IN THE UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`PATENT TRIAL & APPEAL BOARD
`
`
`Colin Donald Smith et al.
`In re Patent of:
`U.S. Patent No.: 6,333,973
`Issue Date:
`December 25, 2001
`Appl. No.:
`
`08/842,020
`Filing Date:
`April 23, 1997
`Title:
`
`Integrated Message Center
`
`
`DECLARATION OF PROFESSOR NADER MIR, Ph.D.
`
`(1.)
`
`I am Professor Nader F. Mir. I submit this report on behalf of Google
`
`in connection with its request for inter partes review of Claims 21–26 of U.S.
`
`Patent No. 6,333,973 (“the ’973 patent”).
`
`I.
`
`INTRODUCTION
`A. Qualifications
`(2.) My professional career has spanned close to 28 years. During these
`
`years, I have continually gained extensive experience in design, analysis, testing,
`
`teaching, research, and performance evaluation in general fields of computer
`
`networks and communications systems.
`
`(3.)
`
`I am currently a tenured Full Professor of Electrical Engineering at
`
`San Jose State University in San Jose, California. I was previously the Associate
`
`Chairman of the Electrical Engineering Department at San Jose State University. I
`
`am also the Director of a graduate program that San Jose State University offers to
`
`Lockheed-Martin Space Systems Corporation in Sunnyvale, CA.
`
`
`
`1
`
`Google Ex. 1207, pg. 1
`
`
`PATENT TRIAL & APPEAL BOARD
`
`
`Colin Donald Smith et al.
`In re Patent of:
`U.S. Patent No.: 6,333,973
`Issue Date:
`December 25, 2001
`Appl. No.:
`
`08/842,020
`Filing Date:
`April 23, 1997
`Title:
`
`Integrated Message Center
`
`
`DECLARATION OF PROFESSOR NADER MIR, Ph.D.
`
`(1.)
`
`I am Professor Nader F. Mir. I submit this report on behalf of Google
`
`in connection with its request for inter partes review of Claims 21–26 of U.S.
`
`Patent No. 6,333,973 (“the ’973 patent”).
`
`I.
`
`INTRODUCTION
`A. Qualifications
`(2.) My professional career has spanned close to 28 years. During these
`
`years, I have continually gained extensive experience in design, analysis, testing,
`
`teaching, research, and performance evaluation in general fields of computer
`
`networks and communications systems.
`
`(3.)
`
`I am currently a tenured Full Professor of Electrical Engineering at
`
`San Jose State University in San Jose, California. I was previously the Associate
`
`Chairman of the Electrical Engineering Department at San Jose State University. I
`
`am also the Director of a graduate program that San Jose State University offers to
`
`Lockheed-Martin Space Systems Corporation in Sunnyvale, CA.
`
`
`
`1
`
`Google Ex. 1207, pg. 1
`
`
`
`(4.)
`
`I was awarded a Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering, with a focus
`
`on computer networking and communication systems and protocols, from
`
`Washington University in St. Louis in 1995. I received a Masters of Science
`
`(M.Sc.) degree in electrical engineering from Washington University in St. Louis
`
`in 1990 and my Bachelors of Science (B.Sc.) degree (with honors) in electrical
`
`engineering from Polytechnic University in 1985.
`
`(5.) For close to 28 years, I have studied, designed, and worked in the
`
`general fields of computer networks and communications systems. Based on my
`
`extensive research, engineering, and teaching experience in computers and
`
`communications I have been recognized as a specialist in the areas of computer
`
`and communication networks, networking devices and protocols such as telephone
`
`networks, computer networking, network communication, call management, and
`
`network server organization and operations, and topics that include PSTN, SIP,
`
`Proxy, fundamentals of TCP/IP, voice over IP (“VoIP”), wired and wireless
`
`multimedia networks, switching systems, modems, switches, and routers,
`
`telephone circuit-switched and SS7 networks, content delivery networking, etc.
`
`(6.) Prior to my current position as a professor of electrical engineering, I
`
`was an assistant professor at the University of Kentucky in Lexington and, from
`
`1994 to 1996, I was a research scientist at the Advanced Telecommunications
`
`
`
`2
`
`Google Ex. 1207, pg. 2
`
`
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`Institute, Stevens Institute of Technology, working on the design of advanced
`
`communication systems and high-speed computer networks.
`
`(7.) From 1990 to 1994 I worked at the Computer and Communications
`
`Research Center at Washington University in St. Louis as a research assistant on
`
`the design and analysis of high-speed switching systems.
`
`(8.) From 1985 to 1988 I worked with Telecommunication Research &
`
`Development Center (TRDC), Surrey, as a telecommunications system research &
`
`development engineer, participating in the design of a high-speed digital telephone
`
`Private Branch Exchange (PBX).
`
`(9.)
`
`I have designed and implemented a hardware/protocol for use in high-
`
`speed computer communication networks as described in U.S. Patent No.
`
`7,012,895.
`
`(10.) I hold several technical editorial positions for various journals, such as
`
`the IEEE Communication Magazine. As a Technical Editor of the IEEE
`
`Communication Magazine I am responsible for making decisions regarding the
`
`acceptance or rejection of scientific articles submitted to the journal in the areas of
`
`computer networking and communication systems. I am a senior member of the
`
`IEEE and have served as a member of the technical program committee and the
`
`steering committee for a number of major IEEE communications and networking
`
`conferences.
`
`
`
`3
`
`Google Ex. 1207, pg. 3
`
`
`
`(11.) I have published a textbook through Pearson Prentice Hall Publisher,
`
`New Jersey, entitled “Computer & Communication Networks,” which is now an
`
`internationally-adopted university textbook. The book has been translated into
`
`several languages. The 2nd Edition of this book has been contracted with the
`
`publisher. The book covers fundamentals and advanced topics in telephone
`
`networks, computer networking, network communication, call management, and
`
`network server organization and operations, and spans topics that include, voice,
`
`video, data, FAX networks, PSTN, SIP, Proxy, voice message systems, paging
`
`systems, TCP/IP, VoIP, content delivery networking, wired and wireless
`
`multimedia networks, switching systems, etc.
`
`(12.) I have published numerous refereed technical journal articles and
`
`conference papers, all in the field of communication systems and computer
`
`networking. The full list of my publications can be found in my CV.
`
`(13.) I have received a number of prestigious university, national, and
`
`international awards. In particular, I have received a number of research grants
`
`from private, state, and governmental funding agencies for conducting research in
`
`the fields of computers and communication networks. I am also the recipient of a
`
`university teaching recognition award and a research excellence award. Further, I
`
`am the recipient of a number of outstanding presentation awards from leading
`
`international conferences.
`
`
`
`4
`
`Google Ex. 1207, pg. 4
`
`
`
`(14.) I have been invited to a number of talks at both national and
`
`international conferences. My speeches at conferences have focused on a variety
`
`of topics in computer networking including topics on TCP/IP, VoIP, phone
`
`systems, networked servers, wireless multimedia networks, switching systems, and
`
`networking user interfaces.
`
`(15.) I make this declaration based on personal knowledge and I am
`
`competent to testify about the matters set forth herein.
`
`(16.) A copy of my latest curriculum vitae (CV) is attached to this
`
`declaration as Appendix A.
`
`B.
`Basis of My Opinion and Materials Considered
`(17.) I have reviewed the ’973 patent and its file history. I have reviewed
`
`the prior art and other documents and materials cited herein. My opinions are also
`
`based in part upon my education, training, research, knowledge, and experience.
`
`For ease of reference, the full list of information that I have considered is included
`
`in Appendix B.
`
`C. Understanding of Legal Standards
`1.
`Anticipation
`
`(18.) A patent claim is “anticipated” if each and every limitation of the
`
`claim is disclosed in a single prior art reference. Section 102 of the Patent Statute
`
`
`
`5
`
`Google Ex. 1207, pg. 5
`
`
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`was amended on March 16, 2013. The earlier version of Section 102 applies to the
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`patent at issue given its filing date.
`
`(19.) Each element of a patent claim may be disclosed by a prior art
`
`reference either expressly or inherently. Further, my understanding is that even an
`
`“express” disclosure does not necessarily need to use the same words as the claim.
`
`An element of a patent claim is inherent in a prior art reference if the element must
`
`necessarily be present and such would be recognized by a person of ordinary skill
`
`in the art. However, I understand that inherency cannot be established by mere
`
`probabilities or possibilities.
`
`2. Obviousness
`
`(20.) A patent claim is invalid if the differences between the patented
`
`subject matter and the prior art are such that the subject matter as a whole would
`
`have been obvious at the time the invention was made to a person of ordinary skill
`
`in the art. I am informed that this standard is set forth in 35 U.S.C. § 103(a).
`
`(21.) When considering the issues of obviousness, I am to do the following:
`
`(i) determine the scope and content of the prior art; (ii) ascertain the differences
`
`between the prior art and the claims at issue; (iii) resolve the level of ordinary skill
`
`in the pertinent art; and (iv) consider objective evidence of non-obviousness. I
`
`appreciate that secondary considerations must be assessed as part of the overall
`
`
`
`6
`
`Google Ex. 1207, pg. 6
`
`
`
`obviousness analysis (i.e. as opposed to analyzing the prior art, reaching a tentative
`
`conclusion, and then assessing whether objective indicia alter that conclusion).
`
`(22.) Put another way, my understanding is that not all innovations are
`
`patentable. Even if a claimed product or method is not disclosed in its entirety in a
`
`single prior art reference, the patent claim is invalid if the invention would have
`
`been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention. In
`
`particular, I understand that a patent claim is normally invalid if it would have been
`
`a matter of “ordinary innovation” within the relevant field to create the claimed
`
`product at the time of the invention.
`
`(23.) In determining whether the subject matter as a whole would have been
`
`obvious at the time that the invention was made to a person having ordinary skill in
`
`the art, I have been informed of several principles regarding the combination of
`
`elements of the prior art:
`
`a. First, a combination of familiar elements according to known
`methods is likely to be obvious when it yields predictable results.
`
`b. Second, if a person of ordinary skill in the art can implement a
`“predictable variation” in a prior art device, and would see the
`benefit from doing so, such a variation would be obvious. In
`particular, when there is pressure to solve a problem and there are
`a finite number of identifiable, predictable solutions, it would be
`reasonable for a person of ordinary skill to pursue those options
`that fall within his or her technical grasp. If such a process leads to
`the claimed invention, then the latter is not an innovation, but more
`the result of ordinary skill and common sense.
`
`
`
`7
`
`Google Ex. 1207, pg. 7
`
`
`
`(24.) The “teaching, suggestion, or motivation” test is a useful guide in
`
`establishing a rationale for combining elements of the prior art. This test poses the
`
`question as to whether there is an explicit teaching, suggestion, or motivation in the
`
`prior art to combine prior art elements in a way that realizes the claimed invention.
`
`Though useful to the obviousness inquiry, I understand that this test should not be
`
`treated as a rigid rule. It is not necessary to seek out precise teachings; it is
`
`permissible to consider the inferences and creative steps that a person of ordinary
`
`skill in the art (who is considered to have an ordinary level of creativity and is not
`
`an “automaton”) would employ.
`
`II. DESCRIPTION OF THE RELEVANT FIELD AND THE RELEVANT
`TIMEFRAME
`(25.) I have carefully reviewed the ’973 patent and its file history.
`
`(26.) Based on my review of this material, I believe that the relevant field
`
`for the purposes of the ’973 patent is telecommunication devices and
`
`networking/communication systems. In particular, the networking and
`
`communication of incoming user messages to a telecommunication device and the
`
`resulting graphical display of such messages on that device. I have been informed
`
`that the relevant timeframe is on or before April 23, 1997.
`
`(27.) As described in Section I above and as shown in my CV, I have
`
`extensive experience in the field of electrical engineering, computer networks, and
`
`
`
`8
`
`Google Ex. 1207, pg. 8
`
`
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`communication systems. Based on my experience, I have a good understanding of
`
`the relevant field in the relevant timeframe.
`
`III. THE PERSON OF ORDINARY SKILL IN THE RELEVANT FIELD
`IN THE RELEVANT TIMEFRAME
`(28.) I have been informed that “a person of ordinary skill in the relevant
`
`field” is a hypothetical person to whom an expert in the relevant field could assign
`
`a routine task with reasonable confidence that the task would be successfully
`
`carried out. I have been informed that the level of skill in the art is evidenced by
`
`prior art references. The prior art discussed herein demonstrates that a person of
`
`ordinary skill in the field, at the time the ’973 patent was aware of integrated
`
`messaging systems for viewing notifications corresponding to different types of
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`messages in a single selectable list. Moreover, as shown by the prior art, such a
`
`person was aware that such a system was most efficient where the interface for
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`communicating such messages has independent connections with different
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`bandwidths for different types of messages.
`
`(29.) Based on my experience, I have an understanding of the capabilities
`
`of a person of ordinary skill in the relevant field. I have supervised and directed
`
`many such persons over the course of my career. Further, I had those capabilities
`
`myself at the time the patent was effectively filed.
`
`
`
`9
`
`Google Ex. 1207, pg. 9
`
`
`
`IV. BRIEF BACKGROUND OF THE RELEVANT TECHNOLOGY AND
`THE STATE OF THE ART AS OF APRIL 1997
`(30.) I will sometimes refer to the state of the art as “before the ’973
`
`patent.” I have been informed that the relevant timeframe is on or before April 23,
`
`1997. Accordingly, when I speak about the state of the art “before the ’973
`
`patent,” I mean at least before April 23, 1997.
`
`A. Overview of Communication Networking prior to 1997
`(31.) In 1997, the infrastructure of communication networks was well
`
`established, both theoretically and experimentally, to the extent that they were
`
`practical and in use by public. The communication networking media in 1997
`
`consisted of two distinct and separate networks: (i) The public-switched telephone
`
`networks (PSTN), and (ii) packet-switched networks (PSN). PSTN and PSN have
`
`fundamentally different operational infrastructures. In terms of communication
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`medium type, the communication systems were further classified into wireless
`
`systems and wireline systems.
`
`(32.) PSTN is the basis of our conventional telephone system and has been
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`in use since the early telephone systems. In fact, it was the only existing personal
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`communication system prior to the invention of packet-switched networks in the
`
`1970’s leading to the Internet. The main objective of creating public-switched
`
`telephone network was the creation of a medium for voice communications. But
`
`
`
`10
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`Google Ex. 1207, pg. 10
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`
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`later, other applications such as transmission of telex, facsimile (FAX) and data
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`(e.g. e-mails) through this medium were added to it.
`
`(33.) Long before the ’973 patent, it was known that to transmit a message
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`over PSTN, a dedicated portion of telephone network resources, called a “circuit,”
`
`is established between two users and guaranteed for the duration of the
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`communication. This implies that the two users have exclusive use of the
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`dedicated resources until the communication is complete, and the connection is
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`released. The exclusive and dedicated use of the circuit is a unique characteristic
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`of switched telephone networks.
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`(34.) It was also known that the transmission of a message (facsimile,
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`voice, or data) over PSTN requires its own set of communication rules—these
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`rules are called protocols. Each message is handled by corresponding protocols
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`that contain defined rules for communicating information between a pair of devices
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`over telephone networks. For a facsimile message transmission, facsimile
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`protocols are used; or for voice communication, voice protocols are required.
`
`(35.) The operation of packet-switched networks (PSN), which began about
`
`1970, led to creation of the Internet. The TCP/IP protocol stack PSN employs was
`
`and is fundamentally different from telephone networks. RFC (Request for
`
`Comment) 791, by DARPA Internet Program, released in September 1981,
`
`entitled: “Internet Protocol,” is one of the milestone references presenting the
`
`
`
`11
`
`Google Ex. 1207, pg. 11
`
`
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`fundamentals of the Internet operation. It was also well known prior to the ’973
`
`patent that, unlike a public-switched telephone network, a packet-switched network
`
`does not require a dedicated connection be established between each pair of users
`
`for the entire duration of the communication to transmit a message. Rather, a
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`message is fragmented into smaller units called packets. Each packet is appended
`
`with a header to specify routing and control information, such as the source and
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`the destination addresses. In some circumstances, a packet may be required to be
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`further fragmented, forming new smaller packets known as frames requiring
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`multiple headers to carry out multiple tasks in multiple layers of a network. Once
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`messages are converted to packets they are routed and delivered to their
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`destinations.
`
`(36.) There are and were, before the ’973 patent, different protocols for
`
`routing packets in packet-switched networks. In one of the commonly used
`
`protocols, packets are and were forwarded over a route with several stopping
`
`points between a source and a destination. In each stopping point, the network
`
`keeps packets in its queue until the remaining route becomes free. In some
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`protocols, packets belonging to a same message require re-sequencing if they
`
`arrive out of order at the final destination. Finally at the end of the route, all
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`packets belonging to a same message are stripped from their headers, and
`
`combined to form the original image.
`
`
`
`12
`
`Google Ex. 1207, pg. 12
`
`
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`B. Overview of Messaging Systems prior to 1997
`(37.) The concept of messaging systems was well known and well
`
`established in 1997. Prior to the ’973 patent, messaging systems were commonly
`
`available to public for use. Those messaging systems were capable of processing
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`messages expressed in one or more plurality of media, such as text, fax, binary file,
`
`voice, and motion video. Messaging systems could be of type single medium or
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`integrated media depending on the complexity and application of the system.
`
`Examples of messaging systems from the 1997 time period include, but are not
`
`limited to, paging systems, voice message systems, electronic mail (e-mail)
`
`systems, and FAX systems. I will provide a summary of each single messaging
`
`system existed prior to the ’973 patent in the following paragraphs.
`
`(38.) Paging systems were well-known in 1997. One of skill at that time
`
`was well aware that a pager is a wireless device for receiving short messages by
`
`the pager’s user who is not near his/her telephone set. Such a person was also
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`aware that, in paging systems, data in the form of packets is transferred between
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`two paging terminals. The data packets contain paging messages and are sent from
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`a paging terminal to a paging transmitter and thereby to the receiving pagers. The
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`first personal pager products were made by Motorola in 1995. The Motorola pager
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`was a small receiver that delivered wireless messages in radio frequency range to
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`receiving pagers. Paging systems prior to the ’973 patent were messaging systems
`
`
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`13
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`Google Ex. 1207, pg. 13
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`
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`comprising of mobile pagers, paging terminals at PSTN, and a network of base-
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`stations geographically located over a paging service area. Between a base-station
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`and a pager, messages were broadcast using a specific radio frequency (RF). An
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`example of paging system invention is U.S. Patent No. 5,311,516, granted to
`
`William J. Kuznicki, et al., filed on Nov. 23, 1992, entitled: “Paging System Using
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`Message Fragmentation to Redistribute Traffic.” (Ex. 1221.)
`
`(39.) Voice messaging systems were also well-known and well-established
`
`prior to the ’973 patent. Voice messages could either be directly transmitted
`
`through PSTN or packaged and sent through an IP-based PSN backbone such as
`
`the Internet. An example of such systems is presented in U.S. Patent No.
`
`5,697,060 granted to Masaaki Akahane, et al., filed on Mar’ 25, 1996, entitled:
`
`“Portable Voice Message Terminal Capable of Transmitting Pre-set Text-based
`
`Information.” (Ex. 1222.) There are two systems of voice messaging: one-way
`
`systems and two-way systems. Both one-way and two-way messaging systems
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`were quite popular prior to the ’973 patent. Two-way messaging systems allowed
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`a user to transmit a message to a receiving terminal and also had the capability of
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`responding to such transmitting terminal with a response voice message or text
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`message. An example of voice messaging system is US Patent 5,724,410 granted
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`to Adrian Parvulescu et al. filed on Dec 18, 1995, “Two-way voice messaging
`
`terminal having a speech to text converter.” (Ex. 1223.)
`
`
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`14
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`Google Ex. 1207, pg. 14
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`
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`(40.) FAX messaging systems were commonly used by people prior to
`
`the ’973 patent and were well known to those of skill in the art. A FAX messaging
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`system could process texts or images by converting them into a bitmap, and then
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`transmit them through PSTN, and thereby to an output device. The bitmap format
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`is and was a mapping from some domain as a range of integers to bits. The
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`receiving FAX machine would print a paper copy after reconverting the coded
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`image. U.S. Patent 5,291,302 granted to Gordon et al., filed in 1992, entitled:
`
`“Facsimile Telecommunications System and Method” discloses an example of a
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`pre-1997 system and method for facilitating FAX transmission using one or more
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`store and forward facilities, wherein a subscriber to the system delivers an
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`outgoing FAX message to the store and forward facility (SAFF) with which it is
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`associated. (Ex. 1224.)
`
`(41.) E-mail messaging systems in 1997 were based on the packet-switched
`
`network technology I described above. PSTN as the communication carrier could
`
`also carry e-mails. As was known to one of skill in the art at that time, an e-mail
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`protocol belongs to application of TCP/IP protocol stack where each email user has
`
`a mailbox located in user’s associating mail servers. A mailbox of a user was
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`known to be an area of storage on a mail server where e-mails are placed and saved
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`for the user. Accordingly, when the user received an e-mail, the mail server would
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`automatically save it in the mailbox of the user. In order to see and use an email,
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`
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`15
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`Google Ex. 1207, pg. 15
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`
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`an e-mail program called mail user agent was installed on user’s host. The mail
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`user agent could then further allow the user to download and store e-mail messages
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`to hosts and read or write them offline. Prior to the ’973 patent, there were a
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`number of these types of protocols that were developed for e-mail communications
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`between two servers. One of the most practical ones in this category used heavily
`
`in the Internet is the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) described in RFC 821
`
`published in 1982 by Jonathan B. Postel. An example of inventions using such e-
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`mail messaging systems prior to 1997 is US Patent No. 5,937,161 granted to
`
`Geoffrey C. Mulligan; et al. filed on Apr 12, 1996 entitled “Electronic message
`
`forwarding system.” (Ex. 1225.) This patent presents method and apparatus for
`
`forwarding electronic messages based upon user-defined parameters, such as the
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`time that the message is received. In this patent, the method and apparatus
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`facilitates communications between different customers by providing flexible
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`options as to message delivery addresses. The invented system was capable of
`
`converting a message that originates as one type or class of message into another
`
`appropriate class of message for delivery to the intended recipient.
`
`C.
`Integration of Messaging Systems Prior to 1997
`(42.) As I discussed in the beginning of the previous section, prior to
`
`the ’973 patent, messaging systems were capable of handling messages expressed
`
`in one or more of a plurality of media. People and businesses began receiving
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`
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`16
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`Google Ex. 1207, pg. 16
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`
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`messages over various types of media systems such as the phone, FAX, e-mail,
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`text, pager, etc. Integrated messaging systems then provided a way of informing a
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`user that an incoming message, directed to them, had been received, regardless of
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`media type. So-called “unified messaging” – the presentation of multiple types of
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`messages (email, fax, voicemail, etc.) in a single message list – was already well-
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`known by 1997. Many messaging systems already offered unified inboxes
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`collecting paging messages, voicemails, facsimiles, and e-mails. For example,
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`AT&T’s Unified Messaging Service (“UMS”) offered unified messaging since at
`
`least 1986. (Ex. 1203.) AT&T’s UMS system included a unified mailbox that “is
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`the one access point for all messages regardless of their type or the sender’s
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`system,” (id. at p. 30), including email and voicemail. (Id. at Fig. 2.) This unified
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`messaging approach was a common-sense approach to market trends: By 1997, it
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`was common for people and businesses to receive many different types of
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`messages, such as phone, fax, e-mail, pager, and the like. Integrated messaging
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`systems were a natural way to inform a user of an incoming message in any one of
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`these categories. These integrated messaging systems generally included a
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`notification feature to notify the user of incoming messages.
`
`(43.) U.S. Patent No. 5,333,266 granted to Boaz, entitled “Integrated
`
`Messaging System” (Ex. 1211) is another example of an integrated messaging
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`system. It was also well known in 1997 that messages originating from different
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`
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`17
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`Google Ex. 1207, pg. 17
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`
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`devices could be sent in different formats, and they could in turn be sent from a
`
`variety of different devices (e.g., telephone, fax machine, pager, or computer).
`
`(44.) Prior to the ’973 patent, it was also known that variety of incoming
`
`message types could be processed by a single processing device. For example,
`
`Boaz’s patent recites a messaging system that integrates various types of messages,
`
`including text, voice, facsimile, video, and image for the user. (Ex. 1211,
`
`Abstract). Boaz’s system can display such messages in the user’s in-basket, a
`
`single selectable list of integrating e-mail, voicemails, facsimile, image mail, and
`
`text mail. (Id.) Boaz further presents a list of icons for identifying the type and
`
`content information of the messages including sender id or node id, date and time,
`
`short description, and/or designated areas of the message. (Id. at 19:24–61.) Such
`
`systems were known by those of skill prior to 1997.
`
`(45.) It was also known to a person of ordinary skill in the art that, prior to
`
`the ’973 patent, allowing users to view messages in a format different from the one
`
`that the message originated in was quite possible and could be beneficial.
`
`Accordingly, such a person was aware that certain notification systems could
`
`naturally be designed to allow the user to choose a viewing format that best suited
`
`the user at the time the message was received (see e.g., id. at 16:28–35.)
`
`(46.) Another example of a pre-1997 integrated messaging system that
`
`integrated various types of messages was presented in US Patent No. 5,448,759
`
`
`
`18
`
`Google Ex. 1207, pg. 18
`
`
`
`granted to Krebs “Method for Efficient Bandwidth Utilization When Transceiving
`
`Varying Bandwidth Messages.” (Ex. 1212.) Krebs discloses a messaging system
`
`for use in a user’s telecommunications equipment. Krebs’ describes a method for
`
`more efficiently utilizing the available bandwidth when transmitting and receiving
`
`messages. Resources in Krebs’ invention are preferably time slots or portions of
`
`time slots in a time division.
`
`(47.) Yet another invention appeared in U.S. Patent No. 5,568,540 granted
`
`to Greco and filed on April 14, 1995 entitled “Method and Apparatus for Selecting
`
`and Playing a Voice Mail Message” (Ex. 1209) shows an integrated messaging
`
`system similar to the one reported in the ’973 patent. Greco presents a graphical
`
`user interface (GUI) for displaying a user’s voicemail messages, e-mail messages,
`
`and fax messages merged into a single selectable list. (See, e.g., Ex. 1209, Fig. 2,
`
`1:40–56.)
`
`(48.) As evidenced by Boaz’s, Krebs’, and Greco’s patent specifications,
`
`integrated messaging systems for use in both wireline and wireless fashions were
`
`available prior to the ’973 patent and were known to those of ordinary skill in the
`
`art.
`
`(49.) In view of the pre-1997 integrated messaging systems, like Boaz,
`
`Krebs, and Greco, and their high volume of applications among people prior to
`
`the ’973 patent, the use of “integrated” messaging systems began to be preferable
`
`
`
`19
`
`Google Ex. 1207, pg. 19
`
`
`
`among people and businesses. Such integrated messaging systems were known to
`
`be advantageous over multiple single messaging systems since a central integrated
`
`system could receive all types of messages received from all of different media
`
`collected in one central device instead of multiple devices leading to provision of
`
`faster and more efficient message retrieval. The integration of messaging was
`
`known by those of skill in the art to be advantageous, particularly for the
`
`integration of voice mail and e-mail because of their relative prevalence at the
`
`time.
`
`(50.) In fact, the integration mechanisms of the pre-1997 messaging
`
`systems continued the desire of users to see messaging system products become
`
`simpler to use and to have a more compact user interface. Some customers wished
`
`all messages to be accessible from one screen and one list without flipping through
`
`different screens for different types of messages. Several pre-1997 innovations
`
`were representative of this. For example, U.S. Patent No. 5,579,472 granted to
`
`Keyworth, filed on Nov. 9, 1994, entitled “Group-Oriented Communications User
`
`Interface” (Ex. 1208) discloses, in part, an integrated messaging system run on an
`
`apparatus. (See, e.g., Ex. 1208, 4:22–30, Fig. 3.) The system used in the
`
`Keyworth patent can be a personal computer (portable or desktop) or a personal
`
`digital assistant – handheld PDA. (Id. at 2:18–24, 3:33–44.)
`
`
`
`20
`
`Google Ex. 1207, pg. 20
`
`
`
`D. Transmission of Messages and Bandwidth Usage Prior to 1997
`(51.) Any person of skill in the art prior to 1997 would have known that the
`
`bandwidth allocated between a pair of voice nodes in a PSTN-related system
`
`follows a standard rate. One of the commonly known and utilized standards was
`
`called T1. The T1 standard specified the maximum bandwidth, and thus the
`
`number of available voice channels, between a pair of nodes as 1.544 Mb/s and 23
`
`voice channels respectively. This bandwidth was a simple calculation that could
`
`have been performed by one of skill in the art using known properties of telephone
`
`line connections. Prior to 1997, by the telecommunication standard, each phone
`
`connection used 4 KHz bandwidth from an audio spectrum such as the human
`
`voice. With a T1 line known to carry 23 such multiplexed phone channels, each
`
`channel occupying 4 KHz of the voice spectrum at a typical sampling rate of 2 per
`
`Hz, and a typical digital encoding of 8 bits per sample, the bandwidth of a T1 line
`
`could be easily calculated by one of skill to reach close to 1.544MB/s including the
`
`bandwidth required for control of channels’ communication. In other words, one
`
`of skill could have easily calculated the bandwidth calculation of a T1 line as:
`
`×
`× ×
`+
`(4KHz 2) 8 23 control = 1.544Mb/ s
`
`.
`
`(52.) Figure 5 of the ’973 patent presents a block diagram of the elements
`
`included in the network service provider of Figure 1. The Voice Mail Server
`
`(5600) in this figure is connected to internetworking function (IWF) (5500)
`
`
`
`21
`
`Google Ex. 1207, pg. 21
`
`
`
`through a T1 line. Considering the above calculation of a T1 line’s bandwidth, a
`
`person of skill in the art would clearly realize that the dedication of 1.544 MB/s
`
`data rate on the connection between Voice Mail Server (5600) and IWF (5500) was
`
`simply based on the fact that multiple voice communications are carried over the
`
`T1 line between the (5600) and (5500) units.
`
`(53.) A person of skill in the art would also perceive that if there is only
`
`“one” such a voice call carried over a link, instead of 23, and thus control was not
`
`required, the required bandwidth would have been similarly calculated as
`
`×
`× ×
`(4KHz 2) 8 1 = 64kb/ s
`
`. This bandwidth, in Figure 5 of the ‘973 patent
`
`indicated between IWF (5500) and TRAU (5200), thus would have been obvious
`
`to one of ordinary ski
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