US 9350649

US Patent 9350649, titled "Multipath communication devices and methods," was invented by Eric M. DeLangis. The application was filed on October 11, 2014, under application number US14/512,414, and the patent was issued on May 24, 2016. The original assignee was "Individual," and the current assignee is Competitive Access Systems Inc.

Abstract:
The abstract describes the Residential Communications Gateway (RCG) as a broadband communication device that integrates voice, data, and video communications for residential or small business use. It transmits this data over single or multiple Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) lines, potentially combined with a wireless broadband backbone. The RCG achieves this by using packetized data with Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and RF communication technologies. A key aspect of the RCG's design is that it eliminates the need for additional or specialized transmission equipment in the Central Office or other network locations, unlike DSL and Cable systems. This approach aims to reduce infrastructure costs, enabling widespread deployment of high-speed communication services to all POTS subscribers.

Legal Status:
As of the current date, Google Patents indicates the legal status as "Expired - Fee Related," with an anticipated expiration date of October 14, 2023.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims:

• Claim 1: This claim describes a Residential Communications Gateway (RCG) device. It includes a connection for your existing landline phone service (POTS) from your phone company (LEC). It has a modem that creates a constant, always-on internet connection over this POTS line. The device also contains a processor, several output ports for standard telephones (at least one of which has a unique phone number in addition to your main phone number), and a wireless interface for home networking. The processor is designed to provide internet-based phone calls (VoIP) for the connected telephones and to prioritize voice data over other data packets when transmitting information via the continuous internet connection.

• Claim 8: This claim outlines a method for providing multipath communication services using an RCG device. The method involves establishing a continuous, always-on internet connection through a POTS line connected to the RCG. It includes offering multiple telephone output ports for standard telephones, with at least one port assigned a unique telephone number in addition to the primary POTS line number. The method also encompasses providing VoIP services for these telephone ports over the continuous internet connection and prioritizing voice packets over other data packets for transmission over this connection.

• Claim 15: This claim details a Residential Communications Gateway (RCG) device that connects to an existing POTS line from an LEC, featuring a modem for an always-on internet connection, a processor, and multiple telephone output ports (at least one with an additional unique telephone number). A key feature is a wireless interface connected to the processor, which allows the RCG to communicate with other RCG devices. These devices then form a "multilink PPP bundle," which is configured to combine the internet bandwidth from the POTS lines connected to all participating RCGs, effectively creating a broadband service over standard phone lines.

Litigation:
The patent family has ongoing litigation. According to Google Patents, several US District Court cases have been filed, including in the Texas Eastern District Court (e.g., case/4:25-cv-00886 marked as "Critical" and case/2:22-cv-00287), Texas Northern District Court (case/4:25-cv-00948), Texas Western District Court (case/1:23-cv-00286), California Northern District Court (e.g., case/3:25-cv-04595 and case/5:25-cv-04595), and North Carolina Eastern District Court (e.g., case/5:24-cv-00505 and case/4:24-cv-00130). There are also PTAB cases, such as IPR2025-01380 (Not Instituted - Procedural) and IPR2023-00880 (Settlement). Specific dockets for US9350649 in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) for 2026 were not explicitly found in the search results.