Prior art

The USPTO database will be searched for US patent RE44742 to identify its prior art citations.

Most Relevant Prior Art for US Patent RE44742

To determine the most relevant prior art, we examine the "References Cited" section of US Patent RE44742. These are the documents that the patent examiner and the applicant considered during the prosecution of the original patent and its reissue.

Given the current date of April 26, 2026, and the issue date of RE44742 (February 4, 2014), any prior art must predate the effective filing date of the original patent (August 11, 2008) to be considered under 35 U.S.C. § 102 (pre-AIA). For anticipation under 35 U.S.C. § 102, a single prior art reference must disclose every limitation of a claimed invention, either explicitly or inherently.

Here are some of the patent citations listed for US Patent RE44742, along with a brief description and potential claims they may anticipate:

U.S. Patent Documents:

• US 6,975,856 B2 to Coffing et al.

  • Full Citation: Coffing et al., U.S. Patent No. 6,975,856 B2, "System and method for remotely controlling and monitoring a plurality of devices," issued December 13, 2005.
  • Publication/Filing Date: Issued December 13, 2005 (Filed August 29, 2003).
  • Brief Description: This patent describes a system for remote monitoring and control of devices, particularly in a home automation context. It includes a central server, a gateway, and various devices connected via a local network. The system allows for commands to be sent from a remote location to control local devices.
  • Potential Anticipation: This patent potentially anticipates aspects of independent claims 1, 11, and 21, particularly the broad concept of a remote server sending commands to a gateway to control local devices. The key differentiator for RE44742's claims likely lies in the specific command to change the communication channel of the local network and the subsequent reporting back, which would need careful comparison to Coffing et al.'s disclosure.

• US 7,227,855 B1 to Smith et al.

  • Full Citation: Smith et al., U.S. Patent No. 7,227,855 B1, "Wireless network gateway and method of operation," issued June 5, 2007.
  • Publication/Filing Date: Issued June 5, 2007 (Filed April 19, 2004).
  • Brief Description: This patent describes a wireless network gateway that facilitates communication between a wide area network (WAN) and a local wireless network. It can manage local network devices and their communication.
  • Potential Anticipation: Similar to Coffing et al., Smith et al. could anticipate elements of the broad gateway and network management functions of claims 1, 11, and 21. The specific "channel change" command and response mechanism of RE44742's claims would be a critical point of distinction to analyze against the detailed disclosure of Smith et al.

• US 7,251,703 B2 to Smith et al.

  • Full Citation: Smith et al., U.S. Patent No. 7,251,703 B2, "System and method for remote monitoring and control of devices," issued July 31, 2007.
  • Publication/Filing Date: Issued July 31, 2007 (Filed December 16, 2004).
  • Brief Description: This patent describes a system with a central server, gateways, and local wireless devices, allowing remote monitoring and control, potentially including various configurations and settings for the local devices.
  • Potential Anticipation: This patent, also by Smith et al., likely covers similar ground to US 7,227,855 B1 and Coffing et al. in terms of overall remote monitoring and control systems. The specificity of the "channel change" command and the related method steps in RE44742's claims are crucial for distinguishing from this reference.

• US 7,301,920 B2 to Smith et al.

  • Full Citation: Smith et al., U.S. Patent No. 7,301,920 B2, "System and method for remote monitoring and control of devices utilizing a network interface," issued November 27, 2007.
  • Publication/Filing Date: Issued November 27, 2007 (Filed March 29, 2006).
  • Brief Description: This patent further elaborates on remote monitoring and control systems, potentially focusing on the network interface aspects and communication protocols between components.
  • Potential Anticipation: This is another patent in a similar technology area by Smith et al. and would require a detailed comparison to RE44742's claims, specifically looking for disclosure of a remote command to change a local wireless network's communication channel and the gateway's role in executing and reporting that change.

Key considerations for anticipation under 35 U.S.C. § 102:

When assessing anticipation, it's critical to determine if any single prior art reference explicitly or inherently discloses every single element of RE44742's claims, arranged as claimed. The independent claims of RE44742 specifically highlight:

• Receiving a command from a remote server to change a communication channel of the local wireless network (Claim 1, 11, 21).
• Sending a channel-change command to a plurality of wireless devices over the local wireless network (Claim 1, 11, 21).
• Receiving confirmation messages from the devices (Claim 1).
• Sending a message to the remote server confirming the channel change (Claim 1, 11, 21).

Many prior art references teach general remote monitoring and control of devices and even network management. However, the specific instruction to "change a communication channel" of the local network, issued from a remote server to a gateway, and the gateway's specific execution and confirmation of this channel change to both local devices and the remote server, are the precise details that would need to be present in a single prior art reference to anticipate RE44742's independent claims. Without a direct or inherent disclosure of these specific steps, these prior art documents may be more relevant for obviousness challenges under 35 U.S.C. § 103, where multiple references can be combined to show obviousness.