`U.S. Patent No. 8,724,622
`UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`_________________________
`BEFORE THE PATENT TRIAL AND APPEAL BOARD
`________________________
`
`HUAWEI DEVICE CO., LTD. and LG ELECTRONICS, INC.,
`Petitioners
`v.
`UNILOC LUXEMBOURG S.A.,
`Patent Owner
`U.S. Patent No. 8,724,622
`TITLE: SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR INSTANT VOIP MESSAGING
`
`
`PETITION FOR INTER PARTES REVIEW OF U.S. PATENT NO. 8,724,622
`CLAIMS 3, 6-8, 10, 11, 13, 14-23, 27-35, 38, 39
`
`DC: 6520414-1
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`Table of Contents
`
`Page
`I. Mandatory Notices Under 37 C.F.R. § 42.8(A)(1) ......................................... 1
`A.
`Real Party-In-Interest under 37 C.F.R. § 42.8(b)(1) ............................ 1
`B.
`Related Matters under 37 C.F.R. § 42.8(b)(2) ..................................... 1
`C.
`Lead and Back-Up Counsel under 37 C.F.R. § 42.8(b)(3) ................... 3
`D.
`Service Information .............................................................................. 5
`E.
`Power of Attorney ................................................................................ 5
`II.
`Fee Payment - 37 C.F.R. § 42.103 ................................................................... 5
`III. Requirements For Inter Partes Review Under 37 C.F.R. §§ 42.104
`AND 42.108 .................................................................................................... 5
`A. Grounds for Standing under 37 C.F.R. § 42.104(a) ............................. 5
`B.
`Identification of Challenge under 37 C.F.R. § 42.104(b) and
`Statement of Precise Relief Requested ................................................. 6
`IV. Person of Ordinary Skill in the Art ................................................................. 6
`V.
`Claim Construction Under 37 C.F.R. § 42.104(B)(3) ..................................... 7
`A.
`“instant voice messaging application” ................................................. 7
`B.
`“client platform system” ..................................................................... 10
`C.
`“communication platform system” ..................................................... 11
`VI. The Challenged Claims are Unpatentable .................................................... 12
`A.
`Brief Summary and Date Qualification of the Prior Art .................... 12
`1.
`Overview of Zydney (Ex. 1003) .............................................. 12
`2.
`Overview Of Shinder (Ex. 1014) ............................................. 15
`3.
`Overview of Clark (Ex. 1008) ................................................. 16
`
`- i -
`
`
`
`Table of Contents
`(continued)
`
`B.
`
`(c)
`
`Page
`Overview of Appelman (Ex. 1004) .......................................... 17
`4.
`Ground 1: Claims 3, 6-8, 10, 11, 13, 18-21, 23, 27, 32-35, and
`38 Are Obvious Over Zydney + Shinder ........................................... 19
`1.
`Claim 3 (Independent) ............................................................. 19
`(a)
`“A system comprising:” (Preamble, Claim 3) ............... 19
`(b)
`“a network interface connected to a packet-
`switched network;” (Claim 3[a]) ................................... 19
`(i)
`“a network interface” ........................................... 19
`(ii)
`“…connected to a packet-switched
`network;” ............................................................. 24
`“a messaging system communicating with a
`plurality of instant voice message client systems
`via the network interface; and” (Claim 3[b]) ................. 25
`“a communication platform system maintaining
`connection information for each of the plurality of
`instant voice message client systems indicating
`whether there is a current connection to each of the
`plurality of instant voice message client systems,”
`(Claim 3[c]) .................................................................... 29
`“wherein the messaging system receives an instant
`voice message from one of the plurality of instant
`voice message client systems, and” (Claim 3[d]) .......... 31
`“wherein the instant voice message includes an
`object field including a digitized audio file.”
`(Claim 3[e]) .................................................................... 32
`(iii) “object field” ....................................................... 32
`
`(d)
`
`(e)
`
`(f)
`
`- ii -
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`
`
`2.
`
`3.
`
`4.
`
`5.
`
`6.
`
`Table of Contents
`(continued)
`
`Page
`“digitized audio file” ........................................... 34
`(iv)
`Claim 6 (Dependent): “The system according to claim 3,
`wherein the instant voice message includes an identifier
`field including a unique identifier associated with the
`instant voice message.” ............................................................ 34
`Claim 7 (Dependent): “The system according to claim 3,
`wherein the instant voice message includes a source field
`including a unique identifier associated with at least one
`of a given one of the plurality of instant voice message
`client systems that created the instant voice message and
`a given one of the plurality of users using the given one
`of the plurality of instant voice message client systems.” ....... 36
`Claim 8 (Dependent): “The system according to claim 3,
`wherein the instant voice message includes a destination
`field including a unique identifier associated with at least
`one of a given one of the plurality of instant voice
`message client systems identified as a recipient of the
`instant voice message and a given one of the plurality of
`users using the given one of the plurality of instant voice
`message client systems.” .......................................................... 39
`Claim 10 (Dependent): “The system according to claim
`3, further comprising: a message database storing the
`instant voice messages received from the instant voice
`message client systems.” .......................................................... 40
`Claim 11 (Dependent) .............................................................. 41
`(a)
`“The system according to claim 3, wherein, upon
`receipt of an instant voice message, the
`communication platform system determines if
`there is the current connection to one of the
`plurality of instant voice message client systems
`
`- iii -
`
`
`
`Table of Contents
`(continued)
`
`Page
`
`(b)
`
`(b)
`
`identified as a recipient of the instant voice
`message,” ....................................................................... 41
`“and if there is no connection with the one of the
`plurality of instant voice message client system
`identified as the recipient, the instant voice
`message is stored and delivered when the one of
`the plurality of instant voice message client
`systems identified as the recipient re-established a
`connection.” ................................................................... 43
`Claim 13 (Dependent) .............................................................. 44
`(a)
`“The system according to claim 3, wherein each of
`the instant voice message client systems comprises
`an instant voice messaging application…” .................... 44
`“… [an instant voice messaging application]
`generating an instant voice message and
`transmitting the instant voice message over the
`packet-switched network to the messaging
`system.” ......................................................................... 45
`Claim 18 (Dependent): “The system according to claim
`13, wherein the instant voice messaging application
`includes an audio file creation system creating an audio
`file for the instant voice message based on input received
`via an audio input device coupled to the client device.” ......... 46
`Claim 19 (Dependent): “The system according to claim
`13, wherein the instant voice messaging application
`includes an encryption/decryption system for encrypting
`the instant voice messages to be transmitted over the
`packet-switched network and decrypting the instant
`voices [sic] messages received over the packet-switched
`network.” .................................................................................. 47
`
`7.
`
`8.
`
`9.
`
`- iv -
`
`
`
`Table of Contents
`(continued)
`
`Page
`
`10. Claim 20 (Dependent): “The system according to claim
`13, 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.” .................................................................................. 49
`11. Claim 21 (Dependent): “The system according to claim
`13, wherein the instant voice messaging application
`displays a list of one or more potential recipients for the
`instant voice message.” ............................................................ 50
`12. Claim 23 (Dependent): “The system according to claim
`13, wherein the instant voice message application
`generates an audible or visual effect indicating receipt of
`an instant voice message.” ....................................................... 50
`13. Claim 27 (Independent) ........................................................... 51
`(a)
`“A system comprising: a client device;” (Claim
`27[a]) .............................................................................. 51
`“a network interface coupled to the client device
`and connecting the client device to a packet-
`switched network; and” (Claim 27[b]) .......................... 52
`“an instant voice messaging application installed
`on the client device, wherein the instant voice
`messaging application includes a client platform
`system for generating an instant voice message
`and,” (Claim 27[c1]) ...................................................... 53
`“a messaging system for transmitting the instant
`voice message over the packet-switched network
`via the network interface,” (Claim 27[c2]) .................... 54
`
`(b)
`
`(c)
`
`(d)
`
`- v -
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`
`
`Table of Contents
`(continued)
`
`Page
`
`(e)
`
`(b)
`
`C.
`
`“wherein the instant voice messaging application
`includes a document handler system for attaching
`one or more files to the instant voice message.”
`(Claim 27[d]) ................................................................. 55
`14. Claims 32-35 (Dependent) ....................................................... 57
`15. Claim 38 (Independent) ........................................................... 58
`(a)
`“A system comprising:” (Claim 38 Preamble) “a
`client device;” (Claim 38[a]) ......................................... 58
`“a display displaying a list of one or more potential
`recipients for an instant voice message.” (Claim
`38[d]) ............................................................................. 58
`Ground 2: Claims 14-17 and 28-31 Are Obvious Over Zydney
`+ Shinder, In Further View of Clark .................................................. 59
`1.
`Claim 14 (Dependent): “The system according to claim
`13, 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
`Claim 15 (Dependent): “The system according to claim
`14, wherein the message database includes a plurality of
`instant voice messages recorded by a user of the client
`device and instant voice messages received over the
`packet-switched network.” ....................................................... 65
`Claim 16 (Dependent): “The system according to claim
`15, wherein the instant voice messaging application
`displays at least one of the plurality of instant voice
`messages stored in the message database.” ............................. 66
`Claim 17 (Dependent): “The system according to claim
`14, wherein the instant voice messaging application
`
`2.
`
`3.
`
`4.
`
`- vi -
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`
`
`Table of Contents
`(continued)
`
`Page
`
`includes a file manager system performing at least one of
`storing, deleting and retrieving the instant voice
`messages from the message database.” .................................... 67
`Claims 28-31 (Dependent) ....................................................... 69
`5.
`D. Ground 3: Claims 22 and 39 Are Obvious Over Zydney +
`Shinder, In Further View of Appelman .............................................. 70
`VII. CONCLUSION ............................................................................................. 76
`
`
`- vii -
`
`
`
`Petition for Inter Partes Review of
`U.S. Patent No. 8,724,622
`
`List of Exhibits
`
`Description of Document
`Ex. No
`1001 U.S. Patent No. 8,724,622 to Michael J. Rojas (filed July 11, 2012,
`issued May 13, 2014)
`1002 Declaration of Tal Lavian, Ph.D.
`PCT Patent Application No. PCT/US00/21555 to Herbert Zydney et
`1003
`al. (filed August 7, 2000, published February 15, 2001 as WO
`01/11824 A2) (“Zydney”) (with line numbers added)
`1004 U.S. Patent No. 6,750,881 to Barry Appelman (filed February 24,
`1997, issued June 15, 2004) (“Appelman”)
`
`1005
`
`Excerpts from MARGARET LEVINE YOUNG, INTERNET: THE
`COMPLETE REFERENCE (McGraw-Hill/Osborne, 2d ed. 2002)
`1006 N. Borenstein et al., Request for Comments (RFC) 1521: MIME
`(Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions) Part One: Mechanisms for
`Specifying and Describing the Format of Internet Message Bodies,
`September 1993 (“RFC 1521”)
`1007 U.S. Patent No. 6,757,365 B1 to Travis A. Bogard (filed October 16,
`2000, issued June 29, 2004)
`
`1008 U.S. Patent No. 6,725,228 to David Morley Clark et al. (filed
`October 31, 2000, issued April 20, 2004) (“Clark”)
`
`1009
`
`Excerpts from PAUL S. HETHMON, ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO
`HTTP (Manning Publications Co., 1997) (“Hethmon”)
`
`1010
`
`Excerpts from CRAIG HUNT, TCP/IP NETWORK
`ADMINISTRATION (O’Reilly, 2d Ed. 1998) (“Hunt”)
`
`- viii -
`
`
`
`Petition for Inter Partes Review of
`U.S. Patent No. 8,724,622
`
`List of Exhibits
`
`Ex. No
`
`Description of Document
`
`1011 HTTP Working Group, Hypertext Transfer Protocol – HTTP/1.1,
`Nov. 22, 1995 (draft-ietf-http-v11-spec-00.txt)
`
`1012
`
`1013
`
`1014
`
`1015
`
`Excerpts from MICROSOFT COMPUTER DICTIONARY
`(Microsoft Press, 3d ed. 1997)
`
`PCT Patent Application No. PCT/US00/21555 to Herbert Zydney et
`al. (filed August 7, 2000, published February 15, 2001 as WO
`01/11824 A2) (as-published version without added line numbers)
`
`Excerpts from DEBRA LITTLEJOHN SHINDER,
`COMPUTER NETWORKING ESSENTIALS (Cisco
`Press, 2002) (“Shinder”)
`
`Library of Congress stamped/dated copy of PAUL S.
`HETHMON, ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO HTTP (Manning
`Publications Co., 1997)
`
`1016
`
`Library date stamped copy of CRAIG HUNT, TCP/IP NETWORK
`ADMINISTRATION (O’Reilly, 2d Ed. 1998)
`
`1017
`
`1018
`
`Library of Congress stamped/dated copy of DEBRA LITTLEJOHN
`SHINDER, COMPUTER NETWORKING ESSENTIALS (Cisco
`Press, 2001)
`Excerpts from Microsoft Press Computer Dictionary (1991)
`(“Microsoft (1991)”)
`1019 U.S. Patent No. 6,173,323 to Pratyush Moghe (filed Dec. 24, 1997,
`issued January 9, 2001) (“Moghe”)
`
`- ix -
`
`
`
`Petition for Inter Partes Review of
`U.S. Patent No. 8,724,622
`Petitioners Huawei Device Co., Ltd. (“Huawei”) and LG Electronics, Inc.
`
`(“LG”) file this petition for Inter Partes Review of claims 3, 6-8, 10, 11, 13, 14-23,
`
`27-35, 38, and 39 of U.S. Patent No. 8,724,622 (Ex. 1001) (“’622 patent”).
`
`This petition is substantively the same as IPR2017-01677 (which is currently
`
`pending institution), and is being filed concurrently with a motion for joinder with
`
`respect to that proceeding.
`
`I. MANDATORY NOTICES UNDER 37 C.F.R. § 42.8(A)(1)
`A. Real Party-In-Interest under 37 C.F.R. § 42.8(b)(1)
`Huawei Device Co., Ltd., Huawei Device USA, Inc., Huawei Investment &
`
`Holding Co., Ltd., Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd., Huawei Device (Dongguan) Co.,
`
`Ltd., LG Electronics, Inc., LG Electronics U.S.A., Inc., and LG Electronics
`
`MobileComm USA, Inc. are identified here as real parties-in-interest to this inter
`
`partes review petition.
`
`B. Related Matters under 37 C.F.R. § 42.8(b)(2)
`The ’622 patent is the subject of several pending requests for inter partes
`
`review (IPR2017-01667 and IPR2017-01668) filed by Facebook, Inc. on June 22,
`
`2017; (IPR2017-00223 and IPR2017-00224) filed by Apple Inc. on November 14,
`
`2016 were denied institution on May 25, 2017; (IPR2017-01797 and IPR2017-
`
`01798) filed by Samsung Electronics America, Inc. on July 20, 2017; and (IPR2017-
`
`1804 and IPR2017-01805) filed by Apple Inc. on July 20, 2017. The Petitioners
`
`- 1 -
`
`
`
`Petition for Inter Partes Review of
`U.S. Patent No. 8,724,622
`herein are not parties to the above listed petitions and were not involved in the
`
`preparation of those petitions.
`
`The ’622 patent is also the subject of two pending litigations involving the
`
`Petitioners: Uniloc USA, Inc. et al. v. Huawei Device USA, Inc. et al., Case No.
`
`2:16-cv-00994-JRG (E.D. Tex. filed September 6, 2016 and Uniloc USA, Inc. et al.
`
`v. LG Electronics U.S.A., Inc. et al., Case No. 2:16-cv-00991-JRG (E.D. Tex. filed
`
`September 6, 2016), which have been consolidated for pretrial purposes with Uniloc
`
`USA, Inc. et al. v. Motorola Mobility LLC, Case No. 2:16-cv- 00992-JRG (E.D.
`
`Tex.). This petition is timely under the one year statute of limitations in 35 U.S.C.
`
`§ 315(b). Currently, these litigations are stayed pending the outcome of IPR
`
`petitions filed by third party Apple Inc.
`
`The Petitioners are also aware of the following additional pending litigations
`
`involving the ’622 patent: Uniloc USA, Inc. et al. v. Apple Inc., Case No. 2:16-cv-
`
`00638-JRG (E.D. Tex.); Uniloc USA, Inc. et al. v. Samsung Electronics America, Inc.,
`
`Case No. 2:16-cv-00642-JRG (E.D. Tex.); Uniloc USA, Inc. et al. v. WhatsApp, Inc., Case
`
`No. 2:16-cv-00645-JRG (E.D. Tex.); Uniloc USA, Inc. et al. v. Snap Inc., Case No.
`
`2:16-cv-00696-JRG (E.D. Tex.); Uniloc USA, Inc. et al. v. Facebook, Inc., Case No.
`
`2:16-cv-00728- JRG (E.D. Tex.); Uniloc USA, Inc. et al. v. Green Tomato Limited,
`
`Case No. 2:16-cv-00731-JRG (E.D. Tex.); Uniloc USA, Inc. et al. v. Sony Interactive
`
`Entertainment LLC., Case No. 2:16-cv-00732-JRG (E.D. Tex.); Uniloc USA, Inc. et
`
`- 2 -
`
`
`
`Petition for Inter Partes Review of
`U.S. Patent No. 8,724,622
`al. v. Avaya Inc., Case No. 2:16-cv-00777-JRG (E.D. Tex.); Uniloc USA, Inc. et al.
`
`v. Telegram Messenger, LLP, Case No. 2:16-cv-00892-JRG (E.D. Tex.); Uniloc
`
`USA, Inc. et al. v. HTC America, Inc., Case No. 2:16-cv-00989-JRG (E.D. Tex.);
`
`Uniloc USA, Inc. et al. v. Motorola Mobility LLC, Case No. 2:16-cv-00992-JRG
`
`(E.D. Tex.); Uniloc USA, Inc. et al. v. ZTE (USA), Inc. et al., Case No. 2:16-cv-
`
`00993-JRG (E.D. Tex.); Uniloc USA, Inc. et al. v. Google, Inc., Case No. 2:17-cv-
`
`00214-JRG (E.D. Tex.); Uniloc USA, Inc. et al. v. Google, Inc., Case No. 2:17-cv-
`
`00224-JRG (E.D. Tex.); Uniloc USA, Inc. et al. v. Google, Inc., Case No. 2:17-cv-
`
`00231-JRG (E.D. Tex.); and Uniloc USA, Inc. et al. v. KIK Interactive, Inc., Case
`
`No. 2:17-cv-00347-JRG (E.D. Tex.); Uniloc USA, Inc. et al. v. Hike Ltd., Case No.
`
`2:17-cv-00349-JRG (E.D. Tex.). Although the Petitioners are not parties to those
`
`other litigations, because they involve allegations of infringement of the ’622 patent,
`
`they may be impacted by a decision by the Board in this IPR proceeding.
`
`C. Lead and Back-Up Counsel under 37 C.F.R. § 42.8(b)(3)
`Petitioners provide the following designation of counsel.
`
`Huawei
`
`LG
`
`David A. Garr (Reg. No. 74,932)
`Lead Counsel for Huawei
`dgarr@cov.com
`Covington & Burling LLP
`One CityCenter
`850 Tenth Street, NW
`Washington, DC 20001
`
`Anand K. Sharma (Reg. No. 43,916)
`Back-up Counsel for LG
`anand.sharma@finnegan.com
`LG-Uniloc-IPR@finnegan.com
`FINNEGAN, HENDERSON,
`FARABOW, GARRETT & DUNNER,
`L.L.P.
`
`- 3 -
`
`
`
`Petition for Inter Partes Review of
`U.S. Patent No. 8,724,622
`Huawei
`
`T: 202-662-6000
`F: 202-662-6291
`
`
`Gregory S. Discher (Reg. No. 42,488)
`Back-up Counsel for Huawei
`gdischer@cov.com
`Covington & Burling LLP
`One CityCenter
`850 Tenth Street, NW
`Washington, DC 20001
`T: 202-662-6000
`F: 202-662-6291
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`LG
`
`901 New York Avenue, NW
`Washington, DC 20001-4413
`Tel: (202) 408-4000
`Fax: (202) 408-4400
`Minjae Kang (Reg. No. 67,054)
`Back-up Counsel for LG
`minjae.kang@finnegan.com
`FINNEGAN, HENDERSON,
`FARABOW, GARRETT & DUNNER,
`L.L.P.
`Two Freedom Square
`11955 Freedom Drive
`Tel: (571) 203-2700
`Fax: (202) 408-4400
`Joshua L. Goldberg (Reg. No. 59,369)
`Back-up Counsel for LG
`joshua.goldberg@finnegan.com
`FINNEGAN, HENDERSON,
`FARABOW, GARRETT & DUNNER,
`L.L.P.
`901 New York Avenue, NW
`Washington, DC 20001-4413
`Tel: (202) 408-4000
`Fax: (202) 408-4400
`Bradford C. Schulz (Reg. No. 75,006)
`Back-up Counsel for LG
`bradford.schulz@finnegan.com
`FINNEGAN, HENDERSON,
`FARABOW, GARRETT & DUNNER,
`L.L.P.
`Two Freedom Square
`11955 Freedom Drive
`Tel: (571) 203-2700
`Fax: (202) 408-4400
`
`- 4 -
`
`
`
`Petition for Inter Partes Review of
`U.S. Patent No. 8,724,622
`Service Information
`D.
`This Petition is being served to the current correspondence address for the
`
`’622 patent, Legacy Town Center, 7160 Dallas Parkway, Suite 380, Plano, Texas
`
`75024. The Petitioners consent to electronic service at the addresses provided above
`
`for lead and back-up counsel.
`
`Power of Attorney
`E.
`Filed concurrently in accordance with 37 C.F.R. § 42.10(b).
`
`II.
`
`FEE PAYMENT - 37 C.F.R. § 42.103
`This Petition requests review of 28 claims. A payment of $29,800 is
`
`submitted herewith, based on a $10,600 request fee and $19,200 post-institution fee.
`
`This Petition meets the fee requirements of 35 U.S.C. § 312(a)(1). If additional fees
`
`are due at any time during this proceeding, the Director is hereby authorized to
`
`charge such fees to Deposit Account Number 50-0740.
`
`III. REQUIREMENTS FOR INTER PARTES REVIEW UNDER 37 C.F.R. §§ 42.104
`AND 42.108
`A. Grounds for Standing under 37 C.F.R. § 42.104(a)
`The Petitioners certify that the ’622 patent is available for inter partes review
`
`and they are not barred or estopped from requesting inter partes review on the
`
`grounds identified herein.
`
`- 5 -
`
`
`
`Petition for Inter Partes Review of
`U.S. Patent No. 8,724,622
`Identification of Challenge under 37 C.F.R. § 42.104(b) and
`B.
`Statement of Precise Relief Requested
`The Petitioners request that the Board initiate inter partes review on the
`
`following grounds (bold underlining showing independent claims):
`
`Ground
`1
`
`2
`
`3
`
`Claims
`3, 6-8, 10,
`11, 13, 18-
`21, 23, 27,
`32-35, 38
`14-17,
`28-31
`22, 39
`
`Basis for Challenge
`Unpatentable over Zydney (Ex. 1003) and Shinder (Ex.
`1014) under § 103(a)
`
`Unpatentable over Zydney (Ex. 1003) and Shinder (Ex.
`1014) and Clark (Ex. 1008), under § 103(a)
`Unpatentable over Zydney (Ex. 1003) and Shinder (Ex.
`1014) and Appelman (Ex. 1004), under § 103(a)
`
`Part VI below explains why the challenged claims are unpatentable based on
`
`these grounds. These references were not cited during the original ’622 patent
`
`prosecution, and were not cited in the separate IPR petitions filed by Apple Inc.
`
`(IPR2017-00223 and IPR2017-00224) that were denied by the Board on May 25,
`
`2017. Submitted with the Petition is the Declaration and CV of Tal Lavian, Ph.D.
`
`(Exhibit 1002 and Ex. A) (“Lavian”).
`
`IV. PERSON OF ORDINARY SKILL IN THE ART
`As Dr. Lavian explains, a person of ordinary skill in the art (“PHOSITA”) for
`
`purposes of the ’622 patent would have possessed at least a bachelor’s degree in
`
`computer science, computer engineering, or electrical engineering with at least two
`
`- 6 -
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`
`
`Petition for Inter Partes Review of
`U.S. Patent No. 8,724,622
`years of experience in development and programming relating to network
`
`communication systems (or equivalent degree or experience). (Lavian, ¶¶13-15.)
`
`V. CLAIM CONSTRUCTION UNDER 37 C.F.R. § 42.104(B)(3)
`“instant voice messaging application”
`A.
`The broadest reasonable interpretation of an “instant voice messaging
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`application” in the context of the claims of the ’622 patent is “hardware and/or
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`software used for instant voice messaging.” (Lavian, ¶¶49-57.)1
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`The written description does not use the word “application” in any way
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`relevant to the alleged invention. The word “application” appears in the written
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`description solely in reference to related patent applications. (’622, 1:4-14.) The
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`term “application” to a PHOSITA typically refers to computer software for
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`performing a particular function. (Lavian, ¶53.) But the written description of the
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`’622 patent indicates that the term “instant voice messaging application” should not
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`be limited to software.
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`1 The Petitioners do not contend that any term herein, under its broadest reasonable
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`construction, is a “means-plus-function” element subject to 35 U.S.C. § 112, ¶6
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`(pre- AIA). The Petitioners reserve their right to argue that terms are indefinite
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`under narrower litigation claim construction standards.
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`The written description does not identify any particular software program
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`capable of performing all of the functions associated with the “instant voice
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`messaging application” recited in the claims. (Id., ¶54.) To the contrary, the patent
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`describes these functions as being performed by an instant voice messaging (“IVM”)
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`client, IVM client 208, which is a “general-purpose programmable computer.”
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`(’622, 12:11-14.) Figure 3, an excerpt of which is reproduced below, shows these
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`various boxes inside IVM client 208 (shown in annotated red box).
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`(Id., Fig. 3 (annotation added).) IVM client 208 in Figure 3 above contains client
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`platform 302 and messaging system 320. (Id., 12:17-21; 12:6-11.)
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`Claims 27 and 38 recite an “instant voice messaging application” that
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`includes a “client platform system” and a “messaging system,” which correspond
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`to the two components of the IVM client 208 from Figure 3 above. This
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`correspondence indicates that the ’622 patent equates the claimed “instant voice
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`messaging application” with the IVM client 208 which, as noted above, is a general-
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`purpose computer. (’622, 12:11-14.) Accordingly, “instant voice messaging
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`application” should not under its broadest reasonable construction be limited to
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`software. (Lavian, ¶¶55, 56.) The broadest reasonable interpretation of “instant
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`voice messaging application” is “hardware and/or software used for instant
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`voice messaging.” (Id. ¶57.)
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`“client platform system”
`B.
`As noted in the preceding section, one component of the claimed “instant
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`voice messaging application” is a “client platform system.” In particular, claims
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`27 and 38 state that the “instant voice messaging application” includes “a client
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`platform system for generating an instant voice message.” As shown below, the
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`broadest reasonable construction of “client platform system” is “hardware and/or
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`software on a client for generating an instant voice message.” (Lavian, ¶¶58-62.)
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`The written description does not use the term “client platform system” but
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`describes “client platform 302” whose purpose is “generating an instant voice
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`message.” (’622, 12:7-8.)
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`The written description further states that the client platform 302 “comprises
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`a client engine 304, which controls other components” such as the document handler,
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`file manager, and encryption/decryption. (Id., 12:17-21.) The written description
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`does not identify what “client engine 304” actually is, e.g., whether it is hardware
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`and/or software. The written description instead provides a functional description
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`of client engine 304 as performing at least two functions: (1) communicating with
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`the server and (2) performing operations required to generate an instant voice
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`message. (Id., 12:24-25, 13:15-28.) Figure 3 similarly shows client engine 304 as
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`a nondescript box within client platform 302. (Id., Fig. 3.)
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`As explained above, the claimed “instant voice messaging application” is
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`composed of hardware and/or software under its broadest reasonable construction.
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`Because the claimed “client platform system” is part of the “instant messaging
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`application,” the “client platform system” under its broadest reasonable construction
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`should similarly not be limited to software. Accordingly, “client platform system”
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`under its broadest reasonable construction is “hardware and/or software on a
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`client for generating an instant voice message.” (Lavian, ¶¶61-62.)
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`“communication platform system”
`C.
`Claim 3 recites “a communication platform system maintaining connection
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`information for each of the plurality of instant voice message client systems
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`indicating whether there is a current connection to each of the plurality of instant
`voice message client systems.”2 The specification describes the “communication
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`platform” as being a part of the IVM server 202. (Lavian, ¶¶64-65 (citing ’622,
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`13:46-55, Fig. 4 (item 402).) Accordingly, the broadest reasonable construction of
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`2 Unless otherwise indicated, all underlining or boldface type in quotations
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`appearing in this Petition has been added for emphasis.
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`this term is a “system of the server which relays communications and/or tracks
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`client connection information,” which is consistent with the function of the
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`communication platform system recited in the claim. (Lavian, ¶¶63-65.)
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`VI. THE CHALLENGED CLAIMS ARE UNPATENTABLE
`The challenged claims are unpatentable based on the grounds identified in
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`Part III.B above. This Petition will first provide an overview of each reference
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`and then describe the proposed grounds in detail.
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`A. Brief Summary and Date Qualification of the Prior Art
`1. Overview of Zydney (Ex. 1003)
`Zydney is a published PCT application that describes a system for voice
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`communication that enables a user to send instant voice messages, which Zydney
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`calls “voice containers.” (Zydney, Ex. 1003, 2:2-3.) The system transmits the voice
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`containers “instantaneously or stored for later delivery,” depending on whether or
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`not the recipient is currently online. (Id., 1:19-22, 15:8-21.) Zydney qualifies as
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`prior art under 35 U.S.C. § 102(b) (pre-AIA).
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`The Petitioners also note that Zydney contains page numbers but not line
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`numbers. For convenience and ease of reference, Exhibit 1003 contains a copy of
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`Zydney in which line numbers have been added to the left of each page (beginning
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`on page 1), to facilitate precise citation. Any citations to line numbers of Zydney in
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`this Petition and in the Lavian Declaration, therefore, refer to those added line
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`numbers. A copy of the original Zydney reference without line numbers is submitted
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`as Exhibit 1013.
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`The system of Zydney is generally shown in Figure 1A, reproduced below.
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`(Zydney, Fig. 1A (highlighting added).)
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`Three key components of the system include the “SENDER PC SOFTWARE
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`AGENT” shown on the left (22), the “RECIPIENT PC SOFTWARE AGENT”
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`shown on the right (28), and the “CENTRAL SERVER” shown in the middle (24)
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`of Figure 1A. (Id., 10:19-11:1.) Zydney explains that the sender and recipient
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`software agents may work on any suitable client device such as “a personal
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`computer, wireless handheld computer such a personal data assistant (PDA), digital
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`telephone, or beeper.” (Id., 11:14-20.) Central server (24) facilitates instant voice
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`messaging between the sender and the recipient. (Id., 10:20-11:1.) The sender,
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`recipient, and central server communicate with each other using a communications
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`network, as shown with the bottom cloud labeled “INTERNET” in Figure 1A. (Id.,
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`Fig. 1A; see also id., 5:4-5, 5:15-18, 10:11-14, 14:2-5.)
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`Sending an instant voice message from a sender to a recipient in Zydney is
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`straightforward. A message sender (originator) “selects one or more intended
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`recipients from a list of names that have been previously entered into the software
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`agent.” (Id., 14:17-19.) The sender also “digitally records messages for one or more
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`recipients using a microphone-equipped device and the software agent. The
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`software agent compresses the voice and stores th