- Posco Co., Ltd. v. ArcelormittalInstitutedPTAB · Jul 23, 2025 · IPR2025-00370 · APJ Brian D Range · IPR · Institution
The Board instituted IPR of claims 1–30 on all twelve asserted obviousness grounds, finding a reasonable likelihood that POSCO would prevail.
RulingsInstitution decision- PTAB / AIA Trials › Institution threshold (reasonable likelihood / more likely than not)InstitutedInstituted
“unless the information presented in the petition “shows that there is a reasonable likelihood that the petitioner would prevail with respect to at least 1 of the claims challenged in the petition.” The following findings of fact and conclusions of law are not final, but are made for the sole purpose of determining whether Petitioner meets the threshold for initiating review. Any final decision shall be based on the full trial record, including any response timely filed by Patent Owner. Any arguments not raised by Patent Owner in a timely-filed response may be deemed waived. For the reasons stated below, we determine that Petitioner has established a reasonable likelihood that it would prevail with respect to at least one claim. We hereby institute an inter partes review as to claims 1–30 of the ’602 patent based upon Petitioner’s asserted grounds of unpatentability.” slip op. at 2
- Skill levelSkill level petitioner adoptedDecided for petitioner
“For purposes of this Decision, we adopt Petitioner’s proposal as reasonable and consistent with the ’602 patent specification and the prior art. See Okajima v. Bourdeau, 261 F.3d 1350, 1355 (Fed. Cir. 2001) (the prior art may reflect an appropriate level of skill in the art).” slip op. at 9
- Claim Construction › Threshold & procedure › Whether a term needs construction (O2 Micro)No construction neededOther
“Petitioner does not propose any claim constructions. Pet. 3. We do not discern a need to construe any claim language at this juncture because doing so would have no effect on our analyses below of Petitioner’s asserted grounds and will not assist in resolving the present controversy between the parties. See Realtime Data, LLC v. Iancu, 912 F.3d 1368, 1375 (Fed. Cir. 2019) (“The Board is required to construe ‘only those terms . . . that are in controversy, and only to the extent necessary to resolve the controversy.’”) (quoting Vivid Techs., Inc. v. Am. Sci. & Eng’g, Inc., 200” slip op. at 9
- BurdenInstituted
“determine that the information presented sufficiently supports, for purposes of institution, Petitioner’s assertions that Takagi and Cornette teach or suggest each limitation of claim 1. See Pet. 6–33. We therefore determine Petitioner has met its burden to show a reasonable likelihood it would prevail in demonstrating that claim 1 is obvious over Takagi and Cornette.” slip op. at 12
Claim constructioncites KSR · GrahamPatents in suitUS 10,961,602 - Apple Inc. v. Geoscope Technologies Pte. Ltd.All claims unpatentablePTAB · May 28, 2025 · IPR2024-00255 · APJ Annette R Reimers · IPR · Final written decision
Claims 2, 4, and 6–10 are unpatentable as obvious over Bhattacharya and Zeng, and over Bhattacharya, Zeng, and Spain; claims 1, 3, and 11 were disclaimed.
RulingsFinal written decision- Skill levelSkill level patent owner adoptedDecided for patent owner
“Second, the key differences between Petitioner’s and Patent Owner’s proposed qualifications for a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention is that Patent Owner asserts “experience in wireless telecommunications and cellular technology is necessary,” as well as a background in radio frequency communications and/or navigation system technology with two years of industry experience working in the same, would be required. PO Resp. 22–23 (citing Ex. 2018 ¶ 46); see also id. 44– 45. The ’104 patent is directed to locating a wireless mobile device in a geographic region. Ex. 1001, 1:13–20; PO Resp. 44. Bhattacharya is 9 Patent Owner refers to IPR2024-01209, but the correct citation is IPR2023- 01209. See PO Resp. 22. 1005, code (57), ¶¶ 1, 13; PO Resp. 44. Zeng is directed to handoff from one cell to another in a wireless cellular communication system to achieve continuous service. Ex. 1006, 1; PO Resp. 44. Spain is directed to a method for locating the concentration of mobile radio traffic in a coverage area. Ex. 1007, code (54), ¶¶ 1, 11; PO Resp. 44. We find that there is support in the ’104 patent and prior art consistent with Patent Owner’s assertion that the qualifications of a person of skill in the art would include knowledge of radio navigation and mobile communications technology. Accordingly, we adopt Patent Owner’s proposed qualifications for a person of ordinary skill in the art.” slip op. at 8
- Expert testimonyPetitioner expert creditedMixed
“In this case, Patent Owner attempts to make much of Dr. Sundaresan’s statement that he had been informed of the qualifications of a person of ordinary skill in the art. See PO Resp. 41–43. Dr. Sundaresan’s testimony, however, set forth this understanding of the requisite level of skill in the art (Ex. 1003 ¶ 8). In his supplemental declaration, Dr. Sundaresan further testifies that: I agreed with this POSITA definition when preparing the Declaration, and I continue to hold the opinion that the POSITA definition is both correct and appropriate based on the disclosures of the ’104 patent and the prior art analyzed in the Declaration. Ex. 1055 ¶ 17. Dr. Sundaresan further testifies that “[i]f I did not agree with the POSITA definition, then it would not have been included in paragraph 8 of the Declaration.” Id. ¶ 18. Dr. Sundaresan’s inclusion of the definition of the level of ordinary skill in his original declaration indicates that he agrees with the definition, as confirmed by his cited subsequent testimony. We note that, even with Patent Owner’s arguments, the record is clear that Patent Owner was on notice of Petitioner’s proposed definition of the level of ordinary skill at the time of the Petition. Pet. 7; cf. Corephotonics, Ltd. v. Apple Inc., 84 F.4th 990, 1006 (Fed. Cir. 2023) (holding that Petitioner is not required to anticipate all arguments in its Petition and allowing consideration of reply where patent owner had sufficient notice of petitioner’s position and adequate opportunity to respond).” slip op. at 14
- BurdenUnpatentable
“Based on the evidence presented, Petitioner adequately establishes by a preponderance of the evidence that a person having ordinary skill in the art would have had reason to reach the Bhattacharya-Zeng combination with a reasonable expectation of success.” slip op. at 44
- Claim Construction › Intrinsic evidence (Phillips canons) › Plain and ordinary meaning to a POSITATerm construed board ownDecided for petitioner
“explained below, we agree with Petitioner that Patent Owner’s additional requirement of evaluating the calibration data to determine the boundaries of the area represented by a grid point should not be included in the construction of either “grid point” or “non-uniform grid point.” Instead, based on the full record, we discern no reason to alter our prior construction of “grid point” as “a point associated with representative calibration data for an area” and maintain that construction for this Final Written Decision. The construction of “grid point” we adopt is supported by the Specification of the ’104 patent. Namely, the ’104 patent discloses that “[i]n general, a non-uniform grid point (NUG) may represent the signal characteristics and/or calibration data over a given region,” and “NUGs represent an area of collected calibration data.”18 Ex. 1001, 3:50–60. The district court identified the second quoted passage, which is identically recited in the ’104 patent (see Ex. 2018, 3:56–60) as “provid[ing] a clear indication of the meaning of ‘grid point.’” Ex. 2012, 19 (emphasis added). We agree with the district court’s analysis. Although the ’104 patent does not explain how a generic “grid point” might differ from the described “nonuniform grid point,” we do not find this distinction pertinent to construing “grid point” in this case because neither party raises this issue. Also, based on the claim wording “non-uniform grid point,” a “non-uniform grid point” is a type of grid point. See Pet. Reply 3 (explaining why that plain meaning supports Petitioner’s proposed construction). Furthermore, the district court construed “grid point” only, not “non-uniform grid point.” Ex. 2012, 18–20.” slip op. at 27
Patent outcomesUS 7,561,104 unpatentableClaim construction§ 103 obviousnesscites Phillips · KSR · GrahamPatents in suitUS 7,561,104 - PTAB · May 23, 2025 · IPR2025-00196 · APJ Ryan H Flax · IPR · Institution
The Board instituted IPR on claims 1–16 under both § 103 grounds, finding a reasonable likelihood that at least one claim would have been obvious over Best-2008 and Osada.
RulingsInstitution decision- PTAB / AIA Trials › Discretionary denial › Fintiv (parallel litigation)Denied
“Under our current guidance, the filing of a Sotera-type stipulation is not conclusive, but remains “highly relevant” and will be considered “as part of [our] holistic analysis” here. See Guidance Memo. Whether Petitioner has other bases for invalidating the ’457 patent, such as the CarnoJet prior art product identified in the district court, is not a consideration here if such bases could not be asserted in this proceeding (and are not being used to argue over the asserted prior art here as a loop hole from the stipulation, of which there is no evidence).” slip op. at 15
- PTAB / AIA Trials › Institution threshold (reasonable likelihood / more likely than not)InstitutedInstituted
“satisfied that Petitioner has met its burden for institution. No argument by Patent Owner persuades us otherwise. Petitioner has shown that each limitation and element of claim 1 is taught or suggested by the combination of Best-2008 and Osada. Moreover, Petitioner’s asserted reason to combine the references is supported by the references’ disclosures: Best-2008 suggests filtration of its coolant is desirable, but provides no specific means for doing so; Osada teaches a way of filtering fluid from an open-top tank, similar to Best-2008’s.” slip op. at 42
- Skill levelSkill level petitioner adoptedDecided for petitioner
“A POSITA[12]in the field of the ’457 patent at the time of the earliest possible effective filing date (December 14, 2012) would have had Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical or chemical engineering and at least two years of experience relating to the design and/or implementation of fluid circulation systems involving application of fluid dynamics and heat transfer principles. Additional education may serve as a substitute for a lack of experience and vice versa. (Ex-1003- Dahm at ¶¶36-41, 63-70.) Pet. 18–19. Patent Owner applies this same definition. Prelim. Resp. 6–7. At this stage of the proceeding, we accept and use Petitioner’s proposed and unopposed definition of the ordinarily skilled artisan. It appears that Petitioner’s proposed definition comports with the level of skill in the art reflected in the prior art of record and the ‘457 patent, itself. See Okajima v. Bourdeau, 261 F.3d 1350, 1355 (Fed. Cir. 2001) (“the prior art” slip op. at 20
- Claim Construction › Threshold & procedure › Whether a term needs construction (O2 Micro)No construction neededOther
“Although either of the district court proceedings’ definitions of the term “weir” appears to accurately describe the feature, at this stage of the proceeding, we do not find it necessary to expressly interpret this claim language.” slip op. at 23
Claim construction§ 103 obviousnessDiscretionary denialcites Phillips · GrahamPatents in suitUS 10,405,457 - TCL Electronics Holdings Ltd. (F/K/A TCL Multimedia Technology Holdings, Ltd.) v. Maxell, Ltd.InstitutedPTAB · May 20, 2025 · IPR2025-00120 · APJ Jason W Melvin · IPR · Institution
The Board instituted IPR of claims 1–4 because Petitioner showed a reasonable likelihood that Acharya renders at least one challenged claim obvious.
RulingsInstitution decision- PTAB / AIA Trials › Discretionary denial › Fintiv (parallel litigation)Denied
“asserted in the Texas litigation. Prelim. Resp. 14. Petitioner stipulates not to pursue in the Texas litigation “the same grounds or any grounds that could have reasonably been raised before the PTAB.” Pet. 68. Such a Sotera stipulation eliminates the substantive overlap between this proceeding and invalidity in the Texas litigation. See Sotera Wireless, Inc. v. Masimo Corp., IPR2020-01019, Paper 12 at 18–19 (PTAB Dec. 1, 2020) (precedential as to § II.A). This factor weighs strongly against discretionary denial.” slip op. at 8
- PTAB / AIA Trials › Discretionary denial › §325(d) same art / argumentsDenied
“Petitioner points out differences between Acharya and Robbins, in that Robbins discloses Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) media distribution, whereas Acharya discloses a system for multiple users in a meeting to display media on a single display. Prelim. Reply 2. Petitioner asserts further that Robbins lacks the claimed communication path that bypasses the router, which is disclosed by Acharya. Id. at 2–3. And Petitioner points out that Acharya describes “the user’s ability to disconnect from the display and pass control to another participant—key to the ‘termination signal’ limitation.” Id. at 3.” slip op. at 10
- Skill levelSkill level petitioner adoptedOther
“educational background, such as a Bachelor of Science degree, in Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering as well as some understanding of Wireless Communications” and “would have 2 years of practical experience in television or video display system development.” Pet. 12 (citing Ex. 1003 ¶¶ 50–51). Patent Owner adopts that proposed level of skill in the art. Prelim. Resp. 5–6. Petitioner’s proposed definition appears reasonable and consistent with the asserted prior art and the ’341 patent, and we adopt it here.” slip op. at 11
- Claim Construction › Threshold & procedure › Whether a term needs construction (O2 Micro)No construction neededOther
“We follow the parties’ agreed construction here, as adopted by the district court. Neither that construction nor any other affects our decision. Thus we do not expressly construe any claim term. See Realtime Data, LLC v. Iancu, 912 F.3d 1368, 1375 (Fed. Cir. 2019) (“The Board is required to construe ‘only those terms that . . . are in controversy, and only to the extent necessary to resolve the controversy.’”) (quoting Vivid Techs., Inc. v. Am. Sci. & Eng’g, Inc., 200 F.3d 795, 803 (Fed. Cir. 1999)). To the extent that the scope of a particular claim term impacts a party’s argument during trial, the party should propose an express construction and show how the record supports it.” slip op. at 12
Claim construction§ 103 obviousnessDiscretionary denialPatents in suitUS 10,375,341 - Hanshow America Inc. / Hanshow Technology Co., Ltd. v. Ses-Imagotag GmbHSome claims unpatentablePTAB · May 14, 2025 · IPR2024-00188 · APJ Terrence W Mcmillin · IPR · Final written decision
Claims 1–10 and 12–15 are unpatentable as obvious over either asserted combination; claim 11 was not shown unpatentable under either ground.
RulingsFinal written decision- Skill levelSkill level board ownDecided for petitioner
“The only significant difference between the positions of Petitioner and Patent Owner is that Patent Owner would require that a skilled artisan have coursework or training or work experience in multimedia systems in addition to the other requirements. Otherwise, the positions of the parties are similar. Based upon this record and the qualifications on which the parties and their experts agree, we determine that a person of ordinary skill in the art to which the ’669 patent relates would have at least a Master of Science Degree (or higher degree) in an academic area emphasizing electrical engineering, computer engineering, or a similar technical Master’s Degree; or alternatively, a Bachelor’s Degree (or higher degree) in an academic area emphasizing electrical engineering, computer engineering, or an equivalent field with two or more years of work experience in a relevant field or relevant industry experience. However, our decision on obviousness is supported by either of the definitions offered by the parties.” slip op. at 10
- Claim Construction › Threshold & procedure › Whether a term needs construction (O2 Micro)No construction neededPlain and ordinary meaningOther
“Accordingly, we determine that no claim terms require express construction. See, e.g., Realtime Data, LLC v. Iancu, 912 F.3d 1368, 1375 (Fed. Cir. 2019) (“The Board is required to construe ‘only those terms . . . 4 Neither party argues lexicography or disavowal applies to any claim term. See generally Pet.; see generally PO Resp. that are in controversy, and only to the extent necessary to resolve the controversy.’” (quoting Vivid Techs., Inc. v. Am. Sci. & Eng’g, Inc., 200 F.3d 795, 803 (Fed. Cir. 1999))). We apply the plain and ordinary meaning to all the claim terms. To the extent it is necessary to address the meaning of any claim term in order to make a final determination whether or not any challenged claim is unpatentable based on the arguments and evidence presented, we address the meaning as part of our unpatentability analysis.” slip op. at 11
- Claim Construction › Intrinsic evidence (Phillips canons) › Preamble limiting or notPreamble not limitingDecided for petitioner
“[1.0] A video playback system (1), comprising The Petitioner contends that the preamble of claim 1 is not limiting. Pet. 17 (“The preamble of claim 1 is not limiting because it merely states the purpose or intended use of the alleged invention. It does not define any of the claim limitations, which are set forth fully in the body of the claim (i.e., a video playback system).”). Nonetheless, Petitioner cites both Swafford and Masumoto and shows both cited references disclose video playback systems. Id. at 17–18. Patent Owner does not dispute Petitioner’s contention that the preamble is not limiting or dispute that the cited art discloses the preamble. See generally PO Resp. We determine that the preamble is not limiting but, if it were, the cited art has been shown to teach it. [1.1] a number of playback devices (6A, 6B) to playback a video on their” slip op. at 19
- Obviousness (§103) › Motivation to combine / reasonable expectation of successMotivation foundReasonable expectation foundDecided for petitioner
“However, we do agree with Patent Owner that Petitioner’s contention that the cited combination of teachings is supported “because of the structural similarity between Swafford’s and Masumoto’s devices” (Pet. 54– 55) does not provide a motivation to combine. PO Resp, 47–48. The only structural similarity relied on by Petitioner in support of this argument is that Swafford and Masumoto both disclose use of LCDs. See Pet. 54–55. Petitioner provides an inadequate explanation as to how or why the use of LCDs which are a common form of video displays would motivate the combination of the relied-upon teachings. But, this deficiency does not undermine the persuasiveness of Petitioner’s overall showing of motivation to combine. After considering all the arguments and evidence offered by the parties, we determine that Petitioner shows that a person of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to combine the relied-upon teachings of Swafford and Masumoto with a reasonable expectation of success.” slip op. at 48
Patent outcomesUS 11,405,669 mixedClaim construction§ 103 obviousnesscites Phillips · KSR · GrahamPatents in suitUS 11,405,669 - Hanshow America Inc. / Hanshow Technology Co., Ltd. v. Ses-Imagotag Inc.No claims unpatentablePTAB · May 14, 2025 · IPR2024-00189 · APJ William V Saindon · IPR · Final written decision
Claims 1–9 were not shown unpatentable because Fujiwara lacks the claimed horizontal position, and Bandy with Fowler lacks the claimed vertical position.
RulingsFinal written decision- Skill levelSkill level petitioner adoptedDecided for petitioner
“A person of ordinary skill in the art . . . would have had at least a Master of Science Degree in an academic area emphasizing electrical engineering, computer engineering, wireless telecommunication systems, or an equivalent field (or a similar technical Master’s Degree, or higher degree). Ex. 1009, ¶34. Alternatively, . . . a Bachelor’s Degree (or higher degree) in an academic area emphasizing electrical engineering, computer engineering, wireless telecommunication systems, or an equivalent field with two or more years of work experience in electrical engineering, wireless telecommunication systems, computer engineering, or an equivalent field. Id. Additional education in a relevant field or relevant industry experience may compensate for a deficit in one of the other aspects of the requirements stated above. Id. Pet. 9. Patent Owner applies the same definition. PO Resp. 17. We apply the parties’ proposed level of ordinary skill because it is reasonably consistent with the level of skill implied in the disclosure of the ’340 patent and the cited prior art.” slip op. at 6
- Claim Construction › Threshold & procedure › Whether a term needs construction (O2 Micro)Term construed board ownNo construction neededGranted in part
“c) Conclusion Having reviewed the claim language and the specification, we determine that the claimed planogram stores one piece of data with respect to identification—a unique identifier—and two pieces of data with respect to location—a vertical position and a horizontal position. Further, claim 1 states that each location (i.e., each horizontal/vertical position pair) is unique (“one-to-one”) for each unique identifier. Ex. 1001, 8:25–27. Thus, we determine that no horizontal/vertical position pair will be associated with more than one unique identifier (and vice versa). No other terms require construction at this time. See Realtime, 912 F.3d at 1375.” slip op. at 9
- Obviousness (§103) › Graham factors (scope of art, differences, level of skill)Not shown unpatentableNot shown unpatentable
“taught by “the horizontal position of the electronic shelf label along the horizontal shelf part 21, as shown in FIG. 4.” Pet. 21 (citing Ex. 1009 ¶ 75). Certainly, each shelf label in the real world, as well as in the drawing of Figure 4, has a horizontal position. However, that does not mean that Fujiwara’s database stores information indicating the horizontal position of the shelf label as required by the claim. The claim is not calling for the shelf label to have a location; it is calling for location information to be accessible by the server so that the server can determine the location of the mobile terminal. Ex. 1001, 8:19–24 (claiming a “method being performed by a central server configured to access a planogram associating . . . identifiers . . . with . . . locations . . . defined by a vertical and horizontal position”), 8:41–46 (claiming a method step of “determining a location of the mobile terminal . . . based on . . . the planogram). For example, fields in a database storing horizontal and vertical positions would be sufficient. Id. at 6:31–36 (“The central server 2 determines the location of said mobile terminal 1 from the identifier of said electronic label 3 using the data of a planogram associating a location with the label identifier.”), 7:16–18 (calling for the planogram to be stored in a database). To the extent we accept that Fujiwara teaches a unique identifier (shelf label ID) and a vertical position (e.g., shelf number 21-1), we find Fujiwara to be missing a horizontal position as required by the claim because neither the shelf number nor the shelf label ID provides an indication of where along the shelf the shelf label is located.” slip op. at 14
- ExcludeMotion to exclude, deniedDenied
“III. PATENT OWNER’S MOTION TO EXCLUDE Patent Owner moves to exclude Exhibits 1013–1021 and 1024–1027. PO Mot. Excl. 1. Our analysis above focuses on a dispositive issue regarding the claimed planogram. We are not apprised of any citations to these documents in the briefing regarding the planogram issue. Indeed, according to Patent Owner, Exhibits 1013–1021 involve one of the issues we did not address, regarding near-field communications. PO Mot. Excl. 3–4. Because this motion involves a question on evidence that is not relevant to the issues discussed in this Decision, we need not rule on the motion at this time. We dismiss Patent Owner’s motion to exclude as moot.” slip op. at 27
Patent outcomesUS 10,674,340 not shown unpatentableClaim construction§ 103 obviousnesscites PhillipsPatents in suitUS 10,674,340 - Apple Inc. v. Geoscope Technologies Pte. Ltd.All claims unpatentablePTAB · May 7, 2025 · IPR2024-00031 · APJ Annette R Reimers · IPR · Final written decision
Claims 16–20, 24, 26, and 27 are unpatentable: claims 16, 19, 20, 24, and 27 are anticipated by Bhattacharya, and all challenged claims are obvious over Bhattacharya and Spain.
RulingsFinal written decision- Skill levelSkill level patent owner adoptedDecided for patent owner
“We agree with Patent Owner for the following reasons. First, Patent Owner’s definition is consistent with our determination in IPR2023-01210, which involved the same ’358 patent, and Petitioner does not explain sufficiently why we should adopt a different definition. See generally Pet. Reply.” slip op. at 8
- Expert testimonyPetitioner expert creditedDecided for petitioner
“Sundaresan Declaration, Dr. Sundaresan implied agreement with the POSITA definition based on its inclusion in a signed declaration.” Pet. Reply 15. We agree with Petitioner. Although Dr. Sundaresan does not state explicitly that the proposed definition of the ordinary skill in the art is his opinion, we are persuaded that the manner in which the definition is set forth in his declaration indicates that he agrees with the definition. In this case, Patent Owner attempts to make much of Dr. Sundaresan’s statement that he had been informed of the qualifications of a person of ordinary skill in the art. See PO Resp. 42–44. Dr. Sundaresan’s testimony, however, set forth this understanding of the requisite level of skill in the art (Ex. 1003 ¶ 8). In his supplemental declaration, Dr. Sundaresan further testifies that: I agreed with this POSITA definition when preparing the Declaration, and I continue to hold the opinion that the POSITA definition is both correct and appropriate based on the disclosures of the ’358 patent and the prior art analyzed in the Declaration. Ex. 1055 ¶ 17. Dr. Sundaresan further testifies that “[i]f I did not agree with the POSITA definition, then it would not have been included [] in paragraph 8 of the Declaration.” Id. ¶ 18. Dr. Sundaresan’s inclusion of the definition of the level of ordinary skill in his original declaration indicates that he” slip op. at 13
- Claim Construction › Intrinsic evidence (Phillips canons) › Plain and ordinary meaning to a POSITATerm construed petitioner constructionDecided for petitioner
“explained below, we agree with Petitioner that Patent Owner’s additional requirement of evaluating the calibration data to determine the boundaries of the area represented by a grid point should not be included in the construction of either “grid point” or “non-uniform grid point.” Instead, based on the full record, we discern no reason to alter our prior construction of “grid point” as “a point associated with representative calibration data for an area” and maintain that construction for this Final Written Decision. The construction of “grid point” we adopt is supported by the Specification of the ’358 patent. Namely, the ’358 patent discloses that “[i]n general, a non-uniform grid point (NUG) may represent the signal characteristics and/or calibration data over a given region,” and “NUGs district court identified the second quoted passage, which is identically recited in the ’104 patent (see Ex. 2018, 3:50–60) as “provid[ing] a clear indication of the meaning of ‘grid point.’” Ex. 2012, 19 (emphasis added). We agree with the district court’s analysis. Although the ’358 patent does not explain how a generic “grid point” might differ from the described “nonuniform grid point,” we do not find this distinction pertinent to construing “grid point” in this case because neither party raises this issue. Also, based on the claim wording “non-uniform grid point,” a “non-uniform grid point” is a type of grid point. See Pet. Reply 4 (explaining why that plain meaning supports Petitioner’s proposed construction). Furthermore, the district court construed “grid point” only, not “non-uniform grid point.” Ex. 2012, 18–20.” slip op. at 26
- Novelty / Anticipation (§102) › Anticipation standard (single reference, every element)UnpatentableUnpatentable
“Based on the entire trial record, we agree with Petitioner’s analysis with supporting evidence and credit Dr. Sundaresan’s testimony supporting Petitioner’s position. See Pet. 20–37. Thus, we determine that Bhattacharya discloses the recitations of claim 15. b. Remaining Claims 16, 19, 20, 24, and 27 Claims 16, 19, 20, 24, and 27 depend from claim 15. Ex. 1001, 13:19–21, 12:30–36, 12:52–55; 12:63–67. Petitioner accounts for the limitations recited in each of claims 16, 19, 20, 24, and 27. Pet. 37–42. Patent Owner does not offer any arguments specifically addressing the limitations of claims 16, 19, 20, 24, and 27. See PO Resp. passim. Petitioner shows, by a preponderance of the evidence, that each element of claims 16, 19, 20, 24, and 27 is disclosed by Bhattacharya.” slip op. at 41
Patent outcomesUS 8,400,358 unpatentableClaim construction§ 102 anticipation§ 103 obviousnesscites Phillips · KSR · GrahamPatents in suitUS 8,400,358 - Apple Inc. v. Geoscope Technologies Pte. Ltd.All claims unpatentablePTAB · May 7, 2025 · IPR2024-00259 · APJ Sheila F Mcshane · IPR · Final written decision
Claims 1, 7, 9, 32, 38, and 40 are unpatentable as obvious over Bhattacharya and Yost.
RulingsFinal written decision- Skill levelSkill level patent owner adoptedDecided for patent owner
“In determining the level of ordinary skill in the art, various factors may be considered, including the “type of problems encountered in the art; prior art solutions to those problems; rapidity with which innovations are made; sophistication of the technology; and educational level of active workers in the field.” In re GPAC Inc., 57 F.3d 1573, 1579 (Fed. Cir. 1995) (citation omitted). The key difference between Petitioner’s and Patent Owner’s proposed qualifications for a person of ordinary skill at the time of the invention is that Patent Owner asserts that experience in “wireless networks, cellular radio systems, mobile communication devices and radio navigation systems,” as well as a background in radio frequency communications and/or navigation system technology with two years of industry experience working in the same, would be required. PO Resp. 23. The ’753 patent is directed to locating a wireless mobile device in a geographic region. Ex. 1001, 1:15–23. Bhattacharya is directed to estimating the geographic location of a wireless terminal. Ex. 1004, code (57), ¶¶ 1, 13. Yost is directed to a method for locating the concentration of mobile radio traffic in a coverage area. Ex. 1008, code (57), 2:17–19. We find that there is support in the ’753 patent and prior art consistent with Patent Owner’s assertion that the qualifications of a person of skill would include knowledge of radio navigation and mobile communications technology. Accordingly, we adopt Patent Owner’s proposed qualifications for a person of ordinary skill.” slip op. at 8
- Expert testimonyPetitioner expert creditedDecided for petitioner
“We do not agree with Patent Owner that Dr. Sundaresan’s declaration is substantively deficient and therefore should not be afforded weight. Patent Owner attempts to make much of Dr. Sundaresan’s statement that he had been informed of the qualifications of a person of ordinary skill in the art. See PO Resp. 47–28. Dr. Sundaresan’s testimony, however, set forth this understanding of the requisite level of skill in the art (Ex. 1003 ¶ 8). In his supplemental declaration, Dr. Sundaresan further testifies that: I agreed with this POSITA definition when preparing the Declaration, and I continue to hold the opinion that the POSITA definition is both correct and appropriate based on the disclosures of the ’753 patent and the prior art analyzed in the Declaration. Ex. 1027 ¶ 14. Dr. Sundaresan further testifies that “[i]f I did not agree with the POSITA definition, then it would not have been included [] in paragraph 8 of the Declaration.” Id. ¶ 15. Dr. Sundaresan’s inclusion of the definition of the level of ordinary skill in his original declaration indicates that he agrees with the definition, as confirmed by his cited subsequent testimony. We note that, even with Patent Owner’s arguments, the record is clear that Patent Owner was on notice of Petitioner’s proposed definition of the level of ordinary skill at the time of the Petition. Pet. 6–7.” slip op. at 11
- Claim Construction › Threshold & procedure › Whether a term needs construction (O2 Micro)Term construed petitioner constructionDecided for petitioner
“We agree with Petitioner that Patent Owner’s proposed additional requirements of determining the boundaries of the area from an evaluation of calibration data should not be imported into the construction of “grid point.” See Pet. Reply 1, 5. The construction of “grid point” we adopt is supported by the disclosures of the ’753 patent. Patent Owner’s support and arguments for its proposed construction rely, in large part, on specific example methods of generating non-unform grid points (NUGs). See PO Resp. 27–32. We agree with Petitioner, however, that the intrinsic record supports that the term “grid point” encompasses both uniform and non-uniform grid points. See Pet. 8–13. The ’753 patent Specification identifies “grid points” as “NUGs or UGs” and further indicates that a “NUG” is a type of a grid point. Ex. 1001, 25:31–34, 26:32–35, 13:7–8 (“a grid point, such as a NUG”). Accordingly, the claims and Specification disclose embodiments where grid points are not limited to non-uniform grid points, and they may be uniform grid points.9 Patent Owner’s proposed construction would impermissibly read out embodiments of the ’753 patent that use uniform grid points rather than non-uniform grid points.” slip op. at 23
- Obviousness (§103) › Graham factors (scope of art, differences, level of skill)UnpatentableUnpatentable
“The evidence supports that Petitioner has sufficiently demonstrated that Bhattacharya and Yost teach limitation [1b]. Bhattacharya discloses that empirical measurement of signal strengths are used to generate “expected signal-strength functions E(1,x,y,t), E(2,x,y,t), and E(3,x,y,t),” with a grid overlaid onto a geographic region where the center of each square represents a location. Ex. 1004 ¶¶ 106, 115–117; see also Pet. 35. Petitioner asserts, and we agree, that Bhattacharya discloses associating the expected signal-strength function with locations in a region, and that data is stored in the “Expected Signal-Strength Database.” Pet. 35–36 (citing Ex. 1004 ¶ 85). We also agree that this association of location (point) with calibration data (signal strength) is sufficient for the teaching of a “grid point,” which is disclosed by Bhattacharya. Pet. 35–36; Ex. 1004 ¶¶ 85, 105–117, 120, 123; Ex. 1003 ¶ 77; Pet. Reply 14–15; Ex. 1027 ¶¶ 44– 45. We also agree that Bhattacharya teaches the generation of “grid points” by, at least, populating the Expected Signal-Strength Database with locations and expected signal strength data, which includes interpolating the locations between sampled locations. Ex. 1004 ¶¶ 85, 119, 120, 123; Ex. 1003 ¶¶ 77– 78; Ex. 1027 ¶ 45; see also Pet. 35–36; Pet. Reply 15–16. Petitioner further asserts, and we agree, that Yost teaches collecting empirical measurements within the grid square surrounding the geographic point and averaging these measurements. Pet. 37 (citing Sections V.2–3; Ex. 1008, 7:28–44; Ex. 1003 ¶ 79). Further, because it is supported by the teachings of Bhattacharya and Yost, we credit Dr. Sundaresan’s testimony that a person of ordinary skill in the art would have found that Yost’s small areas of predetermined size are similar to the grids and grid points in Bhattacharya. Ex. 1003 ¶ 79; Ex. 1008, 7:50–51; Ex. 1004 ¶ 106, Fig. 6. Yost discloses that by averaging the empirical signal strengths the effects of fast fading can be removed (Ex. 1008, 7:50–56), so we also credit Dr. Sundaresan’s testimony in this regard on the advantages of averaging the multiple empirical measurements in a grid square (Ex. 1003 ¶ 80). Petitioner further asserts, and we agree, that a person of ordinary skill in the art would have found it obvious that expected signal-strength functions of {E(1,x,y,t), E(2,x,y,t), and E(3,x,y,t)} for a given grid point of Bhattacharya “may represent an average of calibration data from multiple locations within the grid square, and not simply represent the storage of the calibration data itself” in view of Yost because Petitioner’s assertion is supported by the evidence. Pet. 37–38 (citing Ex. 1008, 7:50–56; Ex. 1003 ¶ 80). Accordingly, we agree with Petitioner that the combination of Bhattacharya and Yost teaches that the average of the calibration data is “representative calibration data for an area.” See Pet. 37–38; Ex. 1003 ¶¶ 79–80; Pet. Reply 16; Ex. 1027 ¶ 46. Thus, we agree with Petitioner that the evidence of record supports that Bhattacharya and Yost teach generating sets of grid points for the calibration data, where the grid points are points associated with representative calibration data for an area.” slip op. at 40
Patent outcomesUS 8,406,753 unpatentableClaim construction§ 103 obviousnesscites Phillips · KSR · GrahamPatents in suitUS 8,406,753 - Apple Inc. v. Geoscope Technologies Pte. Ltd.All claims unpatentablePTAB · May 7, 2025 · IPR2024-00032 · APJ Brian D Range · IPR · Final written decision
Claims 2–5, 9, 11, 12, 14–16, 18–22, 27, 29, 31, and 32 are unpatentable over the asserted anticipation and obviousness grounds; claims 1, 25, and 35 were disclaimed.
RulingsFinal written decision- Skill levelSkill level patent owner adoptedDecided for patent owner
“The ’494 patent is directed to locating a wireless mobile device in a geographic region. Ex. 1001, 1:20–27; PO Resp. 45. Bhattacharya is directed to estimating the geographic location of a wireless terminal. Ex. 1005, code (57), ¶¶ 1, 13; PO Resp. 44–45. Spain is directed to a method for locating the concentration of mobile radio traffic in a coverage area. Ex. 1006, code (54), ¶¶ 1, 11; PO Resp. 45. We find that there is support in the ’494 patent and prior art consistent with Patent Owner’s assertion that the qualifications of a person of skill would include knowledge of radio navigation and mobile communications technology. Accordingly, we adopt Patent Owner’s proposed qualifications for a person of ordinary skill.” slip op. at 9
- BurdenDecided for petitioner
“Patent Owner, however, has not identified any language in the Petition that explicitly incorporates by reference Dr. Sundaresan’s testimony. See generally PO Resp.; PO Sur-Reply. Nevertheless, to the extent that the Petition purportedly incorporates by reference Dr. Sundaresan’s testimony, we do not find such incorporation sufficiently extensive to merit disregarding the testimony. Typically, an incorporation by reference is deemed improper in instances in which large portions of a declaration are incorporated—particularly where the incorporation serves to circumvent a word-count limit. See, e.g., Cisco Systems, Inc. v. C-Cation Techs., LLC, IPR2014-00454, Paper 12 at 10 (PTAB Aug. 29, 2014) (informative). In this case, however, Dr. Sundaresan’s testimony describing the level of ordinary skill in the art is short. Ex. 1003 ¶ 8. The amount of testimony is not extensive and, thus, its purported incorporation into the Petition presents little or no imposition on Patent Owner or the Board.” slip op. at 12
- Expert testimonyPetitioner expert creditedDecided for petitioner
“In reply, Petitioner argues that “under any reasonable read of the Sundaresan Declaration, Dr. Sundaresan implied agreement with the POSITA definition based on its inclusion in a signed declaration.” Pet. Reply 15. We agree with Petitioner. Although Dr. Sundaresan does not state explicitly that the proposed definition of the ordinary skill in the art is his opinion, we are persuaded that the manner in which the definition is set forth in his declaration indicates that he agrees with the definition. Patent Owner attempts to make much of Dr. Sundaresan’s statement that he had been informed of the qualifications of a person of ordinary skill in the art. See PO Resp. 41–43. Dr. Sundaresan’s testimony, however, set forth this understanding of the requisite level of skill in the art (Ex. 1003 9 Dr. Sundaresan has a doctoral degree in electrical and computer engineering and has extensive experience in wireless communications. Ex. 1003 ¶¶ 75–78. Dr. Sundaresan also has experience with navigation and geolocation systems such as development of wireless tracking systems, as evidenced by his experience in companies such as NavigateIO Inc. Id. at ¶¶ 77–78. Patent Owner does not argue that Dr. Sundaresan fails to meet requirements for the level of qualifications of one of ordinary skill in the art under its proposed qualifications, which we adopt here. See generally PO Resp.; PO Sur-reply. Based on a review of his qualifications, we determine that Dr. Sundaresan qualifies as a person of ordinary skill at the time of the invention. ¶ 8). In his supplemental declaration, Dr. Sundaresan testifies: I agreed with this POSITA definition when preparing the Declaration, and I continue to hold the opinion that the POSITA definition is both correct and appropriate based on the disclosures of the ’358 patent and the prior art analyzed in the Declaration. Ex. 1055 ¶ 17. Dr. Sundaresan further testifies that “[i]f I did not agree with the POSITA definition, then it would not have been included [] in paragraph 8 of the Declaration.” Id. ¶ 18. Dr. Sundaresan’s inclusion of the definition of the level of ordinary skill in his original declaration indicates that he agrees with the definition, as confirmed by his cited subsequent testimony. We note that, even with Patent Owner’s arguments, the record is clear that Patent Owner was on notice of Petitioner’s proposed definition of the level of ordinary skill at the time of the Petition. Pet. 6; cf. Corephotonics, Ltd. v. Apple Inc., 84 F.4th 990, 1006 (Fed. Cir. 2023) (holding that Petitioner is not required to anticipate all arguments in its Petition and allowing consideration of reply where patent owner had sufficient notice of petitioner’s position and adequate opportunity to respond).” slip op. at 13
- Claim Construction › Intrinsic evidence (Phillips canons) › Plain and ordinary meaning to a POSITATerm construed petitioner constructionDecided for petitioner
“explained below, we agree with Petitioner that Patent Owner’s additional requirement of evaluating the calibration data to determine the boundaries of the area represented by a grid point should not be included in the construction of either “grid point” or “non-uniform grid point.” Instead, based on the full record, we discern no reason to alter our prior construction of “grid point” as “a point associated with representative calibration data for an area” and maintain that construction for this Final Written Decision.” slip op. at 27
Patent outcomesUS 8,786,494 unpatentableClaim construction§ 102 anticipation§ 103 obviousnesscites Phillips · KSR · GrahamPatents in suitUS 8,786,494 - PTAB · Apr 10, 2025 · IPR2024-01431 · APJ Brian D Range · IPR · Institution
The Board instituted review of claims 2–6, 28, and 33–37 based on all petition grounds, finding a reasonable likelihood that Haddad138 renders claims 2–6 and 33–37 obvious and Yap anticipates or renders claim 28 obvious.
RulingsInstitution decision- PTAB / AIA Trials › Discretionary denial › Fintiv (parallel litigation)Denied
“arguments, and evidence presented in the parallel proceeding.” Fintiv at 12 (emphasis added). Here, due to Petitioner’s stipulation, the record does not 9 To the extent Patent Owner’s argument emphasizes that the parties have completed substantial work regarding references asserted in the petition here (PO Fintiv Surreply 1–3), this argument addresses to Fintiv factor three rather than factor four. support that the Petition’s invalidity grounds have been or will be presented to the ITC for consideration on the merits. The record also does not support that the ITC will ever adjudicate the invalidity grounds raised here10 and does not support that the ITC will ever address the dependent claims at issue here. This is, therefore, not a situation where the ITC Investigation will “resolve key issues in the petition.” Fintiv at 13. Thus, this factor weighs against discretionary denial. 7. Fintiv Factor Five: Overlapping Parties Petitioner is the same party as the respondent in the ITC investigation,” slip op. at 15
- PTAB / AIA Trials › Institution threshold (reasonable likelihood / more likely than not)InstitutedInstituted
“Under 35 U.S.C. § 314(a), an inter partes review may not be instituted unless the information presented in the petition “shows that there is a reasonable likelihood that the petitioner would prevail with respect to at least 1 of the claims challenged in the petition.” The following findings of fact and conclusions of law are not final, but are made for the sole purpose 1 Petitioner calls “IPR2024-01431 (‘Petition B’).” See Paper 3 (PETITIONER’S EXPLANATION OF PARALLEL PETITIONS CHALLENGING U.S. PATENT NO. 11,069,737), 1. of determining whether Petitioner meets the threshold for instituting review. Any final decision shall be based on the full trial record, including any response timely filed by Patent Owner. Any arguments not raised by Patent Owner in a timely filed response may be forfeited. For the reasons stated below, we determine that Petitioner has established a reasonable likelihood that it would prevail with respect to at least one claim. We hereby institute an inter partes review as to claims 2–6, 28, and 33–37 of the ’737 patent based upon Petitioner’s asserted challenges to patentability.” slip op. at 2
- Obviousness (§103) › Motivation to combine / reasonable expectation of successMotivation foundReasonable expectation foundInstituted
“Patent Owner argues11 that Petitioner “offers no motivation to modify Haddad138.” Prelim. Resp. 7–8. Patent Owner specifically argues that 11 Patent Owner also argues that Petitioner does not establish that Haddad138 anticipates claim 2. Prelim. Resp. 5–7. We do not address the anticipation challenge at this time. “Petitioner does not offer any showing on any motivation to modify Figure 9 of Haddad138 to change the configuration from a FSI to BSI architecture.” Id. at 8. On this record, Patent Owner’s argument does not undermine Petitioner’s persuasive showing. As Petitioner argues (Pet. 29), Haddad138 teaches that its “present disclosure” (which would include the Figure 9 disclosure) can be adapted for a front side illumination (FSI) or back side illumination (BSI) configuration. Ex. 1012 ¶ 48. The express teaching of Haddad138 provides motivation to modify Figure 9 of Haddad138. Patent Owner also argues that Petitioner “offers no showing that a POSITA would be able to modify the embodiment of Figure 9 to be back side illuminated with a reasonable expectation of success.” Prelim. Resp. 9. Patent Owner’s argument again does not undermine Petitioner’s persuasive showing. Petitioner cites Haddad138 expressly teaching a FSI or BSI configuration. Pet. 29 (citing Ex. 1012 ¶ 48). Haddad138’s teaching is sufficient, on this record, to establish a reasonable likelihood of Petitioner establishing a reasonable expectation of success at trial. Conclusion as to claim 2” slip op. at 23
- Skill levelSkill level petitioner adoptedDecided for petitioner
“Petitioner asserts that a person of ordinary skill in the art (POSITA) would have had a Bachelor’s degree in engineering, physics, or a related or equivalent field, and two or more years of experience researching, developing, designing, and/or evaluating image sensors using photonics. Ex-1004 ¶50. A person with less or different education but more relevant practical experience, or vice versa, may also meet this standard. Ex-1004 ¶50. Pet. 9. Patent Owner does not dispute the level of ordinary skill in the art at this time. For purposes of this Decision, we adopt Petitioner’s proposal as reasonable and consistent with the prior art. See Okajima v. Bourdeau, 261 F.3d 1350, 1355 (Fed. Cir. 2001) (the prior art may reflect an appropriate level of skill in the art).” slip op. at 8
Claim construction§ 103 obviousnessDiscretionary denialcites Phillips · KSR · GrahamPatents in suitUS 11,069,737
Holdings, summaries, rulings, issues, outcomes, winners and claim constructions shown for a decision were generated by a large language model reading the opinion. They are a guide to the decision, not the decision. Confirm every one against the court's own text before relying on it. Outcomes read from the patent owner’s side. Party names are extracted from the decision and are missing on about 900 short Director denials and scans, which carry the trial number instead.