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In 1992, the release of the IBM Simon Personal Communicator signaled the emergence of a new class of mobile device, the “smart phone.” Smart phones demonstrated capabilities that went above and beyond simply making phone calls, capabilities that blurred the line between the telephone and the personal computer. Since those first early iterations, multi-functional devices have become increasingly commonplace in the consumer market. Some of the most recognizable devices in this space include the Palm Pre, the RIM Blackberry, various Google Android devices, and the Apple iPhone.

The Internet has become the gateway to the world’s information, integrating itself into the personal and professional lives of people across the globe. Wireless technology has in turn set the Internet free from its past constraints and allowed it to become mobile, facilitating open access anywhere a wireless access point exists. The IEEE 802.11 Wireless LAN communication standards have progressed, as well, allowing for faster and longer-range web access with the advent of 802.11b, 802.11g, and, with 802.11n, the promise of 10 times faster throughput over twice the distance.

As of April 2010, according to the electronic output of the USPTO’s Public PAIR system reports on patent assignment, Michael J. Strand holds one granted U.S. patent on Online Networked Signage which describes a way for information to flow out from a computer to another device. While the intended invention concerns controlling display sign outputs remotely over the internet, the claims themselves are broad and extend outside of the online networked signage innovation space.

In its recent patent lawsuit with Apple, Nokia claims that Apple’s iPad™ and iPhone™ products infringe five of its patents, four of which concern antenna arrangements and configurations.

M•CAM analytics have identified other documents in the innovation space that may contain critical elements of enabling technologies that predate key aspects of the innovations described in the claims of the Nokia portfolio. These documents include innovations both precedent to and concurrent with the asserted Nokia patents.

The patent lawsuit with The Huffington Post, Hollywood.com, and others, is the most recent in a line of litigation Fowler Woods LLC has filed against online radio websites and web application makers including Pandora Media, Inc. In this most recent suit, Fowler Woods claims that these companies infringe their patent on methods for displaying advertisements while audio is playing through an online application or website.