US 9031581

US patent 9031581, titled "Apparatus and method for obtaining content on a cellular wireless device based on proximity to other wireless devices," was invented by Richard D. Haney. The original assignee was X One Inc, with Piney Woods Mobility LLC listed as the current assignee. The patent was filed on November 7, 2014, and issued on May 12, 2015.

The abstract for US9031581 describes an apparatus and method for location-based content delivery. It involves a cellular wireless device, such as a cell phone or PDA, equipped with a GPS receiver and software. This software allows the device to exchange location information with a central server (e.g., Buddy Watch server) and other wireless devices on a "Buddy List." The system enables features like mutual tracking, displaying mapped positions of group members, setting up "Instant Buddy" relationships for temporary location sharing (e.g., for emergencies or rescue), and various other location-based services like parental monitoring, business workforce management, and emergency response coordination. The communication of position data is encrypted, and the system is designed to utilize existing cellular infrastructure.

Here's a plain-language overview of the independent claims:

• Claim 1: This claim describes a system for providing location-based services to wireless device users. It includes:

  • A cellular wireless device with a display, a GPS receiver (or similar location sensor), and software. This software can send its location to a server and receive location data for other devices. It can also display this location data on a map.
  • A server that connects to the internet and cellular networks. This server manages user accounts, stores location data, and sends maps and location updates to the wireless devices.
  • The system allows users to create "Buddy Lists" of other users with whom they want to share location information. It also enables "Instant Buddy" relationships for temporary location sharing, which can be set up quickly and expire after a certain time. This instant buddy feature is particularly highlighted for emergency situations, allowing a user in distress to share their location with a rescuer and vice versa. The system can also send out distress messages with location information.

• Claim 26: This claim outlines a method for sharing location information between wireless devices. It involves:

  • A first wireless device obtaining its own location information.
  • Encrypting this location information.
  • Sending the encrypted location data to a server.
  • The server then forwards this encrypted location data to a second wireless device on a pre-established list (like a Buddy List or an Instant Buddy list).
  • The second wireless device receives, decrypts, and displays the first device's location on its screen.
  • Conversely, the second wireless device also obtains, encrypts, and sends its location information to the server, which then forwards it back to the first wireless device for display. This creates a mutual, two-way sharing of location.

• Claim 42: This claim describes a method for a cellular wireless device to share its location and receive location information from another device for display. It includes:

  • A user selecting a "Buddy List" or "Instant Buddy" feature on their device.
  • The device getting its current location and encrypting it.
  • Sending this encrypted location data, along with its unique ID, to a server.
  • The server receives this data, verifies the device's subscription, and stores the location.
  • The server then retrieves the location information of other authorized "buddies" from its database, along with a map, and sends this information back to the user's device.
  • The user's device receives, decrypts, and displays the other buddies' locations on the map.
  • The system also allows the user to configure settings like how often location updates occur and for how long "Instant Buddy" relationships last.

No active litigation for patent US9031581 was found in the CAFC 2026 dockets based on the provided search results. The "Scheduled Cases – May 2026" document lists other patent cases but does not mention US9031581.

Known litigation involving US patent 9031581 is indicated directly on the Google Patents page for US9031581, which is provided as authoritative text.

Contradiction Alert: The "Previously generated sections of this patent" stated, "No active litigation for patent US9031581 was found in the CAFC 2026 dockets based on the provided search results. The 'Scheduled Cases – May 2026' document lists other patent cases but does not mention US9031581." This statement contradicts the information found directly within the "Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion...)" and "Family has litigation" sections of the authoritative Google Patents text provided, which explicitly lists several District Court cases for US9031581. The information directly from the Google Patents page is prioritized.

Based on the authoritative patent text provided, the following cases are identified:

1. US case filed in Texas Western District Court

   • Jurisdiction: Texas Western District Court
   • Case Number: 7:26-cv-00068
   • Filing Date: Not explicitly provided in the patent text, but the case number "7:26-cv-00068" strongly suggests a filing year of 2026.
   • Plaintiff(s): Not specified in the patent text.
   • Defendant(s): Not specified in the patent text.
   • Outcome or Current Status: Not specified in the patent text.
   • Source URL: https://portal.unifiedpatents.com/litigation/Texas%20Western%20District%20Court/case/7%3A26-cv-00068 (The content of this URL is not accessible to provide further details.)

2. US case filed in Texas Eastern District Court

   • Jurisdiction: Texas Eastern District Court
   • Case Number: 2:26-cv-00123
   • Filing Date: Not explicitly provided in the patent text, but the case number "2:26-cv-00123" strongly suggests a filing year of 2026.
   • Plaintiff(s): Not specified in the patent text.
   • Defendant(s): Not specified in the patent text.
   • Outcome or Current Status: Not specified in the patent text.
   • Source URL: https://portal.unifiedpatents.com/litigation/Texas%20Eastern%20District%20Court/case/2%3A26-cv-00123 (The content of this URL is not accessible to provide further details.)

3. US case filed in Texas Eastern District Court

   • Jurisdiction: Texas Eastern District Court
   • Case Number: 2:26-cv-00122
   • Filing Date: Not explicitly provided in the patent text, but the case number "2:26-cv-00122" strongly suggests a filing year of 2026.
   • Plaintiff(s): Not specified in the patent text.
   • Defendant(s): Not specified in the patent text.
   • Outcome or Current Status: Not specified in the patent text.
   • Source URL: https://portal.unifiedpatents.com/litigation/Texas%20Eastern%20District%20Court/case/2%3A26-cv-00122 (The content of this URL is not accessible to provide further details.)

It should be noted that the Google Patents page also lists the legal status as "Expired - Lifetime" with an "Anticipated expiration" date of 2025-04-04. However, the presence of these cases filed in 2026 indicates that litigation activity exists despite the listed expiration, possibly related to alleged infringement that occurred before the expiration date.

Proceedings overview

There are no AIA trial proceedings (Inter Partes Review, Post-Grant Review, or Covered Business Method review) on file for US patent 9031581 with the USPTO as of the most recent ingest. A web search also did not reveal any PTAB proceedings.

No PTAB Activity on File

The USPTO Open Data Portal API indicates no AIA trial proceedings for US9031581. Additionally, a comprehensive web search for IPR, PGR, and CBM proceedings related to this patent yielded no relevant results.

Strategic summary

Currently, all claims of US patent 9031581 remain untested by any AIA trial proceeding, meaning they are neither canceled nor sustained by the PTAB. There is no estoppel landscape established through PTAB proceedings for this patent. All potential prior-art grounds remain available for future challenges, should they arise. The absence of PTAB activity suggests that, despite the patent's issue date in 2015, it has not yet faced a direct challenge in these forums.

Recommended next steps

Since no PTAB activity exists for US9031581, a defendant facing assertion of this patent would find all claims and potential prior art grounds available for an IPR or PGR petition, assuming the statutory window for such filings is open and other jurisdictional requirements are met. The lack of prior PTAB challenges means there's no established record of claim construction or patentability arguments from the patent owner within the PTAB context.

Inventors

The sole named inventor for US patent 9031581 is Richard D. Haney. At the time of filing (November 7, 2014), Richard D. Haney was the co-founder and CTO of X One, Inc., the original assignee of the patent. He had previously served as President and CEO of AlterWAN, Inc.. Mr. Haney has been issued 40 US Patents in networking systems and mobile communications.

Original assignee

The original assignee on the issued patent US9031581 was X One Inc..

X One Inc. was founded in 2004 by Richard D. Haney and Jose J. Picazo with the goal of providing location-sharing solutions for mobile device users. The company states that its products address and solve technological problems associated with location sharing and mapping, positioning its technology as foundational to the "Sharing Economy". X One Inc. has developed numerous patents in this field and has actively defended its intellectual property, for instance, against Uber Technologies Inc. in patent validity challenges. X One Inc. appears to be an operating company focused on developing and licensing its location-sharing technology, and its website was active as of 2023.

Assignment timeline

Due to the inability to perform a live search of the USPTO Patent Assignment Center, this timeline is constructed using the "reassignment" events listed in the authoritative Google Patents document for US9031581. Therefore, details such as reel/frame numbers and correspondent information are not available for these entries.

• 2014-11-07 (executed) / recorded (not specified) — Reel (not specified)

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: HANEY, RICHARD D.
  • Assignee: X One Inc
  • Correspondent: (not specified)
  • Context: Transfer from individual inventor to founding company.

• 2025-11-24 (executed) / recorded (not specified) — Reel (not specified)

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: X ONE, INC.
  • Assignee: PINEY WOODS MOBILITY LLC
  • Correspondent: (not specified)
  • Context: Transfer from original operating company to a new entity.

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 9031581
    2005 : Priority date
    2014 : Filed by X One Inc; inventor assigned to X One Inc
    2015 : Patent issued
    2025 : Assigned to Piney Woods Mobility LLC
    2026 : Infringement suits filed

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer — present
   The patent was transferred from X One, Inc., an entity that developed mobile systems and location-sharing technology and defended its patents, to Piney Woods Mobility LLC on 2025-11-24. Piney Woods Mobility LLC is a Texas-based entity that has filed patent infringement lawsuits against major operating companies like AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, and Samsung Electronics, alleging infringement related to their location-sharing services. There is no public indication that Piney Woods Mobility LLC develops or sells products. The name "Mobility LLC" is also consistent with a licensing-focused entity.

2. Known asserter in the chain — present
   Piney Woods Mobility LLC is actively engaged in patent assertion, having filed multiple patent infringement lawsuits in February 2026 against prominent technology and telecommunications companies over location-sharing services. This activity identifies it as an asserting entity.

3. Repeat correspondent across the chain — unclear
   Correspondent information is not available from the Google Patents legal event data, which was used as the source for the assignment timeline due to the inability to perform a live USPTO Assignment Center search.

4. Cascading transfers — not present
   Only two assignment transfers are noted, separated by a period of approximately eleven years (2014 to 2025), which does not indicate cascading transfers.

5. Pre-litigation transfer — present
   The patent was assigned to Piney Woods Mobility LLC on 2025-11-24. Multiple infringement lawsuits naming this patent were filed in February 2026 (e.g., 2:26-cv-00123 on 2026-02-13, 2:26-cv-00122 on 2026-02-13, 2:26-cv-00121 on 2026-02-13). This transfer occurred approximately three months before the first known litigation filings, falling well within the 6-month window that signals a pre-litigation transfer.

6. Bankruptcy fire-sale — not present
   There is no information to suggest that X One, Inc. transferred the patent due to bankruptcy proceedings.

7. Privateering — unclear
   While X One, Inc. is a technology developer and the patent was transferred to an asserting entity, there is no publicly available evidence detailing a specific privateering agreement or arrangement between X One, Inc. and Piney Woods Mobility LLC.

8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE) — not present
   The current assignee, Piney Woods Mobility LLC, is an asserting entity, not a defensive aggregator.

Verdict

NPE — high confidence

The high confidence verdict is driven by several strong signals. The transfer of the patent from technology developer X One Inc. to Piney Woods Mobility LLC on 2025-11-24 is a shell-entity transfer, as Piney Woods Mobility LLC does not appear to produce products and has immediately engaged in patent assertion. This transfer directly precedes a wave of infringement lawsuits filed by Piney Woods Mobility LLC in February 2026, indicating a pre-litigation transfer within a three-month window. The multiple lawsuits against major operating companies also confirm Piney Woods Mobility LLC as a known asserter.

For verification, see the USPTO Patent Assignment Search page for US9031581: https://assignmentcenter.uspto.gov/patents/9031581

The requested comprehensive list of specific patent citations for US patent 9031581, along with their detailed descriptions and anticipation analysis under 35 U.S.C. § 102, is not fully available from the provided authoritative patent text or the conducted search results. The full patent text does not include a "References Cited" section. While a search snippet from Google Patents for US9031581 briefly lists some "U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS" under "References Cited", this list appears to be incomplete for a modern patent.

Based on the available search results, the following US patent documents are mentioned as "References Cited":

• Full Citation: US 1,103,073 A to O'Connell

• Publication/Filing Date: July 7, 1914 (Issue Date)

• Brief Description: Without access to the full text of US 1,103,073 A, a detailed description cannot be provided. However, given its publication date of 1914, it is highly improbable that this patent describes any elements related to cellular wireless devices, GPS, server-based location services, or digital map displays as claimed in US9031581. It likely pertains to a very broad or unrelated field of technology.

• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): Due to the extreme age of this patent and the technological advancements inherent in US9031581, it is highly unlikely to anticipate any of the independent claims (1, 26, 42) of US9031581 under 35 U.S.C. § 102. Anticipation requires every element of a claim to be present in a single prior art reference. This 1914 patent would not disclose a cellular wireless device, GPS receiver, internet-connected server, or software for mutual location tracking and mapping.

• Full Citation: US 3,953,720 A to Kelch

• Publication/Filing Date: April 4, 1976 (Issue Date)

• Brief Description: Without access to the full text of US 3,953,720 A, a detailed description cannot be provided. Given its 1976 publication date, it predates widespread cellular telephony, GPS, and internet-based services. It may relate to rudimentary tracking or communication systems, but not those involving the specific digital and network technologies central to US9031581.

• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): Similar to the 1914 patent, it is highly unlikely that US 3,953,720 A would anticipate any of the independent claims (1, 26, 42) of US9031581 under 35 U.S.C. § 102. This patent would not include the combination of elements such as a cellular wireless device with a GPS receiver, software for exchanging encrypted location data with a server, or displaying locations on a map, which are fundamental to US9031581.

General Prior Art Discussed within US9031581 (for Contextual Relevance):

While not specific patent citations, the US9031581 patent itself discusses several categories of prior art that are conceptually relevant, particularly for an obviousness analysis under 35 U.S.C. § 103, rather than direct anticipation under § 102:

• One-way location sharing systems: The patent explicitly mentions services like On Star and Mercedes Benz TeleAid, where cars with GPS and cellular capabilities could be tracked by an aid center. [cite: The one way location sharing prior art includes On Star and the Mercedes Benz TeleAid services where, via GPS receivers and cellular phone capability built into a car, an aid center can track cars all over the world and speak with the occupants and sense when the cars airbags have deployed.] It also refers to commercial "kid tracking systems" that provided one-way location sharing. [cite: Other commercial services allow parents to track the locations of their children in a one way location sharing manner.] These systems demonstrate the prior existence of devices obtaining location, transmitting it via cellular networks, and having a central system for tracking.
• Typical prior art cellular system infrastructure (FIG. 12): The patent references existing cellular network components like transceiver towers, central switching systems, and connections to the public service telephone network for digital radio communications. [cite: FIG. 12 is a block diagram of a typical prior art cellular system infrastructure in which the method and apparatus of the invention work in a peer-to-peer embodiment.]
• E911 requirements: These mandates already required cellular devices to transmit location information during emergency calls. [cite: Use and sale of an application that makes use of the on-board GPS capability of cell phones and PDAs built to comply with the E911 requirement allows the carriers to recoup some of the costs imposed upon them by the E911 requirement.]
• Web-enabled, Java-enabled cell phones/PDAs with GPS and displays: The patent mentions these as existing technologies suitable for its preferred embodiment, implying their availability prior to the invention's priority date. [cite: the invention contemplates 2.5 GHz and 3 GHz Java enabled, web enabled (or similar) cell phones and Personal Digital Assistants or other web enabled wireless products with global positioning system (GPS) receivers and sufficiently large liquid crystal displays for the preferred embodiment.]

While these general categories of prior art highlight existing components and concepts, they do not constitute single references that would anticipate the specific combination of features claimed in US9031581, such as mutual real-time location sharing, dynamic "Instant Buddy" creation, or server-mediated distribution of encrypted location data with mapping functionality, under a strict § 102 analysis. They are, however, highly relevant for an obviousness analysis, as discussed in the "Obviousness" section of this report.

Obviousness Analysis of US Patent 9031581 under 35 U.S.C. § 103

This analysis identifies combinations of prior art references, as disclosed within US patent 9031581 itself, that would render the independent claims (1, 26, and 42) obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art (POSA) at the time of the invention (priority date 2005-04-04). The patent explicitly states that its functionality "utilizes existing platforms and infrastructure," suggesting a combination of known elements.

Identified Prior Art from US9031581:

The patent text describes the following as prior art or existing technology:

• One-way location sharing systems: This includes services like On Star and Mercedes Benz TeleAid, where vehicles with GPS receivers and cellular phone capability transmit their location to a central aid center for tracking and communication. [cite: The one way location sharing prior art includes On Star and the Mercedes Benz TeleAid services where, via GPS receivers and cellular phone capability built into a car, an aid center can track cars all over the world and speak with the occupants and sense when the cars airbags have deployed.]
• Commercial kid tracking systems: These services allow parents to track their children's locations in a one-way manner. [cite: Other commercial services allow parents to track the locations of their children in a one way location sharing manner.] The patent notes a limitation of these systems: they "could not be reconfigured in the field to add new individuals with whom location information was to be shared." [cite: the prior art kid tracking systems could not be reconfigured in the field to add new individuals with whom location information was to be shared.]
• Typical prior art cellular system infrastructure (FIG. 12): This encompasses cellular devices (phones, PDAs), transceiver towers, central switching systems, and a public service telephone network, facilitating digital radio communications. [cite: FIG. 12 is a block diagram of a typical prior art cellular system infrastructure in which the method and apparatus of the invention work in a peer-to-peer embodiment.]
• E911 requirements: These mandates ensure that emergency calls from cellular devices transmit location information. [cite: Use and sale of an application that makes use of the on-board GPS capability of cell phones and PDAs built to comply with the E911 requirement allows the carriers to recoup some of the costs imposed upon them by the E911 requirement.]
• General knowledge of web-enabled, Java-enabled cell phones/PDAs with GPS and displays: The patent refers to these as suitable for its "preferred embodiment," indicating their pre-existence. [cite: the invention contemplates 2.5 GHz and 3 GHz Java enabled, web enabled (or similar) cell phones and Personal Digital Assistants or other web enabled wireless products with global positioning system (GPS) receivers and sufficiently large liquid crystal displays for the preferred embodiment.]
• General knowledge of "Buddy Lists" or contact lists: These were common in instant messaging and phone contact applications for managing groups of contacts for communication.

Obviousness of Claim 1: System for Location-Based Services

Combination of References:
A POSA would combine:

1. One-way location sharing prior art (On Star/TeleAid): Teaches obtaining a device's location (GPS), transmitting it via a cellular network, and a central system (aid center/server) tracking and displaying this location. [cite: The one way location sharing prior art includes On Star and the Mercedes Benz TeleAid services where, via GPS receivers and cellular phone capability built into a car, an aid center can track cars all over the world and speak with the occupants and sense when the cars airbags have deployed.]
2. Commercial kid tracking systems: Reinforces the concept of location tracking from a mobile device to another party or central system. [cite: Other commercial services allow parents to track the locations of their children in a one way location sharing manner.]
3. Typical prior art cellular system infrastructure (FIG. 12): Provides the underlying network and communication channels for transmitting data between wireless devices and servers. [cite: FIG. 12 is a block diagram of a typical prior art cellular system infrastructure in which the method and apparatus of the invention work in a peer-to-peer embodiment.]
4. E911 requirements: Teaches the concept of automatically including location data with emergency communications. [cite: Use and sale of an application that makes use of the on-board GPS capability of cell phones and PDAs built to comply with the E911 requirement allows the carriers to recoup some of the costs imposed upon them by the E911 requirement.]
5. General knowledge of "Buddy Lists" from communication applications: Teaches the creation and management of user-defined lists of contacts for various interactions.

Motivation to Combine:
A POSA would be motivated to combine these references to address the "need... to allow them [users] to be able to contact rescuers and know the location of the rescuers... and to allow the rescuers to know the location of the victims they are trying to rescue." [cite: Another need is for a system for use by motorists, hikers, pilots and boatmen to allow them to be able to contact rescuers and know the location of the rescuers as they come to the aid of the stranded person and to allow the rescuers to know the location of the victims they are trying to rescue.]

• Mutual Tracking: Extending one-way location sharing (e.g., On Star reporting to an aid center, or kid trackers reporting to parents) to enable mutual, two-way location sharing between two individuals (e.g., a stranded motorist and a tow truck driver) directly addresses this stated need. A POSA would recognize that if a device can send its location, it can also receive and display the location of another device.
• Dynamic "Instant Buddy" Lists: The patent explicitly identifies a problem with "prior art kid tracking systems" that "could not be reconfigured in the field to add new individuals." [cite: the prior art kid tracking systems could not be reconfigured in the field to add new individuals with whom location information was to be shared.] A POSA would be motivated to solve this known problem by implementing a dynamic, temporary "Instant Buddy" feature, leveraging the known concept of "Buddy Lists" for ad-hoc group formation, especially for emergency scenarios where immediate contact and location sharing are crucial.
• Distress Messages: Integrating location information with distress messages (e.g., SOS alerts) is a natural extension of E911 functionality and existing emergency communication methods, particularly within a system designed for rescue scenarios.
• Server and Network Infrastructure: The use of a central server coupled to the internet and cellular networks for managing user accounts, storing location data, and sending maps/updates is a straightforward architectural choice for any large-scale networked service, readily derivable from the operations of On Star's aid center and general cellular network operations (FIG. 12).

Obviousness of Claim 26: Method for Sharing Location Information

Combination of References:
A POSA would combine:

1. GPS-enabled cellular wireless devices: For obtaining location. [cite: the invention contemplates 2.5 GHz and 3 GHz Java enabled, web enabled (or similar) cell phones and Personal Digital Assistants or other web enabled wireless products with global positioning system (GPS) receivers and sufficiently large liquid crystal displays for the preferred embodiment.]
2. One-way location sharing prior art (On Star/TeleAid/kid trackers): Teaches a device acquiring and transmitting its location to a central system or another device. [cite: The one way location sharing prior art includes On Star and the Mercedes Benz TeleAid services where, via GPS receivers and cellular phone capability built into a car, an aid center can track cars all over the world and speak with the occupants and sense when the cars airbags have deployed., Other commercial services allow parents to track the locations of their children in a one way location sharing manner.]
3. Typical prior art cellular system infrastructure (FIG. 12): Provides the network for transmitting data packets. [cite: FIG. 12 is a block diagram of a typical prior art cellular system infrastructure in which the method and apparatus of the invention work in a peer-to-peer embodiment.]
4. General knowledge of data encryption in wireless communication: Encryption for privacy and security of sensitive data (like location) transmitted over public networks was a known technique. [cite: Position information exchanged via radio transmission on the cellular infrastructure is encrypted so that outsiders cannot see or use location information that is transmitted.]
5. General knowledge of server-mediated messaging/communication systems: Servers receiving data from one client and forwarding it to others on a list (e.g., email, instant messaging).
6. General knowledge of "Buddy Lists" or contact lists.

Motivation to Combine:
Given the desire for mutual location awareness (as noted above), a POSA would find it obvious to extend a one-way server-mediated location transmission method to a two-way exchange. If a first device can send its location to a server, and the server can forward it to a second device, it is a straightforward design choice to enable the second device to perform the same steps (obtain, encrypt, send to server) for its own location, and for the server to forward that back to the first device, thereby achieving mutual location sharing. The use of encryption for location data is a common security practice for sensitive personal information in electronic communication.

Obviousness of Claim 42: Method for a Cellular Wireless Device

Combination of References:
A POSA would combine:

1. GPS-enabled cellular wireless devices with displays: For obtaining location and displaying information. [cite: the invention contemplates 2.5 GHz and 3 GHz Java enabled, web enabled (or similar) cell phones and Personal Digital Assistants or other web enabled wireless products with global positioning system (GPS) receivers and sufficiently large liquid crystal displays for the preferred embodiment.]
2. One-way location sharing prior art (On Star/TeleAid/kid trackers): Teaches the core concept of sending device location to a central system for tracking. [cite: The one way location sharing prior art includes On Star and the Mercedes Benz TeleAid services where, via GPS receivers and cellular phone capability built into a car, an aid center can track cars all over the world and speak with the occupants and sense when the cars airbags have deployed., Other commercial services allow parents to track the locations of their children in a one way location sharing manner.]
3. Typical prior art cellular system infrastructure (FIG. 12): The communication backbone for data transmission. [cite: FIG. 12 is a block diagram of a typical prior art cellular system infrastructure in which the method and apparatus of the invention work in a peer-to-peer embodiment.]
4. General knowledge of user interfaces (GUI) for mobile applications: Including menus and contact/buddy lists for selection. [cite: a simple menu structure allows easy setup and management of Buddy Watch application programs. The keypad of the phone or PDA is used to enter information into the Buddy Watch enabled device.]
5. General knowledge of data encryption and authentication in networked services: For secure transmission and verifying paid subscriptions. [cite: The Buddy Watch application will be a service which a cellular carrier offers on a subscription basis.]
6. Map servers and integration of map data with location points: Widely available mapping services and navigation systems that provide maps based on location data.
7. General knowledge of user-configurable settings/preferences in software applications: To allow users to customize parameters like update frequency or duration of temporary features. [cite: the users can change things on the fly in the field such as: adding groups and members; adding instant buddies, changing the size of the area in which their buddies can be tracked, enabling or disabling the location information sharing function without disabling the phone, etc.]

Motivation to Combine:
A POSA would be motivated to combine these references to provide a complete and user-friendly mobile application for location sharing.

• User Selection and Interface: Implementing a "Buddy List" or "Instant Buddy" feature through a user-friendly interface with menus and selection options (e.g., as described in FIG. 3 and FIG. 10) is a standard design practice for mobile applications, allowing users to initiate and manage location sharing.
• Server Processing and Map Display: The steps of the device sending encrypted location to a server, the server verifying subscriptions, retrieving other buddies' locations and a map, and sending this back to the device for display, are direct applications of extending existing one-way location tracking services (On Star) with widely available mapping technology and standard server-side application logic for a subscription-based service.
• Configurable Settings: Providing user-configurable settings for update frequency and "Instant Buddy" duration addresses common user needs for control over privacy, battery consumption, and the temporary nature of certain sharing relationships. These are routine design considerations for mobile applications and network services. [cite: the users can change things on the fly in the field such as: adding groups and members; adding instant buddies, changing the size of the area in which their buddies can be tracked, enabling or disabling the location information sharing function without disabling the phone, etc.]

In summary, the core inventive concept of US9031581, while addressing recognized problems, appears to be a combination of existing location tracking, cellular communication, and software design principles that would have been obvious to a POSA, driven by known needs for mutual, dynamic, and secure location sharing.