Prior art

Most Relevant Prior Art for US Patent 10936685B2

US Patent 10936685B2, titled "Poll-based networking system," has several prior art citations listed. For a patent to be granted, an invention must be novel and non-obvious in light of existing "prior art." Prior art includes any public knowledge, such as earlier patents, publications, or public uses, that existed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention. If a single piece of prior art discloses every element of a claimed invention, the invention lacks novelty under 35 U.S.C. § 102.

Based on the information available, the following are the most relevant prior art citations for US10936685B2:

Examiner-Cited Prior Art

1. US20090287763A1

• Full Citation: US20090287763A1 (Kota Enterprise, Llc)
• Publication/Filing Date: Published: 2009-11-19, Priority Date: 2008-05-15
• Brief Description: This patent application describes a question server system to facilitate communication between participants by presenting questions and enabling responses. The system aims to match participants based on their answers.
• Potential Anticipated Claims: This reference appears to be highly relevant to the core concept of a "poll-based networking system" that matches users based on their answers to questions. It could potentially anticipate claims 1, 2, and 3, which generally describe receiving user information, providing polling questions, storing selected answers, comparing answers to generate a likelihood of match, and displaying results to users. The claims' emphasis on "finite set of answers," "unique identification," and "likelihood of match within a predetermined threshold" would need to be carefully examined against the disclosure of US20090287763A1. Given that US10936685B2 was found invalid under 35 U.S.C. § 101 for being directed to the abstract idea of "matching based on questioning," this earlier patent application on a question server facilitating communication and matching based on answers is a very strong prior art reference.

2. US20180330408A1

• Full Citation: US20180330408A1 (Engine Media, Llc)
• Publication/Filing Date: Published: 2018-11-15, Priority Date: 2017-05-15
• Brief Description: This patent application focuses on predictive analysis for controlling real-time advertising placement, likely involving user data and preferences to determine relevant ads. While the explicit mechanism of "poll-based networking" might differ, it deals with real-time data processing and matching for user interaction.
• Potential Anticipated Claims: This reference's relevance might be more nuanced. It could potentially anticipate aspects of claims related to "real-time updates" and the "displaying to the user" (Claims 1, 2, 3), particularly if the "predictive analysis" involves implicit or explicit "polling" of user preferences that result in real-time matching and display. However, the direct "poll-based" nature of US10936685B2's claims would be a point of distinction.

Other Cited Prior Art (Family Cites Families)

1. US7130807B1

• Full Citation: US7130807B1 (Accenture Llp)
• Publication/Filing Date: Issued: 2006-10-31, Priority Date: 1999-11-22
• Brief Description: This patent describes technology sharing during demand and supply planning in a network-based supply chain environment. It focuses on collaborative planning within a network.
• Potential Anticipated Claims: This reference appears less directly related to the specific "poll-based networking" for matching users or products as claimed in US10936685B2. Its relevance would likely be in the broader context of "networking systems" or "distributed computer environments" (Claims 11, 19, 27). It does not appear to directly anticipate the polling and matching elements.

2. US8249943B2

• Full Citation: US8249943B2 (Facebook, Inc.)
• Publication/Filing Date: Issued: 2012-08-21, Priority Date: 2007-05-31
• Brief Description: This patent describes an auction-based polling system, likely within a social networking context. This suggests a system where users might participate in polls, and the results could be used in some form of auction or prioritization.
• Potential Anticipated Claims: This reference is highly relevant due to the explicit mention of "polling." It could potentially anticipate claims 1, 2, and 3, particularly the elements of "providing the user one or more polling questions," "receiving and storing a selected answer," and displaying results. The "auction-based" aspect would differentiate it, but the underlying polling and potentially matching of users based on poll answers could be a strong point of contention for novelty.

3. US10019722B2

• Full Citation: US10019722B2 (Trinity Intel Media, Llc)
• Publication/Filing Date: Issued: 2018-07-10, Priority Date: 2010-03-01
• Brief Description: This is an earlier patent by the same assignee, Trinity Info Media, LLC, also titled "Poll-based networking system." As a direct family member, it shares the same priority date of 2010-03-01.
• Potential Anticipated Claims: This patent is a Continuation-in-Part of an earlier application in the family that eventually led to US10936685B2. Therefore, it represents very close prior art and likely discloses many, if not all, of the core elements of the claims in US10936685B2. It is highly probable that US10019722B2 anticipates many, if not all, of the claims of US10936685B2 under 35 U.S.C. § 102 (novelty) because the later patent (US10936685B2) is likely an incremental development or refinement of the system described in US10019722B2 and its family. The validity of claims in US10936685B2 would depend on whether they define an inventive step beyond what was already disclosed in US10019722B2 or its parent applications.