Invalidity dossier

US 8774834

System for providing location-based services in a wireless network, such as locating sets of desired locations

Current assignee: Local Interest LLC

Added 7/16/2026, 12:01:46 PM

IndustryWireless Technologies
At a glanceNo PTAB challengesNo litigation on fileWireless Technologies

Active provider: DeepSeek · deepseek-flash

Patent summary

Title, assignee, inventors, filing/issue dates, abstract, and a plain-language overview of the claims.

✓ Generated

US Patent 8774834: System for Location-Based Services

Title: System for providing location-based services in a wireless network, such as locating sets of desired locations

Current Assignee: LOCAL INTEREST, LLC [cite: https://patents.google.com/patent/[US8774834](/patent/US8774834)/en]
Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC [cite: https://patents.google.com/patent/US8774834/en]
Inventors: Brian Wilson, Jacob Feinstein, Mike Suraci, Kristian Simsarian, Duane Bray, Roshi Givechi, Rajat Paharia, Laura Weiss, Marcus Gosling [cite: https://patents.google.com/patent/US8774834/en]
Filing Date: November 30, 2012 [cite: https://patents.google.com/patent/US8774834/en]
Issue Date: July 8, 2014 [cite: https://patents.google.com/patent/US8774834/en]

Abstract:
The patent describes a system and method for delivering location-based services. It functions by receiving a request from a user's mobile device to find points of interest (POIs) close to the device's current location. These POIs are categorized, and the request includes certain user-identified categories. Utilizing the mobile device's location, the system then promptly provides a list of relevant POIs for at least some of the requested categories. [cite: https://patents.google.com/patent/US8774834/en]

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims:

US Patent 8774834 contains three independent claims: Claim 1 (a method), Claim 8 (a system), and Claim 15 (a non-transitory computer-readable medium). Each claim describes a similar core functionality.

  • Independent Claim 1 (Method for providing wireless telecommunication services):
    This claim outlines a series of steps where a system:

    1. Receives a request from a mobile device to locate points of interest nearby. This request includes a partial name (a "plurality of letters").
    2. Determines the precise location of the mobile device.
    3. Finds a point of interest (POI) whose name begins with the provided partial name.
    4. Sends the full name of this identified POI to the mobile device.
    5. Receives confirmation from the mobile device that the user has selected that POI's name.
    6. Gathers detailed information about the selected POI.
    7. Transmits this detailed POI information back to the mobile device.

  • Independent Claim 8 (Location system for providing wireless telecommunication services):
    This claim describes a physical system, including memory and a processor, configured to perform the actions detailed in Claim 1. Essentially, the system is designed to:

    1. Receive a mobile device's request for nearby points of interest, including a partial name.
    2. Determine the mobile device's location.
    3. Identify a point of interest matching the partial name near the device.
    4. Send the POI's name to the mobile device.
    5. Receive an indication of the user's selection of the POI's name.
    6. Retrieve associated data for that POI.
    7. Transmit this POI data to the mobile device.

  • Independent Claim 15 (Non-transitory computer-readable medium):
    This claim covers a computer-readable medium (like a hard drive or flash memory) that stores software instructions. When a computer executes these instructions, it carries out the same method steps described in Claim 1 and Claim 8, allowing it to:

    1. Receive a request from a mobile device to identify nearby points of interest, including a partial name.
    2. Determine the mobile device's location.
    3. Find a point of interest with a name matching the partial input.
    4. Send the POI's name to the mobile device.
    5. Receive an indication of the user's selection of the POI's name.
    6. Determine detailed data associated with that POI.
    7. Transmit this detailed POI data to the mobile device.

CAFC 2026 Dockets:
As of April 26, 2026, the patent family for US8774834B2 is involved in litigation. Specifically, a US case was filed in the Texas Eastern District Court, identified as case number 2:26-cv-00265. [cite: https://patents.google.com/patent/US8774834/en] Further details regarding parties or the specific status of this 2026 docket were not available from the provided search results.

Generated 7/16/2026, 12:02:32 PM

Cases on file (0)

Specific litigation cases in our database that name US patent 8774834. The free-form analysis below may also discuss cases beyond this list.

No cases on file mention this patent. Upload a CSV or add a case manually in Admin → Manage litigation cases.

Litigation summary

Past and pending lawsuits — plaintiffs, defendants, jurisdictions, outcomes, and notable rulings.

✓ Generated

The Google Patents page for US8774834B2 states, "Family has litigation," and lists several cases filed in the Texas Eastern District Court, along with a "First worldwide family litigation filed" by Darts-ip. The specific case numbers from Google Patents are:

Let's break down each of these and search for more details.

1. Case Number 2:26-cv-00265

  • Jurisdiction: Texas Eastern District Court [cite: https://patents.google.com/patent/US8774834/en]
  • Filing Date: The Google Patents page only specifies the litigation was filed as of April 26, 2026. [cite: https://patents.google.com/patent/US8774834/en]
  • Parties & Status: The previous analysis noted that "Further details regarding parties or the specific status of this 2026 docket were not available from the provided search results." My current search for "Unified Patents litigation 2:26-cv-00265" did not directly yield details about plaintiff(s) or defendant(s) for a patent infringement case related to US8774834. The search results for 2:26-cv-00265 show a class action lawsuit against Mazda (Case 2:26-cv-00256, Document 1, Filed 03/17/26), and another patent (US 5,930,474) mentioned with case number 2:10-cv-00265. Neither of these aligns with the patent 8774834. It's possible the Google Patents entry is a general indicator and the specific case details are not readily available or are for a different patent family member. Therefore, specific plaintiff(s), defendant(s), and current status for this case related to US8774834 cannot be definitively identified with the current information.

2. Case Number 2:25-cv-00643

  • Jurisdiction: Texas Eastern District Court (according to Google Patents) [cite: https://patents.google.com/patent/US8774834/en]
  • Filing Date: Google Patents does not provide a specific filing date, only that it's a 2025 case. [cite: https://patents.google.com/patent/US8774834/en]
  • Parties & Status: My search for "Unified Patents litigation 2:25-cv-00643" found several references to case number 2:25-cv-00643, but they consistently relate to "Axsome Malta Ltd. et al v. Hetero USA Inc. et al" in the New Jersey District Court, not Texas Eastern. This litigation appears to be about Axsome's patent 11,560,354, related to solriamfetol products. One document refers to "Case 2:25-cv-00643-MCA-LDW Document 10 Filed 02" which seems to be the complaint filing date, though the year is not fully visible, it indicates a 2025 case. There is a clear contradiction between the Google Patents link (Texas Eastern District Court for US8774834) and the search results (New Jersey District Court for Axsome's patent). Given the explicit details about the parties and patent in the search results, it indicates that the 2:25-cv-00643 listed on Google Patents for US8774834 is incorrect or refers to a different context not clearly provided. Therefore, no confirmed litigation for US8774834 with this case number.

3. Case Number 2:25-cv-00256

  • Jurisdiction: Texas Eastern District Court (according to Google Patents) [cite: https://patents.google.com/patent/US8774834/en]
  • Filing Date: Google Patents does not provide a specific filing date, only that it's a 2025 case. [cite: https://patents.google.com/patent/US8774834/en]
  • Parties & Status: My search for "Unified Patents litigation 2:25-cv-00256" yielded results for "Case 2:26-cv-00256 Document 1 Filed 03/17/26" which is a class action lawsuit against Mazda concerning brake and lane-keep assist defects, filed in Virginia, not Texas Eastern. There is also a "Texas Second Court of Appeals Decisions 2026" that mentions Docket Number: 02-25-00256-CV, "Francisco Chua Solis v. The State of Texas" with a date of June 4, 2026. Another result shows "Case 2:21-cv-00256 Document 1 Filed 03/01/21" without patent specific information. A "UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE BEFORE THE PATENT TRIAL AND APPEAL BOARD" document mentions "K.Mizra v. Cisco Systems. 6:20-cv-00256" related to "collecting geographic location data from cell phones." However, this is case 6:20-cv-00256, not 2:25-cv-00256. Similar to case 2:25-cv-00643, there's a strong contradiction where the search results for this case number do not align with patent US8774834 or the specified jurisdiction from Google Patents. Therefore, no confirmed litigation for US8774834 with this case number.

"First worldwide family litigation filed" by Darts-ip

  • The Google Patents page also mentions "First worldwide family litigation filed" with a link to Darts-ip. [cite: https://patents.google.com/patent/US8774834/en] However, without direct access to Darts-ip or a more specific case identifier from the provided information, I cannot retrieve details like plaintiff(s), defendant(s), jurisdiction, filing date, and status.

Conclusion based on current search:

While Google Patents for US8774834B2 explicitly lists litigation with specific case numbers in the Texas Eastern District Court, direct searches for these case numbers primarily point to unrelated cases, often involving different parties, patents, and even jurisdictions. This indicates a discrepancy between the high-level information provided by Google Patents and the detailed search results for those specific case numbers.

Therefore, as of April 26, 2026, based on the provided information and current search capabilities, I cannot definitively list known litigation involving US patent 8774834 with all the requested details (plaintiff(s), defendant(s), jurisdiction, case number, filing date, and outcome or current status) beyond the general mentions on Google Patents which appear to be potentially inaccurate when cross-referenced with more detailed docket information for those specific case numbers.The Google Patents page for US8774834B2 explicitly states that the "Family has litigation" and lists three US cases filed in the Texas Eastern District Court, in addition to a "First worldwide family litigation filed" by Darts-ip. [cite: https://patents.google.com/patent/US8774834/en]

However, detailed searches for the provided US case numbers did not yield consistent results directly linking them to US Patent 8774834.

Here's what is known about litigation involving US patent 8774834:

  1. Jurisdiction: Texas Eastern District Court [cite: https://patents.google.com/patent/US8774834/en]

    • Case Number: 2:26-cv-00265 [cite: https://patents.google.com/patent/US8774834/en]
    • Filing Date: The Google Patents entry indicates this case was filed as of April 26, 2026. [cite: https://patents.google.com/patent/US8774834/en]
    • Plaintiff(s): Not specified in available search results.
    • Defendant(s): Not specified in available search results.
    • Outcome or current status: "Critical" status is noted on Google Patents, but further details on the outcome or specific current status are not available from the provided information. [cite: https://patents.google.com/patent/US8774834/en]
    • Note: General searches for case number 2:26-cv-00265 provided information on other types of lawsuits (e.g., class action against Mazda) or older patent cases related to different patents, causing a discrepancy with the patent's Google Patents listing.

  2. Jurisdiction: Texas Eastern District Court [cite: https://patents.google.com/patent/US8774834/en]

    • Case Number: 2:25-cv-00643 [cite: https://patents.google.com/patent/US8774834/en]
    • Filing Date: The Google Patents entry indicates this is a 2025 case. [cite: https://patents.google.com/patent/US8774834/en]
    • Plaintiff(s): Not specified in available search results.
    • Defendant(s): Not specified in available search results.
    • Outcome or current status: Not specified in available search results.
    • Note: Direct searches for this case number primarily relate to "Axsome Malta Ltd. et al v. Hetero USA Inc. et al" in the New Jersey District Court, concerning a different patent (US 11,560,354). This indicates a contradiction with the patent's Google Patents listing for US8774834.

  3. Jurisdiction: Texas Eastern District Court [cite: https://patents.google.com/patent/US8774834/en]

    • Case Number: 2:25-cv-00256 [cite: https://patents.google.com/patent/US8774834/en]
    • Filing Date: The Google Patents entry indicates this is a 2025 case. [cite: https://patents.google.com/patent/US8774834/en]
    • Plaintiff(s): Not specified in available search results.
    • Defendant(s): Not specified in available search results.
    • Outcome or current status: Not specified in available search results.
    • Note: Searches for this case number predominantly refer to unrelated cases, such as a class action against Mazda in Virginia (2:26-cv-00256 filed 03/17/26) or a Texas Second Court of Appeals decision (02-25-00256-CV dated June 4, 2026), showing a discrepancy with the patent's Google Patents listing for US8774834.

  4. First Worldwide Family Litigation:

    • The Google Patents page for US8774834B2 indicates a "First worldwide family litigation filed" as tracked by Darts-ip. [cite: https://patents.google.com/patent/US8774834/en]
    • Plaintiff(s), Defendant(s), Jurisdiction, Filing Date, Outcome or current status: These specific details are not available from the provided search results without direct access to the Darts-ip database or a more specific case identifier.

In summary, while Google Patents indicates ongoing litigation for the family of US8774834, detailed information regarding the plaintiff(s), defendant(s), specific filing dates (beyond the year), and precise status for these cases directly tied to US8774834 is not readily available through general searches and contradicts some of the case number information provided.Known litigation involving US patent 8774834 includes several cases filed in the Texas Eastern District Court. However, direct searches for these specific case numbers often yield conflicting information regarding the parties and the patents involved.

Based on the Google Patents record for US8774834B2, the following litigation is associated with the patent family:

Due to the discrepancies found in cross-referencing the Google Patents litigation mentions with detailed search results for the specific case numbers, it is difficult to provide complete and verified information for all requested fields for these cases concerning US patent 8774834.

Generated 7/16/2026, 12:45:45 PM

Proceedings on file (0)

All PTAB activity →

AIA trial proceedings (IPR / PGR / CBM) filed at the USPTO Patent Trial and Appeal Board against this patent. Sourced from the USPTO Open Data Portal and refreshed every six hours; each proceeding number deep-links to the PTAB E2E docket.

No PTAB proceedings on file. This patent has not been challenged via IPR, PGR, or CBM. The absence is itself a signal — well-asserted patents eventually attract IPRs. The LLM analysis below may surface filings the ODP feed hasn’t indexed yet.

PTAB challenges

AIA trial proceedings at the USPTO Patent Trial and Appeal Board — IPR, PGR, and CBM. Petitioners, judge panels, claim-level invalidation outcomes from Final Written Decisions, and Federal Circuit appeals. The single most important defensive datapoint after litigation history.

✓ Generated

Proceedings overview

As of the current date, July 16, 2026, there are no AIA trial proceedings (Inter Partes Review, Post-Grant Review, or Covered Business Method) on file or identified for US Patent 8774834. This indicates that the patent has not been challenged through these specific administrative trial processes at the USPTO.

Strategic summary

Currently, all claims (1-20) of US Patent 8774834 remain UNTESTED by any AIA trial proceeding. This means no claims have been canceled or found unpatentable through IPR, PGR, or CBM.

The absence of PTAB proceedings implies that there is no estoppel landscape established under 35 U.S.C. § 315(e)(2) for this patent. Therefore, a defendant facing assertion of this patent would theoretically have all prior-art grounds available for an IPR petition, subject to statutory filing deadlines (e.g., one year from service of a complaint for IPR). There are no pattern signals, such as multiple petitions by the same entity or aggressive appeals by the patent owner, given the lack of any proceedings.

Recommended next steps

Since no PTAB activity exists for US Patent 8774834, a potential defendant should consider the following:

  1. Prior Art Search: Conduct a thorough prior art search to identify any strong invalidity contentions for claims 1-20, particularly focusing on anticipation (§ 102) and obviousness (§ 103) arguments that could form the basis of an IPR petition.
  2. Timing for IPR: If a patent infringement lawsuit is initiated, be mindful of the one-year statutory deadline from the date of service of the complaint to file an IPR petition.
  3. Evaluate Claim Scope: Analyze the claims of US8774834 in detail to understand their scope and potential vulnerabilities, especially considering the lack of prior PTAB scrutiny.
  4. Monitoring: Continue to monitor for any newly filed PTAB petitions or related litigation that might impact the patent's validity.

Generated 7/16/2026, 12:45:26 PM

Ownership chain (10)

Asserters network →

Structured records extracted from the assignment-history narrative below. Each entity links to its full ownership-network profile.

  1. ? · recorded 2012-11-30 · reel 029386/0063 · Assignment

    Brian Wilson, Jacob Feinstein, Mike Suraci, Kristian Simsarian, Duane Bray, Roshi Givechi, Rajat Paharia, Laura Weiss, Marcus GoslingAT&T Mobility II LLC

    work-made-for-hire

  2. ? · recorded 2015-05-08 · Change of Name

    AT&T Mobility II LLCAT&T Mobility II LLC

    administrative re-recordation

  3. ? · recorded 2015-06-03 · Corrective Assignment

    Brian Wilson, Jacob Feinstein, Mike Suraci, Kristian Simsarian, Duane Bray, Roshi Givechi, Rajat Paharia, Laura Weiss, Marcus GoslingAT&T Wireless Services, Inc.

    documentation cleanup

  4. ? · recorded 2015-06-03 · Change of Name

    AT&T Wireless Services, Inc.New Cingular Wireless Services, Inc.

    internal reorg

  5. ? · recorded 2015-06-03 · Assignment

    New Cingular Wireless Services, Inc.Cingular Wireless II, Inc.

    internal reorg

  6. ? · recorded 2015-06-03 · Change of Name

    Cingular Wireless II, Inc.Cingular Wireless II, Inc.

    internal reorg

  7. ? · recorded 2015-06-03 · Change of Name

    Cingular Wireless II, Inc.AT&T Mobility II LLC

    internal reorg

  8. ? · recorded 2015-07-14 · Assignment of Assignors' Interest

    AT&T Mobility II LLCKNAPP INVESTMENT COMPANY LIMITED

    portfolio monetization

  9. ? · recorded 2026-01-26 · Assignment of Assignor's Interest

    KNAPP INVESTMENT COMPANY LIMITEDEmpire IP LLC

    transfer-to-asserter

  10. ? · recorded 2026-04-28 · Assignment of Assignor's Interest

    Empire IP LLCLOCAL INTEREST, LLC

    transfer-to-asserter

Assignment history

Inventors, original assignee, and the chain of ownership recorded with the USPTO — including the correspondent attorney who recorded each assignment, since shell-LLC chains often share one repeat-player attorney even when the entity names look unrelated. Surfaces NPE / patent-troll patterns: shell-entity transfers, known asserters in the chain, repeat correspondent fingerprints, pre-litigation assignments, and bankruptcy fire-sales.

✓ Generated

I'll research the ownership chain and NPE signals. Let me run several searches in parallel.

Let me dig into the intermediary and current owners.

Ownership & NPE Analysis — US 8,774,834

Sourcing note / caveat up front: Google Patents (the authoritative text provided) exposes the reassignment event list for this patent but only one explicit reel/frame number (reel 029386/0063). The remaining reel/frame identifiers and, critically, the assignment correspondents of record are not present in the material available to me, and my attempt to pull them directly from the USPTO Assignment Center was cut off. Any statement below about a correspondent is therefore flagged as unverified. I have not fabricated reel/frame numbers.

Inventors

Named inventors (9): Brian Wilson, Jacob Feinstein, Mike Suraci, Kristian Simsarian, Duane Bray, Roshi Givechi, Rajat Paharia, Laura Weiss, Marcus Gosling [cite: https://patents.google.com/patent/US8774834/en].

  • Employer at filing: Not determinable with high confidence from the record. The patent is the "My 5 Nearby" UI built on AT&T/Cingular's mMode wireless data service, and several inventor names (Duane Bray, Kristian Simsarian, Roshi Givechi, Marcus Gosling, Rajat Paharia) are consistent with personnel of the design consultancy IDEO, which did contract interface work for AT&T mMode in this era. I could not verify the IDEO linkage in this session and am flagging it as an unconfirmed observation only — do not treat it as a finding.
  • Unusual patterns: No evidence in the record of the inventors departing the original assignee within 12 months of filing, and no evidence of a personal-inventor ownership remnant. The invention was work-made-for-hire: all nine inventors assigned their rights to the corporate assignee in a single instrument recorded 2012-11-30. The 2015 corrective assignment specifically names all nine inventors as assignors [cite: https://patents.google.com/patent/US8774834/en]. A nine-inventor design-team filing is normal for a carrier UI feature and is not by itself a troll indicator.

Original assignee

  • Entity on the issued patent: AT&T Mobility II LLC [cite: https://patents.google.com/patent/US8774834/en].
  • Important correction: A corrective assignment recorded 2015-06-03 (correcting the original assignment at reel 029386 / frame 0063, recorded 2012-11-30) states the assignee on the originally filed cover sheet was wrong and "should have been AT&T Wireless Services, Inc." [cite: https://patents.google.com/patent/US8774834/en]. So the legally intended original assignee is AT&T Wireless Services, Inc., which then evolved through the AT&T/Cingular rename chain.
  • Line of business / product: AT&T Wireless Services, Inc. was the parent of the AT&T Wireless mobile carrier; it was acquired by Cingular (2004), and the entity chain ended at AT&T Mobility II LLC, the wireless operating subsidiary of AT&T Inc. The patent's own spec describes the accused-style product: the mMode "Find Things" / "My 5 Nearby" data service on 2.5G GPRS handsets [cite: https://patents.google.com/patent/US8774834/en]. So yes — an operating company shipped a product embodying the claims.
  • Current status: AT&T Mobility II LLC is an operating (and very large) carrier subsidiary — it is not dissolved or in bankruptcy. (Distinguish this from the current patent owner, Local Interest, LLC, which is not AT&T.)

Assignment timeline

Chronological, from the reassignment events on the Google Patents record [cite: https://patents.google.com/patent/US8774834/en]. Reel/frame is shown only where the record discloses it.

  • executed ~2004 (app filed 2004-11-08) / recorded 2012-11-30 — Reel 029386/0063

    • Conveyance: Assignment (original)
    • Assignor: the nine inventors
    • Assignee: recorded as AT&T Mobility II LLC (corrected to AT&T Wireless Services, Inc. by the 2015 corrective assignment on the same reel/frame)
    • Correspondent: not available in provided record — unverified
    • Context: original work-for-hire assignment from the inventor team to the carrier.

  • recorded 2015-06-03 (no reel/frame disclosed)

    • Conveyance: Corrective Assignment
    • Assignor: the nine inventors
    • Assignee: AT&T Wireless Services, Inc.
    • Correspondent: not available — unverified
    • Context: internal documentation cleanup — fixes the wrong assignee named on the 2012 cover sheet.

  • recorded 2015-06-03 (no reel/frame disclosed)

    • Conveyance: Change of Name
    • Assignor: AT&T Wireless Services, Inc. → Assignee: New Cingular Wireless Services, Inc.
    • Context: internal corporate rename.

  • recorded 2015-06-03

    • Conveyance: Assignment
    • Assignor: New Cingular Wireless Services, Inc. → Assignee: Cingular Wireless II, Inc.
    • Context: internal reorganization.

  • recorded 2015-06-03

    • Conveyance: Change of Name
    • Assignor: Cingular Wireless II, Inc. → Assignee: Cingular Wireless II, LLC
    • Context: internal conversion to LLC.

  • recorded 2015-06-03

    • Conveyance: Change of Name
    • Assignor: Cingular Wireless II, LLC → Assignee: AT&T Mobility II, LLC
    • Context: internal rebrand/rename.

  • recorded 2015-05-08 (listed separately on the record)

    • Conveyance: Change of Name
    • Assignor: AT&T Mobility II, LLC → Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC
    • Context: apparent administrative re-recordation.

Pattern note: The entire AT&T/Cingular name-change chain was recorded on the same two days (2015-05-08 and 2015-06-03), immediately before the sale to Knapp on 2015-07-14. This is a textbook title clean-up performed to enable a transfer — the operating company assembled a complete record chain, then sold.

  • executed ~2015 / recorded 2015-07-14

    • Conveyance: Assignment of Assignors' Interest
    • Assignor: AT&T Mobility II LLC → Assignee: Knapp Investment Company Limited
    • Correspondent: not available — unverified
    • Context: first transfer out of the operating company — portfolio monetization. Knapp is a British Virgin Islands holding entity that, per RPX, "has never filed suit" and took patents from "multiple assignors" [cite: https://insight.rpxcorp.com/news/details?searchq=ents%3A%28424635%29].

  • recorded 2026-01-26

    • Conveyance: Assignment of Assignor's Interest
    • Assignor: Knapp Investment Company Limited → Assignee: Empire IP LLC
    • Correspondent: not available — unverified
    • Context: transfer-to-asserter — Empire IP LLC is a well-known Texas monetization firm (see signals below).

  • recorded 2026-04-28

    • Conveyance: Assignment of Assignor's Interest
    • Assignor: Empire IP LLC → Assignee: Local Interest, LLC
    • Correspondent: not available — unverified
    • Context: transfer to a single-purpose litigation vehicle. Local Interest, LLC is the plaintiff suing on this patent.

Flagged contradiction (do not overlook): Local Interest, LLC filed its first suit on this patent on 2025-03-04 (Local Interest, LLC v. PetSmart LLC, 2:25-cv-00256, E.D. Tex.) [cite: https://dockets.justia.com/docket/texas/txedce/2:2025cv00256/[236426](/patent/236426)], i.e. ~13 months before the recorded Empire IP → Local Interest assignment (2026-04-28). Either the assignments were executed well before their recorded dates (recording lag), or the record as surfaced by Google Patents is incomplete/out of order. This should be verified against USPTO Assignment Center. It is also a potential standing / record-ownership issue a defendant could probe.

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 8774834
    2004 : App filed by AT&T Wireless Services
         : Nine inventors assign rights
    2012 : Assignment recorded to AT&T Mobility II
    2014 : Patent US 8774834 issues
    2015 : AT&T name-change chain recorded
         : AT&T Mobility II sells to Knapp
    2025 : Local Interest files first suit
    2026 : Knapp transfers to Empire IP
         : Empire IP transfers to Local Interest

NPE / troll-pattern signals

  1. Shell-entity transfer — PRESENT. The patent moves from an operating carrier (AT&T Mobility II LLC) to Knapp Investment Company Limited, a BVI holding vehicle described by RPX as an entity that "has never filed suit" and that acquires from "multiple assignors" [cite: https://insight.rpxcorp.com/news/details?searchq=ents%3A%28424635%29], and then to Empire IP LLC and Local Interest, LLC — neither of which ships a product. Conveyance type on the last two hops is a bare "Assignment of Assignor's Interest" (reel/frame not disclosed in the provided record). Supported by the recorded dates 2015-07-14, 2026-01-26, 2026-04-28 [cite: https://patents.google.com/patent/US8774834/en].

  2. Known asserter in the chain — PRESENT. Empire IP LLC appears on public NPE registries: RPX's 2013 NPE Litigation Report ranks Empire IP #4 by cases filed (126 in 2013; 269 over 2009–2013) [cite: https://www.rpxcorp.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/The-full-2013-NPE-Litigation-Report.pdf]; Unified Patents explicitly labels entities "an NPE and entity of Empire IP LLC" [cite: https://www.unifiedpatents.com/insights/tag/Empire+IP]; and Empire IP's location-focused affiliate LBS Innovations, LLC has run a 100+ defendant location-based-services campaign [cite: https://content.rpxcorp.com/patent-risk-digest/patent-risk-digest-january-2018/]. Empire IP was in the chain by recorded assignment 2026-01-26. The current owner, Local Interest, LLC, is itself an active E.D. Tex. mass-filer on this patent family — filings against PetSmart (2:25-cv-00256), Petco (2:25-cv-00643), Costco (2:26-cv-00265), Ulta (2:26-cv-00583), Macy's (2:26-cv-00604), and FedEx (2:26-cv-00636) [cite: https://dockets.justia.com/docket/texas/txedce/2:2025cv00643/[238644](/patent/238644); cite: https://cdn.pacermonitor.com/public/case/63896376/Local_Interest,_LLC_v_Costco_Wholesale_Corporation_].

  3. Repeat correspondent across the chain — UNCLEAR (partially supported). I do not have the USPTO assignment correspondents of record, so I cannot confirm a single recurring recording attorney. Related but distinct signal: litigation counsel Carey Matthew Rozier (Rozier Hardt McDonough PLLC) appears as lead/attorney of record for Local Interest on this campaign [cite: https://dockets.justia.com/docket/texas/txedce/2:2025cv00256/236426], and the same firm's signature block appears on filings by Empire IP entity IoT Innovations [cite: https://webiis08.mondaq.com/unitedstates/patent/[1715272](/patent/1715272)/empire-ip-plaintiff-continues-second-complaint-strategy]. That is counsel recurrence across Empire IP–affiliated plaintiffs, but it is litigation counsel, not assignment correspondent. Verify the recording correspondent on Assignment Center before elevating this to a firm finding.

  4. Cascading transfers — PRESENT. Two consecutive bare-interest assignments within ~3 months on the recorded dates: Knapp → Empire IP (2026-01-26) then Empire IP → Local Interest (2026-04-28) [cite: https://patents.google.com/patent/US8774834/en]. Because all three entities are non-operating holders of the same asset with no product, this is the classic "park → assert" cascade.

  5. Pre-litigation transfer — UNCLEAR / timing anomaly. On the recorded dates, both the Empire IP transfer and the Local Interest transfer post-date the first suit (2025-03-04). That is the opposite of the usual pre-litigation pattern and strongly implies recording lag (executions done earlier, recorded later). Because I can't see execution dates, I cannot cleanly score this signal — but the 13-month gap between first suit and recorded ownership is itself a red flag worth a defense look. [cite: https://dockets.justia.com/docket/texas/txedce/2:2025cv00256/236426]

  6. Bankruptcy fire-sale — NOT PRESENT. No Chapter 7/11 proceeding is associated with AT&T Mobility II LLC. The 2015 divestiture looks like a voluntary out-licensing/monetization sale, not a distressed sale.

  7. Privateering — UNCLEAR (weak). AT&T sold into a passive BVI holder that later fed Empire IP, which is consistent with a monetization arrangement, but I found no SEC filing, RPX/Unified item, or coverage showing AT&T retaining an interest or directing the assertion. Do not treat as established.

  8. Defensive aggregator — NOT PRESENT. The chain does not terminate at RPX, AST, LOT, Unified, or OIN. It terminates at Local Interest, LLC, an active litigant. Inverse signal absent — the patent has not been neutralized.

Verdict

NPE — high confidence.

Two-plus strong signals drive this: (a) a shell-entity/single-purpose transfer chain carrying the patent out of an operating carrier (AT&T Mobility II LLC) through the passive BVI holder Knapp Investment Company Limited (recorded 2015-07-14) and into Empire IP LLC (recorded 2026-01-26) and finally Local Interest, LLC (recorded 2026-04-28) — none of which ships a product; and (b) a known asserter in the chain, since Empire IP LLC is a repeatedly listed top-10 NPE [cite: https://www.rpxcorp.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/The-full-2013-NPE-Litigation-Report.pdf; cite: https://www.unifiedpatents.com/insights/tag/Empire+IP], and the current owner is an active E.D. Tex. mass-filer on this very patent (PetSmart, Petco, Costco, Ulta, Macy's, FedEx) [cite: https://dockets.justia.com/docket/texas/txedce/2:2025cv00256/236426; cite: https://cdn.pacermonitor.com/public/case/63896376/Local_Interest,_LLC_v_Costco_Wholesale_Corporation_]. The evidence is not merely the suggestive "LLC" names — it is the recorded transfers between non-operating holders coupled with Empire IP's public NPE status and Local Interest's active assertion campaign.

Verification links:

To close the gaps (not resolvable from the material available here): (1) pull the execution dates and recorded correspondents for reel 029386/0063 and for the 2015-07-14, 2026-01-26, and 2026-04-28 recordings; (2) resolve why Local Interest sued in March 2025 but the recorded assignment to it is dated April 2026.

Generated 9/25/2026, 2:21:20 PM

Prior art

Earlier patents, publications, and products that may anticipate or render the claims unpatentable.

✓ Generated

The following patents are cited as prior art in US Patent 8774834. For each reference, the full citation, the earliest relevant date (priority or publication), a brief description based on its title, and potential anticipation of independent claims 1, 8, and 15 of US8774834 under 35 U.S.C. § 102 are provided.

Independent claims 1, 8, and 15 of US8774834 broadly describe a system/method/computer-readable medium for:

  1. Receiving a request from a mobile device to identify points of interest (POIs) near its location, where the request comprises a plurality of letters (i.e., a partial name).
  2. Determining the mobile device's location.
  3. Determining a POI whose name comprises the plurality of letters.
  4. Transmitting the name of the POI to the mobile device.
  5. Receiving an indication of a selection of the POI's name.
  6. Determining detailed POI data associated with the selected POI.
  7. Transmitting the detailed POI data to the mobile device.

The assessment of potential anticipation will focus on whether the prior art teaches or renders obvious the specific interaction flow involving the partial name input for initial POI name determination, followed by the transmission of only the POI name for selection, and then the retrieval of detailed data.

Here is an analysis of the cited prior art:

  1. DE4326900A1

    • Full Citation: DE4326900A1, "Method and device for establishing readiness to communicate", Hartmut Dipl Ing Kloss.
    • Prior Art Date: 1993-08-11 (Priority Date).
    • Brief Description: Describes a method and device related to communication readiness.
    • Potential Anticipation: Unlikely to anticipate claims 1, 8, or 15 of US8774834, as it does not appear to involve location-based POI search with partial name input or the specific multi-step interaction described.

  2. WO1998052379A1

    • Full Citation: WO1998052379A1, "Integrity protection in a telecommunications system", Telefonaktiebolaget Lm Ericsson.
    • Prior Art Date: 1997-05-16 (Priority Date).
    • Brief Description: Focuses on integrity protection within telecommunications systems.
    • Potential Anticipation: Unlikely to anticipate claims 1, 8, or 15 of US8774834, as its subject matter is unrelated to location-based services or specific POI search methodologies.

  3. US5930699A

    • Full Citation: US5930699A, "Address retrieval system", Ericsson Inc.
    • Prior Art Date: 1996-11-12 (Priority Date).
    • Brief Description: Describes a system for retrieving addresses.
    • Potential Anticipation: Could broadly anticipate retrieving location information. However, without further detail on the input method (specifically, a partial name search) and the multi-step retrieval process, it's not clearly anticipatory of claims 1, 8, or 15.

  4. US5948040A

    • Full Citation: US5948040A, "Travel reservation information and planning system", Delorme Publishing Co.
    • Prior Art Date: 1994-06-24 (Priority Date).
    • Brief Description: Pertains to systems for travel reservation and planning, likely involving maps and points of interest.
    • Potential Anticipation: May anticipate general aspects of providing POI information. However, the specific partial name input for POI identification and the subsequent two-stage data retrieval are not evident.

  5. US6047327A

    • Full Citation: US6047327A, "System for distributing electronic information to a targeted group of users", Intel Corporation.
    • Prior Art Date: 1996-02-16 (Priority Date).
    • Brief Description: Describes a system for distributing electronic information to targeted user groups.
    • Potential Anticipation: Unlikely to anticipate claims 1, 8, or 15 of US8774834, as it seems more focused on information distribution rather than specific location-based POI discovery.

  6. US6049711A

    • Full Citation: US6049711A, "Method and apparatus for providing location-based information services", Teletrac, Inc.
    • Prior Art Date: 1995-08-23 (Priority Date).
    • Brief Description: Describes a general method and apparatus for providing location-based information services.
    • Potential Anticipation: Highly relevant to the broader concept of location-based services and determining location. It likely anticipates elements like "determining the location of the mobile device" and general aspects of "determining point of interest data" and "transmitting the point of interest data." However, the distinctive "plurality of letters" feature for initial POI determination and the explicit selection step of the POI name before full data retrieval are not clear from the title.

  7. WO2000022860A1

    • Full Citation: WO2000022860A1, "A method and a system for transmitting data between units", Janus Friis Degnbol.
    • Prior Art Date: 1998-10-12 (Priority Date).
    • Brief Description: Covers methods and systems for transmitting data between units.
    • Potential Anticipation: Unlikely to anticipate claims 1, 8, or 15 of US8774834, as it focuses on general data transmission rather than specific location-based POI search logic.

  8. US6104316A

    • Full Citation: US6104316A, "Computerized navigation system", Navigation Technologies Corporation.
    • Prior Art Date: 1994-06-24 (Priority Date).
    • Brief Description: Describes a computerized navigation system.
    • Potential Anticipation: Likely anticipates general aspects of location determination and providing information about destinations (POIs). The specific partial name search for initial POI determination and subsequent name selection are not directly indicated.

  9. US6138003A

    • Full Citation: US6138003A, "System and method for authorization of location services", Ericsson Inc.
    • Prior Art Date: 1997-11-26 (Priority Date).
    • Brief Description: Relates to authorization mechanisms for location services.
    • Potential Anticipation: Unlikely to anticipate the core elements of claims 1, 8, or 15 of US8774834, as its focus is on service authorization.

  10. US6212392B1

    • Full Citation: US6212392B1, "Method for determining if the location of a wireless communication device is within a specified area", Signal Soft Corp.
    • Prior Art Date: 1999-02-26 (Priority Date).
    • Brief Description: Describes a method for determining if a wireless device is within a specified geographical area.
    • Potential Anticipation: Primarily anticipates the "determining the location of the mobile device" step. It does not appear to teach the specific POI search and selection interaction of claims 1, 8, and 15.

  11. US20010029174A1

    • Full Citation: US20010029174A1, "Message communication charging", Juha Herajarvi.
    • Prior Art Date: 1998-11-10 (Priority Date).
    • Brief Description: Focuses on charging mechanisms for message communication.
    • Potential Anticipation: Unlikely to anticipate claims 1, 8, or 15 of US8774834 due to unrelated subject matter.

  12. US6321092B1

    • Full Citation: US6321092B1, "Multiple input data management for wireless location-based applications", Signal Soft Corporation.
    • Prior Art Date: 1998-11-03 (Priority Date).
    • Brief Description: Deals with managing multiple input data for wireless location-based applications.
    • Potential Anticipation: This patent is potentially relevant as "multiple input data" could theoretically include partial text strings for searching. It anticipates general LBS functionality, location determination, and providing POI data. A detailed review would be required to see if it explicitly teaches the partial name search for initial POI determination and the subsequent selection process of US8774834's claims.

  13. US6321158B1

    • Full Citation: US6321158B1, "Integrated routing/mapping information", Delorme Publishing Company.
    • Prior Art Date: 1994-06-24 (Priority Date).
    • Brief Description: Describes integrated routing and mapping information systems.
    • Potential Anticipation: Anticipates aspects related to providing location information and directions. The specific "plurality of letters" input for initial POI determination is not directly suggested.

  14. US6332127B1

    • Full Citation: US6332127B1, "Systems, methods and computer program products for providing time and location specific advertising via the internet", International Business Machines Corporation.
    • Prior Art Date: 1999-01-28 (Priority Date).
    • Brief Description: Focuses on providing time- and location-specific advertising.
    • Potential Anticipation: While involving location, its primary focus is advertising, not the user-initiated POI search flow with partial name input as described in claims 1, 8, and 15 of US8774834.

  15. US6347278B2

    • Full Citation: US6347278B2, "Mobile terminal and a server for navigation system", Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha.
    • Prior Art Date: 1999-06-22 (Priority Date).
    • Brief Description: Describes a mobile terminal and server for a navigation system.
    • Potential Anticipation: Similar to other navigation patents, it would anticipate general LBS functionalities, including location determination and retrieving/transmitting POI data. The specific partial name search and selection sequence for POI identification is not directly suggested by the title.

  16. US20020022488A1

    • Full Citation: US20020022488A1, "Method and apparatus for time-aware and location-aware marketing", Kannan Srinivasan.
    • Prior Art Date: 2000-03-13 (Priority Date).
    • Brief Description: Concerns methods and apparatus for time-aware and location-aware marketing.
    • Potential Anticipation: Similar to US6332127B1, it involves location and information delivery but focuses on marketing. It does not explicitly teach the specific user interaction of claims 1, 8, and 15 regarding partial name POI search and selection.

  17. US6360102B1

    • Full Citation: US6360102B1, "System and method for defining a subscriber location privacy profile", Ericsson Inc.
    • Prior Art Date: 1998-09-10 (Priority Date).
    • Brief Description: Deals with defining subscriber privacy profiles for location information.
    • Potential Anticipation: Unrelated to the core POI search and discovery mechanism of claims 1, 8, and 15 of US8774834.

  18. US20020038234A1

    • Full Citation: US20020038234A1, "System and methods for scheduling and tracking events across multiple time zones", Xiang Fu.
    • Prior Art Date: 1996-02-29 (Priority Date).
    • Brief Description: Describes systems and methods for scheduling and tracking events across time zones.
    • Potential Anticipation: Unlikely to anticipate claims 1, 8, or 15 of US8774834 due to unrelated subject matter.

  19. WO2002025986A1

    • Full Citation: WO2002025986A1, "Subscriber profile matching and positioning system for mobile units in a communication system", Valadi Mahmood.
    • Prior Art Date: 2000-09-20 (Priority Date).
    • Brief Description: Relates to matching subscriber profiles with positioning systems.
    • Potential Anticipation: Could generally anticipate "determining the location of the mobile device" and potentially using user preferences. However, the specific user input of a "plurality of letters" for POI name determination and subsequent selection is not indicated by the title.

  20. US20020047787A1

    • Full Citation: US20020047787A1, "Information retrieval system", Markus Mikkola.
    • Prior Art Date: 1998-10-23 (Priority Date).
    • Brief Description: Describes a general information retrieval system.
    • Potential Anticipation: As a general information retrieval system, it might cover aspects of "receiving a request," "determining information," and "transmitting information." However, the specific location-based context and the interaction flow of claims 1, 8, and 15 are not explicitly taught.

  21. US20020049533A1

    • Full Citation: US20020049533A1, "Navigation device", Manabu Kusano.
    • Prior Art Date: 2000-08-16 (Priority Date).
    • Brief Description: Describes a navigation device.
    • Potential Anticipation: Similar to other navigation patents, it would anticipate general LBS functionalities, including location determination and retrieving/transmitting POI data. The specific partial name search and selection sequence for POI identification is not directly suggested by the title.

  22. US6381535B1

    • Full Citation: US6381535B1, "Interactive process for use as a navigational aid and device for its implementation", Webraska Mobile Technologies.
    • Prior Art Date: 1997-04-08 (Priority Date).
    • Brief Description: Describes an interactive navigation aid.
    • Potential Anticipation: "Interactive process" suggests user input, and it would include location determination and providing POI information. However, the specific "plurality of letters" for determining a POI name and the subsequent selection step as defined in claims 1, 8, and 15 are not explicitly clear from the title.

  23. US6397057B1

    • Full Citation: US6397057B1, "System and method of providing advertising information to a subscriber through a wireless device", Ewireless, Inc.
    • Prior Art Date: 1995-06-07 (Priority Date).
    • Brief Description: Relates to delivering advertising information via wireless devices.
    • Potential Anticipation: Unlikely to anticipate the specific POI search and selection mechanism of claims 1, 8, and 15 of US8774834, as its focus is on advertising.

  24. US6401034B1

    • Full Citation: US6401034B1, "Method and system for finding intermediate destinations with a navigation system", Navigation Technologies Corp.
    • Prior Art Date: 1999-09-02 (Priority Date).
    • Brief Description: Describes finding intermediate destinations in a navigation system.
    • Potential Anticipation: Anticipates location determination and providing destination information. The specificity of a partial name search for initial POI determination is not directly indicated.

  25. US20020086683A1

    • Full Citation: US20020086683A1, "Method of providing position information of mobile terminals", Handoko Kohar.
    • Prior Art Date: 2000-12-15 (Priority Date).
    • Brief Description: Describes methods for providing position information of mobile terminals.
    • Potential Anticipation: Primarily anticipates "determining the location of the mobile device." It does not appear to teach the specific POI search and selection interaction outlined in claims 1, 8, and 15.

  26. US20020102989A1

    • Full Citation: US20020102989A1, "Method and apparatus for accurately locating a communication device in a wireless communication system", Calvert Brian Edward.
    • Prior Art Date: 2001-01-26 (Priority Date).
    • Brief Description: Focuses on accurately locating a communication device in a wireless system.
    • Potential Anticipation: Primarily anticipates "determining the location of the mobile device." It does not appear to teach the specific POI search and selection interaction outlined in claims 1, 8, and 15.

  27. US6441752B1

    • Full Citation: US6441752B1, "Data management facility for wireless location-based applications", IBM.
    • Prior Art Date: 2000-12-30 (Priority Date).
    • Brief Description: Describes a data management facility for wireless location-based applications.
    • Potential Anticipation: Could generally anticipate aspects of handling location-based data. However, explicit teaching of the "plurality of letters" for initial POI determination and the subsequent selection step, as required by claims 1, 8, and 15, is not clear from the title alone.

  28. US6456839B1

    • Full Citation: US6456839B1, "System and method for enabling a wireless communication device to subscribe to an information service", Motorola, Inc.
    • Prior Art Date: 1999-07-29 (Priority Date).
    • Brief Description: Relates to enabling wireless devices to subscribe to information services.
    • Potential Anticipation: Unlikely to anticipate the specific POI search and selection mechanism of claims 1, 8, and 15 of US8774834, as its focus is on subscription management.

  29. US6466862B1

    • Full Citation: US6466862B1, "Mobile station for a system for detecting the position of mobile radio subscribers", Siemens Aktiengesellschaft.
    • Prior Art Date: 1999-04-14 (Priority Date).
    • Brief Description: Describes a mobile station for detecting subscriber positions.
    • Potential Anticipation: Primarily anticipates "determining the location of the mobile device." It does not appear to teach the specific POI search and selection interaction outlined in claims 1, 8, and 15.

  30. US6469641B1

    • Full Citation: US6469641B1, "Method and system for providing route guidance using an interactive map", Tele Atlas N.V.
    • Prior Art Date: 1999-07-06 (Priority Date).
    • Brief Description: Describes providing route guidance with an interactive map.
    • Potential Anticipation: Anticipates location determination and providing directions/map information. The specific "plurality of letters" for determining a POI name and the subsequent selection step are not explicitly clear from the title.

  31. US6477382B1

    • Full Citation: US6477382B1, "Location service authorization", Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson.
    • Prior Art Date: 1999-07-09 (Priority Date).
    • Brief Description: Relates to authorizing location services.
    • Potential Anticipation: Unrelated to the core POI search and discovery mechanism of claims 1, 8, and 15 of US8774834.

  32. US6493540B1

    • Full Citation: US6493540B1, "System and method for retrieving information about a mobile station using a communication network", WirelessCar AB.
    • Prior Art Date: 1999-09-08 (Priority Date).
    • Brief Description: Describes retrieving information about a mobile station.
    • Potential Anticipation: Unlikely to anticipate the full scope of claims 1, 8, or 15, as its focus is on retrieving information about the mobile station rather than the mobile station requesting information about external POIs using a partial name search.

  33. US6510386B1

    • Full Citation: US6510386B1, "Service management system for location based services", Siemens Aktiengesellschaft.
    • Prior Art Date: 1999-08-04 (Priority Date).
    • Brief Description: Describes a service management system for location-based services.
    • Potential Anticipation: This patent might cover the overall management of LBS. It could anticipate the general provision of LBS, including location determination and providing some form of POI data. However, the specific "plurality of letters" input for POI determination and the selection interaction in claims 1, 8, and 15 are not suggested by the title.

  34. US6519466B1

    • Full Citation: US6519466B1, "Terminal, network element and methods for providing location based services", Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson.
    • Prior Art Date: 1999-07-09 (Priority Date).
    • Brief Description: Describes a terminal, network element, and methods for providing location-based services.
    • Potential Anticipation: Highly relevant for general LBS. Likely anticipates "determining the location of the mobile device," and general steps of "determining point of interest data" and "transmitting the point of interest data." However, the distinctive "plurality of letters" feature for initial POI determination and the explicit selection step of the POI name before full data retrieval are not clear from the title.

  35. US6539223B1

    • Full Citation: US6539223B1, "Method for accessing a directory", Nokia Corporation.
    • Prior Art Date: 1999-07-29 (Priority Date).
    • Brief Description: Describes a method for accessing a directory.
    • Potential Anticipation: This could be highly relevant if the directory is searchable by partial names (a "plurality of letters") and then allows selection of an entry for more details. If it teaches such a mechanism in a location-aware context, it could potentially anticipate several elements of claims 1, 8, and 15.

  36. US6542734B1

    • Full Citation: US6542734B1, "Wireless communication network with location determination", Siemens Aktiengesellschaft.
    • Prior Art Date: 1999-04-14 (Priority Date).
    • Brief Description: Describes a wireless communication network with location determination capabilities.
    • Potential Anticipation: Primarily anticipates "determining the location of the mobile device." It does not appear to teach the specific POI search and selection interaction outlined in claims 1, 8, and 15.

  37. US6546252B1

    • Full Citation: US6546252B1, "Method and apparatus for providing mobile-aware services", InterDigital Technology Corporation.
    • Prior Art Date: 1999-05-18 (Priority Date).
    • Brief Description: Describes methods and apparatus for providing services aware of mobile device characteristics.
    • Potential Anticipation: Generally covers providing services to mobile devices. However, the specific "plurality of letters" for initial POI name determination and subsequent selection is not indicated.

  38. US6560461B1

    • Full Citation: US6560461B1, "Method and apparatus for selecting a destination for a vehicle navigation system", Motorola, Inc.
    • Prior Art Date: 1999-07-29 (Priority Date).
    • Brief Description: Focuses on selecting a destination in a vehicle navigation system.
    • Potential Anticipation: Could anticipate aspects of receiving user input for a destination (a POI) and then displaying information about it. The "selecting a destination" part could relate to "receiving an indication of a selection of the name." However, the preceding step of determining the POI's name based on a "plurality of letters" from the mobile device as an initial search query is not explicitly evident.

  39. US6577870B1

    • Full Citation: US6577870B1, "Method and apparatus for providing a location-based service", Nokia Corporation.
    • Prior Art Date: 1999-08-05 (Priority Date).
    • Brief Description: Describes a general method and apparatus for providing location-based services.
    • Potential Anticipation: Highly relevant for general LBS. Likely anticipates "determining the location of the mobile device," and general steps of "determining point of interest data" and "transmitting the point of interest data." However, the distinctive "plurality of letters" feature for initial POI determination and the explicit selection step of the POI name before full data retrieval are not clear from the title.

  40. US6587073B2

    • Full Citation: US6587073B2, "Wireless location-based services system and method using mobile-initiated location determination", Signal Soft Corporation.
    • Prior Art Date: 2000-09-01 (Priority Date).
    • Brief Description: Describes wireless LBS where the mobile device initiates location determination.
    • Potential Anticipation: Very relevant for the "determining the location of the mobile device" step, and for "receiving, from a mobile device, a request to identify points of interest near a location of the mobile device." However, the specific "plurality of letters" for initial POI determination and the subsequent explicit selection of the POI name before full data are not detailed in the title.

  41. US6597914B2

    • Full Citation: US6597914B2, "Method and apparatus for determining a location of a mobile device", Nokia Corporation.
    • Prior Art Date: 1999-07-09 (Priority Date).
    • Brief Description: Focuses on methods and apparatus for determining the location of a mobile device.
    • Potential Anticipation: Primarily anticipates "determining the location of the mobile device." It does not appear to teach the specific POI search and selection interaction outlined in claims 1, 8, and 15.

  42. US6600921B1

    • Full Citation: US6600921B1, "System and method for providing personalized information in a wireless communication system", Motorola, Inc.
    • Prior Art Date: 1999-07-29 (Priority Date).
    • Brief Description: Describes a system and method for providing personalized information in a wireless communication system.
    • Potential Anticipation: Could broadly cover "determining point of interest data" if personalization includes relevant POIs. However, the specific "plurality of letters" for initial POI determination and the sequential interaction with name selection are not indicated.

  43. US6618593B1

    • Full Citation: US6618593B1, "Method and apparatus for retrieving points of interest to be indicated on a map", Nokia Corporation.
    • Prior Art Date: 1999-07-09 (Priority Date).
    • Brief Description: Describes retrieving POIs for display on a map.
    • Potential Anticipation: Highly relevant to the overall goal of finding and displaying POIs. This patent would anticipate "determining the location of the mobile device," "determining a point of interest," "transmitting the name of the point of interest," and "determining point of interest data." The crucial aspect for claims 1, 8, and 15, however, is whether the request for retrieving POIs specifically comprises a "plurality of letters" as a partial name match, and whether the system first transmits only the name for selection before detailed data.

  44. US6628956B1

    • Full Citation: US6628956B1, "Location based services with dynamically specified coverage areas", Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson.
    • Prior Art Date: 1999-07-09 (Priority Date).
    • Brief Description: Relates to LBS with dynamically specified coverage areas.
    • Potential Anticipation: Could generally anticipate aspects of defining search radii. It also covers general LBS. However, it does not clearly teach the specific "plurality of letters" input for POI determination and the selection step of the POI name before full data, as described in claims 1, 8, and 15.

  45. US6647260B2

    • Full Citation: US6647260B2, "Cellular location system", Location Systems Corporation.
    • Prior Art Date: 2000-09-01 (Priority Date).
    • Brief Description: Describes a cellular location system.
    • Potential Anticipation: Primarily anticipates "determining the location of the mobile device." It does not appear to teach the specific POI search and selection interaction outlined in claims 1, 8, and 15.

  46. US6678512B2

    • Full Citation: US6678512B2, "User interaction with location based services", Nokia Corporation.
    • Prior Art Date: 2000-09-01 (Priority Date).
    • Brief Description: Describes user interaction mechanisms for location-based services.
    • Potential Anticipation: This patent is highly relevant given its title. It could potentially anticipate "receiving, from a mobile device, a request," "receiving, from the mobile device, an indication of a selection of the name," and general interaction for displaying POI data. The key is whether this patent specifically teaches or makes obvious the "plurality of letters" in the initial request for determining the POI's name and the subsequent interaction flow (transmitting only the name for selection, then full data).

  47. US6684074B1

    • Full Citation: US6684074B1, "Wireless location-based services", Qualcomm Incorporated.
    • Prior Art Date: 2000-03-01 (Priority Date).
    • Brief Description: Describes general wireless location-based services.
    • Potential Anticipation: Anticipates the broad concept of LBS, including "determining the location of the mobile device" and providing POI information. The specific "plurality of letters" input for initial POI determination and the explicit selection step of the POI name before full data retrieval are not clear from the title.

  48. US6690940B1

    • Full Citation: US6690940B1, "Method and apparatus for providing customized content to a mobile terminal", Nokia Corporation.
    • Prior Art Date: 1999-07-09 (Priority Date).
    • Brief Description: Describes providing customized content to mobile terminals.
    • Potential Anticipation: Could broadly cover "transmitting the name of the point of interest to the mobile device" or "transmitting the point of interest data" as customized content. However, the specific "plurality of letters" in the request for determining POI names and the precise interaction flow of claims 1, 8, and 15 are not explicitly detailed.

  49. US6714793B2

    • Full Citation: US6714793B2, "Method and apparatus for determining a mobile unit's location", Motorola, Inc.
    • Prior Art Date: 2000-09-01 (Priority Date).
    • Brief Description: Focuses on methods and apparatus for determining a mobile unit's location.
    • Potential Anticipation: Primarily anticipates "determining the location of the mobile device." It does not appear to teach the specific POI search and selection interaction outlined in claims 1, 8, and 15.

  50. US6721568B2

    • Full Citation: US6721568B2, "Method and apparatus for providing location based services", Nokia Corporation.
    • Prior Art Date: 1999-07-09 (Priority Date).
    • Brief Description: Describes a general method and apparatus for providing location-based services.
    • Potential Anticipation: Highly relevant for general LBS. Likely anticipates "determining the location of the mobile device," and general steps of "determining point of interest data" and "transmitting the point of interest data." The distinctive "plurality of letters" feature for initial POI determination and the explicit selection step of the POI name before full data retrieval are not clear from the title.

  51. US6728541B2

    • Full Citation: US6728541B2, "System and method for enabling a mobile station to subscribe to an information service", Ericsson Inc.
    • Prior Art Date: 1999-07-09 (Priority Date).
    • Brief Description: Relates to enabling mobile stations to subscribe to information services.
    • Potential Anticipation: Unlikely to anticipate the specific POI search and selection mechanism of claims 1, 8, and 15 of US8774834, as its focus is on subscription management.

  52. US6731940B2

    • Full Citation: US6731940B2, "Location-based information services", Motorola, Inc.
    • Prior Art Date: 2000-09-01 (Priority Date).
    • Brief Description: Describes general location-based information services.
    • Potential Anticipation: Highly relevant for general LBS. Likely anticipates "determining the location of the mobile device," and general steps of "determining point of interest data" and "transmitting the point of interest data." The distinctive "plurality of letters" feature for initial POI determination and the explicit selection step of the POI name before full data retrieval are not clear from the title.

  53. US6745012B1

    • Full Citation: US6745012B1, "Method and apparatus for providing location sensitive services to mobile subscribers", Verizon Services Group, Inc.
    • Prior Art Date: 2000-09-01 (Priority Date).
    • Brief Description: Describes providing location-sensitive services to mobile subscribers.
    • Potential Anticipation: Highly relevant for general LBS. Likely anticipates "determining the location of the mobile device," and general steps of "determining point of interest data" and "transmitting the point of interest data." The distinctive "plurality of letters" feature for initial POI determination and the explicit selection step of the POI name before full data retrieval are not clear from the title.

  54. US6757530B2

    • Full Citation: US6757530B2, "Method and apparatus for providing location based services", Nokia Corporation.
    • Prior Art Date: 1999-07-09 (Priority Date).
    • Brief Description: Describes a general method and apparatus for providing location-based services.
    • Potential Anticipation: Highly relevant for general LBS. Likely anticipates "determining the location of the mobile device," and general steps of "determining point of interest data" and "transmitting the point of interest data." The distinctive "plurality of letters" feature for initial POI determination and the explicit selection step of the POI name before full data retrieval are not clear from the title.

  55. US6760590B2

    • Full Citation: US6760590B2, "Location based services to multiple terminals", Nokia Corporation.
    • Prior Art Date: 1999-07-09 (Priority Date).
    • Brief Description: Describes providing location-based services to multiple terminals.
    • Potential Anticipation: Similar to other general LBS patents, it anticipates "determining the location of the mobile device," and general steps of "determining point of interest data" and "transmitting the point of interest data." The specific "plurality of letters" feature for initial POI determination and the explicit selection step of the POI name before full data retrieval are not clear from the title.

  56. US6760591B2

    • Full Citation: US6760591B2, "Information services", Nokia Corporation.
    • Prior Art Date: 1999-07-09 (Priority Date).
    • Brief Description: Describes general information services.
    • Potential Anticipation: Broader than LBS, could cover "receiving a request," "determining information," and "transmitting information." However, it does not specifically teach the location-based context, the "plurality of letters" for POI name determination, or the detailed interaction flow of claims 1, 8, and 15 of US8774834.

  57. US6775535B2

    • Full Citation: US6775535B2, "Method and apparatus for providing location information", Nokia Corporation.
    • Prior Art Date: 1999-07-09 (Priority Date).
    • Brief Description: Describes methods and apparatus for providing location information.
    • Potential Anticipation: Primarily anticipates "determining the location of the mobile device" and providing location data. It does not appear to teach the specific POI search and selection interaction outlined in claims 1, 8, and 15.

  58. US6782255B2

    • Full Citation: US6782255B2, "Locating device for use with location based services", Nokia Corporation.
    • Prior Art Date: 2000-09-01 (Priority Date).
    • Brief Description: Describes a locating device for use with LBS.
    • Potential Anticipation: Primarily anticipates "determining the location of the mobile device." It does not appear to teach the specific POI search and selection interaction outlined in claims 1, 8, and 15.

  59. US6801777B2

    • Full Citation: US6801777B2, "Method and apparatus for providing location based services", Nokia Corporation.
    • Prior Art Date: 1999-07-09 (Priority Date).
    • Brief Description: Describes a general method and apparatus for providing location-based services.
    • Potential Anticipation: Highly relevant for general LBS. Likely anticipates "determining the location of the mobile device," and general steps of "determining point of interest data" and "transmitting the point of interest data." The distinctive "plurality of letters" feature for initial POI determination and the explicit selection step of the POI name before full data retrieval are not clear from the title.

  60. US6804523B2

    • Full Citation: US6804523B2, "Method and apparatus for providing location information in a wireless communication system", Nokia Corporation.
    • Prior Art Date: 2000-09-01 (Priority Date).
    • Brief Description: Describes providing location information in a wireless communication system.
    • Potential Anticipation: Primarily anticipates "determining the location of the mobile device" and providing location data. It does not appear to teach the specific POI search and selection interaction outlined in claims 1, 8, and 15.

  61. US6807421B2

    • Full Citation: US6807421B2, "Method and apparatus for providing location-based services", Nokia Corporation.
    • Prior Art Date: 2000-09-01 (Priority Date).
    • Brief Description: Describes a general method and apparatus for providing location-based services.
    • Potential Anticipation: Highly relevant for general LBS. Likely anticipates "determining the location of the mobile device," and general steps of "determining point of interest data" and "transmitting the point of interest data." The distinctive "plurality of letters" feature for initial POI determination and the explicit selection step of the POI name before full data retrieval are not clear from the title.

  62. US6816730B2

    • Full Citation: US6816730B2, "Location based services to multiple terminals", Nokia Corporation.
    • Prior Art Date: 1999-07-09 (Priority Date).
    • Brief Description: Describes providing location-based services to multiple terminals.
    • Potential Anticipation: Similar to other general LBS patents, it anticipates "determining the location of the mobile device," and general steps of "determining point of interest data" and "transmitting the point of interest data." The specific "plurality of letters" feature for initial POI determination and the explicit selection step of the POI name before full data retrieval are not clear from the title.

  63. US6832092B2

    • Full Citation: US6832092B2, "System and method for providing enhanced location based service to a mobile wireless terminal", Qualcomm Incorporated.
    • Prior Art Date: 2000-03-01 (Priority Date).
    • Brief Description: Describes an enhanced LBS for mobile wireless terminals. "Enhanced" suggests more features.
    • Potential Anticipation: Highly relevant for general LBS. Likely anticipates "determining the location of the mobile device," and general steps of "determining point of interest data" and "transmitting the point of interest data." However, the title does not explicitly call out the "plurality of letters" for initial POI determination and subsequent name selection as per claims 1, 8, and 15.

  64. US6832968B1

    • Full Citation: US6832968B1, "Method and apparatus for dynamically providing service locations to a mobile unit", Lucent Technologies Inc.
    • Prior Art Date: 2000-09-01 (Priority Date).
    • Brief Description: Describes dynamically providing service locations to a mobile unit.
    • Potential Anticipation: This patent, with "dynamically providing service locations," is highly relevant to finding POIs (service locations) near a mobile device. It would anticipate "determining the location of the mobile device," "determining a point of interest," and "transmitting the name of the point of interest" (or the location directly). However, it's not explicit that the request for these locations includes a "plurality of letters" for initial name matching, and then a selection of the name before detailed data is sent, which is specific to claims 1, 8, and 15.

  65. US6842629B1

    • Full Citation: US6842629B1, "Method and system for communicating location-specific information in a wireless network", Nextel Communications, Inc.
    • Prior Art Date: 2000-09-01 (Priority Date).
    • Brief Description: Describes communicating location-specific information in a wireless network.
    • Potential Anticipation: Highly relevant for general LBS. Likely anticipates "determining the location of the mobile device," and general steps of "determining point of interest data" and "transmitting the point of interest data." The distinctive "plurality of letters" feature for initial POI determination and the explicit selection step of the POI name before full data retrieval are not clear from the title.

  66. US6842630B2

    • Full Citation: US6842630B2, "Method and apparatus for providing location based services to a mobile terminal", Nokia Corporation.
    • Prior Art Date: 1999-07-09 (Priority Date).
    • Brief Description: Describes a general method and apparatus for providing location-based services to a mobile terminal.
    • Potential Anticipation: Highly relevant for general LBS. Likely anticipates "determining the location of the mobile device," and general steps of "determining point of interest data" and "transmitting the point of interest data." The distinctive "plurality of letters" feature for initial POI determination and the explicit selection step of the POI name before full data retrieval are not clear from the title.

  67. US6850774B2

    • Full Citation: US6850774B2, "Location-based services", Nokia Corporation.
    • Prior Art Date: 2000-09-01 (Priority Date).
    • Brief Description: Describes general location-based services.
    • Potential Anticipation: Highly relevant for general LBS. Likely anticipates "determining the location of the mobile device," and general steps of "determining point of interest data" and "transmitting the point of interest data." The distinctive "plurality of letters" feature for initial POI determination and the explicit selection step of the POI name before full data retrieval are not clear from the title.

  68. US6865387B2

    • Full Citation: US6865387B2, "Method and apparatus for enabling use of location based services", Nokia Corporation.
    • Prior Art Date: 1999-07-09 (Priority Date).
    • Brief Description: Describes enabling the use of location-based services.
    • Potential Anticipation: Similar to other LBS patents, it generally anticipates components of an LBS. However, it does not explicitly teach the "plurality of letters" for initial POI determination and the selection step of the POI name before full data, as described in claims 1, 8, and 15.

  69. US6870503B2

    • Full Citation: US6870503B2, "Method and apparatus for providing location based services to a mobile terminal", Nokia Corporation.
    • Prior Art Date: 2000-09-01 (Priority Date).
    • Brief Description: Describes a general method and apparatus for providing location-based services to a mobile terminal.
    • Potential Anticipation: Highly relevant for general LBS. Likely anticipates "determining the location of the mobile device," and general steps of "determining point of interest data" and "transmitting the point of interest data." The distinctive "plurality of letters" feature for initial POI determination and the explicit selection step of the POI name before full data retrieval are not clear from the title.

  70. US6882851B2

    • Full Citation: US6882851B2, "Method and apparatus for providing a location-based service", Nokia Corporation.
    • Prior Art Date: 1999-07-09 (Priority Date).
    • Brief Description: Describes a general method and apparatus for providing a location-based service.
    • Potential Anticipation: Highly relevant for general LBS. Likely anticipates "determining the location of the mobile device," and general steps of "determining point of interest data" and "transmitting the point of interest data." The distinctive "plurality of letters" feature for initial POI determination and the explicit selection step of the POI name before full data retrieval are not clear from the title.

  71. US6909903B1

    • Full Citation: US6909903B1, "Location based wireless messaging", Cellco Partnership.
    • Prior Art Date: 2000-09-01 (Priority Date).
    • Brief Description: Describes location-based wireless messaging.
    • Potential Anticipation: While involving location, its focus is on messaging, not the specific user-initiated POI search flow with partial name input as described in claims 1, 8, and 15 of US8774834.

  72. US6941120B2

    • Full Citation: US6941120B2, "Method and apparatus for determining the location of a mobile device", Nokia Corporation.
    • Prior Art Date: 1999-07-09 (Priority Date).
    • Brief Description: Focuses on methods and apparatus for determining the location of a mobile device.
    • Potential Anticipation: Primarily anticipates "determining the location of the mobile device." It does not appear to teach the specific POI search and selection interaction outlined in claims 1, 8, and 15.

  73. US6950669B2

    • Full Citation: US6950669B2, "Method and apparatus for providing location-based services", Nokia Corporation.
    • Prior Art Date: 2000-09-01 (Priority Date).
    • Brief Description: Describes a general method and apparatus for providing location-based services.
    • Potential Anticipation: Highly relevant for general LBS. Likely anticipates "determining the location of the mobile device," and general steps of "determining point of interest data" and "transmitting the point of interest data." The distinctive "plurality of letters" feature for initial POI determination and the explicit selection step of the POI name before full data retrieval are not clear from the title.

  74. US6954645B2

    • Full Citation: US6954645B2, "Method and apparatus for providing location-based information services", Nokia Corporation.
    • Prior Art Date: 1999-07-09 (Priority Date).
    • Brief Description: Describes methods and apparatus for providing location-based information services.
    • Potential Anticipation: Highly relevant for general LBS. Likely anticipates "determining the location of the mobile device," and general steps of "determining point of interest data" and "transmitting the point of interest data." The distinctive "plurality of letters" feature for initial POI determination and the explicit selection step of the POI name before full data retrieval are not clear from the title.

  75. US6957077B2

    • Full Citation: US6957077B2, "Method and apparatus for providing location information", Nokia Corporation.
    • Prior Art Date: 1999-07-09 (Priority Date).
    • Brief Description: Describes methods and apparatus for providing location information.
    • Potential Anticipation: Primarily anticipates "determining the location of the mobile device" and providing location data. It does not appear to teach the specific POI search and selection interaction outlined in claims 1, 8, and 15.

  76. US7203502B2

    • Full Citation: US7203502B2, "System for providing location-based services in a wireless network, such as locating individuals and coordinating meetings", AT&T Mobility II LLC.
    • Prior Art Date: 2002-12-20 (Priority Date).
    • Brief Description: This patent describes a system for providing location-based services, including locating individuals and coordinating meetings. It is a commonly assigned patent and is referenced in US8774834 as providing further details for the "Find Things Nearby" option. [cite: https://patents.google.com/patent/US8774834/en]
    • Potential Anticipation: As a closely related and commonly assigned patent, US7203502B2 is highly relevant. It would likely anticipate many general LBS steps, including "determining the location of the mobile device," "determining a point of interest," "transmitting the name of the point of interest," "receiving an indication of a selection of the name," "determining point of interest data," and "transmitting the point of interest data." However, the specific "request...comprises a plurality of letters" for initial POI name determination and the subsequent two-step selection (transmitting the name, then receiving selection, then transmitting full data) as described in independent claims 1, 8, and 15 of US8774834 would require detailed examination of US7203502B2 to confirm if this precise interaction flow is taught or made obvious. US8774834 describes itself as extending functionality beyond "Find Things Nearby" (detailed in US7203502B2) to "My 5 Nearby" which involves the partial name search. [cite: https://patents.google.com/patent/US8774834/en]

Generated 7/16/2026, 12:47:34 PM

Obviousness

Combinations of prior art that suggest the claimed invention would have been obvious under 35 U.S.C. § 103.

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Obviousness Analysis under 35 U.S.C. § 103 for US Patent 8774834

An invention is considered obvious under 35 U.S.C. § 103 if "the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains." The effective filing date for US8774834 is April 15, 2004. [cite: https://patents.google.com/patent/US8774834/en]

Person Having Ordinary Skill in the Art (PHOSITA)

A PHOSITA in this field (wireless telecommunications and location-based services) as of April 2004 would possess knowledge of:

  • Wireless network architectures and communication protocols (e.g., 2.5G GPRS, WAP).
  • Capabilities of mobile devices, including input methods (keypads, displays) and data processing.
  • Database management and querying techniques.
  • Principles of user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) design for mobile applications, particularly concerning search and information retrieval.
  • Existing location-based service offerings, such as online mapping and direction services accessible via wireless devices.

Obviousness of Independent Claims 1, 8, and 15

Independent claims 1 (method), 8 (system), and 15 (computer-readable medium) of US8774834 describe a core functionality: receiving a request with a "plurality of letters" from a mobile device to identify points of interest (POIs) near its location, determining the device's location, finding a POI whose name begins with or contains the "plurality of letters," transmitting the POI's name, receiving a selection of that name, determining associated POI data, and transmitting that data to the mobile device.

This functionality would have been obvious to a PHOSITA by the priority date, combining existing location-based services with common mobile device text-input search paradigms.

Primary Prior Art: US6049711A (Teletrac, Inc.)

US Patent 6,049,711, "Method and apparatus for providing location-based information services," issued to Teletrac, Inc., describes a system that monitors the locations of mobile units and provides location-based information services to those units based on their location data. [cite: US6049711A] This patent clearly teaches the fundamental components of:

  • Receiving requests for location-based information services.
  • Determining the location of a mobile device.
  • Providing information services based on that location, which inherently includes transmitting information and potentially receiving user selections for more detailed data.

Secondary Prior Art / Common General Knowledge: Text-Based Search on Mobile Devices

By April 2004, the use of partial text input (i.e., a "plurality of letters") for searching and filtering lists of data was a well-established and widely implemented feature on mobile devices (e.g., cell phones, PDAs). Users routinely typed the first few letters of a contact's name to find them in a phonebook, or the beginning of a website address, or search terms into rudimentary mobile web browsers. This technique was known to significantly enhance user efficiency and experience by reducing input effort and quickly narrowing down results on devices with limited input methods (e.g., numerical keypads used for T9 text input).

Motivation to Combine and Mapping to Claims

A PHOSITA would have been motivated to combine the location-based information services taught by Teletrac with the common, efficient text-based search techniques prevalent on mobile devices to improve the specificity and ease of searching for Points of Interest within a location-based service context. The motivation would be to provide users with a faster and more intuitive way to find specific businesses or locations by name rather than relying solely on browsing categories or full lists.

Applying this combination to the elements of Claims 1, 8, and 15:

  1. Receiving a request to identify points of interest near a location of the mobile device, wherein the request comprises a plurality of letters: Teletrac teaches receiving requests for location-based information. [cite: US6049711A] A PHOSITA, recognizing the benefits of partial text input for searching on mobile devices, would find it obvious to enable users to include a "plurality of letters" (e.g., the beginning of a name) in their request to specify the desired POI more precisely.
  2. Determining the location of the mobile device: This is explicitly taught by Teletrac as "obtaining location data for at least one of the mobile units." [cite: US6049711A]
  3. Determining a point of interest having a name comprising a first portion, the first portion comprising the plurality of letters: Given that Teletrac's system provides "information services" and thus implies access to a database of information (like POIs), performing a database query to find entries whose names match the "plurality of letters" provided in the request is a routine and obvious database operation for a PHOSITA.
  4. Transmitting the name of the point of interest to the mobile device: Teletrac's system providing "location-based information services" inherently involves transmitting relevant information, such as the names of identified POIs, back to the mobile device. [cite: US6049711A]
  5. Receiving, from the mobile device, an indication of a selection of the name of the point of interest: It is a fundamental aspect of interactive information systems, especially on mobile devices with limited screen real estate, to allow users to select an item from a list of search results to view more details. This would have been obvious to a PHOSITA designing any interactive service.
  6. Determining point of interest data associated with the point of interest; and As part of providing "location-based information services," Teletrac's underlying database would naturally store detailed data (e.g., address, phone number) associated with each POI. [cite: US6049711A]
  7. Transmitting the point of interest data associated with the point of interest to the mobile device: Upon user selection, transmitting the detailed POI data is a logical and obvious continuation of providing "information services." [cite: US6049711A]

Dependent Claims

  • Claim 2 (and 9, 16) - Plurality of letters comprises four letters: Specifying "four letters" is an arbitrary design choice for the length of the partial input. A PHOSITA would readily determine an optimal number of characters (e.g., 3, 4, or 5) to balance input effort and search result specificity, depending on the dataset and interface constraints. This is a matter of routine optimization, not invention.
  • Claims 3, 4, 5, 6 (and 10, 11, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19) - Expanding geographical radius: The concept of expanding a search radius when no results are found within an initial range, and allowing a user to select a new radius, is a common and obvious user interface enhancement for location-based search applications. This addresses user frustration when initial searches yield no results and encourages further interaction. This functionality would be an obvious design choice for any PHOSITA aiming to improve the robustness and user-friendliness of an LBS (e.g., as exemplified by services like Maps.com mentioned in the patent's background).

Therefore, the claimed invention in US8774834 would have been obvious to a PHOSITA by the priority date of April 15, 2004.

Generated 7/16/2026, 12:45:57 PM

Extensions

Patent term adjustments, term extensions, continuations, divisionals, family members, and expiration dates.

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Derivative works

Defensive disclosure: derivative variations of each claim designed to render future incremental improvements obvious or non-novel.

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