Prior art

To identify the most relevant prior art for US patent 9119030, I will search the USPTO database directly for the patent and examine its cited references.

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Prior Art for US Patent 9119030:

The following prior art references are cited within US Patent 9119030:

1. US20020094801A1

   • Full Citation: US20020094801A1
   • Publication/Filing Date: Publication date: July 18, 2002. Filing date: July 27, 2001.
   • Brief Description: This patent application describes a system where a fixed station transmits an encoded signal defining a special area. A mobile station within this area is linked to the fixed station via the signal code. The document mentions providing the fixed station with receiving and comparison means for an access code to activate the fixed station via the mobile station, offering protection against system abuse.
   • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): US20020094801A1 potentially anticipates aspects of Claims 1 and 13 relating to a radio communication device transmitting a signal to define a special area and a mobile station using that signal for monitoring. However, US9119030 B2 distinguishes itself by emphasizing that the mobile network (not the fixed station) associates the special area to the mobile station by transmitting "checking data" to the mobile station, and the mobile station uses this checking data to determine if a received signal is distinctive for that special area, without requiring the radio communication defining device to store mobile station identities. This provides greater flexibility, as noted in the US9119030B2 description.

2. WO 00/27152

   • Full Citation: WO 00/27152 (International Application)
   • Publication/Filing Date: Publication date: May 11, 2000. Priority date: October 29, 1998.
   • Brief Description: This international application details 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 signal contains the mobile station's identity code, and the mobile station identifies its own code to notify a mobile switching center of its presence in the home area. This information can be used for defining call prices/services.
   • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): WO 00/27152 potentially anticipates elements of Claims 1 and 13 concerning monitoring a mobile station's presence in a defined area and adjusting services based on location. However, US9119030B2 differentiates itself by stating that WO 00/27152 requires the guide unit to know the mobile station's identity, limiting flexibility. US9119030B2 aims to allow the mobile network to associate new special areas without modifying the radio transmitting device by introducing mobile station identity codes into the device. The claimed invention also highlights its suitability for environments with a high number of mobile stations, where the approach of WO 00/27152 (storing all mobile station identity codes in a single device) would be difficult due to spectrum limitations.

It's important to note that while these references describe similar concepts of location-based services and monitoring, US9119030B2 explicitly identifies limitations in their flexibility and scalability, positioning its "checking data" approach as an improvement.