US 7280830

US Patent 7280830, titled "Automatic registration services provided through a home relationship established between a device and a local area network," was filed on June 2, 2004, and issued on October 9, 2007. The current assignee is Iot Innovations LLC, and the inventors are Eric C. Anderson and Robert P. Morris.

Abstract:
The patent describes a method and network for automatically registering a new device. It begins by establishing a "home" relationship between the new device and a network server, eliminating the need for further user configuration for network communication. Registration information, which can include details about the user, the new device, and the network server, is then automatically gathered. The network server establishes a connection with a registration server and transmits this information, resulting in the new device being automatically registered with minimal user input. The "home" relationship also enables the registration server to provide additional services to the new device.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims:

• Claim 1 (Method): This claim details a method for automatically registering a new wireless device with a registration server. It involves a network server establishing a "home" relationship with the wireless device, where the server recognizes the device as one it already "owns." This relationship ensures the device can communicate on the network without additional user setup. Subsequently, the network server automatically collects registration information for the new device, establishes a connection with a registration server, and then sends the collected registration data to that server.

• Claim 15 (Computer-Readable Medium): This claim covers a computer-readable medium (e.g., a CD, hard drive) that contains instructions. When these instructions are executed by a computer, they carry out the automatic registration method described in Claim 1. This includes steps for establishing the "home" relationship, automatically obtaining registration data, setting up a connection between the network server and registration server, and transmitting the registration information.

• Claim 29 (Network): This claim describes a physical network system designed for automatic registration. It comprises a network server and a new wireless device connected to it. The wireless device has a "home" relationship with the network server, allowing it to communicate on the network without extra user configuration, and the network server identifies it as a previously known "owned device." Within this network, registration information for the new device is automatically gathered, a connection is established between the network server and a registration server, and this registration information is sent from the network server to the registration server.

• Claim 35 (Method - Alternate Flow): This claim outlines an alternative method for automatic registration. It involves establishing a general "relationship" (which can be a "home" relationship as clarified in dependent claims) between a new wireless device and a network server, again without requiring additional user configuration for network communication. A key step is the network server confirming the device is a previously known "owned device." Registration information is automatically obtained for the new device, including specific information from the network server itself. Uniquely, this method then establishes a connection between the registration server and the new device, and the registration information is sent directly from the new device to the registration server.

• Claim 41 (Computer-Readable Medium - Alternate Flow): Similar to Claim 15, this claim covers a computer-readable medium with instructions that, when executed, perform the automatic registration method as described in Claim 35. This includes establishing the device-server relationship (where the network server identifies the device as an owned, previously known device), automatically obtaining registration information (including from the network server), making a connection between the registration server and the new device, and sending the registration information from the new device to the registration server.

• Claim 47 (Network - Alternate Flow): This claim describes a network configured to perform the method of Claim 35. It includes a network server and a new wireless device, where the device has a relationship with the server that allows communication without additional configuration, and the network server recognizes it as a previously known "owned device." In this setup, registration information is automatically obtained for the new wireless device, drawing some data from the network server. A connection is established between the new wireless device and a registration server, and the registration information is sent from the new wireless device to the registration server.

The patent's legal status is "Expired - Lifetime," with an expiration date of May 11, 2025. The patent family has been involved in litigation, with cases filed in various U.S. District Courts. A search for CAFC dockets for 2026 did not yield specific litigation directly involving patent US7280830.