ANNAPOLIS, Md., May 2, 2013 — (PRNewswire) —  TeleCommunication Systems, Inc. (TCS) (NASDAQ: TSYS), a world leader in highly reliable and secure mobile communication technology, today announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has issued TCS 11 patents during the first quarter of 2013 and two in the last quarter of 2012. TCS was also issued one additional foreign patent in 2012.

News Facts

The 13 new U.S. patents describe innovations in messaging, wireless data, mobile devices, public safety, GIS/mapping and solid state drive technologies and further strengthen these areas of TCS' intellectual property.

The USPTO issued one patent to TCS related to messaging:

• "Location Sensitive Messaging" (U.S. Patent 8,364,170)

This invention describes broad methods by which wireless devices within proximity of each other might exchange information, such as text messaging, images, voice messages or streaming video. Such proximity-based information exchanges could be used in dating services, vehicle-to-vehicle communications or person-to-person messaging systems that rely upon the relative location of the devices and a previously established relationship between the two parties, such as being part of the same chat group, existing in an address book or being part of a buddy service.

The USPTO issued two patents to TCS related to wireless data:

• "Method and System for Deploying Content to Wireless Devices" (U.S. Patent 8,364,821)
• "System and Method for Servers to Send Alerts to Connectionless Devices" (U.S. Patent 8,370,435)

The Method and System for Deploying Content to Wireless Devices patent describes transmission-efficient methods by which information can be sent to browsers within wireless devices using style sheets. This patent, with a priority filing date of 2000, allows data elements within an interface to be updated without requiring the retransmission of data that has not changed – a fundamental function of current wireless-based browser technology.

The System and Method for Servers to Send Alerts to Connectionless Devices patent describes a system and method of sending alerts from servers to multiple client devices over disparate fixed or wireless networks. These alerts can be generated with a server application and may include customer information. The delivery network described contains one or more gateways that convert the message into the protocol appropriate to the receiving device. With priority dates tracing back to 2000, both of these patents demonstrate the foresight and thought leadership that TCS possesses in the wireless data market.

The USPTO issued two patents to TCS related to mobile devices:

• "Location Privacy Selector" (U.S. Patent 8,315,599)
• "Telematics Basic Mobile Device Safety Interlock" (U.S. Patent 8,336,664)   

As location-based services become increasingly prevalent and useful to users of mobile devices, user privacy concerns are escalating. The Location Privacy Selector patent allows the user of a wireless device to easily change a device's settings for location privacy. In particular, the user changes the device's location privacy setting by simply sliding a visual pointer to the left to decrease their current level of privacy, or by sliding the visual pointer to the right to increase their level of privacy.

The Telematics Basic Mobile Device Safety Interlock patent describes a system and methods that control the driver's access to mobile services and applications while operating a vehicle. When a mobile subscriber is a passenger in any kind of ground transportation, it is perfectly safe to use a mobile device to access mobile services. However, when the mobile subscriber is driving a vehicle, the use of mobile services may pose a significant danger. Studies have shown that messaging while driving a vehicle can be more dangerous to both the vehicle driver and people nearby than drunk driving. This patent describes an in-vehicle system for controlling the driver's use of mobile devices and associated services (including voice, email and text messaging) through a synergistic interaction among the vehicle's telematics controller, wireless devices (including cell phones, smartphones, PDAs and wireless laptops) and a location infrastructure that detects the seat location of a transmitting mobile device.

The USPTO issued four patents to TCS related to public safety:

• "Enhanced E911 Network Access for Call Centers" (U.S. Patent 8,406,728)
• "Enhanced E911 Network Access For a Call Center Using Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) Messaging" (U.S. Patent 8,369,825)
• "Wireless Emergency Services Protocols Translator Between ANSI-41 and VoIP Emergency Services Protocols" (U.S. Patent 8,369,316)
• "Solutions for Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP 911) Location Services" (U.S. Patent 8,385,881)

Third-party call centers, such as those supporting automobile telematics, home or business alarms, often provide access to public safety services. The Enhanced E911 Network Access for Call Centers and the Enhanced 911 Network Access for Call Center Using Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) Messaging patents describe a system, apparatus and methods by which the originating caller's location can be used to route the call to the nearest public safety answering point. Because many of these third-party call centers provide regional or national coverage, using the IP-based calling methods described by the patents delivers more efficient and cost-effective call transport.    

The Wireless Emergency Services Protocols Translator Between ANSI-41 and VoIP Emergency Services Protocols patent describes an apparatus and method that allows a Voice over IP (VoIP) 9-1-1 call to be treated as if it were a wireless 9-1-1 call. Because many wireless operators are now offering at-home wireless services, the ability to treat such 9-1-1 calls as if they were wireless calls provides a consistent and often required treatment of calls originating from the wireless operator's network.

The Solutions for Voice over Internet Protocol Location Services patent describes systems and methods by which a mid-call update of a VoIP terminal can be provided via location update techniques currently used by public safety answering points. IP-based call systems are offering greater mobility, especially in campus environments and certain urban settings in which widespread IP-based call coverage has been deployed. In an emergency situation where the 9-1-1 caller is using an IP-based device, possibly even a wireless smartphone using local WiFi, the ability to retrieve mid-call location updates can be critical in dispatching the necessary life-saving emergency services to the caller's current location.

The USPTO issued three patents to TCS related to GIS/mapping:

• "Location Input Mistake Correction" (U.S. Patent 8,370,339)
• "Probabilistic Reverse Geocoding" (U.S. Patent 8,396,658)
• "Method and System for Saving and Retrieving Spatial Related Information" (U.S. Patent 8,390,480)

The Location Input Mistake Correction patent describes a method and apparatus that compares an input location parameter to a number of possible location parameter matches. These possible location parameter matches are ranked based on text editing methodology that quantifies the textual differences between the input location parameter and the possible location parameter. The best-ranked possible location parameter is then provided as a correction to the input location parameter. Users of location-based services applications are familiar with the challenge of correctly inputting a current location or desired destination and recognize the importance of having the auto-correction feature described by this patent.

The Probabilistic Reverse Geocoding patent describes methods of providing a more accurate location to a user's wireless navigation device in a congested area when the user apparently has left an intended route. Rather than relying solely on the GPS location of the device, which has inherent inaccuracies, further calculations are made related to the time it would take to travel from the last known location to a set of possible current locations; the best determination of the current location is then derived for re-route purposes.   

The Method and System for Saving and Retrieving Spatial Related Information patent describes a system and methods for the collection of location information along a delivery route from multiple devices over a period of time. Using the information gathered, the amount of time at each stop and the amount of time between each stop can be derived. Such information can be used for delivery route optimization. With a priority date of 2003, this patent addresses fundamental capabilities of value to product and service delivery providers.

The USPTO issued one patent to TCS related to solid state drive technology:

• "Rugged Solid State Hard Drive With Silicone Gel Damping" (U.S. Patent 8,379,381)

This patent describes a rugged hard drive that contains a PC board mounted in an enclosure in a plane that is between, and parallel to, two enclosure walls. The PC board is free to flex within the enclosure along an axis of the board when the hard drive is subjected to shock or vibration. The enclosure includes gaps between the board and the inner surfaces of the enclosure that are filled with silicone gel to cover electrical components on the board. The resultant enclosure greatly improves resistance to shock, vibration and oscillation, and the silicone gel increases heat and moisture resistance.