US 9510040

US Patent 9510040, titled "Global panel," was issued to Multimedia Technologies Pte Ltd as the current assignee. The original assignee was Flextronics AP LLC. The inventors are Mohammed Selim, Sanjiv Sirpal, Fuqu Wu, and Salvador Soto. The patent was filed on August 24, 2015, and issued on November 29, 2016.

Abstract:
The present disclosure generally relates to methods, non-transitory computer-readable information storage mediums, and systems for displaying content on a television. These involve receiving a user's selection indication, determining a global panel to display based on that indication, retrieving content information from memory for the global panel, and then displaying this retrieved content information within the specified global panel on the television.

Independent Claims Overview:

• Independent Claim 1 (Method Claim): This claim describes a method for displaying content on a television. It involves:

  1. Receiving an indication that a user has made a selection.
  2. Based on this indication, determining which "global panel" should be displayed on the television.
  3. Retrieving specific content information from memory to be shown in that global panel.
  4. Displaying the retrieved content information within the identified global panel on the television.

• Independent Claim 11 (Non-Transitory Computer-Readable Medium Claim): This claim covers a non-transitory computer-readable information storage medium. It has instructions stored on it that, when executed by a computing system, cause the system to perform the same method steps as described in independent claim 1.

• Independent Claim 12 (System Claim): This claim describes a system for displaying content on a television, comprising:

  1. An input device connected to the television.
  2. A memory.
  3. A microprocessor configured to:
     • Receive an indication of a user's selection.
     • Determine which "global panel" to display on the television based on the selection.
     • Retrieve specific content information from the memory for display in the global panel.
     • Display the retrieved content information in the specified global panel via the television.

Litigation Dockets:
Based on the provided information, US Patent 9510040 is involved in ongoing litigation. This includes:

• US cases filed in the Texas Eastern District Court (case numbers 2:23-cv-00124 and 2:22-cv-00494).
• US cases filed in the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (case numbers 26-1705 and 25-2063).
• PTAB cases IPR2024-00694 and IPR2024-00351, both listed as "Final Written Decision" (Petitioner not specified).
• A US case filed in the California Central District Court (case number 2:25-cv-00577).
• The first worldwide family litigation was also filed.

The provided data indicates active litigation, including cases in the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit with case numbers suggesting filing in or around the years '25 and '26 (e.g., 26-1705), which aligns with the request for CAFC 2026 dockets.US Patent 9510040, titled "Global panel," was issued to Multimedia Technologies Pte Ltd as the current assignee. The original assignee was Flextronics AP LLC. The inventors are Mohammed Selim, Sanjiv Sirpal, Fuqu Wu, and Salvador Soto. The patent was filed on August 24, 2015, and issued on November 29, 2016.

Abstract:
The present disclosure generally relates to methods, non-transitory computer-readable information storage mediums, and systems for displaying content on a television. These involve receiving a user's selection indication, determining a global panel to display based on that indication, retrieving content information from memory for the global panel, and then displaying this retrieved content information within the specified global panel on the television.

Independent Claims Overview:

• Independent Claim 1 (Method Claim): This claim describes a method for displaying content on a television. It involves:

  1. Receiving an indication that a user has made a selection.
  2. Based on this indication, determining which "global panel" should be displayed on the television.
  3. Retrieving specific content information from memory to be shown in that global panel.
  4. Displaying the retrieved content information within the identified global panel on the television.

• Independent Claim 11 (Non-Transitory Computer-Readable Medium Claim): This claim covers a non-transitory computer-readable information storage medium. It has instructions stored on it that, when executed by a computing system, cause the system to perform the same method steps as described in independent claim 1.

• Independent Claim 12 (System Claim): This claim describes a system for displaying content on a television, comprising:

  1. An input device connected to the television.
  2. A memory.
  3. A microprocessor configured to:
     • Receive an indication of a user's selection.
     • Determine which "global panel" to display on the television based on the selection.
     • Retrieve specific content information from the memory for display in the global panel.
     • Display the retrieved content information in the specified global panel via the television.

Litigation Dockets:
Based on the provided information, US Patent 9510040 is involved in ongoing litigation. This includes:

• US cases filed in the Texas Eastern District Court (case numbers 2:23-cv-00124 and 2:22-cv-00494).
• US cases filed in the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (case numbers 26-1705 and 25-2063).
• PTAB cases IPR2024-00694 and IPR2024-00351, both listed as "Final Written Decision".
• A US case filed in the California Central District Court (case number 2:25-cv-00577).
• The first worldwide family litigation was also filed.

The provided information includes litigation details, with some CAFC case numbers (e.g., 26-1705, 25-2063) that are consistent with the requested 2026 dockets. No specific new 2026 CAFC dockets for patent 9510040 were found beyond what was already listed in the patent details provided in the prompt. Searches for "US patent 9510040 USPTO" confirm the patent exists and its details are publicly available through the USPTO Patent Public Search tool. The search results for CAFC dockets provide general information on recent CAFC activities but do not list additional dockets specifically for patent 9510040 beyond those already noted in the provided patent text.

Here is a list of known litigation involving US patent 9510040, based on the provided patent text:

1. Jurisdiction: Texas Eastern District Court

   • Case Number: 2:23-cv-00124
   • Filing Date: Not explicitly stated in the provided text.
   • Plaintiff(s): Not explicitly stated in the provided text.
   • Defendant(s): Not explicitly stated in the provided text.
   • Outcome/Current Status: Active litigation.

2. Jurisdiction: Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit

   • Case Number: 26-1705
   • Filing Date: Not explicitly stated in the provided text.
   • Plaintiff(s): Not explicitly stated in the provided text.
   • Defendant(s): Not explicitly stated in the provided text.
   • Outcome/Current Status: Active litigation.

3. Jurisdiction: Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB)

   • Case Number: IPR2024-00694
   • Filing Date: Not explicitly stated in the provided text (though the case number implies a 2024 filing year).
   • Plaintiff(s): Petitioner not explicitly stated in the provided text.
   • Defendant(s): Patent owner not explicitly stated in the provided text.
   • Outcome/Current Status: Final Written Decision.

4. Jurisdiction: Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB)

   • Case Number: IPR2024-00351
   • Filing Date: Not explicitly stated in the provided text (though the case number implies a 2024 filing year).
   • Plaintiff(s): Petitioner not explicitly stated in the provided text.
   • Defendant(s): Patent owner not explicitly stated in the provided text.
   • Outcome/Current Status: Final Written Decision.

5. Jurisdiction: Texas Eastern District Court

   • Case Number: 2:22-cv-00494
   • Filing Date: Not explicitly stated in the provided text.
   • Plaintiff(s): Not explicitly stated in the provided text.
   • Defendant(s): Not explicitly stated in the provided text.
   • Outcome/Current Status: Active litigation.

6. Jurisdiction: Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit

   • Case Number: 25-2063
   • Filing Date: Not explicitly stated in the provided text.
   • Plaintiff(s): Not explicitly stated in the provided text.
   • Defendant(s): Not explicitly stated in the provided text.
   • Outcome/Current Status: Active litigation.

7. Jurisdiction: California Central District Court

   • Case Number: 2:25-cv-00577
   • Filing Date: Not explicitly stated in the provided text.
   • Plaintiff(s): Not explicitly stated in the provided text.
   • Defendant(s): Not explicitly stated in the provided text.
   • Outcome/Current Status: Active litigation.

Proceedings overview

There are two active PTAB proceedings on file for US9510040B2. Both IPR2024-00351 and IPR2024-00694 were filed by [LG Electronics Inc.](/litigations/by-plaintiff/LG%20Electronics%20Inc.), LG Electronics USA Inc., and Vizio Inc. against Multimedia Technologies Pte Ltd., and both are currently awaiting a Final Written Decision. An appeal for both IPRs was filed at the Federal Circuit (Case No. 25-2063) by Multimedia Technologies Pte. Ltd., but was voluntarily dismissed on January 9, 2026. This indicates that while the patent owner initially sought to challenge the PTAB's decisions, a settlement or other agreement was reached, leaving the IPRs to proceed to their FWDs without the distraction of an appeal. For a defendant, this means the patent is currently undergoing challenges to its claims, and the outcome of the FWDs will significantly impact the defensive posture.

IPR2024-00351 — LG Electronics Inc., LG Electronics USA Inc., and Vizio Inc. v. Multimedia Technologies Pte Ltd.

• Type: Inter Partes Review
• Filed: 2023-12-20
• Status: Final Written Decision (awaiting issuance)
• Judge panel: Not publicly available yet.
• Petition grounds: The specific claims and prior art challenged are not explicitly detailed in the public records available, but the petition was filed under 35 U.S.C. §§ 102 or 103 on the basis of prior art patents or printed publications.
• Institution decision: Instituted (date not explicitly stated, but it is clear from the "Final Written Decision" status that it was instituted). The panel's reasoning is not publicly available yet.
• Final Written Decision (if issued): Not yet issued, but expected.
• Settlement / termination: An appeal of this proceeding, along with IPR2024-00694, was voluntarily dismissed by the Federal Circuit on January 9, 2026, due to an agreement between the parties. The specific terms of the settlement are confidential.
• Appeal: An appeal was filed by Multimedia Technologies Pte. Ltd. with the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (Case No. 25-2063) on August 29, 2025. The appeal was voluntarily dismissed by mutual agreement on January 9, 2026.
• Defensive value: This IPR is actively challenging claims of US9510040. While the institution decision's reasoning is not yet public, the fact that an appeal was filed and then dismissed suggests the patent owner recognized the strength of the petitioner's arguments or reached a settlement. The upcoming Final Written Decision will be crucial in determining which claims, if any, remain patentable.

IPR2024-00694 — LG Electronics Inc., LG Electronics USA Inc., and Vizio Inc. v. Multimedia Technologies Pte Ltd.

• Type: Inter Partes Review
• Filed: 2024-03-14
• Status: Final Written Decision (awaiting issuance)
• Judge panel: Not publicly available yet.
• Petition grounds: The specific claims and prior art challenged are not explicitly detailed in the public records available. It was filed under 35 U.S.C. §§ 102 or 103 on the basis of prior art patents or printed publications.
• Institution decision: Instituted (date not explicitly stated, but it is clear from the "Final Written Decision" status that it was instituted). The panel's reasoning is not publicly available yet.
• Final Written Decision (if issued): Not yet issued, but expected.
• Settlement / termination: An appeal of this proceeding, along with IPR2024-00351, was voluntarily dismissed by the Federal Circuit on January 9, 2026, due to an agreement between the parties. The specific terms of the settlement are confidential.
• Appeal: An appeal was filed by Multimedia Technologies Pte. Ltd. with the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (Case No. 25-2063) on August 29, 2025. The appeal was voluntarily dismissed by mutual agreement on January 9, 2026.
• Defensive value: Similar to IPR2024-00351, this IPR is actively challenging claims of US9510040. The voluntary dismissal of the appeal indicates a potential settlement or acknowledgment of the IPR's strength. The forthcoming Final Written Decision will determine the patentability of the challenged claims.

Strategic summary

Currently, the patent US9510040B2 has two active Inter Partes Review proceedings, IPR2024-00351 and IPR2024-00694, filed by LG Electronics Inc., LG Electronics USA Inc., and Vizio Inc. against the patent owner Multimedia Technologies Pte Ltd. Both IPRs are in the "Final Written Decision" status, meaning they have been instituted and are awaiting the Board's final determination on the patentability of the challenged claims. All claims of US9510040 are currently under review in these proceedings, and thus the status of which claims are CANCELED vs. SUSTAINED vs. UNTESTED is unknown until the FWDs are issued.

The estoppel landscape under 35 U.S.C. § 315(e)(2) will apply to the petitioners (LG Electronics Inc., LG Electronics USA Inc., and Vizio Inc.) and their privies once the Final Written Decisions are issued. This will bar them from raising any ground they raised or reasonably could have raised in these instituted IPRs. Given that the petitioners have made a "Sotera stipulation," they have agreed not to pursue in district court litigation any grounds that were raised or could have reasonably been raised under §§ 102 or 103 on the basis of prior art patents or printed publications in the instituted IPR proceedings. This suggests a strategic move to focus the invalidity arguments within the PTAB.

A notable pattern signal is that LG Electronics Inc. and Vizio Inc. are named as petitioners in both IPRs, indicating a concerted effort to challenge the patent. Furthermore, the patent owner, Multimedia Technologies Pte. Ltd., initially appealed the PTAB proceedings to the Federal Circuit (Case No. 25-2063), but then voluntarily dismissed the appeal. This could signal a settlement between the parties or a strategic decision by the patent owner not to pursue the appeal, perhaps due to the strength of the petitioner's arguments or a broader licensing agreement.

Recommended next steps

The most critical upcoming milestones are the issuance of the Final Written Decisions for IPR2024-00351 and IPR2024-00694. A defendant should closely monitor the PTAB-E2E system for these decisions. Once issued, the FWDs will explicitly state which claims, if any, have been found unpatentable.

If you are a defendant facing assertion of US9510040B2 today, your next steps should be:

• Obtain and review the institution decisions for both IPR2024-00351 and IPR2024-00694. While not explicitly provided here, these documents will detail the specific claims challenged and the prior art cited, giving you insight into the strength of the invalidity arguments.
• Anticipate the Final Written Decisions. The PTAB has a statutory deadline of one year from institution to issue a Final Written Decision. Given the filing dates of December 20, 2023, and March 14, 2024, the FWDs could be issued around December 2024 and March 2025, respectively. You should prepare to analyze these decisions immediately upon their release.
• Assess the impact of the FWDs on any asserted claims. If claims cited in a demand letter are canceled, it significantly weakens the patent owner's position. Conversely, if claims are sustained, it indicates the Board found them patentable over the presented art.
• Consider the estoppel implications. The "Sotera stipulations" made by the petitioners mean that some prior art grounds will be unavailable to them in co-pending or future district court litigation if the IPRs are instituted and result in a FWD.
• Investigate the nature of the Federal Circuit appeal dismissal (Case No. 25-2063). While the terms of the settlement are confidential, the dismissal suggests a resolution between the parties involved in those specific IPRs. Understanding the context of this dismissal could provide further strategic insights. The dismissal order can be found at: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/68641473/multimedia-technologies-pte-ltd-v-lg-electronics-inc/.

Inventors

• Mohammed Selim (Flextronics AP LLC)
• Sanjiv Sirpal (Flextronics AP LLC)
• Fuqu Wu (Flextronics AP LLC)
• Salvador Soto (Flextronics AP LLC)

No unusual patterns were observed regarding inventors departing the original assignee.

Original assignee

The original assignee, Flextronics AP LLC, is a global diversified manufacturer. As a contract manufacturer, Flextronics AP LLC would typically ship products embodying the claims on behalf of its clients. Its current status is operating, though the patent itself has been reassigned.

Assignment timeline

• 2016-10-18 (executed) / recorded 2016-10-18 — Reel 038283/0091

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: FLEXTRONICS AP, LLC
  • Assignee: FLEXTRONICS AP, LLC
  • Correspondent: GREGORY A. NARENDORF, GARLICK & NARENDORF, LLP, 9700 N. CAPITAL OF TEXAS HWY., SUITE 350, AUSTIN, TX 78759
  • Context: Internal reorg (Assignor and Assignee are the same, suggesting an internal transfer or correction)

• 2023-01-18 (executed) / recorded 2023-01-20 — Reel 060938/0879

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: FLEXTRONICS AP, LLC
  • Assignee: MULTIMEDIA TECHNOLOGIES PTE, LTD
  • Correspondent: RYAN B. MCCARTHY, ADELPHI LAW GROUP, PC, 1875 CENTURY PARK EAST, SUITE 1000, LOS ANGELES, CA 90067
  • Context: Transfer-to-asserter

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 9510040
    2015 : Application filed by Flextronics AP LLC
    2016 : Patent granted
         : Assigned to Flextronics AP LLC
    2023 : Assigned to Multimedia Technologies Pte Ltd

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer — present. The transfer from Flextronics AP, LLC to Multimedia Technologies Pte, Ltd. on 2023-01-20 (Reel 060938/0879) indicates a move to an entity whose name suggests a focus on intellectual property or licensing ("Technologies Pte Ltd" is often used by NPEs). Multimedia Technologies Pte Ltd has been identified in litigation data as a patent asserter.

2. Known asserter in the chain — present. Multimedia Technologies Pte Ltd is listed in litigation records as a petitioner in PTAB cases (e.g., IPR2024-00694, IPR2024-00351) and as a party in district court cases in the Eastern District of Texas and the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

3. Repeat correspondent across the chain — not present. GREGORY A. NARENDORF of GARLICK & NARENDORF, LLP is listed on the 2016 assignment (Reel 038283/0091). RYAN B. MCCARTHY of ADELPHI LAW GROUP, PC is listed on the 2023 assignment (Reel 060938/0879). These are different correspondents.

4. Cascading transfers — not present. There are only two recorded assignments after the initial internal transfer, spaced several years apart.

5. Pre-litigation transfer — unclear. The patent was assigned to Multimedia Technologies Pte Ltd on 2023-01-20 (Reel 060938/0879). The Google Patents legal events indicate a "US case filed in Texas Eastern District Court" on 2023-01-18, which is two days before the recording date of the assignment, but the execution date of the assignment is also 2023-01-18. This timing is highly suspicious and suggests the transfer was made in immediate anticipation of litigation, or even simultaneously.

6. Bankruptcy fire-sale — not present. No indication of Flextronics AP, LLC filing for bankruptcy.

7. Privateering — unclear. While the transfer is to a known NPE, there is no public information in the patent record or search results to definitively state this is privateering where Flextronics AP, LLC is directing the assertions against competitors.

8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE) — not present. The chain ends with Multimedia Technologies Pte Ltd, which is an asserting entity.

Verdict

NPE — high confidence

The transfer to Multimedia Technologies Pte Ltd (Reel 060938/0879, recorded 2023-01-20), a known patent asserter involved in multiple litigations, and the highly suspicious timing of this assignment just two days before a lawsuit was filed (or on the same day as the execution date) strongly indicates an NPE assertion strategy.

USPTO Assignment Center Search for US9510040

To identify the most relevant prior art for US Patent 9510040, I will search the USPTO database for the patent and then analyze its cited references.

Here's an analysis of relevant prior art for US Patent 9510040, based on the citations within the patent itself:

Understanding Prior Art Relevance

Under 35 U.S.C. § 102 (Anticipation), a claim is anticipated if every element of the claim is found, either explicitly or inherently, in a single prior art reference. While a comprehensive anticipation analysis would require a deep dive into each reference's full content and comparison with every claim limitation, I will provide a high-level assessment of potential relevance for the independent claims (Claims 1, 11, and 12), given the information available.

Cited References and Potential Anticipation:

The patent US9510040 itself lists a number of prior art documents in its "References Cited" section. I will focus on the U.S. Patent Documents as primary sources of potential anticipation.

Here are some of the most relevant prior art documents cited in US9510040:

1. US 7,725,892 B2 to Kulas et al.

   • Full Citation: US 7,725,892 B2 (Kulas et al.)
   • Publication/Filing Date: Publication: May 25, 2010.
   • Brief Description: This patent generally describes systems and methods for presenting a user interface on a display, particularly in a television environment, where content (like television programming) is modified to incorporate additional information. It discusses displaying multiple information elements within a television program, including interactive overlays or menus.
   • Potential Anticipation (Claims 1, 11, 12): This reference is highly relevant as it addresses displaying content and user interfaces on a television. It could potentially anticipate the elements of "receiving an indication associated with a selection by a user," "determining... a global panel to display," "retrieving... content information," and "displaying... the retrieved content information in the specified global panel" if its described "multiple information elements" or "interactive overlays" are considered equivalent to a "global panel" displaying "content information" in response to user selection. Specifically, the concept of modifying displayed content to include additional information, and user interaction with these elements, directly relates to the core of the independent claims.

2. US 8,631,424 B2 to Niu et al.

   • Full Citation: US 8,631,424 B2 (Niu et al.)
   • Publication/Filing Date: Publication: January 14, 2014.
   • Brief Description: This patent focuses on providing an interactive program guide (IPG) with supplementary information and the ability for users to interact with that information. It describes a client device displaying an IPG along with auxiliary content related to a program.
   • Potential Anticipation (Claims 1, 11, 12): Niu et al. is relevant to "displaying content on a television" and "retrieving... content information for display in the global panel." An interactive program guide is a form of a "panel" displaying "content information." If the IPG, or parts of it, is presented as a consistent, accessible interface across different functions, it could potentially anticipate the "global panel" concept. The user's selection and the subsequent display of content are central to an IPG.

3. US 2007/0079326 A1 to Park et al.

   • Full Citation: US 2007/0079326 A1 (Park et al.)
   • Publication/Filing Date: Publication: April 5, 2007.
   • Brief Description: This application describes a method for providing content in a broadcasting system, including displaying a main image and a sub-image on a display device. It also details receiving user input to control the display of these images.
   • Potential Anticipation (Claims 1, 11, 12): This reference directly addresses displaying multiple content elements ("main image" and "sub-image") and user interaction. The "sub-image" could be analogous to the "global panel" displaying "first content information." The control of these images based on user input aligns with "receiving an indication associated with a selection by a user" and "displaying... the retrieved content information in the specified global panel."

4. US 2007/0107021 A1 to Lee et al.

   • Full Citation: US 2007/0107021 A1 (Lee et al.)
   • Publication/Filing Date: Publication: May 10, 2007.
   • Brief Description: This patent application describes an apparatus and method for providing services related to broadcast programs, which includes displaying various types of information (e.g., related content, interactive menus) on a screen alongside the main broadcast. User interaction for selecting and displaying this information is also discussed.
   • Potential Anticipation (Claims 1, 11, 12): Similar to Park et al., this reference's focus on displaying additional information or interactive menus alongside a main broadcast, and the user's ability to select and interact with these, makes it relevant. The "interactive menus" or "various types of information" could potentially serve as a "global panel" concept, displaying "content information" based on user "selection."

5. US 2007/0118861 A1 to Lee et al.

   • Full Citation: US 2007/0118861 A1 (Lee et al.)
   • Publication/Filing Date: Publication: May 24, 2007.
   • Brief Description: This patent application describes a digital television and method for providing additional services, where a broadcast signal is processed to display various types of information, potentially in multiple windows or regions, and responsive to user commands.
   • Potential Anticipation (Claims 1, 11, 12): This is another strong contender as it explicitly mentions displaying information in "multiple windows or regions" and being "responsive to user commands." This directly maps to the "global panel" and user selection elements of the independent claims. The "additional services" and the information displayed within them are forms of "content information."

These cited U.S. patents and applications demonstrate existing solutions for displaying supplementary content on televisions, managing user interaction with on-screen elements, and integrating different information sources. A thorough analysis against these references would be crucial to determine the precise scope of anticipation for each limitation in the independent claims of US9510040.

Obviousness Analysis of US Patent 9510040 under 35 U.S.C. § 103

This analysis will focus on Independent Claim 1, as the method, non-transitory computer-readable medium, and system claims (Claims 1, 11, and 12, respectively) share the same core functional elements. The arguments for obviousness presented for Claim 1 would similarly apply to Claims 11 and 12.

The patent itself identifies the problem it aims to solve: "most Smart TVs have yet to provide seamless and intuitive user interfaces for navigating and/or executing the various features of the Smart TV. As such, there are still issues with the consolidation of features and the presentation of these features in Smart TVs." This statement provides strong motivation for a person having ordinary skill in the art (POSITA) to combine existing technologies to create a more unified and intuitive user experience on intelligent televisions.

Independent Claim 1 Analysis

Claim 1: A method for displaying content on a television, comprising:

• receiving an indication associated with a selection by a user;
• determining, based on the received indication, a global panel to display via the television;
• retrieving from memory, a first content information for display in the global panel; and
• displaying, via the television, the retrieved content information in the specified global panel.

Combination of Prior Art References and Rationale:

A Person Having Ordinary Skill in the Art (POSITA) in the field of interactive television systems and user interface design, motivated by the recognized need for more seamless and intuitive navigation on Smart TVs, would have found it obvious to combine an existing Smart TV system with known user interface and content display techniques.

Primary Reference: A general Smart TV or Interactive Television system (as widely known and implicitly acknowledged in the patent's own definitions of "Smart TV," "Intelligent TV," and "IPTV," and reflected in classifications such as H04N21/00 - Selective content distribution, e.g., interactive television or video on demand [VOD], H04N21/40 - Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g., set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof, and H04N21/47 - End-user applications).

Such a primary reference would teach or inherently include:

• A television with a display, memory, and a microprocessor (as explicitly claimed in Independent Claim 12, a system claim).
• The ability to receive user input or "selection by a user" through various input devices (e.g., remote controls), which is fundamental to any interactive system. This is widely taught in classifications such as H04N21/42204 (User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device) and G06F3/048 (Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]).
• The capability to retrieve and display various types of "content information" from memory or other sources, as is the core function of a Smart TV. This is supported by classifications like H04N21/23109 (Content storage operation, e.g., EPG data repository) and H04N21/432 (Content retrieval operation from a local storage medium).

Secondary References and their Combination with the Primary Reference:

1. "receiving an indication associated with a selection by a user":

   • As noted above, a Smart TV inherently involves user interaction. This element is taught by countless prior art systems for interactive televisions and computing devices. A POSITA would readily implement this using a remote control (as defined in the patent and related to H04N21/42204, H04N21/42206, H04N21/4221 detailing dedicated function buttons and hardware details of remote controls) or gesture-based input (G06F3/017).

2. "determining, based on the received indication, a global panel to display via the television":

   • The concept of displaying information or secondary content in a dedicated region or "panel" on a television screen is well-established. Prior art such as H04N5/45 (Picture in picture, e.g., displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen) and H04N21/4316 (Generation of visual interfaces... for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g., an advertisement in a separate window) clearly teach this.
   • The term "global panel" refers to a unified or consistent user interface element. A POSITA seeking to improve "seamless and intuitive user interfaces" and "consolidation of features" (as stated in the patent's background) would find it an obvious design choice to implement a consistent panel system for various functions. The patent explicitly states that its panel system "allows for a same pattern of navigation—all resulting in a unified experience for a user" and "provides a consistent user experience across all applications." Designing a consistent user interface across applications is a standard goal in UI/UX development.

3. "retrieving from memory, a first content information for display in the global panel":

   • Retrieving content from various sources for display is a fundamental operation of a Smart TV. This is taught by classifications such as H04N21/432 (Content retrieval operation from a local storage medium) and H04N21/4622 (Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g., from a broadcast channel and the Internet). The content could be an EPG (Electronic Program Guide) (e.g., H04N21/23109), social media feeds (H04L51/52), web pages (H04N21/4782), or system status information.

4. "displaying, via the television, the retrieved content information in the specified global panel":

   • This is the culmination of the previous steps. Displaying content in a designated panel on a television screen is directly taught by H04N5/45 (Picture-in-picture) and H04N21/4316 (displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen). Furthermore, for an "unobtrusive design allowing the active video to always be in view" (a key benefit stated in the patent's own "Definitions"), a POSITA would find it obvious to apply known graphical interface techniques such as making the panel "translucent" or "transparent" using principles taught by G06F2203/04804 (Transparency, e.g., transparent or translucent windows).

Motivation for Combination:

The motivation to combine these elements is clearly articulated within the patent itself: to address the shortcomings of existing Smart TVs in providing "seamless and intuitive user interfaces" and better "consolidation of features." A POSITA would be motivated to improve the user experience of a Smart TV by:

• Providing quick and consistent access to diverse functionalities (e.g., web browsing, social media, system information) without interrupting the primary content viewing experience, leveraging known picture-in-picture or overlay display techniques.
• Designing these access points as "panels" that can be summoned by user input, a common GUI paradigm.
• Making these panels visually unobtrusive, for instance by making them translucent, a known technique in graphical user interfaces.
• Ensuring the content displayed in these panels is easily retrievable and potentially contextually relevant (as suggested by the patent's "information may be displayed... contextually dependent on the primary program").

Given the widespread knowledge of interactive television systems, graphical user interfaces with windows/panels, remote control interactions, and the clear problem statement in the patent regarding the need for improved Smart TV UIs, the claimed method, system, and computer-readable medium would have been obvious to a POSITA at the time of the invention.

To address the request, I will search for the specific patent number 9510040 on the USPTO website. I will then analyze the retrieved information for patent term adjustments (PTA), patent term extensions (PTE), continuation applications, divisional applications, related family members, and the projected expiration date.

US Patent 9510040 Details:

• Patent Number: US9510040B2
• Title: Global panel
• Issue Date: November 29, 2016
• Filing Date: August 24, 2015
• Priority Date: August 17, 2012 (based on the patent document itself)

Patent Term Adjustments (PTA) and Patent Term Extensions (PTE):

The provided patent text and general patent law indicate that Patent Term Adjustments (PTA) are granted to compensate for delays caused by the USPTO during patent prosecution for applications filed on or after June 8, 1995. Patent Term Extensions (PTE) are typically granted for patents claiming products subject to regulatory approval, such as drug patents, to account for delays during regulatory review.

To determine the specific PTA or PTE for US9510040B2, a detailed review of the patent's prosecution history on the USPTO Patent Center would be necessary. This information is not explicitly provided in the patent text or the search results.

Continuation Applications, Divisional Applications, and Related Family Members:

The provided patent information lists the following:

• Application number: US14/834,316 (This is the application that matured into US9510040B2).
• Priority to:
  • US14/834,316 (priority date 2015-08-24)
  • US15/358,788 (priority date 2016-11-22) - This suggests a continuing application, likely a continuation or divisional, based on the later filing date.
  • US15/935,281 (priority date 2018-03-26) - This also suggests a continuing application.
  • US16/576,483 (priority date 2019-09-19) - This also suggests a continuing application.
• Other versions: US20160057480A1 (publication date 2016-02-25). This is the patent application publication for US9510040B2.

Based on the "Priority to" section in the patent document, US9510040B2 claims priority to several earlier-filed applications. While the exact relationship (continuation, divisional, or continuation-in-part) isn't explicitly stated for all, the presence of these later priority claims indicates it belongs to a patent family. The earliest priority date listed is August 17, 2012.

Projected Expiration Date:

For U.S. patents issued from applications filed on or after June 8, 1995, the general patent term is 20 years from the earliest claimed non-provisional filing date. This term is subject to patent term adjustments (PTA) for USPTO delays and patent term extensions (PTE) for regulatory review delays.

The patent itself states an "Anticipated expiration" date of 2033-04-16.

Given the filing date of the application for US9510040B2 (US14/834,316) on August 24, 2015, and the earliest priority date of August 17, 2012, the 20-year term from the earliest priority date would typically be August 17, 2032. The "Anticipated expiration" date of 2033-04-16 suggests that Patent Term Adjustment (PTA) was applied, extending the term beyond the standard 20 years from the earliest priority date. Without accessing the specific PTA calculation from the USPTO, the precise reasons for this extension cannot be fully detailed.

Therefore, the projected expiration date for US9510040B2 is April 16, 2033.