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  • PTAB · Sep 1, 2026 · IPR2023-00247 · APJ Michael T Cygan · IPR · Remand

    Claim 15 was not shown unpatentable over Rothschild alone or Rothschild and Chen because Petitioner did not sufficiently explain or support how the IM modality generates the claimed hot link.

    RulingsRemand decision
    • BurdenNot shown unpatentable

      “disclaim HTML-formatted advertisements in IM,” and that there is no evidence or expert testimony that IM messages are incompatible with HTML tags. Pet. Remand Reply 4–7 (also stating, “nor did Patent Owner contest the Petition’s showing with respect to the IM limitation of claim 15”). However, in inter partes review, the burden is on Petitioner to explain and support its assertions; it is not on Patent Owner to prove that its claims are not unpatentable. In re Magnum Oil Tools, 829 F.3d at 1375; PO Remand Resp. 5. Petitioner must explain how Rothschild teaches generating a hot link message, in an instant message communication, that includes the determined action and instructions for rendering and displaying the hot link. Petitioner’s reliance on a list of communication types is insufficient because although personal communications are sent “with” an advertisement, not all members of that list (e.g., SMS) generate a hot link message having the claimed instructions in the manner (formatting) asserted by Petitioner. Ex. 1005, 8:3–6; Ex. 2009 ¶ 64.” slip op. at 12

    • Obviousness (§103) › Motivation to combine / reasonable expectation of successNot shown unpatentableMotivation not foundNot shown unpatentable

      “link message by IM is that Rothschild states that “a personal communication can include, but is not limited to, an e-mail message, text message, short message service (SMS) message, chat-room message, instant messaging message, video message, voice message, and any other personalized network communications.” Pet. 40 (quoting Ex. 1005, 8:6–11); Pet. Remand Reply 2, 5–6 (arguing that this is unrebutted by Patent Owner). Such an explanation would be sufficient if each of those communications were shown to work in the same manner as email, such that no further explanation would be required to show that one having ordinary skill in the art would understand how Petitioner’s email and HTML tag explanations applied to each of the other message types. formatting step, which is required under Petitioner’s assertions for limitation [10.7]. Ex. 2009 ¶¶57 (citing Ex. 1005, Fig. 10), 60 (citing Ex. 1005, Fig. 11), 64 (“[t]here is no formatting step for the SMS message, only for e-mail.”), 76 (“SMS messages . . . do not use HTML”); PO Sur-reply 27. Nor does Petitioner assert or explain that IM messages are formatted so as to teach the generating step of limitation [1.4]/[10.7]. Pet. 32 (“Rothschild’s server generates a hot link message when the web server formats the message data into an e-mail that contains the selected interactive advertisement.”). Because Petitioner’s “generating a hot link” assertions rely on the use of HTML (in email), and one of Rothschild’s listed communication types (SMS) does not use HTML, Petitioner fails to show persuasively that an artisan of ordinary skill would have interpreted each of Rothschild’s other listed types of personal communication as using HTML to generate a hot link in the claimed manner.” slip op. at 9

    • Expert testimonyPetitioner expert discountedDecided for patent owner

      “Although Dr. Houh testifies that the use of IM would have been obvious, this testimony is a verbatim copy of what the Petition says on claim 5. Compare Ex. 1003 ¶¶ 80–81, 130–31 with Pet. 41. Dr. Houh cites to Rothschild’s list of communication types, but provides no analysis or reasoning or further evidence for his obviousness conclusion in the Houh Declaration. As such, it is a bare conclusory statement entitled to little or no weight. See 37 C.F.R. § 42.65(a) (“Expert testimony that does not disclose the underlying facts or data on which the opinions is based is entitled to little or no weight.”). We further note that although Dr. Houh relies upon Rothschild’s “interactive advertisement that is displayed with a graphic and includes an embedded URL,” Dr. Houh does not explain how each of the listed communication types (which include a voice message), or IM specifically, have these properties. Ex. 1003 ¶ 58.” slip op. at 11

    Patent outcomesUS 10,869,169 not shown unpatentable
    § 103 obviousness
    Patents in suitUS 10,869,169
  • PTAB · May 29, 2026 · IPR2025-00349 · APJ Jason M Repko · IPR · Final written decision

    Claims 1–21 were not shown unpatentable because Avellan did not disclose the claimed sequence of screen captures used to assemble a media stream.

    RulingsFinal written decision
    • Skill levelOther

      “Patent Owner submits a similar definition and does not dispute the Petition’s characterization of the level of ordinary skill in the art. PO Resp. 22. No express finding is necessary. The level of ordinary skill in the art is reflected by the prior art of record. Any perceived difference in how each party characterizes a POSITA does not change our analysis or conclusions.” slip op. at 5

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

      “on ordinary and customary meaning. Pet. 14–15; PO Resp. 22. We determine that construction of claim terms is not necessary to resolve the disputes raised by the parties in this proceeding.” slip op. at 6

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

      “c. Analysis “A claim is anticipated only if each and every element as set forth in the claim is found, either expressly or inherently described, in a single prior art reference.” Verdegaal Bros. v. Union Oil Co. of California, 814 F.2d 628, 631 (Fed. Cir. 1987). We are persuaded by Patent Owner’s argument that Avellan does not anticipate claim 1 because it does not assemble a media stream of multimedia items using the recited screen captures. See PO Resp. 26–29. We agree with Patent Owner that the plain language of the claim requires more than transmitting individual media items. Sur-reply 21. To the extent that Avellan captures images, those images do not meet the claimed requirements for a “temporal sequence of screen captures” in the independent claims, which must (1) be of the web page rendered by a browser, (2) “define all the content of the web page at a given time,” (3) “illustrate a dynamic change of at least a portion of the content over time” when two of them are compared, and (4) used to assemble “the at least one media stream.” Rather, the record better supports Patent Owner’s argument that Avellan transmits the multimedia items separate from any media stream assembled from screen captures. PO Resp. 26–29; Sur-reply 21.” slip op. at 8

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

      “All other challenged claims require the “generating” and “assembling” operations because they depend from claims 1, 12, or 17. Petitioner does not allege that the additional references—Durante, Ma, Suzuki, Wanamaker, Heikens, Matthews, or Wilsher—teach or suggest the “temporal sequence of screen captures” recited in claim 1. Rather, Petitioner’s reasoning in the challenges to the dependent claims pertaining to the screen captures mirror the rationale presented in the independent claim. See, e.g., Pet. 25 (arguing that Avellan’s screen captures correspond to the video content in the challenge to claim 2), 26–27 (arguing that Avellan obtains screen captures from a playback of a video on the webpage in the challenge to claim 4). Petitioner’s argument that Avellan teaches or suggests these operations in the grounds based on obviousness under 35 U.S.C. § 103 depend on the reasoning and insufficiently supported characterizations of Avellan in the challenges based on 35 U.S.C. § 102, as discussed above. See Pet. 40–60. grounds based on anticipation under 35 U.S.C. § 102 or teaches or suggests these operations in the grounds based on obviousness under 35 U.S.C. § 103, Petitioner has not met its burden to show that any challenged claim is unpatentable as anticipated by Avellan or obvious over any of the combinations of Avellan and the other cited references.” slip op. at 15

    Patent outcomesUS 10,123,074 not shown unpatentable
    Claim construction§ 102 anticipation§ 103 obviousness
    Patents in suitUS 10,123,074
  • PTAB · Oct 31, 2025 · IPR2024-00777 · APJ Jameson Lee · IPR · Final written decision

    Claims 16–27 were not shown unpatentable because Petitioner failed to account for limitations 16[b] and 16[i] and their counterparts across the asserted obviousness grounds.

    RulingsFinal written decision
    • Skill levelSkill level petitioner adoptedDecided for petitioner

      “Patent Owner proposes that a person of ordinary skill in the art “would have a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Human Computer Interaction, or a related technical field, with at least one year of experience working in the field of user interfaces and/or content management.” PO Resp. 11 (citing Ex. 2040 ¶ 53). The Decision on Institution adopted Petitioner’s proposed level of ordinary skill in the art. Inst. Dec. 10. We find Patent Owner’s stated level to be less precise than that proposed by Petitioner in that the modifier “at least” used by Patent owner imposes no upper bound on the amount of experience possessed by one of ordinary skill in the art. Also, Patent Owner states: “The difference between the Board’s definition and Patent Owner’s (EX2040. ¶53) does not change the arguments set forth herein.” PO Resp. 11. Thus, we continue to adopt Petitioner’s stated level of ordinary skill in the art.4 4 All of our findings and conclusions would still be the same, however, had we applied Patent Owner’s articulation of the level of ordinary skill in the art.” slip op. at 8

    • Prior constructionPrior construction adoptedDecided for patent owner

      “In its Reply, Petitioner does not assert that the district court’s construction is incorrect. We agree with Patent Owner that the district court’s construction is better than Petitioner’s proposed construction, because for reasons indicated by Patent Owner, which are not disputed by Petitioner, settings in the computer, e.g., dedicated folders for each user are the user profiles, rather than simply data alone of any kind. Further, when asked about the appropriateness of the district court’s construction, counsel for Petitioner expressed that Petitioner has no objection to the Board’s adopting the district court’s construction for “user profile”: JUDGE LEE: So, you’d be fine with just going with the District Court’s construction? MR. HEINTZ: Yes, Your Honor. Tr. 15:22–24. For the foregoing reasons, we adopt the district court’s construction for “user profile,” i.e., “a collection of settings and information associated with a user.”” slip op. at 13

    • BurdenNot shown unpatentable

      “PO Resp. 30–31 (Figure 26 omitted). In its Reply, Petitioner still does not provide an articulated reason for placing user profile selection buttons, labeled with user names, within Horn’s panes 2601 or 2602. Reply 12–14. Although Horn does describe personalized profile, Petitioner points to no disclosure of Horn as to how a user would have selected his or her own profile from among a plurality of user profiles. Petitioner presents no reason for placing these user profile selection buttons, labeled with user names, gleaned from or suggested by Baumgartner, within either pane 2601 or pane 2602 in Horn’s workspace view. Further, pane 2602 contains “a list of all collections defined by MFS and the user,” and pane 2601 lists the source examined by the user to create his or her collections. Ex. 1005, 19:41–46. That disclosure suggests the contents of panes 2601 and 2602 are tied to one particular user. No rational basis is articulated by Petitioner to place user profile selection buttons within these panes which appear to be in the profile space of one user. For the foregoing reasons, Petitioner has not adequately accounted for limitation 16[b].” slip op. at 22

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

      “The test for sufficiency of a written description under 35 U.S.C. § 112 is whether the earlier application’s disclosure “reasonably conveys to those skilled in the art that the inventor had possession of the claimed subject matter as of the filing date.” Ariad Pharms., Inc. v. Eli Lilly & Co., 598 F.3d 1336, 1351 (Fed. Cir. 2010) (en banc). The specification must “clearly allow persons of ordinary skill in the art to recognize that [the inventor] invented what is claimed.” Id. The Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has explained: One shows that one is “in possession” of the invention by describing the invention, with all its claimed limitations, not that which makes it obvious. Id. (“[T]he applicant must also convey to those skilled in the art that, as of the filing date sought, he or she was in possession of the invention. The invention is, for purposes of the ‘written description’ inquiry, whatever is now claimed.”) (emphasis in original). One does that by such descriptive means as words, structures, figures, diagrams, formulas, etc., that fully set forth the claimed invention. Although the exact terms need not be used in haec verba, see Eiselstein v. Frank, 52 F.3d 1035, 1038, 34 USPQ2d 1467, 1470 (Fed.Cir.1995) (“[T]he prior application need not describe the claimed subject matter in exactly the same terms as used in the claims. . . .”), the specification must contain an equivalent description of the claimed subject matter. A description which renders obvious the invention for which an earlier filing date is sought is not sufficient. Lockwood v. American Airlines, Inc., 107 F.3d 1565 (Fed. Cir. 1997).” slip op. at 31

    Patent outcomesUS 11,017,815 not shown unpatentable
    Claim construction§ 103 obviousness§ 112 disclosurecites Phillips · KSR · Graham
    Patents in suitUS 11,017,815
  • PTAB · Jul 14, 2025 · IPR2024-00402 · APJ Mary C Hoffman · IPR · Final written decision

    The Board granted Patent Owner’s revised non-contingent motion to amend, canceling claims 1–4 and substituting claims 7 and 8, which Petitioner did not prove unpatentable.

    RulingsFinal written decision
    • PTAB / AIA Trials › Motions to amend / substitute claimsMotion to amend, grantedGranted

      “whether the motion to amend meets the statutory and regulatory requirements set forth in 35 U.S.C. § 316(d) and 37 C.F.R. § 42.121.” See Lectrosonics, Inc. v. Zaxcom, Inc., IPR2018-01129, Paper 15 at 4 (PTAB Feb. 25, 2019) (precedential). A “patent owner bears the burden of persuasion to show, by a preponderance of the evidence, that the motion to amend complies” with the applicable statutory and regulatory requirements. 37 C.F.R. § 42.121(d)(1). Specifically, a patent owner must demonstrate the following: (1) the amendment proposes a reasonable number of substitute claims; (2) the amendment responds to a ground of unpatentability involved in the trial; (3) the amendment does not seek to enlarge the scope of the claims of the patent; and (4) the amendment does not introduce new matter. See 35 U.S.C. § 316(d); 37 C.F.R. § 42.121(a)–(b). For the reasons explained below, Patent Owner satisfies its burden of persuasion to show that the amendments comply with the applicable statutory and regulatory requirements.” slip op. at 8

    • Skill levelSkill level patent owner adoptedDecided for patent owner

      “Both parties rely on expert testimony for their respective positions relating to the number of years of experience needed to attain ordinary skill, but neither expert cites supporting evidence for their testimony. See Ex. 1002 ¶ 33; Ex. 2002 ¶ 15. Our decision is the same regardless of whether the length of experience is two years or three. We find Patent Owner’s proposed “wireless communications” is more consistent with the ’958 patent than Petitioner’s proposed “telecommunication,” which encompasses a variety of technologies including, e.g., landline and wireless telephones, cable, and satellite. See Ex. 1001, 1:11–62 (describing the invention in terms of wireless communications). Accordingly, we adopt a modified version of Petitioner’s proffered level of ordinary skill in the art, substituting “wireless communications” for “telecommunication.” Neither party, moreover, indicates the overall result would change based on a different definition.” slip op. at 18

    • Claim Construction › Intrinsic evidence (Phillips canons) › Plain and ordinary meaning to a POSITATerm construed patent owner constructionDecided for patent owner

      “We agree with Patent Owner that the recited second type SIBs exclude first type SIBs. The plain meaning of “first type” and “second type” indicates that the first type and second type are different in kind. RMTA 22 (App. A). Our interpretation is consistent with the Specification, which explains that second type SIBs exclude first type SIBs. As Patent Owner points out, the ’958 patent discloses “first type of system information (1TYP SIB) is . . . essential . . . for initial system access” and “second type of system information (2TYP SIB) is nonessential system information . . . defined as all other types of information, and thus excludes the [] information required for initial access.” Id. at 11–12 (citing Ex. 1001, 8:34– 46); see also Ex. 1001, Abstract (interchangeably using the terms second type and non-essential). Despite Petitioner’s argument that this disclosure is non-limiting and directed to a disclaimed example embodiment (Opp. 8–9), Petitioner could not identify any embodiment, among the approximately forty disclosed embodiments, describing something other than the first type SIB being essential information and the second type SIB being non-essential information. Tr. 22:18–26. Even the Petition acknowledges that “the ’958 Patent further classifies a second type of system information, the ‘non-essential’ SI, which is defined as all other types of information excluding that first type of information required for initial access.” Pet. 5. Furthermore, the prior art of record suggests that a person of ordinary skill would have understood second type SIBs exclude first type SIBs. See Ex. 1008 ¶ 48 (describing two categories of system information, “essential SI” and “Other SI”). Patent Owner’s expert also understood the recited first and second type SIBs as being mutually exclusive. See Ex. 1011, 49:10–13. For the above reasons, we do not agree with Petitioner that the recited second type SIB lacks any requirements, nor do we interpret claims 7 and 8 such that the first type SIB could be a second type SIB.” slip op. at 19

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

      “(d) Limitation 7h: Analysis We agree with Patent Owner that Petitioner’s arguments with respect to limitation 7h are insufficient because they fail to address the limitation as written and improperly incorporate previous arguments by reference. For example, Petitioner did not map the recited “group identifier” when opposing Patent Owner’s Revised Motion to Amend. See Opp. 16–17. In its Sur-reply, Petitioner contends that limitation 7h’s requirement of transmitting the group identifier was previously “set out in Patent Owner’s prior papers,” but does not refer to any specific papers or exhibits. Pet. Surreply 11–12. We decline to search for and piece together Petitioner’s arguments and evidence to develop a persuasive theory of unpatentability. See 37 C.F.R. section 42.6(a)(3). Petitioner similarly failed to address adequately where Lee discloses or suggests the recited “compressed format” and “plural parameters.” See Opp. 16–17. Aside from the above concerns, we also do not see sufficient explanation with respect to limitation 7h’s requirement that the transmitting by broadcast be based on a comparison of the value tag. Petitioner argues that, because Patent Owner does not dispute limitation 7g, “it would have been obvious to a POSITA to use the same value tag[] to determine the system information broadcast in Lee’s compressed format embodiment.” Pet. Sur-reply 12. This conclusory statement is not supported by any citations to evidence and was improperly introduced in the Sur-reply. Moreover, whether it was obvious to determine what system information is broadcast is not commensurate with the claim scope because limitation 7h requires that the broadcasting (not the broadcast content) be based on a comparison of the value tag. See supra III.B.4 and IV.B. Further, we are not persuaded that Lee’s transmitting by broadcast is” slip op. at 26

    Patent outcomesUS 10,841,958 not shown unpatentable
    Claim construction§ 102 anticipation§ 103 obviousness§ 112 disclosurecites Phillips · KSR · Graham · Nautilus
    Patents in suitUS 10,841,958
  • PTAB · May 16, 2025 · IPR2024-00093 · APJ Grace Karaffa Obermann · IPR · Final written decision

    Claims 1–9 were not proven unpatentable because the asserted references did not establish the claimed epitaxial layer or the required coverage of the trench sidewalls.

    RulingsFinal written decision
    • Skill levelSkill level petitioner adoptedDecided for petitioner

      “Petitioner defines a person of ordinary skill in the art as having “a Master’s degree in electrical engineering, and at least two years of relevant work experience in the field of integrated circuit design and manufacturing.” Pet. 13 (citing Ex. 1003 ¶¶ 32–37, 57). Patent Owner does not dispute Petitioner’s definition. PO Resp. 6. We adopt Petitioner’s proposed definition of the level of ordinary skill in the art because it is supported by unopposed declaration testimony and appears to be consistent with the disclosures of the ’634 patent and the asserted prior art references. See Ex. 1001, 1:6–2:33 (describing the invention and related art in terms of integrated circuit design and fabrication); see also Ex. 1006 ¶¶ 1–6 (Hirler); Ex. 1008 ¶¶ 1–37 (Kobayashi); Ex. 1009 ¶¶ 2–29 (Shiraishi). Neither party, moreover, indicates the overall result would change based on a different definition.” slip op. at 7

    • Claim Construction › Intrinsic evidence (Phillips canons) › Plain and ordinary meaning to a POSITATerm construed petitioner constructionDecided for petitioner

      “Petitioner argues that “the sidewalls of said trenches in said base layer are covered” should be construed to mean that “the entire sidewalls of” those trenches are covered. Pet. 18–19. We refer to this as “the sidewall limitation.” Petitioner shows persuasively that the disclosure and file history of the ’634 patent support its position on the sidewall limitation. Id. Patent Owner, for its part, observes that, after the filing of the Petition. two District Courts adopted the construction proposed by Petitioner.” PO Resp. 21 (citing Ex. 2010, 6–9; Ex. 2011, 23). Patent Owner also agrees to apply Petitioner’s construction for purposes of this proceeding. Id. We agree with Patent Owner that an express construction of the sidewall limitation is necessary to this Decision, id., and adopt Petitioner’s undisputed definition because it is supported by the record. No other claim term requires express construction for purposes of this Decision.” slip op. at 8

    • BurdenNot shown unpatentable

      “On this record, Petitioner fails to demonstrate that any claim is unpatentable under any ground asserted in the Petition. IV. CONCLUSION For the above reasons, we determine that Petitioner fails to establish by a preponderance of the evidence that claims 1–9 of the ’634 patent are unpatentable.” slip op. at 34

    • Expert testimonyPetitioner expert discountedPatent owner expert creditedDecided for patent owner

      “Alternatively, even if we set aside that timing issue, Dr. Liu’s bare opinion, advanced for the first time during cross-examination, that an epitaxial layer is “obvious” from Hirler’s disclosure is inadequate to support the challenges. Id. at 24–25. We accord little weight to Dr. Liu’s opinion because it is conclusory. See Xerox Corp. v. Bytemark, Inc., IPR2022-00624, Paper 9 at 15 (PTAB Aug. 24, 2022) (precedential). In any event, Petitioner does not meet, on this record, the “high standard” required to establish an inherent disclosure of an epitaxial layer in Hirler. PO Resp. 24.6 Dr. Liu opined for the first time during cross-examination “that it would have been impossible to create Hirler’s more lightly doped n- drift zone layer on top of its more heavily doped n+ substrate layer other than via epitaxy.” Id. at 25 (citing Ex. 2014, 164:16– 165:20). But Patent Owner effectively refutes that proposition with evidence that such a layer “could be created by counter-doping,” even if, as Dr. Liu contends, counter-doping may have been less ideal due to “disadvantageous mobility.” Id. (citing Ex. 2012 ¶ 133; Ex. 2014, 166:15–167:8).” slip op. at 11

    Patent outcomesUS 7,629,634 not shown unpatentable
    Claim construction§ 102 anticipation§ 103 obviousnesscites Phillips · KSR · Graham
    Patents in suitUS 7,629,634
  • PTAB · 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 unpatentable
    Claim construction§ 103 obviousnesscites Phillips
    Patents in suitUS 10,674,340
  • PTAB · Apr 14, 2025 · IPR2023-01416 · APJ Ken B Barrett · IPR · Final written decision

    The Board held claims 1–15 and 18 not unpatentable; the petition failed to prove the asserted anticipation and obviousness grounds, including failure to establish WiMAX as prior art.

    RulingsFinal written decision
    • Adverse judgmentAdverse judgmentOther

      “filed with the Office a statutory disclaimer disclaiming method claims 16, 17, 19, and 20. See Ex. 2007; see also Tr. 33, 21:1–12 (Patent Owner’s counsel informing the Board that the disclaimer had been filed in the USPTO Patent Center, and Petitioner’s counsel having no objection to the filing of the disclaimer as an exhibit in this inter partes review); Tr. 34:19 1 Petitioner identifies Nokia of America Corporation, Ericsson Inc., and T-Mobile USA, Inc. as real parties in interest. Pet. 72. 2 Patent Owner identifies General Access Solutions, Ltd. as the real party in interest. Paper 6, 1. (Patent Owner’s counsel stating, “General Access has disclaimed method Claims 16, 17, 19, and 20.”). We treat disclaimed claims as if they never existed. See Facebook, Inc. v. SKKY, LLC, CBM2016-00091, Paper 12 at 8 (PTAB Sept. 28, 2017) (expanded panel) (precedential) (“The Federal Circuit has held consistently that claims disclaimed under § 253(a) should be treated as though they never existed.”) (citing, inter alia, Vectra Fitness, Inc. v. TWNK Corp., 162 F.3d 1379, 1383 (Fed. Cir. 1998) (“This court has interpreted the term ‘considered as part of the original patent’ in section 253 to mean that the patent is treated as though the disclaimed claims never existed.”); Guinn v. Kopf, 96 F.3d 1419, 1422 (Fed. Cir. 1996) (“A statutory disclaimer under 35 U.S.C. § 253 has the effect of canceling the claims from the patent and the patent is viewed as though the disclaimed claims had never existed in the patent.”)). Accordingly, the remaining claims challenged in this proceeding are apparatus claims 1–15 and method claim 18.” slip op. at 2

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

      “of both types of parameters to be stored in the same “device” is consistent with the claim language. The claim recites “a profile parameter storage device,” “said profile parameter storage device for storing [two parameter] values,” and refers to “the values stored at said profile parameter storage device.” Ex. 1001, 13:10–16. Accordingly, the claim language speaks of a single device for storing both types of parameters.12 And, Petitioner does” slip op. at 32

    • Obviousness (§103) › Motivation to combine / reasonable expectation of successNot shown unpatentableNot shown unpatentable

      “of both types of parameters to be stored in the same “device” is consistent with the claim language. The claim recites “a profile parameter storage device,” “said profile parameter storage device for storing [two parameter] values,” and refers to “the values stored at said profile parameter storage device.” Ex. 1001, 13:10–16. Accordingly, the claim language speaks of a single device for storing both types of parameters.12 And, Petitioner does” slip op. at 32

    • Novelty / Anticipation (§102) › Prior-art status of a reference › Printed publication / public accessibilityPrinted publication not establishedNot shown unpatentable

      “Id. “[A] work is not publicly accessible if the only people who know how to find it are the ones who created it.” Samsung Elecs. Co. v. Infobridge Pte. Ltd., 929 F.3d 1363, 1372 (Fed. Cir. 2019) (citing SRI Int’l, Inc. v. Internet Sec. Sys., Inc., 511 F.3d 1186, 1196 (Fed. Cir. 2008) Application of Bayer, 568 F.2d 1357 (CCPA 1978)). Accordingly, in this case, Petitioner must demonstrate by a preponderance of the evidence that the WiMAX exhibit was disseminated or otherwise made available to interested ordinary artisans outside of the group that created the document. Petitioner has failed to satisfy that burden.” slip op. at 48

    Patent outcomesUS 6,947,477 not shown unpatentable
    § 102 anticipation§ 103 obviousnesscites Phillips · KSR · Graham
    Patents in suitUS 6,947,477
  • PTAB · Mar 28, 2025 · IPR2024-00208 · APJ Terrence W Mcmillin · IPR · Final written decision

    Claims 1–20 were not shown unpatentable because Wu and the asserted combinations did not teach or suggest the claimed acquisition and transmission of a sequence of shelf label identifiers.

    RulingsFinal written decision
    • Expert testimonyPetitioner expert discountedDecided for patent owner

      “identifying information and the label location information[,]’ by extrapolating from the ESL that is already installed as required by steps S104 and S106.” Pet. 16 (citing Ex. 1003, 4:26-28; Ex. 1009 ¶ 81) (third and fourth alterations in original). There is no explanation or reasoning provided in the Petition to support this assertion. See id. We can find no support for this assertion that the method described in Wu requires this undisclosed step or that it could not otherwise possibly work14 to create the relationship between the label identifying information and the label location information of the added shelf label by extrapolation from the ESL that is already installed. The only evidence cited in support of this assertion is a short passage in Wu (Ex. 1003, 4:26–28) and paragraph 81 of the Declaration of Dr. Tentzeris (Ex. 1009). This short passage in Wu provides that, “[i]n step S106, the deploying device 130 or the controlling device 120 creates the relationship between the label identifying information and the label location information.” Ex. 1003, 4:26–28. This passage does not support Petitioner’s assertion. The cited paragraph in the Declaration of Dr. Tentzeris provides: 81. In my opinion, a POSITA would understand that, without acquiring this second identifier in the sequence (which 14 Prior art patents enjoy a presumption of enablement. Apple Inc. v. Corephotonics, Ltd., 861 Fed. Appx. 443, 450 (Fed. Cir. 2021). Wu is presumed to enable what it discloses. See Amgen Inc. v. Hoechst Marion Roussel, Inc., 314 F.3d 1313, 1355 (Fed. Cir. 2003) (“a presumption arises that both the claimed and unclaimed disclosures in a prior art patent are enabled”). However, even without applying this presumption, Wu provides a disclosure that establishes how to create the relationship between the label identifying information and the label location information of the added shelf label by extrapolation or interpolation without the reading device acquiring the label identifying information of the adjacent shelf label which is already installed. See Ex. 1003, 3:59–4:28. is explicitly shown in FIG. 3B of Wu), the reading device could not possibly “create[] the relationship between the label identifying information and the label location information[,]” by extrapolating from the ESL that is already installed as required by steps S104 and S106. Ex. 1003, [4:26-28]. Ex. 1009 ¶ 81. Dr. Tentzeris does not support his opinion with any explanation, reasoning, facts or data, here or elsewhere. This unsupported, conclusory testimony is entitled to little or no weight. See cxLoyalty, Inc. v. Maritz Holdings Inc., 986 F.3d 1367, 1378 (Fed. Cir. 2021) (“We do not accord weight to conclusory expert testimony.”); see also 37 C.F.R. § 42.65(a) (“Expert testimony that does not disclose the underlying facts or data on which the opinion is based is entitled to little or no weight.”). There is no evidence that supports Petitioner’s assertion that a skilled artisan would understand from Wu that the reading device acquires the label identifying information of a second shelf label that is already installed and adjacent to the added shelf label.” slip op. at 27

    • Skill levelSkill level petitioner adoptedDecided for petitioner

      “A person having ordinary skill in the art relating to the subject matter of the ’709 Patent as of the Critical Date (“POSITA”) 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). Pet. 6 (citing Ex. 1009 ¶ 31). Petitioner further contends, in the alternative, that “a POSITA would have had a Bachelor’s Degree (or higher degree)” in one of the fields noted above, with “two or more cannot demonstrate unpatentability of any claim of the ’709 Patent because Petitioners fail to identify a ‘reading device’ that acquires and transmits the ‘sequence of label identifiers’ recited by the claims.”). Our decision is based on our determination that Petitioner has failed to establish that the cited art teaches or suggests acquiring and transmitting a sequence of label identifiers as recited in the independent claims of the ’709 patent. years of work experience” in one of those fields. Id. According to Petitioner, “[a]dditional 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. Patent Owner applies Petitioner’s definition of the level of ordinary skill in the art. PO Resp. 16. Determining the level of ordinary skill in the art involves various factors, 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 prior art of record also reflects the level of ordinary skill in the art. See Okajima v. Bourdeau, 261 F.3d 1350, 1355 (Fed. Cir. 2001). We adopt the assessment offered by Petitioner, as it is not disputed by the Patent Owner and is consistent with the ’709 patent and the asserted prior art.” slip op. at 10

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

      “necessary to resolve the controversy involved in this IPR, and the terms of the ’709 Patent should be given their ordinary and customary meaning.” Pet. 4. In the claim construction section of its Response, Patent Owner discusses the claim terms “location(s)” and “planogram.” See PO Resp. 16– 29. As discussed in our analysis below, we determine that Petitioner has failed to show that the prior art teaches or suggests certain limitations of the claims that do not include either the term “location(s)” or “planogram.” Accordingly, no need exists to expressly construe any claim terms to resolve the parties’ disputes. See 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))). Our decision relies on the plain and ordinary meaning of the limitations on which our decision is based and no need exists to expressly construe any claim term to make our decision.8” slip op. at 9

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

      “Based on the entire record of this proceeding, we find that Wu does not teach or suggest: (1) “acquiring, by a reading device, a sequence of label identifiers . . . comprising a label identifier of an adjacent shelf label which is adjacent to the added shelf label” as recited in independent claim 1: (2) “transmitting, by the reading device, the sequence of label identifiers to the computer system” as recited in independent claim 1: (3) “acquiring, by a reading device, a sequence of label identifiers . . . comprising a label identifier of an adjacent shelf label which is adjacent to the added shelf label” as recited in independent claim 10; (4) “transmitting, by the reading device, the sequence of label identifiers to the computer system” as recited in independent claim 10: (5) “the computer system being configured to receive, from the reading” slip op. at 37

    Patent outcomesUS 11,010,709 not shown unpatentable
    Claim construction§ 103 obviousnesscites Phillips · Graham
    Patents in suitUS 11,010,709
  • PTAB · Mar 3, 2025 · IPR2023-01239 · APJ Michael J Strauss · IPR · Final written decision

    Claims 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 11, 12, 14–18, 20–23, and 25–29 were not determined unpatentable because the asserted obviousness grounds failed to establish the claimed code-rate determination.

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

      “standard as would be used by a district court to construe a claim in a civil action involving the validity or infringement of a patent. 37 C.F.R. § 42.100(b). Under that standard, claim terms are given their ordinary and customary meaning, as would have been understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention, in light of the language of the claims, the specification, and the prosecution history of record. Id.; Phillips v. AWH Corp., 415 F.3d 1303, 1312–19 (Fed. Cir. 2005) (en banc); Thorner v. Sony Comput. Entm’t Am. LLC, 669 F.3d 1362, 1365–66 (Fed. Cir. 2012). “The Board is required to construe ‘only those terms . . . that are in controversy, and only to the extent necessary to resolve the controversy.’” Realtime Data, LLC v. Iancu, 912 F.3d 1368, 1375 (Fed. Cir. 2019) (quoting Vivid Techs., Inc. v. Am. Sci. Eng’g, Inc., 200 F.3d 795, 803 (Fed. Cir. 1999))).” slip op. at 11

    • Skill levelSkill level petitioner adoptedDecided for petitioner

      “Petitioner, supported by the testimony of Dr. Reader, argues that a person of ordinary skill in the art (“POSITA”) “would have a bachelor’s degree, or equivalent, in electrical engineering, computer science, a related field, and 2–3 years’ experience researching, designing, or developing content delivery systems and related hardware, software, and firmware, or equivalent experience.” Pet. 14 (citing Ex. 1006 ¶¶ 67–69). Petitioner further argues “[o]ne having less education but more practical experience, or more education and less experience, might also meet this standard.” Id. Patent Owner does not dispute Petitioner’s definition or offer an alternative level or skill in the art. PO Resp. 12 (citing Pet. 14; Ex. 2012). Instead, “[f]or the purposes of this PO Response only, Patent Owner applies Petitioner’s definition of POSITA.” Id. Thus, on this record, the parties agree upon the proposed level of ordinary skill in the art, and this level is consistent with our review and understanding of the technology and descriptions in the ’101 patent and the prior art references that disclose content delivery systems. For purposes of this Decision, we rely on Petitioner’s proposed level of ordinary skill in the art.” slip op. at 11

    • Obviousness (§103) › Motivation to combine / reasonable expectation of success › HindsightNot shown unpatentableMotivation not foundNot shown unpatentable

      “the gap between the playback deadline and the target schedule, (td(n) − tT(n)), is the target buffer duration, i.e., ‘the desired client buffer duration (in client time).’” Id. at 22–23 (quoting Chou ¶ 74). Petitioner also argues that “in efforts to match upper bound tb(n) to target schedule tT(n), Chou takes into consideration the time duration between target schedule tT(n) and the playback deadline td(n).” Thus, it appears Petitioner assembles three separate and distinct time intervals from Chou’s timing diagrams and equations to construct one contiguous time interval equivalent to claim 1’s remaining time. However, Chou does not recognize the time interval that Petitioner posits, and Petitioner has not persuasively shown that this combined time interval exists as a teaching in the prior art and is used as part of any step or decision involved in determining the code rate. As admitted by Petitioner’s expert, Dr. Reader, Petitioner’s analysis “used the claims as a road map to find limitations in the prior art.” Ex. 2015, 76:4–9 (Reader Deposition Transcript). See also Tr. 28:20–31:2 (Petitioner’s response to whether identification of and integration of separate time ranges described by Chou is hindsight reconstruction, Petitioner argues Chou’s device operates such that code rate is based on remaining time). Under the circumstances, this is improper because Petitioner and Dr. Reader do not justify this combination of separately identified time ranges except based solely on hindsight reconstruction of the claimed invention. However, even if that were not the case, we are not persuaded that Chou or the other asserted prior art references suggest using the combined time interval td(n) − ta(n) as the basis for any decision related to determining the code rate.” slip op. at 37

    • Obviousness (§103) › Motivation to combine / reasonable expectation of successNot shown unpatentableMotivation not foundNot shown unpatentable

      “d) Analysis In our Institution Decision, although expressing some uncertainty with respect to certain of Patent Owner’s arguments on the preliminary record then before us, “we [were] not persuaded by Petitioner’s contentions that [(1)] Wang teaches [1d]’s code rate” (Dec. 53 (citing Pet. 62–65) or (2) “a POSITA would have been motivated to combine the teachings of Chou and Wang” (id. at 54 (citing Pet. 74)). Petitioner does not dispute those determinations in its Reply or otherwise. Furthermore, Petitioner does not address or otherwise dispute Patent Owner’s arguments challenging the asserted obviousness of claims 1, 4–6, 10–16, and 19–26 over the combined teachings of Chou and Wang. Thus, for at least the reasons set forth in our Institution Decision, we agree with Patent Owner that Petitioner fails to show that (1) one skilled in the art would have combined the teachings of Chou and Wang or (2) the combined teaching of Chou and Wang renders limitation 1(d) obvious. e) Conclusion Regarding Claim 1 For the foregoing reasons, we determine that Petitioner has not shown by a preponderance of the evidence that independent claim 1 is unpatentable over the combination of Chou and Wang.” slip op. at 47

    Patent outcomesUS 8,752,101 not shown unpatentable
    Claim construction§ 103 obviousnesscites Phillips · KSR · Graham
    Patents in suitUS 8,752,101
  • PTAB · Jan 6, 2025 · IPR2023-01075 · APJ Terrence W Mcmillin · IPR · Final written decision

    Petitioner failed to show claims 1–6, 10, 12, 17–19, 21–23, 40–47, 51, and 52 unpatentable because the cited art did not teach or suggest a pixel defining layer.

    RulingsFinal written decision
    • Skill levelSkill level petitioner adoptedDecided for petitioner

      “For purposes of this Decision, we again adopt Petitioner’s definition of the level of ordinary skill in the art. It is supported by the testimony of Dr. Pattison, and appears consistent with what is reflected by the content of the applied prior art references. Cf. Okajima v. Bourdeau, 261 F.3d 1350, 1354–55 (Fed. Cir. 2001) (the applied prior art may reflect an appropriate level of skill). We find Patent Owner’s articulation of the level of ordinary skill to be imprecise, because Patent Owner does not specify the amount of experience possessed by an ordinarily skilled artisan. The unbounded reference to “experience” is vague and overly broad, as it could mean 1 year of experience or over 30 years of experience, for example. In addition, the ’578 patent is directed to “a pixel arrangement structure of an (OLED) [organic light emitting diode] display” (Ex. 1001, 1:22–23), whereas Patent Owner’s proposed experience is tied to “active-matrix displays.” PO Resp. 5. Given that the field of OLED displays includes both passive and active matrix designs (see generally Ex. 2009 ¶¶ 40–56), we see no reason to restrict the relevant experience to active matrix displays. For these reasons, we do not adopt Patent Owner’s definition of the level of ordinary skill in the art.” slip op. at 19

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

      “Petitioner has failed to show that the cited art teaches or suggests a “pixel defining layer” as recited. Neither party in this proceeding or in the ITC Investigation argued that “pixel defining layer” as recited in the challenged claims required construction, and neither party presented any arguments regarding the construction or meaning of this term.6 Pet. 13; PO Resp. 4–5. 5 37 C.F.R. § 42.104(b)(3) requires that a petition contain a statement identifying how a challenged claim is to be construed. 6 In our Decision instituting trial, we stated that “[i]f either party contends that explicit claim construction is necessary in order to make a final determination whether or not any challenged claim is unpatentable based on the arguments and evidence presented, it should clearly explain why during We give the term “pixel defining layer” as recited its plain and ordinary meaning. For purposes of this decision, we determine that no aspects of the challenged claims require explicit 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 . . . 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))). D. Petitioner Has Not Shown That the Cited Art Teaches or Suggests All the” slip op. at 21

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

      “or suggestion in Matthies of a pixel defining layer, because there is none.” PO Resp. 31 (citing Ex. 2009 ¶ 187); see also PO Sur-reply 15–17. Petitioner contends that “[a] POSITA would have understood that Matthies employs (or at least could obviously employ) the claimed ‘pixel defining layer.’” Pet. 23. An allegation that a skilled artisan would have understood that the prior art “could obviously” be modified to include an element of the claimed invention does not establish that the prior art teaches or suggests such recited element. See Belden Inc. v. Berk-Tek LLC, 805 F.3d 1064, 1073 (Fed. Cir. 2015) (“[O]bviousness concerns whether a skilled artisan not only could have made but would have been motivated to make the combinations or modifications of prior art to arrive at the claimed invention.”).” slip op. at 24

    • Obviousness (§103) › Motivation to combine / reasonable expectation of successMotivation not foundNot shown unpatentableNot shown unpatentable

      “require for the same reasons set forth above.”). And, in discussing motivation to combine the teachings of Matthies and Yamada, Petitioner articulates no reasoning to support modifying Matthies’ structure based on Yamada to yield a “pixel defining layer.” See Pet. 69–75. Patent Owner argues that “[t]he Petition failed to identify any teaching or suggestion in Matthies of a pixel defining layer, because there is none.” PO Resp. 31 (citing Ex. 2009 ¶ 187); see also PO Sur-reply 15–17. Petitioner contends that “[a] POSITA would have understood that Matthies employs (or at least could obviously employ) the claimed ‘pixel defining layer.’” Pet. 23. An allegation that a skilled artisan would have understood that the prior art “could obviously” be modified to include an element of the claimed invention does not establish that the prior art teaches or suggests such recited element. See Belden Inc. v. Berk-Tek LLC, 805 F.3d 1064, 1073 (Fed. Cir. 2015) (“[O]bviousness concerns whether a skilled artisan not only could have made but would have been motivated to make the combinations or modifications of prior art to arrive at the claimed invention.”).” slip op. at 24

    Patent outcomesUS 11,594,578 not shown unpatentable
    Claim construction§ 103 obviousnesscites Phillips · KSR · Graham
    Patents in suitUS 11,594,578
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