US 9251531

A technical analysis of U.S. Patent 9,251,531 reveals the following details:

Title: File format and platform for storage and verification of credentials

Assignee: Cortex MCP Inc.

Inventor: Shaunt M. Sarkissian

Filing Date: March 12, 2013

Issue Date: February 2, 2016

Abstract:
The patent describes a computer-implemented method for generating and verifying officially verifiable electronic representations of credentials. The method involves a credential database that receives a request for a credential action. This database stores one or more credentials, each with a status indicator. The system determines a response to the credential action based on the stored user credentials and transmits this response to a client device.

Overview of Independent Claims:

This patent contains three independent claims which form the core of the invention. They are outlined in plain language below:

Independent Claim 1: This claim details a method for generating and verifying electronic credentials. It describes a system where a central credential database receives a request to either create or check the status of a digital credential. When a request to generate a new credential is made, the system checks if it already exists. If not, it requests the credential from an official issuing agency (like the DMV). This agency then sends back the credential information and its validity status. The system stores this new credential and sends a copy to the user's device, potentially linking it to that specific device for security. If the request is to verify an existing credential, the system checks the credential's status in its database and sends a response indicating whether it is valid or invalid, and sometimes includes a portion of the credential itself (like a photo).

Independent Claim 9: This claim focuses on the user's device (the client side) of the credential system. It outlines a method where a user's device generates a request for a credential action, such as creating a new credential or verifying an existing one. This request includes a unique identifier for the credential. The device then sends this request to the credential database and receives a response. If a new credential is created, the response will include the new digital credential, which may be tied to the specific device. If a verification request is made, the response will indicate the credential's status (valid or invalid) and may include additional information like a credential image or the reason for an invalid status.

Independent Claim 17: This claim describes the apparatus or the physical system that performs these actions. It specifies a system with a processor and a memory unit. The processor is programmed to manage the credential database, which stores credentials and their status indicators. This apparatus is designed to receive requests for credential actions, determine the appropriate response based on the stored data, and send that response back to the user's device. The process for generating and verifying credentials mirrors what is described in the first independent claim, covering the interaction with issuing agencies and the management of credential validity.

Litigation:

US Patent 9,251,531 has been the subject of litigation. Notably, the patent is mentioned in a case filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, Cortex MCP, Inc. v. Visa, Inc., as well as a case in the Northern District of California with the same parties. There are also records of related proceedings before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB). The specific dockets for the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) for 2026 were not available in the provided search results.