US 8972576

Here is a concise summary of US Patent 8,972,576.

Summary of US Patent 8,972,576

Title: Establishing a home relationship between a wireless device and a server in a wireless network

Assignee: As of the latest assignment records, the current assignee is IoT Innovations LLC.

Inventor(s): Eric C. Anderson

Filing Date: April 28, 2004

Issue Date: March 3, 2015

Abstract:
A method and system for establishing a persistent relationship between a mobile device and a server in a network is provided. Aspects of the invention include detecting the presence of the mobile device, and in response to determining that the device is unrecognized, automatically notifying a network administrator. In response to receiving the administrator's authorization to establish a relationship, a user of the mobile device is requested to authorize the establishment of the relationship. If the user then accepts the offer and authorizes the relationship, the relationship is automatically established between the device and the network, such that no additional configuration is required by the user of the device to communicate over the network once the relationship has been established.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims

This patent has three independent claims: Claim 1 (a method), Claim 17 (a network configuration), and Claim 34 (a non-transitory computer-readable medium). In essence, all three independent claims describe the same core invention but are framed as a method of doing something, a physical system, and a software product, respectively.

Claim 1 (Method): This claim outlines a process for a network to establish a trusted "home" relationship with a new mobile device. The key steps are:

1. The network detects a new, unrecognized mobile device.
2. The network's administrator is automatically notified about the new device.
3. If the administrator approves, the network asks the mobile device user for their permission to connect.
4. If the user also approves, a persistent relationship is created, allowing the device to automatically connect to the network in the future without needing any extra setup.

Claim 17 (Network Configuration): This claim describes a physical system that carries out the method from Claim 1. The system consists of:

• A mobile device.
• A wireless home network with a server.

The server is configured to perform the same four steps outlined in Claim 1: detect the device, notify the administrator, request user authorization, and establish the persistent connection.

Claim 34 (Non-transitory computer-readable medium): This claim covers a software product (like an application or firmware) stored on a non-temporary medium (such as a hard drive or flash memory). The software contains instructions that, when run on a processor, will cause the network server to:

• Detect a new mobile device.
• Notify the network administrator and ask for permission to connect.
• Request authorization from the mobile device user after getting the administrator's okay.
• Establish the persistent "home" relationship so the device can connect automatically from then on.

CAFC 2026 Docket Search

As of today's date, a search of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) dockets for the year 2026 did not reveal any specific appeals directly referencing US Patent 8,972,576. However, the assignee, IoT Innovations LLC, is an active litigant, and district court cases involving this patent could be appealed to the CAFC in the future. Additionally, an ex parte reexamination of this patent is currently pending with the USPTO.