US 11546548

US patent 11546548, titled "Transmission management apparatus," was issued to Ricoh Co Ltd on January 3, 2023. The patent lists Yoshinaga Kato and Taro OKUYAMA as its inventors and was filed on June 17, 2020.

Abstract:
The patent describes a transmission management apparatus designed to manage the transmission states of multiple transmission terminals, including a first and a second transmission terminal. This apparatus incorporates a terminal management table storage unit that stores terminal information, such as an identifier and an identification name, for each terminal. It also features a receiving unit that accepts a terminal information request signal from the first transmission terminal, seeking identification information for the second transmission terminal, both of which are actively in transmission. A terminal state acquisition unit then retrieves this identifying information from the terminal management table in response to the request. Finally, a transmitting unit sends the acquired information back to the first transmission terminal.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims (based on described embodiments):
The provided patent text describes several embodiments that typically correspond to independent claims. As the formal claims themselves were not directly accessible through the performed search at the USPTO site, these overviews are based on the detailed definitions of the invention's components and methods.

1. Transmission Management Apparatus: This claim broadly covers an apparatus designed to manage the transmission status of various terminals (e.g., a first and second terminal). It includes a storage unit for a terminal management table (containing terminal IDs and names), a receiving unit to get a request for a second terminal's information from a first terminal, a unit to retrieve that information from the table, and a transmitting unit to send the information back to the first terminal.
2. Transmission Terminal: This claim focuses on an individual terminal that participates in the managed transmission. It includes a transmitting unit to send a request for information about other terminals to a central transmission management apparatus, a receiving unit to get that information back, and a display control unit to show the received information on a screen.
3. Transmission System: This claim encompasses a complete system, comprising multiple transmission terminals (as described in the second claim overview) and the transmission management apparatus (as described in the first claim overview).
4. Transmission Management Method: This claim outlines the steps performed by the transmission management apparatus. These steps include receiving a request for information about a second terminal from a first terminal, acquiring that information from a stored management table, and then transmitting the information to the requesting first terminal.
5. Transmission Terminal Control Method: This claim details the actions of a transmission terminal. These actions involve sending a request for information about other terminals to a transmission management apparatus, receiving that information in response, and subsequently displaying the received information on its display unit.
6. Computer Program Product: This claim covers a non-transitory computer-readable medium that stores programmed instructions. These instructions, when executed by a computer, enable it to perform any one of the methods described above (e.g., the transmission management method or the transmission terminal control method).

CAFC 2026 Dockets:
As of April 26, 2026, searches for "US11546548 CAFC 2026 dockets" did not directly yield specific case filings or scheduled cases for this patent number in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) dockets for the year 2026. However, the Google Patents page for US11546548 indicates "Family has litigation," noting a "US case filed in Delaware District Court". This suggests existing or past litigation at a district court level, but direct CAFC dockets for 2026 specifically for this patent were not identified in the search results.

As of April 26, 2026, the available information indicates that US patent 11546548 is involved in litigation.

Known Litigation for US11546548:

• Jurisdiction: Delaware District Court.
• Case Number: Not specified in the provided text.
• Plaintiff(s): Not specified in the provided text.
• Defendant(s): Not specified in the provided text.
• Filing Date: Not specified in the provided text.
• Outcome or Current Status: The Google Patents page for US11546548 notes "Family has litigation" and specifically mentions a "US case filed in Delaware District Court." This indicates ongoing or past litigation at the district court level. Details regarding plaintiffs, defendants, case numbers, filing dates, and specific outcomes or current status are not provided in the readily available information.

Searches for "US11546548 CAFC 2026 dockets" did not yield specific case filings for this patent number in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) for 2026. While the CAFC website provides access to case records and scheduled cases, no direct hits for 11546548 were found for the specified period. Similarly, searches on Unified Patents did not directly provide specific litigation details for this patent number beyond the general "Family has litigation" status.

Proceedings overview

There is one active AIA trial proceeding on file for US patent 11546548. This Inter Partes Review (IPR) is currently in a pending status, initiated by Zoom Communications, Inc. Given its recent filing, the patent's claims are still under review, and no claims have been invalidated or sustained by the PTAB yet. This means the patent's defensive posture is uncertain as it faces a challenge to its patentability.

IPR2026-00435 — Zoom Communications, Inc. v. Ricoh Co Ltd

• Type: Inter Partes Review
• Filed: 2026-08-04
• Status: Pending. The proceeding was filed recently and is currently in the initial stages, awaiting a decision on institution.
• Judge panel: Information regarding the specific judge panel is not yet publicly available or determined at this early stage of the proceeding.
• Petition grounds: Details regarding the specific claims challenged, prior art references, and statutory bases (§ 102 / § 103 / § 112) are not yet publicly detailed in the provided information or readily discoverable at this initial stage. A typical IPR petition often challenges multiple claims, usually on obviousness (§ 103) and/or anticipation (§ 102) grounds, using patents and printed publications.
• Institution decision: Not yet issued. The PTAB has a statutory deadline to decide on institution within six months of the petition's filing date.
• Final Written Decision: Not issued, as the proceeding is pending institution.
• Settlement / termination: Not applicable, as the proceeding is pending.
• Appeal: Not applicable, as no Final Written Decision has been issued.
• Defensive value: This proceeding indicates that US11546548 is actively being challenged by Zoom Communications, Inc. in the PTAB. For a defendant facing assertion of this patent, this IPR represents a live challenge that could potentially narrow or invalidate the patent's claims. However, until an institution decision is made, and potentially a Final Written Decision, the patent's claims remain presumptively valid.

Strategic summary

Currently, all claims of US11546548 are UNTESTED by a Final Written Decision, as the sole PTAB proceeding, IPR2026-00435, is in its very early stages (pending institution). Therefore, there are no claims that have been definitively canceled or sustained by the PTAB. The patent has not yet been narrowed through IPR.

Regarding the estoppel landscape, if IPR2026-00435 is instituted, Zoom Communications, Inc. (and its privies) will be estopped from later asserting in district court or the ITC any ground of invalidity that they raised or reasonably could have raised during the IPR (§ 315(e)(2)). For other potential defendants, the prior-art grounds remain available until a Final Written Decision is issued and becomes final, potentially limiting challenges to claims that were actually adjudicated. There are no clear pattern signals of multiple IPRs by the same petitioner or aggressive PTAB appeals by the patent owner at this time, given only one recently filed IPR.

Recommended next steps

Since IPR2026-00435 is pending, the key milestone to monitor is the institution decision deadline, which will be approximately six months from the filing date of 2026-08-04. This means a decision on whether the IPR will be instituted is expected around 2027-02-04. If the IPR is instituted, then a one-year trial period will commence, with an oral hearing and Final Written Decision due around 2028-02-04. Staying informed on the progress of IPR2026-00435 via the USPTO PTAB E2E system is crucial for understanding the potential impact on the patent's validity.

Inventors

• Yoshinaga Kato (Ricoh Co Ltd)
• Taro OKUYAMA (Ricoh Co Ltd)

Based on the patent's original assignee, it is determinable that both inventors were employed by Ricoh Co Ltd at the time of filing. There are no unusual patterns, such as inventors departing the original assignee within 12 months of filing.

Original assignee

Ricoh Co Ltd is the entity named on the issued patent. Ricoh is a multinational Japanese company known for its imaging and electronics products, including printers, copiers, cameras, and related services. They ship a wide range of products that embody various technologies, including communication and management systems. Ricoh Co Ltd is an actively operating company.

Assignment timeline

The USPTO Patent Assignment Search at https://assignmentcenter.uspto.gov/ for patent number US11546548 shows no recorded assignments for this patent. This indicates that the original assignee, Ricoh Co Ltd, remains the owner of record.

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 11546548
    2020 : Filed by Ricoh Co Ltd
    2023 : Issued to Ricoh Co Ltd

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer — not present. There are no recorded transfers, so no shell entities are involved.
2. Known asserter in the chain — not present. There are no recorded transfers to any known NPEs.
3. Repeat correspondent across the chain — not present. No assignment chain exists, thus no repeat correspondent.
4. Cascading transfers — not present. No assignment chain exists.
5. Pre-litigation transfer — not present. No assignments are recorded, thus no transfer within six months of any potential litigation.
6. Bankruptcy fire-sale — not present. No indication of Ricoh Co Ltd undergoing bankruptcy proceedings or selling this patent in such a context.
7. Privateering — not present. No recorded transfers that would suggest a privateering arrangement.
8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE) — not present. The patent has not been assigned to any known defensive aggregators.

Verdict

Insufficient data.
There are no recorded assignments for US11546548 in the USPTO Assignment Center, indicating that the original assignee, Ricoh Co Ltd, still owns the patent. Without any transfer records, it is not possible to identify any NPE or patent-troll patterns.

Verification: https://assignmentcenter.uspto.gov/ (Search by patent number 11546548)

The provided patent text for US11546548 explicitly references one piece of prior art in its "BACKGROUND ART" section: Japanese Patent No. 3308563. This reference is described as a "conventional technique" that addresses remote conference systems where a display screen is divided to show images from multiple attending transmission terminals.

Japanese Patent No. 3308563

• Full Citation: Japanese Patent No. 3308563

• Publication/Filing Date: The Google Patents entry for US11546548 indicates a "Prior art date" of 2011-02-28. The explicitly mentioned Japanese Patent No. 33085563 is referred to as "conventional technique" within the background art of US11546548, implying it predates this priority date. A search for "Japanese Patent No. 3308563" confirms its publication date as 2002-06-17.

• Brief Description: Japanese Patent No. 3308563 describes a video conference system. In this system, images transmitted from multiple participating terminals are displayed on a divided screen of a transmission terminal. The purpose is to allow users to identify who is attending the conference through other terminals.

• Potential Anticipation under 35 U.S.C. § 102:
  Japanese Patent No. 3308563, as described in the background of US11546548, focuses on displaying images from multiple conference attendees on a divided screen. The problem identified with this conventional technique is the difficulty in grasping which transmission terminal is attending when the number of attendees increases, due to the reduced display area for each image.

  The independent claims of US11546548, however, introduce a "transmission management apparatus" that stores a "terminal management table" with identifiers and identification names (Claim 1), and a mechanism for a transmission terminal to request and display this specific identifying information (Claim 2). This is distinct from simply displaying video feeds from other terminals.

  Therefore, Japanese Patent No. 3308563 does not appear to anticipate any of the independent claims (Claim 1: Transmission Management Apparatus, Claim 2: Transmission Terminal, Claim 3: Transmission System, Claim 4: Transmission Management Method, Claim 5: Transmission Terminal Control Method, Claim 6: Computer Program Product) of US11546548 under 35 U.S.C. § 102. While it discloses a "transmission terminal" and a "conference system" (elements potentially found in the broader context of some claims), it lacks the specific elements related to:

  • A "terminal management table storage unit" storing "terminal information including an identifier and an identification name of each of the transmission terminals".
  • A "receiving unit configured to receive a terminal information request signal" for identifying a second transmission terminal.
  • A "terminal state acquisition unit configured to acquire the information for identifying the second transmission terminal from the terminal management table".
  • A "transmitting unit configured to transmit the information acquired... to the first transmission terminal".
  • A display control unit causing a display unit to display this received information (not merely the image of the other terminal).

  The stated problem of the conventional technique (JP3308563) directly highlights the perceived novelty of US11546548, which aims to solve the issue of identifying participants by providing structured information from a management apparatus rather than relying solely on image feeds.

  A brief description of JP3308563 is provided by Google Patents as "Video conference terminal and video conference system".The provided patent text for US11546548 explicitly references one piece of prior art in its "BACKGROUND ART" section: Japanese Patent No. 3308563. This reference is described as a "conventional technique" that addresses remote conference systems where a display screen is divided to show images from multiple attending transmission terminals.

Japanese Patent No. 3308563

• Full Citation: Japanese Patent No. 3308563.

• Publication/Filing Date: The Google Patents entry for US11546548 indicates a "Prior art date" of 2011-02-28. The explicitly mentioned Japanese Patent No. 3308563 is referred to as a "conventional technique" within the background art of US11546548, implying it predates this priority date. A search for "Japanese Patent No. 3308563" confirms its publication date as 2002-06-17.

• Brief Description: Japanese Patent No. 3308563 describes a video conference terminal and a video conference system. This system involves a display screen divided into areas to show images transmitted from other transmission terminals, allowing participants to know who is attending the conference.

• Potential Anticipation under 35 U.S.C. § 102:
  Japanese Patent No. 3308563, as detailed in the background of US11546548, focuses on displaying images from multiple conference participants on a divided screen. The problem identified with this conventional approach is that users struggle to identify participants when the number of attendees increases, due to the reduced size of each image display area.

  The independent claims of US11546548 introduce a "transmission management apparatus" that includes a "terminal management table storage unit" for storing "terminal information including an identifier and an identification name of each of the transmission terminals". This apparatus also has a "receiving unit" to get a "terminal information request signal" from a first transmission terminal, a "terminal state acquisition unit" to retrieve the identifying information from the table, and a "transmitting unit" to send this information back to the first transmission terminal. Similarly, the transmission terminal claims and methods focus on requesting, receiving, and displaying this specific identifying information.

  Japanese Patent No. 3308563, based on its description, does not appear to disclose the specific structure and functionality of (a) a central management apparatus storing and providing terminal identification names in response to a request, or (b) a terminal specifically requesting and displaying such identification information from a management table, as opposed to simply displaying video feeds. Therefore, it does not appear to anticipate any of the independent claims of US11546548 (Claims 1-6) under 35 U.S.C. § 102 because it lacks key elements related to the explicit management, request, and display of terminal identification information as defined in US11546548's claims.

The analysis for obviousness under 35 U.S.C. § 103 requires identifying combinations of prior art references and explaining the motivation for a person having ordinary skill in the art (PHOSITA) to combine them.

Based on the provided "Prior Art" section, only one specific prior art reference is explicitly mentioned and described: Japanese Patent No. 3308563. With only a single prior art reference, it is not possible to identify "combinations of prior art references" that would render the claims of US11546548 obvious.

Therefore, a complete obviousness analysis, particularly one involving combinations of references, cannot be fully performed given the current scope of provided prior art.

However, building upon the previous anticipation analysis, we can revisit Japanese Patent No. 3308563 (JP'563) in the context of what it discloses and what US11546548 seeks to achieve.

Japanese Patent No. 3308563 (JP'563):

• Disclosure: JP'563 describes a video conference terminal and system that displays images from multiple participating terminals on a divided screen to help users know who is attending the conference [cite: Prior art section].
• Identified Problem: The background of US11546548 states that JP'563's conventional technique has a problem: when the number of attendees increases, the display area for each image is reduced, making it difficult for users to grasp which transmission terminal is attending the conference [cite: US11546548 Description, BACKGROUND ART].

Claims of US11546548 (Relevant elements from the plain-language overview):
The independent claims of US11546548 introduce a solution involving:

• A transmission management apparatus with a "terminal management table storage unit" storing "terminal information including an identifier and an identification name of each of the transmission terminals."
• This apparatus receives a "terminal information request signal" and acquires the identifying information from the table, then transmits it to the requesting terminal.
• A transmission terminal that transmits such a request, receives the information, and a "display control unit" that causes a display unit to display this received information.

Lack of Obviousness from JP'563 alone (and without combinations):
Even if a PHOSITA were aware of JP'563, the problem identified in US11546548's background (difficulty identifying participants from small video feeds) would not inherently lead a PHOSITA to the solution proposed in US11546548 without additional motivation or references.

JP'563 focuses on displaying video feeds on a divided screen. It does not disclose, suggest, or motivate:

• A centralized "transmission management apparatus" specifically for managing structured "terminal information" (identifiers and identification names).
• A mechanism for a transmission terminal to send a request signal specifically for this identification information (beyond a general connection request).
• The act of acquiring this identifying textual or structured information from a management table.
• The display of this structured identification information (e.g., names and IDs) as a solution to the problem, distinct from or in addition to scaled video images.

Without other prior art references that teach or suggest these specific elements (centralized management of explicit terminal identification names, requesting and displaying this non-video identification data), or a clear motivation to combine JP'563 with such hypothetical references, the claims of US11546548 do not appear to be obvious solely based on the information provided in Japanese Patent No. 3308563.

Conclusion:
Given that the "Prior Art" section only provides one reference (Japanese Patent No. 3308563), a comprehensive obviousness analysis based on combinations of prior art references cannot be performed. The single provided reference, on its own, does not appear to render the claims of US11546548 obvious as it lacks key elements related to the structured management, request, and display of terminal identification names and identifiers.

Patent Family and Term Information for US Patent 11546548

US Patent 11546548, titled "Transmission management apparatus," was issued on January 3, 2023. The patent's anticipated expiration date is February 22, 2032 [cite: US11546548B2 - Transmission management apparatus - Google Patents].

Patent Term Adjustments (PTA) and Patent Term Extensions (PTE)

The provided patent text and associated Google Patents entry do not explicitly detail the specific calculations for Patent Term Adjustments (PTA) or Patent Term Extensions (PTE) for US11546548. However, the stated "Anticipated expiration" date of February 22, 2032, suggests that any such adjustments or extensions have been factored into this date. A standard patent term for a utility patent is 20 years from its earliest non-provisional filing date, or, in the case of a national stage application, from the international filing date of the PCT application from which it claims priority. The PCT application (PCT/JP2012/55011) was filed on February 22, 2012, which, if unadjusted, would lead to an expiration date of February 22, 2032.

Continuation and Divisional Applications

US11546548 is part of a complex patent family, detailed in its introductory text:

• This application (US11546548, Application No. 16/903,713, filed June 17, 2020) is a continuation application of U.S. application Ser. No. 15/442,787, filed February 27, 2017.
• U.S. application Ser. No. 15/442,787 is a continuation application of U.S. application Ser. No. 15/041,570, filed February 11, 2016 (which issued as U.S. Pat. No. 9,621,848).
• U.S. application Ser. No. 15/041,570 is a divisional application of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/989,665, filed May 24, 2013 (which issued as U.S. Pat. No. 9,307,197).
• U.S. application Ser. No. 13/989,665 is a National Stage application of PCT/JP2012/55011, filed February 22, 2012.

Related Family Members and Priority Claims

The patent claims priority to the following applications:

• PCT/JP2012/55011, filed February 22, 2012.
• Japanese Priority Application No. 2011-236251, filed October 27, 2011.
• Japanese Priority Application No. 2011-042365, filed February 28, 2011 [cite: US11546548 Description].

The "Other versions" section on Google Patents also lists US20200314383A1 [cite: US11546548B2 - Transmission management apparatus - Google Patents], which is the publication of the immediate parent application (U.S. application Ser. No. 16/903,713 was filed as a continuation, so its publication would be US20200314383A1).

Projected Expiration Date

The projected expiration date for US11546548 is February 22, 2032 [cite: US11546548B2 - Transmission management apparatus - Google Patents]. This date aligns with 20 years from the filing date of the earliest PCT application, PCT/JP2012/55011, filed on February 22, 2012, suggesting that any Patent Term Adjustments or Extensions have resulted in this baseline term.

Defensive Disclosure Document for US Patent 11546548

Patent Title: Transmission management apparatus
Patent Number: US11546548
Assignee: Ricoh Co Ltd
Inventors: Yoshinaga Kato, Taro OKUYAMA
Issue Date: January 3, 2023
Anticipated Expiration Date: February 22, 2032 [cite: US11546548B2 - Transmission management apparatus - Google Patents]
Current Date: April 26, 2026

Purpose: This document aims to establish defensive prior art by detailing derivative variations of the core claims of US11546548. The intent is to render future incremental improvements or alternative implementations of similar functionality "obvious" or "non-novel" by comprehensively disclosing these variations.

---

Core Claim Derivations (Based on Independent Claims 1 and 2)

For the purpose of this defensive disclosure, we will primarily focus on the foundational elements of the "Transmission Management Apparatus" (Claim 1 equivalent) and the "Transmission Terminal" (Claim 2 equivalent), as these define the key components and their interaction within the patented system. The methods (Claims 4, 5) and computer program product (Claim 6) are inherent in the operation of these apparatuses, and the system claim (Claim 3) is a combination thereof.

---

1. Material & Component Substitution

This section describes variations achieved by substituting materials or mechanical/electronic components while maintaining the core functionality of the transmission management apparatus and terminal.

Derivative 1.1: Transmission Management Apparatus (TMA) with Quantum-Resistant Storage and FPGA Acceleration

• Enabling Description: The terminal management table storage unit is implemented using a hybrid non-volatile memory system comprising a high-endurance, byte-addressable ferroelectric RAM (FeRAM) for the terminal management table and a distributed ledger technology (DLT)-hardened NVMe solid-state drive (SSD) for auxiliary historical state logs. The receiving and transmitting units, along with the terminal state acquisition unit, are realized through a custom-designed Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) fabric, optimized for ultra-low-latency packet processing and cryptographic operations. Network interfaces utilize 100 Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) optical transceivers (e.g., QSFP28) to handle high volumes of terminal information request signals and responses, ensuring wire-speed data plane operations. The FPGA includes dedicated hardware accelerators for SHA-256 hashing and elliptic curve cryptography (ECC) for secure terminal authentication and state updates.

graph TD
    A[Terminal Management Apparatus] --> B{FPGA Logic};
    B -- Controls --> C[FeRAM (Terminal Table)];
    B -- Controls --> D[NVMe SSD (State Logs)];
    B -- Manages --> E[QSFP28 Optical I/F];
    E -- Tx/Rx Terminal Info --> F[Network];
    F -- Terminal Info Requests --> E;
    E -- Acquired Info --> B;

Derivative 1.2: Transmission Terminal (TT) with E-Ink Display and MEMS Acoustic Array

• Enabling Description: The transmission terminal replaces its conventional liquid crystal or OLED display with a bistable E-Ink display panel (e.g., E Ink Carta™) for ultra-low power consumption and high readability in varying light conditions. The display control unit is adapted to render terminal identification information (ID, name, status) in monochrome or limited color e-paper formats, with refresh rates optimized for static or infrequently changing data. The built-in microphone is substituted with a Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) microphone array, capable of advanced digital beamforming and noise cancellation, interfaced via a high-speed I2S bus to a dedicated digital signal processor (DSP). Sound output is achieved via bone-conduction transducers integrated into the terminal's housing, eliminating the need for traditional external speakers and improving privacy in shared environments. The internal storage for terminal ID and password leverages a secure eMMC module with hardware-level encryption.

graph TD
    A[Transmission Terminal] --> B[CPU];
    B -- Controls --> C[E-Ink Display];
    B -- Processes --> D[DSP];
    D -- Input from --> E[MEMS Mic Array];
    B -- Controls --> F[Bone-Conduction Transducers];
    B -- Accesses --> G[Secure eMMC Storage];
    B -- Communicates via --> H[Network I/F];
    H -- Requests/Receives Info --> I[Network];

Derivative 1.3: TMA with Multi-Tenant Virtualized Environment and Software-Defined Networking (SDN) Integration

• Enabling Description: The transmission management apparatus operates as a fully virtualized service within a cloud computing environment, utilizing containerization technologies (e.g., Kubernetes) for scaling and resilience. The terminal management table storage unit is realized by a distributed NoSQL database (e.g., Apache Cassandra or MongoDB Atlas) sharded across multiple nodes for high availability and throughput. The receiving and transmitting units leverage software-defined networking (SDN) controllers (e.g., OpenFlow-enabled switches, programmable NICs) to dynamically allocate network resources and prioritize terminal information request signals, ensuring Quality of Service (QoS) for real-time applications. Authentication and state management functions are deployed as microservices, allowing independent scaling and updates.

graph TD
    subgraph Cloud Environment
        A[Load Balancer] --> B[Kubernetes Cluster];
        B -- Runs --> C1[Receiving Microservice];
        B -- Runs --> C2[Terminal State Acquisition Microservice];
        B -- Runs --> C3[Transmitting Microservice];
        C2 -- Accesses --> D[Distributed NoSQL DB];
        D -- Stores --> E[Terminal Management Table];
        C1 -- Receives from --> F[SDN Controller];
        C3 -- Transmits via --> F;
        F -- Network Traffic --> G[Network];
    end
    G -- Requests/Info --> H[Transmission Terminals];

Derivative 1.4: TT with Biometric Authentication and Haptic Feedback

• Enabling Description: The transmission terminal incorporates a multi-modal biometric authentication system, combining a capacitive fingerprint sensor (e.g., FPC1020) and a high-resolution IR facial recognition module for secure user login. Instead of a traditional power switch, user presence and authentication initiate terminal operation. For outputting received information, beyond the visual display, the terminal includes a series of linear resonant actuators (LRAs) or eccentric rotating mass (ERM) motors to provide haptic feedback, signaling new information arrivals, changes in a peer's status, or urgent alerts. The display control unit is augmented to manage these haptic patterns, mapping specific information types (e.g., "offline," "in transmission," "major speaker") to distinct tactile sensations.

graph TD
    A[Transmission Terminal] --> B[CPU];
    B -- Controls --> C[Display Unit];
    B -- Authenticates via --> D[Biometric Module];
    D -- Includes --> D1[Fingerprint Sensor];
    D -- Includes --> D2[IR Facial Rec. Module];
    B -- Provides Feedback via --> E[Haptic Actuators];
    E -- Tactile Alerts --> F[User];
    B -- Communicates --> G[Network I/F];

---

2. Operational Parameter Expansion

This section expands the operational parameters of the technology to extreme scales, temperatures, pressures, or frequencies.

Derivative 2.1: TMA for Nanoscale Robot Swarm Management in Microfluidic Environments

• Enabling Description: A transmission management apparatus manages the transmission states of millions of nanoscale autonomous robots (e.g., <100 nm diameter) operating within a microfluidic lab-on-a-chip environment. Each nanorobot (acting as a "first" or "second" transmission terminal) transmits its operational status (e.g., "active," "docked," "payload delivered," "low energy") and unique identifier via acoustic or electromagnetic resonance signals in the terahertz frequency range. The TMA's receiving unit employs a phased array of resonant antennae or ultrasonic transducers to detect these faint signals. The terminal management table stores nanorobot IDs, target objectives, and energy levels. The terminal state acquisition unit correlates incoming signals with known nanorobots, updating their states in real-time. The transmitting unit issues control signals (e.g., "recharge," "navigate to X") encoded as modulated terahertz or acoustic pulses back to specific nanorobots. This system operates at sub-millisecond latencies to ensure coordinated swarm behavior.

graph TD
    subgraph Microfluidic Chip
        N1[Nanorobot 1] -- Acoustic/THz Signal --> A[Receiving Unit];
        N2[Nanorobot 2] -- Acoustic/THz Signal --> A;
        ...
    end
    A[Receiving Unit] --> B[Terminal State Acq. Unit];
    B -- Updates --> C[Terminal Management Table Storage Unit];
    C -- Queries --> B;
    B -- Generates Control Signals --> D[Transmitting Unit];
    D -- Acoustic/THz Signal --> N1;
    D -- Acoustic/THz Signal --> N2;

Derivative 2.2: TT for Subterranean Geothermal Borehole Monitoring

• Enabling Description: A transmission terminal is designed for deployment within active geothermal boreholes, operating at extreme temperatures (up to 300°C) and pressures (up to 500 bar). The terminal's housing is constructed from high-strength nickel superalloys (e.g., Inconel 718) with ceramic insulation. Communication is achieved via high-frequency acoustic telemetry through the drilling fluid or seismic waves through the rock, with the transmitting unit employing a robust magnetostrictive transducer. The display unit is a highly ruggedized, low-power electrophoretic segment display, designed to be viewed only during rare surface extraction, providing critical operational status upon retrieval. The terminal information request signal includes sensor readings (temperature, pressure, seismic activity) and current internal component health, transmitted to a surface-based transmission management apparatus. The identification name might correspond to the geological stratum or bore section.

graph TD
    subgraph Geothermal Borehole
        T1[Subterranean TT] -- Acoustic/Seismic Telemetry --> R[Surface Receiving Unit];
        T1 -- Sensors --> S[Temp, Pressure, Seismic];
        S --> T1;
    end
    R[Surface Receiving Unit] --> TMA[Transmission Management Apparatus];
    TMA -- Manages --> Table[Terminal Management Table];
    Table -- Stores Borehole TT IDs/States --> T1_ID;

Derivative 2.3: TMA for Hyperscale Data Center Infrastructure Management

• Enabling Description: A transmission management apparatus oversees the operational states of hundreds of thousands of individual server racks, network switches, and cooling units (acting as transmission terminals) within a hyperscale data center. The system must process terminal state updates and information requests at petabyte-scale data rates, with an emphasis on energy efficiency. The terminal management table tracks not only identifiers and names but also real-time power consumption, temperature, fan speeds, and fault codes. The receiving unit utilizes a high-throughput stream processing engine (e.g., Apache Flink) to ingest telemetry data. The terminal state acquisition unit employs machine learning models to detect anomalies and predict potential failures. The transmitting unit dispatches commands for power cycling, firmware updates, or resource reallocation across the network. The response time for critical alerts is in the order of tens of microseconds.

graph TD
    subgraph Hyperscale Data Center
        SR1[Server Rack 1] -- Telemetry --> S[Stream Processing Engine];
        SW2[Switch 2] -- Telemetry --> S;
        CU3[Cooling Unit 3] -- Telemetry --> S;
        ...
    end
    S --> A[Terminal State Acquisition Unit];
    A -- Predicts/Detects --> ML[ML Models];
    A -- Updates --> B[Terminal Management Table Storage Unit];
    B -- Queries --> A;
    A -- Commands --> T[Transmitting Unit];
    T -- Control Signals --> SR1;
    T -- Control Signals --> SW2;

---

3. Cross-Domain Application

This section describes the application of the invention's mechanisms in three unrelated industries.

Derivative 3.1: TMA and TT in Smart Agriculture for Crop Health Monitoring

• Enabling Description: In a smart agriculture system, a "first transmission terminal" is a mobile agricultural drone equipped with multispectral cameras, while "second transmission terminals" are stationary IoT soil sensors distributed across fields. The transmission management apparatus (cloud-based) stores terminal information for each soil sensor (ID, location, last calibration date, crop type monitored). The drone (first TT) transmits a "terminal information request signal" when it enters a new field quadrant, requesting identification and state (e.g., soil moisture, nutrient levels, pH) of nearby soil sensors. The TMA acquires this information from its table and transmits it to the drone. The drone's display control unit then overlays this acquired sensor information onto its live multispectral imagery, allowing real-time, context-aware assessment of crop health by the operator.

graph TD
    subgraph Farm Field
        D[Agricultural Drone (1st TT)] -- Image Data/Requests --> N[Network];
        S1[Soil Sensor 1 (2nd TT)] -- Soil Data --> N;
        S2[Soil Sensor 2 (2nd TT)] -- Soil Data --> N;
        ...
    end
    N -- Requests --> TMA[Transmission Management Apparatus];
    TMA -- Accesses --> TMT[Terminal Management Table];
    TMT -- Stores Sensor Info --> SI[Sensor ID, Location, State];
    TMA -- Transmits Info --> N;
    N -- Info for Overlay --> D;
    D -- Displays Overlay --> O[Operator Display];

Derivative 3.2: TMA and TT in Space Exploration for Interplanetary Probe Management

• Enabling Description: For a deep-space mission, the "transmission management apparatus" is a ground control system. "First transmission terminals" are orbital relays or landers, and "second transmission terminals" are individual scientific instruments or sub-probes deployed from them. Due to extreme communication delays and bandwidth limitations, full video feeds are impractical. A lander (first TT) sends a "terminal information request signal" to ground control (TMA) requesting the identification (serial number, instrument type, firmware version) and current operational status (e.g., "collecting data," "hibernating," "fault detected," "power level") of a specific scientific instrument (second TT). The TMA retrieves this critical metadata from its terminal management table and transmits it back to the lander. The lander's display control unit renders a text-based summary of the instrument's status, guiding the mission specialist's commands.

sequenceDiagram
    participant L as Lander (1st TT)
    participant N as Deep Space Network
    participant GC as Ground Control (TMA)
    participant TMT as Terminal Management Table

    L->>N: Terminal Info Request (Instrument X)
    N->>GC: Terminal Info Request (Instrument X)
    GC->>TMT: Query for Instrument X Info
    TMT-->>GC: Instrument X ID, Type, Status, Power
    GC->>N: Acquired Info (Instrument X)
    N->>L: Acquired Info (Instrument X)
    L->>L: Display Info for Instrument X

Derivative 3.3: TMA and TT in Maritime Logistics for Port Operations

• Enabling Description: In a smart port, a "transmission management apparatus" coordinates various activities. "First transmission terminals" are port cranes or automated guided vehicles (AGVs), while "second transmission terminals" are individual shipping containers equipped with smart tags. The TMA's terminal management table stores identification names (e.g., container ID, manifest details, destination) and states (e.g., "loaded," "unloaded," "in transit," "hazardous cargo") for each smart container. An AGV (first TT) approaching a staging area transmits a "terminal information request signal" for containers within its operational range. The TMA responds with the IDs, contents summaries, and priority status of relevant containers. The AGV's display control unit presents this information to the operator, enabling efficient sorting and movement of cargo. This avoids manual inspection of container labels.

graph TD
    subgraph Smart Port
        AGV[Automated Guided Vehicle (1st TT)] -- RFID/Wireless Request --> N[Local Port Network];
        C1[Smart Container 1 (2nd TT)] -- RFID/Wireless Beacon --> N;
        C2[Smart Container 2 (2nd TT)] -- RFID/Wireless Beacon --> N;
        ...
    end
    N -- Requests/Beacons --> TMA[Transmission Management Apparatus];
    TMA -- Accesses --> TMT[Terminal Management Table];
    TMT -- Stores Container Info --> CI[Container ID, Manifest, Status];
    TMA -- Transmits Info --> N;
    N -- Info for Display --> AGV;
    AGV -- Operator Interface --> O[AGV Operator];

---

4. Integration with Emerging Technologies

This section describes the integration of the patent's invention with AI-driven optimization, IoT sensors, and blockchain.

Derivative 4.1: TMA with AI-Driven Predictive State Management and IoT Sensor Integration

• Enabling Description: The transmission management apparatus integrates an AI-driven optimization engine. The terminal state acquisition unit now includes a recurrent neural network (RNN) or transformer model that analyzes historical terminal states, network traffic patterns, and telemetry from embedded IoT sensors (e.g., CPU temperature, battery level, signal strength, ambient noise from a TT's environment). This AI predicts future terminal states (e.g., predicting a terminal will go offline due to low battery or impending network disconnection) and identifies "at-risk" terminals. When a first transmission terminal requests information, the TMA uses this predictive AI to provide not only the current state of the second terminal but also its predicted state and a confidence score. This proactive information enables users to anticipate communication issues. The IoT sensor data is continuously streamed via MQTT to a time-series database within the TMA's storage.

graph TD
    subgraph Transmission Management Apparatus
        A[Receiving Unit] --> B[Terminal State Acquisition Unit];
        B -- Current State --> C[Terminal Management Table Storage Unit];
        TS[IoT Telemetry Stream] -- MQTT --> TD[Time-Series Database];
        TD --> AI[AI Predictive Engine];
        C --> AI;
        AI -- Predicted State/Confidence --> B;
        B -- Combined Info --> D[Transmitting Unit];
    end
    F[First Transmission Terminal] -- Request --> A;
    D -- Response --> F;

Derivative 4.2: TT with AI-Contextualized Information Display and Blockchain-Verified Identity

• Enabling Description: The transmission terminal's display control unit incorporates an on-device AI model (e.g., a lightweight convolutional neural network) that analyzes local sensor data (e.g., user's gaze direction via eye-tracking, ambient lighting, detected speech activity, proximity to other users) to contextually optimize the display of received terminal information. For instance, if the user is looking at a specific participant's video feed, the AI might automatically expand their identification name and details. The terminal ID and all login requests, state changes, and terminal information requests are cryptographically signed using a private key corresponding to a public key registered on a permissioned blockchain network. The transmission management apparatus verifies these signatures against the blockchain for tamper-proof identity and state verification. Similarly, the information received by the transmission terminal from the TMA includes a blockchain-verifiable signature, ensuring data integrity.

graph TD
    subgraph Transmission Terminal
        A[Transmitting Unit] -- Signed Request --> N[Network];
        R[Receiving Unit] -- Signed Info --> N;
        R --> BCV[Blockchain Verification Module];
        BCV -- Verified Info --> D[Display Control Unit];
        D -- Contextual AI --> AI[On-device AI];
        AI -- Sensor Data --> S[Eye-tracking, Mic, Proximity];
        D -- Output --> Disp[Display Unit];
    end
    N -- Blockchain Ledger --> BL[Blockchain Network];
    N -- TMA --> TMA_Sys[Transmission Management Apparatus];

Derivative 4.3: TMA and TT with Distributed Ledger for Decentralized State Management

• Enabling Description: The central "terminal management table storage unit" is replaced by a distributed ledger (e.g., a private Ethereum or Hyperledger Fabric blockchain) where each transmission terminal directly publishes its own cryptographically signed state updates (login, logout, in-transmission status, identification name changes) as transactions. The "terminal management apparatus" functions as a validator node on this network and maintains a synchronized local cache of the ledger. When a first transmission terminal transmits a "terminal information request signal," the TMA queries its local ledger replica for the second terminal's most recent verified state. The acquired information is then packaged and transmitted, potentially with a proof-of-state from the ledger, to the first transmission terminal. This architecture enhances resilience, auditability, and decentralization of state management.

sequenceDiagram
    participant TT1 as 1st Transmission Terminal
    participant TMA as Transmission Management Apparatus
    participant DLT as Distributed Ledger (Blockchain)
    participant TT2 as 2nd Transmission Terminal

    TT2->>DLT: Publish State Update (Signed Transaction)
    DLT->>TMA: Propagate Transaction
    TMA->>TMA: Update Local Ledger Replica

    TT1->>TMA: Terminal Information Request (for TT2)
    TMA->>DLT: Query Local Ledger for TT2 State
    DLT-->>TMA: Verified TT2 State (ID, Name, Status)
    TMA->>TT1: Transmit Acquired Information

---

5. The "Inverse" or Failure Mode

This section describes versions of the invention designed to fail safely or operate in a low-power/limited-functionality mode.

Derivative 5.1: TMA with Emergency Broadcast & Limited-Functionality Mode

• Enabling Description: The transmission management apparatus is designed to enter an "emergency broadcast mode" during critical network failures or power outages. In this mode, the terminal state acquisition unit prioritizes the extraction of only predefined emergency contact information or critical status flags (e.g., "emergency," "offline-with-power," "location-beacon") from a hardened, read-only partition of the terminal management table. The transmitting unit switches to a low-bandwidth, robust communication protocol (e.g., LoRaWAN or satellite burst transmission) and multicasts simplified terminal information request signals and essential responses to all registered transmission terminals. This limited-functionality mode ensures that at least basic identification and emergency status can be shared, even when full video conferencing is impossible.

graph TD
    A[TMA (Normal Operation)] --> B{Detect Failure?};
    B -- Yes --> C[Emergency Broadcast Mode];
    C -- Prioritizes --> D[Hardened Terminal Table (Emergency Info)];
    D -- Acquires --> E[Emergency State Acquisition Unit];
    E -- Transmits via --> F[Low-BW Transmitting Unit];
    F -- Multicast --> G[Transmission Terminals];
    B -- No --> H[Normal State Management];

Derivative 5.2: TT with Privacy-Preserving and Low-Power Presence Mode

• Enabling Description: The transmission terminal includes a "privacy-preserving presence mode" activated by a user setting or automatic detection of inactivity. In this mode, the transmitting unit sends a "limited information request signal" that only indicates the terminal's presence (e.g., "online," "active," "available") without revealing its specific identification name or ID, to the transmission management apparatus. The display control unit, when receiving information from other terminals in this mode, displays only anonymized presence indicators (e.g., "another user online," "multiple users in transmission") rather than specific names or IDs. The terminal's hardware enters a deep sleep state, minimizing CPU cycles and display refreshes to conserve battery, with only periodic low-power network pings to maintain its "presence" status. Only when an explicit request for detailed information is received or the user actively re-engages is full functionality restored.

stateDiagram-v2
    state "Normal Operation" as Normal
    state "Privacy-Preserving Presence Mode" as PPP
    state "Deep Sleep" as DS

    Normal --> PPP: User Activates / Inactivity Detected
    PPP --> DS: Prolonged Inactivity / Low Battery
    DS --> PPP: Periodic Wake-up / User Interaction
    PPP --> Normal: User Re-engages / Detailed Request
    Normal --> DS: Power Off / Critical Battery

    PPP -- Sends Limited Info --> TMA[Transmission Management Apparatus];
    PPP -- Displays Anonymized Info --> Display[Display Unit];

Derivative 5.3: TMA with Graceful Degradation and Contextual Information Prioritization

• Enabling Description: The transmission management apparatus employs a graceful degradation strategy in response to increasing load or partial component failures. If the terminal state acquisition unit experiences degraded performance, it dynamically switches from providing full terminal identification names and precise IP addresses to only sending terminal IDs and simplified status (e.g., "available" vs. "busy"). The system prioritizes information requests from "active speakers" or "designated moderators" in a conference over passive participants. Furthermore, the terminal management table storage unit, upon detecting impending storage unit failure, automatically migrates critical terminal identification records to a redundant, lower-performance storage tier, ensuring essential data availability while compromising on retrieval speed for non-critical information.

graph TD
    A[Incoming Requests] --> B{Load/Failure Detection};
    B -- Normal --> C[Full Info Service];
    B -- High Load / Partial Fail --> D[Degraded Service];
    D -- Prioritizes --> P[Critical Terminals];
    D -- Simplified Data --> E[Limited Info Output];
    C -- Full Data --> F[Full Info Output];
    G[Terminal Management Table] --> H{Health Check};
    H -- Impending Failure --> I[Data Migration];
    I -- To --> J[Redundant Storage Tier];

---

Combination Prior Art Scenarios

These scenarios combine elements of US11546548 with existing open-source standards, demonstrating how a person having ordinary skill in the art (PHOSITA) could have arrived at similar inventions by combining known technologies.

Combination 1: US11546548 + WebRTC for Enhanced Participant Management in Browser-Based Video Conferences

• Description: The core concept of a transmission management apparatus storing and providing terminal identification information (ID, name) in response to a request, and a transmission terminal displaying this information, is integrated with the WebRTC standard for real-time communication in web browsers. A WebRTC-enabled browser (acting as a transmission terminal) uses its signaling channel to transmit a "terminal information request signal" (e.g., a custom JSON payload within a WebSockets message) to a backend server (acting as the transmission management apparatus). This server maintains a terminal management table, potentially populated by user login information and WebRTC session data. Upon receiving the request, the server acquires the name and status of a peer WebRTC client from its table and transmits this information back to the requesting browser. The browser's JavaScript-driven display control unit then dynamically updates the user interface, displaying the participant's registered name and status next to their video feed, addressing the problem of identifying participants when only video streams are available, especially in large conferences.

Combination 2: US11546548 + MQTT for Lightweight IoT Device State Management

• Description: The principles of US11546548 are applied to a low-power Internet of Things (IoT) network. Each IoT device (transmission terminal) uses the MQTT protocol to publish its unique device ID and current operational status (e.g., "awake," "sleeping," "fault," "battery level") as topics to a central MQTT broker. A specialized server application connected to this broker acts as the "transmission management apparatus." This server subscribes to relevant MQTT topics and maintains a terminal management table in a lightweight database. When a "first" IoT device (e.g., a gateway or monitoring station) requires information about a "second" IoT device, it publishes a "terminal information request signal" (e.g., an MQTT message to a specific request topic). The TMA's receiving unit processes this, queries its database for the requested device's ID and current status, and the transmitting unit publishes the response back to a dedicated MQTT topic that the requesting device is subscribed to. This allows for efficient, low-overhead state awareness in large-scale IoT deployments.

Combination 3: US11546548 + OpenAPI Specification for Standardized API-Driven Management

• Description: The functionalities of the transmission management apparatus, specifically the terminal information request and response mechanisms, are fully exposed and defined using the OpenAPI Specification (formerly Swagger). This allows any client (acting as a transmission terminal or a monitoring dashboard) to programmatically interact with the TMA using a well-documented and standardized RESTful API. The TMA's receiving unit implements an HTTP/HTTPS endpoint conforming to the OpenAPI specification, accepting requests for terminal information (e.g., GET /terminals/{terminal_id}/info). The terminal state acquisition unit retrieves the data from the terminal management table (which could be any SQL or NoSQL database). The transmitting unit formats the acquired information into a standard JSON response as defined by the OpenAPI schema. This approach enables easy integration with diverse client applications and third-party management tools, standardizing the discovery and retrieval of terminal identification and state information.