US 12340891

US patent 12340891, titled "System and method for providing a trainer with live training data of an individual as the individual is performing a training workout," has the following details:

• Assignee: Finish Time Holdings LLC (Current Assignee as of 2026-05-03), previously Finish Time Network LLC.
• Inventors: Todd Martin.
• Filing Date: 2024-03-03.
• Issue Date: 2025-06-24.
• Abstract: An athlete tracking system and method for tracking an athlete during training sessions. The system includes a mobile tracking device wearable around a portion of the athlete, and a training log server for maintaining an athlete profile that includes a training record updatable by the athlete device and a training plan supplied by a coach.

Here is a plain-language overview of each independent claim:

Independent Claim 1: Method for providing a trainer with live training data
This claim describes a method for a trainer to receive live training data from an athlete who is performing a workout, specifically at a track. The method involves:

1. Creating an athlete profile on a web-based platform's training log server. This profile contains a training record with fields for workout data, including distance and time.
2. Updating this training record on the platform with workout data (distance and time) directly from a mobile tracking device carried by the athlete as they perform their workout around the track.
3. Allowing a coach to log onto the platform and view this training data live as the athlete is performing the workout.

Independent Claim 5: Web-based platform for permitting a trainer to track an athlete
This claim describes a web-based platform that enables a trainer to track an athlete throughout their workout duration. The platform comprises:

1. A training log server that stores multiple athlete profiles in a database. Each profile includes a workout record with fields for workout information, including distance and time. This platform is designed to be synchronized with a GPS tracking device worn by the athlete, so that the training log server automatically updates with workout data from the device.
2. A processor programmed to receive positional data from the tracking device via a communication link with a mobile communication device. This processor updates the platform with this positional data during the athlete's workout. The processor is also configured to grant access to this positional data to the trainer.

US patent 12340891 was only granted on June 24, 2025. Therefore, as of today, April 26, 2026, it is highly unlikely that any litigation has been filed and reached an outcome or current status that would be publicly available and indexed by the common patent litigation databases.

A preliminary search for litigation involving US patent 12340891 using Unified Patents (portal.unifiedpatents.com), PACER (pacer.gov), and CAFC (cafc.uscourts.gov) as of the current date did not yield any specific results for litigation cases with known plaintiffs, defendants, jurisdictions, case numbers, filing dates, or outcomes. The Google Patents entry for US12340891B2 indicates "Family has litigation" and "First worldwide family litigation filed" as of March 3, 2024. However, it links to Darts-ip for details and does not provide specific case information for US12340891B2 itself, which was not granted until June 24, 2025.

Therefore, based on the available information and the patent's recent grant date, no specific litigation involving US patent 12340891 with details on plaintiffs, defendants, jurisdiction, case number, filing date, and outcome or current status is currently known.

Proceedings overview

There are no AIA trial proceedings on file for US patent 12340891 as of the most recent ingest from the USPTO ODP API, and a web search did not surface any additional proceedings. This gives a defendant a neutral defensive posture, as the patent's claims remain untested by the PTAB.

Strategic summary

No claims of US12340891 have been canceled, sustained, or even tested in an AIA trial proceeding. All claims of the patent are currently in their originally granted form. Since no proceedings have been filed, there is no estoppel landscape to consider, as no petitioner has been barred from raising prior art grounds. There are no pattern signals to discern regarding multiple IPR filings, patent owner appeal aggressiveness, or involvement by defensive aggregators.

Recommended next steps

If you are a defendant, the absence of PTAB activity means that the patent's claims have not been challenged or narrowed in an inter partes review, post-grant review, or covered business method review. This implies that any assertion of this patent will rely on the full scope of its granted claims. A defendant facing assertion of this patent would have the full range of PTAB challenge options available, subject to the statutory timing requirements for filing such petitions. The absence of PTAB activity is noteworthy, as well-asserted patents often attract IPRs.

Inventors

• Todd Martin. His employer at the time of filing (2024-03-03) was likely Finish Time Network LLC, as they were the original applicant and assignee. No unusual patterns are noted regarding inventor departure.

Original assignee

The original assignee on the issued patent US12340891 was Finish Time Network LLC, as indicated by the Google Patents record. This entity's primary line of business, based on the patent description, is a "web-based platform tailored to providing access to information regarding athletic or sporting events and personal training information" and a "system and method for providing a trainer with live training data of an individual as the individual is performing a training workout". While this describes a software/service product, there is no readily available public information confirming that Finish Time Network LLC or Finish Time Holdings LLC currently ships a product embodying the claims. Their current status is unclear, as the patent was subsequently reassigned from the inventor to Finish Time Holdings LLC.

Assignment timeline

• 2026-05-03 (executed) / recorded 2026-05-09 — Reel 062638/0929
  • Conveyance: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST
  • Assignor: MARTIN, TODD
  • Assignee: FINISH TIME HOLDINGS, LLC
  • Correspondent: FINISH TIME HOLDINGS, LLC, 269 S MAIN ST #844, KAYSVILLE, UT 84037
  • Context: Transfer of inventor's interest to a holding company, likely for internal restructuring or asset management.

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 12340891
    2012 : Priority date
    2024 : Filed by Finish Time Network LLC
    2025 : Issued
    2026 : Inventor assigned to Finish Time Holdings LLC

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer — Present. The assignment from inventor Todd Martin to "FINISH TIME HOLDINGS, LLC" on 2026-05-03 (Reel 062638/0929) shows a transfer to an entity with "Holdings, LLC" in its name, which typically denotes a holding or licensing company. The correspondent for the recording is "FINISH TIME HOLDINGS, LLC" itself at a suite address (269 S MAIN ST #844, KAYSVILLE, UT 84037), which is often associated with registered agents or virtual offices, further indicating a non-operating entity focused on asset management. Public searches for "Finish Time Holdings LLC" and "Finish Time Network LLC" did not readily identify products in commerce.
2. Known asserter in the chain — Not present. Neither Finish Time Network LLC nor Finish Time Holdings, LLC are identified on common public NPE lists.
3. Repeat correspondent across the chain — Not present. Only one assignment for this patent number is recorded, so no recurrence of a correspondent across the chain can be observed.
4. Cascading transfers — Not present. Only one assignment for this patent number is recorded.
5. Pre-litigation transfer — Unclear. Google Patents indicates "Family has litigation," but the specific filing date of the first infringement suit for this patent family is not available from public sources to determine if the 2026-05-03 assignment predates it by less than six months.
6. Bankruptcy fire-sale — Not present. No information indicates that the original assignee or inventor filed for bankruptcy leading to the assignment.
7. Privateering — Not present. No information available to suggest privateering activity.
8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE) — Not present. The current assignee is not a known defensive aggregator.

Verdict

NPE — moderate confidence

This verdict is based on the present signal for a Shell-entity transfer (Finish Time Holdings, LLC, Reel 062638/0929, 2026-05-03) coupled with the "Family has litigation" flag noted by Google Patents for the patent family. While the exact pre-litigation timing is unclear, the combination of an IP holding company structure, no readily identifiable commercial products, and active litigation in the patent family strongly suggests an NPE assertion pattern.

For verification, see USPTO Patent Assignment Search: https://assignmentcenter.uspto.gov/ (Search by patent number 12340891).

For US patent 12340891, the most relevant prior art documents explicitly cited and incorporated by reference within its own text are its antecedent applications. These applications, having earlier filing dates than the priority date of US12340891B2, potentially anticipate certain claims under 35 U.S.C. § 102. The priority date for US12340891B2 is October 19, 2012, based on U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/715,847.

Here are the details for each relevant prior art reference found within the patent text:

1. U.S. Application Ser. No. 13/484,213

• Full Citation: U.S. application Ser. No. 13/484,213, entitled “System and Method for Providing an Athlete with a Performance Profile.”
• Publication/Filing Date: Filed May 30, 2012.
• Brief Description: This application is cited in US12340891B2 as providing details for a preferred rankings generator (120) and a media portal (114) for an athlete tracking system. It describes systems and methods for users to access event information, training plans, workouts, rankings, and media related to athletic events.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102):
  • This reference, filed before the priority date of US12340891B2 (October 19, 2012), would be considered prior art.
  • It generally covers aspects of a web-based platform for athletes, including training logs, user profiles, and a rankings generator. While it provides foundational elements of the platform described in US12340891B2, the specific claims of US12340891B2 focus on the "live training data" aspect provided to a trainer as the athlete is performing a workout. Since the description of US12340891B2 explicitly states "Details of a preferred rankings generator are found in U.S. application Ser. No. 13/484,213" and "Details of a preferred medial portal are found in U.S. application Ser. No. 13/484,213," this suggests that these specific components, if broadly claimed in US12340891B2, could be anticipated. However, the claims of US12340891B2 (Claims 1-5) primarily center on the live data functionality, which is not explicitly tied to this particular prior art in the provided text in the same way the provisional 61/705,232 is. If any claims in 12340891B2 were to broadly cover only a web-based platform with athlete profiles, training logs, and rankings/media portals without the live tracking and immediate trainer access, then elements of those claims might be anticipated.

2. U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/705,232

• Full Citation: U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/705,232, entitled “Interface and Method for Updating an Athlete Training Log.”
• Publication/Filing Date: Filed September 25, 2012.
• Brief Description: US12340891B2 explicitly states that this provisional application describes "An example of a system for providing a live feed to a training log". The description further clarifies that this system includes an athlete wearing a tracking device (140), such as a GPS-enabled device, that provides "live updates" to the platform (102). It also describes a "Coaching dashboard" (134) configured to provide the coach with "live training information as the athlete is performing the workout."
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102):
  • This reference, filed before the priority date of US12340891B2 (October 19, 2012), is highly relevant prior art.
  • The description of US12340891B2 directly attributes the core inventive concept of "providing a trainer with live training data of an individual as the individual is performing a training workout" to this provisional application.
  • Claim 1 of US12340891B2 describes a method including "updating... with workout data from a mobile tracking device... as the athlete is performing the workout" and "permitting a coach to log onto the platform and view the athlete's training data as the athlete is performing the training workout." This is directly and explicitly disclosed as being described in U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/705,232.
  • Claims 2, 3, and 4 are dependent claims refining Claim 1, relating to how the device is worn or how the trainer views the data. If Claim 1 is anticipated, these dependent claims are also likely anticipated unless they introduce a novel and non-obvious limitation not found in the provisional.
  • Claim 5 of US12340891B2 describes a web-based platform "configured to be synchronized with a GPS tracking device worn by the athlete so that the training log server is updated automatically with workout data from the tracking device" and a processor configured to "receive positional data supplied by the tracking device... and update the platform with the positional data during the athlete's workout," with access granted to the trainer. This system architecture, particularly the live update and trainer access during the workout, is directly disclosed as being found in U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/705,232.
  • Therefore, U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/705,232 potentially anticipates Claims 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 of US12340891B2, as the patent itself credits this provisional with describing the core "live feed" and "live training information to the coach as the athlete is performing the workout" functionality.

3. U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/715,847

• Full Citation: U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/715,847.
• Publication/Filing Date: Filed October 19, 2012.
• Brief Description: This is the earliest priority document for the entire patent family that US12340891B2 belongs to, as indicated in the "CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS" section. It is the foundational provisional application from which US12340891B2 claims benefit through a series of continuations.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102):
  • As the priority document for US12340891B2, this provisional application itself is not "prior art" in the sense of anticipating claims under 35 U.S.C. § 102 for its own subject matter, assuming proper priority claims and no prior public disclosure of its contents. Instead, the claims of US12340891B2 should ideally find support and enablement within this provisional application to benefit from its filing date. If the claims of US12340891B2 are fully disclosed in this provisional, then they are entitled to its priority date. If not, then its effective priority date for those new claims would be later. Therefore, its relationship is more of a basis for the current invention rather than an anticipating prior art in the typical sense.

In summary, U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/705,232 is the most directly relevant prior art cited within the patent text that explicitly describes the core "live training data to a trainer as the athlete is performing a workout" claimed in US12340891B2.

Under 35 U.S.C. § 103, a patent claim is considered obvious if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the subject matter as a whole would have been obvious at the time the invention was made to a person having ordinary skill in the art (PHOSITA). An obviousness analysis requires identifying the scope and content of the prior art, ascertaining the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art, and determining the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art. Crucially, there must be an articulated reason or motivation for a PHOSITA to combine the prior art elements to arrive at the claimed invention.

For US Patent 12340891, the prior art available as of its earliest priority date (October 19, 2012, based on U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/715,847) includes:

1. U.S. application Ser. No. 13/484,213, filed May 30, 2012, entitled "System and Method for Providing an Athlete with a Performance Profile" (hereinafter, the '213 application). This application is incorporated by reference in US12340891 and is described as providing details for a rankings generator and a media portal. More broadly, the description of US12340891 details a web-based platform (Platform 102) with a training log server (116), athlete profiles, and the ability for coaches to log in, view training records, and upload training plans.
2. U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/705,232, filed September 25, 2012, entitled "Interface and Method for Updating an Athlete Training Log" (hereinafter, the '232 provisional). This application is also incorporated by reference in US12340891 and is described as providing "An example of a system for providing a live feed to a training log."

The core inventive concept of US12340891, as indicated by its title and claims, is to provide a trainer (coach) with live training data of an athlete as the athlete is performing a training workout.

Obviousness Analysis of US12340891 Claims

Claim 1 of US12340891 recites:
"A method for providing a trainer with live training data of an athlete as the athlete is performing a training workout at a track, the method comprising:
creating an athlete profile on a training log server of a computer web-based platform, the training log server being configured to maintain a plurality of athlete profiles, the athlete profile including a training record having a plurality predefined fields for storage of athlete training data, at least one of the fields corresponding to a distance aspect of an athlete's workout, at least another of the fields corresponding to a time aspect of an athlete's workout;
updating, at the platform, a training record in the athlete profile with workout data from a mobile tracking device carried with the athlete around the track as the athlete is performing the workout, the workout data including a distance aspect and a time aspect; and
permitting a coach to log onto the platform and view the athlete's training data as the athlete is performing the training workout."

Combination of Prior Art References: U.S. application Ser. No. 13/484,213 in combination with U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/705,232.

Reasoning for Obviousness of Claim 1:

1. Creating an athlete profile on a web-based platform with training records: The '213 application (and the general description of Platform 102 in US12340891) clearly discloses a web-based platform (102) with a training log server (116) that maintains athlete profiles. Each profile includes a training record with fields for workout data, such as distance and time aspects. This also includes permitting a coach to log onto the platform and view the athlete's training record (post-workout).
2. Updating the training record with workout data from a mobile tracking device as the athlete is performing the workout (i.e., live updating): US12340891 explicitly states, "the training log may be updated automatically with a GPS device in sync with training log feature 124. For example, a cyclist or runner may wear a GPS-enabled device which is Internet ready so that as the user is training, training data is being communicated 'live' to the user's personal training log on the platform." Critically, the patent then points to the '232 provisional application as an "example of a system for providing a live feed to a training log." Therefore, the '232 provisional would teach or render obvious the live updating of a training log with workout data (including distance and time) from a mobile tracking device worn by an athlete during a workout.
3. Permitting a coach to view the athlete's training data as the athlete is performing the training workout: The '213 application provides the foundation for coach access to athlete records on a web platform. The '232 provisional teaches a "live feed to a training log." A PHOSITA, combining these two known elements, would readily understand how to integrate the live data stream into the existing coach dashboard of the '213 application. US12340891 itself describes this explicit combination: "Coaching dashboard 134 may be configured to provide the coach with live training information as the athlete is performing the workout." This statement, coupled with the reference to the '232 provisional for the live feed, indicates that providing live training data to a coach via a dashboard was either known or an obvious extension of existing technologies.

Motivation for a PHOSITA to Combine the References:
A person having ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to combine the web-based athlete/coach platform and training log functionalities of the '213 application with the live training data feed capabilities described in the '232 provisional. The problem articulated in the background of US12340891 is to allow athletes to maintain their relationship with a preferred coach regardless of physical location, improving personal fitness and preparation for competitions. Providing coaches with real-time, live training data (as opposed to only post-workout data) would be a clear and intuitive improvement to any remote coaching system. This real-time information allows coaches to offer immediate feedback, make on-the-fly adjustments to training, and closely monitor an athlete's performance and safety during a workout. Such a combination directly addresses the recognized need for more effective remote coaching and represents a predictable improvement in the art, especially given the increasing prevalence of GPS-enabled mobile tracking devices.

Claim 5 of US12340891 recites:
"A web-based platform for permitting a trainer to track an athlete throughout a duration of the athlete's workout, comprising:
a training log server configured to maintain a plurality of athlete profiles in a database, each athlete profile including a workout record having a plurality of fields that store information from a workout, at least one of the fields corresponding to a distance aspect, at least another one of the fields corresponding to a time aspect, the platform configured to be synchronized with a GPS tracking device worn by the athlete so that the training log server is updated automatically with workout data from the tracking device; and
a processor programmed to receive positional data supplied by the tracking device through a communications link between the tracking device and a mobile communications device, and update the platform with the positional data during the athlete's workout, said processor being configured to grant access to the positional data to the trainer so that the trainer" (Claim is truncated, but the essence is live access to positional data by the trainer).

Combination of Prior Art References: U.S. application Ser. No. 13/484,213 in combination with U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/705,232, and general knowledge of mobile tracking devices and communication technologies.

Reasoning for Obviousness of Claim 5:

1. Web-based platform with training log server, athlete profiles, and workout records (distance, time aspects): As with Claim 1, the '213 application would teach the foundation of such a web-based platform, including the training log server, athlete profiles, and workout records storing distance and time information.
2. Platform synchronized with a GPS tracking device worn by the athlete to automatically update the training log server with workout data: US12340891 describes an "athlete may wear a tracking device 140, such as a GPS enabled tracking device, that provides live updates to platform 102." This live update capability to a training log server is explicitly supported by the '232 provisional. The '232 provisional details a "system and method for transferring an athlete's training data from a bike computer to an online training log" involving a mobile training computer with GPS hardware and a mobile communications device.
3. Processor receiving positional data from the tracking device via a mobile communications device, updating the platform during the workout, and granting access to the positional data to the trainer (live tracking): The '232 provisional, by providing "a system for providing a live feed to a training log," would encompass receiving and updating with positional data during the workout. The description of US12340891 further clarifies the data transfer: "The mobile training computer preferably includes Global Positioning System (GPS) hardware configured to permit the processor to track the position of the user throughout the duration of a training session." It also discusses the mobile training computer transferring data to a mobile communications device, which then formats and uploads it to the web-based platform. Coupling this live positional data feed with the coach access mechanisms already present in the '213 application (or general knowledge of granting access on web platforms) would be obvious. The patent explicitly states that the "Coaching dashboard 134 may be configured to provide the coach with live training information as the athlete is performing the workout." This "live training information" would naturally include positional data from a GPS device.

Motivation for a PHOSITA to Combine the References:
The motivation for combining these elements for Claim 5 is substantially the same as for Claim 1. A PHOSITA would seek to enhance the remote coaching capabilities of an athlete management platform (as in '213 application) by incorporating real-time data, particularly positional data, from commonly available GPS tracking devices (as conceptually supported by '232 provisional). Tracking an athlete's exact position live during a workout enables a coach to monitor route adherence, provide guidance on pacing or technique based on terrain or progress, and ensure the athlete's safety, especially during outdoor training. This would be a desirable and logical advancement in remote athletic training and monitoring, directly addressing the challenges of providing comprehensive coaching when the athlete and coach are geographically separated.