Prior art

To identify the most relevant prior art for US Patent 9185522, I have examined its patent citations listed on Google Patents. The following patents are highly relevant due to their focus on location-based services, tracking, and communication between wireless devices, which align with the core inventive concepts of US9185522.

Here are details for several of the most relevant prior art patents:

1. US6091956A

• Full Citation: US6091956A, "Location-based buddy list"
• Publication Date: 2000-07-18
• Filing Date: 1998-03-24
• Brief Description: This patent describes a system and method for creating and managing a "buddy list" that uses location information (e.g., from GPS) of mobile devices. The system can generate alerts when buddies enter or leave predefined areas or when they come within a certain proximity of each other.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This patent is highly relevant and potentially anticipates several claims of US9185522B1.
  • Claim 1 (Method Claim): US6091956A describes a central server managing buddy lists, determining locations (and thus relative proximity of buddies), and transmitting alerts (content) based on these proximity determinations. This aligns directly with receiving a request from a first device to share content with a second device, determining relative proximity, and transmitting content based on that proximity.
  • Claim 11 (Method Claim for Emergency Content): The alert functionality, especially when triggered by location criteria (e.g., leaving a safe zone), could be configured to transmit what would effectively be an emergency message.
  • Claim 12 (Apparatus Claim): The system described in US6091956A functions as a communications server designed to manage location data for multiple users, determine relative proximity, and transmit information based on this proximity.
  • Claim 18 (Computer-Readable Medium Claim): The methods described would inherently be embodied in computer-readable instructions.

2. US6259405B1

• Full Citation: US6259405B1, "Wireless buddy finder service"
• Publication Date: 2001-07-10
• Filing Date: 1998-03-24
• Brief Description: This patent details a "buddy finder" service that allows users to locate friends or contacts via their wireless devices. A central server manages buddy lists, tracks the real-time locations of registered users (buddies), and provides this location information to authorized users, incorporating privacy settings for location sharing.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This patent is also highly relevant and appears to anticipate many aspects of US9185522B1.
  • Claim 1 (Method Claim): The patent describes a server receiving requests (e.g., to find a buddy), determining the locations of multiple wireless devices (thereby their relative proximity), and transmitting content (location information) to a first device about a second device based on this proximity. This closely matches the core concept.
  • Claim 11 (Method Claim for Emergency Content): A "buddy finder" service could be adapted for emergency use, where a distressed buddy's location is transmitted as an emergency message to other authorized buddies or emergency contacts.
  • Claim 12 (Apparatus Claim): The "wireless buddy finder service" inherently includes a communications server that manages location data for multiple users, determines their relative positions, and transmits this information.
  • Claim 18 (Computer-Readable Medium Claim): The software implementing this service would be stored on a computer-readable medium, performing the described methods.

3. US6385465B1

• Full Citation: US6385465B1, "System and method for tracking a plurality of mobile units and displaying location information on a map"
• Publication Date: 2002-05-07
• Filing Date: 2000-01-20
• Brief Description: This patent describes a system for tracking multiple mobile units (e.g., cellular phones, vehicles) and displaying their real-time location information on a map to authorized users. A central server collects location data and presents it, potentially with real-time updates and movements.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This patent is very relevant to the tracking and mapping aspects of US9185522B1.
  • Claim 1 (Method Claim): The system involves a server receiving location data from multiple mobile units (first and second devices), determining their locations (and thus relative proximity), and transmitting that location information (content) for display.
  • Claim 11 (Emergency Content): Such a tracking system could be used in emergency situations to track and display the location of personnel or assets, where the transmitted location information functions as an emergency message.
  • Claim 12 & 18 (Apparatus and Computer-Readable Medium Claims): The apparatus and medium would implement the multi-unit tracking and display functionality, aligning with the claims of US9185522B1 in managing and transmitting location information for multiple wireless devices.

4. US6127944A

• Full Citation: US6127944A, "Mobile station location reporting service"
• Publication Date: 2000-10-03
• Filing Date: 1998-03-27
• Brief Description: This patent details a service that allows authorized entities (e.g., emergency services, parents) to request and receive the location of a mobile subscriber. It includes authorization and privacy controls, and the location information can be sent via SMS or displayed on a map.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This patent addresses one-way location sharing, similar to the "parental monitoring" aspect described in US9185522B1.
  • Claim 11 (Method Claim for Emergency Content): The ability to report a mobile station's location upon request makes it suitable for emergency services to obtain the location of an individual, which could be considered an "emergency message."
  • Claims 1, 12, 18: While it describes a "first wireless device" (authorized entity) requesting the location (content) of a "second wireless device" (mobile subscriber), it is primarily a one-way pull mechanism for location data, rather than a system explicitly focused on sharing content between two mobile devices based on their mutual relative proximity for broader interaction.

5. US6201493B1

• Full Citation: US6201493B1, "Method and apparatus for providing a geographic region alert to a wireless communication device"
• Publication Date: 2001-03-13
• Filing Date: 1999-10-06
• Brief Description: This patent describes a system that provides alerts to a wireless communication device when it enters or exits a predefined geographic region (a "geofence"). The system tracks the device's location and sends an alert message to the device itself or to another monitoring device upon detecting a boundary crossing.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102):
  • Claim 11 (Method Claim for Emergency Content): The geofencing alert system could be directly applied to emergency situations, where crossing into or out of a hazardous zone triggers an emergency message to a monitoring device.
  • Claims 1, 12, 18: This patent focuses on proximity to a fixed geographic region and transmitting content (an alert) based on that. While a "second wireless device" could be a monitoring device, the primary proximity determination is not between two mobile wireless devices in a general sharing context as emphasized in US9185522B1's independent claims.

6. US6067018A

• Full Citation: US6067018A, "Method and apparatus for sending a location identifier to a wireless communication device via a short message service (SMS)"
• Publication Date: 2000-05-23
• Filing Date: 1997-09-02
• Brief Description: This patent describes a method for determining the location of a wireless communication device and sending that location identifier (e.g., latitude, longitude) to the device or another device using a Short Message Service (SMS) message, leveraging existing control channels.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This patent provides foundational technology for transmitting location data. While it enables the means of transmitting location via SMS (as discussed in US9185522B1's detailed description), it does not explicitly teach the broader concept of "a request from a first wireless device to share content with a second wireless device," "determining the relative proximity between the first and second devices," and transmitting content specifically based on that determined proximity for dynamic, multi-user interaction as central to US9185522B1's independent claims (Claims 1, 11, 12, 18).

7. US6119014A

• Full Citation: US6119014A, "Method and apparatus for locating a mobile station and providing service based on the mobile station location"
• Publication Date: 2000-09-12
• Filing Date: 1997-06-27
• Brief Description: This patent describes a system for locating a mobile station and providing location-dependent services or content (e.g., local advertising, navigation) to that mobile station. A location server determines the mobile station's position and then delivers relevant information.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This patent involves a server, location determination, and transmitting content based on location. However, its primary focus is on a single mobile device's location for its own service provision, rather than explicitly facilitating content sharing between two distinct user devices based on their relative proximity, as required by US9185522B1's independent claims.

8. US6172640B1

• Full Citation: US6172640B1, "Method and apparatus for providing location-dependent information to a mobile communication device"
• Publication Date: 2001-01-09
• Filing Date: 1999-04-21
• Brief Description: This patent describes a system that delivers information (e.g., advertisements, directions) to a mobile communication device based on its geographical location. The system determines the device's location and pushes relevant pre-associated content to it.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): Similar to US6119014A, this patent focuses on pushing location-dependent content to a single device based on its location relative to fixed points or zones. It does not primarily teach the sharing of content between multiple mobile devices based on their relative proximity, which is a key distinguishing feature of US9185522B1's independent claims.

The most directly anticipatory prior art appears to be US6091956A and US6259405B1, given their explicit teaching of "buddy lists" and "buddy finder services" that manage and share location information between multiple wireless devices based on proximity. These patents present strong arguments for potentially anticipating the core elements of independent claims 1, 11, 12, and 18 of US9185522B1.