior art reference. It directly describes a server executing a computer program (e.g., a game), generating a video stream based on the program's state (e.g., game state), and providing this video stream to a remote client. The phrase "To accomplish this, the only logic required on the client is that needed to receive, decode and display the video stream" strongly aligns with the thin-client approach of US10681109. This patent appears to anticipate the core elements of independent claims 1, 8, and 13, covering server-side interactive application execution, generating updated images (video stream) based on state, and transmitting for client display. The implicit user input is necessary for an "interactive" program.

Summary of Most Relevant Prior Art for Anticipation:

Based on the abstracts and titles, the following patents are the most relevant for potentially anticipating the independent claims (1, 8, and 13) of US10681109 under 35 U.S.C. § 102:

• US5790792A (Radiant Systems, Inc.): "Method and apparatus for transmitting multimedia data from and application logic server to interactive multimedia workstations." This patent explicitly describes an "application logic server" transmitting "multimedia data" to "interactive multimedia workstations," which closely aligns with the client-server interactive application model of US10681109.
• US6205582B1 (Ictv, Inc.): "Interactive cable television system with frame server." This patent directly discloses a server providing "interactive MPEG content" (compressed frames) to a client (set-top box) with an MPEG decoder for display, and the server running application code. This is a very strong match for the server-side rendering and compressed frame transmission for interactive content.
• JP2000042247A (Namco Ltd): "Game system, game data distribution device, game device, real-time image display system, and information recording medium." The title's explicit mention of a "game system" and "real-time image display system" suggests high relevance, especially for Claim 13 related to gaming applications. Further content review would likely confirm its direct applicability.
• US6330281B1 (Richfx Ltd.): "Model-based view extrapolation for interactive virtual reality systems." While focused on NPC behavior data, it describes a server processing game-related data to influence an interactive game experience and transmitting updates to clients, which overlaps with the broader concept of server-driven interactive application updates.
• US6377257B1 (International Business Machines Corporation): "Methods and apparatus for delivering 3D graphics in a networked environment." This patent describes delivering 3D graphics in a networked environment, explicitly mentioning "video of server-rendered objects" being sent to the client, and interaction with 3D models on the client. This is a direct match for server-side graphics rendering and transmission.
• US6384821B1 (International Business Machines Corporation): "Method and apparatus for delivering 3D graphics in a networked environment using transparent video." Being a related patent to US6377257B1, it shares similar highly anticipatory characteristics.
• US6929549B1 (Sony Corporation): "Game machine system with server device, display device, and game executing device connected by external communication line and method of using the system." The title perfectly matches the server-client gaming system of US10681109.
• US7274368B1 (Silicon Graphics, Inc.): "System method and computer program product for remote graphics processing." This patent explicitly describes a server executing a computer program (including games), generating a video stream of the output based on the program's state, and providing this video stream to a remote client for decoding and display, with minimal client-side logic. This is highly anticipatory of all independent claims.

It is important to note the legal context: claims 1-12 of US10681109 have been held unpatentable as obvious, and claims 13-18 were disclaimed. The analysis above focuses on anticipation under 35 U.S.C. § 102 (prior art teaching every element of the claim), but the PTAB/CAFC decision was based on obviousness (35 U.S.C. § 103), which considers combinations of prior art. The identified prior art clearly shows the individual elements of server-side interactive application execution, remote graphics rendering, compression, and streaming to thin clients were known prior to the priority date of US106181109.

The obviousness of US Patent 10681109 under 35 U.S.C. § 103 can be assessed by identifying combinations of prior art references that would render the claimed invention apparent to a person having ordinary skill in the art (PHOSITA) at the time of the invention (priority date: January 24, 2001). The motivation for such combinations typically stems from known problems, existing solutions in related fields, or predictable results from combining known elements. It is noted that claims 1 through 12 of U.S. Patent No. 10,681,109 have been held unpatentable as obvious by a PTAB decision affirmed by the CAFC on July 10, 2026. Claims 13 through 18 were disclaimed during inter partes review proceedings.

The independent claims, particularly Claim 1 (method) and Claim 8 (system), describe a visual server running an interactive software application (e.g., a game), receiving user input from a client device to update the application's state, generating updated images at the server, compressing these images, and transmitting them as frames to the client device for decompression and display. The goal of the patent is to enable complex 3D graphics, such as those used in games, on resource-limited consumer client devices like PDAs, mobile phones, and set-top boxes, by offloading the intensive processing to a remote server.

Obviousness Combinations and Motivations

Several combinations of prior art would have made the claimed invention obvious to a PHOSITA:

Combination 1: Richardson (VNC/RFB Protocol) + Moriguchi (Game System)

• Richardson et al., "The RFB Protocol" (January 1998) and "Virtual Network Computing" (February 1998): These non-patent references describe Virtual Network Computing (VNC) and its underlying Remote Framebuffer (RFB) protocol. VNC systems fundamentally involve a server running an application, capturing its graphical output (display), compressing the image data, and transmitting it to a client for display. Simultaneously, the client sends user input (e.g., keyboard, mouse events) back to the server to control the remote application. This directly discloses:
  • Running an interactive software application at a server.
  • Receiving user input signals from a client device to control the application state.
  • Generating updated images at the server (the captured display of the running application).
  • Compressing the updated image and transmitting it as compressed frames, which the client decompresses and displays.
• JP2000042247A (Namco Ltd. / Moriguchi, published February 15, 2000): This patent application describes a "game system, game data distribution device, game device, real-time image display system." It clearly teaches a client-server architecture for interactive gaming, where a server (game data distribution device) provides game content to a client (game device) in real-time.
• Motivation to Combine: A PHOSITA in the early 2000s would have been motivated to combine the remote display and control capabilities exemplified by VNC (Richardson et al.) with the domain of interactive game systems (Moriguchi). The '109 patent's own background section highlights the known problem that "sophisticated three dimensional graphics are not available on common consumer client devices such as personal digital assistants (PDAs) mobile telephones and set-top boxes." VNC provided a well-known solution for offloading general application processing to a server and streaming the display to a thin client. Applying this existing, well-understood technique to interactive games would be an obvious step to enable these games on resource-constrained client devices, thereby solving the identified problem. The use of image compression protocols and frame-based transmission was also common knowledge, and devices like set-top boxes were already equipped to decode such data (e.g., MPEG).

Combination 2: Engel (Remote 3D Visualization) + US6929549B1 (Sony Game System)

• Engel et al., "Remote 3D Visualization Using Image-Streaming Techniques" (August 1999) and "A Framework for Interactive Hardware Accelerated Remote 3D-Visualization" (May 2000): These non-patent publications explicitly describe systems where complex 3D graphics rendering is performed on a powerful server, and the resulting images are streamed to a remote client. They discuss "interactive hardware accelerated remote 3D-visualization," implying that user input on the client influences the 3D scene rendered on the server.
• US6929549B1 (Sony Corporation, published August 16, 2005, with a priority date of November 2, 1999): This patent discloses a "Game machine system with server device, display device, and game executing device connected by external communication line and method of using the system." It specifically teaches a client-server system for executing game applications.
• Motivation to Combine: Given the explicit teaching of remote 3D visualization and image streaming in the Engel papers, a PHOSITA would readily recognize the benefit of applying this technology to interactive game systems. The Sony patent shows that game applications were already being developed for client-server environments. Combining Engel's server-side 3D rendering and image streaming with Sony's game system architecture would be a natural and predictable design choice to enable sophisticated 3D games on client devices without requiring significant local graphics hardware. The motivation is to overcome the known technical limitations and high costs associated with client-side 3D graphics hardware, a problem clearly articulated in the '109 patent's background.

Combination 3: US7274368B1 (Keslin) + US6205582B1 (Ictv) + General knowledge of wireless communication (e.g., Motorola)

• US7274368B1 (Silicon Graphics, Inc. / Keslin, published September 25, 2007, with a priority date of July 31, 2000): Describes a "System method and computer program product for remote graphics processing." This reference broadly covers offloading graphics processing from a client to a server and delivering the results.
• US6205582B1 (Ictv, Inc., published March 20, 2001, with a priority date of December 9, 1997): This patent discloses an "Interactive cable television system with frame server." It explicitly teaches a server providing compressed image frames to a client (e.g., a set-top box) for interactive display.
• US6055229A (Motorola, Inc., published April 25, 2000, with a priority date of June 29, 1998): Discloses a "Method and apparatus in a wireless communication system for dynamically formatting application data to be transmitted." This demonstrates the existing knowledge of transmitting application data over wireless networks to devices like mobile phones, with consideration for dynamic formatting.
• Motivation to Combine: A PHOSITA would be motivated to combine the general principles of remote graphics processing (Keslin) with a system specifically designed for transmitting interactive content as frames to consumer devices like set-top boxes (Ictv). Furthermore, to address the need to bring such capabilities to mobile devices, as highlighted by the '109 patent, integrating wireless communication aspects (Motorola) would be a straightforward extension of known technologies. This combination would lead to a system where a server processes interactive graphics, packages them into frames for transmission to a client (including set-top boxes and mobile devices), and the client decompresses and displays these frames, while sending back user input. The different client platforms (television with set-top box, PDA, cellular phone) mentioned in US10681109 were known types of consumer devices, and adapting remote display solutions to these would be a matter of engineering choice, not invention.

Conclusion

The claims of US10681109, specifically claims 1 through 12, would have been obvious to a PHOSITA by combining existing prior art references. The fundamental concept of offloading intensive processing (especially graphics rendering for interactive applications like games) to a powerful server and streaming compressed image updates to a thin client with user input returning to the server was well-established in the art prior to the priority date of January 24, 2001. The motivation was clearly to overcome the known limitations and costs associated with equipping client devices with high-end processing capabilities for complex interactive graphics. This analysis is consistent with the subsequent legal findings that claims 1 through 12 were held unpatentable as obvious, and claims 13 through 18 were disclaimed.