Assignment history

Inventors

• Francis daCosta: Employer at time of filing not explicitly stated in patent, but assigned to Mesh Dynamics Inc. [cite: 6 (USPTO assignment)]
• Sriram Dayanandan: Employer at time of filing not explicitly stated in patent, but assigned to Mesh Dynamics Inc. [cite: 6 (USPTO assignment)]

No unusual patterns were determinable from the provided information regarding inventor departure. The inventors assigned their interest to Mesh Dynamics, Inc. shortly after the application filing.

Original assignee

The original assignee on the issued patent US8520691 was Mesh Dynamics Inc.

Mesh Dynamics Inc. developed and shipped third-generation wireless mesh networking solutions, specifically their MD4000 family of Structured Mesh™ wireless nodes. Their primary line of business was providing high-performance, low-latency, and low-jitter outdoor wireless mesh networking solutions for data, voice, and video, particularly for mission-critical applications in defense, homeland security, and industrial sectors such as mining. They also licensed their radio-agnostic mesh control layer software to various OEMs. The company appears to have been an operating company that produced and sold products embodying the claims.

Current status: The company, or at least its branding, appears to have evolved. Mesh Dynamics, Inc. assigned its interest to Dynamic Mesh Networks, Inc. DBA Meshdynamics in 2014 [cite: 5 (USPTO assignment)]. Dynamic Mesh Solutions (which seems related to Dynamic Mesh Networks Inc.) is presented as a subsidiary of Navigation Solutions Europe BV and functions as a reseller/integrator of Rajant products, alongside offering design, delivery, and support services for wireless IP mesh networks.

Assignment timeline

• 2010-02-12 (executed) / recorded 2010-02-15 — Reel 023812/0358

  • Conveyance: ASSIGNMENT
  • Assignor: DACOSTA, FRANCIS; DAYANANDAN, SRIRAM
  • Assignee: MESH DYNAMICS, INC.
  • Correspondent: JEFFREY A. KRAUS 2969 BARRETT RD ANN ARBOR MI 48103
  • Context: Inventors assigned their rights to the original operating company.

• 2014-11-19 (executed) / recorded 2014-11-21 — Reel 033104/0046

  • Conveyance: ASSIGNMENT
  • Assignor: MESH DYNAMICS, INC.
  • Assignee: DYNAMIC MESH NETWORKS, INC. DBA MESHDYNAMICS
  • Correspondent: JEFFREY A. KRAUS 2969 BARRETT RD. ANN ARBOR MI 48103. (This correspondent has appeared previously in this chain).
  • Context: Transfer from original operating company, likely an internal re-organization or name change.

• 2025-08-08 (executed) / recorded 2025-08-11 — Reel 065520/0664

  • Conveyance: ASSIGNMENT
  • Assignor: ABACUS CONTROLS GROUP, INC
  • Assignee: Dynamic Mesh Networks, Inc.
  • Correspondent: ROBERT I. GRINER, ESQ. MCAFEE & TAFT A PROFESSIONAL CORPORATION TWO LEADERSHIP SQUARE, 211 N. ROBINSON, 10TH FLOOR OKLAHOMA CITY OK 73102-7100. (This correspondent recurs in this chain).
  • Context: Transfer to Dynamic Mesh Networks, Inc. from an entity not previously in the chain, suggesting an acquisition or consolidation of assets.

• 2025-08-08 (executed) / recorded 2025-08-11 — Reel 065520/0675

  • Conveyance: ASSIGNMENT
  • Assignor: ADVANCED CYBERNETICS GROUP INC.
  • Assignee: Dynamic Mesh Networks, Inc.
  • Correspondent: ROBERT I. GRINER, ESQ. MCAFEE & TAFT A PROFESSIONAL CORPORATION TWO LEADERSHIP SQUARE, 211 N. ROBINSON, 10TH FLOOR OKLAHOMA CITY OK 73102-7100. (This correspondent recurs in this chain).
  • Context: Transfer to Dynamic Mesh Networks, Inc. from another entity not previously in the chain, further suggesting an acquisition or consolidation of assets.

• 2025-08-08 (executed) / recorded 2025-08-12 — Reel 065522/0754

  • Conveyance: ASSIGNMENT
  • Assignor: CHIRP NETWORKS INC.
  • Assignee: DYNAMIC MESH NETWORKS, INC.
  • Correspondent: ROBERT I. GRINER, ESQ. MCAFEE & TAFT A PROFESSIONAL CORPORATION TWO LEADERSHIP SQUARE, 211 N. ROBINSON, 10TH FLOOR OKLAHOMA CITY OK 73102-7100. (This correspondent recurs in this chain).
  • Context: Transfer to Dynamic Mesh Networks, Inc., potentially a re-assignment or part of a larger transaction.

• 2025-08-08 (executed) / recorded 2025-08-12 — Reel 065522/0762

  • Conveyance: ASSIGNMENT
  • Assignor: DYNAMIC MESH NETWORKS, INC.
  • Assignee: CHIRP NETWORKS INC.
  • Correspondent: ROBERT I. GRINER, ESQ. MCAFEE & TAFT A PROFESSIONAL CORPORATION TWO LEADERSHIP SQUARE, 211 N. ROBINSON, 10TH FLOOR OKLAHOMA CITY OK 73102-7100. (This correspondent recurs in this chain).
  • Context: Transfer from Dynamic Mesh Networks, Inc. to Chirp Networks Inc., potentially a strategic asset transfer or a sale.

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 8520691
    2010 : Inventors assigned to Mesh Dynamics Inc
    2013 : Patent Issued
    2014 : Assigned to Dynamic Mesh Networks Inc
    2025 : Assigned from Abacus Controls Group to Dynamic Mesh Networks Inc
         : Assigned from Advanced Cybernetics Group to Dynamic Mesh Networks Inc
         : Assigned from Chirp Networks Inc to Dynamic Mesh Networks Inc
         : Assigned from Dynamic Mesh Networks Inc to Chirp Networks Inc
    2026 : Patent Expired - Fee Related

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer — Unclear.

   • The transfer from "MESH DYNAMICS, INC." to "DYNAMIC MESH NETWORKS, INC. DBA MESHDYNAMICS" (2014-11-19 / 2014-11-21, Reel 033104/0046) appears to be an internal re-organization or rebranding of an operating company, not a shell entity. Dynamic Mesh Solutions, which seems to be the current iteration of Dynamic Mesh Networks, Inc., offers products and services.
   • The subsequent transfers in August 2025 involve "ABACUS CONTROLS GROUP, INC.", "ADVANCED CYBERNETICS GROUP INC.", "DYNAMIC MESH NETWORKS, INC.", and "CHIRP NETWORKS INC.". While the names "Abacus Controls Group, Inc." and "Advanced Cybernetics Group Inc." do not immediately suggest operating companies, and Chirp Networks Inc. has "Chirp" as a trademark of Meshdynamics, without further information on their business activities, it's unclear if these represent transfers to licensing-only shell entities. The patent also expired shortly after these transfers, reducing the likelihood of active assertion [cite: 1, 4, 5, Google Patents Legal Status].

2. Known asserter in the chain — Not present.

   • None of the assignees (Mesh Dynamics Inc., Dynamic Mesh Networks Inc., Abacus Controls Group Inc., Advanced Cybernetics Group Inc., Chirp Networks Inc.) are listed as known high-frequency plaintiffs or NPEs in common databases like RPX or Unified Patents.

3. Repeat correspondent across the chain — Present.

   • JEFFREY A. KRAUS (Ann Arbor, MI) is the correspondent for the 2010 and 2014 assignments (Reel 023812/0358 and Reel 033104/0046).
   • ROBERT I. GRINER, ESQ., MCAFEE & TAFT A PROFESSIONAL CORPORATION (Oklahoma City, OK) is the correspondent for all four assignments in August 2025 (Reel 065520/0664, Reel 065520/0675, Reel 065522/0754, Reel 065522/0762). The recurrence of Robert I. Griner and McAfee & Taft for multiple transactions within a short period is a notable signal.

4. Cascading transfers — Present.

   • There are four assignments executed on 2025-08-08 and recorded on 2025-08-11 and 2025-08-12, all within a few days. These involve "ABACUS CONTROLS GROUP, INC.", "ADVANCED CYBERNETICS GROUP INC.", "DYNAMIC MESH NETWORKS, INC.", and "CHIRP NETWORKS INC." [cite: Reel 065520/0664, Reel 065520/0675, Reel 065522/0754, Reel 065522/0762]. The fact that these occurred immediately prior to the patent's expiration on 2025-06-07 (though the records show August 2025, suggesting activity around expiration or perhaps a re-dating of the assignment for recordal after expiration, or the stated expiration is based on original priority and might be extendable depending on PTA/PTE) is also noteworthy. The Google Patents data lists expiration as "2025-06-07 Expired - Fee Related."

5. Pre-litigation transfer — Not present.

   • The patent expired on 2025-06-07 [cite: Google Patents Legal Status]. The transfers in August 2025 occurred after the patent's expiration date. There's no indication of litigation immediately following these transfers in the provided data.

6. Bankruptcy fire-sale — Not present.

   • No evidence suggests the original assignee, Mesh Dynamics Inc., or any subsequent assignors filed for bankruptcy leading to a patent sale.

7. Privateering — Unclear.

   • There is no explicit evidence (e.g., SEC filings, public reports) to suggest that an operating company transferred the patent to an NPE for assertion on its behalf.

8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE) — Not present.

   • The chain does not terminate at a known defensive aggregator like RPX, AST, LOT Network, Unified Patents, or Open Invention Network.

Verdict

Insufficient data.
While there are signals like a repeat correspondent (Robert I. Griner, McAfee & Taft) and cascading transfers in August 2025 [cite: Reel 065520/0664, Reel 065520/0675, Reel 065522/0754, Reel 065522/0762], these events occurred after the patent's stated expiration date of June 7, 2025 [cite: Google Patents Legal Status]. Without information on the business activities of Abacus Controls Group Inc., Advanced Cybernetics Group Inc., and Chirp Networks Inc., and given the patent's expired status, it's not possible to confidently label the ultimate assignee as an NPE engaging in active assertion. The transfers could represent a clean-up of assets related to the expired patent or other corporate restructuring.

USPTO Assignment Center search page: https://assignmentcenter.uspto.gov/