US 8725700

Analysis of U.S. Patent 8,725,700

This report provides a concise summary of United States Patent 8,725,700, including its key bibliographic details and a plain-language overview of its independent claims. The information is based on the patent documentation and a search of publicly available records from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). A search of the 2026 dockets for the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) revealed no pending litigation for this patent.

Bibliographic Information:

• Title: Clearinghouse systems and methods for collecting or providing quality or performance data for enhanced availability of wireless communications
• Assignee: As of the latest assignment recorded on December 31, 2024, the assignee is Massively Broadband LLC. The original assignee was the inventor, Theodore S. Rappaport.
• Inventor: Theodore S. Rappaport
• Filing Date: June 14, 2010
• Issue Date: May 13, 2014
• Abstract: A computerized system, method and process allows telecommunications carriers to find, evaluate and select locations for equipment through direct interaction with end-users. The system also supports monitoring and control of wireless devices, and provisioning of localized content such as advertising, based on location specific information. The system includes a clearinghouse for storing and processing data provided by end-users, carriers, and public sources. The clearinghouse also stores and provides quality or performance data relating to telecommunication services to end-users.

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Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims:

U.S. Patent 8,725,700 contains three independent claims: 1, 19, and 26. Below is a simplified explanation of the core concepts protected by each.

Independent Claim 1:

This claim describes a computerized "clearinghouse" system. The core ideas are:

• A central database: This database stores information from both wireless service end-users and wireless carriers.
• User input: End-users can provide information about their property (e.g., home, land) and their willingness to host wireless equipment.
• Carrier input: Wireless carriers can specify their needs for new equipment locations.
• Matching and notification: The system automatically matches the carriers' needs with the end-users' offers and notifies the carrier of potential locations.
• Additional data: The system also stores public information like local zoning rules and ordinances that could affect the installation of new equipment.

In essence, claim 1 protects a matchmaking service for wireless infrastructure, connecting carriers who need to expand their network with property owners willing to host the necessary equipment, all while considering relevant public regulations.

Independent Claim 19:

This claim focuses on a method for enhancing wireless service on a user's device. The key steps are:

• A clearinghouse with performance data: A central system collects and stores data about the quality of service (QoS) of various wireless carriers at different geographic locations.
• Device location: A wireless device determines its own location.
• Data retrieval: The device accesses the clearinghouse to get a ranked list of the best-performing wireless services at its current location. This ranking can be based on factors like signal strength, data speed, or cost.
• Service selection: The wireless device then uses this ranked list to automatically select the optimal wireless service to use.

Essentially, claim 19 outlines a system that allows a mobile device to intelligently choose the best available wireless network based on real-world performance data for its specific location, rather than being limited to a single provider.

Independent Claim 26:

This claim describes a method for delivering location-specific content, such as advertising, to wireless devices. The main elements are:

• A clearinghouse with infrastructure data: A central system knows the physical locations of wireless network infrastructure (e.g., cell towers, Wi-Fi hotspots).
• Content storage: The clearinghouse also stores content that is targeted to specific geographic areas.
• Identifying user requests: The system identifies when a user in a particular area requests online content (like a webpage).
• Content insertion: Before sending the requested content to the user, the system modifies it to include the location-specific content.

In simple terms, claim 26 protects a method for injecting localized advertising or other information into the data being sent to a wireless user, based on the location of the network equipment they are connected to. This allows for targeted content delivery without needing to know the user's precise GPS coordinates.