Prior art

Here is an analysis of the prior art cited in U.S. Patent No. 9,942,705.

Analysis of Prior Art for U.S. Patent No. 9,942,705

Based on the patent documentation, the following are the prior art references cited against US Patent 9,942,705 and an analysis of their potential relevance to the patent's claims under 35 U.S.C. § 102 (Anticipation).

U.S. Patent Documents Cited

1. U.S. Patent No. 6,819,919 B2 - Remote Monitoring of a Mobile Asset

   • Publication Date: November 16, 2004
   • Filing Date: June 14, 2002
   • Assignee: ATX Group, Inc.
   • Brief Description: This patent describes a system for remotely monitoring a mobile asset, such as a vehicle. A user can request the location of the asset via a website, which then communicates with a telematics unit in the asset to obtain its location and display it on a map. It includes features for setting up "geofences" and receiving notifications if the asset enters or leaves a designated area.
   • Potential Anticipation of Claims: This patent appears to disclose a system for location sharing and monitoring. It could be argued as anticipating the general concept of a server receiving location data from a mobile device and displaying it on a map, which is a core element of Claim 1, Claim 10, and Claim 16 of US 9,942,705. However, it may not specifically disclose the "instant buddy" concept of a temporary, user-initiated, and mutually accepted location-sharing group for a defined duration.

2. U.S. Patent No. 7,031,728 B2 - Location-Based Services

   • Publication Date: April 18, 2006
   • Filing Date: June 22, 2000
   • Assignee: AT&T Wireless Services, Inc.
   • Brief Description: This patent details a system for providing location-based services to wireless devices. It describes a location-based services (LBS) platform that can receive location information from a mobile device and provide services based on that location, such as providing directions or information about nearby points of interest. It also discusses the ability for users to share their location with others.
   • Potential Anticipation of Claims: This reference is relevant to the general concept of location sharing between mobile devices through a central server. It could be considered to anticipate the broader aspects of receiving and transmitting location data as described in Claim 1, Claim 10, and Claim 16. The key question for anticipation would be whether it discloses the specific "instant buddy" feature, including the temporary nature of the group and the invitation/acceptance process.

3. U.S. Patent No. 7,433,694 B2 - Method and System for Sharing Location Information

   • Publication Date: October 7, 2008
   • Filing Date: March 31, 2005
   • Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc.
   • Brief Description: This patent describes a system where a user of a mobile device can share their location information with another user. The system includes a server that manages the sharing of location information, including provisions for privacy and control over who can see a user's location.
   • Potential Anticipation of Claims: This patent is highly relevant as it directly addresses the concept of sharing location information between mobile devices via a server. It likely anticipates the general framework of a server-mediated location sharing service. However, its direct impact on the novelty of Claim 1, Claim 10, and Claim 16 of the '705 patent would depend on whether it explicitly describes the formation of a temporary group based on a user's request with a specific duration and a formal invitation and acceptance process.

4. U.S. Patent No. 7,499,715 B2 - Friend-Finder Application for Use on a Portable Electronic Device

   • Publication Date: March 3, 2009
   • Filing Date: April 21, 2006
   • Assignee: Apple Inc.
   • Brief Description: This patent discloses an application for a portable electronic device that allows users to find the location of their friends. It describes a system where users can create a list of "friends" and view their locations on a map.
   • Potential Anticipation of Claims: This patent is relevant to the social networking and location-sharing aspects of the '705 patent. It describes forming groups ("friends") and viewing their locations. The strength of an anticipation argument would depend on whether this patent discloses the creation of ad-hoc, temporary groups for a specified time, which is a key limitation of the "instant buddy" feature in Claim 1, Claim 10, and Claim 16.

5. U.S. Patent No. 7,548,758 B2 - Method and Apparatus for Locating and Tracking a Mobile Unit in a Communications System

   • Publication Date: June 16, 2009
   • Filing Date: May 19, 2004
   • Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
   • Brief Description: This patent describes methods for determining and tracking the location of a mobile unit in a wireless communication system. It covers the technical aspects of obtaining location information (e.g., using GPS) and transmitting it over a wireless network.
   • Potential Anticipation of Claims: While relevant to the underlying technology of location tracking, this patent focuses more on the "how" of obtaining a location rather than the service of sharing that location between users in a temporary group. It may not directly anticipate the user-facing application and service model described in Claim 1, Claim 10, and Claim 16 of the '705 patent.

6. U.S. Patent No. 8,185,130 B2 - Systems and Methods for Providing Location-Based Services

   • Publication Date: May 22, 2012
   • Filing Date: December 21, 2007
   • Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC
   • Brief Description: This patent describes a system for providing various location-based services, including sharing a user's location with others, receiving location-based alerts, and finding points of interest. It discusses user-defined privacy controls for location sharing.
   • Potential Anticipation of Claims: This reference is similar to the other AT&T patent in that it describes the infrastructure for location-based services. Its potential to anticipate the claims of the '705 patent would hinge on whether it discloses the specific workflow of creating a temporary, time-limited, and mutually agreed-upon location-sharing session, as detailed in Claim 1, Claim 10, and Claim 16.

7. U.S. Patent No. 8,214,354 B1 - Location-Based Social Networking

   • Publication Date: July 3, 2012
   • Filing Date: June 21, 2011
   • Assignee: Google Inc.
   • Brief Description: This patent relates to social networking services that use location information. It describes methods for users to share their location with their social network, find friends who are nearby, and receive location-based recommendations.
   • Potential Anticipation of Claims: This is a significant piece of prior art. It covers the intersection of location sharing and social networking. The key question for anticipation would be whether the "social networking" context described includes the specific "instant buddy" functionality of a temporary, on-the-fly group with a defined expiration, which is central to the claims of the '705 patent.

8. U.S. Patent No. 8,249,617 B2 - Mobile Device with Location-Based Services and Associated Methods

   • Publication Date: August 21, 2012
   • Filing Date: June 25, 2007
   • Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
   • Brief Description: This patent describes a mobile device with features for location-based services, including mapping, navigation, and location sharing with other users. It emphasizes the user interface and user experience aspects of these services on the mobile device itself.
   • Potential Anticipation of Claims: This patent describes the user-facing aspects of location sharing. It could potentially anticipate the client-side elements of the invention. However, for it to fully anticipate Claim 1, Claim 10, and Claim 16, it would need to disclose the server-side logic for creating and managing temporary location-sharing groups based on user invitations and acceptances.

9. U.S. Patent No. 8,606,290 B2 - Mobile Terminal and Position Information Providing Method

   • Publication Date: December 10, 2013
   • Filing Date: May 19, 2011
   • Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
   • Brief Description: This patent describes a method for a mobile terminal to provide its position information to another terminal. It includes features for setting up a connection between the devices and transmitting location data.
   • Potential Anticipation of Claims: This patent focuses on the device-to-device interaction for sharing location. It could be relevant prior art for the general concept of exchanging location data between mobile devices. However, the claims of the '705 patent are directed to a server-mediated system. The relevance of this reference would depend on how closely its description of setting up a connection mirrors the "instant buddy" group formation process, and whether it involves a central server in the manner claimed in the '705 patent.

10. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0245258 A1 - Location Based Services Buddy List

    • Publication Date: November 3, 2005
    • Filing Date: April 29, 2004
    • Applicant: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    • Brief Description: This patent application describes a system for managing a "buddy list" of users who have agreed to share their location information. It includes features for inviting users to the buddy list and setting permissions for location sharing.
    • Potential Anticipation of Claims: This is a very strong piece of prior art. It describes a "buddy list" system for location sharing, which is a core concept in the '705 patent. The key point of contention for an anticipation argument would be whether this application discloses the creation of temporary or "instant" buddy relationships with a defined duration, as opposed to a persistent list of friends. If it does, it could potentially anticipate the core novelty of Claim 1, Claim 10, and Claim 16.

Summary of Potential Anticipation

The independent claims of US 9,942,705 (Claims 1, 10, and 16) are centered on the concept of a server-managed, temporary, ad-hoc "instant buddy" group for mutual location sharing, initiated by one user and accepted by another for a specific duration.

While many of the cited prior art references describe general location-sharing systems, the key to a successful anticipation argument under 35 U.S.C. § 102 would be to find a single reference that discloses all the limitations of a claim. The most critical and potentially novel limitation appears to be the temporary, time-limited nature of the "instant buddy" group.

The prior art that seems most likely to be a threat to the novelty of these claims is U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0245258 A1, due to its focus on a "buddy list" system for location sharing. A detailed analysis of this document would be necessary to determine if it discloses the temporary and time-bound nature of the location sharing group. The other references, while relevant to the general field, may not explicitly teach this specific combination of features.

It's important to note that this analysis is based on a review of the provided patent text and a general understanding of the cited prior art. A definitive legal opinion on the validity of the patent claims would require a more in-depth analysis by a qualified patent attorney, including a thorough review of the prosecution history and the full text of all cited references.