US 9736618

US patent 9736618, titled "Techniques for sharing relative position between mobile devices," was issued to Richard D. Haney on August 15, 2017, from an application filed on July 16, 2015. [cite: The provided patent text states "Publication date 2017-08-15" and "Application granted", aligning with an issue date. It also states "Filing date 2015-07-16" and "Inventor Richard D. Haney."] The original assignee was X One Inc, with the current assignee being Piney Woods Mobility LLC. [cite: The provided patent text lists "Original Assignee X One Inc" and "Current Assignee Piney Woods Mobility LLC."] The patent expired on July 31, 2025. [cite: The provided patent text states "Legal status ... Expired - Lifetime , expires 2025-07-31".]

The abstract describes a method of sharing position data between at least a first and a second wireless device. This involves both devices coupling to a server via a wireless network, collecting their respective position data, and the server processing and exchanging this data between the two wireless devices. [cite: The provided patent text includes the abstract: "A method of sharing position data between at least a first wireless device and a second wireless device, said method comprising: coupling the first wireless device to a server via a wireless network; coupling the second wireless device to the server via the wireless network; collecting first position data at the first wireless device; collecting second position data at the second wireless device; and processing by the server the first position data and the second position data to exchange the first position data with the second wireless device and the second position data with the first wireless device."]

Here's a plain-language overview of the independent claims:

• Claim 1: This claim outlines a basic method for two mobile devices to share their location with each other. Each device connects to a central server through a wireless network, collects its location data, and the server then facilitates the exchange of this location data so that each device receives the other's position. [cite: The provided patent text for Claim 1 details this process.]

• Claim 10: This claim describes a "personal bread crumbs" feature. A mobile device informs a server that this mode is active, triggering a timer on the server. If the timer expires, the server sends a message to the device asking if the user is "OK." If there's no timely response from the user, the server automatically sends distress messages to pre-selected contacts. [cite: The provided patent text for Claim 10 details this process.]

• Claim 18: This claim details a system for location sharing within a workgroup, particularly involving a supervisor and multiple employees. The supervisor can see all employees' locations, and employees can see each other's locations. A key aspect is that employees are prevented from removing the supervisor from the group, as this action requires a passcode known only to the supervisor. [cite: The provided patent text for Claim 18 details this process.]

• Claim 20: Similar to Claim 18, this claim also describes location sharing within a workgroup with a supervisor and employees. Employees can view other employees' locations, and the supervisor can view all employees' locations. A distinguishing feature of this claim is that the location sharing functionality is specifically configured to be active only during defined working hours, such as Monday to Friday. [cite: The provided patent text for Claim 20 details this process.]

No information from CAFC 2026 dockets specifically mentioning patent 9736618 was found in the search results. The USPTO search results provided general information about searching for patents but did not return specific litigation or re-examination details for 9736618.