throbber
UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`______________
`
`BEFORE THE PATENT TRIAL AND APPEAL BOARD
`______________
`
`SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC,
`(d/b/a ON SEMICONDUCTOR),
`Petitioner,
`
`v.
`
`POWER INTEGRATIONS, INC.,
`Patent Owner.
`______________
`
`Case IPR2016-00809, Patent 6,212,079 B1
`Case IPR2016-00995, Patent 6,538,908 B2
`______________
`
`Record of Oral Hearing
`Oral Hearing Held: Friday, June 30, 2017
`______________
`
`
`
`Before: THOMAS L. GIANNETTI, DANIEL N. FISHMAN, and
`KERRY BEGLEY, Administrative Patent Judges.
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`

`

`Case IPR2016-00809, Patent 6,212,079 B1
`Case IPR2016-00995, Patent 6,538,908 B2
`
`
`The above-entitled matters came on for hearing on Friday, June 30,
`2017, at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, 600 Dulany Street, Alexandria,
`Virginia in Courtroom B, at 1:00 p.m.
`
` A
`
` P P E A R A N C E S
` ON BEHALF OF THE PETITIONER:
` ROGER FULGHUM, ESQUIRE
` BAKER BOTTS LLP
` 910 Louisiana Street
` Houston, TX 77002-4995
` (713) 229-1707
`
` BRETT J. THOMPSEN, ESQUIRE
` BAKER BOTTS LLP
` 98 San Jacinto Boulevard
` Suite 1500
` Austin, TX 78701-4078
` (512) 322-5463
`
` ON BEHALF OF THE PATENT OWNER:
` HOWARD G. POLLACK, ESQUIRE
` NEIL A. WARREN, ESQUIRE
` FISH & RICHARDSON, PC
` 500 Arguello Street
` Suite 500
` Redwood City, CA 94063
` (650) 839-5007
`
` STEPHEN R. SCHAEFER, ESQUIRE
` FISH & RICHARDSON, PC
` 3200 RBC Plaza
` 60 South Sixth Street
` Minneapolis, MN 55402
` (612) 337-2508
`
`
`
`

`

`Case IPR2016-00809, Patent 6,212,079 B1
`Case IPR2016-00995, Patent 6,538,908 B2
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` P R O C E E D I N G S
` JUDGE GIANNETTI: Please be seated.
` So, welcome, everyone. We are here for a final
`hearing in case IPR2016-00809, as well as case IPR2016-00995.
`Both cases have the same caption, Semiconductor Components
`Industries, LLC doing business as ON Semiconductor versus
`Power Integrations, Inc.
` Welcome to the PTAB. And let me introduce the panel
`for the hearing today. I am Judge Giannetti. I will be
`presiding. And on the monitor to my left, we have two judges
`who will be participating remotely. On the left side of the
`monitor we have Judge Fishman. And on the right side of the
`monitor, you see Judge Begley also participating remotely.
` So, let's get appearances of counsel. Who is
`appearing today for the petitioner?
` MR. FULGHUM: Good afternoon, your Honor. Roger
`Fulghum for Petitioner Semiconductor Components Industry,
`LLC. I'm lead counsel. With me today is backup counsel
`Brett Thompsen. Also with us today is senior IP counsel Josh
`Engel and chief IP counsel Rob Tuttle of ON Semiconductor.
` JUDGE GIANNETTI: All right. Welcome,
`Mr. Fulghum. Will you be making the presentation for the
`petitioner?
`
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` MR. FULGHUM: Yes, your Honor, I will be speaking
`for the petitioner on all issues with respect to the '0809
`matter.
` JUDGE GIANNETTI: Okay. Who is appearing today
`for the patent owner?
` MR. POLLACK: Good afternoon. Howard Pollack for
`Patent Owner Power Integrations from Fish & Richardson. With
`me today is Steve Schaefer, who is lead counsel, also backup
`counsel Neil Warren. We have here sitting next to me Jeff
`Sayres, who is going to be helping with the demonstratives
`and, if necessary, calling up exhibits from the record as
`we -- as we discuss the issues. And also from Power
`Integrations, Mr. Cliff Warren.
` JUDGE GIANNETTI: Welcome. Welcome to all of you.
` MR. POLLACK: And, your Honor, just to --
` JUDGE GIANNETTI: Mr. Pollack, will you be making
`the presentation?
` MR. POLLACK: Exactly. I will be making the
`presentation on the 809 matter, and when we get to the 995
`matter, that will be Mr. Warren.
` JUDGE GIANNETTI: Okay. So, now we have your
`appearances. Let's talk about the procedure that we're going
`to follow. There are two cases for argument today, and we
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`will take them in order and take a short recess between the
`two cases.
` Each side in each case has 45 minutes to present
`its case. Petitioner will start, followed by the patent
`owner. The petitioner may reserve time for rebuttal, and you
`can do that either at the beginning of your argument or you
`can just reserve later on the time that's remaining,
`whatever you wish.
` I want to mention demonstratives. Both sides
`have submitted demonstratives, at least for the first
`case, but this applies to both cases. I want you to be aware
`that your demonstratives are not part of the record. The
`official record of this hearing will be the transcript that
`the court reporter will prepare and will be eventually
`entered in the case file.
` Filing of demonstratives is not authorized. The
`panel will decide when the final written decision is prepared
`whether we want any of the demonstratives in
`the record. But for now, the record will be the transcript.
` There were some objections filed to
`demonstratives. We will defer ruling on those objections
`until later. However, you can use the demonstratives as aids
`to argument during the hearing, but just keep in mind that
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`they are not part of the record.
` I want to also mention that because we have remote
`judges participating in this hearing, when you do refer to a
`demonstrative, please give us the slide number. They have
`electronic copies of your demonstratives that you've
`submitted and they will be able to follow along, but it's
`essential that you identify the demonstrative by
`number that you're referring to so that they can follow
`along.
` It's also important that you speak into the
`microphone because we want them to be able to hear what you
`have to say, and that's difficult in a remote location unless
`you speak directly into the microphone.
` All right. Any questions from petitioner? Do you
`have any questions about the procedure we're going to follow
`today or anything else?
` MR. FULGHUM: No questions for petitioner. I
`would like to note that for the 995 matter, Brett Thompsen
`will be making the argument.
` JUDGE GIANNETTI: Okay. That's fine.
` MR. FULGHUM: But I'd like to speak on any 315(b)
`issues that affect both matters.
` JUDGE GIANNETTI: All right. That's fine.
`
`

`

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` Patent owner, any questions before we proceed?
` MR. POLLACK: No questions. Thank you.
` JUDGE GIANNETTI: Okay. Anything from the panel?
`Are we ready to proceed?
` Okay. I think we are ready to go. So, we will
`start with the 2016-00809 matter. Mr. Fulghum, you have 45
`minutes. You can proceed when you are ready.
` MR. FULGHUM: Of that 45 minutes, I'd like to
`reserve 15 minutes for rebuttal.
` JUDGE GIANNETTI: Okay. I'll try to give you a
`warning when you get close to that.
` MR. FULGHUM: Thank you, your Honor. So, let's
`start -- may it please the Board. Let's move forward. Here
`we have an overview on slide 2 of our argument.
` And moving forward to the next slide, the issue
`that remains in this matter with respect to the content of
`Oda is whether Oda discloses or at least suggests a mode of
`operation that involves a second range of feedback values
`that involves both a variable on-time and a variable
`frequency. And let's step through how that is disclosed or
`at least suggested in Oda.
` Let's start here on slide 3 with figure 1. Figure
`1 is figure 1 of the Oda reference, and we see an important
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`signal Ve. It's an error signal. It's a
`measure of the error voltage coming out of the load, and it's
`provided to two places in the circuit. It's provided to a
`light load detection circuit, 16, which measures that error
`voltage, compares it to Vr2, and uses it to set the
`frequency; and it's also fed into PWM circuit 12 where it's
`compared to Vc and on that basis sets the on-time. So, Ve is
`doing two jobs in terms of setting the on-time and setting
`the frequency.
` Let's move forward to the next slide, slide 4.
`And here on the left-hand side, we see figure 8. On the
`right-hand side, we see figure 3. Let's step through each of
`these.
` In figure 8, which has been annotated, we see
`frequency versus Ve. And we see how Ve passes through three
`different ranges. The first range, which is in blue, is from
`Vmax down to Vr2, and in this range, frequency is fixed, as
`shown, and the on-time varies.
` In the next range, which is in green, which is
`from Vr2 down to a level that we've identified as Vx, we see
`that frequency is varied and on-time continues to vary.
` And then, finally, there's a third range, which
`we've identified in orange, from Vx down to Vmin, and in that
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`range, frequency is fixed again and on-time continues to
`vary.
` How do we know that on-time varies in each of
`those ranges? We know that because if you look at figure 3,
`you'll see a timing diagram that shows how the on-time is
`controlled by the combination of Ve and Vc.
` We see that the on-time, which is shown in row E,
`begins when Vc begins to ramp, and the on-time ends when Vc
`crosses Ve. Thus, as Ve moves or the level of Ve changes,
`anywhere between Vmax and Vmin, Vc is going to cross Ve
`earlier or later in time and, therefore, lengthen or shorten
`the on-time.
` And we'll also see here -- let's compare figure 8
`to figure 3 -- that Ve moves between Vmax and Vmin. And
`between Vmax and Vmin is Vr2 and Vx. Those are subsets and
`within the range.
` Now let's compare the range on the left in figure
`8 to the range in figure 3, row C. Again, Ve is shown as
`moving or able to move between Vmax and Vmin, and as it moves
`between Vmax and Vmin, it's necessarily going to cross Vr2
`and Vx. And when it crosses Vr2 and before it reaches Vx,
`it's going to be in a range of operation in which there is a
`variable on-time and there is a variable frequency. And
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`that's going to satisfy the condition in the wherein clause
`of all the claims that are at issue today. It not only
`suggests it but it, in fact, does disclose it.
` JUDGE GIANNETTI: So, let me ask you, Mr. Fulghum,
`are you relying principally on the figures in Oda or do you
`contend that the text of Oda describes
`this operation?
` MR. FULGHUM: We are relying on the figures, and
`the figures are very informative. The text also tells us
`that this is true. And one place to look in the text is in
`paragraph 25.
` JUDGE GIANNETTI: Now, just focusing on this, let's say there was no
`text in Oda. Would you
`contend that there was sufficient information in the figures
`alone?
` MR. FULGHUM: Absolutely. There is sufficient
`information in these figures. These figure are very
`informative. They would tell a person of ordinary skill in
`the art how the on-time varies. They would tell a person of
`ordinary skill in the art where it varies. They would tell
`us where and in what modes the frequency varies.
` These are very informative figures. They are
`understandable to a person of ordinary skill in the art, and
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`they do tell us what we need to understand concerning the
`variation of on-time and the variation of frequency occurring
`at the same time in that green range.
` That's not to say that the
`text is not informative. And it is. I would draw the
`panel's attention to paragraph 25.
` JUDGE GIANNETTI: Let me take a look at that.
` MR. FULGHUM: Let's do that. Let's move forward.
`I'm going to move forward to the slide concerning paragraph
`25. And I've now moved forward to slide 5. And
`here's paragraph 25, and what it describes in paragraph 25,
`it reads, "When the current flowing through the choke coil 4
`is discontinuous, a reduction in output current Io causes the
`output voltage Vo to increase."
` Now, when we enter a discontinuous mode, we know
`from paragraphs 24 and 27 that occurs when the output current
`is below Io1. And the region below Io1 includes
`all of the regions: the blue region, the green region, and
`the orange region that we just discussed.
` And that sentence goes on to say in 25, "The error
`voltage Ve starts to decrease, and the PWM circuit 12
`executes control so as to shorten the on-time." That is informative to a person
`of ordinary skill in the art
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`that the on-time is changed as Ve is changed. So, as Ve
`falls, the on-time is going to be shortened.
` Moving back to slide 4, we also see that in figure
`3. It matches up exactly. As Ve falls, it is going to cross
`Vc or I should say Vc is going to cross Ve earlier and
`earlier in time, which is going to shorten the on-time. So,
`the text matches the figures throughout Oda.
` In terms of other portions that describe this
`relationship, I would also direct the Board to paragraph 15
`of Oda. Paragraph 15 in the center reads -- and I don't have
`a slide for this but I'll read it into the record. There's a
`mention of Vw in the middle of 15 and it reads, "Vw," which
`is the pulse width that becomes the on-duty corresponding to
`the error voltage Ve, "the PWM circuit provides a pulse width
`signal Vw to a drive circuit 13 which then turns FET2 in the
`main circuit on and off."
` And then there's more discussion -- let me make
`sure I've got this right -- in paragraph 19.
` JUDGE GIANNETTI: Is there any contest as to the
`translation of that particular paragraph that you read?
` MR. FULGHUM: 25?
` JUDGE GIANNETTI: Yes.
` MR. FULGHUM: There is. There is a contest -- the
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`only thing I hear about the difference in the translations,
`and I don't understand there to be a difference or a quibble
`about the two translations -- I know that there is a quibble
`over the fact that paragraph -- no, actually, is it paragraph
`30? Must be paragraph 30. Yeah, there's no quibble about
`25, your Honor. I misspoke. It was paragraph 30 where
`there's some language where there's a quibble over that. So,
`in 25, I'm not aware of it affecting any of the -- any of the
`issues.
` JUDGE FISHMAN: Counselor, this is Judge Fishman.
`Two things: One, please stand a little bit closer to the
`mic; and, secondly, are you aware of anything in Oda that
`suggests there is a minimum pulse width? In other words,
`does the pulse width modulation circuit stop reducing
`at some point under some condition?
` MR. FULGHUM: Your Honor, we found nothing
`in Oda that suggests that. There's nothing to suggest that
`there is a minimum on-time. And it's helpful with regard to
`whether there is a minimum on-time to look at the figures.
`If, for example, you look at figure 8, you'll notice in
`figure 8 that in the region between Vx and Vmin, frequency is
`fixed. And, so, to maintain regulation in that region,
`the on-time has to vary.
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` And if the on-time is varying in that region, then
`we know from a comparison with figure 3 that the on-time is
`getting shorter and shorter. So, if the on-time is getting
`shorter and shorter, we know that there cannot be a minimum
`on-time that is somewhere above the Vx level and perhaps
`occurs before we reach Vr2.
` I think the suggestion from the patent owner
`preliminary response and somewhat carried forward into the
`patent owner response that there may be a minimum on-time
`that occurs somewhere in that blue region, but there's no
`suggestion of that in Oda. And that would run contrary to what we see in Oda
`concerning the fact that in
`the third region, between Vx and Vmin, we have to use on-time
`at a very low on-time level in order to maintain the
`regulation.
` JUDGE FISHMAN: To your knowledge does that
`circuit ever hit a maximum on-time such as to end up with a
`steady DC level or a minimum on-time that's zero such that
`you need a steady DC level?
` MR. FULGHUM: You know, in terms of a minimum
`on-time, if you follow the way that figure 3C works, that
`on-time will get very, very small and will approach zero as
`the Ve level goes lower and lower toward Vmin. But as far as
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` maximum on-time, I do not believe that's disclosed, your
`Honor.
` Okay. Let's move forward to slide 7. And in
`slide 7, we see again a blowup of figure 3C and figure 3E.
`Again, figure 3C shows the ramp of Vc and how it interacts
`with Ve, and below it we see the on-time. And what we've
`done in this annotation is identify Ve values in their same
`colors, blue, green, and orange, between Vmax and Vr2 and
`then between Vr2 and Vx and then between Vx and Vmin.
` The example in figure 3E -- the example in figure
`3E corresponds to Ve level Ve3. And you'll notice as Vc
`crosses Ve3, the on-time ends. If Ve were to fall, the
`on-time would get shorter. If Ve were to rise, the on-time
`would get longer. And, so, what we notice here is Ve is
`always changing. Because Ve is always changing, it
`can change in the green region, which is the variable
`frequency region.
` Okay. Let's talk for a minute about figure 7.
`Figure 7 is on slide 6. Figure 7 shows Ve as a function of
`the output current. So, this is the output current. And,
`again, we see Ve able to move, in this example, from a level
`just below Vmax, again all the way down to Vmin, and it
`crosses Vr2, it crosses Vx, it crosses through the variable
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`frequency region, which was between Vr2 and Vx.
` So, throughout this, we see Ve moving -- and,
`again, let's compare Ve moving over with respect to figure
`3C, and we see Vc again is going to cross Ve earlier and
`earlier in time, which is going to cause the on-time to
`shorten as Ve moves -- as the level of Ve moves down.
` JUDGE GIANNETTI: Counsel, do you attach any
`significance to the slope or the curve shown in the left-hand
`portion of this drawing?
` MR. FULGHUM: Yeah, I do not, your Honor.
` JUDGE GIANNETTI: I know there's been -- I know
`there's been quite a bit of briefing on that, and I wondered what your view was
`on that. Whether
`the fact that that curve seems to
`change seems to be an inflexion point. Is that significant?
` MR. FULGHUM: The inflexion point at Iox-Vx?
` JUDGE GIANNETTI: Well, there are a couple of
`different ones. There was one at -- yes, looks like there's
`one at Iox, and there's also one somewhere between -- I can't
`see the -- the numbers between the other two, I -- is it I --
`the print is too small. The two -- the two I subscripts to
`the right of Iox.
` MR. FULGHUM: Sure. Let me unpack that a bit.
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`So, what we have is we have a curve. It's Ve versus output
`current. And what the patent owner points to is a constant
`slope that is above and below Vr2. And that corresponds with
`Io2. And patent owner believes that that slope should not be
`constant and there should be some change at that point.
` But let's talk about what Oda tells us about that
`transition. First, Oda tells us in paragraph 30 that below
`Vr2, that Ve falls at a constant rate. And that's exactly
`what we see here. We see Ve falling at a constant rate below
`Vr2.
` We also know that what's shown here is influenced
`by the transfer function of a buck regulator. Figure 1 is a
`buck regulator, and Ve versus Io implicates the entire
`transfer function of that buck regulator. We also know from
`Mohan, the Mohan textbook, that when a buck regulator enters
`discontinuous mode, the transfer function becomes load
`dependent. And that's exactly what we see here.
` I mentioned earlier that there was a discontinuous
`mode and that discontinuous mode begins at current Io1 on the
`X axis. So, when Io1 is reached, the regulator enters a
`discontinuous mode. And when it enters that mode, the
`transfer function becomes load dependent. That causes the Ve
`curve to accelerate downward. So, we see both of those
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`Case IPR2016-00809, Patent 6,212,079 B1
`Case IPR2016-00995, Patent 6,538,908 B2
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`factors occurring with respect to that curve.
` Now, the precise slope above and below Vr2 is
`going to be dependent on several factors. And let's talk
`about what those are. It's going to be dependent upon the
`rate of change of the on-time, the rate of change of the
`frequency below Vr2, and it's also going to be based on the
`transfer function of the buck type regulator.
` In this example -- this is what Oda shows for this
`example for this buck type regulator and the change in those
`parameters.
` Now, we also know that Mr. Bohannon, who's patent
`owner's expert, did not consider as part of his analysis the
`transfer function of the buck type regulator. So, it's
`understandable that he did not appreciate that the transfer
`function of the buck-type regulator would play a significant
`role in the curvature of Ve versus Io.
` Let me -- let me pivot for --
` JUDGE GIANNETTI: Just so that I can see what
`those numbers are, would you just read the two values to the
`right just along the -- I guess it would be the X axis, the
`output current Io. Those two values of Io, I can't read the
`subscripts. Yes, you're pointing to it with your --
` MR. FULGHUM: Okay. So, the one I'm pointing --
`
`

`

`Case IPR2016-00809, Patent 6,212,079 B1
`Case IPR2016-00995, Patent 6,538,908 B2
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`let's go left to right just --
` JUDGE GIANNETTI: Let's go left to right from Iox.
` MR. FULGHUM: Okay. The first one is Io2.
` JUDGE GIANNETTI: Okay.
` MR. FULGHUM: Io2. And the one to the right of
`Io2 is Io1. Those are the values.
` Now, if I could, your Honor, I'd like to talk
`about what patent owner believes is occurring here. Patent
`owner believes that when we get to Vr2, Io2, that the on-time
`becomes fixed. The on-time goes from being variable,
`according to patent owner, above Vr2 to becoming fixed at
`Vr2. And we know that that cannot be correct.
` And we know that that cannot be correct because if
`the on-time is fixed below Vr2 -- I'm going to move forward
`in the slides to slide 8 -- if the on-time is fixed below
`Vr2, then it is going to disable changes to the on-time and
`that's going to disable the operation of the feed forward
`feature of the circuit.
` The circuit has a feed forward feature that
`measures the voltage at the input as a current signal and
`then that current signal changes the slope of Vc to account
`for changes to the input voltage. In this way, changes to
`the input voltage can be managed through changes to the
`
`

`

`Case IPR2016-00809, Patent 6,212,079 B1
`Case IPR2016-00995, Patent 6,538,908 B2
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`on-time.
` This is an important feature of the circuit
`because it allows changes to input to not be bothered by
`changes to the output. Let me say that a different way. It
`allows Ve to continue to do its job of monitoring light load
`conditions at the output without having to worry about
`adjusting for changes at the input.
` JUDGE FISHMAN: Counselor, I'm jumping ahead a bit
`in your presentation, I know, but part of your response is
`that the triangle wave control circuit receives Vi and
`thereby adjusts Vc, and your contention is that's done once and
`only once as a onetime calibration function. What's your
`basis for that assertion?
` MR. FULGHUM: Okay. Let me unpack that a bit.
`Our expert Dr. Madisetti, did testify that it could be
`done as part of a onetime calibration. That is, when you
`change voltage levels abruptly, there would be a onetime
`calibration. But, also, this change can be done
`dynamically. It need not in all cases be a onetime
`calibration. And we can understand why that is, because what
`is occurring in the circuit is we're trying to change on-time
`to adjust on-time as a result of changes to the input
`voltage.
`
`

`

`Case IPR2016-00809, Patent 6,212,079 B1
`Case IPR2016-00995, Patent 6,538,908 B2
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` So, to disable on-time would be to negate and
`nullify a key feature of this circuit in a way that a person
`of ordinary skill would not accept that there's an understanding as to the
`operation of the circuit
`that reads out a portion of the circuit.
` JUDGE GIANNETTI: So, what would be an example of
`changing the input voltage? Why would that change?
` MR. FULGHUM: Okay. The input voltage is a DC
`input.
` JUDGE GIANNETTI: Right.
` MR. FULGHUM: And the input voltage could change
`due to changes to that input voltage. You could think of a
`number of examples why it might change: temperature, the
`value of the battery might change. I agree there's going to
`be long periods of time where that input voltage would not
`change --
` JUGE GIANNETTI: Right.
` MR. FULGHUM: -- and we won't see any change in
`DC, but if the input voltage does change, then we
`know that the slope of Vc is going to be adjusted and that's
`going to modify the on-time.
` If I were to clamp the on-time, which is the
`theory that patent owner has, the
`
`

`

`Case IPR2016-00809, Patent 6,212,079 B1
`Case IPR2016-00995, Patent 6,538,908 B2
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`on-time, when I go into the green region, I'm going to
`disable the operation of that circuit.
` And I think it's also worthwhile to
`recognize that the patent owner does, in
`fact, in places in its petition, recognize that Ve continues
`to move during the variable frequency range. And we agree
`with that. We agree that Ve moves throughout the variable
`frequency range, the fixed frequency range, all the ranges.
` On page 22 of the patent owner response, the
`patent owner writes, "Figure 8 discloses" -- let me move back
`to figure 8, which is on slide 4 -- "Figure 8 discloses that
`the error voltage Ve may vary at the same time the frequency
`of pulses in the drive signal Vd is being varied." We agree
`with that. And if Ve moves, it's going to cross Vc or Vc is
`going to cross Ve earlier and earlier in time.
` Also, patent owner at various times says that Vi
`is always changing the on-time.
` JUDGE GIANNETTI: They say -- just going -- to go
`back to page 22, here's what they say. They say, "Figure 8
`discloses that the error voltage Ve may vary at the same time
`the frequency of pulses in the drive signal Vd is being
`varied." And I think you just read that into the record.
` MR. FULGHUM: I did.
`
`

`

`Case IPR2016-00809, Patent 6,212,079 B1
`Case IPR2016-00995, Patent 6,538,908 B2
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` JUDGE GIANNETTI: The next sentence says, "That
`said, that does not mean, as petitioner has argued, that the
`width of the drive signal pulses continues to be reduced
`after the error voltage is dropped below Vr2." Why is that
`not so?
` MR. FULGHUM: Well, it's not so because of figure
`3. It's not so because of the rest of the disclosure. And
`you'll notice, your Honor, when you get to that portion of
`patent owner's response, that's the last they say about it.
`They never tell us how -- patent owner never tells us how --
`let me go back to a drawing of figure 1. They never tell us
`how in this circuit the on-time is clamped or fixed when you
`reach Vr2.
` Every other disclosure, every -- I should say
`every disclosure in the Oda, whether it be text, whether it
`be drawings, shows that on-time continuing to change. And we
`have no explanation for how that on-time is going to be
`fixed. And we know it can't be. We know it can't be because
`it would disable the feed forward feature.
` JUDGE GIANNETTI: Don't they point to other --
`other types of circuits, prior art circuits, where there
`would not be a simultaneous variation of on-time and
`frequencies?
`
`

`

`Case IPR2016-00809, Patent 6,212,079 B1
`Case IPR2016-00995, Patent 6,538,908 B2
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` MR. FULGHUM: They do, your Honor. They point
`to --
` JUDGE GIANNETTI: And don't they -- don't they
`contend that that was the normal operation and, therefore, it
`doesn't need to be expressly said here?
` MR. FULGHUM: Yeah, that -- that is what they --
` JUDGE GIANNETTI: What's your position on that?
` MR. FULGHUM: That is what they contend. So, they
`point to a couple of references. They point to a reference
`called Billings and a reference called Semmler. And what
`they do there is they take the functionality of those and
`then they import it into Oda. We're not here to talk about
`Billings or Semmler and whether it discloses it; we're
`talking about what Oda discloses.
` And, second, there are a number of references that
`are not part of Mr. Bohannon's consideration that do show a
`variable on-time and a variable frequency. And let me just
`read out some of those for the record. One of them is the
`Nakamura reference. The Nakamura reference in Exhibit 1050
`also shows a variable on-time and a variable frequency. The
`Banba reference, Exhibit 1026; the Smedly reference, Exhibit
`1040; the Balakrishnan reference, that's one of the
`invent

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