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`IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
`FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS
`TYLER DIVISION
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`REALTIME DATA, LLC,
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`Plaintiff,
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`ACTIAN CORPORATION ET AL.,
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`Defendants.
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`REALTIME DATA, LLC,
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`Plaintiff,
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`ORACLE AMERICA, INC.,
`HEWLETT PACKARD ENTERPRISE
`COMPANY, and HP ENTERPRISE
`SERVICES, LLC,
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`Defendants.
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`CIVIL ACTION NO. 6:15-CV-463
`RWS-JDL
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`LEAD CASE
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`JURY TRIAL DEMANDED
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`CIVIL ACTION NO. 6:16-CV-88
`RWS-JDL
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`LEAD CASE
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`JURY TRIAL DEMANDED
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`MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER
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`This claim construction opinion construes the disputed claim terms in U.S. Patent No.
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`
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`6,597,812 (“the ’812 Patent”), U.S. Patent No. 7,378,992 (“the ’992 Patent”), U.S. Patent No.
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`7,415,530 (“the ’530 Patent”), U.S. Patent No. 8,643,513 (“the ’513 Patent”), and U.S. Patent
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`No. 9,116,908 (“the ’908 Patent”). Plaintiff Realtime Data, LLC alleges that Defendants
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`
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`1
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`Comcast - Exhibit 1010, page 1
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`
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`Case 6:15-cv-00463-RWS-JDL Document 362 Filed 07/28/16 Page 2 of 40 PageID #: 9955
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`infringe the asserted patents.1 Plaintiff filed an opening claim construction brief (Doc. No.
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`305), to which Defendants filed a Response (Doc. No. 317), and Plaintiff filed a Reply (Doc.
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`No. 331). The parties additionally submitted a Joint Claim Construction Chart pursuant to P.R.
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`4-5(d). Doc. No. 336. On July 7, 2016, the Court held a claim construction hearing. Upon
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`consideration of the parties’ arguments, and for the reasons stated herein, the Court adopts the
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`constructions set forth below.
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`OVERVIEW OF THE PATENTS
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`Plaintiff contends that Defendants literally infringe the asserted patents. The ’992 and
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`’513 patents relate “generally to data compression and decompression and, more particularly, to
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`systems and methods for data compression using content independent and content dependent
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`data compression and decompression.” ’992 Patent at 1:22–26; ’513 Patent at 1:30–33. The
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`’992 Patent is entitled “Content Independent Data Compression Method and System.” None of
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`the disputed terms are found in the ’992 Patent. The ’513 Patent is entitled “Data Compression
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`Systems and Methods.” Claims 1 and 15 of the ’513 patent are representative and recite as
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`follows:
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`1. A method of compressing a plurality of data blocks, comprising:
`analyzing the plurality of data blocks to recognize when an
`appropriate content independent compression algorithm is
`to be applied to the plurality of data blocks;
`applying the appropriate content independent data compression
`algorithm to a portion of the plurality of data blocks to
`provide a compressed data portion;
`analyzing a data block from another portion of the plurality of
`data blocks for recognition of any characteristic, attribute,
`or parameter that is indicative of an appropriate content
`dependent algorithm to apply to the data block; and
`applying the appropriate content dependent data compression
`algorithm to the data block to provide a compressed data
`
`
`1 Defendants include: EchoStar Corporation, Hughes Network Systems, LLC, Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co., HP
`Enterprise Services, LLC, Riverbed Technology, Inc., Dell Inc., Oracle America, Inc., SAP America, Inc., and
`Sybase, Inc.
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`
`
`2
`
`Comcast - Exhibit 1010, page 2
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`
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`Case 6:15-cv-00463-RWS-JDL Document 362 Filed 07/28/16 Page 3 of 40 PageID #: 9956
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`block when the characteristic, attribute, or parameter is
`identified,
`wherein the analyzing the plurality of data blocks to recognize
`when the appropriate content independent compression
`algorithm is to be applied excludes analyzing based only on
`a descriptor indicative of the any characteristic, attribute, or
`parameter, and
`wherein the analyzing the data block to recognize the any
`characteristic, attribute, or parameter excludes analyzing
`based only on the descriptor.
`
`
`
`15. A device for compressing data comprising:
`a first circuit configured to analyze a plurality of data blocks to
`recognize when an appropriate content
`independent
`compression algorithm is to be applied to the plurality of
`data blocks;
`a second circuit configured to apply the appropriate content
`independent data compression algorithm to a portion of the
`plurality of data blocks to provide a compressed data
`portion;
`a third circuit configured to analyze a data block from another
`portion of the plurality of data blocks for recognition of any
`characteristic, attribute, or parameter that is indicative of an
`appropriate content dependent algorithm to apply to the
`data block; and
`a fourth circuit configured to apply the appropriate content
`dependent data compression algorithm to the data block to
`provide a compressed data block when
`the any
`characteristic, attribute, or parameter is identified,
`wherein the first circuit is further configured to analyze the
`plurality of data blocks to recognize when the appropriate
`content independent compression algorithm is to be applied
`by excluding analyzing based only on a descriptor
`indicative of the any characteristic, attribute, or parameter,
`and
`wherein the third circuit is further configured to analyze the
`data block to recognize the any characteristic, attribute, or
`parameter by excluding analyzing based only on the
`descriptor.
`
`
`The ’812 Patent is entitled “System and Method for Lossless Data Compression and
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`
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`Decompression” and relates “generally to data compression and decompression and, more
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`particularly to systems and methods for providing lossless data compression and decompression
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`
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`3
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`Comcast - Exhibit 1010, page 3
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`
`
`Case 6:15-cv-00463-RWS-JDL Document 362 Filed 07/28/16 Page 4 of 40 PageID #: 9957
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`using a combination of dictionary and run length encoding.” ’812 Patent at 1:13–17. Claim 1 of
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`the ’812 patent is representative and recites as follows:
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`1. A method for compressing input data comprising a plurality of
`data blocks, the method comprising the steps of:
`detecting if the input data comprises a run-length sequence of
`data blocks;
`outputting an encoded run-length sequence, if a run-length
`sequence of data blocks is detected;
`maintaining a dictionary comprising a plurality of code words,
`wherein each code word in the dictionary is associated with
`a unique data block string;
`building a data block string from at least one data block in the
`input data that is not part of a run-length sequence;
`searching for a code word in the dictionary having a unique
`data block string associated therewith that matches the built
`data block string; and
`outputting the code word representing the built data block
`string.
`
`
`The ’530 and ’908 Patents are both entitled “System and Methods for Accelerated Data
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`
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`Storage and Retrieval” and relate “generally to data storage and retrieval and, more particularly
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`to systems and methods for improving data storage and retrieval bandwidth utilizing lossless data
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`compression and decompression.” ’530 Patent at 1:15–18; ’908 Patent at 1:15–18. Claim 1 of the
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`’530 patent is representative and recites as follows:
`
`1. A system comprising:
`a memory device; and
`a data accelerator, wherein said data accelerator is coupled to
`said memory device, a data stream is received by said data
`accelerator in received form, said data stream includes a
`first data block and a second data block, said data stream is
`compressed by said data accelerator
`to provide a
`compressed data stream by compressing said first data
`block with a first compression technique and said second
`data block with a second compression technique, said first
`and second compression techniques are different, said
`compressed data stream is stored on said memory device,
`said compression and storage occurs faster than said data
`stream is able to be stored on said memory device in said
`received form, a first data descriptor is stored on said
`
`
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`4
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`Comcast - Exhibit 1010, page 4
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`
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`Case 6:15-cv-00463-RWS-JDL Document 362 Filed 07/28/16 Page 5 of 40 PageID #: 9958
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`indicative of said first compression
`memory device
`technique, and said first descriptor is utilized to decompress
`the portion of said compressed data stream associated with
`said first data block.
`
`
`Claim 1 of the ’908 patent is representative and recites as follows:
`
`
`1. A system comprising:
`a memory device; and
`a data accelerator, configured to compress: (i) a first data block
`with a first compression technique to provide a first
`compressed data block; and (ii) a second data block with a
`second compression technique, different from the first
`compression technique, to provide a second compressed
`data block;
`wherein the compressed first and second data blocks are stored
`on the memory device, and the compression and storage
`occurs faster than the first and second data blocks are able
`to be stored on the memory device in uncompressed form.
`
`
`CLAIM CONSTRUCTION PRINCIPLES
`
`“It is a ‘bedrock principle’ of patent law that ‘the claims of a patent define the invention
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`to which the patentee is entitled the right to exclude.” Phillips v. AWH Corp., 415 F.3d 1303,
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`1312 (Fed. Cir. 2005) (quoting Innova/Pure Water, Inc. v. Safari Water Filtration Sys., Inc., 381
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`F.3d 1111, 1115 (Fed. Cir. 2004)). The Court examines a patent’s intrinsic evidence to define
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`the patented invention’s scope. Id. at 1313-1314; Bell Atl. Network Servs., Inc. v. Covad
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`Commc’ns Group, Inc., 262 F.3d 1258, 1267 (Fed. Cir. 2001). Intrinsic evidence includes
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`the claims, the rest of the specification and the prosecution history. Phillips, 415 F.3d at
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`1312-13; Bell Atl. Network Servs., 262 F.3d at 1267. The Court gives claim terms their
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`ordinary and customary meaning as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of
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`the invention. Phillips, 415 F.3d at 1312-13; Alloc, Inc. v. Int’l Trade Comm’n, 342 F.3d 1361,
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`1368 (Fed. Cir. 2003). Claim language guides the Court’s construction of claim terms.
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`Phillips, 415 F.3d at 1314. “[T]he context in which a term is used in the asserted claim can be
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`
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`5
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`Comcast - Exhibit 1010, page 5
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`
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`Case 6:15-cv-00463-RWS-JDL Document 362 Filed 07/28/16 Page 6 of 40 PageID #: 9959
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`highly instructive.” Id. Other claims, asserted and unasserted, can provide additional
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`instruction because “terms are normally used consistently throughout the patent.” Id.
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`Differences among claims, such as additional limitations in dependent claims, can provide
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`further guidance. Id.
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`“[C]laims ‘must be read in view of the specification, of which they are a part.’” Id.
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`(quoting Markman v. Westview Instruments, Inc., 52 F.3d 967, 979 (Fed. Cir. 1995)). “[T]he
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`specification ‘is always highly relevant to the claim construction analysis. Usually, it is
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`dispositive; it is the single best guide to the meaning of a disputed term.’” Id. (quoting Vitronics
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`Corp. v. Conceptronic, Inc., 90 F.3d 1576, 1582 (Fed. Cir. 1996)); Teleflex. Inc. v. Ficosa N.
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`Am. Corp., 299 F.3d 1313, 1325 (Fed. Cir. 2002). In the specification, a patentee may define his
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`own terms, give a claim term a different meaning than it would otherwise possess, or
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`disclaim or disavow some claim scope. Phillips, 415 F.3d at 1316. Although the Court
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`generally presumes terms possess their ordinary meaning, this presumption can be overcome
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`by statements of clear disclaimer. See SciMed Life Sys., Inc. v. Advanced Cardiovascular
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`Sys., Inc., 242 F.3d 1337, 1343-44 (Fed. Cir. 2001). This presumption does not arise when
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`the patentee acts as his own lexicographer. See Irdeto Access, Inc. v. EchoStar Satellite
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`Corp., 383 F.3d 1295, 1301 (Fed. Cir. 2004).
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`The specification may also resolve ambiguous claim terms “where the ordinary and
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`accustomed meaning of the words used in the claims lack sufficient clarity to permit the scope of
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`the claim to be ascertained from the words alone.” Teleflex, Inc., 299 F.3d at 1325. For
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`example, “[a] claim interpretation that excludes a preferred embodiment from the scope of the
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`claim ‘is rarely, if ever, correct.” Globetrotter Software, Inc. v. Elam Computer Group Inc., 362
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`F.3d 1367, 1381 (Fed. Cir. 2004) (quoting Vitronics Corp., 90 F.3d at 1583). But, “[a]lthough
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`
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`6
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`Comcast - Exhibit 1010, page 6
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`
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`Case 6:15-cv-00463-RWS-JDL Document 362 Filed 07/28/16 Page 7 of 40 PageID #: 9960
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`the specification may aid the court in interpreting the meaning of disputed language in the
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`claims, particular embodiments and examples appearing in the specification will not generally be
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`read into the claims.” Constant v. Advanced Micro-Devices, Inc., 848 F.2d 1560, 1571 (Fed. Cir.
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`1988); see also Phillips, 415 F.3d at 1323.
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`The prosecution history is another tool to supply the proper context for claim
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`construction because a patentee may define a term during prosecution of the patent. Home
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`Diagnostics Inc. v. LifeScan, Inc., 381 F.3d 1352, 1356 (Fed. Cir. 2004) (“As in the case of the
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`specification, a patent applicant may define a term in prosecuting a patent.”). The well-
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`established doctrine of prosecution disclaimer “preclud[es] patentees from recapturing through
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`claim interpretation specific meanings disclaimed during prosecution.” Omega Eng’g Inc. v.
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`Raytek Corp., 334 F.3d 1314, 1323 (Fed. Cir. 2003). The prosecution history must show that the
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`patentee clearly and unambiguously disclaimed or disavowed the proposed interpretation during
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`prosecution to obtain claim allowance. Middleton Inc. v. 3M Co., 311 F.3d 1384, 1388 (Fed. Cir.
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`2002); see also Springs Window Fashions LP v. Novo Indus., L.P., 323 F.3d 989, 994 (Fed. Cir.
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`2003) (“The disclaimer . . . must be effected with ‘reasonable clarity and deliberateness.’”)
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`(citations omitted)). “Indeed, by distinguishing the claimed invention over the prior art, an
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`applicant is indicating what the claims do not cover.” Spectrum Int’l v. Sterilite Corp., 164 F.3d
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`1372, 1378-79 (Fed. Cir. 1988) (quotation omitted). “As a basic principle of claim
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`interpretation, prosecution disclaimer promotes the public notice function of the intrinsic
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`evidence and protects the public’s reliance on definitive statements made during prosecution.”
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`Omega Eng’g, Inc., 334 F.3d at 1324.
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`Although “less significant than the intrinsic record in determining the legally operative
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`meaning of claim language,” the Court may rely on extrinsic evidence to “shed useful light on
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`
`
`7
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`Comcast - Exhibit 1010, page 7
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`
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`Case 6:15-cv-00463-RWS-JDL Document 362 Filed 07/28/16 Page 8 of 40 PageID #: 9961
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`the relevant art.” Phillips, 415 F.3d at 1317 (quotation omitted). Technical dictionaries and
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`treatises may help the Court understand the underlying technology and the manner in which one
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`skilled in the art might use claim terms, but such sources may also provide overly broad
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`definitions or may not be indicative of how terms are used in the patent. Id. at 1318. Similarly,
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`expert testimony may aid the Court in determining the particular meaning of a term in the
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`pertinent field, but “conclusory, unsupported assertions by experts as to the definition of a claim
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`term are not useful.” Id. Generally, extrinsic evidence is “less reliable than the patent and its
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`prosecution history in determining how to read claim terms.” Id.
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`In patent construction, “subsidiary fact finding is sometimes necessary” and the court
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`“may have to make ‘credibility judgments’ about witnesses.” Teva v. Sandoz, 135 S.Ct. 831, 838
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`(2015). In some cases, “the district court will need to look beyond the patent’s intrinsic evidence
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`and to consult extrinsic evidence in order to understand, for example, the background science or
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`the meaning of a term in the relevant art during the relevant time period.” Id. at 841. “If a
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`district court resolves a dispute between experts and makes a factual finding that, in general, a
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`certain term of art had a particular meaning to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of
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`the invention, the district court must then conduct a legal analysis: whether a skilled artisan
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`would ascribe that same meaning to that term in the context of the specific patent claim under
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`review.” Id. (emphasis in original). When the court makes subsidiary factual findings about the
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`extrinsic evidence in consideration of the “evidentiary underpinnings” of claim construction,
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`those findings are reviewed for clear error on appeal. Id.
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`8
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`Comcast - Exhibit 1010, page 8
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`
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`Case 6:15-cv-00463-RWS-JDL Document 362 Filed 07/28/16 Page 9 of 40 PageID #: 9962
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`
`
`DISCUSSION
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` The parties dispute the meaning of the following claim terms:
`
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`“recognition of any characteristic, attribute, or parameter that is indicative of an
`I.
`appropriate content dependent algorithm” (’513 Patent, Claims 1 & 15)
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`Term/Phrase
`recognition of any
`characteristic,
`attribute, or
`parameter that is
`indicative of an
`appropriate content
`dependent algorithm
`(’513 Patent Claims
`1 & 15)
`
`Plaintiff’s Proposal
`No construction necessary.
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`Alternatively: Recognition of any
`data type, data structure, data
`block format, file substructure,
`file type, and/or any other
`parameter that is indicative of an
`appropriate content dependent
`algorithm
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`Defendants’ Proposal
`Recognition of any data type that is
`indicative of a content dependent
`algorithm associated with the data
`type
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`
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`Plaintiff contends that construction is unnecessary because this term is “understandable to
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`
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`a person of ordinary skill and even a lay person.” Doc. No. 305 at 12. Plaintiff proposes an
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`alternative construction and asserts that the Court should reject Defendants’ proposed
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`construction because it “improperly limits the claimed phrase ‘characteristic, attribute, or
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`parameter’ to only one of the described parameters: ‘data type.’” Id. at 12–13. Essentially,
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`Plaintiff contends that Defendants have attempted to rewrite the claims by importing the “data
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`type only” limitation. Plaintiff argues that (1) the ’513 Patent claims do not recite “data type,”
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`(2) the patentee does not define “characteristic, attribute, or parameter” to mean “data type” only,
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`and (3) the patentee does not disavow the full scope of the phrase. Id. at 13.
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`
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`Plaintiff contends that its alternative proposal, on the other hand, is consistent with the
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`plain meaning of term because it “is derived directly from the specification.” Id. at 12.
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`Specifically, the specification “provides explicit examples of data-content parameters in addition
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`to the data type that can be recognized with respect to content dependent algorithm, including all
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`
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`9
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`Comcast - Exhibit 1010, page 9
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`
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`Case 6:15-cv-00463-RWS-JDL Document 362 Filed 07/28/16 Page 10 of 40 PageID #: 9963
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`of the items in [Plaintiff’s] proposal.” Id. at 13 (citing ’513 Patent at 16:15–21; 4:42–45; 22:65–
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`23:4) (emphasis omitted). In other words, data type is merely one of several parameters that may
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`be used to identify an appropriate content dependent algorithm. Plaintiff argues that Defendants’
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`proposed construction improperly excludes some of the specification’s described embodiments.
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`Doc. No. 305 at 13 (citing SanDisk Corp. v. Memorex Prods., 415 F.3d 1278, 1285–86 (Fed. Cir.
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`2005)). Finally, Plaintiff argues that if the Court limited this term to “data type,” independent
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`claim 1 would be narrower than dependent claims 11 and 13. Doc. No. 305 at 13–14.
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`
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`Defendant responds that Plaintiff’s proposal improperly broadens the meaning of
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`“characteristic, attribute, or parameter” because it ignores surrounding claim language. Doc. No.
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`317 at 8. Defendant contends that “data type” recognition is the only method of selecting a
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`content dependent algorithm, and therefore, “characteristic, attribute, or parameter” should be
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`construed to mean “data type” only. Id. at 8–9 (citing ’513 Patent at 3:55–66, 15:60–63, 16:15–
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`16, 16:24–27, 16:37–39, 22:65–23:4, Fig. 13(a), Fig. 15(a), Fig. 17(a)). Specifically, Defendants
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`argue that “‘data types, data structures, data block formats, file substructures, file types, and/or
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`any other parameters,’ are all ultimately reduced to ‘data type,’ because the specification teaches
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`that only ‘data type’ is ultimately indicative of when content dependent compression should be
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`applied.” Doc. No. 317 at 10–11. Defendants also point to this Court’s decision in Packeteer,
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`where it held that “content dependent data compression is applied to identified data types based
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`on the encoder’s ability to effectively compress the data type . . . .” Id. at 9 (citing Realtime
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`Data LLC d/b/a IXO v. Packeteer et al., No. 6:08-cv-00144-LED-JDL at Doc. No. 371 at 32
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`(E.D. Tex., June 22, 2009) (emphasis added). Finally, Defendants point to a statement Plaintiff
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`made to the Patent Office during the second reexamination of the ’992 Patent, where Plaintiff
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`stated “[t]he new descriptive matter defined ‘analyzing’ in the context of evaluating an incoming
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`
`
`10
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`Comcast - Exhibit 1010, page 10
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`
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`Case 6:15-cv-00463-RWS-JDL Document 362 Filed 07/28/16 Page 11 of 40 PageID #: 9964
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`data stream in order to recognize, from the data itself, the associated data type.” Doc. No. 348 at
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`3 (emphasis omitted). Defendants argue that Plaintiff is now attempting to improperly expand the
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`meaning of this term. Id. at 3–4.
`
`
`
`Claim 1 of the ’513 Patent states, in relevant part: “A method of compressing a plurality
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`of data blocks, comprising: . . . analyzing a data block from another portion of the plurality of
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`data blocks for recognition of any characteristic, attribute, or parameter that is indicative of an
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`appropriate content dependent algorithm to apply to the data block . . . .” Similarly, claim 15
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`states: “A device for compressing data comprising: . . . a third circuit configured to analyze a
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`data block from another portion of the plurality of data blocks for recognition of any
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`characteristic, attribute, or parameter that is indicative of an appropriate content dependent
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`algorithm to apply to the data block . . . .” Additionally, dependent claim 13 states: “The method
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`of claim 1, wherein the any characteristic attribute, or parameter is associated with a data block
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`format or a file type information associated with the data block.” These claims provide that the
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`“characteristic, attribute, or parameter” must be indicative of the appropriate content dependent
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`algorithm that is to be applied. Importantly however, the independent claims give no indication
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`that “characteristic, attribute, or parameter” should be interpreted as “data type.”
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`
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`The specification is further instructive on this claim term. As discussed above,
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`“[a]lthough the specification may aid the court in interpreting the meaning of disputed language
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`in the claims, particular embodiments and examples appearing in the specification will not
`
`generally be read into the claims.” Constant v. Advanced Micro-Devices, Inc., 848 F.2d 1560,
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`1571 (Fed. Cir. 1988); see also Phillips, 415 F.3d at 1323. Additionally, “[a] claim interpretation
`
`that excludes a preferred embodiment from the scope of the claim ‘is rarely, if ever, correct.”
`
`
`
`11
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`Comcast - Exhibit 1010, page 11
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`
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`Case 6:15-cv-00463-RWS-JDL Document 362 Filed 07/28/16 Page 12 of 40 PageID #: 9965
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`Globetrotter Software, Inc. v. Elam Computer Group Inc., 362 F.3d 1367, 1381 (Fed. Cir. 2004)
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`(quoting Vitronics Corp., 90 F.3d at 1583).
`
`
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`The specification states:
`
`A content dependent data recognition module 1300 analyzes the incoming data
`stream to recognize data types, data structures, data block formats, file
`substructures, file types, and/or any other parameters that may be indicative of
`either the data type/content of a given data block or the appropriate data
`compression algorithm or algorithms (in serial or parallel) to be applied.
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`’513 Patent at 16:15–21; see also id. at 4:42–45 (“the step of analyzing the data block
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`comprising analyzing the data block to recognize one of a data type, data structure, data block
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`format, file substructure, and/or file types”); 22:65–23:4 (“a content dependent data recognition
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`and[/]or estimation module 1700 is utilized to analyze the incoming data stream for recognition
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`of data types, data strictures [sic], data block formats, file substructures, file types, or any other
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`parameters that may be indicative of the appropriate data compression algorithm . . . to be
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`applied.”).
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`
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`This language indicates that any of the parameters listed—including but not limited to
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`data type—can be used to identify an appropriate data compression algorithm. Defendants
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`contend that “data type” is the only parameter able to identify an appropriate data compression
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`algorithm and that the other parameters listed within the specification are merely proxies for such
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`identification. In support, Defendants have pointed to sections of the specification that state data
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`type can be used to select an appropriate compression algorithm (citing ’513 Patent at 16:15–16,
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`16:37–39), but those preferred embodiments cannot exclude other parameters that may be used
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`(see ’513 Patent at 4:42–45, 16:15–21, 22:65–23:4). Globetrotter Software, 362 F.3d at 1381.
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`
`
`Defendants also rely on this Court’s decision in Packeteer, where the Court construed
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`“content dependent data compression.” Notably however, the patent at issue in Packeteer did not
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`
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`12
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`Comcast - Exhibit 1010, page 12
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`
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`Case 6:15-cv-00463-RWS-JDL Document 362 Filed 07/28/16 Page 13 of 40 PageID #: 9966
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`define (or even discuss) “any characteristic, attribute, or parameter that is indicative of an
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`appropriate content dependent algorithm.” Instead, the actual patent language in Packeteer
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`limited the parameters to include data type only. See U.S. Patent No. 6,624,761 (the ’761 Patent)
`
`at Claim 1 (“analyzing a data block of an input data stream to identify a data type of the data
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`block, the input data stream comprising a plurality of disparate data types; performing content
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`dependent data compression . . . if the data type . . . is identified; performing content
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`independent data compression . . . if the data type . . . is not identified.”); see also U.S. Pat. No.
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`7,161,506 (the ’506 Patent) at Claim 1 (“analyzing a data block of an input data stream to
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`identify one or more data types of the data block . . . .”). The ’513 Patent, however, provides no
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`similar limitation, and therefore, the Packeteer construction does not support Defendants’
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`proposal.
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`
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`On the other hand, lending additional support to Plaintiff’s interpretation of this term are
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`dependent claims 11 and 13. Claim 11 states “[t]he method of claim 1, wherein the analyzing the
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`plurality of data blocks includes analyzing data structures or file substructures associated with
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`the plurality of data blocks,” and Claim 13 states “[t]he method of claim 1, wherein the any
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`characteristic, attribute, or parameter is associated with a data block format or a file type
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`information associated with the data block.” ’513 Patent at Claims 11 and 13. If the Court were
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`to construe “characteristic, attribute, or parameter” as limited to data type, it would render these
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`dependent claims nonsensical because those claims are not limited to data type. The dependent
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`claims would be broader than independent Claim 1, which indicates that Defendants’
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`construction is not in accordance with proper claim construction principles.
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`
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`If the Court were to limit this term to “data type” only, such a finding would exclude
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`preferred embodiments. The specification discloses preferred embodiments that allow for the use
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`13
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`Comcast - Exhibit 1010, page 13
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`of parameters other than data type to identify a compression algorithm. ’513 Patent at 4:42–45,
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`16:15–21, 22:65–23:4. Accordingly, the Court rejects Defendants’ proposal because it is
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`inconsistent with portions of the specification. See Globetrotter Software, Inc., 362 F.3d at 1381.
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`
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`Finally, with respect to Defendants’ argument that Plaintiff concedes to the use of only
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`data type in the second ’992 Patent reexamination, the Court does not agree. The portion of the
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`reexamination Defendants are referencing is depicted below:
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`
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`Doc. No. 348, Ex. 1 at 11 (REALTIME039863).
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`As shown above, the patentee explained that merely retrieving a data type descriptor is
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`not “analyzing.” Further, the patentee made the above-reproduced statements in the context of
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`claims that included “data type” limitations. See id. at 10 (REALTIME039862). Therefore,
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`14
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`Comcast - Exhibit 1010, page 14
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`Defendants’ assertion that the reexamination solidifies their argument that this term is limited to
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`data type only is unpersuasive.
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`
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`Having resolved the parties’ dispute, the Court finds the phrase “recognition of any
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`characteristic, attribute, or parameter that is indicative of an appropriate content dependent
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`algorithm” requires no construction.
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`II.
`“content dependent algorithm/content dependent data compression algorithm/
`content dependent compression algorithm” (’513 Patent, Claims 1, 3, 4, 6, 10, 14, 15, 18, &
`22) and “content independent compression algorithm / content independent data
`compression” (’513 Patent, Claims 1, 3, 4, 10, 12, 15, 18, & 20)
`
`Claim Term
`content dependent
`algorithm /
`content dependent
`data compression
`algorithm /
`content dependent
`compression
`algorithm (’513
`Patent, Claims 1, 3,
`4, 6, 10, 14, 15, 18, &
`22)
`content independent
`compression
`algorithm / content
`independent data
`compression (’513
`Patent, Claims 1, 3,
`4, 10, 12, 15, 18, &
`20)
`
`Defendants’ Proposal
`Compression algorithm that is
`applied to input data that is not
`compressed with content
`independent data compression, the
`compression using one or more
`encoders selected based on the
`encoder’s (or encoders’) ability to
`effectively encode the data type of
`the data block
`
`
`Compression [algorithm] that is
`applied to input data that is not
`compressed with content dependent
`data compression, the compression
`applied using one or more encoders
`without regard to the encoder’s (or
`encoders’) ability to effectively
`encode the data type of the data
`block
`
`Plaintiffs’ Proposal
`Content dependent compression
`is compression that is applied
`using one or more encoders based
`on the encoder’s (or encoders’)
`ability to effectively encode the
`data type or content of the data
`block
`
`
`
`Content independent compression
`is compression that is applied
`using one or more encoders
`without regard to the encoder’s
`(or encoders’) ability to
`effectively encode the data type
`or content of the data block
`
`
`
`
`The parties’ argument with respect to these terms revolves around whether encoders are
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`selected based on their ability “to effectively encode the data type or content,” as Plaintiff
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`contends or “to effectively encode the data type,” as Defendants propose. The parties have
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`stipulated that the Court should construe “data type” as “categorization of the data as one of
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`
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`15
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`Comcast - Exhibit 1010, page 15
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`Case 6:15-cv-00463-RWS-JDL Document 362 Filed 07/28/16 Page 16 of 40 PageID #: 9969
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`ASCII, image data, multimedia data, signed and unsigned integers, pointers, or other data type.”
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`Doc. No. 336-1 at 3. The parties have not agreed upon a construction of—nor have they asked
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`the Court to construe—“content.”
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`Plaintiff urges that it would be improper to import the “data type” limitation into this
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`term. Doc. No. 305 at 15. Plaintiff argues that the claim language itself—and for that matter, the
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`language within this term—is sufficient to define the term. Id.; ’513 Patent, Claim 1. Plaintiff
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`also contends that the specification supports its position that data type and/or content can indicate
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`the appropriate data compression algorithm. Doc. No. 305 at 16–18 (citing ’513 Patent at 4:42–
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`47