UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`
`BEFORE THE PATENT TRIAL AND APPEAL BOARD
`
`
`
`
`
`EXPEDIA, INC., FANDANGO, LLC, HOTELS.COM, L.P., HOTEL TONIGHT,
`INC., HOTWIRE, INC., KAYAK SOFTWARE CORP., OPENTABLE, INC.,
`ORBITZ, LLC, PAPA JOHN’S USA, INC., STUBHUB, INC.,
`TICKETMASTER, LLC, LIVE NATION ENTERTAINMENT, INC.,
`TRAVELOCITY.COM LP, WANDERSPOT LLC, AGILYSYS, INC.,
`DOMINO’S PIZZA, INC., DOMINO’S PIZZA, LLC, HILTON RESORTS
`CORPORATION, HILTON WORLDWIDE, INC., HILTON INTERNATIONAL
`CO., MOBO SYSTEMS, INC., PIZZA HUT OF AMERICA, INC.,
`PIZZA HUT, INC., and USABLENET, INC.,
`
`Petitioner
`
`v.
`
`AMERANTH, INC.,
`
`Patent Owner
`
`
`
`Patent No. 6,871,325
`Issue Date: March 22, 2005
`Title: Information Management and Synchronous Communications System
`with Menu Generation
`
`Case No.: Unassigned
`
`
`
`PETITION FOR
`COVERED BUSINESS METHOD REVIEW OF
`U.S. PATENT NO. 6,871,325 UNDER 35 U.S.C. § 321 AND § 18 OF THE
`LEAHY-SMITH AMERICA INVENTS ACT
`
`
`
`
`
`

`
`TABLE OF CONTENTS
`
`
`I. 
`II. 
`
`Page
`INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................... 1 
`COMPLIANCE WITH FORMAL REQUIREMENTS ................................. 1 
`A.  Mandatory Notices Under 37 C.F.R. §§ 42.8(b)(1)-(4) ....................... 1 
`1. 
`Real Parties-In-Interest .............................................................. 1 
`2. 
`Related Matters .......................................................................... 2 
`3. 
`Lead and Back-up Counsel ........................................................ 4 
`4. 
`Power of Attorney and Service Information .............................. 5 
`Proof of Service on the PO ................................................................... 5 
`B. 
`Fee ........................................................................................................ 5 
`C. 
`III.  Grounds for Standing ...................................................................................... 5 
`A. 
`The ’325 Patent Is a Covered Business Method Patent ....................... 6 
`IV.  Statement of Precise Relief Requested ........................................................... 9 
`V. 
`IDENTIFICATION OF PATENTABILITY CHALLENGES ...................... 9 
`VI.  LEVEL OF ORDINARY SKILL IN THE ART .......................................... 10 
`VII.  SUMMARY OF THE ’325 PATENT .......................................................... 10 
`A. 
`Patent Specification and Claims ......................................................... 10 
`B. 
`Overview of the Prosecution History ................................................. 14 
`C. 
`Failure to Establish Conception and/or Reduction to Practice .......... 15 
`1. 
`Statement of the Law ............................................................... 16 
`2. 
`PO’s Declarations Do Not Establish Conception .................... 17 
`3. 
`PO’s Declarations Do Not Establish Actual Reduction to
`Practice ..................................................................................... 18 
`PO’s Declarations Do Not Establish Diligence ....................... 19 
`4. 
`VIII.  CLAIM CONSTRUCTION ......................................................................... 21 
`A. 
`Legal Standard .................................................................................... 21 
`B. 
`Construction of the Terms Used in the Claims .................................. 21 
`1. 
`“web page” ............................................................................... 22 
`2. 
`“applications” (claims 11-13) .................................................. 22 
`-i-
`
`
`
`
`
`
`

`
`TABLE OF CONTENTS
`(continued)
`
`Page
`
`
`
`3. 
`4. 
`5. 
`6. 
`
`“application program interface” (claims 11-13) ...................... 23 
`“communications control module” (claims 11-13) .................. 23 
`“database” (claims 11-13) ........................................................ 23 
`“data are synchronized between the central database, the
`at least one wireless handheld computing device, at least
`one Web server and at least one Web page” (claims 11-
`13) ............................................................................................ 23 
`The Preamble Is Not Limiting ................................................. 24 
`7. 
`IX.  STATE OF THE ART PRIOR TO the ’325 PATENT ................................ 25 
`X. 
`THERE IS A REASONABLE LIKELIHOOD THAT PETITIONER
`WILL PREVAIL WITH RESPECT TO AT LEAST ONE CLAIM OF
`THE ’325 PATENT ...................................................................................... 27 
`XI.  DETAILED EXPLANATION OF THE GROUNDS FOR
`REJECTION ................................................................................................. 27 
`A. 
`Challenge to Claims 11, 13 and 15 Based on Inkpen, Nokia and
`Digestor .............................................................................................. 28 
`1. 
`Summary of Inkpen .................................................................. 28 
`2. 
`Summary of Digestor ............................................................... 30 
`3. 
`Summary of Nokia ................................................................... 31 
`4. 
`Patentability Challenge Based on Inkpen, Nokia, and
`Digestor .................................................................................... 32 
`Challenge to Claim 12 Based on Inkpen, Nokia, Digestor and
`Flake ................................................................................................... 50 
`Challenge to Claims 11, 13, and 15 Based on DeLorme ................... 52 
`1. 
`Summary of DeLorme ............................................................. 52 
`2. 
`Patentability Challenge Based on DeLorme ............................ 53 
`Challenge to Claims 11-13 and 15 Based on Blinn and Inkpen ........ 63 
`1. 
`Summary of Blinn .................................................................... 63 
`2. 
`Patentability Challenge Based on Blinn and Inkpen ............... 65 
`
`B. 
`
`C. 
`
`D. 
`
`
`
`
`
`-ii-
`
`
`
`

`
`TABLE OF CONTENTS
`(continued)
`
`Page
`
`
`XII.  None of the CHALLENGES are redundant ................................................. 78 
`XIII.  CONCLUSION ............................................................................................. 79 
`
`
`
`
`
`
`-iii-
`
`
`
`

`
`
`
`TABLE OF EXHIBITS
`
`EXHIBIT
`
`DESCRIPTION
`
`1001
`
`1002
`
`1003
`
`1004
`
`1005
`
`1006
`
`U.S. Patent No. 6,384,850 to McNally, et al.
`
`Turnbull Expert Declaration
`
`U.S. Patent No. 6,871,325 to McNally, et al.
`
`U.S. Patent No. 8,146,077 to McNally, et al.
`
`U.S. Patent No. 6,982,733 to McNally, et al.
`
`U.S. Patent Application Number 09/400,413 (the “‘413
`
`application”) (‘850 Application)
`
`1007
`
`U.S. Patent Application Number 10/015,729 (the “‘729
`
`application”) (’325 Application)
`
`1008
`
`U.S. Patent Application Number 11/112,990 (the “’990
`
`application”) (’077 Application)
`
`1009
`
`U.S. Patent Application Number 10/016,517 (the “’517
`
`application”) (’733 Application)
`
`U.S. Patent No. 6,384,850 to McNally, et al. File History
`
`U.S. Patent No. 6,871,325 to McNally, et al. File History
`
`U.S. Patent No. 8,146,077 to McNally, et al. File History Excerpts
`
`CBM2014-00015 – CBM petition for U.S. Patent No. 6,384,850
`
`iv
`
`1010
`
`1011
`
`1012
`
`1013
`
`
`
`

`
`
`1014
`
`1015
`
`1016
`
`1017
`
`1018
`
`1019
`
`1020
`
`1021
`
`TABLE OF EXHIBITS
`(continued)
`
`CBM2014-00016 – CBM petition for U.S. Patent No. 6,871,325
`
`CBM2014-00014 – CBM petition for U.S. Patent No. 8,146,077
`
`CBM2014-00013 – CBM petition for U.S. Patent No. 6,982,733
`
`CBM2014-00015 – Paper 20 – ’850 Institution Decision
`
`CBM2014-00016 – Paper 19 – ’325 Institution Decision
`
`CBM2014-00014 – Paper 19 – ’077 Institution Decision
`
`CBM2014-00013 – Paper 23 – ’733 Institution Decision
`
`Inkpen, Gary, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FOR TRAVEL AND
`
`TOURISM (2d ed. 1998)
`
`1022
`
`Timothy Bickmore, Digestor Device Independent Access to the
`
`World Wide Web, Computer Networks and ISDN Systems 29,
`
`1023
`
`1024
`
`1025
`
`1026
`
`1027
`
`1028
`
`
`
`1075-1082 (1997)
`
`Nokia 9000i Communicator Owner’s Manual (1997)
`
`U.S. Pat. No. 5,948,040 to DeLorme et al.
`
`U.S. Pat. No. 6,058,373 to Blinn et al.
`
`McFadden et al., MODERN DATABASE MANAGEMENT (5th ed.
`
`May, 1999), Chapter 11
`
`Micros 8700 HMS Version 2.10 User’s Manual
`
`Aronson, Larry, HTML Manual of Style (1994)
`
`v
`
`

`
`
`1029
`
`TABLE OF EXHIBITS
`(continued)
`
`Jesitus, “Wireless Technology Keeps Customers In Order,”
`
`Hospitality Technology (January 1977)
`
`1030
`
`PO’s complaints against: (A) Expedia, Inc., (B) Fandango, LLC,
`
`(C) Hotels.com, L.P., (D) Hotel Tonight, Inc., (E) Hotwire, Inc.,
`
`(F) Kayak Software Corp., (G) OpenTable, Inc., (H) Orbitz, LLC,
`
`(I) Papa John’s USA, Inc., (J) StubHub, Inc., (K) Ticketmaster,
`
`LLC and Live Nation Entertainment, Inc., (L) Travelocity.com
`
`LP, and (M) Wanderspot LLC
`
`1031
`
`PO’s complaints against: (A) Agilysys, Inc., (B) Domino’s Pizza,
`
`Inc. and Domino’s Pizza, LLC, (C) Hilton Resorts Corporation,
`
`Hilton Worldwide, Inc., and Hilton International Co., (D) Mobo
`
`Systems, Inc., (E) Pizza Hut of America, Inc. and Pizza Hut, Inc.,
`
`and (F) Usablenet, Inc.
`
`1032
`
`Ameranth, Inc. v. Menusoft Sys. Corp., et al., No. 2:07-
`
`CV-271, ECF No. 106 (E.D. Tex. Apr. 21,2010)
`
`1033
`
`Ameranth, Inc. v. Par Technology Corp., et al., 2:10-CV-294-
`
`1034
`
`1035
`
`
`
`JRG-RSP (E.D. Tex.) ECF No. 169 (Claim Construction)
`
`Definitions from Microsoft Computer Dictionary (4th ed. 1999)
`
`Transcript of Oral Arguments in CBM2014-00013 (Paper No. 34)
`
`vi
`
`

`
`
`1036
`
`TABLE OF EXHIBITS
`(continued)
`
`American Heritage Dictionary (3d ed. 1992) (for the definition of
`
`“cascade”)
`
`1037
`
`http://catalogue.pearsoned.co.uk/educator/product/Information-
`
`Technology-for-Travel-and-Tourism/9780582310025.page
`
`1038
`
`1039
`
`1040
`
`1041
`
`1042
`
`1043
`
`1044
`
`1045
`
`1046
`
`1047
`
`1048
`
`1049
`
`1050
`
`1051
`
`
`
`U.S. Patent No. 5,897,622 to Blinn et al.
`
`U.S. Patent No. 5,991,739 to Cupps et al.
`
`U.S. Patent No. 6,107,944 to Behr
`
`U.S. Patent No. 5,912,743 to Kinebuchi et al.
`
`U.S. Patent No. 5,724,069 to Chen et al.
`
`U.S. Patent No. 6,920,431 to Showghi et al.
`
`U.S. Patent No. 6,301,564 to Halverson et al.
`
`Complaint for priority in the IPDEV suit – 14-cv-1303
`
`U.S. Patent No. 5,937, 041 to Cardillo
`
`Micros Systems Inc. “POS Configuration User’s Guide: 3700
`
`POS”
`
`U.S. PG Pub 2002/0059405 to Angwin
`
`WIPO Patent Publication No. WO 97/27556 to Flake et al.
`
`U.S. Patent No. 5,023,438 to Wakatsuki et al.
`
`U.S. Patent No. 6,300,947 to Kanevsky et al.
`
`vii
`
`

`
`
`1052
`
`TABLE OF EXHIBITS
`(continued)
`
`Ameranth, Inc. v. Menusoft Systems Corp., Ameranth Opp. to
`
`non-party Seamless North America, LLC’s motion for leave to
`
`file amicus curiae brief, E.D. Tex. Dkt. No. 2:07-cv-00271 at ECF
`
`No. 336.
`
`1053
`
`Micros Hand-Held Touchscreen Pre-Release Information (Sept. 8,
`
`1054
`
`1055
`
`1056
`
`1057
`
`1992)
`
`Thesaurus.com Synonyms for “Ticket”
`
`U.S. Patent No. 8,738,449 to Cupps, et al.
`
`U.S. Patent No. 5,974,238 to Chase Jr.
`
`Ameranth v. Menusoft Systems Corp., 07-cv-271-RSP, Dkt. 281
`
`(E.D. Tex. 2010) – Opening post-trial JMOL Brief
`
`1058
`
`Ameranth v. Menusoft Systems Corp., 07-cv-271-RSP, Dkt. 281
`
`(E.D. Tex. 2010) Opposition JMOL Brief
`
`1059
`
`Ameranth v. Menusoft Systems Corp., 07-cv-271-RSP, Dkt. 281
`
`(E.D. Tex. 2010) Order Denying Ameranth’s Motion for JMOL
`
`1060
`
`Excerpts from PO’s Infringement Contentions to: (A) StubHub,
`
`Inc., (B) Hotels.com, L.P., and (C) Ticketmaster, LLC
`
`1061
`
`U.S. Patent No. 8,738,449 File History
`
`
`
`viii
`
`

`
`
`1062
`
`TABLE OF EXHIBITS
`(continued)
`
`Sep. 13, 2010 Trial Testimony. Ameranth v. MenuSoft, 07-cv-
`
`271-RSP.
`
`1063
`
`Sep. 14, 2010 Trial Testimony. Ameranth v. MenuSoft, 07-cv-
`
`271-RSP.
`
`1064
`
`Sep. 15, 2010 Trial Testimony. Ameranth v. MenuSoft, 07-cv-
`
`271-RSP.
`
`1065
`
`Bruce Brown, “First Looks: Windows CE 2.0 Cornucopia,” PC
`
`Magazine (June 30, 1998)
`
`Graf, “Modern Dictionary of Electronics” (7th ed. 1999).
`
`Matthews & Poulsen, “FrontPage 98: The Complete Reference”
`
`(January 1998)
`
`CBM2015-00080 – CBM petition for U.S. Patent No. 6,384,850
`
`CBM2015-00082 – CBM petition for U.S. Patent No. 6,871,325
`
`CBM2015-00081 – CBM petition for U.S. Patent No. 8,146,077
`
`1066
`
`1067
`
`1068
`
`1069
`
`1070
`
`
`
`ix
`
`

`
`Patent No. 6,871,325
`Petition for Covered Business Method Review
`
`I.
`
`INTRODUCTION
`
`Covered business method review (“CBM”) of claims 11-13 and 15 (the
`
`“Challenged Claims”) of U.S. Patent No. 6,871,325 (Exhibit 1003) (hereinafter
`
`“the ’325 patent”) is hereby requested. The ’325 patent has been asserted against
`
`Petitioner and several other entities in pending lawsuits. See Exs. 1030, 1031.
`
`The ’325 patent, which claims priority to an application filed in 1999 after
`
`the Internet had become widely known and used, relates generally to the field of
`
`menu generation and synchronous communication. See Ex. 1018 at 3. Claims 11-
`
`13 and 15 of the ’325 patent relate to an information management and synchronous
`
`communications system for use with wireless handheld computing devices. Ex.
`
`1003 at 17:4-18:38. As explained below, each of the particular techniques recited
`
`in the claims had been developed and was well known in the menu generation and
`
`synchronous communication field long before the application for the ’325 patent
`
`was filed. Indeed, many of these techniques were already used in the market. See
`
`Exs. 1021-25. The Challenged Claims of the ’325 patent are therefore
`
`unpatentable over the prior art identified below.
`
`II. COMPLIANCE WITH FORMAL REQUIREMENTS
`A. Mandatory Notices Under 37 C.F.R. §§ 42.8(b)(1)-(4)
`1.
`Real Parties-In-Interest
`The real parties-in-interest are Expedia, Inc., StubHub, Inc., Fandango, LLC
`
`
`
`1
`
`

`
`Patent No. 6,871,325
`Petition for Covered Business Method Review
`
`(formerly known as Fandango, Inc.), Hotels.com, L.P., Hotel Tonight, Inc.,
`
`Hotwire, Inc., Kayak Software Corp., OpenTable, Inc., Orbitz, LLC, Papa John’s
`
`USA, Inc., Ticketmaster, LLC, Live Nation Entertainment, Inc., Travelocity.com
`
`LP, Wanderspot LLC, Agilysys, Inc., Domino’s Pizza, Inc., Domino’s Pizza, LLC,
`
`Hilton Resorts Corporation, Hilton Worldwide, Inc., Hilton International Co.,
`
`Mobo Systems, Inc., Pizza Hut of America, Inc., Pizza Hut, Inc., and Usablenet,
`
`Inc. (collectively, “Petitioner”).
`
`Related Matters
`
`2.
`Petitioner, along with a number of other parties, previously filed a petition
`
`for CBM review of the ’325 patent (CBM2014-00016) under 35 U.S.C. §§ 101 and
`
`112. The Board, however, only granted review of claims 1-10 of the ’325 patent
`
`under § 101 grounds. Ex. 1018 at 27. Further, on February 19, 2015, parties other
`
`than Petitioner filed a petition for CBM review of the ’325 patent (CBM2015-
`
`00082) concerning the same challenges to the same claims that are at issue in the
`
`present petition. Ex. 1069. The Board has not issued a decision regarding
`
`institution in CBM2015-00082.
`
`Ameranth, Inc. (“PO”) has asserted the ’325 patent in the following patent
`
`infringement lawsuits, including the suits filed against Petitioner. To the best of
`
`Petitioner’s knowledge, the following is a list of the defendants and the civil action
`
`numbers for the pending matters (Ameranth, Inc. is the lone plaintiff in each case):
`
`
`
`2
`
`

`
`Patent No. 6,871,325
`Petition for Covered Business Method Review
`
`Apple Inc., Case No. 3-12-cv-02350 (S.D. Cal., filed Sep. 26, 2012); Starbucks
`
`Corp., Case No. 3-13-cv-01072 (S.D. Cal., filed May 6, 2013); TicketBiscuit, LLC,
`
`Case No. 3-13-cv-00352 (S.D. Cal., filed Feb. 13, 2013); Ticketfly, Inc., Case No.
`
`3-13-cv-00353(S.D. Cal., filed Feb. 13, 2013); Eventbrite, Inc., Case No. 3-13-cv-
`
`00350 (S.D. Cal., filed Feb. 13, 2013); Hilton Resorts Corp. et al, Case No. 3-12-
`
`cv-01636 (S.D. Cal., filed July 2, 2012); Kayak Software Corp., Case No. 3-12-cv-
`
`01640 (S.D. Cal., filed Jun. 29, 2012); Usablenet, Inc., Case No. 3-12-cv-01650
`
`(S.D. Cal., filed Jun. 29, 2012); Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc., Case
`
`No. 3-12-cv-01629 (S.D. Cal., filed Jun. 29, 2012); Hotels.com, LP, Case No. 3-
`
`12-cv-01634 (S.D. Cal., filed Jun. 29, 2012); Orbitz, LLC, Case No. 3-12-cv-
`
`01644 (S.D. Cal., filed Jun. 29, 2012); ATX Innovation, Inc., Case No. 3-12-cv-
`
`01656 (S.D. Cal., filed Jun. 29, 2012); Best Western International, Inc., Case No.
`
`3-12-cv-01630 (S.D. Cal., filed Jun. 29, 2012); NAAMA Networks, Inc. et al, Case
`
`No. 3-12-cv-01643 (S.D. Cal., filed Jun. 29, 2012); Hotel Tonight, Inc., Case No.
`
`3-12-cv-01633 (S.D. Cal., filed Jun. 29, 2012); Travelocity.com, LP, Case No. 3-
`
`12-cv-01649 (S.D. Cal., filed Jun. 29, 2012); Expedia, Inc., Case No. 3-12-cv-
`
`01654 (S.D. Cal., filed Jun. 29, 2012); Hyatt Corporation, Case No. 3-12-cv-
`
`01627 (S.D. Cal., filed Jun. 29, 2012); Hotwire, Inc., Case No. 3-12-cv-01653
`
`(S.D. Cal., filed Jun. 29, 2012); Wanderspot LLC, Case No. 3-12-cv-01652 (S.D.
`
`Cal., filed Jun. 29, 2012); Micros Systems, Inc., Case No. 3-12-cv-01655 (S.D.
`
`
`
`3
`
`

`
`Patent No. 6,871,325
`Petition for Covered Business Method Review
`
`Cal., filed Jun. 29, 2012); Marriott International, Inc. et al, Case No. 3-12-cv-
`
`01631 (S.D. Cal., filed Jun. 29, 2012); Mobo Systems, Inc., Case No. 3-12-cv-
`
`01642 (S.D. Cal., filed Jun. 29, 2012); Fandango, Inc., Case No. 3-12-cv-01651
`
`(S.D. Cal., filed Jun. 29, 2012); StubHub, Inc., Case No. 3-12-cv-01646 (S.D.
`
`Cal., filed Jun. 29, 2012); TicketMaster, LLC et al, Case No. 3-12-cv-01648 (S.D.
`
`Cal., filed Jun. 29, 2012); Agilysys, Inc., Case No. 3-12-cv-00858 (S.D. Cal., filed
`
`Apr. 6, 2012); Domino’s Pizza, LLC et al, Case No. 3-12-cv-00733 (S.D. Cal.,
`
`filed Mar. 27, 2012); Pizza Hut, Inc. et al, Case No. 3-12-cv-00742 (S.D. Cal.,
`
`filed Mar. 27, 2012); Papa John’s USA, Inc. 12-cv-0729 (S.D. Cal. Filed March
`
`27, 2012); OpenTable, Inc., Case Nos. 3-12-cv-00731 and 3-13-cv-01840 (S.D.
`
`Cal., filed Mar. 27, 2012 and Aug. 8, 2013, respectively); O-Web Technologies
`
`Ltd., Case No. 3-12-cv-00732 (S.D. Cal., filed 3/27/12); Seamless North America,
`
`LLC, Case No. 3-12-cv-00737 (S.D. Cal., filed 3/27/12); and GrubHub, Inc., Case
`
`No. 3-12-cv-00739 (S.D. Cal., filed 3/27/12).
`
`Lead and Back-up Counsel
`
`3.
`Lead Counsel for Petitioner is Richard S. Zembek, Norton Rose Fulbright
`
`US LLP, Reg. No. 43,306, who
`
`can be
`
`reached by
`
`email
`
`at
`
`richard.zembek@nortonrosefulbright.com, by mail and hand delivery at Norton
`
`Rose Fulbright US LLP, 1301 McKinney, Suite 5100, Houston, Texas 77010, by
`
`phone at 713-651-5151, and by fax at 713-651-5246. Backup counsel for
`
`
`
`4
`
`

`
`Patent No. 6,871,325
`Petition for Covered Business Method Review
`
`Petitioner is Gilbert A. Greene, Reg. No. 48,366, who can be reached by email at
`
`bert.greene@nortonrosefulbright.com, by mail and hand delivery at Norton Rose
`
`Fulbright US LLP, 98 San Jacinto Boulevard, Suite 1100, Austin, Texas 78701, by
`
`phone at 512-474-5201, and by fax at 512-536-4598.
`
`4.
`
`Power of Attorney and Service Information
`
`Powers of attorney are being filed with the designation of counsels in
`
`accordance with 37 C.F.R. § 42.10(b). Service information for lead and back-up
`
`counsels is provided in the designation of lead and back-up counsel above. Service
`
`of any documents via hand delivery may be made at the postal mailing address of
`
`the respective lead and back-up counsels designated above. Petitioner hereby
`
`consents to electronic service.
`
`Proof of Service on the PO
`
`B.
`As identified in the attached Certificate of Service, a copy of this Petition in
`
`its entirety is being served to the PO’s attorney of record at the address listed in the
`
`USPTO’s records by overnight courier pursuant to 37 C.F.R. § 42.6.
`
`Fee
`
`C.
`The undersigned authorizes the Director to charge the fee specified by 37
`
`C.F.R. § 42.15(b) and any additional fees that might be due in connection with this
`
`Petition to Deposit Account No. 06-2380.
`
`III. GROUNDS FOR STANDING
`
`
`
`5
`
`

`
`Patent No. 6,871,325
`Petition for Covered Business Method Review
`
`
`In accordance with 37 C.F.R. § 42.304(a), the Petitioner certifies that the
`
`’325 patent is available for CBM review because, as explained further below, the
`
`’325 patent constitutes a covered business method patent as defined by Section 18
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`of the America Invents Act (see AIA § 18(d)(1)), and further certifies that the
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`Petitioner is not barred or estopped from requesting CBM review of the
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`Challenged Claims of the ’325 patent on the grounds identified in this Petition.
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`Petitioner is eligible to file this petition because Ameranth has sued Petitioner for
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`alleged infringement of the ’325 patent. See Exs. 1030, 1031. Additionally,
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`Petitioner is not estopped from pursuing this petition under 37 C.F.R. § 42.73(d)(1)
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`because the Board has not instituted a trial and thus has not issued a final written
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`decision on the Challenged Claims.
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`A. The ’325 Patent Is a Covered Business Method Patent
`A “covered business method patent” is a patent that “claims a method or
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`corresponding apparatus for performing data processing or other operations used in
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`the practice, administration or management of a financial product or service,
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`except that the terms does not include patents for technological inventions.” AIA
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`§ 18(d)(1). This definition was drafted to encompass patents “claiming activities
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`that are financial in nature, incidental to a financial activity or complementary to a
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`financial activity.” Final Rule, 77 Fed. Reg. 48,734, 48735 (Aug. 14, 2012). A
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`single claim directed toward a covered business method makes every claim of the
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`patent eligible for CBM review, even if a Petition does not seek review of that
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`claim. See CRS Advanced Technologies, Inc. v Frontline Technologies, Inc.,
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`CBM2012-0005, Paper 17 at 6-9 (granting CBM review of claims 3, 6, 7, 16, 24
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`and 33 while relying in part on recitation of “retail bank” in claim 1 to fulfill the
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`requirement that the patent be directed to a financial activity).
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`As the Board has previously determined, at least claim 1 of the ’325 patent
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`qualifies as a covered business method. See Ex. 1018 at 11. Claim 1 is directed
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`toward a “system for generating and transmitting menus” and recites a second
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`menu “applicable to a predetermined type of ordering.” Ex. 1003 at 14:60-61 and
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`15:22-23. The “ordering” in this phrase relates to the ordering of a meal at a
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`restaurant (Ex. 1003 at Abstract), and therefore is at least incidental to and
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`complementary to the sale of the meal. Thus, the subject matter of at least claim 1
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`is directed toward a system that performs a covered business method and therefore
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`satisfies the first requirement of AIA § 18(d)(1). Ex. 1018 at 11.
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`Claim 1 does not fit within the exception to a covered business method as
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`defined by AIA § 18(d)(1) because it is not directed toward a technological
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`invention. To qualify as a technological invention, the subject matter as a whole
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`must recite a technological feature that (1) is novel and unobvious over the prior
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`art (the “first prong”), and (2) solves a technical problem using a technical solution
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`(the “second prong”). Id. at 11. Both prongs must be met for the exception to
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`apply. Id. The Board has previously found that neither prong applies to claim 1 of
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`the ’325 patent. See id. Furthermore, the Office Patent Trial Practice Guide states
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`that “reciting the use of known prior art technology to accomplish a process or
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`method, even if that process or method is novel and non-obvious” does not
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`typically render a patent a technological invention. Patent Trial Practice Guide, 77
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`Fed. Reg. 48,756, 48,763-64 (Aug. 14, 2012). The ’325 patent makes abundantly
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`clear that the system of claim 1 utilizes nothing but known prior art technology:
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`The preferred embodiment of the present invention uses typical
`hardware elements in the form of a computer workstation, operating
`system and application software elements which configure the hardware
`elements for operation in accordance with the present invention. Ex.
`1003 at 5:39-43.
`The preferred embodiment also encompasses a typical file server
`platform including hardware such as a CPU, “e.g., a Pentium®
`microprocessor, RAM, ROM, hard drive, modem, and optional
`removable storage devices, e.g., floppy or CD ROM drive.” Id. at 5:43-
`50.
`The software applications for performing the functions falling within
`the described invention can be written in any commonly used computer
`language. The discrete programming steps are commonly known and
`thus programming details are not necessary to a full description of the
`invention. Id. at 11:56-61.
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`Accordingly, at least claim 1 of the ’325 patent does not satisfy the technological
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`invention exception, and the ’325 patent is therefore eligible for covered business
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`method review.
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`IV. STATEMENT OF PRECISE RELIEF REQUESTED
`In accordance with 37 C.F.R. § 42.22, the Petitioner respectfully requests
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`that the Challenged Claims of the ’325 patent be invalidated for the reasons set
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`forth below.
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`V.
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`IDENTIFICATION OF PATENTABILITY CHALLENGES
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`In accordance with 35 U.S.C. § 321 and 37 C.F.R. § 42.304(b), CBM review
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`of the Challenged Claims is requested in view of the following grounds:
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`A.
`
`Claims 11, 13 and 15 are unpatentable under 35 U.S.C. § 103 (pre-
`
`AIA) as being obvious over Inkpen, Gary, Information Technology for Travel and
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`Tourism (2d ed. 1998) (“Inkpen”) (Ex. 1021, “Inkpen”), in view of Timothy
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`Bickmore, “Digestor: Device Independent Access to the World Wide Web,”
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`Computer Networks and ISDN Systems 29, 1075-82 (1997) (Ex. 1022, “Digestor”)
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`and the Nokia 9000i Communicator Owner’s Manual (1997) (Ex. 1023, “Nokia”).
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`B.
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`Claim 12 is unpatentable under 35 U.S.C. § 103 (pre-AIA) as being
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`obvious over Inkpen, Digestor, Nokia and WIPO Patent Publication No. WO
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`97/27556 to Flake et al. (Ex. 1049, “Flake”).
`
`C.
`
`Claims 11, 13 and 15 are unpatentable under 35 U.S.C. § 103 (pre-
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`AIA) as being obvious in view of U.S. Pat. No. 5,948,040 (Ex. 1024, “DeLorme”).
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`D.
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`The Challenged Claims are unpatentable under 35 U.S.C. § 103 (pre-
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`AIA) as being obvious over U.S. Pat. No. 6,058,373 to Blinn et al. (Ex. 1025,
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`“Blinn”) in view of Inkpen.
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`VI. LEVEL OF ORDINARY SKILL IN THE ART
`A person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the alleged invention of
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`the ’325 patent (hereinafter a “POSITA”) patent had a Bachelor’s degree in either
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`electrical engineering or computer science and two years of experience in the fields
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`of developing software for wireless networks and devices, developing Internet-
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`based systems or applications, or an equivalent experience
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`in software
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`development of up to 5 years. Ex. 1002 ¶¶ 71-72.
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`VII. SUMMARY OF THE ’325 PATENT
`A.
`Patent Specification and Claims
`The ’325 patent, entitled “Information Management and Synchronous
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`Communications System With Menu Generation,” issued on March 22, 2005, and
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`arises from a patent application, No. 10/015,729 (the “‘729 application”), which
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`was filed on Nov. 1, 2001. Ex. 1003 at 1. The patent was assigned upon issuance
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`to Ameranth, Inc. Upon information and belief, this patent is currently assigned to
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`PO.
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`The ’325 patent claims priority to, and is a continuation of, patent
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`application No. 09/400,413, filed on Sept. 21, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,384,850
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`(Ex. 1001, the “‘850 patent”). No other priority is claimed. Thus, Sept. 21, 1999
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`is the earliest possible effective filing date of the ’325 application.
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`A primary theme of the ’325 patent, and the “principal object” of the alleged
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`invention therein, is to provide a system that “facilitates user-friendly and efficient
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`generation of computerized menus for restaurants and other applications that
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`utilize equipment with non-PC-standard graphical formats, display sizes and/or
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`applications.” Ex. 1003 at 2:56-62. Menu generation is the subject matter of
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`claims 1-10, which are the subject matter of a prior CBM proceeding (CBM2014-
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`00016), and a large majority of the specification is devoted to describing such
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`menus and how they are generated. Ex. 1002 ¶¶ 57-65.
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`The Challenged Claims of the ’325 patent at issue here, however, do not
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`recite “menu” or any other limitations relating to menu generation. See, Ex. 1003
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`at Claims 11-13 and 15. The claims are instead directed toward an “information
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`management and synchronous communications system.” Id. The system of the
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`Challenged Claims includes “a central database,” “at least one handheld wireless
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`computing device,” “at least one web server,” “at least one web page,” and “a
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`communications control module.” See e.g., Ex. 1003 at 17:7-17. “Hospitality
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`applications and data” are stored on the handheld wireless computing device, the
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`web server and the web page, and the central database. Id. The hospitality
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`applications and data are “synchronized” between the central database, the web
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`server, the web page and the wireless handheld computing device. Id. at 17:18-20;
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`see also Ex. 1018 at 4-5. Ex. 1002 ¶ 59.
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`The ’325 patent does not provide any diagram of the system formed by these
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`components, and independent claims 11-13 do not specify any relationship
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`between these components. Thus, it is not clear to one of ordinary skill in the art
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`how these various components are connected to each other and/or interact with
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`each other. Ex. 1002 ¶ 60.
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`For example, the “application program interface” (“API”) recited in claims
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`11-13 is mentioned only three times in the specification, and all we are told about
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`the API is that it is a feature that is missing from software for fully realizing the
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`potential of wireless handheld computing devices and that it “enables third parties
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`such as point of sale (“POS”) companies, affinity program companies and internet
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`content providers to fully integrate with computerized hospitality applications.”
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`Ex. 1003 at 2:9-19; 4:1-5, and 11:28-31. The specification of the ’325 patent does
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`not specify whether this application program interface software runs on the
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`wireless handheld computing device or one of the other devices recited in claims
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`11-13 and does not explain what functions the API performs or how it enables POS
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`companies, affinity program companies, or internet content providers to “fully
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`integrate” with the computerized hospitality applications that claims 11-13 require
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`be stored on the web page, the web server and the wireless handheld computing
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`device. Accordingly, the location where the API resides in the system of claims
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`11-13 and what the API does is unclear. Ex. 1002 ¶ 61.
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`Similarly, the specification leaves unanswered several questions concerning
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`the “communications control module.” This module is described in the ’325 patent
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`specification as a program to monitor all devices in the network, receiving and
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`decoding messages sent between the devices, and routing the messages to the
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`appropriate device. Ex. 1003 at 9:35-63. The communications control module is
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`also described as a “layer that sits on top of any communications protocol” that
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`“provides a single point of entry for all hospitality applications to communicate
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`with one another wirelessly or over the web.” Ex. 1003 at 11:37-43. The
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`specification does not explain if the communications control module “layer” is a
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`single piece of software that runs on a device (sometimes referred to in the art as a
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`communications controller or front end processor) or multiple instances of
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`software each of which runs on a respective web page, web server, wireless
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`handheld computing device and central database. Ex. 1002 ¶ 62. The similarity of
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`the phrase “communications control module” to the art-recognized phrase
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`“communications controller” and the description of the communications control
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`module as a single point of entry and as performing a routing function suggest the
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`former, whereas the description of a “layer that sits on top of any communications
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`protocol” s