Prospectus
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PATENT LICENSE SUMMARY PROSPECTUS
Patented Technology For Customizing Wireless Communications in Venues
Smart Zone Technology
Opportunity
We are entertaining offers for license or sale of a patent portfolio developed by Dead Zone, LLC, including US Patent 9,681,358, US Patent 9.913,200, and US Patent 10,341,937 entitled “Dead Zone For Wireless Communication Device”, pending published US application 20170374603 entitled “Safety Disarm For Firearm”, pending published US application 20180302839 entitled “Dead Zone For Wireless Device”, and published US application 20190373532 entitled “Dead Zone In Small Cell Application”. These patents enable voice and/or data communication from the cellular network and wireless access points to be uniquely tailored to the particular requirements of a venue.
The patented technology has wide application in drone control; in-store shopping control; gun control (e.g., preventing firing of firearms by unauthorized users in places like hospitals, schools, churches, parks, and public venues); communication control and control of other functions of wireless devices in, e.g. restaurants, stores, hospitals, schools, movie theaters, theaters, art museums, concert venues, parks and public venues; communication control – wireless providers ; augmented reality application control. The patented technology can prevent a mobile terminal equipped with the technology from taking a photo, recording audio and/or video, making a voice call, texting, emailing, or internet browsing within the venue. It can prevent drone intrusions into venues, and other geographic areas. It can prevent shooting of innocent people in a venue by automatic and other firearms.
These patents claim priority back to October 2, 2008, giving them an early priority date for the technology that is covered.
Problem Addressed
Each year, drone intrusions are on the rise. Recently, two flights were diverted from Dubai due to suspected drones; a Pa. man was accused of using drone to drop explosives on an ex-girlfriend’s property; a drone was flown over Michigan Stadium during a game; drones nearly hit planes 117 Times in Ohio over five years; drones flying close to residential properties routinely invade homeowners’ sense of privacy.
Each year, mortar and brick stores are losing in-store sales from customers who experience the showroom of their products, but then purchase the products that they have viewed from online stores, which can offer discounts, since they are without the overhead of operating physical stores.
Each year, there are many shootings in the U.S. using uncontrolled firearms. Just a few recent examples include the Orlando nightclub shooting, the San Bernadino shooting, the Sandy Hook elementary school shooting, and the Aurora, Colorado movie theater shooting.
Each year, restaurants, stores, hospitals, schools, movie theaters, theaters, art museum, concert venue, parks and public venues not only have the experience of their patrons ruined by inappropriate use of wireless communication devices by other patrons, but also lose control of their ability to shape the experience they offer, due to patrons’ access to wireless services that fall outside the control of the venue. Voice calls in the library or a restaurant and camera use in such venues as movie theaters, theaters, art museums, concert venues or gym locker rooms continue to violate copyright, privacy and create other issues for establishments and the public.
The rise of augmented reality games and other applications is causing people to trespass onto private or public property, for example because virtual objects are placed “on” the private or public property. Additionally, virtual objects may be placed in inappropriate locations, such as in places of worship or cemeteries. This also leads to worries about whether people on publicly accessible property are there for the right reasons or merely there to play an augmented reality game.
With increasing focus on wireless communication intrusions across all economic sectors, we are entering a time of unprecedented opportunity for service providers who are able to provide more reliable technological solutions to uniquely tailoring the wireless communications permissible in a venue to the particular desires and requirements of the venue. These are precisely the areas that are addressed by the Smart Zone patents.
Background
Smart Zone filed a US provisional patent application directed to its core technology on October 2, 2008, followed by their first US utility application filing on September 30, 2009. The Smart Zone patents claim priority back to this early provisional filing.
Since 2009, Smart Zone has been granted three patents directed to its core technology, with an indication of allowable claims in a fourth patent filing and with fifth and sixth applications in examination. Additionally, Smart Zone is providing consulting services around the patented technology. Smart Zone is now looking to license or sell its patent portfolio to companies interested in uniquely tailoring wireless communications permissible in a venue to the particular desires and requirements of the venue.
Summary
The problem addressed by the Smart Zone portfolio is providing wireless communication restrictions and geographical restrictions on the functions of a wireless device in a manner that can be customized based on the location of the wireless device.
The Smart Zone portfolio overcomes this problem with a system and method for uniquely tailoring wireless communications and functions permissible in a venue to the particular desires and requirements of the venue.
The Smart Zone portfolio installs a restrictions database on either or both of the network and the wireless device, giving venues the ability to target all wireless devices connected to their network, or only particular wireless devices. Additionally, wireless devices that include a local restrictions database need not be in constant communication with the network for their communications and functions to be restricted.
Queries of the network, the wireless device, or both, based on conditions of the device, and matching those condition against the restricted conditions in the restriction databases determine whether the wireless communication to the wireless device or a function of the wireless device is to be restricted, how the wireless communication or function is to be restricted, and/or how the operation of the wireless device may be modified based on the conditions of the wireless device, such as the presence of the wireless device in a restricted space.
The restriction may disable one or more functions of the wireless device. As an illustrative application to drones, the restriction may prohibit a drone from entering a restricted space, taking off in a restricted space, or taking pictures of people in the privacy of their properties. As an illustrative application to a restaurant, art gallery, performance hall, or other public venue, the establishment may prevent a mobile terminal from taking a photo, audio, video, making a voice call, texting, emailing, or internet browsing within the establishment.
As an illustrative application to brick and mortar shopping, a store may prevent a customer from using his or her mobile terminal from placing orders or comparing prices with online stores while the customer is in the store, using the store’s showroom to examine products. As an illustrative application to firearms control, a firearm may be prevented from use based on the target the firearm is aiming at and/or the location at which the firearm is being used. As an illustrative application to augmented reality control, your establishment may prevent a mobile terminal from running an augmented reality application within your establishment.
Below is an overview of the system of the Smart Zone Patents.
A) U.S. 9,681,358; U.S. Patent 9.913,200; and U.S. Patent 10,341,937 - Restrictions database on both the network and the wireless device
The ‘358 Patent, the ‘200 Patent, and the ‘937 Patent are directed to the problem of restricting wireless communication to a wireless device when the wireless device is in a location in which some wireless communication is not permitted.
The problem addressed by the ‘358 Patent, the ‘200 Patent, and the ‘937 Patent is providing wireless communication restrictions to a wireless device in a manner that can be customized for the wireless device attempting to access wireless content while avoiding the need for a one set of restrictions database “shoe” applying to all wireless devices, as was the conventional way of doing this before the ‘358 Patent.
The patented solution of the ‘358 Patent, the ‘200 Patent, and the ‘937 Patent installs a restrictions database on both the network and the wireless device giving the wireless device both the benefits of a restrictions database on the wireless device and the benefits of a restrictions database on the network
B) U.S. Patent 10,341,937 - Restricting any action of a wireless device with a Dead Zone Service in the network and wireless device combination.
The ‘937 Patent entitled “Dead Zone for Wireless Communication Device” issued on July 2, 2019, with a priority date going all the way back to October 2, 2008.
The ‘937 Patent is directed to the problem of restricting wireless communication and any action of a wireless device when the wireless device is in a location in which some wireless communication or action is not permitted.
The ‘937 Patent addresses this problem by providing wireless communication and action restrictions to a wireless device in a manner that can be customized for the wireless device and other conditions, such as the location of the wireless device, while avoiding the need for a one set of restrictions database “shoe” applying to all wireless devices , as was the conventional way of doing this before the Smart Zone Patents.
The patented solution of the ‘937 Patent installs a restrictions database on both the network and the wireless device giving the wireless device both the benefits of a restrictions database on the wireless device and the benefits of a restrictions database on the network
Additionally, the ‘937 Patent enables the restriction of any action of a wireless device and provides a dead zone service in the network for making the network queries.
C) U.S. Patent 9.913,200 – Restricting any function of a wireless device with a Dead Zone Service in the network and wireless device combination
The ‘200 Patent entitled “Dead Zone for Wireless Communication Device” issued on March 6, 2018 with a priority date going all the way back to October 2, 2008.
The ‘200 Patent is directed to the problem of restricting wireless communication and other functions of a wireless device when the wireless device is in a location in which some wireless communication or function is not permitted.
The ‘200 Patent addresses this problem by providing wireless communication and function restrictions on a wireless device in a manner that can be customized for the wireless device or the particular conditions of a wireless device (e.g., geographic location), while avoiding the need for a one set of restrictions database “shoe” applying to all wireless devices, as was the conventional way of doing this before the Smart Zone Patents.
The patented solution of the ‘200 Patent installs a restrictions database on both the network and the wireless device giving the wireless device both the benefits of a restrictions database on the wireless device and the benefits of a restrictions database on the network
The ‘200 Patent restricts any function of a wireless device, based on any set of conditions.
D) U.S. 9,681,358 - Restricting the communication functions of a wireless device with Mobile Switching Center in the network and wireless device combination
The ‘358 Patent entitled “Dead Zone for Wireless Communication Device” issued on June 13, 2017 with a priority date going all the way back to October 2, 2008.
The ‘358 Patent is directed to the problem of restricting wireless communication and functions of a wireless device when the wireless device is in a location in which some wireless communication is not permitted.
The ‘358 Patent addresses this problem by providing wireless communication and function restrictions to a wireless device in a manner that can be customized for the wireless device, the functions being restricted, and the conditions of the wireless device (e.g., geographic location).
The patented solution of the ‘358 Patent installs a restrictions database on both the network and the wireless device giving the wireless device both the benefits of a restrictions database on the wireless device and the benefits of a restrictions database on the network.
Queries of the network, the wireless device, or both of conditions of the device, and matching those conditions against the conditions in the restriction database on the device or on the network determine whether the wireless communication and/or other functions of the wireless device are to be restricted, how the wireless communication and/or other functions are to be restricted, and/or how the operation of the wireless device may be modified based on the wireless device meeting one or more conditions, such as presence of the wireless device in a restricted space.
The ‘358 Patent restricts the communication functions of a wireless device and provides a Mobile Switching Center in the network for handling the network queries.
E) Published US application 20170374603 – Restricting action of a firearm on impermissible target recognition
The ‘603 Apn entitled “Safety Disarm For Firearm” has claims the PTO has indicated allowable. It was filed July 28, 2017 based on a provisional filing dated July 29, 2016 and is a continuation-in-art application of U.S. Patent 10,341,937 which claims a priority date going all the way back to October 2, 2008.
The ‘603 Apn is directed to the problem of restricting use of a firearm when the firearm is being used in a way that is not permitted.
The ‘603 Apn addresses this problem by imposing use restrictions on a firearm in a manner that allows the firearm to be used in the way it was intended to be used, while avoiding use to target unauthorized targets (e.g., people) or in a way in which it is unsafe.
The patented solution of the ‘603 Apn associates a database of restrictions with the firearm that includes data on a permitted target for enabling the firing of the firearm. If the firearm is aimed at a target that is not permitted, the firearm is disabled.
The database of restrictions is stored in a memory controlled by a processor that may be located on the firearm, a mobile device, or in the cloud.
The ‘603 Apn may apply further restrictions based on conditions like tampering with the smart controller associated with the firearm, biometric analysis, and over-ride of restrictions by military and law enforcement officials.
Below is an overview of the system of the ‘603 Apn.
F) Published US application 20180302839 - Take over control of functions of a wireless device when entering a location and a local restriction applies.
The ‘839 Apn entitled “Dead Zone For Wireless Device” is a pending application filed May 22, 2018 based on a provisional filing dated September 24, 2017 and is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. Patent 10,341,937 which claims a priority date going all the way back to October 2, 2008.
The ‘893 Apn is directed to the problem of restricting wireless communication and functions of a wireless device when the wireless device is in a location in which some wireless communication or function is not permitted.
The ‘893 Apn addresses this problem by imposing use restrictions on a wireless device in a manner that shapes the action, function, and/or permitted communications to/from the wireless device.
As an illustrative application to drones shown in the drawing below, the restriction may take over flight control of a drone or disable taking pictures of people in the privacy of their properties.
As an illustrative application to controlling access to a variety of image, video and/or audio (IVA) functions, shown in the drawing below, the restriction may take over control of the wireless device and enable/disable or modify functions of the wireless device based on the restrictions.
As an illustrative application to firearms control, shown in the drawing below, the restriction may take over control of the firearm and enable/disable the firearm based on the restrictions.
As an illustrative application to augmented reality control, shown in the drawing below, the restriction may take over control of the wireless device and enable/disable an augmented reality application based on the restrictions.
The ‘893 Apn takes over control of these and other functions of a wireless device when entering a location in which a local restriction applies.
G) Published US application 20190373532 - Customized Revenue Restrictions
The ‘532 Apn entitled “Dead Zone in Small Cell Application” is a pending application filed June 4, 2019 based on a provisional filing dated June 4, 2018 and is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. Patent 10,341,937 which claims a priority date going all the way back to October 2, 2008.
The ‘532 Apn is directed to the problem of restricting wireless communication and functions of a wireless device when the wireless device is in a location in which some wireless communication is not permitted.
The ‘532 Apn addresses this problem by employing small cells in networks as illustratively shown in the drawing below to impose use restrictions on a wireless device in a manner that shapes the action, function, and/or permitted communications to/from the wireless device.
The following drawing illustrates the wide range of restrictions that may be applied to shape the communications permitted by a mobile terminal in a location.
The drawing shows illustrative application to a restaurant, art gallery, performance hall, or other public venue shown in the drawing below. The establishment may prevent a mobile terminal from taking a photo, audio, video, making a voice call, texting, emailing, or internet browsing within the establishment. It also shows illustrative application to brick and mortar shopping, where a store may prevent a customer from using his or her mobile terminal to place orders with online stores offering steep discounts from the physical store, while experiencing the physical store’s showroom of products.
Product and Services Impacted
Any company or service interested in: (1) preventing a mobile terminal from taking a photo, audio, video, making a voice call, texting, emailing, or internet browsing within the venue; (2) preventing a drone intrusion into the venue or other geographic area; or (3) preventing killing shootings in a venue by automatic and other firearm should investigate the applicability of the portfolio and could benefit from licensing or purchasing the Smart Zone Patents.
Financial
Smart Zone is willing to entertain offers to license or buy the entire portfolio or individual patents in the portfolio on either a non-exclusive or an exclusive basis. If the patents are sold, they must all be sold to the same entity.
Communication of Potential Interest
Dead Zone, LLC is seeking interested parties who could benefit from the license or purchase of the Smart Zone portfolio. James Tiernan; Chief Technology Collaborator at Dead Zone, LLC, is managing the offering.
Any communication or inquiries relating to this Patent Opportunity or the contemplated transaction should be directed to:
James Tiernan
Chief Technology Collaborator
Smart Zone U.S.
Email address: James@SmartZoneUS.com