Prior art

To identify the most relevant prior art for US Patent 9,042,910, I will search the USPTO database for citations related to this patent.

Here are the details of the most relevant prior art cited in US Patent 9,042,910:

1. US20020094801A1

• Full Citation: US20020094801A1 (published July 18, 2002)
• Publication/Filing Date: Published: July 18, 2002. Priority date: January 16, 2001.
• Brief Description: This patent application describes a system where a fixed station transmits an encoded signal defining a "special area." A mobile station in this area is linked to the fixed station via the signal code. To prevent abuse, the fixed station can be provided with means to receive and compare an access code from the mobile station to initiate operation. The content of the coded signal is not explicitly disclosed.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): US'910 distinguishes itself by providing a method that offers "flexibility to the mobile telephone network of associating new special areas for this mobile station in a secure way without modifying any radio transmitting device," which US20020094801A1, in one embodiment, requires an access code to be applied to the fixed station via the mobile station to put it into operation. US'910 also states that it is not required to store all mobile station activation codes in the radio communication defining device, as in US20020094801A1. This suggests that US20020094801A1 potentially anticipates aspects of US'910 related to defining special areas via radio signals and the interaction between a mobile station and a fixed device, but may differ in the mechanism for associating mobile stations with special areas and managing the system's security and flexibility.

2. WO0027152A1

• Full Citation: WO0027152A1 (published May 11, 2000)
• Publication/Filing Date: Published: May 11, 2000. Priority date: October 29, 1998.
• Brief Description: This international application discloses a solution for locating a mobile station using a guide unit that broadcasts a short-range radio signal defining a "home area." The short-range radio signal contains the identity code of the mobile station, which the mobile station uses to identify itself to a mobile switching center, indicating its presence in the home area. This message can then be used to define pricing or services for telephone calls.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): US'910 identifies a key limitation of WO0027152A1: it "does not allow the mobile network, to add for a mobile station one or more special areas wherein the presence of a mobile station is monitored without having to at least modify one or more guide units broadcasting in such areas." This implies a lack of flexibility. US'910 explicitly aims to overcome this by allowing the mobile network to associate new special areas without modifying the radio transmitting device (guide unit in WO'152). Therefore, while WO0027152A1 anticipates the general concept of using a local radio signal to define an area and influence mobile station services, US'910 claims to improve upon the flexibility and scalability of this approach. Specifically, US'910's emphasis on transmitting "checking data" to the mobile station, rather than the guide unit storing mobile station identities, would differentiate it.