US 7246351

An analysis of U.S. Patent 7,246,351 reveals the following details:

Title: System and method for deploying and implementing software applications over a distributed network

Assignee: The current assignee of record is Datacloud Technologies LLC. The original assignee was Jargon Software.

Inventors: Timothy J. Bloch, Thomas L. Dietsche, and Richard D. Rubenstein.

Filing Date: February 20, 2002

Issue Date: July 17, 2007

Abstract: A system for deploying applications over a distributed network to web-enabled devices uses a server, with stored text files containing application logic, and an application assembler. The application assembler downloads and installs on each web-enabled device. Then, the application assembler downloads one or more text files from the server, retrieves program logic from each of the downloaded text files, and assembles the retrieved program logic into a fuctioning application. In some instances, a plugin that is downloaded and installed on each web-enabled device is activated by web pages on the server to launch the application assembler.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims

U.S. Patent 7,246,351 has two independent claims. Here is a plain-language explanation of each:

Independent Claim 1: This claim describes a method for a client device (like a computer or smartphone) to run different software applications that are delivered over a network. The key steps are:

1. First, a universal "assembler" program and a "starter" plugin are downloaded and installed on the user's device.
2. When the user wants to run a specific application, this starter plugin launches the assembler program.
3. The assembler then downloads one or more text files from a server. These files contain the specific instructions (the "program logic") for the desired application.
4. Finally, the assembler program on the user's device reads these instructions and builds the application in the device's temporary memory, allowing the user to interact with it.

Essentially, this claim covers a system where a single, small program on a device can create and run many different applications on-demand by fetching the necessary instructions from a server, without having to install each application individually.

Independent Claim 13: This claim focuses on the server-side of the same system. It describes a method for a server to provide these deployable applications. The main steps are:

1. The server stores a collection of text files, where each file contains the specific program logic for a particular software application.
2. The server also stores an "assembler" program.
3. When a user's device requests an application, the server first sends the assembler program and a starter plugin to be installed on the device.
4. Later, when the user wants to run an application, the server receives a request and sends the corresponding text file(s) with the program logic to the assembler on the user's device, which then builds and runs the application.

This claim protects the server's role in this dynamic software delivery system, where applications are stored as simple text-based logic files and assembled at the time of use on the client's machine.

Litigation: Public records from 2025 and 2026 indicate that the current assignee, Datacloud Technologies LLC, has been actively asserting this patent in litigation against numerous companies. Cases have been filed in various U.S. District Courts, including those in Delaware and Texas. As of this analysis, there is no specific information available regarding appeals to the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) in the 2026 dockets.