US 8712441

US Patent 8712441, titled "Methods and systems for temporarily sharing position data between mobile-device users," was granted to XONE Inc. as the original assignee and is currently assigned to Piney Woods Mobility LLC. The patent lists Richard D. Haney as the inventor. The application for this patent was filed on April 11, 2013, and it was issued on April 29, 2014.

Abstract:
Methods and systems for enabling users of wireless communication devices to temporarily share position data with other selected users and to track and display the location of selected users on a graphical display of their wireless communication devices.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims:

• Independent Claim 1 (Method): This claim describes a method for two mobile device users to temporarily share their locations. It involves setting up a temporary connection between their devices. One device sends a request to a central server to share its location with the second device. The server then tells the second device about this request. If the second device agrees, the server sets up a temporary location-sharing arrangement. This arrangement automatically ends after a set amount of time. During this period, the server helps both devices exchange their location data so they can see each other's positions on their screens.

• Independent Claim 11 (System): This claim describes the actual system that performs the method outlined in Claim 1. It centers on a server designed to manage the temporary location sharing. The server is configured to receive requests, send notifications, process acceptances from mobile devices, establish the temporary sharing relationship (which ends automatically after a set time), and then enable the continuous exchange of location data between the devices for display on their screens.

• Independent Claim 15 (Computer Readable Storage Medium): This claim covers a non-transitory computer storage medium (like a hard drive or flash memory) that contains instructions. When a processor reads and executes these instructions, it performs the method described in Claim 1. This includes establishing a temporary communication link, handling requests and acceptances for temporary location sharing via a server, automatically terminating the sharing after a predetermined period, and facilitating the mutual exchange and display of position data between the two mobile devices.

CAFC 2026 Dockets:
A search for "CAFC docket 8712441 2026" did not yield any specific dockets for US patent 8712441 in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit for the year 2026. However, information suggests there has been litigation concerning this patent family in the Texas Eastern and Western District Courts, with cases filed in 2026. The provided information does not specify if any of these cases have reached the CAFC docket in 2026.