`
`
`
`UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`BEFORE THE PATENT TRIAL AND APPEAL BOARD
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`FACEBOOK, INC., WHATSAPP, INC.,
`Petitioners
`
`v.
`
`UNILOC USA, INC., UNILOC LUXEMBOURG S.A.,
`Patent Owners
`_____________________
`
`Patent 8,995,433
`
`Title: System and Method for Instant VoIP Messaging
`
`_________________
`
`PETITION FOR INTER PARTES REVIEW OF
`U.S. PATENT NO. 8,995,433
`
`
`
`
`Mail Stop “PATENT BOARD”
`Patent Trial and Appeal Board
`U.S. Patent & Trademark Office
`P.O. Box 1450
`Alexandria, VA 22313-1450
`
`

`

`Petition for Inter Partes Review of
`U.S. Pat. No. 8,995,433
`
`TABLE OF CONTENTS
`
`
`
`
`I.
`
`II.
`
`III.
`
`Identification of challenge (37 C.F.R. § 42.104(b)). ......................................... 1
`A.
`Statutory grounds for the challenge. ....................................................... 1
`B. Meaningful distinction between Abburi and Väänänen. ......................... 2
`The ’433 Patent. ................................................................................................. 3
`A. Overview of the ’433 Patent. ................................................................... 3
`B.
`Level of ordinary skill in the art. ............................................................. 7
`C.
`Claim construction. ................................................................................. 8
`State of the Art. .................................................................................................. 9
`A.
`Packet-Switched Networks ...................................................................10
`B.
`Voice Messaging ...................................................................................10
`IV. Ground 1: Claims 1, 2, 4, and 8 are unpatentable under Pre-AIA 35
`U.S.C. § 103(a) over Abburi in view of Holtzberg. ........................................ 12
`A. Overview of Abburi...............................................................................12
`B.
`Overview of Holtzberg. .........................................................................15
`C.
`KSR rationale to combine the teachings of Abburi and
`Holtzberg. ..............................................................................................17
`Claim 1. .................................................................................................18
`[1.P]: “A system comprising.” ..............................................................18
`[1.1] “an instant voice messaging application including a client
`platform system for generating an instant voice message and a
`messaging system for transmitting the instant voice message over
`a packet-switched network via a network interface.” ...........................20
`[1.2] “wherein the instant voice messaging application displays a
`list of one or more potential recipients for the instant voice
`message.” ...............................................................................................24
`[1.3] “wherein the instant voice messaging application includes a
`message database storing the instant voice message, wherein the
`instant voice message is represented by a database record
`including a unique identifier.” ...............................................................25
`
`D.
`1.
`2.
`
`3.
`
`4.
`
`
`
`- i -
`
`

`

`5.
`
`Petition for Inter Partes Review of
`U.S. Pat. No. 8,995,433
`[1.4] “wherein the instant voice messaging application includes a
`file manager system performing at least one of storing, deleting
`and retrieving the instant voice messages from the message
`database in response to a user request.” ................................................32
`Claim 2. .................................................................................................34
`E.
`Claim 4. .................................................................................................35
`F.
`Claim 8. .................................................................................................36
`G.
`V. Ground 2: Claim 3 is unpatentable under Pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. § 103(a)
`over Abburi, Holtzberg, and Vuori. ................................................................. 37
`A.
`Claim 3. .................................................................................................37
`1.
`Abburi and Holtzberg. ...........................................................................37
`2.
`Vuori. .....................................................................................................39
`3.
`KSR. ......................................................................................................40
`VI. Ground 3: Claims 5 and 6 are unpatentable under Pre-AIA 35 U.S.C.
`§ 103(a) over Abburi, Holtzberg, and Logan. ................................................. 41
`A.
`Claim 5. .................................................................................................42
`1.
`Abburi and Holtzberg. ...........................................................................42
`2.
`Logan. ....................................................................................................42
`3.
`KSR. ......................................................................................................43
`VII. Ground 4: Claims 1, 2–4, 6, and 8 are unpatentable under Pre-AIA 35
`U.S.C. § 103(a) over Väänänen in view of Holtzberg. ................................... 48
`A. Overview of Väänänen. .........................................................................49
`B.
`KSR rationale to combine the teachings of Väänänen and
`Holtzberg. ..............................................................................................52
`Claim 1. .................................................................................................53
`[1.P]: “A system comprising.” ..............................................................53
`[1.1] “an instant voice messaging application including a client
`platform system for generating an instant voice message and a
`messaging system for transmitting the instant voice message over
`a packet-switched network via a network interface.” ...........................53
`[1.2] “wherein the instant voice messaging application displays a
`list of one or more potential recipients for the instant voice
`message.” ...............................................................................................58
`
`C.
`1.
`2.
`
`3.
`
`
`
`- ii -
`
`

`

`4.
`
`5.
`
`D.
`1.
`2.
`
`Petition for Inter Partes Review of
`U.S. Pat. No. 8,995,433
`[1.3] “wherein the instant voice messaging application includes a
`message database storing the instant voice message, wherein the
`instant voice message is represented by a database record
`including a unique identifier.” ...............................................................59
`[1.4] “wherein the instant voice messaging application includes a
`file manager system performing at least one of storing, deleting
`and retrieving the instant voice messages from the message
`database in response to a user request.” ................................................63
`Claim 6. .................................................................................................65
`[6.P]: “A system comprising.” ..............................................................65
`[6.1]: “an instant voice messaging application including a client
`platform system for generating an instant voice message and a
`messaging system for transmitting the instant voice message over
`a packet-switched network via a network interface.” ...........................66
`[6.2]: “wherein the instant voice messaging application displays
`a list of one or more potential recipients for the instant voice
`message.” ...............................................................................................66
`[6.3]: “wherein the instant voice messaging application includes
`a file manager system performing at least one of storing, deleting
`and retrieving the instant voice messages from a message
`database in response to a user request.” ................................................66
`[6.4]: “wherein the instant voice messaging application includes
`a compression/decompression system for compressing the instant
`voice messages to be transmitted over the packet-switched
`network and decompressing the instant voice messages received
`over the packet-switched network.” ......................................................66
`Claim 2. .................................................................................................68
`E.
`Claim 4. .................................................................................................69
`F.
`Claim 5. .................................................................................................71
`G.
`Claim 8. .................................................................................................72
`H.
`VIII. Ground 5: Claim 3 is unpatentable under Pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. § 103(a)
`over Väänänen, Holtzberg, and Vuori. ............................................................ 73
`A.
`Claim 3. .................................................................................................73
`1.
`Väänänen, Holtzberg, and Vuori teachings. ..........................................73
`2.
`KSR. .......................................................................................................74
`
`3.
`
`4.
`
`5.
`
`
`
`- iii -
`
`

`

`Petition for Inter Partes Review of
`U.S. Pat. No. 8,995,433
`IX. Mandatory notices under 37 C.F.R. §42.8 ....................................................... 76
`A.
`Real parties-in-interest (§42.8(b)(1)) ....................................................76
`B.
`Notice of related matters (§42.8(b)(2)) .................................................76
`C.
`Lead and back-up counsel with service information (§42.8(b)(3)
`and (4)) ..................................................................................................81
`Service Information (§42.8(b)(4)) .........................................................81
`D.
`Power of Attorney .................................................................................82
`E.
`Payment of Fees – 37 C.F.R. § 42.103 ............................................................ 82
`X.
`XI. Grounds for Standing ....................................................................................... 82
`XII. Conclusion. ...................................................................................................... 83
`
`
`
`
`
`- iv -
`
`
`
`
`
`

`

`Petition for Inter Partes Review of
`U.S. Pat. No. 8,995,433
`
`EXHIBIT LIST
`
`Description
`Rojas, U.S. Patent No. 8,995,433 (filed March 25, 2014, issued
`March 31, 2015).
`File History for U.S. Patent No. 8,995,433.
`Declaration of Leonard J. Forys, Ph.D., filed as Ex. 1003 in Apple,
`Inc. v. Uniloc USA, Inc., Case IPR2017-00225
`Curriculum Vitae of Leonard J. Forys, Ph.D.
`Abburi, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0147512
`(filed February 1, 2002, published August 7, 2003).
`Väänänen, U.S. Patent No. 7,218,919 (filed August 8, 2001, issued
`May 15, 2007).
`Holtzberg, U.S. Patent No. 6,625,261 (filed December 20, 2000,
`issued September 23, 2003).
`Logan et al., U.S. Patent No. 5,732,216 (filed October 2, 1996,
`issued March 24, 1998).
`Vuori, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2002/0146097 (filed
`July 23, 2001, published October 10, 2002).
`Excerpts from Microsoft Computer Dictionary, 5th ed. (2002).
`Clarke et al., Experiments with packet switching of voice traffic,
`IEE Proceedings G - Electronic Circuits and Systems, V.130, N.4 ,
`pp. 105-13 (August 1983).
`Sharma, VoP (voice over packet), IEEE Potentials, V. 21, N. 4,
`Oct./Nov. 2002, pp. 14-17 (October, 2002).
`Locascio, U.S. Patent No. 6,603,757 (filed April 14, 1999, issued
`August 5, 2003).
`Lotito et al., U.S. Patent No. 4,625,081 (filed November 30, 1982,
`issued November 25, 1986).
`Excerpts from American Heritage Dictionary, 4th ed. (2001).
`File History of U.S. Patent No. 7,535,890.
`Pershan, U.S. Patent No. 5,260,986 (filed April 23, 1991, issued
`November 9, 1993).
`
`- v -
`
`Exhibit
`No.
`1001
`
`1002
`1003
`
`1004
`1005
`
`1006
`
`1007
`
`1008
`
`1009
`
`1010
`1011
`
`1012
`
`1013
`
`1014
`
`1015
`1016
`1017
`
`
`
`
`
`

`

`Petition for Inter Partes Review of
`U.S. Patent No. 8,995,433
`
`Pursuant to 35 U.S.C. § 311 and 37 C.F.R. § 42.100, Joinder Petitioners
`
`Facebook, Inc. and WhatsApp, Inc. (“Joinder Petitioners”) respectfully request
`
`inter partes review of claims 1-6 and 8 of U.S. Patent No. 8,995,433 (“’433
`
`Patent”, Ex. 1001). Joinder Petitioners are filing concurrently herewith a Motion
`
`for Joinder pursuant to 35 U.S.C. § 315(c) and 37 C.F.R. §§ 42.22 and 42.122(b),
`
`requesting that the Board institute inter partes review and join the present
`
`proceeding with pending proceeding IPR2017-00225.
`
`I.
`
`Identification of challenge (37 C.F.R. § 42.104(b)).
`Statutory grounds for the challenge.
`A.
`Joinder Petitioners request review of claims 1–6 and 8 on the following
`
`grounds:
`
`Ground Statute
`1
`§ 103
`
`Claims
`1, 2, 4, 8
`
`Prior Art
`Abburi1,2 & Holtzberg3
`
`
`1 During prosecution of U.S. Pat. No. 7,535,890, a patent to which the ’433
`
`Patent claims priority, the Patentee submitted a §1.131 affidavit alleging a
`
`conception date before August 15, 2003. (Ex. 1016, ’890 File History, pp. 89-135.)
`
`Even if the affidavit meets §1.131 standards, which it does not, all the applied
`
`references in this Petition are still prior art.
`
`2 Abburi (Ex. 1005) was filed on February 1, 2002 and published on August
`
`7, 2003, and is prior art under §§102(a) and (e).
`
`
`
`
`
`-1-
`
`
`
`

`

`Petition for Inter Partes Review of
`U.S. Patent No. 8,995,433
`
`Ground Statute
`2
`§ 103
`3
`§ 103
`4
`§ 103
`5
`§ 103
`
`
`
`Prior Art
`Claims
`Abburi, Holtzberg, & Vuori4
`3
`5, 6
`Abburi, Holtzberg, & Logan5
`1, 2, 4–6, 8 Väänänen6 & Holtzberg
`3
`Väänänen, Holtzberg, & Vuori
`
`B. Meaningful distinction between Abburi and Väänänen.
`The Abburi and Väänänen grounds have meaningful distinctions.
`
`Abburi better teaches “storing … the instant voice messages … in response
`
`to a user request,” as recited in the challenged claims. Abburi explicitly provides a
`
`user with the option of “downloading the audio message for storage by the
`
`recipient,” (Abburi, [0029]), while Väänänen’s disclosure relies in part on the
`
`knowledge of a POSITA.
`
`
`3 Holtzberg (Ex. 1007) was filed on December 20, 2000 and issued on
`
`September 23, 2003, and is prior art under §§102(a) and (e).
`
`4 Vuori (Ex. 1009) published on October 10, 2002, and is prior art under §
`
`102(b).
`
`5 Logan (Ex. 1008) was issued on March 24, 1998, and is prior art under
`
`§102(b).
`
`6 Väänänen (Ex. 1006) was filed on August 8, 2001, and is prior art under §
`
`102(e).
`
`
`
`
`
`-2-
`
`
`
`

`

`Petition for Inter Partes Review of
`U.S. Patent No. 8,995,433
`
`On the other hand, Väänänen better teaches “encrypting the instant voice
`
`messages” and “decrypting the instant voice messages,” as recited in the
`
`challenged claims. Väänänen also better teaches “compressing the instant voice
`
`messages” and “decompressing the instant voice messages,” as recited in the
`
`challenged claims. Väänänen explicitly recites that “compression and cryptography
`
`methods may be employed with the data file and/or the packet stream.” (Väänänen,
`
`2:12-13.) Abburi does not explicitly disclose encrypting voice messages.
`
`Accordingly, the Board should institute both the Abburi and Väänänen
`
`grounds.
`
`II. The ’433 Patent.
`A. Overview of the ’433 Patent.
`The ’433 Patent is directed to “an instant voice messaging system (and
`
`method) for delivering instant messages over a packet-switched network.” (’433
`
`Patent, Abstract.) In its background section, the ’433Patent describes a known
`
`“Voice over Internet Protocol (i.e., ‘VoIP’), also known as IP telephony or Internet
`
`telephony,” where a “VoIP terminal device is connected to a packet-switched
`
`network … and voice communication from the VoIP terminal device is digitized,
`
`packetized, and transmitted over the packet-switched network to a destination
`
`VoIP terminal device, which reconstructs the packets and audibly plays, stores, or
`
`otherwise processes the transmission.” (Id., 1:36-44.)
`
`
`
`
`
`-3-
`
`
`
`

`

`Petition for Inter Partes Review of
`U.S. Patent No. 8,995,433
`
`The ’433 Patent further sets out the infrastructure already known in the art,
`
`for example as illustrated in Figure 1 (reproduced below).
`
`
`
`(’433 Patent, Figure 1.)
`
`The ’433 Patent explains that:
`
`IP telephony system 100 comprises a packet-switched IP
`network 102, such as the Internet, which transmits VoIP traffic from
`and to a plurality of terminal devices 104, 106 and 110. Terminal
`device 104 is a VoIP softphone that is enabled for IP telephony over
`the network 102. Terminal device 106 is a VoIP telephone, which is
`connected to the network 102 via a softswitch 108. The VoIP
`
`
`
`
`
`-4-
`
`
`
`

`

`Petition for Inter Partes Review of
`U.S. Patent No. 8,995,433
`
`softswitch 108 is disposed on the packet-switched network (e.g.,
`Internet) 102 between an origination terminal device (such as VoIP
`softphone 104) and a destination terminal device (such as VoIP
`telephone 106), and routes packets over the packet-switched IP
`network 102.
`(’433 Patent, 1:53-64 (emphasis added).)7
`
`The ’433 Patent further explains that instant messaging is known in the prior
`
`art, for example:
`
`Instant text messaging is likewise known. More specifically, a user
`is provided with a client terminal, which is typically a general-purpose
`PC programmed with instant text messaging software and in data
`communication over an IP network with an instant text-messaging
`server. The instant text-messaging server presents the user, via the
`client terminal, with a list of persons who are currently “online” and
`ready to receive text messages on their own client terminals. The user
`then uses the client terminal to select one or more persons to whom
`the message will be sent and types in a text message. The text
`message is sent immediately via the text-messaging server to the
`selected one or more persons and is displayed on their respective
`client terminals.
`(Id., 2:35-47.)
`
`
`7 All emphasis added unless otherwise noted.
`
`
`
`
`
`-5-
`
`
`
`

`

`Petition for Inter Partes Review of
`U.S. Patent No. 8,995,433
`
`
`Thus, the ’433 Patent sought to combine “VoIP/PSTN voice communication
`
`and voice/text messaging” and purports to provide “a system and method for
`
`providing instant VoIP messaging over an IP network.” (Id., 2:49-52.)
`
`The instant voice messaging system of the ’433 Patent comprises a client,
`
`local and/or global servers, and selected recipients connected through a network.
`
`(Id., 2:56-3:5.) At the client, one or more recipients may be selected and an instant
`
`voice message is generated for the recipients. (Id.) Upon selection of the recipients
`
`and the generation of the instant voice message, the selected recipients and the
`
`instant voice message are transmitted over the network to the selected recipients,
`
`and the selected recipients are able to play the audible instant voice message. (Id.)
`
`The ’433 Patent provides for storage of voice messages in message
`
`databases, which may reside on a sending/receiving client, as shown in Figure 3, or
`
`a server, as shown in Figure 7.
`
`
`
`-6-
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`

`

`Petition for Inter Partes Review of
`U.S. Patent No. 8,995,433
`
`(’433 Patent, Figure 3 and 7.) Messages stored in the message database are
`
`represented as database records, with each record including a message identifier.
`
`(Id., 12:37-40.) These messages are typically created and stored in the form of
`
`audio files. (Id., 12:42-46.)
`
`Level of ordinary skill in the art.
`B.
`Based on the disclosure of the ’433 Patent, a person having ordinary skill in
`
`the art at the relevant time would have had at least a four-year degree in electrical
`
`engineering, computer science, or related field of study, or equivalent experience,
`
`as well as at least 3-5 years of academic or industry experience in communications
`
`systems, particularly in messaging systems, data networks including VoIP and
`
`mobile telephony, or comparable industry experience. (Forys Decl., ¶ 30.)
`
`
`
`
`
`-7-
`
`
`
`

`

`Petition for Inter Partes Review of
`U.S. Patent No. 8,995,433
`
`C. Claim construction.8
`Claim terms of the ʼ433 Patent are interpreted according to their broadest
`
`reasonable interpretation (BRI) in light of the specification. 37 C.F.R. § 42.100(b);
`
`Cuozzo Speed Techs., LLC v. Lee, 136 S. Ct. 2131, 2142 (2016).
`
`“display[ing] at least one of the plurality of instant voice
`1.
`messages”
`Claim 3 recites, “wherein the instant voice messaging application displays at
`
`least one of the plurality of instant voice messages stored in the message
`
`database.” The ’433 Patent does not provide a definition of this claim element.
`
`
`8 For purposes of consistency and joinder with instituted case IPR2017-
`
`00225, Joinder Petitioners maintain the same claim interpretations set forth by the
`
`Petitioner, Apple, in that proceeding. Joinder Petitioners note that they proposed
`
`constructions of the terms “instant voice messaging application” and “client
`
`platform system” in IPR2017-01427 and -1428 to mean “hardware and/or software
`
`used for instant voice messaging” and “hardware and/or software on a client for
`
`generating an instant voice message,” respectively. Joinder Petitioners believe that
`
`there is no material difference between the petitioners’ stated claim interpretation
`
`positions for purposes of the respective proceedings. Joinder Petitioners also
`
`reserve the rights to maintain or revisit claim constructions in litigation and to
`
`challenge indefiniteness of all claim terms in litigation.
`
`
`
`
`
`-8-
`
`
`
`

`

`Petition for Inter Partes Review of
`U.S. Patent No. 8,995,433
`
`However, the ’433 Patent describes that “A display device 216 is connected to the
`
`IVM client 208 to display instant voice messages recorded and/or received by a
`
`user of the IVM client 208.” (’433 Patent, 7:19-21.) The ’433 Patent also provides
`
`that “[t]he user can select the instant voice message from a listing of available
`
`instant voice messages displayed on the IVM client 208.” (Id., 13:6-9.) A listing
`
`of available voice messages would include information identifying each voice
`
`message, for example a time received, sender, or message title. (Forys Decl., ¶ 84.)
`
`Therefore, given the description provided by the ’433 Patent, the broadest
`
`reasonable interpretation of “display[ing] at least one of the plurality of instant
`
`voice messages” consistent with the specification is “displaying the content or
`
`identifying information of at least one of the plurality of instance voice messages.”
`
`(Forys Decl., ¶ 85.)
`
`All other claim terms should be given their plain and ordinary meaning
`
`under the broadest reasonable construction.
`
`III. State of the Art.
`Prior to the alleged invention, all the technology at issue in the ’433 Patent
`
`was broadly applied and well known by developers of messaging systems. (Forys
`
`Decl., ¶ 44.) No individual elements of the challenged claims were novel at the
`
`time, and there was nothing novel about how those elements were combined.
`
`
`
`
`
`-9-
`
`
`
`

`

`Petition for Inter Partes Review of
`U.S. Patent No. 8,995,433
`
`(Forys Decl., ¶ 46, 53.) Further, there were no technological barriers to combining
`
`these elements to form the claimed invention. (Forys Decl., ¶¶ 45-46.)
`
`As explained by Joinder Petitioners’ expert, Dr. Forys, who has 50 years of
`
`relevant experience, voice messaging, packet-switched networks, and voice over
`
`packet-switched networks are all decades-old technologies. (Forys Decl., ¶¶ 53-
`
`57.) The additional features in the challenged claims were also widely known.
`
`Packet-Switched Networks
`A.
`Packet switching is a message-delivery technique in which small units of
`
`information (packets) are relayed through stations in a computer network along the
`
`best route available between the source and the destination. (Ex. 1012, Sharma,
`
`386.) This communication technique has been in use for decades. (Forys Decl., ¶
`
`54.)
`
`Examples of packet-switched networks and technologies include, but are not
`
`limited to, Ethernet, Internet Protocol (IP), and the Internet. (Ex. 1010, 386; Ex.
`
`1013, Abstract, 4:57-62; Forys Decl., ¶ 55.) Some mobile technologies (e.g.,
`
`GPRS) also use packet switching. (Vuori, [0039]; Forys Decl., ¶ 55.)
`
`B. Voice Messaging
`The ’433 Patent discusses voice mail in the background section. (’433
`
`Patent, 2:23-34.) However, Dr. Forys explains that the discussion omits some
`
`salient features of voice messaging, of which voice mail is one application, for
`
`
`
`
`
`-10-
`
`
`
`

`

`Petition for Inter Partes Review of
`U.S. Patent No. 8,995,433
`
`example “outcall” and “notification” features of early voicemail systems. (Forys
`
`Decl., ¶ 56.) With these features, a user could call into the voice mail system and
`
`initiate a “notification” message that would cause a call to be made to a designated
`
`phone at a specified time notifying them of awaiting messages. (Id., ¶ 57.) An
`
`extension of these features enabled a user to input a voice notification in their own
`
`voice via their phone and the system, and deliver this message to a list of recipients
`
`at a prescribed time, including the current time. (Id.) Features such as these
`
`enabled instant voice messaging years before the ’433 Patent.
`
`
`
`
`
`-11-
`
`
`
`

`

`Petition for Inter Partes Review of
`U.S. Patent No. 8,995,433
`
`IV. Ground 1: Claims 1, 2, 4, and 8 are unpatentable under Pre-AIA 35
`U.S.C. § 103(a) over Abburi in view of Holtzberg.
`A. Overview of Abburi.
`Abburi is directed to “[a] system and method by which individuals can send
`
`and receive audio messages using telephone devices and/or computer devices.”
`
`(Abburi, Abstract.) The method of Figure 1 (reproduced below) depicts the basic
`
`flow of creating a voice message and delivering the message to an intended
`
`recipient.
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`-12-
`
`
`
`

`

`Petition for Inter Partes Review of
`U.S. Patent No. 8,995,433
`
`(Abburi, Figure 1.) As illustrated, a voice message is first received from a sender
`
`for an intended recipient. (Abburi, [0021].) The voice message is stored in memory
`
`while a user profile is accessed for the intended recipient to determine how to
`
`contact the recipient with the voice message (e.g., by phone or sent to a computer
`
`device). (Id.) After the voice message is received, the intended recipient is notified
`
`of the voice message and the message is delivered to the recipient. (Id.) In some
`
`cases, a confirmation of delivery may be provided to the sender. (Id.)
`
`An example system for implementing this process is illustrated in Figure 2
`
`of Abburi.
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`-13-
`
`
`
`

`

`Petition for Inter Partes Review of
`U.S. Patent No. 8,995,433
`
`(Abburi, Figure 2.) Computer server 202 and an interactive voice response (IVR)
`
`system 208 are connected to a variety of user client devices via a widely
`
`distributed computer network 210 and a telecommunications network 212.
`
`(Abburi, [0023].) Widely distributed computer network 210 is a packet-switched
`
`data network, such as the Internet. (Id.) Computer server 202 and IVR system 208
`
`are used to send and receive audio messages between any device connected to
`
`either computer network 210 or telephony network 212, “including but not limited
`
`to a pager 214, a mobile phone 216, a conventional telephone 218, a desktop
`
`computer 220, a handheld computer 222, and the like.” (Id.)
`
`When an audio message is sent to a recipient, Abburi provides the user with
`
`various options to act on the message, for example, “acknowledging receipt of the
`
`message, saving the audio message on the system 200, downloading the audio
`
`message for storage by the recipient, replaying, replying to or forwarding the
`
`received audio message, initiating a new audio message, etc.” (Abburi, [0029].)
`
`Audio message may be delivered to a recipient via audio streaming (i.e., streaming
`
`data packets) through computer network 210, or alternatively the audio message
`
`can be delivered as an audio file. (Id., [0032].)
`
`Figure 3 of Abburi illustrates an example user device that may be connected
`
`to computer network 210, such as such as desktop computer 220 or handheld
`
`computer 222, for sending and receiving voice messages.
`
`
`
`
`
`-14-
`
`
`
`

`

`Petition for Inter Partes Review of
`U.S. Patent No. 8,995,433
`
`
`
`
`(Abburi, Figure 3.) The user device provides a user interface 306 that includes “a
`
`microphone 312 by which a user can input a spoken or other audio message for
`
`recording,” as well as a network interface 310 for interfacing with computer
`
`network 210 and a memory device 304 that may store voice messages received or
`
`to be sent and other related information. (Abburi, [0038].) When a user decides to
`
`send a voice message, the user initiates this process in an embodiment through
`
`input to user interface 306. (Id., [0039].) The user then provides the voice message
`
`to microphone 312, which is routed through network interface 310 and computer
`
`network 210 for delivery to selected recipients. (Id.)
`
`B. Overview of Holtzberg.
`Holtzberg relates to a voicemail system that includes a voicemail database
`
`storing voicemail messages (i.e., audio messages) for users, and provides audio
`
`
`
`
`
`-15-
`
`
`
`

`

`Petition for Inter Partes Review of
`U.S. Patent No. 8,995,433
`
`message storage advantages purported to be provided in the ’433 Patent.
`
`(Holtzberg, 2:55-59, 3:8-10.) The voicemail database contains a voice mailbox for
`
`each user, and the Figure 3 of Holtzberg (reproduced below) illustrates an example
`
`data structure of each voice mailbox stored in the voicemail database.
`
`
`
`(Holtzberg, Figure 3.)
`
`Holtzberg’s database structure provides a unique message ID for each
`
`voicemail message stored in the database: “Each voice mailbox in the database 72
`
`has associated with it a user ID 102. Associated with each user ID 102 is one or
`
`more message IDs 104 for identifying voicemail messages stored in the DB 72 for
`
`the user.” (Holtzberg, 3:6-10.) For each message ID, an associated voice message
`
`record 108 is stored in the database, which includes message content 116
`
`
`
`
`-16-
`
`
`
`

`

`Petition for Inter Partes Review of
`U.S. Patent No. 8,995,433
`
`containing the recorded voice message. (Id., 3:14-25.) As such, a message ID 104
`
`represents a voice message that is stored in the voicemail database, which allows
`
`for efficient access to, and retrieval of, the voice message. (Forys Decl., ¶ 75.)
`
`C. KSR rationale to combine the teachings of Abburi and Holtzberg.
`A POSITA would have found it obvious to enhance the system of Abburi by
`
`implementing the database storage techniques of Holtzberg for audio messages.
`
`(Forys Decl., ¶ 87.) Abburi is generally directed to sending, receiving, and storing
`
`audio messages using telephone devices and/or computer devices, and Holtzberg is
`
`directed to a voicemail system that includes a voicemail database storing audio
`
`messages. (Abburi, Abstract, ¶ [0032]; Holtzberg, 2:55-56, 3:8-10.) Thus, both
`
`Abburi and Holtzberg are directed to the same field of endeavor and are both
`
`concerned with manipulation and storage of audio messages. (Forys Decl., ¶ 87.)
`
`Abburi describes recording and storing an audio message when sending a
`
`message (e.g., in Memory Device 304) and transmitting the message for delivery to
`
`an intended recipient. (Abburi, [0040].) When an audio file is delivered to its
`
`intended recipient, “the recipient can store and subsequently playback at his or her
`
`option.” (Id., [0032].) Abburi does not provide explicit details of audio message
`
`storage, but Holtzberg provides a specific storage scheme. (Forys Decl., ¶ 88.)
`
`A POSITA would have looked to Holtzberg to improve the storage
`
`techniques of Abburi for multiple reasons. (Forys Decl., ¶ 89.) First, assigning a
`
`
`
`
`
`-17-
`
`
`
`

`

`Petition for Inter Partes Review of
`U.S. Patent No. 8,995,433
`
`unique message ID to each audio message can drastically improve query
`
`performance. (Id.) For example, an index created on the unique message ID can be
`
`used to reduce retrieval time of a stored audio message. (Id.) Se