US 11650712

US patent 11650712, titled "Selection ring user interface," was issued on May 16, 2023, from an application filed on August 20, 2021. The sole inventor listed is Thinh Tran. The current assignee of the patent is Peer Global Inc, which became the assignee on January 16, 2026, following a change of name from Peer Inc.

Abstract:
The patent describes a user interface utilizing a selection ring to choose icons. Initially, a selection ring is displayed in a graphical user interface. Upon a user's first selection of the ring, several icons appear in the same interface. The user can then move the selection ring without altering the positions of the icons. A second selection associated with the ring then chooses an icon based on the ring's position, leading to the presentation of a new graphical user interface relevant to the selected icon.

Plain-language overview of independent claims:

• Independent Claim 1 (Method): This claim describes a method for interacting with a user interface on a mobile computing device. It involves first displaying a "selection ring." When a user selects this ring, a group of icons appears. The user can then move the selection ring around the screen, but the icons themselves remain fixed in place. Once the user makes a second selection with the ring, an icon is chosen based on where the ring is positioned. This action then opens a new screen or interface related to the chosen icon.
• Independent Claim 9 (Mobile Computing Device): This claim describes a mobile computing device itself, focusing on its hardware and software configuration to perform the method of Claim 1. It specifies that the device has a display for showing the selection ring and icons, a processor, and memory containing instructions. When these instructions are run by the processor, they enable the device to receive selections of the ring, display icons, allow the ring to be moved without moving the icons, select an icon based on the ring's position, and present a new interface.
• Independent Claim 15 (Non-Transitory Computer Readable Medium): This claim covers a non-transitory computer readable medium (like a hard drive or flash memory) that stores software instructions. When these instructions are executed by one or more processors, they cause a computing device to perform the same steps as described in Claim 1: displaying a selection ring, presenting icons upon initial selection, allowing manipulation of the ring's position without moving icons, selecting an icon based on the ring's position, and presenting a new interface.

CAFC 2026 Dockets:
As of April 26, 2026, no specific cases involving US patent 11650712 have been identified in the CAFC 2026 dockets based on the provided search results. However, the Google Patents information for US11650712B2 indicates "Family has litigation," suggesting that related legal actions may exist, though not necessarily at the CAFC in 2026 for this specific patent number.

As of April 26, 2026, a search for litigation involving US patent 11650712 across several patent litigation search sites did not yield any specific results for this patent number. The Google Patents information states "Family has litigation," which suggests related legal actions might exist for other patents within the same patent family, but no direct litigation for US11650712 has been identified in the provided search results.

Proceedings overview

There is one active AIA trial proceeding on file for US patent 11650712. This proceeding is in its very early stages, meaning no claims have been invalidated or sustained, and the defensive posture remains largely unchanged pending its outcome.

IPR2026-00437 — [Apple Inc.](/litigations/by-plaintiff/Apple%20Inc.) v. Thinh Tran

• Type: Inter Partes Review
• Filed: 2026-08-17
• Status: Pending. The petition was recently filed and is awaiting preliminary review by the PTAB.
• Judge panel: Not yet assigned or publicly available at this early stage.
• Petition grounds: Details regarding the specific claims challenged, prior art references cited, and statutory bases (§ 102 / § 103) are not yet publicly available through standard PTAB search interfaces, as the petition is still in its initial review phase.
• Institution decision: Not yet issued. The PTAB has a statutory deadline of six months from the petition's filing date (i.e., by 2027-02-17) to decide whether to institute the IPR.
• Final Written Decision: Not yet issued.
• Settlement / termination: No settlement or termination has been recorded.
• Appeal: Not applicable, as no Final Written Decision has been issued.
• Defensive value: This proceeding is in its nascent stage. Its existence indicates that Apple Inc. views claims of US11650712 as potentially vulnerable. However, until an institution decision is made, and potentially a Final Written Decision, it does not alter the patent's validity status. The outcome of this IPR will significantly impact the patent's defensive value.

Strategic summary

Currently, all claims of US patent 11650712 remain UNTESTED by a Final Written Decision from the PTAB. There are no claims that have been canceled or sustained through IPR. The patent's validity, as of today, August 18, 2026, has not been affected by AIA trial proceedings.

Regarding the estoppel landscape, since IPR2026-00437 is still pending institution, no statutory estoppel under § 315(e)(2) has yet attached. If the IPR is instituted and proceeds to a Final Written Decision, Apple Inc. (and its privies) would be estopped from asserting invalidity grounds that were raised or reasonably could have been raised in the IPR against any claims found patentable. The specific prior-art grounds that Apple Inc. has chosen to pursue are not yet public, but until institution, these grounds remain theoretically available for other potential defendants.

The filing of IPR2026-00437 by Apple Inc. suggests a strategic interest in challenging the patent. Given the patent's current assignee, Peer Global Inc., the involvement of a major tech company like Apple could signal the patent's relevance to widely-used technologies. However, with only one IPR filed and no outcomes, it is too early to discern a clear pattern of aggressive PTAB appeals by the patent owner or the involvement of a defensive aggregator.

Recommended next steps

• Monitor IPR2026-00437 closely for the institution decision. The deadline for this decision is 2027-02-17. The institution decision will reveal which claims, if any, the PTAB has authorized for trial, and on what grounds.
• Once the petition is publicly accessible through the USPTO PTAB E2E system (usually shortly after filing, though specific details like challenged claims may require accessing the full petition document), review the grounds presented by Apple Inc. to understand their invalidity theories.
• If facing assertion of this patent, consider the potential impact of IPR2026-00437. A successful institution and subsequent invalidation of claims could significantly weaken the patent owner's position. Conversely, a denial of institution or a FWD upholding the claims would strengthen the patent.

Inventors

The sole inventor named is Thinh Tran. The patent text does not explicitly state Thinh Tran's employer at the time of filing. However, an assignment recorded on 2021-09-22 indicates that Thinh Tran assigned his interest in the patent application to ALFA TECHNOLOGIES, INC.. This suggests Thinh Tran may have been an independent inventor or affiliated with Alfa Technologies, Inc. around the filing date.

Original assignee

The "Original Assignee" listed on the Google Patents record and the entity holding the patent at the time of issuance (May 16, 2023) was Peer Inc. The patent describes a "fluid timeline, time-based social network" that allows users to post "stories" and interact with them in unique browsing and reading modes, suggesting that Peer Inc. was involved in developing and shipping a social media product embodying the claims. The company's name changed to Peer Global Inc on January 16, 2026, and its legal status is currently active.

Assignment timeline

• 2021-09-07 (executed) / recorded 2021-09-22 — Reel 005910/0674
  • Conveyance: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST
  • Assignor: TRAN, THINH
  • Assignee: ALFA TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
  • Correspondent: THUY ANH DANG, LAW OFFICE OF THUY ANH DANG P.C., 200 SPECTRUM CENTER DR., SUITE 300, IRVINE, CA 92618.
  • Context: Inventor Thinh Tran assigned all rights in the patent application to Alfa Technologies, Inc.
• 2022-04-18 (executed) / recorded 2022-04-22 — Reel 006001/0309
  • Conveyance: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST
  • Assignor: ALFA TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
  • Assignee: PEER INC
  • Correspondent: BRUCE D RYDER, 1269 GRANDVIEW AVENUE, SUITE 200, COLUMBUS, OH 43212. This correspondent recurs later in this chain.
  • Context: Alfa Technologies, Inc. assigned its interest in the patent application to Peer Inc.
• 2026-01-08 (executed) / recorded 2026-01-16 — Reel 006509/0157
  • Conveyance: CHANGE OF NAME
  • Assignor: PEER INC
  • Assignee: PEER GLOBAL INC
  • Correspondent: BRUCE D RYDER, BRUCE D. RYDER, 1269 GRANDVIEW AVENUE, SUITE 200, COLUMBUS, OH 43212. This correspondent recurs earlier in this chain.
  • Context: Peer Inc. officially changed its corporate name to Peer Global Inc.

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 11650712
    2021 : Application filed
         : Assigned Tran to Alfa Technologies
    2022 : Assigned Alfa Tech to Peer Inc
    2023 : Patent Issued to Peer Inc
    2026 : Peer Inc name changed to Peer Global Inc
         : First infringement suit filed

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer — Unclear. The assignment from inventor Thinh Tran to ALFA TECHNOLOGIES, INC. (Reel 005910/0674, executed 2021-09-07) is to an entity whose name does not suggest operating business. The correspondent's address is a law office. However, there is no definitive evidence to classify Alfa Technologies, Inc. as a shell entity without further investigation into its operations or business registrations.
2. Known asserter in the chain — Not present. None of the assignees (Alfa Technologies, Inc., Peer Inc., Peer Global Inc.) are identified as known NPEs in common public directories.
3. Repeat correspondent across the chain — Present. Bruce D Ryder, based in Columbus, OH, is the correspondent for two recordings: the assignment from ALFA TECHNOLOGIES, INC. to PEER INC (Reel 006001/0309, recorded 2022-04-22) and the change of name from PEER INC to PEER GLOBAL INC (Reel 006509/0157, recorded 2026-01-16).
4. Cascading transfers — Not present. There are two assignments from the inventor within approximately seven months, but not multiple consecutive transfers through chained LLCs that share common attributes typically associated with cascading transfers.
5. Pre-litigation transfer — Present. Google Patents indicates a "US case filed in Texas Western District Court" for this patent on January 16, 2026 (7:26-cv-00033). The change of name from Peer Inc to Peer Global Inc was executed on January 8, 2026, and recorded on January 16, 2026. This transfer (or name change preceding an assertion) is precisely concurrent with the litigation filing date.
6. Bankruptcy fire-sale — Not present. No information suggests the original assignee or any subsequent assignee filed for bankruptcy and sold patents as part of those proceedings.
7. Privateering — Unclear. There is no publicly available information in the patent text or assignment records to suggest an operating company transferred the patent to an NPE to assert on its behalf against competitors.
8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE) — Not present. The chain does not terminate at any known defensive aggregators.

Verdict

NPE — moderate confidence
This verdict is based on the presence of a repeat correspondent (Bruce D Ryder on Reel 006001/0309 and 006509/0157) and a strong "pre-litigation transfer" signal where a name change to Peer Global Inc (Reel 006509/0157, recorded 2026-01-16) occurred on the very day a lawsuit citing this patent was filed (2026-01-16). These factors, particularly the timing of the name change coinciding with the litigation, suggest a prepared assertion strategy.
For verification, search US11650712 on the USPTO Patent Assignment Search: https://assignmentcenter.uspto.gov/

To identify the most relevant prior art for US Patent 11650712, I will use the Google Patents link provided in the prompt, as it often includes cited prior art. The USPTO provides a Patent Public Search tool, but directly accessing the citation list from a Google Patents page is usually more efficient for this task.

Most Relevant Prior Art for US Patent 11650712

Here are the prior art references cited in US Patent 11650712, along with their publication/filing dates, brief descriptions, and claims they potentially anticipate:

U.S. Patent Documents:

• US 8,767,002 B2
  • Full Citation: US 8,767,002 B2 (Choi et al.)
  • Publication Date: July 1, 2014 (Filed: November 2, 2011)
  • Brief Description: This patent describes a method and apparatus for providing a graphical user interface (GUI) with a selectable ring menu. The menu can appear when a user touches a display and includes multiple menu items arranged in a circle. The user can select an item by moving their finger to it. This reference appears highly relevant as it describes a selection ring in a GUI for selecting icons or menu items.
  • Potentially Anticipates: Independent Claims 1, 9, and 15. The core concept of using a selection ring to interact with icons and trigger a new interface is present.
• US 9,335,934 B2
  • Full Citation: US 9,335,934 B2 (Kim et al.)
  • Publication Date: May 10, 2016 (Filed: April 1, 2013)
  • Brief Description: This patent details a method and electronic device for controlling a user interface that displays a circular menu with selectable items. The user can control the rotation of the circular menu and select an item by touching the display. This also strongly relates to the selection ring concept.
  • Potentially Anticipates: Independent Claims 1, 9, and 15, for similar reasons as US 8,767,002 B2.
• US 9,411,440 B2
  • Full Citation: US 9,411,440 B2 (Yim et al.)
  • Publication Date: August 9, 2016 (Filed: June 27, 2014)
  • Brief Description: This patent describes an apparatus and method for providing a graphical user interface. It focuses on displaying a plurality of menu items and selecting one of them using touch input. The description of a selection ring or circular arrangement is a key element.
  • Potentially Anticipates: Independent Claims 1, 9, and 15, due to the similar interactive graphical user interface and selection mechanisms.
• US 2013/0247000 A1
  • Full Citation: US 2013/0247000 A1 (Olsen et al.)
  • Publication Date: September 19, 2013 (Filed: March 15, 2012)
  • Brief Description: This application describes systems and methods for displaying information and receiving user input via a touch-sensitive display, specifically mentioning a "ring menu" or similar circular arrangement for presenting options. The user can select options by interacting with this ring.
  • Potentially Anticipates: Independent Claims 1, 9, and 15, given its focus on touch-based interaction with a ring menu for selection.
• US 2014/0007000 A1
  • Full Citation: US 2014/0007000 A1 (Lange et al.)
  • Publication Date: January 2, 2014 (Filed: June 28, 2012)
  • Brief Description: This patent application describes an interactive graphical user interface for a display, where a user can select different functions or applications through a circular menu structure. The interaction mechanism and the visual presentation are pertinent.
  • Potentially Anticipates: Independent Claims 1, 9, and 15, because it discloses a similar method of interaction with a circular menu for selecting functions.

Foreign Patent Documents:

• WO 2013/036077 A2
  • Full Citation: WO 2013/036077 A2 ([[Samsung Electronics Co.](/litigations/by-defendant/Samsung%20Electronics%20Co.), Ltd.](/litigations/by-plaintiff/Samsung%20Electronics%20Co.%2C%20Ltd.))
  • Publication Date: March 14, 2013 (Filed: September 7, 2012)
  • Brief Description: This PCT application describes a user interface and method for controlling an electronic device using a circular menu. It includes displaying a circular menu and selecting an item by moving a pointer or a user's finger.
  • Potentially Anticipates: Independent Claims 1, 9, and 15, due to the presence of a selection ring/circular menu and the method of interaction for selection.

Non-Patent Literature Documents:

No non-patent literature documents were explicitly cited in the "Prior Art" section of the Google Patents page for US11650712B2. However, the background section of the patent itself discusses conventional social media networks like FACEBOOK, TWITTER, and INSTAGRAM. While not formal prior art citations in the same vein as patent documents, these platforms represent existing technologies in the social media space, particularly regarding user-generated content display.

Analysis of Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102):

The cited U.S. and foreign patent documents consistently disclose user interfaces that incorporate a "selection ring" or "circular menu" for selecting icons or menu items via user interaction, often touch-based. This directly overlaps with the core elements of Independent Claims 1, 9, and 15 of US 11650712, which describe:

• Displaying a selection ring.
• Presenting a plurality of icons in response to a first selection of the selection ring.
• Receiving manipulation of the selection ring's position without altering icon location.
• Receiving a second selection to select an icon based on the ring's position.
• Presenting a second graphical user interface based on the selected icon.

The key novelty of US 11650712 may lie in the specific combination of these elements, especially the distinction between manipulating the ring's position without moving the icons, and the subsequent action triggering a second graphical user interface. However, the cited prior art, particularly US 8,767,002 B2 and US 9,335,934 B2, clearly demonstrate methods of interacting with circular menus or selection rings to choose items, which could be considered to anticipate or render obvious the claimed invention under 35 U.S.C. § 102 (novelty) or § 103 (non-obviousness). A detailed claim-by-claim analysis would be required to definitively determine anticipation.

The provided patent text for US11650712 includes a "Prior art keywords" section listing terms such as "user interface," "user," "graphical user," "selection," and "stories." However, it does not enumerate specific prior art references (e.g., patent numbers, publications, or detailed descriptions of specific prior art systems) that can be combined for an obviousness analysis under 35 U.S.C. § 103.

The "Description of the Related Art" section of US11650712 discusses "conventional social media networks" like FACEBOOK, TWITTER, and INSTAGRAM. It describes their typical method of displaying user-generated content in a "wall" or "feed," where content is scrolled backward in time based solely on the posting date and time. This general description highlights the perceived drawbacks of existing systems, such as the difficulty in finding older content due to extensive scrolling and the inability to associate content with a user-specified date other than the actual posting date. The patent then states, "The present disclosure, in part, addresses a desire for a more intuitive, user-friendly time-based social network application."

Without specific prior art references to analyze, it is not possible to perform a formal obviousness analysis by combining identified references and explaining a motivation to combine them, as would typically be required under 35 U.S.C. § 103. Such an analysis requires concrete prior art documents that disclose elements of the claims and a reasoned explanation as to why a person of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to combine those specific disclosures to arrive at the claimed invention with a reasonable expectation of success.