US 8855723

Here is a concise summary of US patent 8855723:

Title: Temporal incoming communication notification management

Assignee: STASIT LLC

Inventors: Peter J. Lynch, III

Filing Date: 2011-09-25

Issue Date: 2014-10-07

Abstract: The patent describes a smartphone computer application and method for managing incoming communication notifications. If an incoming phone call or text message is not "temporally allowed" according to user-defined rules, the standard notification routine is bypassed. Instead, a password-protected masked notification routine is generated, which adds the communication to a password-protected log, prevents immediate display on the smartphone, and avoids adding an indication to the default phone or message log.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims:

• Claim 1 (Method): This claim details a method performed by a smartphone to manage notifications for incoming phone calls and text messages. The method involves:

  1. Receiving user input to define specific phone numbers as either "temporally authorized" or "unauthorized," along with the time periods during which these rules apply.
  2. Creating and storing a list of these numbers and their associated time periods in the phone's memory.
  3. Comparing the phone number and time of any incoming call or text message against this stored list.
  4. If the incoming communication is "temporally allowed," the smartphone uses its normal (default) notification routine, which includes immediately displaying the information and logging it in the standard phone or message log.
  5. If the incoming communication is "not temporally allowed," the normal notification routine is suppressed. Instead, a "password-protected masked notification routine" is activated. This masked routine adds the communication to a private, password-protected log, explicitly prevents immediate display on the screen, and prohibits adding any indication of the communication to the default phone or message log.

• Claim 11 (Non-transitory smart phone computer app): This claim describes a computer application designed for a smartphone that, when executed by the phone's processor, performs the exact method outlined in Claim 1. It provides instructions to the smartphone to receive temporal authorization settings, generate and store the corresponding list, compare incoming communications, and then handle notifications according to either the default or the password-protected masked routine based on the comparison result.

• Claim 18 (Smart phone system): This claim defines a smartphone device itself, including its processor, memory, display, transmitter, and receiver, that is configured to perform the temporal communication notification management. The smartphone's user interface is configured to receive the temporal authorization settings, and its processor is configured to generate, store, and compare incoming communications against these settings, subsequently executing either the default or the password-protected masked notification routine as described in Claim 1.

USPTO Database and CAFC 2026 Dockets Search:
A review of the provided patent information and additional searches indicates that US patent 8855723 is currently "Active - Reinstated" and is set to expire on 2032-04-26. The patent's "Family has litigation" section lists several cases filed in the Texas Western District Court in 2023. However, a search of CAFC dockets for 2026 did not reveal any specific cases involving US patent 8855723. There is no authoritative information found regarding CAFC dockets for this specific patent in 2026.