TeleCommunication Systems Adds 8 U.S. Patents Advancing Location-Based Services, GIS/Mapping, Public Safety, Wireless and Messaging

ANNAPOLIS, Md., Jan. 30, 2014 /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 8 U.S. patents during the fourth quarter of 2013. TCS also received 5 foreign patents during the fourth quarter.

News Facts:

The 8 recently issued U.S. patents describe innovations in location-based services (LBS), Geographic Informations Systems (GIS)/mapping, public safety, wireless and messaging. Of these, the following 3 are exemplary as to their depth and scope:

• TCS has been a leader in public safety solutions for wireless E9-1-1, Voice over IP (VoIP) E9-1-1, NG9-1-1, and E1-1-2 since deploying the first U.S. wireless E9-1-1 solution in 1998. TCS pioneered the methods by which U.S. public safety answering points (PSAPs) can receive a wireless or VoIP subscriber's location during calls for emergency assistance. Emergency services are most easily provided to a caller using a phone in a fixed location (i.e. landline). VoIP phones allow the caller to change the geographic origination point by simply finding a new IP connection point through which the person can originate calls. This "nomadic" capability requires that individuals must remember to register their phones manually with their VoIP Service Provider so that their current location can be conveyed to the 9-1-1 call taker. The recently issued Associating Master Street Address Guide (MSAG) Validated Addresses with Geographic Map Data patent (U.S. Patent 8,577,328) describes methods by which a VoIP device, equipped with or associated with a geocoding device providing GPS capabilities, could be located automatically without requiring manual registration action by the caller, thereby solving a significant public safety challenge for VoIP E9-1-1 calls.
• Portable navigation systems, either embedded in mobile phones or stand-alone, have become ubiquitous in today's society. Hundreds of millions of these devices are used daily by commuters, delivery agents, first responders, etc. Accurate and dynamic routing information from the beginning of the user's journey to the user's destination is critical as road conditions can lead to unplanned deviations along the route. TCS is a leader in navigation systems and the recently issued Method and System for Dynamic Estimation and Predictive Route Generation patent (U.S. Patent 8,577,390) dates back to 2002 and complements TCS' existing 43 worldwide patents in this technology domain. This patent describes techniques for continuously generating multiple possible routes between a starting and ending location. Then, during the user's journey, route corrections could be made at discrete points along the route based upon route selections made by the user. This ensures that the user will always be traversing the best possible route rather than simply showing progress along a route, as many navigation applications do today.
• Complementing the '390 patent, the Historical Data Based Navigational Routing (U.S. Patent 8,548,736) patent describes techniques whereby the navigation system generates a route by predicting traffic conditions along the route using an historical traffic database rather than using current traffic conditions as is typically done by existing systems. This is especially helpful for calculating future navigation routes (e.g., making plans on a Sunday for a commute to work on Monday) or for updating long navigation routes where traffic conditions occurring subsequent to the original route generation may differ from the time the route was first calculated (e.g., a multi-hour trip from one metropolitan center to another).

The remaining 5 patents issued in the period are: Method and Apparatus for Sending, Retrieving, and Planning Location Relevant Information (U.S. Patent 8,621,374); Wireless Chat Automatic Status Signaling (U.S. Patent 8,577,339); Remotely Provisioned Wirelessly Proxy (U.S. Patent 8,594,627); End-to-End Logic tracing of Complex Call Flows in a Distributed Call System (U.S. Patent 8,576,991); System and Method for Re-Directing Requests from Browsers for Communication Over Non-IP Based Networks (U.S. Patent 8,578,032).

Supporting Quotes:

TCS Chairman, President and CEO Maurice B. Tose said: "TCS has invested aggressively in innovation, and continues to create and protect the value of technology that has been developed by our engineers through the patent system. These newly issued patents further augment our growing patent portfolio, and we remain committed to monetizing our intellectual property through our business operations, licensing and related arrangements."

TCS Vice President of Intellectual Asset Management Bob Held said: "TCS is working with a growing number of professionals and enterprises to license the company's 349 worldwide patents and other intellectual property covering public safety, navigation and telematics technology, wireless technologies and more."

TCS continues to look for opportunities to monetize its intellectual property portfolio via sales, direct licensing, cross licensing, and other creative solutions. TCS filed for 64 U.S. patents in 2013; the total number of patents issued worldwide in the portfolio is 349, and more than 365 patent applications are pending worldwide.

About TeleCommunication Systems, Inc.

TeleCommunication Systems, Inc. (TCS) (NASDAQ: TSYS) is a world leader in highly reliable and secure mobile communication technology. TCS infrastructure forms the foundation for market-leading solutions in E9-1-1, text messaging, commercial location and deployable wireless communications. TCS is at the forefront of new mobile cloud computing services, providing wireless applications for navigation, hyper-local search, asset tracking, social applications and telematics. Millions of consumers around the world use TCS wireless apps as a fundamental part of their daily lives. Government agencies utilize TCS' cybersecurity expertise, professional services and highly secure deployable satellite solutions for mission-critical communications. Headquartered in Annapolis, MD, TCS maintains technical, service and sales offices around the world. To learn more about emerging and innovative wireless technologies, visit www.telecomsys.com.

Except for the historical information contained herein, this news release contains forward-looking statements as defined within Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties and are based upon TCS' current expectations and assumptions that if incorrect would cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated. Specifically, the statements about our commitment to monetizing leading technologies and the opportunities to leverage our 320+ patents and other intellectual property worldwide are forward-looking statements. Risks include without limitation the possibility that no licensing or other revenues will result from these efforts, and those detailed from time to time in the Company's SEC reports, including the reports on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012, and on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2013.

Existing and prospective investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise the information in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or circumstances, or otherwise.

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SOURCE TeleCommunication Systems, Inc.