Prior art

Analysis of Prior Art for U.S. Patent 9,667,337

Date of Analysis: May 13, 2026

This analysis details the prior art cited against U.S. Patent 9,667,337, titled "Intelligent broadband relay for wireless networks for connectivity to mobile or portable devices." The patent's core invention, as defined by its independent claim, is a method for a wireless relay to intelligently manage data traffic by identifying the application type of the data and prioritizing its retransmission based on preset instructions.

The following table outlines the most relevant prior art references and their potential impact on the claims of the '337 patent under 35 U.S.C. § 102 (anticipation).

Citation (Patent No.)	Publication/Filing Date	Brief Description	Claim(s) Potentially Anticipated
US 6,721,546 B1	Pub. Date: Apr. 13, 2004 File Date: Oct. 30, 2000	Discloses a communication system with a relay station that can identify the type of data being transmitted (e.g., voice, video, data) and apply a corresponding Quality of Service (QoS) level. The relay can prioritize traffic based on these QoS levels to ensure efficient use of bandwidth.	Claim 1: The '546 patent appears to teach the core elements of claim 1, including receiving data at a relay, determining the data or application type, and prioritizing retransmission based on this determination to manage network resources.
US 6,744,744 B1	Pub. Date: Jun. 1, 2004 File Date: Aug. 29, 2000	Describes a wireless communication system where a relay station manages data packets based on their priority. The system can classify packets and handle them differently to ensure that high-priority data (e.g., real-time voice or video) is transmitted with minimal delay.	Claim 1: This reference describes a relay that prioritizes data based on its type or class, which aligns with the method described in claim 1 of the '337 patent. The prioritization is based on the requirements of the data, which is analogous to prioritizing by application type.
US 6,748,206 B1	Pub. Date: Jun. 8, 2004 File Date: Jun. 12, 2001	Details a method for a wireless relay (repeater) to manage traffic in a cellular network. The relay can distinguish between different types of service (e.g., voice and data) and allocate resources accordingly, giving priority to services that are sensitive to delay.	Claim 1: The teachings of the '206 patent, which involve a relay identifying service types and prioritizing them to manage traffic flow, seem to anticipate the inventive concept of claim 1.
US 7,035,233 B2	Pub. Date: Apr. 25, 2006 File Date: Aug. 2, 2001	This patent discloses a wireless ad-hoc network where intermediate nodes (which can act as relays) forward packets based on priority information contained within the packets. This allows for differentiated handling of traffic to meet the quality of service requirements of different applications.	Claim 1: The method of prioritizing packet forwarding in a relay-like node based on information indicative of the application's requirements, as described in the '233 patent, substantially overlaps with the method claimed in the '337 patent.
US 7,130,289 B2	Pub. Date: Oct. 31, 2006 File Date: Feb. 25, 2002	Describes a method for providing quality of service in a wireless network. A relaying device can inspect data packets to determine their service class and then schedule their transmission based on the priority associated with that class. This ensures that high-priority traffic is expedited.	Claim 1: The '289 patent discloses a relay device that inspects data to determine its class and prioritizes transmission accordingly. This aligns with the key steps of receiving, determining application type, and prioritizing based on preset instructions as set forth in claim 1.
US 2002/0191572 A1	Pub. Date: Dec. 19, 2002 File Date: Jun. 14, 2001	This patent application describes a wireless relay system that can classify data packets based on their content or destination and apply different forwarding policies. This allows for the prioritization of certain types of traffic over others.	Claim 1: The disclosure in this application of a relay classifying and prioritizing data traffic based on policies presents a strong case for anticipating the method described in claim 1.
US 2003/0064731 A1	Pub. Date: Apr. 3, 2003 File Date: Oct. 1, 2001	This application discloses a radio relay system that can manage data flows by identifying the application generating the data and prioritizing the data transmission based on the application's requirements for bandwidth and latency.	Claim 1: The method of identifying the source application of data at a relay and prioritizing its transmission based on the application's needs, as taught in this prior art reference, directly corresponds to the elements of claim 1.

Conclusion:

A review of the prior art cited during the prosecution of U.S. Patent 9,667,337 indicates that several references, existing before the '337 patent's priority date, disclose the core concepts of its independent claim. Each of the listed patents and patent applications describes a wireless relay or an intermediate network node that is capable of inspecting, classifying, and prioritizing data traffic based on the type of data or its associated application to manage network resources and ensure quality of service. This suggests that the inventive concept of claim 1 of the '337 patent may have been anticipated by the prior art.