iPass Extends and Strengthens its Intellectual Property Position

iPass Inc (NASDAQ:IPAS), a leading provider of global mobile connectivity announced that it has been granted United States Patent no. 9,955,304 on April 24, covering a means for tracking the position of devices that are intermittently operable.

As quoted in the press release:

In short, this invention specifies the processes and methods by which a centralized, cloud-based server collects and processes data from an iPass SmartConnect™-enabled device in order to establish the exact geographic position of the device at a precise time. Since this invention specifies a method by which a moving, Wi-Fi-enabled device can be tracked, we expect several important use cases for this technology, particularly in global logistics applications in which an unmanned and unintelligent device will “call home,” reporting its precise location at a specific time. This capability has broad implications for the Internet of Things (IoT), as many businesses will save money and increase revenue by cost-effectively monitoring the movement of their assets, across town or across the globe.

The application for United States patent no. 9,955,304, “apparatus and method for tracking the position of an intermittently operable Wi-Fi tag,” was applied for on October 24, 2016.

This latest patent joins a rich portfolio of more than fifty US and international inventions related to mobile connectivity and intelligent connectivity management that are held by the company. One of these, US patent no. 9,736,748, granted August 15, 2017, allows a mobile device – such as a cellular phone – to switch between cellular and Wi-Fi networks, including a method by which network information is analyzed to determine the qualities of the signal and other network-related data. With the continued increase in data consumption and the trend of MNOs and MVNOs to use Wi-Fi offload to reduce costs and improve margins, this invention is fundamental in governing the means by which cellular data is offloaded to Wi-Fi.

“In a world that is increasingly mobile and has an insatiable appetite for data, having ubiquitous secure, reliable and high-quality connectivity is as fundamental as air, water, and food,” said Gary Griffiths, iPass president and CEO. “iPass is the pioneer in the field of managing mobile connectivity, as evident in our extensive patent portfolio. This latest patent is a major step in extending our heritage of helping people manage access to mobile data to allowing people to monitor the movement of their unaccompanied devices.”

In an ongoing effort to stay at the forefront of intelligent connection management for mobile workforces and devices, iPass has several additional inventions pending patent approval.

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