Prior art

The most relevant prior art for US Patent 7,323,982, "Method and system to control movable entities," can be identified by examining the patent's own citations. This analysis will focus on U.S. patents cited within the 7,323,982 patent, as these are considered by the examiner during prosecution and represent the closest known art at the time.

A search of the USPTO database for US patent 7,323,982, specifically examining its "Patent Citations" section, reveals numerous references. The following are some of the most relevant citations, along with their publication/filing dates, brief descriptions, and the claims they potentially anticipate under 35 U.S.C. § 102:

• U.S. Patent 3,518,674 (Moorhead et al.)

  • Full Citation: US3518674A
  • Publication/Filing Date: Publication: June 30, 1970; Priority: February 13, 1969
  • Brief Description: This patent describes a mobile unit locating system. It focuses on systems for tracking the position of mobile units.
  • Potentially Anticipates: This patent broadly anticipates the concept of tracking movable entities. Depending on the specifics of its disclosure, it could potentially anticipate the foundational elements of claims 1, 20, 31, 42, 47, 48, 49, and 55, particularly the aspect of determining the location of a movable entity. However, the sophistication of "geographical zones" and "configurable operations" as defined in 7,323,982 would likely differentiate it.

• U.S. Patent 3,772,668 (Smith)

  • Full Citation: US3772668A
  • Publication/Filing Date: Publication: November 12, 1973; Priority: December 29, 1971
  • Brief Description: This patent, like Moorhead et al., is an early example of a mobile unit locating system.
  • Potentially Anticipates: Similar to US3518674A, this patent may anticipate the basic idea of locating mobile units, thus potentially impacting the broadest interpretations of claims 1, 20, 31, 42, 47, 48, 49, and 55 related to entity tracking.

• U.S. Patent 6,674,368 B2 (Hawkins et al.)

  • Full Citation: US6674368B2
  • Publication/Filing Date: Publication: January 6, 2004; Priority: July 2, 2002
  • Brief Description: While the full abstract is not immediately available in the snippets, the publication date being close to the priority date of US7323982 (November 5, 2004) suggests it is highly relevant. It is cited as a "U.S. PATENT DOCUMENT".
  • Potentially Anticipates: Without the full text, it is difficult to specify claims. However, given the subject matter of US7323982, a contemporary patent on tracking or control of movable entities would likely be considered.

• U.S. Patent 6,717,513 B1 (Sandelman et al.)

  • Full Citation: US6717513B1
  • Publication/Filing Date: Publication: April 6, 2004; Priority: November 27, 2001
  • Brief Description: Similar to Hawkins et al., this patent's publication date is very close to the priority date of US7323982. It is also listed as a "U.S. PATENT DOCUMENT".
  • Potentially Anticipates: Further investigation into the full text would be needed, but its proximity in time and general subject matter suggests it could be relevant to the tracking, monitoring, or control aspects of various claims, particularly the system and method claims (1, 20, 31, 42, 47, 48, 49, 55).

• U.S. Patent 6,812,824 B1 (Goldinger et al.)

  • Full Citation: US6812824B1
  • Publication/Filing Date: Publication: November 2, 2004; Priority: December 20, 2002
  • Brief Description: This patent was published just days before the provisional filing date of US7323982. This makes it extremely relevant. It is also cited as a "U.S. PATENT DOCUMENT".
  • Potentially Anticipates: Due to its very close publication date to the priority date of US7323982, this patent is highly likely to anticipate elements of many of the claims, especially if it describes methods or systems for location-based control or event triggering in movable entities. Further analysis of its claims and specification would be crucial to determine which specific claims (1, 20, 31, 42, 47, 48, 49, 55) it most directly impacts.

It's important to note that the above analysis is based on the limited descriptions available in the patent citation list. A full anticipation analysis under 35 U.S.C. § 102 would require a detailed comparison of each claim of US7323982 against the full disclosure of each cited prior art patent.