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  • PTAB · Jul 27, 2023 · IPR2022-00351 · APJ Michelle N Wormmeester · IPR · Final written decision

    Claims 1, 2, 5–7, 14–16, 19, and 20 are unpatentable: claims 1, 2, 5, 6, 14–16, 19, and 20 as obvious over Suzuki, and claim 7 as obvious over Suzuki and Park.

    RulingsFinal written decision
    • Skill levelOther

      “III. DISCUSSION A. Claim Construction In an inter partes review proceeding, we construe a claim of a patent “using the same claim construction standard that would be used to construe the claim in a civil action under 35 U.S.C. 282(b).” See 37 C.F.R. § 42.100(b) (2021). Applying that standard, we construe the claim in accordance with its ordinary and customary meaning as would have been understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, taking into account the specification and the prosecution history pertaining to the patent. See id.; Phillips v. AWH Corp., 415 F.3d 1303, 1312–17 (Fed. Cir. 2005) (en banc). 1 The Leahy-Smith America Invents Act (“AIA”) amended 35 U.S.C. § 103, effective March 16, 2013. See Pub. L. No. 112-29, 125 Stat. 284, 287–88 (2011). Because the application from which the ’842 patent issued claims the benefit of priority to an application that was filed before this date, the pre-AIA version of § 103 applies. 2 Suzuki, U.S. Patent No. 8,421,574 B2, issued Apr. 16, 2013 (Ex. 1005). 3 Park, U.S. Patent No. 8,922,162 B2, issued Dec. 30, 2014 (Ex. 1006). Petitioner asserts that “no terms require specific construction.” Pet. 10. Patent Owner does not respond. See generally PO Resp. For purposes of this Decision, we conclude that no claim term requires express interpretation to resolve any controversy in this proceeding. See Vivid Techs., Inc. v. Am. Sci. & Eng’g, Inc., 200 F.3d 795, 803 (Fed. Cir. 1999).” slip op. at 6

    • Claim Construction › Threshold & procedure › Whether a term needs construction (O2 Micro)No construction neededOther

      “using the same claim construction standard that would be used to construe the claim in a civil action under 35 U.S.C. 282(b).” See 37 C.F.R. § 42.100(b) (2021). Applying that standard, we construe the claim in accordance with its ordinary and customary meaning as would have been understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, taking into account the specification and the prosecution history pertaining to the patent. See id.; Phillips v. AWH Corp., 415 F.3d 1303, 1312–17 (Fed. Cir. 2005) (en banc). slip op. at 6

    • BurdenDecided for patent owner

      “Petitioner’s burden to show that [Patent Owner is] not entitled to the Korean date.” Tr. 44:3–4; see also PO Resp. 23 (“Petitioner cannot carry its burden to show that the ’842 patent should not be given its earliest alleged priority date to show that Park is prior art.”). That is not so. There are two distinct burdens of proof, namely, a burden of persuasion and a burden of production. Dynamic Drinkware, LLC v. Nat’l Graphics, Inc., 800 F.3d 1375, 1378 (Fed. Cir. 2015). Petitioner carries “the burden of persuasion to prove unpatentability by a preponderance of the evidence,” and that burden never shifts to Patent Owner. Id. at 1379. The burden of production, however, is a shifting burden, the allocation of which depends on where in the process of trial the issue arises. See id. Here, Petitioner starts with the initial burden of production, which it satisfies by arguing obviousness based on its assertion that Park is prior art, as discussed above. See id. The burden of production then shifts to Patent Owner to argue or produce evidence that Park is not prior art because the challenged claims are entitled to the benefit of a filing date earlier than Park’s effective date of December 6, 2011. See id. at 1380. To shift the burden back to Petitioner, Patent Owner needs to present evidence to support an argument that the specification of the Korean application describes an invention understandable to an ordinarily skilled artisan and that the inventor actually invented the invention claimed in the ’842 patent. See Ariad Pharms., 598 F.3d at 1351; see also Dynamic Drinkware, 800 F.3d at 1378. Patent Owner does not do that here. Notably, Patent Owner does not address at all whether the disclosure of the Korean application provides support for claim 7 of the ’842 patent. See generally PO Resp. Indeed, counsel for Patent Owner admitted at oral argument that he did not know whether the record even contains an English language translation of the Korean application. Tr. 42:25–43:1 (counsel for Patent Owner referring to “the Korean patent application, which I’m not aware of whether or not we have a translation of that”). Without such translation, there can be no “objective inquiry into the four corners of the specification.” See Ariad Pharms., 598 F.3d at 1351. Counsel for Patent Owner further acknowledged that Patent Owner did not meet this burden of production. Tr. 44:7–13. We asked counsel at oral argument, “Well, if we disagree with you and say you have the burden to show support in the Korean application, then you lose on that issue?” Id. at 44:7–9. Counsel responded, “Well, yes, Your Honor. . . . If you disagree with me on that position, yes, that is correct.” Id. at 44:10–13. Because Patent Owner neither argues nor presents evidence that claim 7 is entitled to the benefit of the filing date of the Korean application, we determine that Petitioner shows that Park qualifies as prior art.” slip op. at 37

    • Disclosure Requirements (§112) › Written description (Ariad)Not entitled to earlier dateDecided for patent owner

      “Under 35 U.S.C. § 119, “the claims set forth in a United States application are entitled to the benefit of a foreign priority date if the corresponding foreign application supports the claims in the manner required by section 112, ¶ 1.” In re Gosteli, 872 F.2d 1008, 1010 (Fed. Cir. 1989). Section 112, ¶ 1 contains a written description requirement, which is satisfied here if “the disclosure of the [foreign] application relied upon reasonably conveys to those skilled in the art that the inventor had possession of the claimed subject matter as of the filing date.” See Ariad Pharms., Inc. v. Eli Lilly & Co., 598 F.3d 1336, 1351 (Fed. Cir. 2010). “[T]he test requires an objective inquiry into the four corners of the specification from the perspective of a person of ordinary skill in the art,” and, “[b]ased on that inquiry, the specification must describe an invention understandable to that skilled artisan and show that the inventor actually invented the invention claimed.” Id.” slip op. at 36

    Patent outcomesUS 10,622,842 unpatentable
    Claim construction§ 102 anticipation§ 103 obviousness§ 112 disclosurecites Phillips · KSR
    Patents in suitUS 10,622,842
  • PTAB · Jun 30, 2023 · IPR2022-00164 · APJ Jason M Repko · IPR · Final written decision

    LinkedIn did not prove claims 1–3 and 6–10 unpatentable on any asserted Eaton- or Kim-based anticipation or obviousness ground.

    RulingsFinal written decision
    • ExcludeOther

      “In its Motion to Exclude, Patent Owner seeks to exclude Petitioner’s Exhibits 1017–1020, 1022–1026, 1030, 1032, 1033, 1034, and 1036. Mot. 1. Even without excluding any of these exhibits, Petitioner has not proven that any challenged claims are unpatentable. Thus, we dismiss Patent Owner’s Substitute Motion to Exclude as moot.” slip op. at 36

    • Skill levelSkill level petitioner adoptedDecided for petitioner

      “Petitioner’s alternative definition that “a PHOSITA[3] would possess equivalent additional formal education such as graduate studies, or work experience to replace formal education” is unclear or, at best, does not meaningfully contribute to the first definition. See id. For example, Petitioner does not explain whether or how additional graduate studies would be both equivalent and additional to the education described in the first definition. See id. Patent Owner does not propose an alternative definition. See generally PO Resp.; Sur-reply. Thus, in this decision, we apply Petitioner’s proposed definition, without the alternative qualifier about “equivalent additional formal education . . . or work experience.” See Pet. 6. We determine that Petitioner’s definition is supported by the testimony of Dean Willis. Ex. 1004 ¶¶ 32–35.” slip op. at 6

    • Claim Construction › Threshold & procedure › Whether a term needs construction (O2 Micro)No construction neededOther

      “B. Claim Construction We need only construe terms that are in controversy and only to the extent necessary to resolve the dispute. Nidec Motor Corp. v. Zhongshan Broad Ocean Motor Co., 868 F.3d 1013, 1017 (Fed. Cir. 2017) (citing Vivid Techs., Inc. v. Am. Sci. & Eng’g, Inc., 200 F.3d 795, 803 (Fed. Cir. 1999)). We need not construe any terms to resolve the issues in this case.” slip op. at 6

    • Expert testimonyPetitioner expert discountedPatent owner expert creditedDecided for patent owner

      “We credit Dr. Rajeev Surati’s testimony6 (Ex. 2020 ¶ 2053) on this issue over Dean Willis’s testimony (Ex. 1004 ¶¶ 211–13) because Dr. Rajeev Surati’s testimony is more consistent with Kim’s disclosure and Dean Willis’s Declaration lacks an adequate explanation. Thus, Petitioner has not shown that Kim discloses the associating step.” slip op. at 16

    Patent outcomesUS 8,230,135 not shown unpatentable
    Claim construction§ 102 anticipation§ 103 obviousness
    Patents in suitUS 8,230,135
  • PTAB · Jun 30, 2023 · IPR2022-00165 · APJ Jameson Lee · IPR · Final written decision

    Claims 1–3 and 6–10 were not shown unpatentable because Eaton and Kim each failed to disclose the claimed array and alternative-title limitations, and the obviousness grounds did not cure those deficiencies.

    RulingsFinal written decision
    • Claim Construction › Intrinsic evidence (Phillips canons) › Plain and ordinary meaning to a POSITATerm construed board ownDecided for patent owner

      “alternative” or “alternative title.” Neither party contends that “alternative” or “alternative title” is a term of art with an art recognized meaning. In plain English, “alternative” as an adjective designates something that is another option, another choice. Dictionary.com (accessed June 23, 2022), https://www.dictionary.com/browse/alternative (Ex. 3002) (“affording a choice of two or more things, propositions, or courses of action,” “(of two things, propositions, or courses) mutually exclusive so that if one is chosen the other must be rejected: The alternative possibilities are neutrality and war.”). The specification of the ’179 patent also consistently uses the word “alternative” to mean something in lieu of or in place of another choice. For instance, the ’179 patent describes: Advantageously, data associated with the event can also (or in the alternative) be provided to the title provisioning engine 616. Ex. 1001, 8:15–17 (distinguishing “also” from “alternative”). A given event may cause the title provisioning engine 616 to rewrite the entire title array 618 with title strings associated with the most recent events. Alternatively, a given event may cause the title provisioning engine 616 to append title strings to the end of the title array 618. Id. at 8:24–28 (using “alternative” in mutually exclusive context). slip op. at 12

    • Claim Construction › Threshold & procedure › Whether a term needs construction (O2 Micro)No construction neededDecided for petitioner

      “During oral hearing, counsel for Petitioner clarified that the index to an array may start from “0” rather than “1” and that the index also need not be a number. Tr. 18:13–19:19. With that clarification, counsel for Patent Owner indicated that there no longer is any dispute with regard to the meaning of “array.” Tr. 61:14–25. Accordingly, we have no need to construe the term “array.” 4. “event” The term “event” is recited in independent claim 1. The specification” slip op. at 14

    • Novelty / Anticipation (§102) › Anticipation standard (single reference, every element)Not shown unpatentableNot shown unpatentable

      “reproduced above, are “event messages / strings 300 (shaded in green).” Pet. 30 (citing Ex. 1006 ¶ 31). But the cited evidence does not support that assertion. Paragraph 31 of Eaton describes the referenced column simply as “associated event 300.” Ex. 1006 ¶ 31. Further, even if the column stores associated event messages, Petitioner cites nothing to show that the associated messages in server memory column 300 are the event presence notification messages discussed above in the context of limitation 1[ii]. Alternatively, Petitioner relies on Eaton’s Figure 6 embodiment. Pet. 31. Petitioner asserts (id.) that in the Figure 6 embodiment server memory 160 stores an array of event notifications, referencing an annotated version of Eaton’s Figure 6, reproduced below: Figure 6 is a block diagram of an alternate embodiment of a server memory for use within a server of the instant message communication system, and Petitioner has shaded the EVENT AN–NN column green and the words “SERVER MEMORY” red. Ex. 1006 ¶ 19. Petitioner asserts that both the TOPIC N column 540 and the EVENT AN-NN column 670 as the stored event notifications. Pet. 31 (citing Ex. 1006 ¶¶ 56–58). But the assertion is not supported by the cited evidence. Paragraphs 56–58 of Eaton do not indicate that either topic entries 540 or event entries 670 are the event presence notification messages discussed above in the context of limitation 1[ii]. In its Reply, Petitioner asserts that event presence notification message EPNM “is associated with the character strings labelled Topics [1]- [N], and using ‘Topic N’ as the example, it is tied to ‘Event[s] AN-NN’ (representing the ‘events’ from the plurality of events 180 discussed in Claim 1[i]).” Reply 22. Even assuming that there is an association, Petitioner still has not shown that EPNM is any of Topics [1]-[N] in Figure 6. Similarly, Petitioner has not shown that EPNM is any of Event [1]-[N] in Figure 2.” slip op. at 26

    • Obviousness (§103) › Graham factors (scope of art, differences, level of skill)Not shown unpatentableNot shown unpatentable

      “’179 Patent as provided above in Ground 1. To the extent that there are arguably any meaningful differences between those claims and Eaton’s disclosures, those differences would have been trivial and obvious modifications to make for a PHOSITA.” Pet. 49. This conclusory assertion of obviousness does not specifically identify any difference between the claimed invention and Eaton, and does not provide any reasoning or rational underpinning to support the assertion. Conclusory assertions of obviousness are insufficient to satisfy Petitioner’s burden of proof. In re Magnum Oil Tools Int’l, Ltd., 829 F.3d 1364, 1380 (Fed. Cir. 2016). Petitioner asserts that to the extent that Eaton discloses various, “distinct” embodiments, it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art to combine Eaton’s teachings into a single system. Pet. 49. Petitioner also asserts that one with ordinary skill in the art “would understand that Eaton discloses possible configurations and/or operations of the same system, and to the extent that it is argued or found otherwise, the functions would have been entirely obvious to combine for [one of ordinary skill in the art] given Eaton’s express disclosures.” Id. It is uncertain what distinct embodiments are referred to by Petitioner. However, even assuming that the disclosures of Eaton’s embodiments, already discussed by Petitioner, are properly combinable, there still remains the deficiencies, discussed above in the alleged anticipation of claim 1 by Eaton, relating to the step of storing the event notification in an array, the step of providing the event notification from the array to a process executed by a processor, and the step of providing an alternative title from the array to the process. Accord Inst. Dec. 57.” slip op. at 33

    Patent outcomesUS 8,402,179 not shown unpatentable
    Claim construction§ 102 anticipation§ 103 obviousnesscites Phillips
    Patents in suitUS 8,402,179
  • ADT, LLC v. Vivint, Inc.All claims unpatentable
    PTAB · Mar 28, 2023 · IPR2022-00071 · APJ Jameson Lee · IPR · Final written decision

    Claims 1, 2, 4, 8–10, and 12 are unpatentable as anticipated by Monroe and obvious over Monroe, Monroe and Fadell, Jin, or Jin and Monroe.

    RulingsFinal written decision
    • Skill levelSkill level petitioner adoptedDecided for petitioner

      “including a “bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering,” that is not a literal test. We know of no precedent from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and Patent Owner has cited none, that requires the stated level of education for the level of ordinary skill in the art to be met literally without considering any equivalence. The inclusion of a statement of formal technical education in the articulated statement facilitates understanding for comparison purposes because, typically, (1) an expert would have a formal technical education, and (2) a formal degree is associated with an ascertainable or known curriculum. Accordingly, Petitioner may show that Mr. Parker possesses at least the level of skill corresponding to that of one who has a bachelor degree in electrical engineering.” slip op. at 11

    • Claim Construction › Threshold & procedure › Whether a term needs construction (O2 Micro)Other

      “4. “predefined area” The term “a predefined area” is recited in each of independent claims” slip op. at 20

    • Novelty / Anticipation (§102) › Anticipation standard (single reference, every element)UnpatentableUnpatentable

      “g) Conclusion Petitioner has proven by a preponderance of the evidence that claim 1” slip op. at 44

    • Obviousness (§103) › Motivation to combine / reasonable expectation of successUnpatentableMotivation foundUnpatentable

      “2. Obviousness over Monroe Alone Petitioner’s arguments for obviousness over Monroe alone for claims 1, 2, 4, 8–10, and 12 are the same as its assertion that Monroe anticipates these same claims. Petitioner states: “As discussed above in [the ground based on anticipation by Monroe], Monroe discloses all the limitations of claims 1, 2, 4, 8, 9, 10, and 12. Thus, the claims can be cancelled on singlereference obviousness grounds as well as anticipation grounds.” Pet. 26. Petitioner cites Realtime Data, LLC v. Iancu, 912 F.3d 1368, 1373 (Fed. Cir. 2019), for the position that a disclosure that anticipates under 35 U.S.C. § 102 also renders the claim obvious under 35 U.S.C. § 103. Id. Patent Owner presents no arguments to the contrary. We agree that an anticipatory reference can be deemed, pro forma, to render the anticipated claims obvious. All the limitations are disclosed by the single reference and no modification is necessary. Accordingly, for the same reasons discussed above, Petitioner has proven by a preponderance of the evidence that claims 1, 2, 4, 8–10, and 12 would have been obvious over Monroe alone.” slip op. at 52

    Patent outcomesUS 10,325,159 unpatentable
    Claim construction§ 102 anticipation§ 103 obviousnesscites Phillips · KSR · Graham
    Patents in suitUS 10,325,159
  • PTAB · Feb 2, 2023 · IPR2021-01333 · APJ Robert J Weinschenk · IPR · Final written decision

    Claims 18, 26, 27, 29, and 31 were not shown unpatentable because Ogasawara did not disclose claim 18’s determining limitation, and the obviousness grounds did not cure that deficiency.

    RulingsFinal written decision
    • Skill levelSkill level petitioner adoptedDecided for petitioner

      “B. Level of Ordinary Skill in the Art Petitioner argues that a person of ordinary skill in the art would have had a “Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or equivalent, and one to two years of experience 1 The Leahy-Smith America Invents Act (“AIA”), Pub. L. No. 112-29, 125 Stat. 284, 287–88 (2011), amended 35 U.S.C. §§ 102, 103. Because the ’252 patent was filed before the effective date of the relevant amendment, the pre-AIA versions of §§ 102, 103 apply. working with image processing, image recognition, or a related field.” Pet. 17 (citing Ex. 1003 ¶ 43). Petitioner’s description of the level of ordinary skill in the art is supported by the testimony of Petitioner’s declarant, Dr. Jeffrey Rodriguez. Ex. 1003 ¶ 43. Patent Owner does not propose a description of the level of ordinary skill in the art or dispute Petitioner’s description. PO Resp. 15. We adopt Petitioner’s description, which is consistent with the level of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention as reflected in the asserted prior art.” slip op. at 5

    • Claim Construction › Threshold & procedure › Whether a term needs construction (O2 Micro)No construction neededOther

      “C. Claim Construction In an inter partes review proceeding, a patent claim is construed using the same standard used in federal district court in a civil action under 35 U.S.C. § 282(b), including construing the claim in accordance with the ordinary and customary meaning of the claim as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art and the prosecution history pertaining to the patent. 37 C.F.R. § 42.100(b) (2020). Patent Owner proposes construing the term “the image” in all challenged claims to refer to “the same, single image.” PO Resp. 20. Based on this proposed construction, Patent Owner argues that the combination of Ogasawara and Bolle does not teach the limitations of claim 31. Id. at 59–60. As discussed below, for reasons unrelated to the term “the image,” Petitioner does not meet its burden to show that the challenged claims are unpatentable. See Sections II.D–II.F. Therefore, we determine that the term “the image” does not require an express construction to resolve the parties’ disputes regarding the asserted grounds of unpatentability.” slip op. at 6

    • BurdenNot shown unpatentable

      “Petitioner does not show persuasively that Ogasawara expressly or implicitly discloses the determining limitation of claim 18. The portions of Ogasawara cited by Petitioner indicate that Ogasawara’s computing platform invokes its recognition software to analyze image data without first determining if the image contains a recognizable symbol. See Pet. 23–25 (citing Ex. 1005, 18:11–58, 20:41–67, 21:15–20). Ogasawara discloses that the user of its device verifies that an image contains an entire symbol when capturing the image and before transmitting the image data to the computing platform. Ex. 1005, 20:47–51 (“While the consumer is scanning a particular bar code with the digital camera, . . . the consumer can visually verify that the entire image has been captured.”); see also id. at 20:41–47, 22:10–13, 22:59–63 (disclosing that a user captures an image of an item’s bar code by placing it within the image field of the digital camera). As a result, when Ogasawara’s computing platform receives the image data, it simply invokes recognition software to analyze the image data.2 Id. at 18:32–37, 21:17–20. For example, Ogasawara discloses that “[o]nce the bar code image has been captured, the program decodes the bar code image data . . . by operating on the bar code image with pattern recognition software.” Id. at 21:17–20; see also id. at 18:32–37 (“Once this information is received . . . , a character 2 In fact, Petitioner appears to acknowledge that Ogasawara’s device operates in this manner. Pet. 24–25 (“[o]nce the bar code image has been captured, the program decodes the bar code image data . . . with pattern recognition software.”). recognition and/or pattern recognition application routine can be invoked . . . to . . . decode the bar code.”). Thus, Ogasawara supports Patent Owner’s position that Ogasawara’s computing platform does not determine if an image contains a recognizable symbol before analyzing the image. Petitioner argues that the term “recognize” in Ogasawara discloses determining if an image contains a recognizable symbol, whereas the term “decode” discloses analyzing the symbol to extract information. Pet. Reply 6 (“capture, recognize and decode captured images.”). We disagree. Ogasawara uses both terms—recognize and decode—to describe analyzing image data to extract information. Ex. 1005, 18:32–37, 21:17–20. For example, Ogasawara discloses that its computing platform invokes recognition software “to either decode the bar code videographic data or to perform pattern recognition functions on a[n] icon-like patter[n].” Id. at 18:32–37 (emphases added); see also id. at 21:17–20 (“the program decodes the bar code image data . . . by operating on the bar code image with pattern recognition software”) (emphases added). Thus, Petitioner’s reliance on the term “recognize” does not show that Ogasawara discloses the determining limitation of claim 18. For the reasons discussed above, Petitioner does not show sufficiently” slip op. at 11

    • Novelty / Anticipation (§102) › Anticipation standard (single reference, every element)Not shown unpatentableNot shown unpatentable

      “Petitioner does not show persuasively that Ogasawara expressly or implicitly discloses the determining limitation of claim 18. The portions of Ogasawara cited by Petitioner indicate that Ogasawara’s computing platform invokes its recognition software to analyze image data without first determining if the image contains a recognizable symbol. See Pet. 23–25 (citing Ex. 1005, 18:11–58, 20:41–67, 21:15–20). Ogasawara discloses that the user of its device verifies that an image contains an entire symbol when capturing the image and before transmitting the image data to the computing platform. Ex. 1005, 20:47–51 (“While the consumer is scanning a particular bar code with the digital camera, . . . the consumer can visually verify that the entire image has been captured.”); see also id. at 20:41–47, 22:10–13, 22:59–63 (disclosing that a user captures an image of an item’s bar code by placing it within the image field of the digital camera). As a result, when Ogasawara’s computing platform receives the image data, it simply invokes recognition software to analyze the image data.2 Id. at 18:32–37, 21:17–20. For example, Ogasawara discloses that “[o]nce the bar code image has been captured, the program decodes the bar code image data . . . by operating on the bar code image with pattern recognition software.” Id. at 21:17–20; see also id. at 18:32–37 (“Once this information is received . . . , a character 2 In fact, Petitioner appears to acknowledge that Ogasawara’s device operates in this manner. Pet. 24–25 (“[o]nce the bar code image has been captured, the program decodes the bar code image data . . . with pattern recognition software.”). recognition and/or pattern recognition application routine can be invoked . . . to . . . decode the bar code.”). Thus, Ogasawara supports Patent Owner’s position that Ogasawara’s computing platform does not determine if an image contains a recognizable symbol before analyzing the image. Petitioner argues that the term “recognize” in Ogasawara discloses determining if an image contains a recognizable symbol, whereas the term “decode” discloses analyzing the symbol to extract information. Pet. Reply 6 (“capture, recognize and decode captured images.”). We disagree. Ogasawara uses both terms—recognize and decode—to describe analyzing image data to extract information. Ex. 1005, 18:32–37, 21:17–20. For example, Ogasawara discloses that its computing platform invokes recognition software “to either decode the bar code videographic data or to perform pattern recognition functions on a[n] icon-like patter[n].” Id. at 18:32–37 (emphases added); see also id. at 21:17–20 (“the program decodes the bar code image data . . . by operating on the bar code image with pattern recognition software”) (emphases added). Thus, Petitioner’s reliance on the term “recognize” does not show that Ogasawara discloses the determining limitation of claim 18. For the reasons discussed above, Petitioner does not show sufficiently” slip op. at 11

    Patent outcomesUS 7,899,252 not shown unpatentable
    Claim construction§ 102 anticipation§ 103 obviousnesscites KSR · Graham
    Patents in suitUS 7,899,252
  • PTAB · Dec 20, 2022 · IPR2021-01166 · APJ Miriam L Quinn · IPR · Final written decision

    Claims 1–23 are unpatentable: claims 1, 5–8, 15, and 19–22 are anticipated by O’Brien, and claims 1–23 are obvious over O’Brien and Haaster.

    RulingsFinal written decision
    • Skill levelSkill level petitioner adoptedDecided for petitioner

      “Petitioner contends that a person of ordinary skill in the art (“POSA”) “at the relevant time (around 2008) would have had at least a bachelor’s 5 Ex. 1024 was served, but not filed in this proceeding. Opp. Mot. to Exclude v. degree in electrical engineering (or equivalent) and at least two years’ industry experience, or equivalent research”; “[a]lternatively, a POSA could substitute directly relevant additional education for experience, e.g., an advanced degree relating to electrical engineering (or equivalent), with at least one year of industry experience.” Pet. 8 (citing Allen Decl. ¶¶ 31–34). Patent Owner does not dispute the level of ordinary skill in the art. See generally PO Resp. We adopt Petitioner’s assessment of the level of skill in the art, which is consistent with the specification of the ’935 patent and asserted prior art of record.” slip op. at 10

    • Claim Construction › Threshold & procedure › Whether a term needs construction (O2 Micro)No construction neededOther

      “Petitioner asserts that “prior art relied on in this Petition discloses the subject matter of the challenged claims under any reasonable construction, including their plain meaning” and “submits that no terms need to be construed to find the asserted claims unpatentable under the grounds set forth herein.” Pet. 9. Patent Owner does not submit any claim construction for any term. See generally PO Resp. We do not discern a dispute between the parties regarding any claim limitations, nor do we discern the need to expressly construe any claim limitations to resolve the controversy before us. See, e.g., Nidec Motor Corp. v. Zhongshan Broad Ocean Motor Co., 868 F.3d 1013, 1017 (Fed. Cir. 2017) (“[W]e need only construe 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))).” slip op. at 11

    • Novelty / Anticipation (§102) › Prior-art status of a reference › Printed publication / public accessibilityPrinted publication establishedReference is prior artDecided for petitioner

      “Frequency Power Transmission System for Wireless Systems and Devices.” Ex. 1007, Title. Petitioner asserts that O’Brien “was publicly available more than one year prior to the ’935 patent’s filing date” as “O’Brien was completed and approved by faculty members at the University of Dresden on March 11, 2006” and the “‘Machine-Readable Cataloging’ (MARC) record for O’Brien demonstrates that O’Brien was received, cataloged, and indexed by the Verbundzentrale Des Gemeinsamen Bibliotheksverbundes as of March 2, 2007.” Pet. 10–11 (citing Ex. 1005 ¶¶ 38, 40–43). Patent Owner does not challenge Petitioner’s assertions regarding O’Brien’s public accessibility. See generally PO Resp.6 Because Petitioner has shown, by a preponderance of the evidence, public accessibility of O’Brien through the MARC record and the library indexing as of March 2, 2007, as discussed above, and there is no evidence to the contrary, we find that O’Brien was publicly available more than one year prior to the filing date of the 6 We note here, however, Patent Owner’s contention that Petitioner has not properly authenticated O’Brien. Mot. Exclude 1. We address the issue of authentication below in connection with our denial of Patent Owner’s Motion to Exclude. See Section IV. ’935 patent (December 28, 2009), and thus qualifies as prior art under 35 U.S.C. § 102(b).” slip op. at 12

    • Novelty / Anticipation (§102) › Anticipation standard (single reference, every element)UnpatentableUnpatentable

      “As stated in our Decision on Institution, although we agree with Patent Owner’s explanation of how O’Brien describes source coils and tuning circuits in discrete chapters of the reference, the Petition explains sufficiently that the Tuneable Resonant Circuit is inexorably linked to the source coils and that the circuits are thus tuned to resonance. Dec. on Inst. 20. The arguments presented by Patent Owner do not persuade us otherwise. See Sur-reply 3−4 (arguing that O’Brien’s disclosure of tuning circuits is distinct from its disclosure of coils and, therefore, Petitioner’s discussion of one does not imply the other). As explained above, despite the Petition’s prominent reliance on the source-side Tuneable Resonant Circuit, highlighted in purple in Figure 5-1, Petitioner also relies on the discussions in Chapter 6 that describe the characteristics of the tuning circuits and Chapter 7 that describe source coils and the resonant circuits as “Source side systems.” Pet. 18−20. Accordingly, and as previously noticed in our Decision on Institution, the Petition gives sufficient notice that O’Brien’s source coils are part of the “source resonator.” Dec. on Inst. 20. Therefore, we are not persuaded by Patent Owner’s arguments that the Petition fails to show that O’Brien discloses the claimed “source resonator.” For the same reason, we are not persuaded that Petitioner’s Reply represents a new theory as compared with the position taken in the Petition. Consequently, Petitioner has shown that the “source resonator optionally coupled to an energy source” of claim 1 is taught by O’Brien’s source side system where the tunable resonant circuit (including the source coils) is coupled to the power source. Pet. 18−20; Ex. 1007, Figs. 5−1 (depicting the coupling to the power source), 6−1 (depicting the source side power conversion part of the system with tuning circuits in three different axes in an omni-directional system); 112−112 (Chapter 6 – describing the power converter of the source side and stating that the “power rating of the source side converter is primarily determined by the losses in the source coils for operation at resonance”); 114−115 (Chapter 6 – describing resonant circuit parameters where the source and receiver sides are tuned to a resonant frequency and form a transformer); 139−140 (Chapter 7 – describing “Source side systems,” the source coils operating characteristics, and three resonators connected to three independent power supplies); Allen Decl. ¶¶ 76−78.” slip op. at 23

    Patent outcomesUS 8,304,935 unpatentable
    Claim construction§ 102 anticipation§ 103 obviousnesscites Phillips · Graham
    Patents in suitUS 8,304,935
  • PTAB · Nov 22, 2022 · IPR2021-01167 · APJ Scott Raevsky · IPR · Final written decision

    Claims 1, 9, 10, 12, 13, 18, 36, 37, 43, 44, and 49 are unpatentable; claims 46–48, 50, and 51 were not shown unpatentable, chiefly because the asserted art lacked the construed configurable bridge structure.

    RulingsFinal written decision
    • Skill levelSkill level petitioner adoptedDecided for petitioner

      “understanding of a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention. Graham, 383 U.S. at 13, 17. Petitioner asserts that [a] person of ordinary skill in the art (“POSA”) at the time of the purported invention would have had a Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering or an equivalent field, and at least two years’ industry experience, or equivalent research. Alternatively, a POSA could substitute directly relevant additional education for experience, e.g., an advanced degree relating to the design of circuits using inductive coupling, or an advance degree in electrical engineering or an equivalent field with at least one year of industry experience. Pet. 10 (citing Ex. 1003 ¶¶ 8–12). Patent Owner does not address the level of skill in the art. We are persuaded that Petitioner’s proposal is consistent with the problems and solutions addressed by the ’581 patent and prior art of record. We adopt Petitioner’s definition of the level of skill, except that we delete the phrase “at least” to avoid ambiguity.” slip op. at 10

    • Claim Construction › Functional claiming / §112(f) means-plus-function › Whether §112(f) applies (Williamson, nonce words)§112(f) appliesDecided for petitioner

      “Turning to our analysis, we first note that means-plus-function claiming occurs when a claim term is drafted in a manner that invokes 35 U.S.C. § 112, para. 6, which states: An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.6 Williamson v. Citrix Online, LLC, 792 F.3d 1339, 1347 (Fed. Cir. 2015). “[T]he use of the word ‘means’ in a claim element creates a rebuttable presumption that § 112, para. 6 applies.” Id. (citing Personalized Media 6 See supra, n.2 (explaining that the pre-AIA version of § 112 applies). Commc’ns, LLC v. Int’l Trade Comm’n, 161 F.3d 696, 703–04 (Fed. Cir. 1998)). That presumption is not rebutted here. Neither party disputes that 35 U.S.C. § 112, paragraph 6 applies to all of the “means” terms recited in the ’581 patent claims. Pet. 11–16; PO Resp. 7–15, 34–35. “Construing a means-plus-function claim term is a two-step process. The court must first identify the claimed function. . . . Then, the court must determine what structure, if any, disclosed in the specification corresponds to the claimed function.” Williamson, 792 F.3d at 1351 (citing Noah Sys., Inc. v. Intuit Inc., 675 F.3d 1302, 1311 (Fed. Cir. 2012)). “Structure disclosed in the specification qualifies as ‘corresponding structure’ if the intrinsic evidence clearly links or associates that structure to the function recited in the claim.” Id. at 1352 (citing B. Braun Med., Inc. v. Abbott Labs., 124 F.3d 1419, 1424 (Fed. Cir. 1997)).” slip op. at 13

    • Claim Construction › Functional claiming / §112(f) means-plus-function › Corresponding structure / algorithm (indefinite if none)Term construed board ownDecided for patent owner

      “We agree with Petitioner that the claimed function in the “means for converting” limitation is “converting a power from a power supply system to a power at an operating frequency for transfer of wireless energy.” Pet. 11. But we disagree with Petitioner that the corresponding structure is “an oscillator with amplifier; the half-bridge inverter in Figure 19A below; or the full-bridge inverter in Figure 19B.” See id. For the reasons below, we identify the disclosed structure corresponding to the “means for converting” limitation to be “a bridge circuit configurable between a full-bridge mode and a half-bridge mode, as shown in Figures 19A and 19B, and equivalents thereof.”” slip op. at 14

    • Claim Construction › Intrinsic evidence (Phillips canons) › Specification disavowal / 'present invention' languageDisclaimer not foundDecided for petitioner

      “generally given their plain and ordinary meaning as would be understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention and in the context of the entire patent disclosure. Phillips v. AWH Corp., 415 F.3d 1303, 1313 (Fed. Cir. 2005) (en banc). “There are only two exceptions to this general rule: 1) when a patentee sets out a definition and acts as his own lexicographer, or 2) when the patentee disavows the full scope of a claim term either in the specification or during prosecution.” Thorner v. Sony Computer Entm’t Am. LLC, 669 F.3d 1362, 1365 (Fed. Cir. 2012). For lexicography, “[e]ven when guidance is not provided in explicit definitional format, the specification may define claim terms by implication such that the meaning may be found in or ascertained by a reading of the patent documents.” In re Abbott Diabetes Care Inc., 696 F.3d 1142, 1150 (Fed. Cir. 2012) (quoting Irdeto Access, Inc. v. Echostar Satellite Corp., 383 F.3d 1295, 1300 (Fed. Cir. 2004)). For example, “a patent’s repeated and consistent description of a claim term may inform its construction.” Groove Digital, Inc. v. United Bank, 825 Fed. App’x 852 (Fed. Cir. 2020) (nonprecedential) (citing Abbott, 696 F.3d at 1150). For disavowal to be applicable, “the specification must contain expressions of manifest exclusion or restriction, representing a clear disavowal of claim scope.” Cont’l Circuits, 915 F.3d at 797 (quotations and citations omitted).” slip op. at 26

    Patent outcomesUS 8,884,581 mixed
    Claim construction§ 102 anticipation§ 103 obviousnesscites KSR · Graham
    Patents in suitUS 8,884,581
  • PTAB · Oct 12, 2022 · IPR2021-01127 · APJ Scott Raevsky · IPR · Final written decision

    Claims 1–8 are unpatentable because Kanno anticipates them and renders them obvious.

    RulingsFinal written decision
    • Skill levelSkill level petitioner adoptedDecided for petitioner

      “Patent Owner does not address the level of skill in the art. We are persuaded that Petitioner’s proposal is consistent with the problems and solutions in the ’635 patent and prior art of record. We adopt Petitioner’s definition of the level of skill, except that we delete the phrase “at least” to avoid including an expert in the definition of the level of skill.” slip op. at 7

    • Claim Construction › Intrinsic evidence (Phillips canons) › Specification disavowal / 'present invention' languageTerm construed board ownDisclaimer not foundDecided for petitioner

      “We agree with Petitioner. The plain language of claim 1 is expansive, requiring only that the partially cancelled first magnetic field is “outside a spatial region through which power is transferred from the first source magnetic resonator to the device magnetic resonator.” The claim does not refer to a specific type of radiation, let alone far field radiation. The claim drafter deliberately chose the broader term “first magnetic field” rather than specifying “far field radiation.” We find nothing in the claim that points to a more restrictive interpretation of “first magnetic field.” The specification does not limit the partially canceled first magnetic field to far field radiation either, as it expressly contemplates that “the fields that need to be minimized or reduced can be either the far-field, or the near field (if the wavelength is much larger than the distance between the wireless power transfer system to the point of interest).” Ex. 1001, 51:33–37 (emphasis added). The specification could not be any plainer than this— referring explicitly to reducing the far field “or the near field.” Id.5” slip op. at 9

    • Novelty / Anticipation (§102) › Anticipation standard (single reference, every element)UnpatentableUnpatentable

      “We agree with Petitioner. Patent Owner’s arguments rely on a claim construction that we have not adopted. And Kanno discloses at least near-field cancellation by disclosing, for example, that angles “within the range of 90 to 180 degrees . . . minimized leakage of electromagnetic waves into the surrounding space effectively.” Ex. 1005, 28:36–41; Ex. 1003 ¶¶ 56 (citing, e.g., Ex. 1005, 28:18–42), 107 (similar), 111 (similar). Patent Owner does not dispute that Kanno teaches near-field cancellation. See, e.g., PO Resp. 9 (“reducing ‘near field strength’ as described in Kanno”). Thus, under the correct construction of this limitation as encompassing near-field radiation, far-field radiation, or both, we agree that Kanno teaches it. Not only that, but Patent Owner does not dispute Petitioner’s Reply argument that Kanno also discloses the same far-field cancellation as the ’635 patent, as Patent Owner neither filed a sur-reply nor addressed Petitioner’s Reply argument at the oral hearing. See Tr. 14:20–21 (resting on the briefs). And we agree with Petitioner’s argument, as supported by the unrebutted testimony of Dr. Arnold, that even under Patent Owner’s incorrect construction, Kanno teaches this limitation. Reply 6–7 (citing, e.g., Ex. 1003 ¶¶ 114–15). Dr. Arnold asserts that “[a] reduction in the strength of the electromagnetic near field generally corresponds with a reduction in the strength of the electromagnetic far field.” See Ex. 1003 ¶ 114. Dr. Arnold explains in detail how these near and far fields relate to one another as follows: The term “near field” is a technical term that refers to the electromagnetic near field of an antenna, as opposed to the radiative “far field”. The near field for an electromagnetically short antenna is defined as a region within one electromagnetic wavelength of the antenna. The electrical frequency used in the real-world implementation of the power generator is 3 MHz. Id. 27:44-48. A frequency of 3 MHz corresponds to an electromagnetic wavelength of 100 meters. Here, the measurement distance of 5 meters is well within the near field range of 100 meters, and constitutes a near field measurement. A reduction in the strength of the electromagnetic near field generally corresponds with a reduction in the strength of the electromagnetic far field Id. ¶ 114. In other words, if a field closer to an antenna is reduced, then the field farther from the antenna will be reduced too. This fact is unremarkable, as Dr. Arnold explains, “[t]he principles behind magnetic resonators to wirelessly transfer power have been known for over a century.” Id. ¶ 24.” slip op. at 20

    • Obviousness (§103) › Motivation to combine / reasonable expectation of successMotivation foundReasonable expectation foundUnpatentable

      “Even in light of Patent Owner’s arguments, which we address below, we agree with Petitioner. We find that one of ordinary skill in the art would have combined Kanno’s Example 1 with its fundamental arrangement because the specific details in Example 1 and test data would have indicated to the skilled artisan the desirability of combining these portions of Kanno. As Dr. Arnold persuasively testifies, “a POSA would have been motivated to look to Example 1 because it provides those specific implementation details for circuit component types and values, as well as test data showing that the power generator achieves high power transfer efficiency while minimizing electromagnetic field leakage.” Ex. 1003 ¶ 150. He further testifies, “given that Kanno describes ‘Example 1’ as a real-world implementation, a POSA would have had a reasonable expectation of success that the power generator using those implementation details would work.” Id. We agree and credit this unrebutted testimony in support of Petitioner’s motivation to combine separate portions of Kanno.” slip op. at 31

    Patent outcomesUS 9,306,635 unpatentable
    Claim construction§ 102 anticipation§ 103 obviousnesscites KSR · Graham
    Patents in suitUS 9,306,635
  • PTAB · Oct 6, 2022 · IPR2021-00703 · APJ Jameson Lee · IPR · Final written decision

    The Board held claims 1–4, 6–10, 12–16, and 18 unpatentable based on anticipation by Rosencwaig and obviousness over the cited combinations.

    RulingsFinal written decision
    • Skill levelOther

      “differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention, as a whole, would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which said claimed invention pertains. KSR Int’l Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 550 U.S. 398, 406 (2007). The question of obviousness is resolved on the basis of underlying factual determinations including: (1) the scope and content of the prior art; (2) any differences between the claimed subject matter and the prior art; (3) the level of ordinary skill in the art; and (4) when in evidence, objective evidence of nonobviousness.4 Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 17–18 (1966). There must be some articulated reasoning with rational underpinning to support the legal conclusion of obviousness. In re Kahn, 441 F.3d 977, 988 (Fed. Cir. 2006).” slip op. at 11

    • Claim Construction › Threshold & procedure › Whether a term needs construction (O2 Micro)Term construed board ownDecided for patent owner

      “1. “projecting” In its Petition, Petitioner did not propose a specific construction for” slip op. at 15

    • Obviousness (§103) › Graham factors (scope of art, differences, level of skill)UnpatentableUnpatentable
    • Novelty / Anticipation (§102) › Anticipation standard (single reference, every element)UnpatentableUnpatentable
    Patent outcomesUS 9,473,766 unpatentable
    Claim construction§ 102 anticipation§ 103 obviousnesscites Phillips · KSR · Graham
    Patents in suitUS 9,473,766
  • PTAB · Sep 22, 2022 · IPR2021-00678 · APJ Miriam L Quinn · IPR · Final written decision

    Claims 1, 3–5, 11, and 13–15 are unpatentable as obvious over Dahlman and Samsung and over Nokia and Samsung.

    RulingsFinal written decision
    • Skill levelSkill level petitioner adoptedDecided for petitioner

      “level of skill in the art, which encompasses that proposed by Patent Owner and is consistent with the specification of the ’279 patent and asserted prior art of record. Our Decision stated that “Patent Owner’s argument that a person of ordinary skill in the art would not have needed to be a member of a standard-setting organization does not address the standard actually proposed by Petitioner – familiarity with the 3GPP specifications, including LTE.” Dec. on Inst. 7−8. We stated that the ’279 patent devotes a significant portion of its disclosure to discussing 3GPP LTE communications systems and, thus, we find familiarity with 3GPP specifications would have been expected of a person of ordinary skill in the art. Id. at 8. And we stated that the asserted prior art addresses and describes 3GPP specifications, and, therefore, it is reasonable to conclude that a person of ordinary skill in the art would have had familiarity with such specifications. Id.” slip op. at 8

    • Claim Construction › Intrinsic evidence (Phillips canons) › Plain and ordinary meaning to a POSITAPlain and ordinary meaningDecided for petitioner

      “Defining the term “Resource Indication Value (RIV)” to include the specific calculations disclosed in columns 16 through 18 of the ’279 patent, without a cogent and properly supported explanation for why the term should be thus construed, would amount to improperly importing a limitation into the claim from a preferred embodiment. Phillips v. AWH limitations from the specification into the claim”). There is no language in the claim itself that alludes to how the values are calculated or how they are to be interpreted. And as Petitioner points out, the ’279 patent specification provides a broader description of the term, by stating that the “resource indication value (RIV) indicat[es] a start resource block and the length of consecutively-allocated resource blocks (RBs).” Id. at 13:35−38; Pet. 42; see also Reply 4−5 (arguing that the calculation of an invalid RIV value is irrelevant to the claims because the claims do not require any method of calculating such values); Tr. 22:1−23:25 (arguing that a RIV is a value denoting a start resource block and the length of consecutively allocated resource blocks as stated in the ’279 patent specification). Accordingly, we determine that the “Resource Indication Value (RIV)” recited in claims 4 and 14, does not require a RIV calculation method of the type Patent Owner argues.” slip op. at 10

    • Novelty / Anticipation (§102) › Prior-art status of a reference › Printed publication / public accessibilityPrinted publication establishedDecided for petitioner

      “printed publication, “before the critical date the reference must have been sufficiently accessible to the public interested in the art.” Constant v. Advanced Micro-Devices, Inc., 848 F.2d 1560, 1568 (Fed. Cir. 1988). When there is an established publisher there is a presumption of public accessibility as of the publication date. Vidstream LLC v. Twitter, Inc., 981 F.3d 1060, 1065 (Fed. Cir. 2020); see also Giora George Angres, Ltd. v. Tinny Beauty & Figure, Inc., No. 96-1507, 1997 WL 355479, at *7 (Fed. Cir. July 24, 1997) (“[A]s Memoirs was published (in England) by an established publisher, there is no reason to suspect that it was not publicly available, including to one skilled in the art, and no evidence was presented that it was not.” (citing In re Hall, 781 F.2d 897, 899 (Fed. Cir. 1986)) (emphasis omitted)).” slip op. at 13

    • Expert testimonyPetitioner expert creditedPatent owner expert discountedDecided for petitioner

      “Smith because it is supported by evidence of record and provides explanation sufficient to understand the relationship between the PDCCH signaling used for SPS deactivation and the content of that signal with respect to the identity of the terminal, the C-RNTI. See Lanning Decl. ¶¶ 262–263, 278−280. The proffered testimony of Dr. Smith characterizes Dahlman’s disclosures as limited to what it expressly discloses, and not for what they would suggest to a person of ordinary skill in the art. Smith Decl. ¶¶ 115−120. Dr. Smith’s testimony also does not explain or rebut the Lanning testimony on which RNTI Dahlman suggests for use in the PDCCH signal for SPS activation and deactivation. Id. Indeed, Dr. Smith’s testimony is silent as to what Dahlman’s teachings of using the PDCCH for SPS activation and deactivation would have taught or suggested to a person of ordinary skill in the art. Merely opining that Dahlman limits its discussion of C-RNTI as an identify of the terminal is insufficient to rebut the testimony of Mr. Lanning that the PDCCH transmits DCI which includes the RNTI and that a person of ordinary skill in the art would understand that for DCI 1A transmission that RNTI would be a C-RNTI. Lanning Decl. ¶¶ 278−280. Thus, Petitioner’s position that a person of ordinary skill in the art “would have understood that for deactivation, the DCI sent on the PDCCH must include the C-RNTI” (Pet. 38) is supported by expert testimony that is consistent with Dahlman’s teachings. Mr. Lanning’s testimony also makes a logical connection between Dahlman’s disclosure of using RNTIs, and particularly a C-RNTI, in the DCI (of the PDCCH) and Dahlman’s disclosure of using the PDCCH for SPS deactivation signaling (see Ex. 1003, 314, 352, 477).” slip op. at 28

    Patent outcomesUS 8,971,279 unpatentable
    Claim construction§ 102 anticipation§ 103 obviousnesscites Phillips · KSR
    Patents in suitUS 8,971,279

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.