Collateral for a security interest recorded Jun 30, 2025 (JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.).
Term ends no later than Apr 6, 2029 · Medium confidence
20-year base term ends Apr 6, 2029
In force on USPTO's status record and by its fee record. A terminal disclaimer on file may shorten this term, possibly to a date already past; its reference document is unresolved, so the date above is an upper bound and no earlier date is guessed.
Held by Creeled, Inc.
Filed Apr 6, 2009 as application 12/418,816 · Granted Jul 26, 2011
Base term, 20 years from filing
Today
2009
2029
Clock starts
Apr 6, 2009
Apr 6, 2009
Ends no later than
Apr 6, 2029
Apr 6, 2029
Granted
Jul 26, 2011
Jul 26, 2011
base term
fee events
Updated Nov 14, 2026 · includes USPTO assignment & status data published Nov 14, 2026 and grant & fee data published Nov 10, 2026 (weekly) · how we know
None
Term adjustment
No prosecution delay on this record.
Unresolved
Terminal disclaimer
On file, reference document not resolved, so the date above is an upper bound. We do not guess the cap.
3 of 3
Maintenance fees paid
Three maintenance fees fall due, at 3.5, 7.5 and 11.5 years from grant. This counts the ones the record shows paid.
42
Family applications on record here
Applications sharing this one's continuity chain whose file history this site holds. The family may have others.
This patent's term is its 20-year base term, with no adjustment for prosecution delay. A terminal disclaimer is on file with no resolved reference, so no cap is applied and none is guessed. All three maintenance fees are recorded paid; no more fees are due. Confidence: Medium. from the record
How we calculated this date
One row per rule, each showing its own input and what it did to the date. A step we could not verify says so instead of resolving itself.
| Step | Input | Date after this step | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base term, 20 years from filing | Clock starts Apr 6, 2009, when this application, 12/418,816, was filed | Apr 6, 2029 | High confidence |
| Continuity chain | Every parent in the chain resolved | no change | High confidence |
| Patent term adjustment | None on file | no change | High confidence |
| Terminal disclaimer cap | Disclaimer on file (approved), reference document not resolved | no cap applied, and none guessed | Medium confidence |
| Patent term extension | None on file | no change | High confidence |
| Fee events | 3 of 3 maintenance fees paid | In force | High confidence |
| Computed term end | The steps above, in order | no later than Apr 6, 2029 | Medium confidence |
This family
| US 9,634,191 | In force Nov 2027 | Nov 2027 |
| Application PCT/US2008/010703 | PCT application no patent term | no patent term |
| US 7,915,629 | In force Apr 2029 | Apr 2029 |
| US 8,575,633 | In force Dec 2028 | Dec 2028 |
| US 7,985,970 | this patent no later than Apr 2029 | no later than Apr 2029 |
| US 8,368,100 | In force Jun 2029 | Jun 2029 |
| Application PCT/US2009/066743 | PCT application no patent term | no patent term |
| Application PCT/US2009/006447 | PCT application no patent term | no patent term |
8 of 42 applications in this family shown, earliest filings first. The applications whose file history this site holds. The family may have others.
Assignments
Assignment documents as recorded at the USPTO, oldest first, with the reel and frame each was recorded at. A recorded assignment is a filed document, not a statement of current ownership, and the absence of a later one is not evidence that the last one still stands.
| Recorded | Assignor | Assignee | Conveyance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 22, 2009 Reel 22858, frame 156 | Ibbetson, James; Heikman, Sten | Cree, Inc. | Assignment of Assignor's Interest |
| Jul 29, 2021 Reel 57017, frame 311 | Cree, Inc. | Creeled, Inc. | Assignment of Assignor's Interest |
| Feb 7, 2022 Reel 58983, frame 1 | Smart Modular Technologies, Inc.; Smart High Reliability Solutions, LLC; Smart Embedded Computing, Inc.; Creeled, Inc. | Citizens Bank, N.a. | Security Interest |
| Jun 25, 2025 Reel 71725, frame 207 | Citizens Bank, N.a. | Smart Modular Technologies, Inc.; Smart Embedded Computing, Inc.; Smart High Reliability Solutions LLC; Creeled, Inc. | Release of Patent Security Interest Recorded at R/F 058983/0001 |
| Jun 25, 2025 reel/frame not recorded | Citizens Bank, N.a. | Smart Modular Technologies, Inc. | Release of Patent Security Interest Recorded at R/F 058983/0001 |
| Jun 25, 2025 reel/frame not recorded | Citizens Bank, N.a. | Smart Embedded Computing, Inc. | Release of Patent Security Interest Recorded at R/F 058983/0001 |
| Jun 25, 2025 reel/frame not recorded | Citizens Bank, N.a. | Smart High Reliability Solutions LLC | Release of Patent Security Interest Recorded at R/F 058983/0001 |
| Jun 25, 2025 reel/frame not recorded | Citizens Bank, N.a. | Creeled, Inc. | Release of Patent Security Interest Recorded at R/F 058983/0001 |
| Jun 30, 2025 Reel 71755, frame 1 | Creeled, Inc.; Penguin Solutions Corporation (De); Smart Embedded Computing, Inc.; Smart High Reliability Solutions LLC; Smart Modular Technologies, Inc.; Penguin Computing, Inc. | Jpmorgan Chase Bank, N.a. | Patent Security Agreement |
Sources
Google Patents · The patent document at USPTO · Assignment records at USPTO
USPTO account required: This application in Patent Center · USPTO's maintenance fee lookup
Maintenance fee events come from USPTO's own fee records. Its fee lookup asks for the patent number and the application number.
Free plan: 3 watched companies. Pro: unlimited.
Alerts on its grants, lapses and transfers.
What's changing
Apr 2029
Term ends no later than Apr 6, 2029. No further fees fall due before then
Note
A terminal disclaimer is on file and its reference is not resolved. No cap is applied and none is guessed
Open question
A terminal disclaimer is on file (approved) and its reference document is not resolved. A disclaimer would cap the term earlier than Apr 6, 2029. We will not guess the cap.
Citations
118
later US patents cite this one
That is top 5% of utility patents granted in 2011 in our data, the only group it is compared against.
How we rank
Every date shows its work: the base term, any term adjustment or extension, any disclaimer cap, and the maintenance fee record, each with a confidence tier. How this record was built
This computed term ends no later than the date shown; an unresolved terminal disclaimer may end it earlier. Related patents and pending applications may cover overlapping subject matter.
In force means the term is running and no lapse is on record. It is not a finding that the patent is valid.