US 12131357

Here is a concise summary of US patent 12131357, based on the provided authoritative patent text:

Title: Mobile device streaming media application

Assignee:

• Current Assignee: Weple IP Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: Weple IP Holdings LLC

Inventors: Mary Anne Fletcher

Filing Date: 2024-01-25

Issue Date: 2024-10-29 (This is the publication date for the granted patent, which serves as the issue date).

Abstract: A system and process for coordinating streaming content or messages is provided. A network-connected server maintains a database containing media content-related data, such as the text of a message, accompanying media, time of airing, payment, and related comments. A user can view these feeds or streams of these consciousness messages by downloading a mobile application or browsing to a website. The application can also be used to create, schedule, and pay for a media content message.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims:

• Claim 1 (Method): This claim describes a method where one or more servers receive multiple media messages from mobile applications on mobile devices and store them. The servers then provide two different feeds of these messages to a mobile application. While presenting a media message in the first feed, the mobile application also displays prompts for comments, sharing, and bookmarking. Interacting with these prompts allows users to associate comments, generate a shareable link to the message, or bookmark the message. The mobile application can switch between displaying the first and second feeds based on user interaction.

• Claim 8 (Method): This claim outlines a method similar to Claim 1, but with an additional initial step: generating the media messages at the mobile applications, where each message includes an image or video captured by the mobile device's camera. The subsequent steps of receiving, storing, and providing the first and second feeds, along with the interactive prompts (comment, sharing, bookmark), are consistent with Claim 1.

• Claim 14 (System): This claim describes a system, including one or more servers with memory, machine-readable instructions, and processors. These processors are configured to perform operations similar to the method of Claim 1: receiving and storing media messages from mobile applications, providing a first feed with comment, sharing, and bookmark prompts, and providing a second feed that differs from the first, with the mobile application able to switch between them based on user interaction.

• Claim 21 (System): This claim describes a system that includes both the mobile applications and the servers. The mobile applications are configured to create media messages, including images or videos captured by their cameras. The servers are configured to perform operations similar to Claim 8: receiving and storing these messages, providing two distinct feeds (first and second), and enabling interactive prompts (comment, sharing, bookmark) within the mobile application when presenting a media message from the first feed, with the ability to switch between feeds.

Litigation Information:
The patent status is listed as "Active". The Google Patents page for US12131357B2 indicates that the "Family has litigation", with specific links provided to Darts-ip and Unified Patents. As of the current date, May 26, 2026, a US case was filed in the Washington Western District Court, and a PTAB case IPR2026-00081 was filed (Not Instituted - Procedural).

Here is the known litigation involving US patent 12131357:

Case Name: Weple IP Holdings LLC v. [Meta Platforms Inc.](/litigations/by-plaintiff/Meta%20Platforms%20Inc.)

• Plaintiff(s): Weple IP Holdings LLC
• Defendant(s): Meta Platforms Inc.
• Jurisdiction: U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington
• Case Number: 2:24-cv-01316
• Filing Date: August 2024
• Outcome/Current Status: Dismissed with prejudice on January 9, 2026. This resulted in a complete defense victory for Meta Platforms, permanently barring Weple IP Holdings from re-asserting these specific claims against Meta.

Proceedings overview

There is one AIA trial proceeding on file for US patent 12131357. This proceeding resulted in an institution denial, meaning no claims were invalidated or sustained on the merits. The patent's claims remain untested by PTAB.

IPR2026-00081 — Meta Platforms, LLC v. Weple IP Holdings LLC

• Type: Inter Partes Review
• Filed: 2025-10-31
• Status: Discretionary Denial. The petition was not instituted into trial based on the Board's discretion.
• Judge panel: Not publicly available from the provided data.
• Petition grounds: Not publicly available from the provided data on the status of "Discretionary Denial".
• Institution decision: Denied (Discretionary Denial) on 2026-04-06. The PTAB declined to institute the IPR based on a procedural ground, without reaching the merits of the patentability challenges.
• Final Written Decision (if issued): Not applicable. A Final Written Decision was not issued because institution was denied.
• Settlement / termination: Not applicable. The proceeding terminated at the institution phase.
• Appeal: Not applicable. There was no Final Written Decision to appeal.
• Defensive value: This IPR does not impact the patentability of any claims of US12131357 on the merits. A future defendant could potentially file a new IPR on the same claims and prior art if the basis for the discretionary denial is overcome, or on different claims or prior art.

Strategic summary

All claims of US12131357 remain untested on their merits by the PTAB. The single IPR filed, IPR2026-00081, was denied institution on discretionary grounds, meaning the Board did not consider the patentability challenges presented by Meta Platforms, LLC. Therefore, there are no canceled or sustained claims from PTAB proceedings.

The estoppel landscape under § 315(e)(2) for this patent is currently unformed, as no IPR went to a Final Written Decision. This means that future petitioners are not estopped from raising prior art grounds that could have been raised in IPR2026-00081, assuming they are not in privity with Meta Platforms, LLC, and that any discretionary denial grounds are addressed or avoided. There are no clear pattern signals from this single, non-instituted proceeding, other than that the patent owner, Weple IP Holdings LLC, has not yet had its claims challenged on the merits at the PTAB.

Recommended next steps

If facing assertion of this patent, it is important to understand the specific reasoning behind the discretionary denial in IPR2026-00081. This information would be contained in the institution decision, which can be accessed through the USPTO PTAB E2E system for IPR2026-00081. Understanding the denial reason is crucial for evaluating whether a new IPR could successfully proceed against the patent. The patent owner, Weple IP Holdings LLC, has successfully fended off one IPR petition without a merits decision.

PTAB proceedings on file

Proceedings overview

There is one AIA trial proceeding on file for US patent 12131357. This proceeding, IPR2026-00081, resulted in an institution denial based on procedural grounds, meaning no claims were invalidated or sustained on the merits by the PTAB. The patent's claims remain untested by PTAB.

IPR2026-00081 — Meta Platforms, LLC v. Weple IP Holdings LLC

• Type: Inter Partes Review
• Filed: 2025-10-31
• Status: Discretionary Denial (Not Instituted - Procedural). The petition was not instituted into trial based on the Board's discretion, citing procedural grounds.
• Judge panel: The specific judge panel for this discretionary denial is not publicly available in the provided information.
• Petition grounds: The detailed petition grounds, including specific claims, prior art, and statutory bases (§ 102 / § 103 / § 112), are not publicly available due to the discretionary denial at the institution stage.
• Institution decision: Denied (Discretionary Denial) on 2026-04-06. The PTAB declined to institute the IPR based on a procedural ground, without reaching the merits of the patentability challenges.
• Final Written Decision (if issued): Not applicable. A Final Written Decision was not issued because institution was denied.
• Settlement / termination: The proceeding terminated at the institution phase due to the discretionary denial.
• Appeal: Not applicable. There was no Final Written Decision to appeal.
• Defensive value: This IPR does not impact the patentability of any claims of US12131357 on the merits. A future defendant could potentially file a new IPR on the same claims and prior art if the basis for the discretionary denial is overcome, or on different claims or prior art.

Strategic summary

All claims of US12131357 remain untested on their merits by the PTAB. The single IPR filed, IPR2026-00081, was denied institution on discretionary grounds, meaning the Board did not consider the patentability challenges presented by Meta Platforms, LLC. Therefore, there are no canceled or sustained claims from PTAB proceedings.

The estoppel landscape under § 315(e)(2) for this patent is currently unformed, as no IPR went to a Final Written Decision. This means that future petitioners are not estopped from raising prior art grounds that could have been raised in IPR2026-00081, assuming they are not in privity with Meta Platforms, LLC, and that any discretionary denial grounds are addressed or avoided. It is worth noting that US12131357B2 was one of six patents asserted by Weple IP Holdings LLC against Meta Platforms Inc. in a district court case (2:24-cv-01316-JLR in W.D. Wash), which was dismissed with prejudice on January 9, 2026, marking a complete defense victory for Meta Platforms. This suggests that Meta Platforms may have been a defendant in related litigation, which could have been a factor in the IPR filing.

Recommended next steps

If facing assertion of this patent, it is crucial to understand the specific reasoning behind the discretionary denial in IPR2026-00081. This information would be contained in the institution decision, which can be accessed through the USPTO PTAB E2E system for IPR2026-00081. Understanding the denial reason is paramount for evaluating whether a new IPR could successfully proceed against the patent. The patent owner, Weple IP Holdings LLC, has successfully fended off one IPR petition without a merits decision. Given the related district court litigation that was dismissed with prejudice, further investigation into the grounds of that dismissal, especially regarding patent eligibility under 35 U.S.C. § 101, would also be beneficial.

Inventors

• Mary Anne Fletcher (Employer at time of filing not explicitly stated, but appears to be the original inventor who assigned rights to Weple IP Holdings LLC).

Original assignee

Weple IP Holdings LLC is named as the original assignee on the issued patent US12131357B2.
Based on available information, Weple IP Holdings LLC does not appear to ship products embodying the claims. Their primary line of business appears to be patent licensing and assertion, as evidenced by ongoing litigation associated with this patent family. Weple IP Holdings LLC is currently operating and actively asserting this patent.

Assignment timeline

• 2024-01-25 (executed) / recorded 2024-02-05 — Reel 062973/0746
  • Conveyance: ASSIGNMENT
  • Assignor: FLETCHER, MARY ANNE
  • Assignee: WEPLE IP HOLDINGS LLC
  • Correspondent: FLETCHER, MARY ANNE 5430 S. 27TH STREET, #100, KALAMAZOO, MI 49002. This is the only correspondent recorded for this patent.
  • Context: Transfer of rights from inventor to an IP holding company.

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 12131357
    2010 : Priority application filed
    2024 : Inventor assigned to Weple IP Holdings LLC
    2024 : Issued
    2024 : First infringement suit filed
    2026 : PTAB case filed

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer — present. The patent was assigned from the inventor, Mary Anne Fletcher, to Weple IP Holdings LLC. Weple IP Holdings LLC does not appear to manufacture products, and its activities, as indicated by ongoing litigation for this patent family, are consistent with a licensing or assertion entity. The "IP Holdings" suffix in the name also suggests this.
2. Known asserter in the chain — present. Weple IP Holdings LLC is actively litigating this patent, with district court cases (e.g., 2:24-cv-01316) and PTAB proceedings (IPR2026-00081) noted in the Google Patents legal events. Unified Patents also tracks their activity, indicating they are a known entity involved in patent assertions.
3. Repeat correspondent across the chain — unclear. The only recorded correspondent is Mary Anne Fletcher for Reel 062973/0746. Without additional assignment records for this patent or other patents in the chain, it's not possible to determine if this correspondent recurs across multiple links or is known for NPE work.
4. Cascading transfers — not present. There is only one recorded assignment for this patent from the inventor to Weple IP Holdings LLC.
5. Pre-litigation transfer — present. The patent application leading to US12131357 was filed on 2024-01-25. The assignment from the inventor to Weple IP Holdings LLC was executed on 2024-01-25 and recorded on 2024-02-05 (Reel 062973/0746). A US case was filed in Washington Western District Court (2:24-cv-01316) in 2024, and a PTAB case IPR2026-00081 was filed in 2026. The transfer of ownership occurred at or very near the time the application was filed, and prior to the initiation of identified litigation, indicating it was structured for future assertion.
6. Bankruptcy fire-sale — not present. No indication of bankruptcy from the original inventor or Weple IP Holdings LLC.
7. Privateering — unclear. There is no publicly available information in the patent text or Google Patents legal events (including SEC filings) to suggest that an operating company transferred this patent to Weple IP Holdings LLC to assert on its behalf.
8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE) — not present. The chain ends with Weple IP Holdings LLC, an asserting entity, not a defensive aggregator.

Verdict

NPE — high confidence

This verdict is based on multiple strong signals. The patent was transferred from the inventor to Weple IP Holdings LLC, an entity that does not appear to ship products and is actively engaged in patent assertion, as evidenced by multiple listed litigation events (district court case 2:24-cv-01316 and PTAB case IPR2026-00081). The transfer occurred effectively at the time of the patent application's filing, well in advance of the identified assertion activity.

USPTO Assignment Center record: https://assignmentcenter.uspto.gov/patent/index.html?cn=[12131357](/patent/12131357)

To identify the most relevant prior art for US patent 12131357, I will examine the "Citations" section provided in the patent text, focusing on references with a priority date before February 12, 2010 (the priority date of US12131357). I will look for patents that describe core elements of US12131357's independent claims, such as receiving/generating media messages from mobile devices, storing them on servers, providing multiple distinct feeds, presenting interactive prompts (comment, sharing, bookmark) with media messages in a feed, and switching between feeds.

Here are four highly relevant prior art references identified from the US12131357 patent's citation list:

1. US20100161635A1 (Method and apparatus for providing a mobile video blog service)

• Full Citation: US20100161635A1 to Dey, Spondon. Title: Method and apparatus for providing a mobile video blog service.
• Publication/Filing Date:
  • Priority Date: 2008-12-22
  • Publication Date: 2010-06-24
• Brief Description: This patent application describes a system and method for providing a mobile video blog service. It involves receiving video information from a mobile terminal, generating a video blog from this information, and then providing the generated video blog to one or more mobile terminals.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102):
  • Claims 1, 8, 14, 21 (Receiving/Generating Media Messages from Mobile, Storing, Providing Feeds): This reference strongly anticipates the core aspects of receiving user-generated media (specifically video) from mobile devices, storing it (implicitly, as it forms a "video blog"), and then providing it as a service/feed to other mobile terminals. The concept of a "video blog" naturally implies a feed of media messages.
  • Claims 8, 21 (Image or Video Captured by Camera): The explicit mention of "video information from a mobile terminal" directly anticipates the generation of media messages including video captured by mobile device cameras.
  • Claims 1, 8, 14, 21 (Interactive Prompts): While the abstract doesn't explicitly list "comment prompt, sharing prompt, and bookmark prompt," a "video blog service" would inherently involve functionalities like commenting and sharing as standard features of blogging platforms. The presence of such features in a video blog service could anticipate the interactive prompts.

2. US8037093B2 (Feeding updates to landing pages of users of an online social network from external sources)

• Full Citation: US8037093B2 to Facebook, Inc. Title: Feeding updates to landing pages of users of an online social network from external sources.
• Publication/Filing Date:
  • Priority Date: 2006-09-12
  • Publication Date: 2011-10-11
• Brief Description: This patent describes a system for generating feeds for users of an online social network. It involves an update management module to receive updates from external sources and a content management module to receive content directly from a user. A feed generation module then creates a feed combining these updates and content, which is presented on a user's landing page.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102):
  • Claims 1, 8, 14, 21 (Providing First/Second Feeds, Subsets of Media Messages): This patent directly anticipates the concept of generating and providing "feeds" to users, including subsets of content. The idea of combining content from different sources into a feed supports the notion of distinct feeds or customizable feeds, which is central to US12131357.
  • Claims 1, 8, 14, 21 (Receiving/Storing Media Messages): The system's ability to receive "updates" and "content" from users and external sources implies storing these media messages.
  • Claims 1, 8, 14, 21 (Interactive Prompts): As a social networking patent, the expectation of features like commenting, sharing, and potentially saving/bookmarking content within a user's feed is very high, even if not explicitly detailed in the abstract.

3. US8862762B1 (Real-time consumption of a live video stream transmitted from a mobile device)

• Full Citation: US8862762B1 to Skype. Title: Real-time consumption of a live video stream transmitted from a mobile device.
• Publication/Filing Date:
  • Priority Date: 2009-10-01
  • Publication Date: 2014-10-14
• Brief Description: This patent describes a method for a first client device to receive and display a live video stream transmitted in real-time from a second client device, which is a mobile device. The video stream is captured and transmitted from the mobile device over a communication network.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102):
  • Claims 1, 8, 14, 21 (Streaming Media Delivery): This reference strongly anticipates the technical mechanism for delivering live streaming media, specifically video, from a mobile device to another device. This is a fundamental component for implementing the "live streaming media file" delivery described in US12131357.
  • Claims 8, 21 (Image or Video Captured by Camera): The explicit mention of a live video stream being "captured and transmitted from the second client device [mobile device] in real-time" directly anticipates the generation of media messages including video captured by mobile device cameras.
  • This patent primarily focuses on the real-time transmission and consumption of a live stream and does not explicitly detail the multiple feed management or the specific interactive prompts (comment, sharing, bookmark) as a core part of its claims.

4. US20100241968A1 (Tool for embedding comments for objects in an article)

• Full Citation: US20100241968A1 to Yahoo! Inc. Title: Tool for embedding comments for objects in an article.
• Publication/Filing Date:
  • Priority Date: 2009-03-23
  • Publication Date: 2010-09-23
• Brief Description: This patent application provides a tool, method, and system for embedding comments for objects within an article. It includes an interface for receiving comments from users regarding an object, storing these comments in a database, and providing a display for presenting the comments in association with the object.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102):
  • Claims 1, 8, 14, 21 (Comment Prompt): This reference directly anticipates the functionality of presenting a "comment prompt" and enabling a comment to be associated with a displayed content item ("object"). It also covers the receiving, storing, and displaying of these comments, which are key aspects of US12131357's interactive features.
  • While this reference discusses "objects in an article" rather than streaming media in a feed, the underlying method for user commenting on presented content is directly analogous. It does not explicitly address sharing or bookmarking prompts, nor the concept of multiple distinct feeds.

Obviousness Analysis of US12131357 under 35 U.S.C. § 103

This analysis identifies combinations of prior art references that would render the independent claims of US patent 12131357 obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art (POSITA) at the time of the invention's priority date (February 12, 2010). The motivation for combining these references stems from the common desire to enhance user engagement, facilitate content sharing, and build community around user-generated streaming media on mobile platforms.

The independent claims (1, 8, 14, and 21) of US12131357 generally describe:

• Receiving and storing media messages from mobile applications at servers.
• Providing at least two distinct feeds of these media messages to a mobile application.
• Presenting a media message within a feed along with interactive prompts for commenting, sharing, and bookmarking.
• Allowing a user to switch between the different feeds.
• (For claims 8 and 21) The media messages explicitly include images or videos captured by the mobile device's camera.

Identified Prior Art Combinations and Motivation

A POSITA at the priority date would have been familiar with mobile applications, streaming media, user-generated content, social networking features, and various monetization models.

Combination 1: User-Generated Streaming Media with Social Interaction and Multiple Feeds

This combination addresses the core elements of claims 1, 8, 14, and 21, including user-generated content, streaming feeds, social interaction prompts, and multiple feeds with switching capabilities.

References:

1. US20100161635A1 (Spondon Dey): "Method and apparatus for providing a mobile video blog service".

   • Disclosure: Dey describes a service where users can create and publish video content directly from mobile communication devices, effectively establishing a "mobile video blog service." This directly addresses the creation, transmission (receiving at servers), and distribution of user-generated streaming media from mobile devices, covering elements such as mobile applications, receiving media messages, storing them on servers, and providing a feed for display (even if implicitly a single blog feed initially). For claims 8 and 21, this reference strongly supports "generating... media messages at one or more mobile applications... include an image or video captured by... one or more cameras".
   • Priority Date: 2008-12-22.

2. US8037093B2 (Facebook, Inc.): "Feeding updates to landing pages of users of an online social network from external sources".

   • Disclosure: This patent describes the fundamental concept and implementation of presenting "feeds" of updates within an online social network. This provides the context for organizing and delivering content, including user-generated media, in a dynamic stream format. The concept of different types of "updates" or content sources implies the potential for multiple feeds.
   • Priority Date: 2006-09-12.

3. US20100241968A1 (Yahoo! Inc.): "Tool for embedding comments for objects in an article".

   • Disclosure: Yahoo! teaches systems for enabling users to embed and display comments associated with various online content. This directly covers the "comment prompt" and the ability for "interaction with the comment prompt via the mobile application enables a comment to be associated with the media message".
   • Priority Date: 2009-03-23.

4. US8997006B2 (Facebook, Inc.): "Interface for sharing posts about a live online event among users of a social networking system".

   • Disclosure: This reference describes sharing mechanisms for online content within a social networking environment, which would include generating links for access. This directly covers the "sharing prompt" and that "interaction with the sharing prompt via the mobile application facilitates generation of a link configured to enable access to the media message".
   • Priority Date: 2009-12-23.

5. General Knowledge / Common Features in Social Media and Browsing:

   • Bookmarking: The inclusion of a "bookmark prompt" enabling "association with another bookmarked media message" was a widely known and implemented feature in web browsers, social media platforms, and content consumption applications (e.g., saving favorites, creating playlists) prior to 2010. It would have been a routine design choice to include such functionality in an application presenting media content.
   • Multiple Feeds and Switching: The concept of providing multiple categorized feeds (e.g., "breaking news, religion, music, or pets" as mentioned in US12131357's description) and allowing users to switch between them was standard practice in news aggregators, content portals, and even within social networks (e.g., viewing a "news feed" vs. a "profile feed"). A POSITA would readily implement different content categories as distinct feeds and provide a user interface element for switching between them.

Motivation for Combination:

A POSITA, motivated to create a comprehensive and engaging mobile media application akin to a modern social media platform, would find it obvious to combine these references:

• From Dey to a Social Feed: Dey provides the core technology for a "mobile video blog service", enabling users to generate and publish video from their phones. A POSITA would logically look to integrate this user-generated content into a more discoverable and interactive format.
• Integrating Feeds (Facebook '093): The widely adopted "feed" model, as shown in Facebook '093, was an established and effective way to present a stream of dynamic content. A POSITA would naturally apply this structure to the content generated by Dey's mobile video blog service to improve content discovery and consumption.
• Adding Social Interaction (Yahoo! '968 and Facebook '006): To increase user engagement and foster community around the shared media, a POSITA would readily incorporate interactive features that were common in other online content platforms. Yahoo! '968 demonstrates commenting functionality, and Facebook '006 shows sharing mechanisms. Adding these prompts (comment, share) to each media message in the feed would be a straightforward and obvious step to enhance user interaction and content virality.
• Enhancing Content Management (Bookmarking): Just as web browsers and media players allowed users to bookmark or save content, extending this functionality to a mobile media feed would be an obvious way to empower users to manage their preferred content, making the application more valuable.
• Diversifying Content (Multiple Feeds): To cater to diverse user interests and organize large volumes of content, a POSITA would find it obvious to implement multiple thematic feeds (e.g., for news, music, or specific topics) and provide a mechanism for users to switch between these feeds, much like tuning into different channels or categories. This would be a routine design choice for any content aggregation platform.

Therefore, the combination of a mobile video blog service (Dey), social networking feeds (Facebook '093), commenting features (Yahoo! '968), and sharing mechanisms (Facebook '006), augmented by common bookmarking functionality and the provision of multiple, switchable feeds, would have been obvious to a POSITA by the priority date. The overarching motivation would be to develop a rich, interactive, and socially integrated mobile media experience, leveraging well-known elements from existing online and mobile platforms.

US Patent 12131357, titled "Mobile device streaming media application," was filed on January 25, 2024, and issued on October 29, 2024. As a technical patent analyst, I've gathered the following details regarding its term and related applications:

Patent Term Adjustment (PTA)

Patent Term Adjustment (PTA) extends the term of a patent to compensate for delays caused by the USPTO during the patent examination process. For US12131357, the official notification of PTA calculation would have been included in the Issue Notification Letter mailed to the applicant approximately three weeks prior to the patent's issuance.

To determine the specific PTA for US12131357, one would typically review the issued patent document or access the patent's file wrapper via USPTO's Patent Center. As of the current date (April 26, 2026), I don't have access to the specific PTA amount granted to US12131357. However, the calculation of PTA is based on specific types of delays:

• A-delays: Occur when the USPTO fails to take certain actions within specific timeframes (e.g., first office action within 14 months of filing).
• B-delays: Occur when the USPTO fails to issue a patent within three years of the application filing date.
• C-delays: Involve delays due to interference, secrecy orders, or appeals.

Reductions in PTA can occur if the applicant does not respond to USPTO communications within three months or causes other delays.

Patent Term Extension (PTE)

Patent Term Extension (PTE) is a provision that allows for the extension of a patent's term for certain human drugs, food or color additives, medical devices, animal drugs, and veterinary biological products to restore time lost during premarket government approval from a regulatory agency like the FDA.

Given the title "Mobile device streaming media application" and the nature of the claims (focused on software and media delivery), US Patent 12131357 is highly unlikely to be eligible for Patent Term Extension under 35 U.S.C. § 156, as it does not appear to relate to products requiring regulatory review by agencies such as the FDA or Department of Agriculture. Only one patent can be extended for a regulatory review period for any product, and the maximum extension is five years, with the total patent life not exceeding 14 years from the date of FDA approval.

Continuation and Divisional Applications

The provided patent text states that US12131357B2 is a continuation of a series of applications, ultimately tracing back to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/304,331, filed on February 12, 2010. The chain of continuation applications is as follows:

• U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/346,318, filed Jul. 3, 2023, which is a continuation of:
• U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/705,331, filed Mar. 27, 2022, which is a continuation of:
• U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/384,911, filed Jul. 26, 2021, which is a continuation of:
• U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/812,495, filed Mar. 9, 2020, which is a continuation of:
• U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/790,953, filed Feb. 14, 2020, which is a continuation of:
• U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/157,269, filed Oct. 11, 2018, which is a continuation of:
• U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/273,335, filed Sep. 22, 2016, which is a continuation of:
• U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/041,422, filed Feb. 11, 2016, which is a continuation of:
• U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/512,353, filed Oct. 10, 2014, which is a continuation of:
• U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/967,414, filed Aug. 15, 2013, which is a continuation of:
• U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/027,191, filed Feb. 14, 2011, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/304,331, filed Feb. 12, 2010.

A continuation application must be filed before the patenting, abandonment, or termination of proceedings on the prior application, and generally claims the same invention as a prior application. Divisional applications, on the other hand, are typically filed as a result of a restriction requirement from the USPTO and are limited to divisional applications to receive "safe harbor" protection against double patenting rejections. The provided information explicitly lists this patent as a "continuation" and does not specify any "divisional" applications resulting from a restriction requirement.

Related Family Members

The patent text explicitly lists several "Family Applications" and "Family Applications Before" and "Family Applications After," all stemming from the same priority date of 2010-02-12. These include:

• US13/027,191 (US8516063B2)
• US13/967,414 (US8862678B2)
• US14/512,353 (US9294527B2)
• US15/041,422 (US9456013B2)
• US15/273,329 (US10102552B2)
• US15/273,335 (US10102553B2)
• US16/157,269 (US10565628B2)
• US16/790,953 (US10909583B2)
• US16/812,495 (US11074627B2)
• US17/384,911 (US11605112B2)
• US17/705,331 (US11734730B2)
• US18/346,318 (US12511668B2)
• US18/423,133 (US12380472B2)
• US18/423,144 (US12131356B2)
• US18/423,160 (US12112357B2)
• US18/423,193 (US11966952B1)
• US18/423,180 (US12131357B2) (This patent itself)
• US18/739,850 (US12118591B1)
• US19/403,904 (US20260087530A1 - Pending)

This extensive list of related applications, particularly the numerous continuations, is a strong indicator of a strategy to prolong patent protection and potentially broaden the scope of claims over time.

Projected Expiration Date

The statutory term for a utility patent filed on or after June 8, 1995, is generally 20 years from its earliest filing date, taking into account any benefit claims under 35 U.S.C. §§ 120, 121, or 365(c). Since US12131357B2 claims priority back to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/304,331, filed on February 12, 2010, its nominal expiration date would be 20 years from this priority date.

Therefore, the nominal expiration date is February 12, 2030.

This date can be extended by any Patent Term Adjustment (PTA) that may have been granted to compensate for USPTO delays during prosecution. Without the specific PTA calculation from the USPTO for US12131357, the exact expiration date cannot be definitively stated. However, the Google Patents page currently lists the "Anticipated expiration" as 2031-02-14, which suggests that some amount of PTA (approximately one year and two days) has been applied to the patent, extending it beyond the nominal 20-year term from its earliest priority date.