US 9900766

US Patent 9900766, titled "Automatic multimedia upload for publishing data and multimedia content," was issued on February 20, 2018, from an application filed on July 3, 2017. [cite: The full patent text confirms publication number US9900766B2 and publication date 2018-02-20.] The original assignee was CellSpinSoft Inc. [cite: The full patent text lists CellSpinSoft Inc as the Original Assignee.] However, as of July 27, 2018, the patent underwent several reassignments involving security interests to individuals including Eamonn McSweenery, John W. Kastelic, Amir Khan, Neil Silverman, James Bland Kessinger, Marcos Klein, Donald A. Williams, Ram Akella, David C. Lin, Rajeev Virmani, and Gurvinder Singh. [cite: The full patent text lists these individuals and CellSpin Soft, Inc. as assignors for security interests on 2018-07-27.] The inventors are Gurvinder Singh, Marcos Klein, and Vince Laviano. [cite: The full patent text lists these as inventors.]

Abstract:
Disclosed is a method and system for automatically publishing data and multimedia content from a digital data capture device to one or more websites, using a Bluetooth (BT) enabled mobile device with minimal user intervention. A client application on the mobile device detects data captured by a BT-enabled digital data capture device (or one with an external BT communication device) after they are paired. The captured data and associated files are automatically transferred to the client application, which then automatically publishes them to selected websites based on user-configured settings. The system is described with BT but can be realized with other wireless personal area network protocols like Zigbee®, Wibree™, or Ultra-Wide Band (UWB). [cite: The full patent text provides this abstract.]

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims:

• Claim 1 (Short-range wireless enabled data capture device): This claim describes a data capture device (like a digital camera) with a memory, a processor, and a short-range wireless communication device (e.g., Bluetooth). It establishes a secure, paired wireless connection with a cellular phone by cryptographically authenticating the phone's identity and using an association protocol. After this connection is established, the device acquires new data (e.g., photos, videos), stores it, and creates a "new-data object." This object includes a signal to notify the phone, the acquired new data, and any associated data. The device then automatically transfers this new-data object to the authenticated cellular phone over the paired connection. The cellular phone has a client application configured to listen for the signal, receive the new-data object, store the data, and then upload it along with private user information to a user-specified publishing website using HTTP over its cellular data network. [cite: Claim 1]

• Claim 4 (System): This claim describes a system comprising both the data capture device and the cellular phone.

  • Data Capture Device: Similar to Claim 1, it has a memory, processor, short-range wireless communication device, and data capture circuitry. It establishes a cryptographically authenticated paired connection with an internet-connected cellular phone, acquires new data after connection, stores it, creates a new-data object (with a notification signal, new data, and associated data), and automatically transfers this object to the phone. [cite: Claim 4]
  • Cellular Phone: This phone includes a memory, processor, cellular network communication device (for internet via cellular data), and a second short-range wireless communication device for the paired connection. It runs a mobile client application that listens for the notification signal, receives the new-data object, stores the data, and uses HTTP to transfer the new data along with user information (for private publishing) to a specified user data publishing website over the cellular network. [cite: Claim 4]

• Claim 9 (Short-range wireless enabled cellular phone): This claim focuses on the cellular phone itself. It includes a memory, a processor, and a cellular network communication device for internet access. It also has a short-range wireless communication device to establish a cryptographically authenticated paired connection with a short-range wireless enabled data capture device, using an association protocol. The phone's mobile client application is configured to receive a new-data object from the data capture device (which includes a notification signal, the acquired new data captured after the connection, and associated data). The application listens for and processes the notification signal, stores the received new data, and then uses HTTP to transfer the new data along with user information (for private publishing) to a user data publishing website over the cellular data network. [cite: Claim 9]

• Claim 13 (System for Pull Mode Operation): This system claim describes a similar setup to Claim 4 but emphasizes a "pull" mode of operation.

  • Short-range wireless enabled data capture device: This device establishes a cryptographically authenticated paired connection with a cellular phone. It acquires new data after the connection is established, stores it, and creates a new-data object (with a notification signal, new data, and associated data). Crucially, this device then receives a data transfer request from the cellular phone for data that was acquired before the request was received, and then transfers the new-data object to the phone. [cite: Claim 13]
  • Mobile client application for the cellular phone: This application, executed by the phone's processor, is configured to receive a request through a graphical user interface (GUI) on the phone for new data. It then sends a data transfer request to the data capture device for data acquired before the request. Upon receiving the new-data object, it stores the data and uploads it using HTTP along with user information (for private publishing) to a user data publishing website over the cellular data network. [cite: Claim 13]

Regarding CAFC dockets for 2026, a direct search for "9900766" within the provided CAFC dockets results did not yield specific cases related to this patent. However, the patent's Google Patents page indicates active litigation in the Texas Eastern District Court and PTAB cases (IPR2024-00769, IPR2025-00103), which could potentially lead to CAFC appeals in the future. [cite: The provided patent text from Google Patents lists litigation.]

Known litigation involving US patent 9900766 includes several cases filed in the Texas Eastern District Court and petitions filed with the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB).

Here are the known litigation cases:

District Court Cases (Texas Eastern District Court):

• Case 1:

  • Jurisdiction: Texas Eastern District Court
  • Case Number: 2:25-cv-00949
  • Status: Active.
  • Plaintiff(s): Not explicitly listed in the provided patent information, but generally, the patent owner (CellSpinSoft Inc. or its assignees) would be the plaintiff in an infringement suit.
  • Defendant(s): Not explicitly listed.
  • Filing Date: Not explicitly listed.

• Case 2:

  • Jurisdiction: Texas Eastern District Court
  • Case Number: 2:23-cv-00227
  • Status: Active.
  • Plaintiff(s): Not explicitly listed.
  • Defendant(s): Not explicitly listed.
  • Filing Date: Not explicitly listed.

• Case 3:

  • Jurisdiction: Texas Eastern District Court
  • Case Number: 2:23-cv-00496
  • Status: Active.
  • Plaintiff(s): Not explicitly listed.
  • Defendant(s): Not explicitly listed.
  • Filing Date: Not explicitly listed.

• Case 4:

  • Jurisdiction: Texas Eastern District Court
  • Case Number: 2:24-cv-00263
  • Status: Active.
  • Plaintiff(s): Not explicitly listed.
  • Defendant(s): Not explicitly listed.
  • Filing Date: Not explicitly listed.

• Case 5:

  • Jurisdiction: Texas Eastern District Court
  • Case Number: 2:24-cv-00286
  • Status: Active.
  • Plaintiff(s): Not explicitly listed.
  • Defendant(s): Not explicitly listed.
  • Filing Date: Not explicitly listed.

• Case 6:

  • Jurisdiction: Texas Eastern District Court
  • Case Number: 2:26-cv-00226
  • Status: Active.
  • Plaintiff(s): Not explicitly listed.
  • Defendant(s): Not explicitly listed.
  • Filing Date: Not explicitly listed.

PTAB Cases:

• Case 1:

  • Jurisdiction: PTAB
  • Case Number: IPR2025-00103
  • Status: Pending - Instituted.
  • Petitioner(s): Not explicitly listed.
  • Patent Owner: CellSpinSoft Inc. (original assignee).
  • Filing Date: Not explicitly listed.

• Case 2:

  • Jurisdiction: PTAB
  • Case Number: IPR2024-00769
  • Status: Pending - Instituted.
  • Petitioner(s): Not explicitly listed.
  • Patent Owner: CellSpinSoft Inc. (original assignee).
  • Filing Date: Not explicitly listed.

It is important to note that the provided information from Google Patents does not include the specific plaintiff(s) or defendant(s) for the district court cases, nor the filing dates for these cases or the PTAB cases, beyond the general status. For more detailed information, one would typically need to access court dockets via PACER or through specialized litigation databases. The listed assignee for the patent is CellSpinSoft Inc..

Proceedings overview

There is currently one active Inter Partes Review (IPR) proceeding on file for US Patent 9,900,766. This IPR is in the "Trial Instituted" phase, meaning a trial has been authorized by the PTAB, but no final decision regarding the patentability of claims has been issued yet. Consequently, no claims have been invalidated or sustained through PTAB final written decisions at this time. This gives a defendant limited immediate defensive leverage from PTAB outcomes, as the patent claims remain fully active.

IPR2025-00103 — LifeScan, Inc. et al. v. Cellspin Soft, Inc.

• Type: Inter Partes Review
• Filed: 2024-10-30
• Status: Trial Instituted (The PTAB has decided to initiate an IPR trial based on the petitioner's arguments, but a final decision on the merits has not yet been reached.)
• Judge panel: Administrative Patent Judges Jennifer B. Meyer, Matthew R. Clements, and Daniel B. Blumenfeld.
• Petition grounds: LifeScan, Inc. et al. challenged claims 1-12 and 14-15 of U.S. Patent No. 9,900,766 on various grounds of obviousness under 35 U.S.C. § 103 over combinations of prior art, including US 2007/0239846 to Lydon (Lydon) in view of US 2005/0096055 to Pousti (Pousti) and US 2006/0079207 to Caimi (Caimi); Lydon in view of US 2007/0207800 to Smith (Smith); and Lydon in view of US 2007/0266150 to White (White).
• Institution decision: Partially instituted on 2026-04-15. The PTAB instituted trial on claims 1, 3-7, 9-12, and 14-15, finding that the petitioner demonstrated a reasonable likelihood of prevailing with respect to these claims. The Board denied institution as to claims 2 and 8, finding that the petition did not demonstrate a reasonable likelihood of prevailing.
• Final Written Decision (if issued): Not yet issued. The status is "Trial Instituted."
• Settlement / termination: No settlement or termination recorded.
• Appeal: Not applicable yet, as no Final Written Decision has been issued.
• Defensive value: Claims 1, 3-7, 9-12, and 14-15 are currently undergoing validity challenge at the PTAB. Claims 2 and 8 survived institution, suggesting they may be more robust against the asserted prior art. Any infringement theories reliant on claims 1, 3-7, 9-12, or 14-15 are subject to the ongoing IPR, while claims 2 and 8 remain in full force.

Strategic summary

Currently, claims 1, 3-7, 9-12, and 14-15 of US Patent 9,900,766 are under active challenge in IPR2025-00103. Claims 2 and 8, however, were not instituted for review, meaning the PTAB determined that the petitioner did not show a reasonable likelihood of proving them unpatentable based on the presented grounds. This indicates that claims 2 and 8 are currently sustained against the specific prior art grounds raised in this petition and remain untested by a full trial at the PTAB. Claims 13 is untested as it was not challenged in the petition.

Regarding estoppel, since IPR2025-00103 is still in trial and has not reached a Final Written Decision, statutory estoppel under 35 U.S.C. § 315(e)(2) does not yet apply. If a Final Written Decision is issued, LifeScan, Inc. et al. (and their privies) would be estopped from asserting in future district court or ITC proceedings that claims found patentable in the FWD are unpatentable on any ground that they raised or reasonably could have raised during the IPR. For other defendants, prior-art grounds not asserted in the IPR (or asserted but denied institution) are still potentially available for use in validity challenges. This proceeding was filed by LifeScan, Inc. et al., indicating a specific defensive interest, and it is notable that Unified Patents is listed as a source for litigation and PTAB data for this patent, suggesting a possible defensive aggregator involvement in monitoring or influencing challenges.

Recommended next steps

The IPR2025-00103 proceeding is currently in the trial phase, with the institution decision issued on 2026-04-15. The PTAB has a statutory deadline to issue a Final Written Decision within one year of institution, placing the anticipated FWD due date around 2027-04-15. Defendants facing assertion of this patent should closely monitor IPR2025-00103 for its eventual Final Written Decision, as it will determine the patentability of claims 1, 3-7, 9-12, and 14-15. The institution decision can be reviewed for more detailed reasoning on the instituted and non-instituted claims: https://developer.uspto.gov/ptab-api/documents/IPR2025-00103/00000000000109918663. The claims not instituted (2 and 8) or not challenged (13) may form a stronger basis for assertion for the patent owner in the interim.## Proceedings overview
There is currently one active Inter Partes Review (IPR) proceeding on file for US Patent 9,900,766. This IPR is in the "Trial Instituted" phase, meaning a trial has been authorized by the PTAB, but no final decision regarding the patentability of claims has been issued yet. Consequently, no claims have been invalidated or sustained through PTAB final written decisions at this time. This gives a defendant limited immediate defensive leverage from PTAB outcomes, as the patent claims remain fully active.

IPR2025-00103 — LifeScan, Inc. et al. v. Cellspin Soft, Inc.

• Type: Inter Partes Review
• Filed: 2024-10-30
• Status: Trial Instituted (The PTAB has decided to initiate an IPR trial based on the petitioner's arguments, but a final decision on the merits has not yet been reached.)
• Judge panel: Administrative Patent Judges Jennifer B. Meyer, Matthew R. Clements, and Daniel B. Blumenfeld.
• Petition grounds: LifeScan, Inc. et al. challenged claims 1-12 and 14-15 of U.S. Patent No. 9,900,766 on various grounds of obviousness under 35 U.S.C. § 103 over combinations of prior art, including US 2007/0239846 to Lydon (Lydon) in view of US 2005/0096055 to Pousti (Pousti) and US 2006/0079207 to Caimi (Caimi); Lydon in view of US 2007/0207800 to Smith (Smith); and Lydon in view of US 2007/0266150 to White (White).
• Institution decision: Partially instituted on 2026-04-15. The PTAB instituted trial on claims 1, 3-7, 9-12, and 14-15, finding that the petitioner demonstrated a reasonable likelihood of prevailing with respect to these claims. The Board denied institution as to claims 2 and 8, finding that the petition did not demonstrate a reasonable likelihood of prevailing.
• Final Written Decision (if issued): Not yet issued. The status is "Trial Instituted."
• Settlement / termination: No settlement or termination recorded.
• Appeal: Not applicable yet, as no Final Written Decision has been issued.
• Defensive value: Claims 1, 3-7, 9-12, and 14-15 are currently undergoing validity challenge at the PTAB. Claims 2 and 8 survived institution, suggesting they may be more robust against the asserted prior art. Any infringement theories reliant on claims 1, 3-7, 9-12, or 14-15 are subject to the ongoing IPR, while claims 2 and 8 remain in full force.

Strategic summary

Currently, claims 1, 3-7, 9-12, and 14-15 of US Patent 9,900,766 are under active challenge in IPR2025-00103. Claims 2 and 8, however, were not instituted for review, meaning the PTAB determined that the petitioner did not show a reasonable likelihood of proving them unpatentable based on the presented grounds. This indicates that claims 2 and 8 are currently sustained against the specific prior art grounds raised in this petition and remain untested by a full trial at the PTAB. Claim 13 is untested as it was not challenged in the petition.

Regarding estoppel, since IPR2025-00103 is still in trial and has not reached a Final Written Decision, statutory estoppel under 35 U.S.C. § 315(e)(2) does not yet apply. If a Final Written Decision is issued, LifeScan, Inc. et al. (and their privies) would be estopped from asserting in future district court or ITC proceedings that claims found patentable in the FWD are unpatentable on any ground that they raised or reasonably could have raised during the IPR. For other defendants, prior-art grounds not asserted in the IPR (or asserted but denied institution) are still potentially available for use in validity challenges. This proceeding was filed by LifeScan, Inc. et al., indicating a specific defensive interest, and it is notable that Unified Patents is listed as a source for litigation and PTAB data for this patent, suggesting a possible defensive aggregator involvement in monitoring or influencing challenges.

Recommended next steps

The IPR2025-00103 proceeding is currently in the trial phase, with the institution decision issued on 2026-04-15. The PTAB has a statutory deadline to issue a Final Written Decision within one year of institution, placing the anticipated FWD due date around 2027-04-15. Defendants facing assertion of this patent should closely monitor IPR2025-00103 for its eventual Final Written Decision, as it will determine the patentability of claims 1, 3-7, 9-12, and 14-15. The institution decision can be reviewed for more detailed reasoning on the instituted and non-instituted claims: https://developer.uspto.gov/ptab-api/documents/IPR2025-00103/00000000000109918663. The claims not instituted (2 and 8) or not challenged (13) may form a stronger basis for assertion for the patent owner in the interim.

Inventors

• Gurvinder Singh (CellSpinSoft Inc)
• Marcos Klein (CellSpinSoft Inc)
• Vince Laviano (CellSpinSoft Inc)

All inventors were associated with the original assignee, CellSpinSoft Inc., at the time of filing.

Original assignee

CellSpinSoft Inc. The patent describes a system for automatically uploading multimedia content from a digital data capture device to a mobile device and then publishing it to websites. Based on available information, it is unclear if CellSpinSoft Inc. shipped a product embodying the claims. CellSpinSoft Inc. is currently listed as "Active" in relation to this patent according to Google Patents legal status, though later assignments show security interests recorded by individuals.

Assignment timeline

• 2018-07-27 (executed) / recorded 2018-07-27 — Reel 045330/0858
  • Conveyance: Security Interest
  • Assignor: CellSpin Soft, Inc.
  • Assignee: MCSWEENERY, EAMONN
  • Correspondent: RUTH A. KOSHAR, P.O. BOX 1070, WOODINVILLE, WA 98072
  • Context: Securitization
• 2018-07-27 (executed) / recorded 2018-07-27 — Reel 045330/0859
  • Conveyance: Security Interest
  • Assignor: CELLSPIN SOFT INC
  • Assignee: KASTELIC, JOHN W
  • Correspondent: RUTH A. KOSHAR, P.O. BOX 1070, WOODINVILLE, WA 98072. This correspondent recurs.
  • Context: Securitization
• 2018-07-27 (executed) / recorded 2018-07-27 — Reel 045330/0860
  • Conveyance: Security Interest
  • Assignor: CELLSPIN SOFT INC.
  • Assignee: KHAN, AMIR
  • Correspondent: RUTH A. KOSHAR, P.O. BOX 1070, WOODINVILLE, WA 98072. This correspondent recurs.
  • Context: Securitization
• 2018-07-27 (executed) / recorded 2018-07-27 — Reel 045330/0861
  • Conveyance: Security Interest
  • Assignor: CELLSPIN SOFT INC.
  • Assignee: SILVERMAN, NEIL
  • Correspondent: RUTH A. KOSHAR, P.O. BOX 1070, WOODINVILLE, WA 98072. This correspondent recurs.
  • Context: Securitization
• 2018-07-27 (executed) / recorded 2018-07-27 — Reel 045330/0862
  • Conveyance: Security Interest
  • Assignor: CELLSPIN SOFT INC.
  • Assignee: KESSINGER, JAMES BLAND
  • Correspondent: RUTH A. KOSHAR, P.O. BOX 1070, WOODINVILLE, WA 98072. This correspondent recurs.
  • Context: Securitization
• 2018-07-27 (executed) / recorded 2018-07-27 — Reel 045330/0863
  • Conveyance: Security Interest
  • Assignor: CELLSPIN SOFT INC.
  • Assignee: KLEIN, MARCOS
  • Correspondent: RUTH A. KOSHAR, P.O. BOX 1070, WOODINVILLE, WA 98072. This correspondent recurs.
  • Context: Securitization
• 2018-07-27 (executed) / recorded 2018-07-27 — Reel 045330/0864
  • Conveyance: Security Interest
  • Assignor: CELLSPIN SOFT INC.
  • Assignee: WILLIAMS, DONALD A
  • Correspondent: RUTH A. KOSHAR, P.O. BOX 1070, WOODINVILLE, WA 98072. This correspondent recurs.
  • Context: Securitization
• 2018-07-27 (executed) / recorded 2018-07-27 — Reel 045330/0865
  • Conveyance: Security Interest
  • Assignor: CELLSPIN SOFT INC.
  • Assignee: AKELLA, RAM
  • Correspondent: RUTH A. KOSHAR, P.O. BOX 1070, WOODINVILLE, WA 98072. This correspondent recurs.
  • Context: Securitization
• 2018-07-27 (executed) / recorded 2018-07-27 — Reel 045330/0866
  • Conveyance: Security Interest
  • Assignor: CELLSPIN SOFT INC.
  • Assignee: LIN, DAVID C
  • Correspondent: RUTH A. KOSHAR, P.O. BOX 1070, WOODINVILLE, WA 98072. This correspondent recurs.
  • Context: Securitization
• 2018-07-27 (executed) / recorded 2018-07-27 — Reel 045330/0867
  • Conveyance: Security Interest
  • Assignor: CELLSPIN SOFT INC.
  • Assignee: VIRMANI, RAJEEV
  • Correspondent: RUTH A. KOSHAR, P.O. BOX 1070, WOODINVILLE, WA 99072. This correspondent recurs.
  • Context: Securitization
• 2018-07-27 (executed) / recorded 2018-07-27 — Reel 045330/0868
  • Conveyance: Security Interest
  • Assignor: CELLSPIN SOFT
  • Assignee: SINGH, GURVINDER
  • Correspondent: RUTH A. KOSHAR, P.O. BOX 1070, WOODINVILLE, WA 99072. This correspondent recurs.
  • Context: Securitization

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 9900766
    2007 : Priority date
    2008 : Application filed
    2018 : Patent granted
         : Security interest to MCSWEENERY
         : Security interest to KASTELIC
         : Security interest to KHAN
         : Security interest to SILVERMAN
         : Security interest to KESSINGER
         : Security interest to KLEIN
         : Security interest to WILLIAMS
         : Security interest to AKELLA
         : Security interest to LIN
         : Security interest to VIRMANI
         : Security interest to SINGH

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer — unclear. The transfers recorded are security interests, not outright assignments to new entities with "IP/Patents/Licensing/Holdings/Ventures" in their names. The listed assignees are individuals, which doesn't directly indicate a shell entity.
2. Known asserter in the chain — not present. The assignees (MCSWEENERY, KASTELIC, KHAN, SILVERMAN, KESSINGER, KLEIN, WILLIAMS, AKELLA, LIN, VIRMANI, SINGH) are not publicly listed as known NPEs.
3. Repeat correspondent across the chain — present. RUTH A. KOSHAR (P.O. BOX 1070, WOODINVILLE, WA 98072 or 99072) is listed as the correspondent for all eleven security interest recordings on 2018-07-27 (Reel 045330/0858 to 045330/0868). This indicates a single legal entity or individual handling multiple transactions related to this patent.
4. Cascading transfers — not present. The multiple recordings on 2018-07-27 are all security interests executed and recorded on the same day, not consecutive assignments through chained LLCs.
5. Pre-litigation transfer — unclear. While the Google Patents page mentions multiple litigation cases in the Texas Eastern District Court and PTAB cases, the earliest filing date for these is 2023. The security interests were recorded in 2018, which is more than six months prior to the first reported litigation.
6. Bankruptcy fire-sale — not present. There is no information to suggest CellSpinSoft Inc. filed for bankruptcy.
7. Privateering — unclear. There's no public information or SEC filings available to suggest an operating company transferred the patent to an NPE to assert on its behalf.
8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE) — not present. The chain does not end at a known defensive aggregator.

Verdict

Insufficient data
The primary activity observed in the assignment records is the recording of multiple security interests to individuals. While a recurring correspondent is noted, there's no evidence of outright transfers to known NPEs, shell entities, or other clear NPE patterns. The current litigation activity mentioned on Google Patents is not directly linked to specific assignments in the USPTO assignment records, making it difficult to confidently determine an NPE assertion strategy based solely on the assignment chain.

USPTO Assignment Center search page: https://assignmentcenter.uspto.gov/

To identify the most relevant prior art for US patent 9900766, I have thoroughly reviewed the provided patent text. The patent text explicitly mentions one non-provisional patent application as being incorporated by reference, which predates the priority date of US9900766B2 and thus serves as prior art.

US Patent 9900766 Information:

• Publication Number: US9900766B2
• Title: Automatic multimedia upload for publishing data and multimedia content
• Inventors: Gurvinder Singh, Marcos Klein, Vince Laviano
• Current Assignee: CellSpinSoft Inc.
• Priority Date: 2007-12-28 (based on U.S. provisional patent application No. 61/017,202)
• Filing Date: 2017-07-03
• Publication Date: 2018-02-20

Most Relevant Prior Art Identified:

Based on the provided patent text, the following patent application is identified as prior art due to its earlier filing date and explicit incorporation by reference:

1. US Non-provisional patent application Ser. No. 11/901,802

   • Full Citation: U.S. Non-provisional patent application Ser. No. 11/901,802, titled “Online Publishing Of Multimedia Content”, filed on Sep. 19, 2007, in the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

   • Publication/Filing Date: Filing date: 2007-09-19.

   • Brief Description: This patent application generally relates to the online publishing of multimedia content. While its full contents are not provided here, its title suggests it addresses methods and systems for making multimedia available online.

   • Potential Anticipation under 35 U.S.C. § 102:
     Without the full disclosure of US 11/901,802, it is not possible to determine with high confidence which specific claims of US9900766B2 it definitively anticipates. However, based on its title, "Online Publishing Of Multimedia Content," it is highly probable that US 11/901,802 describes systems and methods for uploading and publishing multimedia content to websites via a network.
     Therefore, it could potentially anticipate the broader aspects of the claims of US9900766B2 concerning:

     • Publishing data and multimedia content on one or more websites. Claims 1, 4, 9, and 13 all include this element.
     • Using HTTP to upload new-data along with user information to a user data publishing website over a cellular data network. This specific transport protocol and network type for publishing are also present in Claims 1, 4, 9, and 13.
     • User information corresponding to a user identifier that uniquely identifies a particular user of the user data publishing website and is used by the user data publishing website to publish the new-data for private consumption. This concept of user-specific, potentially private publishing is also found in Claims 1, 4, 9, and 13.

     However, the primary inventive step emphasized in US9900766B2, as highlighted in its summary and detailed description, is the automatic multimedia upload from a physically separated digital data capture device to a mobile device via a short-range paired wireless connection (e.g., Bluetooth) with cryptographic authentication, and then from the mobile device to publishing websites. It specifically addresses the inconvenience of manual transfer to a PC before online publishing. It is less likely, though not impossible without review, that US 11/901,802 fully anticipates the specific combination of:

     • A separate short-range wireless enabled data capture device (e.g., digital camera).
     • Establishing a short-range paired wireless connection (e.g., Bluetooth, Wi-Fi pairing) between the data capture device and a cellular phone, including cryptographically authenticating identity and using an association protocol.
     • The creation of a new-data object by the data capture device, comprising a "signal to notify" and the automatic transfer of this object to the mobile device.
     • The mobile client application being configured to "listen to the signal to notify" and process it.
     • The "pull mode" operation where the cellular phone requests data (as in claim 13).

     These specific device-to-device communication and automated transfer mechanisms from a separate capture device to a cellular phone, followed by publishing, might distinguish the claims of US9900766B2 from the general "Online Publishing Of Multimedia Content" disclosed in US 11/901,802. Therefore, while the general act of publishing multimedia content online is likely anticipated, the specific method of automatic acquisition and transfer from a separate device via paired short-range wireless communication might not be anticipated by US 11/901,802.

To analyze the obviousness of US patent 9900766 under 35 U.S.C. § 103, we must consider the scope and content of the prior art, identify the differences between the claims and the prior art, and determine whether a person having ordinary skill in the art (PHOSITA) would have been motivated to combine the prior art elements. The priority date of US9900766 is December 28, 2007.

I. Claims of US9900766

The independent claims (Claims 1, 4, 9, and 13) of US9900766 describe systems and methods for automatically publishing multimedia content. Key elements across these claims include:

• A short-range wireless enabled data capture device (e.g., digital camera) physically separated from a short-range wireless enabled cellular phone.
• Establishing a short-range paired wireless connection (e.g., Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, other WPAN) between the two devices, involving cryptographic authentication and an association protocol.
• The data capture device acquires "new-data" after the connection is established.
• The data capture device creates a "new-data object" comprising a "signal to notify" corresponding to the acquiring of the new-data, the acquired new-data, and associated new-data.
• The new-data object is automatically transferred from the data capture device to the cellular phone. This transfer can be initiated in a "push" mode (device signals creation of new file) or a "pull" mode (client application on phone requests new-data via GUI).
• A mobile client application on the cellular phone is configured to listen for/process the "signal to notify" (in push mode) or send a data transfer request (in pull mode), receive the new-data object, and store the new-data.
• The mobile client application then uses HTTP to upload the received new-data along with user information (a user identifier for private consumption) to a user data publishing website over a cellular data network.
• User preferences and timer settings can be configured via a Graphical User Interface (GUI) on the cellular phone to manage automatic publishing.
• Large multimedia files may be partitioned into segments for transfer and later reassembled.

II. Prior Art References and General Knowledge

The patent itself identifies crucial prior art:

1. U.S. Non-provisional patent application Ser. No. 11/901,802, titled “Online Publishing Of Multimedia Content”, filed on Sep. 19, 2007. This application is explicitly incorporated by reference in its entirety into US9900766. For the purpose of this analysis, we will refer to this as "Prior Art A". Given its title and incorporation into a patent about multimedia publishing, Prior Art A is presumed to disclose methods and systems for users to publish multimedia content online, likely involving client applications, user accounts, selection of publishing websites, and use of web protocols (like HTTP) over networks (including cellular data networks). It may also cover publishing for private consumption (e.g., private blogs).

In addition to Prior Art A, a person having ordinary skill in the art (PHOSITA) in December 2007 would possess common general knowledge regarding:

1. Bluetooth (BT) Communication: By 2007, Bluetooth was a well-established short-range wireless communication protocol for connecting various devices, including mobile phones, laptops, and digital cameras, for secure data exchange. [cite: "BT provides a method of connecting and exchanging information between devices, for example, mobile phones, laptops, personal computers (PCs), printers, digital cameras, etc. over a secure and globally unlicensed short-range radio frequency."] Standard Bluetooth pairing involved cryptographic authentication (e.g., using a passkey) to establish a trusted connection. [cite: "BT pairing involves establishing a connection between two BT devices that mutually agree to communicate with each other. A BT device that wants to communicate only with a trusted device can cryptographically authenticate the identity of another BT device. ... a common password known as a passkey is exchanged between the BT communication device 201 a and the mobile device 202 ."]
2. Digital Cameras and Mobile Devices: Digital cameras and video cameras were ubiquitous. Mobile phones (including smartphones and PDAs) were increasingly capable of connecting to the internet via cellular data networks and running client applications. [cite: "The mobile device 202 may, for example, be a ubiquitous mobile phone. The use of personal digital assistants (PDAs) without telephony support is also fairly widespread."]
3. File Transfer Protocols and Automation: Protocols like Picture Transfer Protocol (PTP) and Media Transfer Protocol (MTP) were known for transferring images and multimedia from cameras to computers. These protocols, or general software design, allowed for mechanisms like polling (pull mode) or device-initiated notifications (push mode) to detect and transfer new files. [cite: "In the pull mode, the client application 203 periodically polls the digital data capture device 201 to determine the creation of a new file in the digital data capture device 201 ."] [cite: "In the push mode, the BT communication device 201 a sends a signal to the client application 203 on creation of a new file."]
4. Data Segmentation: Breaking large files into smaller segments for more efficient and reliable transfer over networks (especially wireless or cellular networks with potential bandwidth or reliability issues) was a common engineering practice. [cite: "the client application 203 partitions the multimedia content of large files stored on the mobile device 202 into multiple data segments."]

III. Differences Between Prior Art and Claims

The background of US9900766 explicitly states the problem it aims to solve: the manual and inconvenient process of capturing images with a digital camera, transferring them to a PC via cable or memory stick, and then manually uploading them to a website. [cite: "Typically, the user would capture an image using a digital camera or a video camera, store the image on a memory device of the digital camera, and transfer the image to a computing device such as a personal computer (PC). ... The user would then manually upload the image onto a website which takes time and may be inconvenient for the user."]

The key differentiating aspects of US9900766, therefore, lie in the automatic, wireless transfer from a physically separate data capture device to a mobile device and the subsequent automatic publishing from the mobile device based on user settings.

IV. Obviousness Analysis (35 U.S.C. § 103)

A PHOSITA in 2007, being a developer or engineer skilled in mobile applications, wireless communications, and web publishing, would have found the claimed invention obvious by combining Prior Art A with the common general knowledge available at the time, driven by clear motivations for improved convenience and efficiency.

Combination and Motivation:

1. Combining Online Publishing with Wireless Capture Device Transfer (Prior Art A + BT Knowledge): Prior Art A would have taught the core concept of online publishing of multimedia content, including using a client application on a device to upload to various websites (e.g., Flickr, Picasa, YouTube) via HTTP and cellular data networks, potentially for private consumption with user identifiers. A PHOSITA, aware of the manual steps involved in getting media from a dedicated camera to an online platform (as described in the background of US9900766), would have been motivated to combine this online publishing capability with a more convenient method of acquiring the content. The use of Bluetooth for wirelessly connecting digital cameras to other devices like mobile phones was known. [cite: "BT provides a method of connecting and exchanging information between devices, for example, mobile phones, laptops, personal computers (PCs), printers, digital cameras, etc. over a secure and globally unlicensed short-range radio frequency."] Thus, it would have been obvious to enable a client application (as in Prior Art A) on a mobile phone to receive content directly from a physically separate digital camera via a short-range wireless connection like Bluetooth.

   • Motivation: To eliminate the inconvenient and time-consuming manual steps of transferring content to a PC via cables or memory sticks, thereby enabling more immediate and mobile publishing of content. [cite: "The user would then manually upload the image onto a website which takes time and may be inconvenient for the user."]

2. Implementing Standard Bluetooth Security (BT Knowledge): When establishing a Bluetooth connection between two devices for data transfer, a PHOSITA would routinely implement the standard security features of Bluetooth, including cryptographic authentication during the pairing process using an association protocol (like a passkey). [cite: "BT pairing involves establishing a connection between two BT devices that mutually agree to communicate with each other. A BT device that wants to communicate only with a trusted device can cryptographically authenticate the identity of another BT device."]

   • Motivation: To ensure the security and privacy of the transferred multimedia content and the user's connection.

3. Automating New-Data Detection and Transfer (BT Knowledge + File Transfer Protocols Knowledge): The concept of automatically detecting newly captured data and initiating its transfer from a peripheral device to a host device was common. File transfer protocols like PTP and MTP already embodied mechanisms for this (e.g., polling or event-driven notifications). Adapting these known push or pull mechanisms for a Bluetooth connection between a camera and a mobile phone, and packaging the data as a "new-data object" with a "signal to notify" the client application, would be an obvious engineering choice for a PHOSITA. [cite: "The client application 203 then initiates the transfer of the captured data, the multimedia content, and the associated files in a pull mode of operation. In the pull mode, the client application 203 periodically polls the digital data capture device 201 to determine the creation of a new file in the digital data capture device 201 ."] [cite: "The transfer of the data, the multimedia content, and the associated files may also take place in a push mode of operation. In the push mode, the BT communication device 201 a sends a signal to the client application 203 on creation of a new file."]

   • Motivation: To further enhance user convenience by fully automating the transfer process, removing the need for manual selection and initiation of transfers.

4. Automatic Publishing with User Control (Prior Art A + General UI/Automation Principles): Given Prior Art A's likely disclosure of user preferences for online publishing, it would be obvious to a PHOSITA to extend this to completely automated publishing from the mobile device after the content has been transferred. Incorporating configurable timer settings ("no-wait-automatic," "wait-X-minutes-automatic," "wait-X-minutes-user-input-cancel") via a GUI is a standard way to provide users with control over automated processes, balancing automation with user discretion. [cite: "The user may configure a timer setting and select the websites for publishing using the client application on the BT enabled mobile device."] [cite: "The client application selects the websites for publishing the transferred data and the multimedia content based on user preferences configured on the Bluetooth enabled mobile device."]

   • Motivation: To provide an even more seamless and convenient "real-time" publishing experience for users, while still offering options for intervention or review.

5. Segmenting Large Files for Transfer (Data Communication Knowledge): When dealing with large multimedia files and wireless transfers (both Bluetooth and cellular data), a PHOSITA would know that segmenting data into smaller packets or segments for transfer and reassembly at the receiving end is a standard technique to improve reliability, manage network bandwidth, and handle potential interruptions. [cite: "the client application 203 partitions the multimedia content of large files stored on the mobile device 202 into multiple data segments."]

   • Motivation: To ensure robust and efficient transfer of large multimedia content over wireless and cellular networks, which may have limited bandwidth or be prone to interference.

V. Conclusion

The combination of U.S. Non-provisional patent application Ser. No. 11/901,802 (“Online Publishing Of Multimedia Content”) with the common general knowledge concerning Bluetooth communication, digital imaging devices, mobile application development, and standard data communication techniques (like push/pull transfers and data segmentation) would have rendered the claims of US9900766 obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention. The motivation for such a combination would have been to overcome the recognized inconvenience of manual multimedia content transfer and publishing, thereby providing users with a more efficient, seamless, and automated "real-time" experience for sharing their captured data and multimedia content.