US 9766801

I have successfully searched for information regarding US Patent 9,766,801. I found the patent's title, assignee, inventors, filing date, and issue date. I was also able to locate the abstract and independent claims within the provided patent text.

However, my search for "CAFC 2026 dockets" did not yield any specific results for this patent. The search results provided general information about the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit's dockets and procedures for 2026, but no specific case numbers or party names related to US Patent 9,766,801. This suggests that as of today, April 26, 2026, there may not be any publicly listed appeal cases involving this specific patent in the CAFC for the year 2026. However, this absence of information is not definitive proof.

I will now proceed to analyze the independent claims and provide the full, concise summary as requested.

Patent Analysis: US 9,766,801

Date of Analysis: April 26, 2026

Patent Number: 9,766,801

Title: In-car information system, in-car device, and information terminal

Assignee: The original assignee was Clarion Co., Ltd. However, records indicate a reassignment to Autonavigare LLC on April 3, 2023.

Inventors: Ryohei Kato, Noriyuki Abe, Norikazu Nara, Hidetaka Suzuki, Kimio Okamoto

Filing Date: February 8, 2016

Issue Date: September 19, 2017

Abstract:
An in-car information system is disclosed that allows for a portable information terminal, such as a smartphone, to be connected to and controlled by an in-car device. The system is designed to simplify the interaction between the two devices by enabling the in-car device's controls to operate functions on the portable terminal. The core of the invention lies in a method for assigning operations on the portable terminal to the physical controls of the in-car device, taking into account factors like the type of control and whether the vehicle is in motion. This allows for safer and more convenient use of the portable terminal's applications while driving. The system can also display the portable terminal's interface, or a modified version of it, on the in-car device's screen.

Independent Claims Overview:

This patent has three independent claims, each describing a slightly different aspect of the invention.

• Claim 1: An in-car information system
  This claim describes the overall system, which comprises a portable information terminal (like a smartphone) and an in-car device. The key feature is that the portable terminal determines which of its functions can be controlled by the in-car device's buttons and knobs. It does this by receiving information about the types of controls available on the in-car device and then assigning its own operations (like "zoom in" or "scroll") to those controls based on a pre-defined priority and the type of control (e.g., a "dial" control is best for zooming). The portable terminal then sends this mapping information back to the in-car device so it can display corresponding icons on its screen, and so that user actions on the in-car device are translated into the correct commands for the portable terminal.

• Claim 8: An in-car device
  This claim focuses on the in-car device itself. It describes a device that can connect to a portable terminal and has its own set of controls. The in-car device is capable of receiving "operation assignment information" from the portable terminal. This information tells the in-car device which of the portable terminal's functions should be assigned to its own physical controls. The in-car device then uses this information to create a map between its controls and the terminal's functions. When a user interacts with a control on the in-car device, the device converts that action into a command that the portable terminal can understand and sends it to the terminal.

• Claim 11: A portable type information terminal
  This claim focuses on the portable terminal (smartphone). It describes a device that can connect to an in-car device and has the capability to send "operation assignment information" to that in-car device. This information details the various functions the portable terminal can perform and their priority for being assigned to the in-car device's controls. The key function of the portable terminal, as described in this claim, is to receive and process operating commands sent from the in-car device, which are based on the assignments it previously provided.

Litigation Search:

A search of the CAFC dockets for 2026 did not reveal any public records of litigation involving US Patent 9,766,801 at this time. It is important to note that this does not definitively mean no litigation exists, as cases can be filed under seal or may not yet be publicly indexed. Further monitoring of court records would be necessary to confirm the litigation status.