- PTAB · Feb 22, 2023 · IPR2019-01200 · APJ Lynne E Pettigrew · IPR · Remand
The Board granted the parties’ joint motion and terminated the remanded proceedings concerning claim 20 because the Board had not yet decided the remanded merits.
RulingsRemand decision- RemandGranted
“Generally, the Board expects that a proceeding will terminate after the filing of a settlement agreement, unless the Board already has decided the merits of the proceeding. PTAB Consolidated Trial Practice Guide, 86 (Nov. 2019).6 Here, although the Board already has issued a Final Written Decision, the Federal Circuit reversed the part of that decision addressing claim 20 of the ’552 patent and remanded to the Board for further proceedings regarding claim 20. The Board has not issued a decision on remand and, thus, has not decided the merits of the issues that were remanded to the Board. Under these circumstances, we determine it is appropriate to grant the Motion and terminate the proceedings.” slip op. at 3
- PTAB / AIA Trials › Other PTAB motions (exclude, strike, seal, additional discovery, rehearing)Granted in part
“The parties also jointly request that the Agreement be treated as business confidential information and be kept separate from the files of the ’552 patent and these proceedings. Req. 2. We have reviewed the Agreement, which contains confidential business information regarding the settlement terms, and we determine that good cause exists to treat the Agreement as business confidential information pursuant to 35 U.S.C. § 317(b) and 37 C.F.R. § 42.74(c) and keep it separate from the files of the ’552 patent and these proceedings. Accordingly, we grant this aspect of the parties’ Joint Request. The parties also “request that the Board order that in the event a person or entity makes a written request, as stated in 37 C.F.R. § 42.74(c)(1)-(2), for access to the settlement agreement, that any such written request be served upon Patent Owner and Petitioner on the day the written request is provided to the Board.” Req. 2. However, neither the statute nor the regulation provides for any such notification, and the parties have not provided any reason or special circumstance that would justify issuing an order that purports to impose an additional requirement. Accordingly, we deny that portion of the parties’ Joint Request.” slip op. at 4
NonePatents in suitUS 7,247,552 - PTAB · Feb 22, 2023 · IPR2019-01199 · APJ Lynne E Pettigrew · IPR · Remand
On remand, the Board terminated the proceedings after settlement because it had not decided the remanded merits concerning claim 20.
RulingsRemand decision- RemandGranted
“Generally, the Board expects that a proceeding will terminate after the filing of a settlement agreement, unless the Board already has decided the merits of the proceeding. PTAB Consolidated Trial Practice Guide, 86 (Nov. 2019).6 Here, although the Board already has issued a Final Written Decision, the Federal Circuit reversed the part of that decision addressing claim 20 of the ’552 patent and remanded to the Board for further proceedings regarding claim 20. The Board has not issued a decision on remand and, thus, has not decided the merits of the issues that were remanded to the Board. Under these circumstances, we determine it is appropriate to grant the Motion and terminate the proceedings.” slip op. at 3
- PTAB / AIA Trials › Other PTAB motions (exclude, strike, seal, additional discovery, rehearing)Granted in part
“The parties also jointly request that the Agreement be treated as business confidential information and be kept separate from the files of the ’552 patent and these proceedings. Req. 2. We have reviewed the Agreement, which contains confidential business information regarding the settlement terms, and we determine that good cause exists to treat the Agreement as business confidential information pursuant to 35 U.S.C. § 317(b) and 37 C.F.R. § 42.74(c) and keep it separate from the files of the ’552 patent and these proceedings. Accordingly, we grant this aspect of the parties’ Joint Request. The parties also “request that the Board order that in the event a person or entity makes a written request, as stated in 37 C.F.R. § 42.74(c)(1)-(2), for access to the settlement agreement, that any such written request be served upon Patent Owner and Petitioner on the day the written request is provided to the Board.” Req. 2. However, neither the statute nor the regulation provides for any such notification, and the parties have not provided any reason or special circumstance that would justify issuing an order that purports to impose an additional requirement. Accordingly, we deny that portion of the parties’ Joint Request.” slip op. at 4
NonePatents in suitUS 7,247,552 - PTAB · Feb 22, 2023 · IPR2019-01198 · APJ Lynne E Pettigrew · IPR · Remand
The Board granted the parties’ joint motion and terminated the remanded proceedings; it also granted in part their request to protect the settlement agreement.
RulingsRemand decision- RemandGranted
“Generally, the Board expects that a proceeding will terminate after the filing of a settlement agreement, unless the Board already has decided the merits of the proceeding. PTAB Consolidated Trial Practice Guide, 86 (Nov. 2019).6 Here, although the Board already has issued a Final Written Decision, the Federal Circuit reversed the part of that decision addressing claim 20 of the ’552 patent and remanded to the Board for further proceedings regarding claim 20. The Board has not issued a decision on remand and, thus, has not decided the merits of the issues that were remanded to the Board. Under these circumstances, we determine it is appropriate to grant the Motion and terminate the proceedings.” slip op. at 3
- PTAB / AIA Trials › Other PTAB motions (exclude, strike, seal, additional discovery, rehearing)Granted in part
“business confidential information and be kept separate from the files of the ’552 patent and these proceedings. Req. 2. We have reviewed the Agreement, which contains confidential business information regarding the settlement terms, and we determine that good cause exists to treat the Agreement as business confidential information pursuant to 35 U.S.C. § 317(b) and 37 C.F.R. § 42.74(c) and keep it separate from the files of the ’552 patent and these proceedings. Accordingly, we grant this aspect of the parties’ Joint Request.” slip op. at 4
NonePatents in suitUS 7,247,552 - PTAB · Oct 7, 2022 · IPR2021-00680 · APJ David C Mckone · IPR · Final written decision
Claims 1–3, 5, 7, 9–11, 14–16, 19, 21, 32–37, 39, 47, and 49–57 are unpatentable as obvious; the remaining challenged claims were not shown unpatentable.
Nonecites KSR · GrahamPatents in suitUS 10,469,934 - PTAB · Nov 14, 2016 · IPR2015-01243 · APJ Grace Karaffa Obermann · IPR · Final written decision
Petitioner failed to prove claims 1–8, 10, and 11 of the ’290 patent, claims 1–8 and 10–13 of the ’173 patent, and claims 1–6 and 8–19 of the ’510 patent obvious over Fohr, Sato, and …
RulingsFinal written decision- Obviousness (§103) › Motivation to combine / reasonable expectation of successNot shown unpatentableMotivation not foundNot shown unpatentable
“We recognize that it may be necessary “to look to interrelated teachings of multiple patents . . . in order to determine whether there was an apparent reason to combine the known elements in the fashion claimed.” KSR Int’l, 550 U.S. at 418. Petitioner in these proceedings, however, directs us to no persuasive reason why an ordinary artisan would have turned to the heat-retaining battery module of Hallaj when working to implement a plurality of Sato’s cells in a pack to replace the capacitors in Fohr. Pet. 36–38 (nowhere addressing that critical point); Reply 13 (devoting four sentences to rebuttal of Patent Owner’s persuasive evidence that one would not have combined the disclosures of Hallaj, Fohr, and Sato in the manner claimed); see Ex. 1033, 15 (Examiner’s observation, in confirming the patentability of the challenged claims during reexamination, that Sato contains “no information as to how Sato’s cells would be implemented in a pack”). We view Petitioner’s unexplained leap from the single battery cell of Sato to the heat-retaining battery module of Hallaj as a classic example of impermissible hindsight reconstruction driven not by any teaching in the prior art, but by the claim requirement of a “plurality” of cells implemented in a battery pack. Pet. 36–38; Reply 13. Patent Owner, by contrast, comes forward with persuasive evidence, which we credit, showing that one of ordinary skill in the art would not have been led to arrange a plurality of Sato’s cells in the heat-retaining battery module of Hallaj because such a modified battery pack would have been unsuitable for use as a replacement for the capacitors in Fohr. Specifically, we credit the testimony of Dr. Blomgren, who cogently explains why a person of ordinary skill in the art would not have been led to the proposed modification. Ex. 2147 ¶¶ 79–85.” slip op. at 17
- Expert testimonyPatent owner expert creditedPetitioner expert discountedDecided for patent owner
“We are not persuaded by Dr. Riley’s testimony that Fohr effectively teaches that both lithium-based battery cells and capacitors can achieve the 20 Amp Limitation, on a theory that “it’s actually the tool that draws the power” and “the right lithium cell” would be “a drop in replacement for this application.” Ex. 2169, 121:12–16 (Dr. Riley’s deposition testimony); Resp. 17. Dr. Riley readily admitted an unfamiliarity with capacitors, and identified no suitable “drop in” ready lithium cells available at the time of the invention. Ex. 2169, 121:11–122:4 (“[I]f I had a cell that could do similar things, I’d certainly swap it in there.”). On that point, we find more credible Dr. Blomgren’s testimony that “there is no guarantee that a given pack of battery cells can provide the current that a tool tries to draw.” Resp. 17 (citing Ex. 2147 ¶ 60).” slip op. at 13
- Skill levelSkill level board ownOther
“B. Level of Ordinary Skill in the Art We hold that the prior art references asserted in the Petition are representative of the level of ordinary skill in the art. See Okajima v. Bourdeau, 261 F.3d 1350, 1355 (Fed. Cir. 2001) (absence of specific findings on “level of skill in the art does not give rise to reversible error ‘where the prior art itself reflects an appropriate level and a need for testimony is not shown’” (quoting Litton Indus. Prods., Inc. v. Solid State Sys. Corp., 755 F.2d 158, 163 (Fed. Cir. 1985)). To the extent that a more specific definition is required, we hold that an ordinary artisan would include one holding a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering with two or three years of experience in battery design. That definition comports with the very similar definitions advanced by the parties. In that regard, Petitioner asserts that an ordinary artisan would encompass a person holding a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering with three years of experience in battery design. Pet. 8; Ex. 1007 ¶ 9. Patent Owner similarly asserts that an ordinary artisan would include a person holding a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering with two years of battery design experience. Resp. 8; Ex. 2105 ¶ 24.” slip op. at 9
- Claim Construction › Threshold & procedure › Whether a term needs construction (O2 Micro)Term construed board ownDecided for patent owner
“In our Decisions to Institute, we construed the 20 Amp Limitation to require that “the battery cells, when configured together in a battery pack, are capable of producing reasonably close to 20 amps of discharge current or greater over the course of delivering their entire rated capacity.” Dec. 5. Neither party disputes that construction, which we adopt for the purposes of this Final Written Decision. To the extent that any other claim term requires express construction, we discuss the construction in our analysis below. See Vivid Techs., Inc. v. Am. Sci. & Eng’g, Inc., 200 F.3d 795, 803 (Fed. Cir. 1999) (only claim terms in controversy need be construed, and then only to the extent necessary to resolve the controversy). The following facts are supported by a preponderance of the evidence.” slip op. at 10
Claim construction§ 103 obviousnesscites KSR · GrahamPatents in suitUS 7,944,173 - PTAB · Mar 11, 2015 · IPR2014-01108 · APJ Michael W Kim · IPR · Order
The Board granted the parties’ joint motion and terminated the proceeding after settlement, before a final decision on the merits.
RulingsOther- PTAB / AIA Trials › Other PTAB motions (exclude, strike, seal, additional discovery, rehearing)Granted
“Under 35 U.S.C. § 317(a), “[a]n inter partes review instituted under this chapter shall be terminated with respect to any petitioner upon the joint request of the petitioner and patent owner, unless the Office has decided the merits of the proceeding before the request for termination is filed.” The requirement for terminating review with respect to Petitioner is met. Under 35 U.S.C. § 317(a), “[i]f no petitioner remains in the inter partes review, the Office may terminate the review or proceed to a final written decision under section 318(a).” Asustek Computer Inc., Dexin Electronics Co., Ltd., and Thermaltake Technology represent all petitioners in this review. The Board has discretion to terminate this review with respect to Better Mouse Co., LLC as Patent Owner. The above represent all parties in this proceeding.” slip op. at 2
NonePatents in suitUS 7,532,200 - PTAB · Nov 19, 2014 · IPR2014-00300 · APJ Michael W Kim · IPR · Order
The Board granted the parties’ joint motions and terminated the proceeding after settlement, before a final decision on the merits.
RulingsOther- PTAB / AIA Trials › Institution threshold (reasonable likelihood / more likely than not)InstitutedOther
“Petitioner filed a Petition on December 26, 2013, and Patent Owner filed a Preliminary Response to the petition on April 14, 2014. The Board instituted inter partes review on July 9, 2014. Patent Owner filed a Patent Owner Response on September 10, 2014, but Petitioner has not yet filed a Reply. This proceeding has not resulted in a final decision on the merits.” slip op. at 3
NonePatents in suitUS 7,254,621 - PTAB · Nov 19, 2014 · IPR2014-00299 · APJ Michael W Kim · IPR · Order
The Board granted the parties’ joint motions and terminated the instituted IPR after settlement, before deciding the merits.
RulingsOther- PTAB / AIA Trials › Other PTAB motions (exclude, strike, seal, additional discovery, rehearing)Granted
“Under 35 U.S.C. § 317(a), “[a]n inter partes review instituted under this chapter shall be terminated with respect to any petitioner upon the joint request of the petitioner and the patent owner, unless the Office has decided the merits of the proceeding before the request for termination is filed.” The requirement for terminating review with respect to Petitioner is met. Under 35 U.S.C. § 317(a), “[i]f no petitioner remains in the inter partes review, the Office may terminate the review or proceed to a final written decision under section 318(a).” SAP America is the sole petitioner in this review. The Board has discretion to terminate this review with respect to Clouding IP as Patent Owner.” slip op. at 2
NonePatents in suitUS 6,925,481 - PTAB · Oct 16, 2014 · CBM2013-00056 · APJ Michael W Kim · CBM · Order
The Board granted the parties’ joint motion and terminated the proceeding as to all parties without issuing a final written decision.
RulingsOther- PTAB / AIA Trials › Other PTAB motions (exclude, strike, seal, additional discovery, rehearing)Granted
“Under 35 U.S.C. § 327(a), “[a] post-grant review instituted under this chapter shall be terminated with respect to any petitioner upon the joint request of the petitioner and the patent owner, unless the Office has decided the merits of the proceeding before the request for termination is filed.” The requirement for terminating review with respect to Petitioner is met. Under 35 U.S.C. § 327(a), “[i]f no petitioner remains in the post-grant review, the Office may terminate the post-grant review or proceed to a final written decision under section 328(a).” Trulia is the sole petitioner in this review. The Board has discretion to terminate this review with respect to Zillow as Patent Owner.” slip op. at 2
NonePatents in suitUS 7,970,674 - PTAB · Oct 14, 2014 · CBM2014-00026 · APJ Sally C Medley · CBM · Order
The Board granted the parties’ joint motion and terminated the proceeding after settlement; it did not decide patentability of any claims.
RulingsOther- PTAB / AIA Trials › Other PTAB motions (exclude, strike, seal, additional discovery, rehearing)Granted
“separate from the patent file. Paper 44; Ex. 2030. In addition, the parties filed a joint motion to terminate the proceeding pursuant to 35 U.S.C. § 327. Paper 42. In the joint motion, the parties represent that the settlement agreement filed on October 9, 2014 is a true copy and resolves all disputes between the parties. Id. at 2–4. This covered business method patent review was instituted on May 15, 2014. Paper 25. At this juncture of the proceeding, the Board does not have before it full briefing on the trial issues and the Board has not entered a final decision. Based on the facts of this case, it is appropriate to enter judgment.1 Therefore, the joint motion to terminate the proceeding is granted.” slip op. at 2
NonePatents in suitUS 5,576,951
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.