throbber

`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`
`
`
`
`
`
`BEFORE THE PATENT TRIAL AND APPEAL BOARD
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`ALIGN TECHNOLOGY, INC.
`Petitioner
`
`v.
`
`3SHAPE A/S
`Patent Owner
`
`
`
`Case No. IPR2019-00118
`Patent 9,962,244
`
`
`
`
`
`PETITION FOR INTER PARTES REVIEW
`OF U.S. PATENT No. 9,962,244
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`Mail Stop PATENT BOARD
`Patent Trial and Appeal Board
`U.S. Patent & Trademark Office
`P.O. Box 1450
`Alexandria, VA 22313-1450
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`

`

`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`Petition for IPR2019-00118
` U.S. Patent No. 9,962,244
`
`TABLE OF CONTENTS
`Introduction ..................................................................................................... 1 
`I. 
`Identification of challenge (37 C.F.R. §42.104(b)) ........................................ 2 
`II. 
`III.  The Board should not unjustly prevent Align from challenging the ’244
`Patent. ............................................................................................................. 4 
`IV.  The Board should institute trial notwithstanding 35 U.S.C. § 325(d). ........... 5 
`V.  Overview of the ’244 Patent ......................................................................... 10 
`VI.  POSITA ........................................................................................................ 14 
`VII.  Ground 1: The combination of Fisker and Tanaka renders claims 31 and 32
`obvious. ......................................................................................................... 14 
`A.  Claim 31 ...................................................................................................... 14 
`1. 
`[31.P]: “A focus scanner for recording surface geometry and surface
`color of an object” ............................................................................................. 14 
`2. 
`[31.1]: “a multichromatic light source configured for providing a
`multichromatic probe light for illumination of the object” ............................... 15 
`3. 
`[31.2.a]: “a color image sensor comprising an array of image sensor
`pixels for capturing one or more 2D images of light received from said object”
`
`16 
`4. 
`[31.2.b]: “where the color image sensor comprises a color filter array
`comprising at least three types of colors filters, each allowing light in a known
`wavelength range, W1, W2, and W3 respectively, to propagate through the
`color filter” ........................................................................................................ 16 
`5. 
`[31.3.a]: “wherein the focus scanner is configured to operate by
`translating a focus plane along an optical axis of the focus scanner” ............... 17 
`6. 
`[31.3.b]: “wherein the focus scanner is configured to operate
`by…capturing a series of the 2D images, each 2D image of the series is at a
`different focus plane position such that the series of captured 2D images forms
`a stack of 2D images” ....................................................................................... 18 
`7. 
`[31.4.a]: “a data processing system configured to derive surface geometry
`information for a block of said image sensor pixels from the 2D images in the
`stack of 2D images captured by said color image sensor”................................ 18 
`
`
`
`- i -
`
`

`

`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`Petition for IPR2019-00118
` U.S. Patent No. 9,962,244
`
`[31.4.b]: “the data processing system also configured to derive surface
`8. 
`color information for the block of said image sensor pixels from at least one of
`the 2D images used to derive the surface geometry information” .................... 19 
`9. 
`[31.5.a]: “where the data processing system further is configured to
`derive the surface geometry information is derived from light in a selected
`wavelength range of the spectrum provided by the multichromatic light
`source” ............................................................................................................... 21 
`10. 
`[31.5.b]: “where the color filter array is such that its proportion of pixels
`with color filters that match the selected wavelength range of the spectrum is
`larger than 50%.”............................................................................................... 21 
`a) 
`Fisker ..................................................................................................... 21 
`b)  Tanaka ................................................................................................... 22 
`c)  Motivation to Combine: Fisker and Tanaka ......................................... 23 
`B.  Claim 32 ...................................................................................................... 25 
`1. 
`[32.P]-[32.5.a] .......................................................................................... 25 
`2. 
`[32.5.b]: “the filters are arranged in a plurality of cells of 6×6 color
`filters, where the color filters in positions (2,2) and (5,5) of each cell are of the
`W1 type, the color filters in positions (2,5) and (5,2) are of the W3 type.” ..... 26 
`a) 
`Fisker ..................................................................................................... 26 
`b)  Tanaka ................................................................................................... 26 
`c)  Motivation to Combine: Fisker and Tanaka ......................................... 28 
`VIII.  Grounds 2 and 3: The combinations of Fisker and Suzuki (Ground 2) and
`Fisker and Cai (Ground 3) render claim 34 obvious. ................................... 29 
`A.  Claim 34 ...................................................................................................... 29 
`1. 
`Limitations [34.P]-[34.4.b] ....................................................................... 29 
`2. 
`[34.4.c]: “where deriving the surface geometry information and surface
`color information comprises calculating for several 2D images a correlation
`measure between the portion of the 2D image captured by said block of image
`sensor pixels and a weight funcion, where the weight function is determined
`based on information of the configuration of the spatial pattern” .................... 29 
`3. 
`[34.4.d]: “identifying the position along the optical axis at which the
`corresponding correlation measure has a maximum value” ............................. 30 
`
`
`
`- ii -
`
`

`

`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`Petition for IPR2019-00118
` U.S. Patent No. 9,962,244
`
`[34.4.e]: “where the data processing system further is configured for
`4. 
`determining a sub-scan color for a point on a generated sub-scan based on the
`surface color information of the 2D image in the series in which the correlation
`measure has its maximum value for the corresponding block of image sensor
`pixels.” ............................................................................................................... 32 
`5. 
`[34.4.f]: “where the data processing system further is configured
`for…computing an averaged sub-scan color for a number of points of the sub-
`scan, where the computing comprises an averaging of sub-scan colors of
`surrounding points on the sub-scan” ................................................................. 33 
`a) 
`Fisker ..................................................................................................... 33 
`b) 
`Suzuki (Ground 2) ................................................................................. 34 
`c)  Cai (Ground 3) ...................................................................................... 35 
`d)  Motivation to Combine: Fisker and Suzuki (Ground 2) and Fisker and
`Cai (Ground 3) ............................................................................................... 35 
`IX.  Ground 4: The combination of Thiel425, Thiel 576, and Tanaka renders
`claims 31 and 32 obvious. ............................................................................ 39 
`A.  Claim 31 ...................................................................................................... 39 
`1. 
`Limitation [31.P] ...................................................................................... 39 
`a)  Thiel425 ................................................................................................ 39 
`b)  Thiel576 ................................................................................................ 40 
`c)  Motivation to Combine: Thiel425 with Thiel576 ................................. 41 
`2. 
`Limitation [31.1] ...................................................................................... 44 
`3. 
`Limitation [31.2.a] .................................................................................... 45 
`4. 
`Limitation [31.2.b] ................................................................................... 45 
`a)  Thiel425/Thiel576 ................................................................................. 45 
`b)  Tanaka ................................................................................................... 46 
`c)  Motivation to Combine: Thiel425, Thiel576, and Tanaka ................... 46 
`5. 
`Limitation [31.3.a] .................................................................................... 48 
`6. 
`Limitation [31.3.b] ................................................................................... 48 
`7. 
`Limitation [31.4.a] .................................................................................... 49 
`8. 
`Limitation [31.4.b] ................................................................................... 50 
`
`
`
`- iii -
`
`

`

`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`Petition for IPR2019-00118
` U.S. Patent No. 9,962,244
`
`
`a)  Thiel425 ................................................................................................ 50 
`b)  Thiel576 ................................................................................................ 50 
`c)  Motivation to Combine: Thiel425 and Thiel576 .................................. 51 
`9. 
`Limitations [31.5.a]-[31.5.b] .................................................................... 51 
`a)  Thiel425/Thiel576 ................................................................................. 51 
`b)  Tanaka ................................................................................................... 52 
`c)  Motivation to Combine: Thiel425, Thiel576, and Tanaka ................... 53 
`B.  Claim 32 ...................................................................................................... 54 
`1. 
`Limitations [32.P]-[32.4.b] ....................................................................... 54 
`2. 
`Limitation [32.5.a]-[32.5.b] ...................................................................... 54 
`a)  Thiel425/Theil576 ................................................................................. 54 
`b)  Tanaka ................................................................................................... 55 
`c)  Motivation to Combine: Thiel425, Thiel576, and Tanaka ................... 56 
`X.  Grounds 5 and 6: The combinations of Thiel425, Thiel576, Fisker, and
`Suzuki (Ground 5) and Thiel425, Thiel576, Fisker and Cai (Ground 6)
`render claim 34 obvious. .............................................................................. 57 
`A.  Claim 34 ...................................................................................................... 57 
`1. 
`Limitations [34.P]-[34.4.b] ....................................................................... 57 
`2. 
`Limitation [34.4.c] .................................................................................... 57 
`a)  Thiel425/Thiel576 ................................................................................. 57 
`b) 
`Fisker ..................................................................................................... 58 
`c)  Motivation to Combine: Thiel425, Thiel576, and Fisker ..................... 58 
`3. 
`Limitation [34.4.d] ................................................................................... 61 
`a)  Thiel425/Thiel576 ................................................................................. 61 
`b) 
`Fisker ..................................................................................................... 61 
`c)  Motivation to Combine: Thiel425, Thiel576, and Fisker ..................... 62 
`4. 
`Limitation [34.4.e] .................................................................................... 62 
`a)  Thiel425/Thiel576 ................................................................................. 62 
`b) 
`Fisker ..................................................................................................... 63 
`
`
`
`- iv -
`
`

`

`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`Petition for IPR2019-00118
` U.S. Patent No. 9,962,244
`
`
`c)  Motivation to Combine: Thiel425, Thiel576, and Fisker ..................... 64 
`5. 
`Limitation [34.4.f] .................................................................................... 65 
`a)  Thiel425/Thiel576 ................................................................................. 65 
`b) 
`Fisker ..................................................................................................... 65 
`c) 
`Suzuki (Ground 5) and Cai (Ground 6) ................................................ 66 
`d)  Motivation to Combine: Thiel425, Thiel576, Fisker, and Suzuki
`(Ground 5) and Thiel425, Thiel576, Fisker, and Cai (Ground 6) ................. 67 
`XI.  Mandatory Notices (37 C.F.R. §42.8(a)(1)) ................................................. 72 
`XII.  Conclusion .................................................................................................... 73 
`
`
`
`- v -
`
`

`

`
`
`
`
`Exhibit
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`Petition for IPR2019-00118
` U.S. Patent No. 9,962,244
`
`EXHIBIT LIST
`
`Description
`
`1001 U.S. Patent No. 9,962,244 to Esbech et al. (“the ’244 patent”)
`
`1002
`
`Prosecution File History for the ’244 patent (“’244 patent file history”)
`
`1003 Declaration of Dr. Chandra Bajaj, Ph.D. (“Bajaj Decl.”)
`
`1004 Curriculum vitae of Dr. Chandra Bajaj, Ph.D.
`1005 U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2012/0092461 to Fisker et al.
`(earliest priority date: June 17, 2009; published: April 19, 2012)
`1006 U.S. Patent No. 6,097,854 to Szeliski et al. (earliest priority date:
`August 1, 1997; issued: August 1, 2000)
`1007 U.S. Patent No. 7,106,348 to Matsumoto et al. (earliest priority date:
`August 28, 1997; issued: September 12, 2006)
`1008 U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0035641 to Yamada et al.
`(earliest priority date: April 25, 2005; published: February 15, 2007)
`1009 U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0070128 to Suzuki et al.
`(earliest priority date: September 10, 2012; published: March 21, 2013)
`1010 U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0029367 to Tanaka
`(earliest priority date: July 29, 2011; published: January 29, 2015)
`1011 U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2010/0067789 to Cai
`(earliest priority date: September 18, 2008; published: March 18, 2010)
`
`1012
`
`1013
`
`U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2012/0075425 to Thiel
`(“Thiel425”) (earliest priority date: February 23, 2010; published:
`March 29, 2012)
`
`U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2011/0080576 to Thiel et al.
`(“Thiel576”) (earliest priority date: April 2, 2009; published: April 7,
`2011)
`
`
`
`- vi -
`
`

`

`
`
`
`Petition for IPR2019-00118
` U.S. Patent No. 9,962,244
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`Exhibit
`Description
`1014 Agini, Andreas, et al. Digital Dental Revolution: The Learning Curve.
`Quintessence Publishing, First edition, 2015.
`1015 U.S. Patent No. 6,750,873 to Bernardini et al. (“Bernardini”) (earliest
`priority date: June 27, 2000; issued: June 15, 2004).
`
`1016
`
`1017
`
`U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0101176 to Park et al.
`(“Park”) (earliest priority date: August 24, 2012; published: April 25,
`2013).
`
`U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2012/0140243 to Colonna de
`Lega (“Colonna de Lega”) (earliest priority date: December 3, 2010,
`published: June 7, 2012).
`
`1018
`
`Karatas et al., “Three-dimensional imaging techniques: A literature
`review,” European Journal of Dentistry, Vol. 8, Issue 1, 2014; pp. 132-
`140.
`1019 Broadbent, B.H., “A New X-Ray Technique and Its Application to
`Orthodontia,” The Angle Orthodontist, Vol. 1, No. 2, 1931; pp. 45-66.
`1020 Hajeer et al., Current Products and Practices Applications of 3D
`imaging in orthodontics: Part II, Journal of Orthodontics, vol. 31 (2004).
`
`1021
`
`1022
`
`1023
`
`1024
`
`Yamany et al., “Free-Form Surface Registration Using Surface
`Signatures,” The Proceedings of the Seventh IEEE International
`Conference on Computer Vision, September 20-27, 1999; 7 pages.
`
`Ireland et al., “3D surface imaging in dentistry – what we are looking
`at,” British Dental Journal, Vol. 205, No. 7, October 11, 2008; pp. 387-
`392.
`
`Remondino et al., “Image-Based 3D Modelling: A Review,” The
`Photogrammetric Record, Vol. 21, No. 115, September 2006; pp. 269-
`291.
`
`Ting-Shu et al., “Intraoral Digital Impression Technique: A Review,” J.
`Prosthodontics, Vol. 24, No. 4, pp. 313-321.
`
`
`
`- vii -
`
`

`

`
`
`Exhibit
`
`1025
`
`1026
`
`1027
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`Petition for IPR2019-00118
` U.S. Patent No. 9,962,244
`
`Description
`
`Zimmerman et al., “Intraoral scanning systems – a current overview,”
`Int. J. Comput. Dent., Vol. 18, No. 2, 2015, pp. 101-129.
`
`Imburgia et al., “Accuracy of four intraoral scanners in oral
`implantology: a comparative in vitro study,” BMC Oral Health, Vol. 17,
`No. 1, 2017, p. 92.
`
`Park et al., “Changes in views on digital intraoral scanners among dental
`hygienists after training in digital impression taking,” BMC Oral Health,
`Vol. 15, No. 1, 2015, p.151 (“Park Article”).
`
`1028
`
`Logozzo et al., “Recent advances in dental optics – Part I: 3D intraoral
`scanners for restorative dentistry,” Optics and Lasers in Engineering,
`Vol. 54, 2014, pp. 203-221.
`1029 U.S. Patent Prov. App. No. 61/764,178 to Esbech et al. (“the Provisional
`Application”)
`
`
`
`
`
`- viii -
`
`

`

`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`Petition for IPR2019-00118
` U.S. Patent No. 9,962,244
`
`
`I.
`
`
`Introduction
`
`The ’244 Patent (U.S. Patent No. 9,962,244; Ex.1001) admits three-
`
`dimensional scanners, such as three-dimensional intraocular dental scanners, were
`
`well-known in the art. The ’244 Patent even identifies foreign and domestic prior
`
`art references pertinent to the alleged invention (e.g., U.S. Patent No. 7,698,068
`
`and Japanese Patent App. Pub. No. 2004/029373). Nonetheless, the ’244 Patent
`
`alleges its protecting—for the first time—recording geometry and color data of an
`
`object as 2D images and creating a three-dimensional image of the object based on
`
`the data. Yet, in the only issued Office Action, the Examiner relied on prior art
`
`submitted by 3Shape to reject this feature, while indicating a number of dependent
`
`claims contained allowable subject matter. (Ex.1002, 875, 882-888.) 3Shape took
`
`the allowable subject matter by incorporating it into independent claims. (Ex.1002,
`
`890-904.) The ’244 Patent issued with the Examiner’s search and strategy results
`
`containing few, if any, searches indicating a thorough search of the allowable
`
`subject matter. (Ex.1002, 882-888, 924-925.)
`
`As shown by the prior art and declaration in this petition, the allowed claim
`
`features were well known in the prior art. If the Examiner had additional time to
`
`perform adequate prior art searching, prior art would have been discovered.
`
`Petitioner requests the Board institute inter partes review (IPR) and issue a
`
`final written decision finding all challenged claims unpatentable.
`
`
`
`1
`
`

`

`
`
`
`
`
`II.
`
`
`
`
`Petition for IPR2019-00118
` U.S. Patent No. 9,962,244
`
`
`Identification of challenge (37 C.F.R. §42.104(b))
`Petitioner respectfully submits two inter partes review petitions and requests
`
`cancellation of the challenged claims based on 20 grounds as follows:
`
`Petition 2 (the current petition):
`Ground
`References
`Fisker1 and Tanaka2
`1
`Fisker and Suzuki3
`2
`Fisker and Cai4
`3
`4
`Thiel5765, Thiel4256, and
`
`Claims Challenged
`Basis
`§103 31-32
`§103 34
`§103 34
`§103 31-32
`
`
`1 U.S. Pub. No. 2012/0092461 to Fisker et al. (“Fisker”), §§102(a) and (e)
`
`(earliest priority date June 17, 2009; published April 19, 2012).
`
`2 U.S. Pub. No. 2015/0029367 to Tanaka, §§102(a) and (e) (earliest priority
`
`date July 29, 2011; published January 29, 2015).
`
`3 U.S. Pub. No. 2013/0070128 to Suzuki et al. (“Suzuki”), §§102(a) and (e)
`
`(earliest priority date September 10, 2012; published March 21, 2013).
`
`4 U.S. Pub. No. 2010/0067789 to Cai et al. (“Cai”) §102(b) (earliest priority
`
`date September 18, 2008; published March 18, 2010).
`
`5 U.S. Pub. No. 2012/0075425 to Thiel (“Thiel425”), §§102(a) and (e)
`
`(earliest priority date February 23, 2010; published March 29, 2012).
`
`6 U.S. Pub. No. 2011/0080576 to Thiel (“Thiel576”), §102(b) (earliest
`
`priority date April 2, 2009; published April 7, 2011).
`
`
`
`2
`
`

`

`
`
`
`
`5
`
`6
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`Petition for IPR2019-00118
` U.S. Patent No. 9,962,244
`
`Tanaka
`Thiel576, Thiel425, Fisker, and
`Suzuki
`Thiel576, Thiel425, Fisker, and
`Cai
`
`§103 34
`
`§103 34
`
`
`Petition 1 (the co-pending petition):
`Ground
`References
`
`Claims Challenged
`Basis
`§ 103 1-5, 8-10, 15-16, 21-22,
`24, 26, and 28
`§ 103 1-5, 8-10, 15-16, 21-22,
`24, 26, and 28
`§ 103 29
`Fisker and Yamada
`§ 103 29
`Fisker and Suzuki
`§ 103 12
`Fisker, Szeliski, and Yamada
`§ 103 12
`Fisker, Szeliski, and Suzuki
`Fisker, Matsumoto, and Yamada § 103 12
`Fisker, Matsumoto, and Suzuki
`§ 103 12
`Thiel576, Thiel425, and Szeliski § 103 1, 22, and 24
`Thiel576, Thiel425, and
`Matsumoto
`Thiel425, Thiel576, and
`Yamada
`Thiel425, Thiel576, and Suzuki § 103 29
`Thiel576, Thiel425, Szeliski,
`§ 103 2-5, 8-10, 15-16, 18, 21,
`and Fisker
`26, and 28
`Thiel576, Thiel425, Matsumoto,
`§ 103 2-5, 8-10, 15-16, 18, 21,
`and Fisker
`26, and 28
`
`§ 103 1, 22, and 24
`
`§ 103 29
`
`Fisker and Szeliski
`
`Fisker and Matsumoto
`
`1
`
`2
`
`3
`4
`5
`6
`7
`8
`9
`
`10
`
`11
`
`12
`
`13
`
`14
`
`
`
`3
`
`

`

`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`Petition for IPR2019-00118
` U.S. Patent No. 9,962,244
`
`
`There are meaningful distinctions between the two petitions. Even though
`
`there is overlapping prior art between the petitions, the petitions challenge the
`
`patentability of different claims. Therefore, both petitions should be instituted.
`
`III. The Board should not unjustly prevent Align from challenging the ’244
`Patent.
`
`Petitioner has already filed two petitions for post-grant review against the
`
`’244 Patent. If the Board agrees with the prior art Grounds, Petitioner requests
`
`institution and consolidation of the four related inter partes review and post-grant
`
`review petitions filed against the ’244 Patent. Granting institution for all four
`
`petitions will allow for the most efficient use of judicial resources without unjustly
`
`depriving petitioner of the ability to challenge the ’244 Patent for at least two
`
`reasons. First, if the Board cannot determine until the final written decision
`
`whether the ’244 Patent claims are PGR eligible, but has already denied institution
`
`for the IPRs, Petitioner will unjustly be forbidden from challenging the ’244 Patent
`
`at the PTAB. Second, the two IPR petitions include nearly identical arguments as
`
`compared to the two PGR petitions.
`
`Petitioner believes that the provisional application has no written description
`
`support for at least claims 19, 25, and 32. The earliest effective priority date for at
`
`least these claims is post-March 2013, requiring Petitioner to file a PGR. However,
`
`Petitioner cannot foresee all evidence 3Shape may be able to provide during trial
`
`
`
`4
`
`

`

`
`
`
`
`
`
`that might dissuade the Board from holding that the ’244 Patent is PGR eligible. So
`
`
`
`
`Petition for IPR2019-00118
` U.S. Patent No. 9,962,244
`
`until the Board can make a final determination regarding PGR eligibility, both the
`
`PGRs and IPRs should remain active.
`
`With regards to judicial efficiency, Petitioner has purposely filed nearly
`
`identical prior art Grounds against the claims in the PGRs and IPRs knowing that
`
`one of the two types of proceedings must fail under the law. In this way, as there
`
`are identical issues except which proceeding type is proper, neither the Board nor
`
`3Shape is prejudiced by instituting and consolidating the proceedings. And this
`
`avoids Petitioner being unjustly deprived of challenging the ’244 Patent at the
`
`PTAB. Thus, Petitioner respectfully requests that both PGRs and IPRs filed against
`
`the ’244 Patent be instituted.
`
`IV. The Board should institute trial notwithstanding 35 U.S.C. § 325(d).
`Section 325(d) provides the Director discretion to deny a petition for IPR if
`
`
`
`“the same or substantially the same prior art or arguments previously were
`
`presented to the Office.” 35 U.S.C. § 325(d). Here, however, all of the factors the
`
`Board considers in applying § 325(d) point in favor of institution. Indeed, the
`
`Board has previously instituted trial notwithstanding § 325(d) on nearly identical
`
`facts to those presented here.
`
`During prosecution, the Examiner rejected independent claims 1, 33, 35, 36,
`
`and 38 as obvious over Fisker, but he allowed dependent claims 12, 14, 15, 20, and
`
`
`
`5
`
`

`

`
`
`
`
`
`
`22 based on his finding that neither Fisker nor the other prior art before him taught
`
`
`
`
`Petition for IPR2019-00118
` U.S. Patent No. 9,962,244
`
`the additional limitations of those claims. The patentee then incorporated the
`
`limitations from the dependent claims into the independent claims in order to
`
`obtain allowance. Yet, the Examiner performed only two prior-art searches: one in
`
`July 2017 (before the only issued Office Action) and one in December 2017
`
`(before the Notice of Allowance). (Ex.1002, 882-888, 924-925.) And the Examiner
`
`limited his search for the limitations of the dependent claims to a search within
`
`three references identified in IDSs for terms closely resembling some claimed
`
`terms – for example, the terms “weight$3” and “averag$3.” (Id.) If the Examiner
`
`had time to expand the initial search and/or the follow-up search, he likely would
`
`have uncovered a litany of references teaching the allowed limitations. Moreover,
`
`the Examiner did not consider any additional references in combination with Fisker
`
`to teach the limitations of the allowed dependent claims, and he did not provide
`
`any substantive rationale for allowance in the Notice of Allowance.
`
`Here, Petitioner’s obviousness argument relies on Fisker for the features that
`
`the Examiner found obvious over Fisker in the first Office Action, and on new
`
`references not considered by the Examiner for the dependent-claim limitations that
`
`the Examiner allowed.
`
`In determining whether to deny institution under § 325(d), the Board takes
`
`into account the following factors:
`
`
`
`6
`
`

`

`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`Petition for IPR2019-00118
` U.S. Patent No. 9,962,244
`
`1) the similarities and material differences between the asserted art and
`
`the prior art involved during examination;
`
`2) the cumulative nature of the asserted art and the prior art evaluated
`
`during examination;
`
`3) the extent to which the asserted art was evaluated during examination;
`
`4) the extent of the overlap between the arguments made during
`
`examination and the manner in which a petitioner relies on the prior
`
`art or a patent owner distinguishes the prior art;
`
`5) whether a petitioner has pointed out sufficiently how the Office erred
`
`in evaluating the asserted prior art; and
`
`6) the extent to which additional evidence and facts presented in the
`
`petition warrant reconsideration of the prior art or arguments.
`
`Updated Trial Practice Guide (2018) at 12. Here, all factors weigh in favor of
`
`institution.
`
`
`
`With regard to the first three factors, Petitioner is relying on new art not
`
`considered by the Examiner to show the obviousness of the limitations allowed by
`
`the Examiner, and the art asserted in this IPR is not cumulative of the art evaluated
`
`by the Examiner (with the exception of Fisker, which, again, is being used to show
`
`the obviousness of the same limitations that the Examiner rejected as obvious over
`
`Fisker). The first three § 325(d) factors thus weigh in favor of institution. See,
`
`
`
`7
`
`

`

`
`
`
`
`
`
`Luxshare Precision Industry Co., Ltd. v. Bing Xu Precision Co., Ltd., IPR2017-
`
`
`
`
`Petition for IPR2019-00118
` U.S. Patent No. 9,962,244
`
`01657 (P.T.A.B. Jan. 12, 2018) (Paper 17) at 8-10; Bestway (USA), Inc. v. Intex
`
`Marketing Ltd, PGR2017-00003 (P.T.A.B. May 11, 2017) (Paper 9) at 7.
`
`The fourth, fifth, and sixth factors—upon which the Board generally places
`
`significant weight—strongly indicate in favor of institution as well. Petitioner’s
`
`argument is that the Examiner correctly found the rejected claims obvious over
`
`Fisker and that other references that were not considered by the Examiner render
`
`the allowed dependent-claim limitations obvious as well. Thus, Petitioner is not
`
`asking the Board to address arguments that were already considered and rejected
`
`by the Examiner.
`
`The Bestway and Luxshare decisions are on all fours with this case and show
`
`why institution is appropriate here. In both of those cases, just as it is here, the
`
`petitioners relied on a primary reference that was considered during prosecution,
`
`along with secondary references that were not considered by the Examiner. And in
`
`both of these cases, the Board rejected the patent owner’s argument that it should
`
`deny institution under § 325(d), noting that the Examiners had allowed the
`
`application without rejecting certain claim features that were challenged using new
`
`prior art, and that there was insufficient evidence on record that the Examiner
`
`considered the secondary references with respect to the dependent claims’
`
`allowable subject matter. Bestway, Paper 9 at 7; Luxshare, Paper 17 at 8-10.
`
`
`
`8
`
`

`

`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`Petition for IPR2019-00118
` U.S. Patent No. 9,962,244
`
`
`The Board’s decision in Trans Ova Genetics, LC. v. XY, LLC., IPR2018-
`
`00250 (P.T.A.B. June 27, 2018) (Paper 9), is also instructive. There, the Petitioner
`
`relied on two references cited and extensively considered during prosecution
`
`(Factors 1-3). Id. at 18-19. Yet, the Board noted that the Petitioner provided
`
`substantial evidence indicating the Examiner failed to appreciate the full scope of
`
`the prior art’s disclosure; the Examiner’s appreciation of the prior art’s disclosure
`
`was fundamental to allowance, and the Petitioner’s argument was significantly
`
`different than the Examiner’s argument (Factors 4-5). Id. Thus, on the basis of
`
`Factors 4-5 outweighing Factors 1-3, the Board instituted trial and declined to
`
`dismiss on the basis of § 325(d), even when faced with prior art the Examiner
`
`thoroughly considered during prosecution. Id. The case for institution in the case at
`
`hand is even stronger than in Trans Ova because Factors 1-3 weigh in favor of
`
`institution as well.
`
`*
`
`*
`
`*
`
`In sum, the Examiner allowed the claims in the application after only
`
`searching within three references identified on Applicant-submitted IDSs for terms
`
`included in allowed/allowable limitations. The Examiner did not perform any
`
`additional searches beyond the Applicant-submitted IDSs or with text outside of
`
`the allowed/allowable limitations’ claimed terminology. Additionally, the newly
`
`cited prior art is only provided to teach the limitations that the Examiner failed to
`
`
`
`9
`
`

`

`
`
`
`
`
`
`reject. There is thus no overlap between the examination arguments and the instant
`
`
`
`
`Petition for IPR2019-00118
` U.S. Patent No. 9,962,244
`
`Petition. There is thus no compelling reason why § 325(d) would prevent
`
`institution on the ground of unpatentability presented in the Petition here.
`
`V. Overview of the ’244 Patent
`The ’244 Patent relates to “three dimensional (3D) scanning of the surface
`
`geometry and surface color of objects,” particularly within dentistry and for
`
`intraocular scanning (Ex.1001, 1:6-9.) The ’244 Patent provides a scanner system
`
`and a method for recording surface geometry and surface color of an object in
`
`order to generate a digital 3D representation of the object expressing both color
`
`and geometry of the object. (Id., 2:5-13.)
`
`The scanner system 100 comprises a multichromatic light source 101 that
`
`emits light through an optical system 150, which provides 2D images having a
`
`pattern onto an object 200 and comprises an adjustable focusing element 151for
`
`shifting the focal imaging plane of the pattern on the object 200. (Id., 15:63-16:18.)
`
`The scanner system 100 also comprises a data processing system for deriving
`
`geome

This document is available on Docket Alarm but you must sign up to view it.


Or .

Accessing this document will incur an additional charge of $.

After purchase, you can access this document again without charge.

Accept $ Charge
throbber

Still Working On It

This document is taking longer than usual to download. This can happen if we need to contact the court directly to obtain the document and their servers are running slowly.

Give it another minute or two to complete, and then try the refresh button.

throbber

A few More Minutes ... Still Working

It can take up to 5 minutes for us to download a document if the court servers are running slowly.

Thank you for your continued patience.

This document could not be displayed.

We could not find this document within its docket. Please go back to the docket page and check the link. If that does not work, go back to the docket and refresh it to pull the newest information.

Your account does not support viewing this document.

You need a Paid Account to view this document. Click here to change your account type.

Your account does not support viewing this document.

Set your membership status to view this document.

With a Docket Alarm membership, you'll get a whole lot more, including:

  • Up-to-date information for this case.
  • Email alerts whenever there is an update.
  • Full text search for other cases.
  • Get email alerts whenever a new case matches your search.

Become a Member

One Moment Please

The filing “” is large (MB) and is being downloaded.

Please refresh this page in a few minutes to see if the filing has been downloaded. The filing will also be emailed to you when the download completes.

Your document is on its way!

If you do not receive the document in five minutes, contact support at support@docketalarm.com.

Sealed Document

We are unable to display this document, it may be under a court ordered seal.

If you have proper credentials to access the file, you may proceed directly to the court's system using your government issued username and password.


Access Government Site

We are redirecting you
to a mobile optimized page.





Document Unreadable or Corrupt

Refresh this Document
Go to the Docket

We are unable to display this document.

Refresh this Document
Go to the Docket