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`BEFORE THE PATENT TRIAL AND APPEAL BOARD
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`APPLE INC.
`Petitioner
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`v.
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`PERSONALIZED MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS, LLC
`Patent Owner
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`Case No.: IPR2016-00755
`Patent No.: 8,191,091
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`PATENT OWNER’S REPLY IN SUPPORT OF MOTION
`TO AMEND
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`TABLE OF CONTENTS
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`Page
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`I.
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`INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................... 1
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`II.
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`THE PROPOSED SUBSTITUTE CLAIMS ARE PATENTABLE ............... 1
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`A.
`B.
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`Substitute Claims are Patentable over 35 U.S.C. §101 ......................... 1
`Substitute Claims are Patentable Over 35 U.S.C. §112 ........................ 3
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`III. THE SUBSTITUTE CLAIMS ARE NOT OBVIOUS TO A POSA.............. 7
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`A.
`B.
`C.
`D.
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`Substitute Claims are Patentable over Gilhousen ................................. 7
`Substitute Claims are Patentable Over Seth-Smith ............................. 10
`Substitute Claims are Patentable Over Other Prior Art ...................... 12
`There is no Meaningful Dispute Regarding Claim Construction ....... 12
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`IV. CONCLUSION .............................................................................................. 12
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`i
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`I.
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`INTRODUCTION
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`The Petitioner has not shown that the Substitute Claims are unpatentable.
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`Apple alleges that the Substitute Claims are § 101 unpatentable, (Paper 29 at 1), but
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`fails to acknowledge the District Court’s § 101 decision on this very patent. (Ex.
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`2136 (“R&R”)). Apple contends a lack of specification support, yet many of the
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`added limitations are almost verbatim from the specification, with only minor
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`changes. Lastly, Apple argues prior art. PMC analyzed all references cited in the
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`Apple and Amazon IPRs, affording them broad § 103 combinability, showing how
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`that art does not invalidate the Substitute Claims. (Paper 21 at 3, Paper 11).
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`II. THE PROPOSED SUBSTITUTE CLAIMS ARE PATENTABLE
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`A.
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`Substitute Claims are Patentable over 35 U.S.C. §101
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`Apple contends that the Substitute Claims are unpatentable under § 101
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`because they are “strikingly similar” to claim 1 of US Patent No. 7,801,304, found
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`unpatentable in Personalized Media Commc’ns, LLC v Amazon.com, Inc., 161
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`F.Supp.3d 325 (D. Del. 2015). (Paper 29 at 1). Careful analysis, however, shows
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`the Substitute Claims to be markedly different from those invalidated in Delaware.
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`Magistrate Judge Payne’s R&R, adopted by the district court (Ex. 2147), to
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`which Apple did not object, finds Claim 13 of the ‘091 not directed to the abstract
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`idea of decryption, but to a specific method of using an instruct-to-enable signal to
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`locate a decryption key. (Ex. 2136 at 16-17; Ex. 2147).
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`Apple also neglects to address the specific limitations of these Substitute
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`1
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`Claims. Substitute Claim 32 is addressed to a key management method in which
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`(1) an “instruct-to-enable” signal is detected in an encrypted digital information
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`transmission (2) and processed at the receiver station (3) to determine a fashion for
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`locating a decryption key at the receiver station to decrypt the information
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`transmission and (4) to then create a digital record including a unique digital code
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`identifying the receiver station. Substitute Claim 37 requires (1) a first instruct-to-
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`enable signal including processor instructions is detected, (2) the detected processor
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`instructions are then executed to provide a first decryption key, (3) a second
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`instruct-to-enable signal with different processor instructions is detected, (4) these
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`new processor instructions are executed to provide a second decryption key, (5) the
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`two distinct keys are used to decrypt the digital information and also (6) a unique
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`code is stored at the receiver station identifying it. Substitute Claim 41 describes a
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`method requiring (1) the detected instruct-to-enable signal is processed (2) to tune
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`the receiver to a remote station (3) to receive enabling information (4) which is used
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`to decrypt the information transmission and output the decrypted information ([]5)
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`based on local user input.
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`Apple further contends that the Substitute Claims lack inventive concepts and
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`thus fail Alice/Mayo Step 2. However, in the district court, Prof. Weaver described
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`the state of art in data communication in the 1980’s (when the inventions at issue
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`here were made) and then further explained that the techniques recited in claims 13-
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`2
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`16, 18, 20, 23-24, 26-27 and 30 of the ‘091 Patent were not conventional at that
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`time. (Ex. 2145 at 6-16). Apple does not address these conclusions.
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`Apple’s sole argument on the § 101 issue is that the Patent Owner does not
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`meet its burden. The Patent Owner has enumerated the concrete, non-conventional
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`limitations in the Substitute Claims. When these are considered along with Judge
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`Payne’s uncontested R&R (Ex. 2136), and Prof. Weaver’s declaration
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`demonstrating non-conventionality (Ex. 2145), the Patent Owner has clearly carried
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`its burden.
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`B.
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`Substitute Claims are Patentable Over 35 U.S.C. §112
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`Apple cites Facebook for the proposition a “mere citation in a table to various
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`portions of the original disclosure” is insufficient support for amendment.
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`Facebook, Inc. v. EveryMD LLC, IPR2014-00242, 2015 WL 2268210 (P.T.A.B.
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`May 12, 2015). In fact, the Board in Facebook did review the table, but found
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`support missing. Next, without substantiating its assertion, Apple attacks the
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`declaration of Dr. Timothy Dorney, calling him “not an expert in the field,” and
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`“not a PHOSITA at the time of the invention.” (Paper 29 at 6). The declaration
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`details his expertise in signal processing, which is the very title of the ‘091 Patent.
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`(Ex. 2130; Ex. 1052 at 125:1-126:11). Being a POSA at the time of the invention is
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`not required, only “the capability of understanding the scientific and engineering
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`principles applicable to the pertinent art” Is. (MPEP § 2141.03).
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`3
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`Apple cites Respironics, Inc. v. Zoll Med. Corp., IPR2013-00322, Paper 46 at
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`24 (P.T.A.B. Sept. 17, 2014) implying the amendment word count heightens PMC’s
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`burden. (Paper 29 at 6). PMC relies on Example #7, and disclosure of the
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`apparatus’s functionality (specification beginning) that supports all embodiments.
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`There are no “extensive modifications” in the amendments the “combination with
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`all the other claim limitations” is difficult to “piece together”. (Cf, Paper 29 at 6-7.)
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`Apple argues “so-called ‘digital video’ and ‘digital audio’” are not enabled.
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`(Paper 29 at 7). First, the ‘091 Patent is focused on personalization of content by
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`supplementing known technologies. Second, the ‘091 Patent teaches, “to cease
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`receiving and decrypting the television information of said cable channel 13 as
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`digital video and audio, to commence receiving said television information as
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`conventional analog television”. (Ex. 2050 at 302:2-5). Harvey et al. clearly
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`understood the differences between digital and conventional (analog / NTSC) TV
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`(i.e., video and audio). In Example #7, digital messages are incorporated in both
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`the digital and analog TV transmission. (Id. at 288:30-302:7.) Accordingly, “digital
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`TV” is not designated digital due to embedded digital messages, but necessarily is
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`TV encoded in a digital format. Third, the face of the ‘091 Patent lists prior art
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`teaching digital TV including Huth and Golding as early as 1967. (Ex. 1003 at 14;
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`see also, Exs. 2025-26, 2031, 2033-37, 2039). Fourth, commercial implementation
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`is not the threshold when technical knowledge is ubiquitous. Apple’s own expert,
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`4
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`Mr. Wechselberger (Ex. 1001 at ¶17, ¶45), revealed he fully understood what digital
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`TV was in 1983 by stating, “[t]he reason true digital video transmission techniques
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`are not used in (sic) a matter of cost, both in terms of dollars and bandwidth.” (Ex.
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`1027 at 4). Fifth, even Apple concedes digital TV was known. (Paper 29 at 12-13).
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`Apple argues the “local-cable-enabling-message (#7)” is transmitted on a
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`different channel than the program transmitted “on cable channel 13.” (Paper 29 at
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`8). They ignore that the ‘091 Patent clearly states the “master cable control channel
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`(that may or may not be cable channel 13).” (Ex. 2050 at 290:28-29). Channel 13
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`may transmit both the master control channel and Wall Street Week program.
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`Apple says claims 32-36 lack support for “a digital record including a unique
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`digital code identifying said receiver station” by questioning whether “the ‘meter
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`records’ of audio decryption contain such a code.” (Paper 29 at 8-9). All
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`embodiments of the ‘091 Patent are able to collect information by creating and
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`transferring records from user stations. “In each example, … signal processor, 200,
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`telephones … one or more remote monitor information collection station computers
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`and transfers selected record information to said computers.” (Ex. 2050 at 92:35-
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`93:18). The signal processor 26 and 200 are the same (Ex. 2050 at 28:6-10),
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`contain a “unique digital code information capable of identifying … the subscriber
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`station”, and there is no dispute Example #7 discloses “to create a meter record that
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`documents the decryption of the cable audio transmission at the station of FIG. 4.”
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`5
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`(Ex. 2050 at 295:1-3, emphasis added). Example #7 clearly requires a record that
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`(1) decryption occurred, and (2) the station identification. Unique digital codes
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`identify stations (Ex. 2130 at 15), to determine station-specific activity. (Ex. 2050 at
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`88:19-22). Given the ‘091 Patent’s goal “for identifying … what programming is
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`… used at each receiver station” (Ex. 2050 at 3:9-20), a POSA would surely
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`understand Harvey et al. teaches using a unique station identifier in user station
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`records. (MPEP § 2164).
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`Apple posits claims 37-40 lack support for “detecting in said encrypted
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`digital information transmission the presence of a second instruct-to-enable signal”
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`because the identified “2nd-WSW-program-enabling-message (#7)” (second
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`instruct-to-enable signal) “is received as part of an analog television transmission.”
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`(Paper 29 at 9). Apple ignores the Board’s claim construction. (Paper 14 at 7-12).
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`The Board reasons, “[n]othing in the plain language of claim 13 implies an “entire”
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`digital or “entire” encrypted transmission.” (Paper 14 at 8-9). Amended claims 37-
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`40 do not require the encrypted and unencrypted digital information to be exclusive
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`of analog signals, except for any scrambled analog encoded information, in the
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`encrypted digital information transmission. PMC’s claims echo the Board’s own
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`construction.
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`Apple asserts claims 41-43 lack support by stating, “PMC contends that the
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`master control channel and cable channel 13 are one and the same, that would
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`6
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`render the ‘automatically tuning’ step meaningless.” (Paper 29 at 10). The ‘091
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`Patent does state, the “master cable control channel (that may or may not be cable
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`channel 13)” (Ex. 2050 at 290:28-29), where the Wall Street Week program is also
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`transmitted on cable channel 13 (Ex. 2050 at 290:4-10). However, Apple fails to
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`recognize tuner 214 (one of three tuners 214, 215, 223 in Fig. 4) as the tuner to
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`retune. (Ex. 2130 at 36). The other tuners may already be on channel 13, but tuner
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`214 may not. The “automatically tuning” step is clearly not meaningless.
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`III. THE SUBSTITUTE CLAIMS ARE NOT OBVIOUS TO A POSA
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`Apple claims PMC “does not analyze the prior art with any specificity.”
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`(Paper 29 at 11). PMC explicitly highlights the deficiencies of Exs. 1004-6, and
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`1008, the prior art that led to this IPR. (Paper 21 at 4).
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`A.
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`Substitute Claims are Patentable over Gilhousen
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`As required by Substitute Claims 32-40, Gilhousen fails to teach
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`“transmission is unaccompanied by any scrambled analog encoded information.”
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`(Paper 29 at 12). Gilhousen teaches, “scrambling and selectively descrambling
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`television signals that are transmitted to subscribers' descramblers.” (Ex. 1004 at
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`Abstract). Apple argued the same in its Petition (Paper 14 at 30-31). Gilhousen
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`teaches, “[v]ideo scrambling is accomplished by retrieving the active video
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`information from the memory in a sequence different from that in which it was
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`stored.” (Ex. 1004 at 7:3-6). Scrambling in the digital domain is not the question.
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`7
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`Gilhousen clearly shows “scrambled TV” being transmitted as analog encoded
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`information. (Ex. 1004, Figs. 1, 3; Ex. 2140, Fig. 4b, incorporated by reference).
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`Alternatively, Apple argues an all-digital system would cure Gilhousen.
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`Gilhousen clearly teaches his goal is to “reduce[] costs and increase[] reliability.
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`The consumer hardware currently available … are compatible with this rate.” (Ex.
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`1004 at 9:45-49). Gilhousen teaches away from an all-digital transmission based on
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`Mr. Wechselberger’s statement that cost prevented adoption of an all-digital system.
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`(Ex. 1027 at 4). Furthermore, Gilhousen selects his sampling rates and transmission
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`scheme according to the NTSC (analog) standard. Apple leaps to the conclusion
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`that bolting on an all-digital transmission would inherently achieve Gilhousen’s
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`design goals overlooking the significant efforts, cost, and undue experimentation.
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`(KSR Int'l Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 550 U.S. 398 (2007); MPEP §§ 2141, 2143.).
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`For claims 32-36, Apple combines Jeffers with Gilhousen to teach creating
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`and automatically transmitting a digital record with a unique digital code
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`identifying the receiver station. (Paper 29 at 13-14). Jeffers discloses an identity
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`key only for decryption, and teaches exactly the contents of the subscriber unit
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`transmission with the identity key completely absent. (Ex. 1066 at 14:54-68).
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`Identification could occur through the unique time, date, and/or phone number of
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`the call in. (Ex. 1066 at Figs. 6B, 6C). Apple’s expert combines Jeffers with other
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`references using hindsight and conclusory statements, which is per se insufficient.
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`8
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`(In re ActiveVideo Networks, Inc., 694 F.3d 1312, 1327 (Fed.Cir.2012)).
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`For claims 37-40, Apple erroneously identifies four memories in Jeffers,
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`when there are only three. (Paper 29 at 15-17). The decoder’s “non-volatile RAM”,
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`identified by Apple as the claimed “reprogrammable nonvolatile memory”, is the
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`BRAM 68 (battery-backed RAM). (Ex. 1066 at 11:9-16, Figs. 2A, 2B). Memories
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`70, 72 are ROM. Apple fails to identify the distinctly claimed “random access
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`memory.” (Ex. 2148). Furthermore, against Apple’s arguments (Paper 29 at 16), a
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`CPU is an instruction-based device (Ex. 2144), not just any “processor.” Also,
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`CPUs may only interact with RAM and ROM memories absent “reprogrammable
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`nonvolatile memory.” (Ex. 1067). The combination is not a mere design choice
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`because functionality determines the needed circuitry. For example, Gilhousen (Ex.
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`2140 at 7:58-8:33, Fig. 4b, incorporated by reference), and Jeffers (Ex. 1066 at 8:1-
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`12, 15:49-18:23, Figs. 3-6) both use the HBI; therefore, combining Jeffers into
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`Gilhousen must result in removing pieces of the HBI. The new system is now
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`beyond simple substitution with a predictable outcome. (MPEP § 2143). Apple
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`argues Campbell’s “code 238” transmitted by PCS 50 (head end) (Paper 29 at 16)
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`teaches a locally entered threshold code. (Ex. 1067 at 13:25-33, 14:9-28, Fig. 11).
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`Campbell is silent as to entry of a threshold setting using a local input (Ex. 1067 at
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`16:15-18:49, Fig. 13), or any “reprogrammable nonvolatile memory.” (Ex. 1067 at,
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`9:62-68, Figs. 6-7). Apple fails to address outputting “said digital programming”
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`9
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`and separately claimed “also outputs information dependent on said digital data.”
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`From the ‘507 Application, PMC supported the two elements as digital audio
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`(transmitted digital programming) and a user’s stock portfolio performance graph
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`(resulting from locally entered digital data stored in reprogrammable nonvolatile
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`memory, and particular to a subscriber). (Paper 21 at 20-21, Ex. 2130 at 28-30).
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`Contrary to claims 34 and 39, Gilhousen teaches two distinct methods:
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`descrambling for the audio / video, and decrypting for the keys. (Paper 29 at 17; Ex.
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`1004 at 19:28-30; Ex. 2141 at 4:20-33, Figs. 4-7). Gilhousen and the Substitute
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`Claims distinguish the two methods. The Board’s construction of “decryptor” did
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`not hold the method of decrypting should cover descrambling. (Ex. 2146 at 7-10).
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`Unlike claims 36 and 40, Gilhousen teaches reception of analog, not digital, video
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`and audio. (Paper 29 at 18; Ex. 1004 at Fig. 3 (line 47)).
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`B.
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`Substitute Claims are Patentable Over Seth-Smith
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`For claims 32-43, Apple fails to show that digitally scrambled and analog
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`output video transmission in Seth-Smith anticipates “transmission unaccompanied
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`by any scrambled analog encoded information.” (Paper 24 at 18; Ex. 1064 at 12:62-
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`66, 18:15-20, 19:28-30; Ex. 2141 at 1:51-60, 4:20-33, 9:30-37, Figs. 4-7,
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`incorporated by reference). Next, Apple relies on a three sentence description of
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`“full field mode” to presuppose that video (scrambled analog) is never sent in the
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`claimed transmission. (Paper 29 at 19, Ex. 1064 at 16:60-65). Teletext is typically
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`10
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`transmitted with the TV signal, so this feature has limited use. (Ex. 1064 at 7:39-
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`41). Full field mode may only be used for a single field, is not in the preferred
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`embodiment, and is not necessarily used during the transmission of keys, which
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`Apple relies on and only occurs hourly for KOM. (Ex. 1064 at 20:43-21:2, 23:16-
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`52, Fig. 15). Seth-Smith is silent as to any details that may be investigated.
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`For claims 32-36, Seth-Smith teaches, “it is highly undesirable that a
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`continuous uplink or landline connection be provided.” (Ex. 1064 at 10:19-27,
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`21:64-66). Seth-Smith teaches pay-per-view and record keeping using its one-way
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`system. (Paper 29 at 20-21; Ex. 1064 at 9:38-40, 10:19-27, 17:45-66, 27:34-58).
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`Seth-Smith teaches away from a user station uplink. Apple fails to show evidence
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`the claims as a whole are obviated other than their own opinion and hindsight.
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`Claims 37-40 require a CPU interacting with RAM. (Ex. 2143). The
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`microprocessor 114 only receives information stored in RAM sent by the MATS
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`processor. (Paper 29 at 22; Ex. 1064 at 28:34-40, Fig. 17). Seth-Smith fails because
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`there is no reciprocal act. Next, Apple argues a passcode (Paper 29 at 22-23; Ex.
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`1065 at 24:15-27) meets the claimed limitation “storing digital data … originated at
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`said receiver station, … reprogrammable nonvolatile memory storing said digital
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`data.” Seth-Smith is silent about how the passcode originates (possibly by PCS 50
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`(headend)), where it is stored, and “also outputs information dependent on said
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`digital data”, which is different from “outputting said digital programming.” For
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`11
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`claims 34 and 39, “full field mode” is addressed supra. (Section III. B.). For claims
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`41-43, Apple’s identified single-bit “source switch” command does not designate a
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`channel as claimed. The Board concurs. (Paper 14 at 45). For claims 36, 40, and
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`43, Seth-Smith teaches audio assembled with scrambled video in a preferred
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`embodiment, but is silent as to the audio in the non-preferred embodiment of the
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`“full field mode” teletext relied upon by Apple. (Paper 29 at 25; Ex. 1064 at 9:46-
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`55, 16:60-65). Teletext output does not have an audio component. (Ex. 2100).
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`C.
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`Substitute Claims are Patentable Over Other Prior Art
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`Apple throws up Exs. 1005, 1028, and 1068-1070 as additional prior art;
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`however, these references fall short and were already considered by PMC. They all
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`fail even to suggest at least one of a two-way transmission system unaccompanied
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`by scrambled analog, automatic tuning, an instruct-to-enable signal, video, audio,
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`creating at a receiver station a digital record including a unique digital code for
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`transmission from the receiver station, storing digital data comprising information
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`particular to a subscriber originated at said receiver station, and outputting the
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`digital programming and also information dependent on the digital data.
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`D. There is no Meaningful Dispute Regarding Claim Construction
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`There is no dispute between the parties as to the construction of claim terms.
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`IV. CONCLUSION
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`If all issued claims are deemed unpatentable, the motion should be granted.
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`12
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`Dated: April 12, 2017
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`Respectfully submitted,
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`
`/ Thomas J. Scott, Jr. /
`By
`Thomas J. Scott, Jr.
`Registration No.: 27,836
`Senior Vice President & General Counsel
`
`Personalized Media
`Communications, LLC
`
`11491 Sunset Hills Road, Suite 340
`Reston, Virginia 20190
`Telephone: (281) 201-2213
`tscott@pmcip.com
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`
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`13
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`CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
`
`The undersigned hereby certifies that a copy of the foregoing
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`PATENT OWNER’S REPLY IN SUPPORT OF MOTION TO
`AMEND AND EXHIBITS 2140-2148
`
`was served on April 12, 2017 to the following attorneys of record by electronic
`transmission:
`
`Marcus E. Sernel, Joel R. Merkin, and Eugene Goryunov
`KIRKLAND & ELLIS LLP
`300 North LaSalle Street
`Chicago, Illinois 60654
`P: (312) 862-2000; F: (312) 862-2200
`marc.sernel@kirkland.com
`joel.merkin@kirkland.com
`eugene.goryunov@kirkland.com
`Apple-PMC-PTAB@kirkland.com
`
`Gregory S. Arovas
`KIRKLAND & ELLIS LLP
`601 Lexington Avenue
`New York, New York 10022
`P: (212) 446-4800; F: (212) 446-4900
`greg.arovas@kirkland.com
`
`Date: April 12, 2017
`
`
`
`/ Thomas J. Scott, Jr. /
`Thomas J. Scott, Jr.
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