US 8914526

Analysis of U.S. Patent 8,914,526

Date of Analysis: April 26, 2026

This report provides a summary of United States Patent 8,914,526, including its key bibliographic details and an overview of its independent claims. No active litigation in the CAFC 2026 dockets involving this patent has been identified.

Bibliographic Information

• Title: Local and remote monitoring using a standard web browser.
• Assignee: Portus Singapore Pte Ltd.
• Inventors: Charles Cameron Lindquist, Timothy John Lindquist.
• Filing Date: December 17, 1999.
• Issue Date: December 16, 2014.
• Abstract: The patent describes a home security and control system that allows for monitoring and controlling a home environment. The system includes an Internet browser that connects to an extranet, which in turn can connect on-demand to a gateway within the home. This gateway manages at least one security device. When a user accesses a specific address (URL) via the browser, a communications server in the extranet establishes a connection with the designated gateway to enable control and monitoring of the security device. The system suggests that the extranet could be a Virtual Private Network (VPN) built on the internet.

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Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims

This patent contains four independent claims: 1, 57, 58, and 59. Below is a simplified explanation of the technological concepts each claim protects.

Independent Claim 1: This claim outlines a system for remotely accessing a home network. The core components are:

• A hardware device with an internet browser.
• An "extranet" (a private network outside the home) that the browser can access.
• Multiple "connection gateways" (hardware processors) located in different homes, each part of a home network.
• At least one "communications server" in the extranet that can connect to these gateways on demand.

The key function is that when a user enters a specific URL in the browser and provides authorization, the communications server identifies the correct home network and establishes a new communication session with the gateway in that home. This session allows the extranet to pull information from the home network via the gateway and display it to the user in a webpage. A crucial point is that the server cannot directly connect to the devices in the home network; it must go through the gateway.

Independent Claim 57: This claim describes a similar system for accessing a user premises network, but with slightly different terminology. The components are:

• A "first network" (the external network) with a network access controller and a user access browser.
• Multiple "second arrangements of processing circuitry" (the in-home gateways) in various user premises.

The process is essentially the same as in claim 1: a user accesses a specific location on the first network, which then determines the correct premises and initiates a temporary connection to the gateway there. This allows the user to seamlessly access information from the home network. A key limitation is that monitoring or controlling devices in the home can only be done by interacting with information served by the in-home gateway.

Independent Claim 58: This claim is very similar to claim 1, again describing a system for remote access to a user premises network. It includes:

• An internet browser on a hardware device.
• An external network accessible by the browser.
• Multiple connection gateways in different user premises.
• At least one communications server in the external network.

Like the other claims, it details the process of a user accessing a URL, providing authorization, and the server then creating a new communication session with the correct home gateway. This session is used to get information from the home network and present it to the user via a web server. The claim reiterates that the server is not able to directly couple with the networked components within the home.

Independent Claim 59: This claim focuses on a system for remote access using a mobile device. The main elements are:

• A mobile device with a hardware processor and user interface.
• Multiple connection gateways in different homes.
• An "extranet" (external network) accessible by the mobile device over a wireless network.

The process is consistent with the other claims: a user inputs a URL on the mobile device, which provides authorization to the extranet. The extranet then determines the correct home, creates a new communication session with the gateway in that home to control or monitor networked components, retrieves information, and serves it back to the mobile device for display. A key distinction is the explicit mention of a mobile device and wireless network access. It also specifies that the extranet is not directly coupleable with the components in the home network.