US 9854402

Here's a concise summary of US Patent 9854402 based on the provided patent text and current information:

US Patent 9854402: Formation of wireless device location sharing group

• Title: Formation of wireless device location sharing group
• Assignee: X One Inc
• Inventor: Richard D. Haney
• Filing Date: 2017-01-27
• Issue Date: 2017-12-26 (Publication date for granted patent)
• Abstract: The patent describes a method for providing mutual location sharing among wireless device users. It involves wireless devices, each having GPS position data sharing software, communicating with a central server via the internet and wireless carrier systems. The system allows users to form "Buddy Lists" or "Instant Buddy" relationships, enabling them to exchange and map each other's encrypted GPS position data. The software can be downloaded, and the system supports features like parental monitoring, corporate tracking, emergency alerts (SOS), and "Follow Me" modes, with user interface displays for managing contacts, viewing locations, and setting preferences. The technology aims to enhance communication, safety, and efficiency by leveraging existing cellular infrastructure and GPS capabilities.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims:

• Claim 1: This claim describes a method for mutual location sharing between multiple wireless devices. The method includes:
  1. A central server receiving requests for position updates from a first wireless device.
  2. The server identifying other wireless devices associated with the first device based on a stored list (like a buddy list).
  3. The server sending packets to these identified devices, requesting their GPS location data.
  4. The identified devices capturing their GPS location, encrypting it, and sending it back to the server.
  5. The server receiving this encrypted location data, decrypting it, and then sending it to the requesting first wireless device.
  6. The first wireless device receives, decrypts, and displays the location of the other devices on a map.
  7. This process is mutual, meaning the first device also sends its location to the server for distribution to the identified devices.
  8. The system also involves managing activation and deactivation codes for the location sharing service.
• Claim 2: This claim specifies a system configured to perform the method outlined in Claim 1. It includes:
  1. A plurality of wireless devices, each with a GPS receiver, a display, and software for location sharing.
  2. A cellular system infrastructure (transceivers, central switching system).
  3. An internet gateway.
  4. A server (e.g., Buddy Watch server) connected to the internet, configured to authenticate users, manage buddy lists, handle position update requests, encrypt/decrypt location data, and interface with a map server to provide maps for display on the wireless devices.
• Claim 12: This claim describes a non-transitory computer readable medium (e.g., a memory device) storing software instructions. When executed by a processor in a wireless device, these instructions cause the device to perform specific steps for location sharing:
  1. Receiving and displaying a location sharing invitation from another wireless device.
  2. Displaying information about the inviting device (ID, phone number).
  3. Providing options for the user to accept or deny the invitation.
  4. If accepted, transmitting an acceptance to a central server.
  5. Receiving encrypted location data from the server, decrypting it, and displaying the other device's location on a map.
  6. Capturing its own GPS location data, encrypting it, and sending it to the server for transmission to the other device.

CAFC 2026 Dockets:

A search for US9854402 in CAFC 2026 dockets did not return direct results indicating an appeal to the Federal Circuit specifically within 2026. However, the Google Patents page indicates that there has been litigation related to this patent. Specifically, it lists:

• "First worldwide family litigation filed"
• US cases filed in Texas Eastern District Court:
  • 2:26-cv-00311
  • 2:26-cv-00312
  • 2:26-cv-00313
  • 2:26-cv-00314

These district court cases are recent (filed in 2026), but their status regarding appeal to the CAFC is not immediately apparent from the provided Google Patents data. I do not have authoritative information to confirm if any of these cases have been appealed to the CAFC as of April 26, 2026.Here's a concise summary of US Patent 9854402 based on the provided patent text and current information as of April 26, 2026:

US Patent 9854402: Formation of wireless device location sharing group

• Title: Formation of wireless device location sharing group
• Assignee: X One Inc
• Inventor: Richard D. Haney
• Filing Date: 2017-01-27
• Issue Date: 2017-12-26
• Abstract: The patent describes a method for providing mutual location sharing among wireless device users. It involves wireless devices, each having GPS position data sharing software, communicating with a central server via the internet and wireless carrier systems. The system allows users to form "Buddy Lists" or "Instant Buddy" relationships, enabling them to exchange and map each other's encrypted GPS position data. The software can be downloaded, and the system supports features like parental monitoring, corporate tracking, emergency alerts (SOS), and "Follow Me" modes, with user interface displays for managing contacts, viewing locations, and setting preferences. The technology aims to enhance communication, safety, and efficiency by leveraging existing cellular infrastructure and GPS capabilities.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims:

• Claim 1: This claim describes a method for mutual location sharing between multiple wireless devices. The method includes:
  • A central server receives a request for a location update from a first wireless device.
  • The server identifies other wireless devices from a stored list (like a "Buddy List") associated with the first device.
  • The server sends messages to these identified devices, asking for their current GPS location.
  • Each identified wireless device captures its GPS location, encrypts it, and sends it to the server.
  • The server receives and decrypts this location data and forwards it to the first wireless device.
  • The first wireless device then decrypts and displays the locations of the other devices on a map.
  • Crucially, the first wireless device also sends its own encrypted GPS location to the server for distribution to the identified devices, establishing a mutual sharing of locations.
  • The system also manages activation and deactivation codes for the location sharing service.
• Claim 2: This claim describes a physical system designed to carry out the method of Claim 1. It comprises:
  • Multiple wireless devices, each equipped with a GPS receiver, a display, and software for location sharing.
  • A cellular communication network (including transceivers and a central switching system).
  • An internet gateway connecting the cellular network to the internet.
  • A central server (referred to as a "Buddy Watch server" or "Rubicon server") connected to the internet. This server is programmed to authenticate users, manage buddy lists, process location update requests, encrypt and decrypt location data, and interact with a map server to generate and send maps to the wireless devices for displaying locations.
• Claim 12: This claim describes a computer-readable storage medium (such as a memory chip) containing instructions that, when run by a wireless device's processor, cause the device to perform specific steps related to initiating and accepting location sharing:
  • The device receives and displays an invitation to share location from another wireless device.
  • It then shows information about the device that sent the invitation (e.g., an ID, phone number).
  • The user is given options to either accept or decline this location sharing invitation.
  • If the user accepts, the device sends an acceptance message to a central server.
  • After acceptance, the device receives encrypted location data from the server, decrypts it, and displays the other device's location on a map.
  • Simultaneously, the device captures its own GPS location, encrypts it, and sends it to the central server so it can be forwarded to the other device.

CAFC 2026 Dockets:

While a direct search for "US9854402 CAFC 2026 dockets" did not yield specific results indicating an appeal has been filed or scheduled in the Federal Circuit for 2026, the Google Patents page for US9854402 notes that the patent family has litigation, including multiple US cases filed in the Texas Eastern District Court in 2026 (e.g., case numbers 2:26-cv-00311, 2:26-cv-00312, 2:26-cv-00313, 2:26-cv-00314). These are district court cases, and their progression to the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) for 2026 dockets cannot be definitively confirmed from the available information at this time. Filings for appeals in the CAFC for May and June 2026 show other patent-related cases, but not US9854402 specifically. General information on patent cases and dockets can be found via Justia and Unified Patents, which track litigation across various courts, including the CAFC. However, the current status of these specific district court cases regarding a CAFC appeal is not authoritatively available in the provided data.