throbber
Case 1:17-cv-02097-RBJ Document 305 Filed 07/31/21 USDC Colorado Page 1 of 15
`
` IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
`FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLORADO
`Judge R. Brooke Jackson
`
`
`Civil Action No 17-cv-02097-RBJ
`
`REALTIME ADAPTIVE STREAMING LLC,
`
`Plaintiff,
`
`
`v.
`
`SLING TV L.L.C.,
`SLING MEDIA, L.L.C.,
`ECHOSTAR TECHNOLOGIES L.L.C.,
`DISH NETWORK L.L.C., and
`ARRIS GROUP, INC.,
`
`
`
`Defendants.
`
`
`
`ORDER GRANTING SUMMARY JUDGMENT
`
`
`
`
`
`Defendants Sling TV L.L.C., Sling Media L.L.C., Dish Technologies L.L.C., and Dish
`
`Network L.L.C. (collectively “Dish”) move for summary judgment, contending that the subject
`
`patent is invalid because it claims what amounts to an abstract idea. The Court agrees and grants
`
`summary judgment dismissing the remaining claims in this case.
`
`BACKGROUND
`
`
`
`Plaintiff Realtime Adaptive Streaming LLC (“Realtime”) filed this suit on August 31,
`
`2017, claiming that three Dish-related companies had infringed three patents: U.S. Patent Nos.
`
`8,275.897 (“the ‘897 patent”); 8,867,610 (“the ‘610 patent”); and 8,934,535 (“the ‘535 patent”).
`
`By the time of the Markman Order the case had evolved to claims against the present defendants;
`
`a related company, EchoStar Technologies, L.L.C.; and the Arris Group, Inc. Only the ‘610 and
`
`
`
`1
`
`

`

`Case 1:17-cv-02097-RBJ Document 305 Filed 07/31/21 USDC Colorado Page 2 of 15
`
`‘535 patents were still involved. Since then, the Arris Group settled, and plaintiff dropped its
`
`claims under the ‘535 patent. The remaining claim against the Dish defendants for infringement
`
`of Claim 1 and, on information and belief, “other claims” of the ‘610 patent. ECF No. 32 at 8,
`
`⁋25; 14, ⁋34. Plaintiff’s infringement claims and defendants’ counterclaim for invalidity are set
`
`for trial beginning August 16, 2021.
`
`The ‘610 patent is titled “System and Methods for Video and Audio Data Distribution.”
`
`The ‘535 patent, although no longer accused in this case but nevertheless relevant as discussed
`
`below, is titled “System and Methods for Video and Audio Data Storage and Distribution.” The
`
`specifications for both patents are virtually identical.
`
`The two patents concern data compression and decompression algorithms. They are
`
`directed to selecting a compression scheme based on characteristics of the digital data being
`
`compressed. The patents purport to optimize compression time for digital files to prevent
`
`problems such as download delay, data buffering, and reduced system speeds. Basically, the two
`
`patents first assign a data or access profile to the user based on the frequency that the data is
`
`accessed or written. Then they assign a compression algorithm to each profile. A symmetrical
`
`compression algorithm is optimal when the profile has a similar read to write ratio (meaning the
`
`number of reads and writes is balanced). In contrast, an asymmetrical compression algorithm is
`
`preferred when the profile writes often but reads seldom, or vice versa. In the former
`
`asymmetrical scenario, the preferred algorithm would compress quickly and decompress slowly.
`
`The opposite is true for the latter scenario.
`
`
`
`2
`
`

`

`Case 1:17-cv-02097-RBJ Document 305 Filed 07/31/21 USDC Colorado Page 3 of 15
`
`
`
`At the claim construction stage, the parties focused on eight terms or groups of related
`
`terms, several of which essentially were common to the ‘610 and ‘535 patents. The Court
`
`construed those terms in its Markman Order. ECF No. 151. I will refer to that order as needed.
`
`STANDARD OF REVIEW
`
`The Court may grant summary judgment if “there is no genuine dispute as to any material
`
`fact and the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(a). The
`
`moving party has the burden to show that there is an absence of evidence to support the
`
`nonmoving party’s case. Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 325 (1986). The nonmoving
`
`party must “designate specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial.” Id. at 324. A
`
`fact is material “if under the substantive law it is essential to the proper disposition of the claim.”
`
`Adler v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., 144 F.3d 664, 670 (10th Cir. 1998) (citing Anderson v. Liberty
`
`Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 248 (1986)). A material fact is genuine if “the evidence is such that a
`
`reasonable jury could return a verdict for the nonmoving party.” Anderson, 477 U.S. at 248.
`
`The Court will examine the factual record and make reasonable inferences therefrom in the light
`
`most favorable to the party opposing summary judgment. Concrete Works of Colo., Inc. v. City
`
`and Cty. of Denver, 36 F.3d 1513, 1517 (10th Cir. 1994).
`
`ANALYSIS and CONCLUSIONS
`
`
`
`An inventor may obtain a patent for “any new and useful process, machine, manufacture,
`
`or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof” under §101 of the Patent
`
`Act. 35 U.S.C. § 101. However, that does not permit patenting of “laws of nature, natural
`
`phenomena, and abstract ideas.” Alice Corp. Pty. Ltd. v. CLSBank Int’l, 573 U.S. 208, 216
`
`(2014).
`
`
`
`3
`
`

`

`Case 1:17-cv-02097-RBJ Document 305 Filed 07/31/21 USDC Colorado Page 4 of 15
`
`The distinction is made in a two-step process: first, the court must determine “whether
`
`the claims at issue are directed to one of those patent-ineligible concepts.” Id. at 217 (citing
`
`Mayo Collaborative Services v. Prometheus Laboratories, Inc., 566 U.S. 66, 77-78 (2012)). If
`
`the answer is “yes,” then in the second step the court determines whether the claim “contains an
`
`‘inventive concept’ sufficient to ‘transform’ the claimed abstract idea into a patent-eligible
`
`application.” Id. at 221 (citing Mayo at 72, 79). The court must look at the claims and the
`
`specification “to determine whether the claims contain an element or combination of elements
`
`that is sufficient to ensure that the patent in practice amounts to significantly more than a patent
`
`upon the ineligible concept itself.” McRO, Inc. v. Bandai Namco Games Am. Inc., 837 F.3d
`
`1299, 1312 (Fed. Cir. 2016).
`
`Dish contends that the ‘610 patent is invalid because it claims an abstract idea, i.e.,
`
`selection of a data compression technique based on characteristics of the data in order more
`
`efficiently to transmit or store the data.1 Claim 1 of the ‘610 patent claims
`
`A method, comprising:
`
`determining, a parameter or an attribute of at least a portion of a data block having
`video or audio data;
`
`selecting one or more compression algorithms from among a plurality of
`compression algorithms to apply to the at least the portion of the data block based
`upon the determined parameter or attribute and a throughput of a communication
`
`1 Dish also contends that the asserted claims of the ‘610 patent are invalid because the Patent &
`Trademark Office (the “PTO”) has rejected them. In a pending ex parte reexamination, in a first non-
`final office action on February 4, 2021 and in a second non-final office action on June 9, 2021, the
`examiner rejected Claims 1, 2, 6, 9-13 and 16 under 35 U.S.C. § 102(e) as unpatentable over U.S. Patent
`6,216,157 (“Vishwanath”); and found that Claim 14 is obvious over Vishwanath in view of U.S. Patent
`5,675,789 (“Ishii”) and U.S. Patent No. 5,953,506 (“Kalra”); and rejected Claims 1, 2, 6, 9-13 as well as
`claims 8 and 18 under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as unpatentable over Vishwanath in view of Ishii and Kalra. ECF
`No. 257-2 and 257-3. However, while these office actions raise questions of validity based on the prior
`art, they are not final and are not the subject of the pending motion for summary judgment.
`
`
`
`
`4
`
`

`

`Case 1:17-cv-02097-RBJ Document 305 Filed 07/31/21 USDC Colorado Page 5 of 15
`
`channel, at least one of the plurality of compression algorithms being asymmetric;
`and
`
`compressing at least the portion of the data block with the selected compression
`algorithm after selecting the one or more, compression algorithms.
`
`
`ECF No. 2-2 20: 2–13.
`
`Dish argues that Claim 1 “recites three vague steps, all performed in the abstract and
`
`untethered to a specific device or system – 1) determine a parameter; 2) choose a compression
`
`scheme based on the parameter and throughput; and 3) compress data).” ECF No. 234 at 5. As
`
`such, the claim is nothing more than an “abstract idea with no concrete application, for which
`
`patent protection is unavailable.” Id.
`
`ECF No. 234 at 5.
`
`Dish adds that the ‘610 patent acknowledges that data compression was a widely used
`
`means of reducing the amount of data required to process, transmit or store information prior to
`
`the ‘610 patent, citing the patent, ECF No. 2-2, at 2: 44-46 (‘610 Specification). Realtime
`
`admitted during discovery that the ‘610 patent did not invent any of its cited compression
`
`standards or the algorithms that perform the compression. See ECF No. 234 at 5.
`
`
`
`Moreover, argues Dish, the ‘610 patent fails to add a meaningful “inventive concept” to
`
`the abstract idea. Although the patent claims “selecting a compression scheme based on
`
`characteristics of the digital data being compressed,” it provides no technological solution for
`
`doing so, that is, no particular encoder structure, no new compression techniques, and no
`
`innovative means of storage or transmission. Id. at 13. In short, it provides no details as to how
`
`to apply the abstract idea in a concrete way. Id.
`
`
`
`5
`
`

`

`Case 1:17-cv-02097-RBJ Document 305 Filed 07/31/21 USDC Colorado Page 6 of 15
`
`Dish analogizes this patent to a patent recently considered by the Federal Circuit. In
`
`Adaptive Streaming Inc. v. Netflix, Inc., 836 F. App’x 900 (Fed. Cir. Dec. 14, 2020)
`
`(unpublished), a case decided on the defendant’s motion to dismiss. The patent at issue claimed
`
`systems for communicating audio and video signals between devices that use different formats.
`
`The first source (device) would capture the information and transcode it into multiple
`
`compressed signals, at least one of which was more suitable for reception by another device. Id.
`
`at 901-902. The court held that the claims failed the first Alice step because they “were directed
`
`to the abstract idea of ‘collecting information and transcoding it into multiple formats.’” Id. at
`
`903. At the second step, the court determined that the claims “do not incorporate anything that
`
`would transform their subject matter into an eligible application of the abstract idea. . . .In
`
`particular, there is no identification in the claims or written description of specific,
`
`unconventional encoding, decoding, compression, or broadcasting techniques.” Id. at 904.
`
`Realtime notes that an unpublished opinion does not create a binding precedent. True, but in this
`
`instance, the Court finds the court’s order to be persuasive.
`
`Dish also points out that two courts have already invalidated Realtime’s similar ‘535
`
`patent as expressing an ineligible abstract idea. As previously mentioned, the ‘535 and ‘610
`
`patents share essentially identical specifications. Their claims share similar language as well, as
`
`the following chart provided in Dish’s motion illustrates:
`
`
`
`
`’610 Patent, Claim 1
`A method, comprising:
`
`determining a parameter or an attribute of
`at least a portion of a data block having
`video or audio data;
`
`
`
`
`selecting one or more compression
`algorithms from among a plurality of
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`’535 Patent, Ineligible Claim 15
`A method comprising:
`
`determining a parameter of at
`at least a portion of a data block
`
`
`selecting one or more asymmetric
`compressors from among a
`
`6
`
`

`

`Case 1:17-cv-02097-RBJ Document 305 Filed 07/31/21 USDC Colorado Page 7 of 15
`
`compression algorithms to apply to the at
`least the portion of the data block based
`upon the determined parameter or
`
`attribute and a throughput of a
`communication channel, at least one of the
`plurality of compression algorithms being
`asymmetric; and
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`compressing the at least the portion of the
`data block with the selected compression
`algorithm after selecting the one or more,
`compression algorithms.
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`ECF No. 234 at 16.
`
`plurality of compressors based
`upon the determined parameter or
`attribute;
`
`
`
`
`compressing the at least the
`portion of the data block with the;
`selected one or more asymmetric
`compressors to provide one or
`more compressed data blocks; and
`
`storing at least a portion of the one or
`more compressed data blocks.
`
`In Realtime Adaptive Streaming LLC v. Google LLC, et al., No CV 18-3629-GW(JCx)
`
`(C.D. Cal. Oct. 25, 2018), a case decided on defendants’ motion to dismiss, the court noted that
`
`the ‘“Fallon Patents” (a group of patents with James J. Fallon as an inventor, including the ‘535
`
`and ‘610 patents) “are specifically related to data compression/decompression technology.” Id.
`
`at 5.2 Claim 15 was deemed to be representative of at least Claims 16-30 of the ‘535 patent. It
`
`“refers to selecting one of a collection of ‘asymmetric compressors’ to compress at least a
`
`portion of a data block depending on a parameter or attribute of the data block.” Id. Claim 15
`
`recites four method steps: (1) determining a data block parameter, (2) selecting an asymmetric
`
`compressor based on the parameter, (3) compressing the data, and (4) storing the data. Id. at 8.
`
`At Alice step one the court found that the focus of Claim 15 “is not on a particular system for
`
`carrying out the claimed steps, but on the abstract idea of making a choice between known
`
`options based on an identified parameter.” Id. “[T]here is not a suggestion, for instance, that the
`
`
`2 A copy of this order is found in our file at ECF No. 234-6.
`
`
`
`7
`
`

`

`Case 1:17-cv-02097-RBJ Document 305 Filed 07/31/21 USDC Colorado Page 8 of 15
`
`available compressors are related to improving, for instance, compression speed.” Id. at 9.
`
`Turning to step two, the court noted that the use of the ineligible concept “cannot supply the
`
`inventive concept that renders the invention ‘significantly more’ than that ineligible concept.”
`
`Id. (citing BSG Tech LLC v. Buyseasons, Inc., 899 F.3d 1281, 1290 (Fed. Cir. 2018)). But
`
`choosing between asymmetric compressors is the abstract idea itself, not something significantly
`
`more. Id. at 10.
`
`The second ‘535 case is Realtime Adaptive Streaming, LLC v. Netflix, Inc., et al., No 17-
`
`1692-CFC-SRF, 2018 WL 6521978 (D. Del. Dec. 12, 2018). The magistrate judge
`
`recommended the granting of defendants’ motion to dismiss Realtime’s claim under that patent.
`
`At Alice step one, the court concluded that the Fallon patents are directed to the abstract idea of
`
`encoding and decoding data and the digital compression of data. Id. at *5. The court noted
`
`Realtime’s contention that the ‘535 patent “marked an improvement in computer functionality
`
`because it ‘overcame limitations and issues relating to a compromise between efficient data
`
`storage, access speed, and addressable data space.’” Id. at *6. “However, Realtime has not
`
`identified how the ‘535 solved these issues, or how the solution is reflected in the claim
`
`language.” Id. (emphasis added). Rather,
`
`The ‘535 patent does not improve the functioning of a computer. Claim 15 of the
`‘535 patent is drawn to the abstract idea of: (1) determining a parameter, (2)
`selecting a method of compression, (3) compressing the data with the chosen
`algorithm, and (4) storing the data. The claims use a wholly generic computer
`system to obtain functional results of determining a parameter, selecting a
`compression algorithm, applying that algorithm, and storing the resulting data,
`with no technical detail describing how to achieve those results. The claims of
`the ‘535 patent “do[ ] not sufficiently describe how to achieve” the results “in a
`non-abstract way.” Two-Way Media Ltd. v. Comcast Cable Commc’ns, LLC, 874
`F.3d 1329, 1337 (Fed. Cir. 2017). Similar claims that recite a computer
`“evaluating and selecting” have been found to be abstract and patent ineligible.
`See SmartGene, Inc. v. Advanced Biological Labs., SA, 555 F. App’x 950, 955
`
`
`
`8
`
`

`

`Case 1:17-cv-02097-RBJ Document 305 Filed 07/31/21 USDC Colorado Page 9 of 15
`
`(Fed Cir. 2014. The Federal Circuit has also found that “the concept of data
`collection, recognition, and storage is undisputedly well-known.” Content
`Extraction [and Transmission LLC v. Wells Fargo Bank, Nat. Ass’n, 776 F.3d
`[1343] at 1347 [Fed. Cir. 2014].
`
`Id.
`
`
`
`At step two the court described Realtime’s argument concerning the Fallon patents:
`
`[T]he combination of claim elements (“(1) asymmetric compressors, (2) two or
`more compressors, (3) selecting compressor based on parameter/throughput,
`and/or (4) access profile”) in the patents are unconventional technical solutions
`that transform their abstract ideas into patented inventions. Realtime asserts that
`the Fallon patents solve several problems, including data storage and retrieval
`bandwidth limitations, access delays, data rate limitations, and compression
`ratios.
`
`Id. at *11.
`
`
`
`Specific to the ‘535 patent, the court found that the alleged unconventional features are
`
`asymmetric compressors and the plurality of compressors.
`
`However, the claim elements that apply selected compression algorithms are
`conventional and generic. .... Claim 15 of the ‘535 patent is directed towards the
`abstract idea of selecting between the compressors that are allegedly
`unconventional. The use of the compressors themselves does not add anything
`significant, but instead restates part of the abstract idea. The compressors, despite
`their type or number, do not add an inventive concept to the abstract idea of
`selecting. . . . [T]he ‘535 patent does not disclose any particular encoding process
`or any specific encoding algorithms, but simply states that the method described
`can choose between encoding algorithms and then apply the chosen algorithm.
`
`Id. at 11-12. Accordingly, the court recommended that the Article III judge find Claim 15 of the
`
`‘535 patent to fail Alice step two. Id. at *12.3
`
`
`3 I have found no indication as to whether the recommendation was later acted upon.
`
`
`
`9
`
`

`

`Case 1:17-cv-02097-RBJ Document 305 Filed 07/31/21 USDC Colorado Page 10 of 15
`
`
`
`In response Realtime argues that the Court’s Markman interpretation of four terms
`
`confirms that the ‘610 claims are directed to specific improvements in computer technology.
`
`ECF No. 267 at 1. The Court’s constructions were:
`
`The term “throughput of a communication channel” in Claims 1, 9, and 12–14
`of the ‘610 patent is defined as the “number of pending transmission requests over
`a communication channel.”
`
`The term “asymmetric compressor(s)” in Claims 12, 15, 16, and 24 of the ‘535
`patent, “asymmetric data compression” in Claims 1 and 10 of the ‘535 patent,
`“asymmetric compression data algorithm/compression algorithms being
`asymmetric” in Claims 1 and 9 of the ‘610 patent, and “asymmetric” in Claims 6
`and 16 of the ‘610 patent means “a compression algorithm in which the execution
`time for compression and decompression differ significantly.”
`
`The term “compressing / compressed /compression” in Claims 1, 2, 6, 8–14, 16,
`and 18 of the ‘610 patent and Claims 1–2, 4-6, 8, 10–12, 14–17, 19, and 21–22 of
`the ‘535 patent means “[representing / represented / representation] of data with
`fewer bits.”
`
`The term “data block” in Claim 1, 2, 8–14, and 18 of the ‘610 patent and Claims
`1, 2–6, 8–12, 14–17, 19, 21–22, and 24 of the ‘535 patent is defined as “a single
`unit of data, which may range in size from individual bits through complete files
`or collection of multiple files.”
`
`ECF No. 151 at 26-27 (bolding added to identify the specific terms listed in Realtime’s
`
`response).
`
`
`
`According to Realtime, the ‘610 patent addresses “the problem of ‘bottlenecks’ in data
`
`transmission systems caused by slow compression/decompression of digital data.” ECF No. 267
`
`at 2. Realtime focuses primarily on the term “throughput of a communication channel.” This
`
`term is only mentioned once in the Specification, which states “[i]n one embodiment, a controller
`
`marks and monitors the throughput (data storage and retrieval) of a data compression system and
`
`generates control signals to enable/disable different compression algorithms when, e.g., a
`
`
`
`10
`
`

`

`Case 1:17-cv-02097-RBJ Document 305 Filed 07/31/21 USDC Colorado Page 11 of 15
`
`bottleneck occurs as to increase the throughput and eliminate the bottleneck.” ECF No. 2-2 at
`
`9:53-58. Realtime explains,
`
`[t]he controller then generates control signals to enable/disable different
`compression algorithms “so as to increase the throughput and eliminate the
`bottleneck.” Id. at 9:58-59. To accomplish this, the controller uses at least one
`“asymmetric” algorithm with, for example, slow compression and fast
`decompression. When the throughput falls below a threshold, the controller
`selects a different algorithm to provide “a faster rate of compression so as to
`increase the throughput.” Id. at 8:1-3.
`
`ECF No. 267 at 2.
`
`
`
`Dish replies that Realtime is improperly importing details from the Specification,
`
`particularly from one embodiment, into the claim. ECF No. 280 at 2. I am inclined to agree.
`
`More importantly, I find that the use of “throughput of the communication channel” to select a
`
`compression algorithm is itself an abstract concept. Most importantly, neither the claim nor the
`
`reference to the term “throughput of the communication channel” in the Specification explains
`
`how the system tracks the number of pending transmission requests to determine throughput of
`
`the communication channel. I agree with Dish that a mechanism for determining the number of
`
`requests might not be abstract, but no such mechanism is found in the patent.
`
`
`
`Realtime attempts to distinguish or discredit the two cases addressing Realtime’s ‘535
`
`patent. First, Claim 15 of the ‘535 patent did not recite “throughput of a communication
`
`channel” as a factor in selecting the compression algorithm. ECF No. 267 at 13. But I have
`
`found that the term “throughput of a communication channel” did not render the ‘610 patent
`
`eligible.
`
`Second, Realtime asserts that the Google court’s ruling on Claim 15 is inapposite because
`
`the ‘610 patent’s claims are more like the claims in Realtime’s ‘046 and ‘477 patents and claims
`
`
`
`11
`
`

`

`Case 1:17-cv-02097-RBJ Document 305 Filed 07/31/21 USDC Colorado Page 12 of 15
`
`1-14 of the ‘535 patent that were not dismissed. Id. However, the response does not provide an
`
`explanation of or support for this conclusory statement. Notably, the Google court stated that the
`
`defendants “effectively acknowledged that the claims of the ‘046 and ‘477 Patents may include
`
`aspects that might make it inappropriate to address § 101 invalidity at the motion to dismiss
`
`stage. Not so as to Claim 15 of the ‘535 patent or the asserted claims of the ‘610 patent.
`
`Realtime argues that the magistrate judge’s recommendation in Netflix was wrong
`
`because he treated Claim 15 of the ‘535 patent as representative, and because it was contrary to
`
`the Google court’s rulings on the ‘046 and ‘477 patents. Id. at 14. Again, Realtime’s notion that
`
`the Google court’s denial of a motion to dismiss as to the ‘046 and ‘477 is significant to the
`
`present case is a conclusory statement that lacks explanation. As for whether Claim 15 is
`
`representative of all claims in the ‘535 patent the Google court held that it was representative of
`
`at least Claims 16-30 (and didn’t decide whether Claims 1-14 were invalid, only that Realtime
`
`had identified additional limitations related to selecting an access profile that potentially could be
`
`an unconventional aspect of the claims that would render dismissal at the motion to dismiss stage
`
`inappropriate).
`
`Near the end of Realtime’s response it suggests that Claim 1 is not representative of all
`
`the asserted claims (the “other claims” in the Amended Complaint) in the ‘610 patent. ECF No.
`
`267 at 18-19. It identifies certain words in Claims 8-10, 12-14 and 18 that are not found in
`
`Claim 1. What’s missing is an explanation as to why the distinctions make a difference. “Courts
`
`may treat a claim as representative . . . if the patentee does not present any meaningful argument
`
`for the distinctive significance of any claim limitations not found in the representative claim.
`
`Berkheimer v. HP Inc., 881 F.3d 1360, 1365 (Fed. Cir. 2018).
`
`
`
`12
`
`

`

`Case 1:17-cv-02097-RBJ Document 305 Filed 07/31/21 USDC Colorado Page 13 of 15
`
`I conclude that the similarities between Claim 15 of the ‘535 patent and the asserted
`
`claims of the ‘610 patent are such that the holdings of the Google and Netflix courts are
`
`persuasive here. But I would find that the ‘610 patent claims an ineligible abstract idea even
`
`were it not for the Google and Netflix courts’ views.
`
`
`
`My interpretation of the ‘610 patent and the cases discussed in this order is buttressed by
`
`certain opinions of Dr. Alan Bovik, which I find to be persuasive. Dr. Bovik is a Professor and
`
`holder of an endowed chair at the University of Texas at Austin. He has appointments in the
`
`Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the Department of Computer Sciences.
`
`He is also the Director of the Laboratory for Image and Video Engineering. In his report, filed at
`
`ECF No. 234-1, he relates that he has more than 30 years of experience in video compression.
`
`Id. at 3.
`
`He states that the ‘610 patent is directed to an abstract idea. In support of that opinion he
`
`notes, among other things, that the ‘610 patent itself acknowledges that compression is a well-
`
`known concept; that the patent did not invent a new compression algorithm; and that it did not
`
`invent the concept of algorithms having parameters that can be varied to change the performance
`
`of the algorithm. There is no genuine dispute of material facts as to what the patent states.
`
`Dr. Bovik comments on the significance of the Court’s construction of the term
`
`“throughput of a communication channel” to mean the “number of pending transmission requests
`
`over a communication channel.” Translated, “the patent is simply saying that the system
`
`consider[s] an additional well-known factor that is considered for choosing the best compression
`
`algorithm.” Id. at 8. The Court finds that plaintiff has not come forward with any evidence that
`
`
`
`13
`
`

`

`Case 1:17-cv-02097-RBJ Document 305 Filed 07/31/21 USDC Colorado Page 14 of 15
`
`raises a genuine dispute of material fact about whether consideration of the number of pending
`
`transmission requests was a new or inventive concept.
`
`Notably, Dr. Bovik adds, “the ‘610 Patent provides no technical details as to how the
`
`number of pending transmission requests would be monitored.” Id. This echoes the finding of
`
`the Netflix court that “Realtime has not identified how the ‘535 solved these issues, or how the
`
`solution is reflected in the claim language.” 2018 WL 6521978 at *6. Similarly, in concluding
`
`that the patent at issue in Adaptive Streaming failed at Alice step two, the court noted that “there
`
`is no identification in the claims or written description of specific, unconventional encoding,
`
`decoding, compression, or broadcasting techniques.” 836 F. App’x at 904. The absence of
`
`implementation details is evident on the face of the patent.
`
`
`
`Whether a patent claims an abstract concept is a question of law. Berkheimer, 881 F.3d
`
`at 1368. Whether the patent claims an inventive concept sufficient to remove it from ineligibility
`
`could present disputed questions of fact that would preclude summary judgment. Id. However,
`
`the issues must be genuinely disputed and material to the resolution of the case. Here, as in the
`
`Adaptive Streaming, Google, and Netflix cases, I conclude that the plaintiff has not come forward
`
`with evidence that shows a genuine dispute about a fact that is material to the resolution of the
`
`case. The patent itself acknowledges that most, if not all, of the concepts in the patent were
`
`previously known. Importantly, the absence of details as to how the invention would work is
`
`evident without resort to any disputed issues of fact.
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`14
`
`

`

`Case 1:17-cv-02097-RBJ Document 305 Filed 07/31/21 USDC Colorado Page 15 of 15
`
`
`
`
`
`ORDER
`
`1. Defendants’ motion to dismiss, ECF No. 234, is GRANTED. Plaintiff’s claims
`
`against the Dish defendants are dismissed with prejudice.
`
`
`
`
`
`2. Pending motions ECF Nos. 230, 231, 237, 241, 242, 257, and 260 are MOOT.
`
`3. The half-day hearing set for August 6, 2021 and the jury trial set for August 16, 2021
`
`are vacated.
`
`
`
`4. As the prevailing party defendant is awarded its reasonable costs to be taxed by the
`
`Clerk pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 54(d)(1) and D.C.COLO.LCivR 54.1.
`
`DATED this 30th day of July, 2021.
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`BY THE COURT:
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`___________________________________
`R. Brooke Jackson
`United States District Judge
`
`15
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`

This document is available on Docket Alarm but you must sign up to view it.


Or .

Accessing this document will incur an additional charge of $.

After purchase, you can access this document again without charge.

Accept $ Charge
throbber

Still Working On It

This document is taking longer than usual to download. This can happen if we need to contact the court directly to obtain the document and their servers are running slowly.

Give it another minute or two to complete, and then try the refresh button.

throbber

A few More Minutes ... Still Working

It can take up to 5 minutes for us to download a document if the court servers are running slowly.

Thank you for your continued patience.

This document could not be displayed.

We could not find this document within its docket. Please go back to the docket page and check the link. If that does not work, go back to the docket and refresh it to pull the newest information.

Your account does not support viewing this document.

You need a Paid Account to view this document. Click here to change your account type.

Your account does not support viewing this document.

Set your membership status to view this document.

With a Docket Alarm membership, you'll get a whole lot more, including:

  • Up-to-date information for this case.
  • Email alerts whenever there is an update.
  • Full text search for other cases.
  • Get email alerts whenever a new case matches your search.

Become a Member

One Moment Please

The filing “” is large (MB) and is being downloaded.

Please refresh this page in a few minutes to see if the filing has been downloaded. The filing will also be emailed to you when the download completes.

Your document is on its way!

If you do not receive the document in five minutes, contact support at support@docketalarm.com.

Sealed Document

We are unable to display this document, it may be under a court ordered seal.

If you have proper credentials to access the file, you may proceed directly to the court's system using your government issued username and password.


Access Government Site

We are redirecting you
to a mobile optimized page.





Document Unreadable or Corrupt

Refresh this Document
Go to the Docket

We are unable to display this document.

Refresh this Document
Go to the Docket