Pluritas Will Auction Zoltar's GPS Emergency Locator Patents ...

by Business Wire

Intellectual Property Asset Sale Likely to Attract Interest of Leading Cell Phone Handset Manufacturers and Patent Aggregators

SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Zoltar Satellite Alarm Systems of Tiburon, CA has engaged Pluritas, LLC, a San Francisco-based firm that focuses on intellectual property transactions, to conduct an auction of all of its patents on location-aware devices using cell phone and Global-Positioning-System (GPS) technology. The auction will commence on Wednesday, October 14, 2009.

Zoltar, a small, privately held California firm founded in 1995, was an early pioneer in inventing and patenting mobile personal alarms with GPS receivers in cell phones.

Zoltar’s founder, Dr. Dan Schlager, M.D., a San Francisco Bay Area emergency physician, was an early advocate of the GPS-enabled cell phone handset. He first saw the urgent need for the technology while flying helicopter emergency-rescue missions with Stanford Lifeflight in the California coastal mountains after his residency in emergency medicine.

Dr. Schlager and William Baringer, Ph.D., an electrical engineer and telecommunications specialist, received Zoltar’s first patent in 1995 on wireless telephony and GPS technology. Zoltar created its first mobile handset product based on this intellectual property in 1996.

Clement J. Driscoll, an independent Los-Angeles based telecommunications and GPS consultant, noted that “Zoltar was an early leader in convincing the Federal Communications Commission to recognize the value of GPS in the mobile handset as a viable way to meet its mandate for emergency-911 wireless services. Initially GPS was not believed to be a practical solution to solving the problem of locating a 911 call from a cell phone.”

Former U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Chief of Staff Don Kelly observed that Drs. Schlager and Baringer “exemplify the savvy, passion and sheer will of pioneering American inventors and innovators. They faced the classic industry challenge of ‘It can’t be done!’, soon followed by ‘Oh, we’ve already done that!’ Not only did they pioneer a lifesaving invention, they convincingly testified before the very Washington Commission that sparked its global adoption despite naysayer opposition.”

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Scam Targets ADT Alarm-System Owners

17.09.09

People claiming to be from other alarm companies are knocking on doors, claiming their companies have combined with ADT and they are issuing free upgrades to the �new combined system.�

The fake company representative will ask the homeowner to complete an information sheet, which will most likely ask for personal information such as bank or credit card account numbers, and ADT security code information.

Judd said homeowners should never give out personal information such as this to a stranger.

The Sheriff�s Office Identity Theft Strike Force suggests that residents research any company trying to sell or give away anything.

Use an internet search engine such as Google. Type in the company name and type the word �scam� or �fraud.� Often if there are any issues with the company, there will be listed complaints or warnings.

Residents can also check with the Polk County Tax Collectors office at www.polktaxes.com or call 863-534-4700. If a company is operating in Polk County,

Source: The Ledger

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