`571-272-7822
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` Paper 15
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` Entered: August 31, 2016
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`UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`____________
`
`BEFORE THE PATENT TRIAL AND APPEAL BOARD
`____________
`
`TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION,
`Petitioner
`
`v.
`
`BLITZSAFE TEXAS, LLC,
`Patent Owner.
`____________
`
`Case IPR2016-00419
`Patent 8,155,342 B2
`____________
`
`
`
`Before JAMESON LEE, THOMAS L. GIANNETTI, and HUNG H. BUI,
`Administrative Patent Judges.
`
`BUI, Administrative Patent Judge.
`
`DECISION
`On Request for Rehearing
`37 C.F.R. § 42.71
`
`
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`TOYOTA Ex. 1025
`
`
`
`IPR2016-00419
`Patent 8,155,342 B2
`
`
`INTRODUCTION
`Toyota Motor Corporation (“Petitioner”) filed a Request for
`Rehearing pursuant to 37 C.F.R. § 42.71(c)-(d) of the Board’s Decision
`(Paper 13, “Dec.”) declining to institute trial in this proceeding. Paper 14
`(“Req. Reh’g.”). The Rehearing Request seeks rehearing of the Board’s
`Decision with respect to claims 49–57, 62–64, 66, 68, 70, 71, 73–80, 94, 95,
`97, 99–103, 106, 109–111, 113, 115, and 120 of U.S. Patent No. 8,155,342
`(’342 patent) based on prior art, U.S. Patent No. 8,909,094 B2 issued to
`Ohmura in combination with other prior art references. See Req. Reh’g 1.
`In particular, Petitioner argues the Board: (1) “misapprehended or
`overlooked the cited portions of Ohmura that disclose the ‘audio generated
`by the portable device’ claim feature” and (2) “misapprehended or
`overlooked the cited portions of Ohmura that disclose the functions of the
`construed ‘integration subsystem.’” Id. at 6–13.
`We have reviewed Petitioner’s request for rehearing and carefully
`considered Petitioner’s arguments. However, we are not persuaded that the
`Board misapprehended or overlooked Petitioner’s arguments presented with
`respect to the patentability of claims 49–57, 62–64, 66, 68, 70, 71, 73–80,
`94, 95, 97, 99–103, 106, 109–111, 113, 115, and 120 of the ’342 patent.
`
`
`DISCUSSION
`First, Petitioner asserts the Board erred because we “misapprehended
`or overlooked the cited portions of Ohmura that disclose the ‘audio
`generated by the portable device’ claim feature.” Id. at 6. According to
`Petitioner, Ohmura discloses a number of different embodiments for
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`IPR2016-00419
`Patent 8,155,342 B2
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`connecting car audio/video system 100 and portable devices 200a or 200b,
`including what Petitioner characterizes as:
`“a file transfer configuration” as summarized
`in
`(1)
`paragraph 27 and further described in paragraphs 121–124 of
`Ohmura, whereby portable device 200a or 200b “transfers its
`music data to car audio/video system 100 for storage therein
`and later reproduction” and
`
`“a streaming audio configuration” as summarized in
`(2)
`paragraph 28 and further described in paragraphs 201–206 of
`Ohmura, whereby portable device 200a or 200b “streams its
`music data to car audio/video system 100 for immediate
`decoding and output without storing therein.”
`
`Id. at 6–9 (emphasis in original).
`
`Petitioner argues the Board erred in finding that Ohmura does not
`disclose “audio generated by the portable device” because “Petitioner’s
`Petition relied on the later streaming audio embodiment” of Ohmura,
`whereas Patent Owner’s Preliminary Response (Paper 9) and the Board’s
`Decision are predicated on the former “file transfer embodiment” of
`Ohmura. Id. at 7–8 (citing Decision at 27–28). Petitioner also asserts the
`Board overlooked Ohmura’s streaming audio embodiment cited in paragraph
`205 of Ohmura “in which the car audio/video system (1) does not store, but
`(2) immediately processes and outputs received music data” and Dr. Thomas
`Matheson’s Declaration. Id. at 9 (citing Pet. 30 and Matheson’s Declaration,
`¶¶ 50–52).
`We disagree with Petitioner’s characterization. At the outset, we note
`Ohmura does not describe what Petitioner characterizes as: (1) “a file
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`transfer configuration” embodiment in paragraph 27 and (2) a “streaming
`audio configuration” embodiment in paragraph 28. Id. at 6. Instead,
`Ohmura’s paragraph 27 summarizes Ohmura’s main invention, shown in
`Figure 2, in which music data (“music file”) generated from portable device
`200a or 200b is received at car audio/video system 100, and is then stored in
`an information storage unit (i.e., internal memory) of car audio/video system
`100 at step S17, shown in Figure 4. Ex. 1102, ¶¶ 27, 121. Afterwards,
`music data is reproduced or outputted as audio, via speakers 20 of car
`audio/video system 100, at step S20. Id. at ¶¶ 122–124.
`Ohmura’s paragraph 28 provides a summary of what Ohmura
`describes as “a first modification” of car audio/video system 100, as further
`described in paragraphs 200–206. The purpose of Ohmura’s modification is
`twofold: (1) to reduce the size of an information storage unit (i.e., internal
`memory) of car audio/video system 100, and (2) to eliminate the need to
`store and then erase music data in the information storage unit of car
`audio/video system 100. Id. at ¶ 206. According to Ohmura’s
`“modification,” only title data (part of music data) is stored in the
`information storage unit of car audio/video system 100 in advance. Id. at ¶
`204. Such title data can then be displayed, via display 103 of car
`audio/video system 100, for user selection. Id. When title data (title name)
`is selected by a user, music data corresponding to the title name is generated
`from portable device 200a or 200b and is then transmitted to car audio/video
`system 100 where car audio/video system 100 can “immediately perform[]
`predetermined processing such as decoding without storing it in the
`information storage unit” in order to reproduce or output as audio, via
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`Patent 8,155,342 B2
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`speakers 20 of car audio/video system 100. Id. at ¶ 205. In other words,
`music data generated from portable device 200a or 200b is received at car
`audio/video system 100, and is then decoded on the fly, without first storing
`in the information storage unit of car audio/video system 100. Once
`decoded, music data is reproduced or outputted as audio, via speakers 20 of
`car audio/video system 100. Id.
`In both embodiments described in paragraphs 27 and 28 of Ohmura,
`music data is generated from portable device 200a or 200b, and is then
`received at car audio/video system 100 where the music data can be
`processed and reproduced as audio, via speakers 20 of car audio/video
`system 100. The only difference between the two embodiments of Ohmura
`is that in one embodiment, music data is stored upon receipt but is decoded
`on the fly, while in the other embodiment, the music data is first stored
`before being decoded and processed into audio by car audio/video system
`100. Id. at ¶¶ 27–28.
`In contrast, all challenged claims of the ’342 patent require (1) “the
`portable device” to play (i.e., decode) an audio file, and (2) “the integration
`subsystem” to receive “audio generated by the portable device.” As
`explained in the Decision, we referred to the requirement that audio
`generated by the portable device as the result of playing the audio file as
`“the audio generated by the portable device” limitation, which was
`consistent with Dr. Thomas Matheson’s Declaration at ¶¶ 50–53. Decision
`23; see also Matheson’s Declaration (Ex. 1120 ¶¶ 50–53).
`As explained in the Decision, Ohmura’s CPU 101 of car audio/video
`system 100 (which Petitioner equates to the claimed “integration
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`subsystem”) does not receive “audio generated by the portable device” in the
`manner required by all the challenged claims of the ’342 patent. Pet. 27.
`Rather, in all embodiments of Ohmura, Ohmura’s CPU 101 receives music
`data from portable device 200a or 200b that it must decode into audio for
`output, via speakers 20 of car audio/video system 100. Ex. 1102, ¶¶ 28, 205.
`Separately, we also note the Board did not overlook Petitioner’s
`arguments presented in connection with the embodiment described in
`paragraph 28 and related paragraphs 201–206 of Ohmura. See Req. Reh’g
`6–10. As explained in the Decision, we agreed with Patent Owner that:
`“paragraph 28 of Ohmura cited in the claim chart only describes
`that: (1) a user is allowed to select “contents information to be
`received”, i.e., an audio file from a list of audio files, and (2) the
`car audio/video system itself is responsible for “reproducing the
`received contents information and outputting the reproduced
`information as sound from speakers.” Id. at 23–24. In other
`words, the cited paragraph of Ohmura “explicitly states that
`audio is reproduced at the car audio system, and is not generated
`by the portable device” and, as such, does not disclose the “audio
`generated by the portable device” limitation as recited in the
`challenged claim 49. Id. at 24 (emphasis added).”
`
`Dec. 26.
`Because Ohmura’s audio is generated at car audio/video system 100
`and is not generated at portable device 200a or 200b, we were not persuaded
`that “Ohmura’s CPU 101 of car audio/video system 100, shown in Ohmura’s
`Figure 2, ‘instructs the portable device to play the audio file . . . and
`receives audio generated by the portable device’” in the manner recited in
`the challenged claims of the ’342 patent. Id. at 27.
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`Second, Petitioner identifies numerous portions of Ohmura, for the
`first time, that it did not identify in the Petition or Reply. In particular,
`Petitioner contends the Board “misapprehended or overlooked the cited
`portions of Ohmura that disclose the functions of the construed ‘integration
`subsystem.’” See Req. Reh’g 10. However, we could not have
`misapprehended or overlooked portions of Ohmura that were not presented
`in the Petition or Reply. A request for rehearing is not an opportunity to
`present new arguments.
`As explained in the Decision, we rejected Petitioner’s proposed
`construction of “integration subsystem” because Petitioner’s proposed
`construction required the claimed “integration subsystem” to be a
`microprocessor or processor programmed to perform a method for wirelessly
`integrating a portable device for use with a car audio/video system, shown in
`FIG. 24. Decision 13–15. Instead, we construed the term “integration
`subsystem” as performing the functions as expressly defined by the
`Specification of the ’342 patent. Id. at 15 (citing Ex. 1101, 8:64–9:3).
`In the Petition, Petitioner relied solely on Berry as teaching the
`method of FIG. 24. Pet. 29 (citing Ex. 1103, 3:6–4:14, 5:14–40, 6:26–27,
`6:45–50, Figs. 1–3). However, Petitioner never accounted for or directed us
`to where each of the functions performed by the claimed “integration
`subsystem” is found in Ohmura’s CPU 101. Id. at 27. Regardless of the
`construction of “integration subsystem,” however, the Board’s main reasons
`to deny the Petition were explained on pages 28–29 of the Decision, i.e.,
`“[b]ecause Ohmura’s CPU 101 of car audio/video system 100 fails to
`account for . . . the ‘audio generated by the portable device’ limitation.”
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`CONCLUSION
`For the reasons discussed, Petitioner’s Request for Rehearing does not
`
`support a modification of the Decision, and is therefore denied.
`
`PETITIONER:
`
`William H. Mandir
`John F. Rabena
`Yoshinari Kishimoto
`Brian K. Shelton
`Fadi N. Kiblawi
`Margaret M. Welsh
`Sughrue Mion PLLC
`jrabena@sughrue.com
`bshelton@sughrue.com
`toyoto@sughrue.com
`
`PATENT OWNER:
`
`Peter Lambrianakos
`Brown Rudnick LLP
`plambrianakos@brownrudnick.com
`
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