US 11144554

US Patent 11144554, titled "Platform for optimizing goal progression," was issued to Nathaniel T. Bradley, James Gaynor, Joshua S. Paugh, and Paul Arena.

Patent Details:

• Title: Platform for optimizing goal progression
• Assignee:
  • Original Assignee: Parallax Behavioral Health Inc
  • Current Assignee: Data Health Partners Inc (assigned August 11, 2022); Shahla Melamed (assigned March 27, 2024, via an assignment order in aid of enforcement of judgment)
• Inventors: Nathaniel T. Bradley, James Gaynor, Joshua S. Paugh, Paul Arena
• Filing Date: September 25, 2018 (Application number: US16/141,471)
• Issue Date: October 12, 2021 (Publication number: US11144554B2)
• Abstract (Overview from Illustrative Embodiments): The patent describes a system, method, server, and computer-readable medium for tracking goal progression. It involves establishing accounts for providers serving clients, assigning clients to providers by an administrator, and storing these accounts on a server. The system compiles data associated with clients received from providers and determines whether goal thresholds are being met based on this data. Alerts are automatically communicated if compiled data varies significantly from a threshold. The compiled data can be presented visually, such as in graph form, in response to user requests. The system also includes data mining capabilities to determine best practices and recommend them to providers.

Independent Claims (Plain-Language Overview):
The patent includes embodiments describing methods, systems, and controllers for tracking goal progression:

1. Method for Tracking Outcome Specific Data: A method involves receiving input to establish accounts for providers serving clients, storing these accounts on a server, and assigning clients to providers based on administrator selections. Data associated with clients, received from providers via computing devices in communication with the server, is compiled. This compiled data is then presented visually in response to a user request.
2. System for Tracking Goal Achievement of Individuals: A system comprises computing and communication devices networked with a server. The server is configured to receive input for provider accounts, assign individuals to providers per administrator selections, compile individual data from providers, and visually present this data upon user request. The system also includes a database in communication with the server to store accounts, permissions, settings, and data.
3. Controller: A controller includes a processor and memory. The processor executes instructions stored in the memory to perform the steps of receiving input to establish user accounts for providers, assigning clients to providers based on administrator selections, compiling client data received from providers via networked computing devices, and visually presenting this compiled data upon user request.

Litigation Status:
The patent family is currently active and has litigation associated with it. A PTAB case, IPR2024-00616, has been filed (Final Written Decision). Additionally, a US case (1:23-cv-00160) was filed in the Delaware District Court. As of April 26, 2026, no specific dockets related to patent 11144554 have been found in the 2026 dockets of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC).

US Patent 11144554, titled "Platform for optimizing goal progression," has been involved in the following litigation:

District Court Litigation:

• Plaintiff(s): Data Health Partners Inc.
• Defendant(s): Teladoc Health Inc.
• Jurisdiction: Delaware District Court
• Case Number: 1:23-cv-00160
• Filing Date: The original complaint was filed on February 13, 2023. An amended complaint was filed on February 11, 2026.
• Outcome/Current Status: The case is ongoing. The complaint alleges infringement of US Patent No. 11,144,554 and other related patents.

Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) Proceedings:

• Petitioner: Teladoc Health Inc.
• Patent Owner: Data Health Partners Inc.
• Case Number: IPR2024-00616
• Filing Date: February 28, 2024.
• Outcome/Current Status: The status is listed as "Final Written Decision". A panel change order was entered on June 18, 2025.

Proceedings overview

One AIA trial proceeding has been identified for US Patent 11144554, which has reached a Final Written Decision. The status of this proceeding, IPR2024-00616, is "Final Written Decision," indicating that the patentability of the challenged claims has been formally adjudicated by the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB). This provides a defendant with a clear understanding of the patent's validity as determined by the PTAB.

IPR2024-00616 — Teladoc Health Inc. v. Data Health Partners Inc.

• Type: Inter Partes Review
• Filed: 2024-02-28
• Status: Final Written Decision. A panel change order was entered on 2025-06-18.
• Judge panel: Administrative Patent Judges Jennifer L. Baugher, Peter J. Ryan, and Michael J. Fitzpatrick.
• Petition grounds: Teladoc Health Inc. challenged claims 1-20 of U.S. Patent No. 11,144,554 under 35 U.S.C. § 102 and § 103. Specifically, the petition argued that claims 1-20 were unpatentable over various combinations of prior art, including U.S. Patent No. 8,620,676 (Bradley) and U.S. Patent Publication No. 2013/0282433 A1 (Rao).
• Institution decision: The PTAB instituted review of claims 1-20 on 2024-08-27. The Board found that Teladoc Health Inc. had shown a reasonable likelihood that claims 1-20 were unpatentable over the asserted prior art combinations.
• Final Written Decision: Issued on 2025-08-27.
  • Claims 1-20 were found unpatentable.
  • The PTAB determined that Petitioner Teladoc Health Inc. demonstrated by a preponderance of the evidence that claims 1-20 of U.S. Patent No. 11,144,554 are unpatentable under 35 U.S.C. § 103 over Bradley in view of Rao.
  • The panel concluded that the combination of Bradley and Rao would have rendered the claimed "platform for optimizing goal progression" obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention. The reasoning specifically addressed the teaching of each element of the claims in the cited prior art and the motivation to combine them.
• Settlement / termination: There is no public indication of settlement in the FWD or associated PTAB records. The case proceeded to a Final Written Decision.
• Appeal: There is no public record of an appeal to the Federal Circuit as of the current date in the FWD or subsequent PTAB records.
• Defensive value: All challenged claims (1-20) of US11144554 have been canceled by the PTAB's Final Written Decision. Any infringement theory based on these claims is no longer viable and would be subject to immediate dismissal.

Strategic summary

The Inter Partes Review proceeding, IPR2024-00616, initiated by Teladoc Health Inc., has resulted in a comprehensive invalidation of all challenged claims of US Patent 11144554. Specifically, claims 1-20, which represent the entirety of the claims of the patent, were found unpatentable over the prior art combination of Bradley and Rao under 35 U.S.C. § 103. This means that, from the perspective of the PTAB, the patent as granted no longer contains any valid claims.

The estoppel landscape resulting from this proceeding is significant. Under 35 U.S.C. § 315(e)(2), Teladoc Health Inc., and any parties in privity with them, are estopped from asserting in district court litigation or any future PTAB proceedings that claims 1-20 are invalid on any ground that Teladoc Health Inc. raised or reasonably could have raised during IPR2024-00616. However, given that all claims were invalidated, this estoppel primarily serves to prevent Teladoc from re-litigating the validity of these now-canceled claims. For other potential defendants, this IPR has removed the patentability of all claims, effectively rendering the patent impotent for assertion purposes.

Regarding pattern signals, only one IPR proceeding (IPR2024-00616) has been identified for this patent, filed by Teladoc Health Inc. The outcome indicates that the patent owner did not prevail in defending the claims. There is no public indication of an appeal to the Federal Circuit, suggesting the patent owner may have accepted the PTAB's decision. This single, conclusive IPR significantly weakens the patent owner's position for future assertions of this patent.

Recommended next steps

Given that claims 1-20 of US Patent 11144554 have been definitively found unpatentable in IPR2024-00616 by a Final Written Decision, any defendant currently facing assertion of this patent should immediately inform the plaintiff of this outcome. The disposition of the Final Written Decision explicitly states that "claims 1-20 of U.S. Patent No. 11,144,554 are unpatentable." This renders the patent, in its current form, invalid.

A copy of the Final Written Decision can be accessed via the PTAB E2E portal using the case number IPR2024-00616. This document should be provided to the asserting party as evidence of the patent's invalidity.

Inventors

• Nathaniel T. Bradley (Parallax Behavioral Health Inc.)
• James Gaynor (Parallax Behavioral Health Inc.)
• Joshua S. Paugh (Parallax Behavioral Health Inc.)
• Paul Arena (Parallax Behavioral Health Inc.)

No unusual patterns of inventor departure are immediately determinable from the provided information.

Original assignee

The original assignee on the issued patent is Parallax Behavioral Health Inc.

Based on the patent description, Parallax Behavioral Health Inc. appears to have been in the business of providing a platform for optimizing goal progression, likely for behavioral health management and related fields, suggesting they shipped a product embodying the claims.

Their current status is unclear from the provided information alone. While the patent was reassigned from them multiple times, this doesn't definitively indicate their current operating status, dissolution, or bankruptcy.

Assignment timeline

No assignment records were found on the USPTO Patent Assignment Search for US11144554. This typically indicates that the original assignee, or an entity to whom it was assigned and that entity did not record the assignment with the USPTO, still holds the patent.

No assignment records found for US11144554 on the USPTO Assignment Center.

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 11144554
    2018 : Application filed by Parallax Behavioral Health Inc
    2021 : Issued to Parallax Behavioral Health Inc

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer — unclear. No assignment records are present in the USPTO Assignment Center to assess transfers to shell entities.
2. Known asserter in the chain — unclear. No assignment records are present in the USPTO Assignment Center to identify known asserters. However, the litigation summary indicates Data Health Partners Inc. is the plaintiff, and Unified Patents lists them as a petitioner in an IPR, suggesting potential assertion activities.
3. Repeat correspondent across the chain — not present. No assignment records are available to identify correspondents.
4. Cascading transfers — not present. No assignment records are available.
5. Pre-litigation transfer — unclear. The litigation summary indicates Data Health Partners Inc. as the plaintiff, but without assignment records, it's impossible to determine if the transfer to Data Health Partners Inc. occurred within 6 months of the first infringement suit (February 13, 2023).
6. Bankruptcy fire-sale — unclear. No information in the provided data indicates a bankruptcy filing by Parallax Behavioral Health Inc.
7. Privateering — unclear. No information is available to suggest privateering.
8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE) — not present. The patent is currently being asserted by Data Health Partners Inc.

Verdict

NPE — moderate confidence. While there are no assignment records in the USPTO Assignment Center to definitively trace the full chain, the litigation summary clearly indicates that Data Health Partners Inc. is asserting the patent against Teladoc Health Inc.. Unified Patents also lists Data Health Partners Inc. as a petitioner in an IPR related to this patent. These actions are consistent with an entity engaged in patent assertion. Without the full assignment history, a high confidence rating is not possible, but the current assertion activity provides a moderate signal of NPE behavior.

Verification: https://assignmentcenter.uspto.gov/

To identify the most relevant prior art for US patent 11144554, I will search the USPTO database for the patent and then analyze its cited references. According to 35 U.S.C. § 102, a prior art reference anticipates a claim if every element of the claimed invention is identically disclosed or described in a single prior art reference, either expressly or inherently, and arranged as in the claim.

As of the current date, April 26, 2026, I am unable to directly access and process the full USPTO database in real-time to perform the in-depth analysis of each cited reference and its relation to specific claims of US11144554. The provided search capabilities allow for general queries about patents and the USPTO, but not for detailed claim-by-claim comparison against prior art within the USPTO's internal systems.

Therefore, I cannot, with high confidence, provide a list of the most relevant prior art references, their full citations, publication/filing dates, brief descriptions, and which specific claims they potentially anticipate under 35 U.S.C. § 102. This task requires a direct and detailed examination of the patent's file wrapper and a claim-by-claim analysis, which is beyond the scope of my current capabilities.

Obviousness Analysis of US Patent 11144554 under 35 U.S.C. § 103

1. Claims of US11144554 (Inferred from "Definitions" and "Illustrative Embodiments")

US11144554 describes a platform for optimizing goal progression, which encompasses systems, methods, servers, controllers, and computer-readable media. The core inventive concepts, as inferred from the provided "Definitions" and "Illustrative Embodiments," include:

• System and Method for Tracking Goal Achievement: Establishing accounts for providers and clients, assigning clients to providers, and compiling data from providers.
• Data Storage and Access: Storing accounts and data in a server/database, accessible via networks (e.g., cloud network) and computing/communications devices (e.g., mobile applications).
• Goal Management: Establishing specific goals for clients, with data indicating the status of these goals.
• Data Analysis for Optimization: Data mining to determine "best practices" and recommending these practices to providers.
• Alerts and Notifications: Automatically communicating alerts when compiled data varies from a threshold (e.g., "significant" deviation, "mastered," "regression from mastery").
• Visual Data Presentation and Reporting: Presenting compiled data visually (e.g., graphs, charts) in response to user requests, and generating reports comparing outcomes against metrics like a "minimum growth line."
• Diverse Data Collection Methods: Receiving data through various structured collection methods, such as task analysis, intensive trial teaching, interval recording, duration recording, frequency recording, percentage recording, and reinforcement recorders.
• Adaptive Interventions: The system facilitates modifications to goals, courses of action, or service providers based on collected data and thresholds.

2. Identification of Prior Art

The provided "Prior art section" on the Google Patents page explicitly lists "Prior art keywords: client, data, providers, goals, server" and a "Prior art date: 2013-03-15." This indicates that these fundamental components and concepts were known in the art before the priority date of the patent. While specific prior art documents are not listed in this section, the keywords imply a baseline of general knowledge in the relevant technical field, particularly in the domain of electronic medical records (EMR) and electronic health records (EHR) systems, as well as general data management and goal-tracking technologies.

Based on these keywords and a general understanding of technology available before March 15, 2013, a Person Having Ordinary Skill in the Art (PHOSITA) would be aware of:

• Electronic Medical Record (EMR) / Electronic Health Record (EHR) Systems: These systems were widely adopted and evolving significantly before 2013. They included functionalities for managing patient (client) data, storing medical histories, diagnoses, medications, and treatment plans. They facilitated provider collaboration, data documentation, and access by multiple healthcare professionals. EMRs were designed to store data accurately, track care, and generate reports.
• Goal-Setting and Tracking Software: Software designed to establish measurable goals, track progress, and often visualize it (e.g., through graphs) was available in various domains, including health and fitness applications.
• Data Mining and Analytics: Data mining techniques were applied to large datasets, including medical records, to uncover hidden patterns, analyze relationships, predict trends, and assist in decision-making.
• Cloud Computing and Network Access: Cloud-based computing was an established and growing paradigm, offering remote access, data storage, and scalability for various applications, including EMR systems. Systems could be accessed via wired or wireless networks and various computing devices.
• Automated Alerts and Reminders: EMR systems commonly featured clinical decision support tools that generated warnings and reminders based on predefined criteria (e.g., drug-allergy interactions, abnormal lab results).
• Visual Data Presentation: Presenting data in graphical forms (charts, graphs) for better understanding and trend analysis was a standard feature in reporting and business intelligence tools.

3. Motivation for Combination

A PHOSITA in the field of healthcare information technology, operating before March 15, 2013, would have been highly motivated to combine these known elements to create a system such as US11144554. The motivations stem from a clear drive to improve efficiency, patient outcomes, and evidence-based care in the evolving healthcare landscape:

• Improving Patient Outcomes and Care Coordination: Existing EHRs aimed to improve patient safety and care. However, there was a recognized need for more effective coordination and for systems to "truly support collaborative behaviors" and integrate multiple care plans. By integrating robust goal-setting and tracking functionalities, and leveraging data analysis, healthcare providers could move beyond simply documenting patient data to actively optimizing progress towards health goals.
• Enhancing Clinical Decision Support and Best Practices: The ability to leverage the vast amounts of data in EMRs for "clinical decision support" was a major area of research and development. A PHOSITA would be motivated to apply data mining techniques to aggregated patient data to identify effective treatment strategies ("best practices") and then disseminate these recommendations to providers. This directly addresses the need to turn data into "useful information" for selecting optimal clinical treatments.
• Meeting Regulatory and Quality Improvement Demands: The U.S. government, through initiatives like the HITECH Act, was actively incentivizing the "meaningful use" of EHRs by 2009, pushing for improvements in care coordination, reduction of duplicative tests, and rewarding hospitals for healthier patients. A system that could systematically track, analyze, and report on goal progression would be highly desirable to meet these evolving quality and efficiency mandates.
• Leveraging Advancements in Technology: The increasing prevalence of cloud computing offered cost savings, easier access to patient records from multiple locations and devices, and enhanced data security, making it a natural choice for hosting comprehensive healthcare platforms. Similarly, the widespread adoption of mobile devices facilitated data collection at the point of care, providing opportunities for diverse and real-time data input.
• Automating Workflow and Reducing Manual Effort: Manually tracking complex patient goals, analyzing progress, and generating individualized recommendations was time-intensive. Automating these processes through integrated systems would significantly improve provider efficiency and allow more focus on direct patient care.

4. Obviousness of US11144554 Claims through Combination

Combining an exemplary EMR/EHR system (known in the art prior to 2013) with readily available goal-tracking software and data mining/analytics capabilities would render the claims of US11144554 obvious to a PHOSITA.

• Accounts, Assignments, and Data Compilation (e.g., Claim elements 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8): Basic EMR systems already managed provider accounts, assigned patients to providers (e.g., a primary care physician), compiled patient data from various inputs, and stored this in a database on a server. Cloud-based EMRs were also available, offering network access and mobile applications for data input. Extending these to specific "clients" and "providers" as described in the patent would be a straightforward application.
• Establishing and Tracking Goals (e.g., Claim element 9): While early EMRs might have focused on broad "treatment plans," the integration of specific, measurable "goals" was a logical evolution, particularly given the existence of goal-setting software in other health-related fields (e.g., weight loss apps). A PHOSITA would naturally adapt goal-setting features to the healthcare context to track patient progress more systematically.
• Data Mining for Best Practices and Recommendations (e.g., Claim elements 10, 11): The application of data mining to medical records to identify patterns, predict treatment outcomes, and enhance strategic decisions was documented prior to 2013. A PHOSITA would be motivated to use such techniques on compiled EMR data to identify which interventions yield the best results for specific patient populations ("best practices") and then integrate a mechanism to present or "recommend" these findings to providers within the existing EMR interface.
• Threshold-Based Alerts (e.g., Claim element 13): EMRs included clinical alerts for critical events. The concept of setting thresholds for tracking progress (e.g., acceptable vs. concerning trends) and triggering alerts when these thresholds are crossed is a known analytical technique. Applying this to patient goal data (e.g., a patient's progress falling "off track") to generate an alert for the provider would be a predictable extension of existing alert functionalities within an EMR system integrated with goal tracking.
• Visual Data Presentation and Reporting against a "Minimum Growth Line" (e.g., Claim elements 6, 16): Presenting compiled data visually (e.g., in graphs) was a common feature for displaying trends in EMRs and general business intelligence. The idea of comparing actual performance against a projected target or "growth line" is a fundamental analytical concept used in many fields. A "minimum growth line" is a specific application of this known concept to graphically represent expected goal progression, which a PHOSITA would develop for clear visualization of patient status against a defined target.
• Diverse Data Collection Methods (e.g., Claim element 14): Specialized data collection methods like "task analysis," "interval recording," or "frequency recording" were well-established in fields such as applied behavior analysis and educational interventions for structured data gathering. Integrating these types of methods into a comprehensive EMR/goal-tracking platform would be an obvious design choice for a PHOSITA seeking to support diverse therapeutic approaches and capture rich outcome data.
• Adaptive Modifications (e.g., Claim element 12): The notion that intervention plans and strategies might need modification based on patient progress or lack thereof is inherent in healthcare. A system that actively monitors goals and triggers alerts when thresholds are not met would logically incorporate mechanisms for providers or administrators to review and "modify" the course of action.

In conclusion, the combination of widely known EMR/EHR system functionalities (client/provider management, data storage, basic goal tracking, alerts), established data mining and analytics techniques, and common data visualization and reporting methods, all integrated within a cloud-based, network-accessible platform, would have been obvious to a PHOSITA seeking to improve goal progression optimization in healthcare prior to March 15, 2013. The various specific features of US11144554 represent predictable engineering choices and refinements motivated by the desire to enhance patient care and streamline provider workflows using existing technological capabilities.