Prior art

Analysis of Prior Art for US Patent 10,880,592

As of April 30, 2026, an analysis of the prior art cited during the prosecution of US Patent 10,880,592 reveals several key references that the USPTO examiner considered before granting the patent. This analysis details the most relevant of those references and their potential impact on the patent's claims under 35 U.S.C. § 102, which governs novelty. The following references were cited on the face of the patent and in its prosecution history.

Examiner-Cited Prior Art

1. US Patent No. 8,438,610 B2 (Herigstad et al.)

• Full Citation: US Patent 8,438,610 B2, "Managing Playback of On-Demand Media Content," filed by Herigstad et al. on February 1, 2008, and issued on May 7, 2013. Assigned to Microsoft Corporation.
• Brief Description: The Herigstad patent discloses a system for managing on-demand media. A key feature is the ability to resume playback of media content from the point where a user previously stopped watching. It describes storing a "bookmark" or playback position associated with the content. The system can access this bookmark when the content is selected again, allowing playback to continue from the saved position across different devices.
• Potential Anticipation of Claims:
  • Claim 6: Herigstad appears to teach several elements of claim 6. It describes a system that designates content, keeps information to designate it again (the content identifier and bookmark), and upon re-selection, resumes from the previously stopped point. This aligns with the "turn off/turn on" functionality described in claim 6, where the apparatus recalls the state of the content being viewed. The system in Herigstad effectively "remembers" the video and its position, which is the core of claim 6.

2. US Patent Application Publication No. US 2003/0188313 A1 (Iwasaki)

• Full Citation: US Patent Application Publication 2003/0188313 A1, "Method and Apparatus for Information Processing, and Storage Medium," filed by Iwasaki on March 28, 2003, and published on October 2, 2003.
• Brief Description: Iwasaki describes a system where a user watching a broadcast program can easily access related information or content via a network. It discloses linking a broadcast program to a network-accessible file (e.g., on a server). If a user becomes interested in a program already in progress, they can use the system to access the full program from the beginning from an online source.
• Potential Anticipation of Claims:
  • Claim 12: Iwasaki is highly relevant to claim 12. It explicitly teaches a "controller unit" that allows a user who starts watching a scheduled program mid-stream ("a first part") to then view a part of the program that was already broadcast ("a second part"). Iwasaki describes receiving the selected program from the point of selection and then providing the capability to display a part that has already been provided, which directly maps to the elements of this independent claim.

3. US Patent No. 8,332,492 B2 (Marsh)

• Full Citation: US Patent 8,332,492 B2, "Personal Media Channel," filed by Marsh on November 20, 2007, and issued on December 11, 2012. Assigned to AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
• Brief Description: Marsh discloses a system that creates a personalized media channel for a user. This system can gather content from various sources, including broadcast and internet servers. It describes storing identifiers for content, such as URLs, in a user's profile or playlist. The system also discusses retrieving metadata associated with the content, which can include rights management information or availability windows.
• Potential Anticipation of Claims:
  • Claim 1: Marsh appears to teach the core elements of claim 1. The system has a "first unit" for designating content, a "second unit" for keeping the information to designate it again (e.g., a URL in a playlist), and a "third unit" that can obtain control-related information (metadata about availability) from the source and associate it with the stored identifier. The concept of obtaining information "relating to control of the designated digital content," such as its availability period, is central to Marsh's disclosure of managing content from various sources.

Applicant-Cited Prior Art

The patent's "Description of the Related Art" section mentions two Japanese patent applications.

1. Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 2006-319955

• Full Citation: JP 2006-319955 A, published November 30, 2006.
• Brief Description: This application is cited in the patent text as proposing an "automatic recording and playback apparatus for digital moving image contents." This suggests it deals with automating the process of recording content for later viewing.
• Potential Anticipation of Claims: Without a full translation and analysis, its direct impact is speculative. However, its focus on "automatic recording" could potentially overlap with the functions described in claims that involve automatically downloading or securing content, such as the dependent claims related to claim 1 which discuss automatically receiving content based on control information (e.g., an expiration date).

2. Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 2001-285743

• Full Citation: JP 2001-285743 A, published October 19, 2001.
• Brief Description: This application is cited as proposing a "television set capable of connection to the internet." This is a broad description, but it establishes that the concept of a network-connected television was known in the art.
• Potential Anticipation of Claims: This reference likely serves as general background art, establishing the foundational technology of an internet-connected TV. By itself, it is unlikely to anticipate the specific functional combinations detailed in the independent claims of US 10,880,592, which go beyond mere internet connectivity to describe specific user-experience-oriented processes for content management and playback.