US 10880592

Patent Analysis: US 10,880,592

As of April 30, 2026, this analysis provides a concise summary of United States Patent 10,880,592, including its prosecution details and an overview of its independent claims.

Bibliographic Information:

• Title: Digital contents receiving apparatus
• Assignee: NL Giken Inc.
• Inventor: Masahide Tanaka
• Filing Date: March 16, 2018
• Issue Date: December 29, 2020
• Abstract: The patent describes a television set capable of receiving both broadcast programs from a television station and corresponding digital files of the same content from a server via the internet. The television set can keep information about the time limit for the server to provide the file and can automatically download the file if the time limit is approaching or if the time limit information is lost. The device also remembers the URL of a program being watched when turned off, allowing for instant resumption upon turning back on. If a user becomes interested in a program already in progress, the system allows them to download the corresponding digital file to watch it from the beginning.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims:

This patent contains three independent claims, which define the core inventions. In simple terms, they are:

• Claim 1: Describes a receiving apparatus (like a smart TV or set-top box) that can receive digital content from an external source. The key features are:

  • A "first unit" that can select a piece of digital content from the source.
  • A "second unit" that stores the necessary information (like a URL) to select that same content again.
  • A "third unit" that automatically gets control-related information about the selected content from the source. This control information is linked to the stored selection information.

• Claim 6: Focuses on a receiving apparatus for digital moving image content (like videos). The main elements are:

  • A manual way to turn the device on and off.
  • A "first unit" to select a video from an external provider.
  • A "second unit" to save the information needed to re-select that video.
  • A "third unit" that, when the device is turned off, ensures the selection information is saved. When the device is turned back on, it uses this saved information to automatically re-select the same video.
  • A receiving "fourth unit" and a display for watching the content.

• Claim 12: Details a receiving apparatus for watching scheduled digital video content (like a broadcast stream). Its unique aspects are:

  • A "selector unit" for a user to manually pick a video from a provider's program schedule.
  • A "receiver unit" that starts receiving the selected video from whatever point it is at in the schedule.
  • A display for viewing the video.
  • A "controller unit" that allows the user to display a part of the same video that has already been broadcast.

Litigation and Reexamination:

A search of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) records and legal dockets reveals that US Patent 10,880,592 has been the subject of litigation. Notably, an ex parte reexamination of the patent was initiated. This process involves the USPTO reevaluating the patent's claims to determine if they are still valid in light of new or re-examined prior art. The search did not yield any specific dockets for the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) for the year 2026. The existence of reexamination proceedings indicates an active challenge to the validity of the patent's claims, the outcome of which could significantly impact the scope of the patent's enforceability. There is no information to suggest this patent is currently in a CAFC 2026 docket, though this could change.