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`IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
`SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA
`
`BELL NORTHERN RESEARCH,
`LLC,
`
`Plaintiff,
`
`v.
`
`C.A. No. 3:18-cv-1783-CAB-BLM
`
`Judge: Hon. Cathy Ann Bencivengo
`
`Magistrate Judge: Hon. Barbara L.
`Major
`
`COOLPAD TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
`AND YULONG COMPUTER
`COMMUNICATIONS,
`
`Defendants.
`
`BELL NORTHERN RESEARCH,
`LLC,
`
`C.A. No. 3:18-cv-1784-CAB-BLM
`
`Plaintiff,
`
`v.
`
`HUAWEI DEVICE (DONGGUAN)
`CO., LTD, HUAWEI DEVICE
`(SHENZHEN) CO., LTD., and
`HUAWEI DEVICE USA, INC.,
`
`Defendants.
`
`BELL NORTHERN RESEARCH,
`LLC,
`
`C.A. No. 3:18-cv-1785-CAB-BLM
`
`Plaintiff,
`
`v.
`
`KYOCERA CORPORATION and
`KYOCERA INTERNATIONAL INC.,
`
`Defendants.
`
`PLAINTIFF’S OPENING CLAIM CONSTRUCTION BRIEF
`
`1
`
`LG 1010
`
`
`
`Case 3:18-cv-01784-CAB-BLM Document 66 Filed 05/24/19 PageID.2529 Page 2 of 83
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`BELL NORTHERN RESEARCH,
`LLC,
`
`C.A. No. 3:18-cv-1786-CAB-BLM
`
`Plaintiff,
`
`v.
`
`ZTE CORPORATION,
`ZTE (USA) INC.,
`ZTE (TX) INC.,
`
`Defendants.
`
`PLAINTIFF’S OPENING CLAIM CONSTRUCTION BRIEF
`
`PLAINTIFF’S OPENING CLAIM CONSTRUCTION BRIEF
`
`2
`
`
`
`Case 3:18-cv-01784-CAB-BLM Document 66 Filed 05/24/19 PageID.2530 Page 3 of 83
`
`
`TABLE OF CONTENTS
`
`I. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................ 1
`
`II. LEGAL STANDARD ................................................................................................. 2
`
`A. The scope of a patent is defined by the plain import of its claims. .................... 2
`
`B. A claim term is given its full ordinary and customary meaning unless the
`patentee: (i) clearly otherwise defined the term, or (ii) unequivocally disclaimed the
`full scope of the term. .................................................................................................. 2
`
`III. CLAIM CONSTRUCTION REGARDING THE GORIS PATENTS ..................... 3
`
`A. Background of the Inventions ............................................................................. 3
`
`“a signal indicative of proximity of an external object” and “a signal indicative
`B.
`of the existence of a first condition, the first condition being that an external object
`is proximate” ................................................................................................................ 4
`
`IV. CLAIM CONSTRUCTION REGARDING U.S. PATENT NO. 7,990,842 .......... 11
`
`A. Background of the Invention ............................................................................. 11
`
`B.
`
`C.
`
`Person of Ordinary Skill in the Art ................................................................... 13
`
`“Inverse Fourier transformer” ........................................................................... 13
`
`V. CLAIM CONSTRUCTION REGARDING U.S. PATENT NO. 8,416,862 ............ 21
`
`A. Background of the Invention ............................................................................. 21
`
`B.
`
`Person of Ordinary Skill in the Art ................................................................... 22
`
`“decompose the estimated transmitter beamforming unitary matrix (V) to
`B.
`produce the transmitter beamforming information” .................................................. 22
`
`VI. CLAIM CONSTRUCTION REGARDING U.S. PATENT NO. 7,957,450 .......... 27
`
`A. Background of the Invention ............................................................................. 27
`
`B.
`
`Person of Ordinary Skill in the Art ................................................................... 29
`
`“channel estimate matrices” / “matrix based on the plurality of channel
`C.
`estimates” ................................................................................................................... 29
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`PLAINTIFF’S OPENING CLAIM CONSTRUCTION BRIEF
`
`i
`
`3
`
`
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`Case 3:18-cv-01784-CAB-BLM Document 66 Filed 05/24/19 PageID.2531 Page 4 of 83
`
`
`“coefficients derived from performing a singular value matrix decomposition
`D.
`(SVD)” ....................................................................................................................... 34
`
`VII. CLAIM CONSTRUCTION REGARDING U.S. PATENT NO. 6,941,156 ......... 37
`
`A. Background of the Invention ............................................................................. 37
`
`B.
`
`“simultaneous communication paths from said multimode cell phone” .......... 37
`
`“a module to establish simultaneous communication paths from said
`C.
`multimode cell phone using both said cell phone functionality and said RF
`communication functionality” ................................................................................... 44
`
`The “module to establish simultaneous communications” term is not
`governed by § 112, ¶ 6. .......................................................................................... 45
`
`If the Court determines that the presumption has been rebutted, and § 112, ¶
`6 applies, Defendants’ disclosed structure is improperly narrow.......................... 48
`
`“an automatic switch over module, in communication with both said cell phone
`D.
`functionality and said RF communication functionality, operable to switch a
`communication path established on one of said cell phone functionality and said RF
`communication functionality, with another communication path later established on
`the other of said cell phone functionality and said RF communication functionality” .
` ........................................................................................................................... 50
`
`The “automatic switch over module” term is not governed by § 112, ¶ 6. ... 51
`
`If the Court determines that the presumption has been rebutted, and § 112, ¶
`6 applies, Defendants’ disclosed structure is improperly narrow.......................... 55
`
`VIII. CLAIM CONSTRUCTION REGARDING U.S. PATENT NO. 7,039,435 ....... 61
`
`A. Background of the Invention ............................................................................. 61
`
`A.
`
`“position to a communications tower” .............................................................. 63
`
`IX. CONCLUSION........................................................................................................ 71
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`PLAINTIFF’S OPENING CLAIM CONSTRUCTION BRIEF
`
`ii
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`4
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`
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`Case 3:18-cv-01784-CAB-BLM Document 66 Filed 05/24/19 PageID.2532 Page 5 of 83
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`TABLE OF AUTHORITIES
`
`Cases
`
`Amgen, Inc. v. Hoechst Marion Roussel, Inc.,
`
`314 F.3d 1313 (Fed. Cir. 2003) ................................................................................. 20
`
`Apple Inc. v. Motorola, Inc.,
`
`757 F.3d 1286 (Fed. Cir. 2014) ................................................................................. 52
`
`Aventis Pharma S.A. v. Hospira, Inc.,
`
`675 F.3d 1324 (Fed. Cir. 2012) ................................................................................. 18
`
`Bal Seal Eng’g Co. v. Qiang Huang, No. 10cv819-CAB, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS
`
`84516 (S.D. Cal. Aug. 1, 2011) ........................................................................... 48, 55
`
`Baxter Healthcare Corp. v. Fresenius Med. Care Holdings, Inc.,
`
`No. C 07-1359, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 14842 (N.D. Cal. Feb. 10, 2009) ............... 20
`
`Becton Dickinson & Co. v. C.R. Bard, Inc.,
`
`922 F.2d 792 (Fed. Cir. 1990) ................................................................................... 18
`
`Blast Motion, Inc. v. Zepp Labs, Inc.,
`
`No. 15-CV-700 JLS (NLS), 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16549
`
`(S.D. Cal. Feb. 6, 2017) ...................................................................................... passim
`
`C.R. Bard, Inc. v. United States Surgical Corp.,
`
`388 F.3d 858 (Fed. Cir. 2004) ............................................................................. 65, 67
`
`CCS Fitness, Inc. v. Brunswick Corp.,
`
`288 F.3d 1359 (Fed. Cir. 2002) ................................................................................... 2
`
`Cloud Farm Assocs. LP v. Volkswagen Grp. of Am., Inc.,
`
`674 Fed. Appx. 1000 (Fed. Cir. 2017) ....................................................................... 11
`
`Cont’l Circuits LLC v. Intel Corp.,
`
`915 F.3d 788 (Fed. Cir. 2019) ....................................................................... 64, 67, 70
`
`Curtiss-Wright Flow Control Corp. v. Velan, Inc.,
`
`438 F.3d 1374 (Fed. Cir. 2006) ................................................................................. 34
`
`PLAINTIFF’S OPENING CLAIM CONSTRUCTION BRIEF
`
`iii
`
`5
`
`
`
`Case 3:18-cv-01784-CAB-BLM Document 66 Filed 05/24/19 PageID.2533 Page 6 of 83
`
`
`CVI/Beta Ventures, Inc. v. Tura LP,
`
`112 F.3d 1146 (Fed. Cir. 1997) ................................................................................. 11
`
`Dayco Prods. v. Total Containment, Inc.,
`
`258 F.3d 1317 (Fed. Cir. 2001) ................................................................................. 17
`
`Digital Biometrics v. Identix, Inc.,
`
`149 F.3d 1335 (Fed. Cir. 1998) ................................................................................. 11
`
`Digital-Vending Servs., Int’l, LLC v. Univ. of Phoenix, Inc.,
`
`672 F.3d 1270 (Fed. Cir. 2012) ................................................................................. 43
`
`Ecolab, Inc. v. FMC Corp.,
`
`569 F.3d 1335 (Fed. Cir. 2009) ................................................................................. 18
`
`Julius Zorn, Inc. v. Medi Mfg.,
`
`No. 3:15-CV-02734-GPC-RBB, 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 35826
`
`
`
`(S.D. Cal. Mar. 13, 2017) .......................................................................................... 26
`
`JVW Enters. v. Interact Accessories, Inc.,
`
`424 F.3d 1324 (Fed. Cir. 2005) ................................................................................. 56
`
`K-2 Corp. v. Salomon S.A.,
`
`191 F.3d 1356 (Fed. Cir. 1999) ................................................................................... 3
`
`Kara Tech. Inc. v. Stamps.com Inc.,
`
`582 F.3d 1341 (Fed. Cir. 2009) ................................................................................. 33
`
`L.B. Plastics, Inc. v. Amerimax Home Prods.,
`
`499 F.3d 1303 (Fed. Cir. 2007) ................................................................................. 17
`
`Liebel-Flarsheim Co. v. Medrad, Inc.,
`
`358 F.3d 898 (Fed. Cir. 2004) ............................................................................... 9, 34
`
`Markman v. Westview Instruments, Inc.,
`
`52 F.3d 967 (Fed. Cir. 1995) ....................................................................................... 2
`
`Media Rights Techs., Inc. v. Capital One Fin. Corp.,
`
`800 F.3d 1366 (Fed. Cir. 2015) ........................................................................... 46, 52
`
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`PLAINTIFF’S OPENING CLAIM CONSTRUCTION BRIEF
`
`
`
`iv
`
`6
`
`
`
`Case 3:18-cv-01784-CAB-BLM Document 66 Filed 05/24/19 PageID.2534 Page 7 of 83
`
`
`Micro Chem, Inc. v. Great Plains Chem. Co.,
`
`194 F.3d 1250 (Fed. Cir. 1999) .......................................................................... passim
`
`Nazomi Communs., Inc. v. ARM Holdings, PLC,
`
`403 F.3d 1364 (Fed. Cir. 2005) ............................................................................. 9, 11
`
`Phillips v. AWH Corp.,
`
`415 F.3d 1303 (Fed. Cir. 2005) .......................................................................... passim
`
`Renishaw PLC v. Marposs Societa’ per Azioni,
`
`158 F.3d 1243 (Fed. Cir. 1998) ............................................................................. 2, 36
`
`Retractable Techs., Inc. v. Becton,
`
`653 F.3d 1296 (Fed. Cir. 2011) ................................................................................. 32
`
`Riverwood Int’l Corp. v. RA. Jones & Co.,
`
`324 F.3d 1346 (Fed. Cir. 2003) ................................................................................. 17
`
`Robert Bosch, LLC v. Snap-On Inc.,
`
`769 F.3d 1094 (Fed. Cir. 2014) ........................................................................... 46, 52
`
`Scanner Techs. Corp. v. ICOS Vision Sys. Corp. N.V.,
`
`365 F.3d 1299 (Fed. Cir. 2004) ................................................................................... 2
`
`Scripps Research Inst. V. Illumina, Inc.,
`
`No. 16-cv-661 JLS (BGS), 2018 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 60928
`
`
`
`(S.D. Cal. Apr. 10, 2018) ..................................................................................... 24, 25
`
`Serrano v. Telular Corp.,
`
`111 F.3d 1578 (Fed. Cir. 1997) ............................................................... 48, 49, 55, 60
`
`Symantec Corp. v. Computer Assocs. Int’l, Inc.,
`
`522 F.3d 1279 (Fed. Cir. 2008) ................................................................................. 16
`
`TEK Global, S.R.L. v. Sealant Sys. Int’l,
`
`920 F.3d 777 (Fed. Cir. Mar. 29, 2019) ................................................... 46, 48, 52, 55
`
`Thorner v. Sony Computer Entm’t Am. LLC,
`
`669 F.3d 1362 (Fed. Cir. 2012) ............................................................................... 2, 3
`
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`PLAINTIFF’S OPENING CLAIM CONSTRUCTION BRIEF
`
`
`
`v
`
`7
`
`
`
`Case 3:18-cv-01784-CAB-BLM Document 66 Filed 05/24/19 PageID.2535 Page 8 of 83
`
`
`TurboCare Div. of Demag Delaval Turbomachinery Corp. v. Gen. Elec. Co.,
`
`264 F.3d 1111 (Fed. Cir. 2001) ................................................................................. 20
`
`Vitronics Corp. v. Conceptronic, Inc.,
`
`90 F.3d 1576 (Fed. Cir. 1996) ......................................................................... 3, 24, 31
`
`White v. Dunbar,
`
`119 U.S. 47 (1886) ....................................................................................................... 2
`
`Williamson v. Citrix Online, LLC,
`
`792 F.3d 1339 (Fed. Cir. 2015) ........................................................................... 46, 52
`
`Statutes
`
`35 U.S.C. § 112(2) ........................................................................................................... 2
`
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`PLAINTIFF’S OPENING CLAIM CONSTRUCTION BRIEF
`
`vi
`
`8
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`
`
`Case 3:18-cv-01784-CAB-BLM Document 66 Filed 05/24/19 PageID.2536 Page 9 of 83
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`Exhibit
`A
`
`B
`
`C
`D
`
`E
`
`F
`G
`H
`I
`
`J
`
`K
`
`L
`
`M
`
`N
`
`O
`
`P
`
`Q
`R
`
`S
`
`TABLE OF EXHIBITS
`
`Description
`U.S. Patent No. 7,319,889 to Goris, et al., issued January 15,
`2008
`Excerpts of the Certified File History for U.S. Patent No.
`7,319,889.
`U.S. Patent No. 8,204,554 to Goris, et al., issued June 19, 2012
`Excerpts of the Certified File History for U.S. Patent No.
`8,204,554.
`U.S. Patent No. 7,990,842 to Trachewsky, et al., issued August
`2, 2011
`U.S. Patent No. 8,416,862 to Aldana, et al., issued April 3, 2013
`U.S. Patent No. 7,957,450 to Hansen, et al., issued June 7, 2011
`U.S. Patent No. 6,941,156 to Mooney, issued September 6, 2005
`Excerpts of the Certified File History for U.S. Patent No.
`6,941,156
`U.S. Patent No. 7,039,435 to McDowell, et al., issued May 2,
`2006
`Excerpts of the Certified File History for U.S. Patent No.
`7,039,435
`Amended Declaration of Dr. Vijay Madisetti In Support of
`Plaintiff’s Claim Constructions dated May 2, 2019 (“Madisetti
`Op. Decl.”)
`Rebuttal Declaration of Dr. Vijay Madisetti In Support of
`Plaintiff’s Claim Constructions dated May 8, 2019 (“Madisetti
`Rebuttal Decl.”)
`Sur-Rebuttal Declaration of Dr. Vijay Madisetti In Support of
`Plaintiff’s Claim Constructions dated May 16, 2019 (“Madisetti
`Sur-Rebuttal Decl.”)
`Excerpts from the May 1, 2019 Declaration of Paul Min, Ph.D.
`Regarding Claim Construction (“Min Op. Decl.”)
`Excerpts from the May 19, 2019 Deposition of Paul Min, Ph.D.
`(“Min Dep.”)
`Excerpts from Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary (2001)
`Excerpts from Rebuttal Declaration of Dr. Jonathan Wells,
`Ph.D. dated May 8, 2019 (“Wells Rebuttal Decl.”)
`Excerpts from William Yee, Mobile Communications
`Engineering – Theory and Applications, McGraw Hill (2d ed.
`1997)
`
`PLAINTIFF’S OPENING CLAIM CONSTRUCTION BRIEF
`
`
`
`vii
`
`9
`
`
`
`Case 3:18-cv-01784-CAB-BLM Document 66 Filed 05/24/19 PageID.2537 Page 10 of 83
`
`
`Exhibit
`T
`U
`
`V
`
`W
`
`Description
`U.S. 6,498,924 (“Vogel”)
`Ronald N. Bracewell, The Fourier Transform and its
`Applications (3rd ed., 2000)
`Discrete Fourier Transform based Multimedia Colour Image
`Authentication for Wireless Communication (DFTMCIAWC)
`Spatial Channel and System Characterization
`
`
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`PLAINTIFF’S OPENING CLAIM CONSTRUCTION BRIEF
`
`
`
`viii
`
`10
`
`
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`Case 3:18-cv-01784-CAB-BLM Document 66 Filed 05/24/19 PageID.2538 Page 11 of 83
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`I. INTRODUCTION
`
`Pursuant to this Court’s Case Management Order of October 15, 2018, Plaintiff
`
`Bell Northern Research, LLC’s (“BNR”) hereby submits its Opening Claim
`
`Construction Brief in the following cases, consolidated for pretrial purposes: Bell
`
`Northern Research, LLC v. Coolpad Technologies, Inc., et al., No. 3:18-cv-1783; Bell
`
`Northern Research, LLC v. Huawei Device USA, Inc., et al., No. 3:18-cv-1784; Bell
`
`Northern Research, LLC v. Kyocera Corporation, et al., No. 3:18-cv-1785; and Bell
`
`Northern Research, LLC v. ZTE Corporation, et al., No. 3:18-cv-1786.1
`
`The consolidated cases involve eight patents: U.S. Patent No. 7,319,889 (“the
`
`’889 Patent”); U.S. Patent No. 8,204,554 (“the ’554 Patent”); U.S. Patent No.
`
`7,990,842 (“the ’842 Patent”); U.S. Patent No. 8,416,862 (“the ’862 Patent”); U.S.
`
`Patent No. 7,957,450 (“the ’450 Patent”); U.S. Patent No. 6,941,156 (“the ’156
`
`Patent”); U.S. Patent No. 8,792,432 (“the ’432 Patent”); and U.S. Patent No. 7,039,435
`
`(“the ’435 Patent”) (collectively, the “Asserted Patents”).
`
`BNR’s proposed constructions adhere to the well-known principles of claim
`
`construction and are based on the plain and ordinary meaning of the terms at issue,
`
`taking into account the specification’s teachings. Defendants’ proposed constructions,
`
`on the other hand, generally seek to import extraneous limitations or ignore key
`
`disclosures in an attempt to manufacture non–infringement and invalidity positions.
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`Because BNR’s constructions are consistent with the canons of patent law and
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`properly balance granting the full scope of applicants’ invention while ensuring that
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`the public has proper notice of the scope of the invention, BNR respectfully requests
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`that the Court adopt its proposed constructions for the disputed terms described below.
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`1 BNR’s expert’s opinions cited herein are offered against the Huawei, Coolpad, and
`Kyocera Defendant Groups.
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`PLAINTIFF’S OPENING CLAIM CONSTRUCTION BRIEF
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`II. LEGAL STANDARD
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`Claim construction is the process by which “the meaning and scope of the patent
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`claims asserted to be infringed” is determined. Markman v. Westview Instruments, Inc.,
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`52 F.3d 967, 976 (Fed. Cir. 1995) (en banc), aff'd, 517 U.S. 370 (1996). This is a task
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`for the Court. Id. at 979.
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`A. The scope of a patent is defined by the plain import of its claims.
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`It is fundamental patent law that a patent’s claims define the patent’s scope.
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`Phillips v. AWH Corp., 415 F.3d 1303, 1312 (Fed. Cir. 2005) (en banc). Thus, “the
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`claim construction inquiry . . . begins and ends . . . with the actual words of the claim.”
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`Scanner Techs. Corp. v. ICOS Vision Sys. Corp. N.V., 365 F.3d 1299, 1303 (Fed. Cir.
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`2004) (quoting Renishaw PLC v. Marposs Societa’ per Azioni, 158 F.3d 1243, 1248
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`(Fed. Cir. 1998)); Blast Motion, Inc. v. Zepp Labs, Inc., No. 15-CV-700 JLS (NLS),
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`2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16549, at *3 (S.D. Cal. Feb. 6, 2017). Given the express
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`statutory purpose of the patent claim—“to particularly point[] out and distinctly
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`claim[]” the invention—it is “unjust to the public, as well as an evasion of law, to
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`construe it in a manner different from the plain import of its terms.” Phillips, 415 F.3d
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`at 1312 (quoting White v. Dunbar, 119 U.S. 47, 52 (1886)); 35 U.S.C. § 112(2).
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`Specifically, limiting the claims by the exemplary embodiments described in the patent
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`document is “one of the cardinal sins of patent law.” Phillips, 415 F.3d at 1320. This is
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`true even if the patentee described only one embodiment in the patent. Id. at 1323.
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`B. A claim term is given its full ordinary and customary meaning unless the
`patentee: (i) clearly otherwise defined the term, or (ii) unequivocally
`disclaimed the full scope of the term.
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`“The words of a claim are generally given their ordinary and customary meaning
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`as understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art when read in the context of the
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`specification and prosecution history.” Thorner v. Sony Computer Entm’t Am. LLC,
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`669 F.3d 1362, 1365 (Fed. Cir. 2012) (citing Phillips, 415 F.3d at 1313); accord CCS
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`Fitness, Inc. v. Brunswick Corp., 288 F.3d 1359, 1366 (Fed. Cir. 2002) (“Generally
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`speaking, we indulge a heavy presumption that a claim term carries its ordinary and
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`PLAINTIFF’S OPENING CLAIM CONSTRUCTION BRIEF
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`customary meaning.” (internal quotation marks omitted)). “There are only two
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`exceptions to this rule: 1) when a patentee sets out a definition and acts as his own
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`lexicographer, or 2) when the patentee disavows the full scope of the claim term either
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`in the specification or during prosecution.” Thorner, 669 F.3d at 1365 (citing Vitronics
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`Corp. v. Conceptronic, Inc., 90 F.3d 1576, 1580 (Fed. Cir. 1996)); accord K-2 Corp. v.
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`Salomon S.A., 191 F.3d 1356, 1362–63 (Fed. Cir. 1999) (“The ordinary and
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`accustomed meaning of a disputed claim term is presumed to be the correct one subject
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`to . . . a different meaning clearly and deliberately set forth in the intrinsic material.”
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`(citations omitted)). Ultimately, “[t]he patentee is free to choose a broad term and
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`expect to obtain the full scope of its plain and ordinary meaning unless the patentee
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`explicitly redefines the term or disavows its full scope.” Thorner, 669 F.3d at 1367.
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`III. CLAIM CONSTRUCTION REGARDING THE GORIS PATENTS
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`A. Background of the Inventions
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`The ’889 and ’554 Patents, the “Goris Patents,” belong to the same patent
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`family; the ’554 Patent is a continuation of the ’889 Patent. Each patent is entitled
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`“System and Method for Conserving Battery Power in a Mobile Station” and claims
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`priority to an earlier application filed on June 17, 2003.
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`The Goris Patents relate to inventions that help reduce cell phone consumption
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`of battery power. The specification notes that “the stand-by time, as well as the talk-
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`time, of a mobile station depend on the lifetime of a (rechargeable) battery inserted
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`within the mobile station and hence, on the load and/or on the capacity of the battery.”
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`(Ex. A, ’889 Patent at 1:27–30; Ex. C; ’554 Patent at 1:28–31.) The specification
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`further notes the problems in the prior art stemming from increasing the capacity of the
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`battery: “batteries having increased capacities are often larger, heavier or more
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`expensive, none of which are desirable attributes for a portable, affordable mobile
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`station.” (Ex. A, ’889 Patent at 1:31–35; Ex. C, ’554 Patent at 1:32–36.)
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`Thus, the Goris Patents describe “a way to prolong the lifetime of a mobile
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`station without having to use a battery with an increased capacity,” and they do so by
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`focusing on the power supply to the display of the phone. (Ex. A, ’889 Patent at 1:35–
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`37; Ex. C, ’554 Patent at 1:36–38.) The claims are drawn to systems and methods that
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`include (among other things) use of a proximity sensor and processor “adapted to
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`cause power consumption of the display to be reduced when the display is within a
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`predetermined range of an external object,” such as a user’s ear. (Ex. A, ’889 Patent at
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`1:44–46; Ex. C, ’554 Patent at 1:45–47; see also, e.g., Claim 1.) The specification
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`explains that “by reducing the power consumption of the display of an activated
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`telephone set in [the] case [that] the display is not needed, i.e., in particular during a
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`telephone call, current is saved instead of needlessly consumed from the (recharge-
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`able) battery. Accordingly, the spared available battery power may be significant,
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`especially for color displays, resulting in an overall increasement of the stand-by
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`and/or talk time of the telephone set.” (Ex. A,’889 Patent at 1:47–54; Ex. C, ’554
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`Patent at 1:48–55.)
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`B. “a signal indicative of proximity of an external object” and “a signal
`indicative of the existence of a first condition, the first condition being
`that an external object is proximate”
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`Defendants’ Proposed
`Construction
`“a signal that an external object is or
`is not within a predetermined range”
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`
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`Plaintiff’s Proposed Construction
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`Plain and ordinary meaning. To the
`extent the Court determines that a
`specific construction is warranted,
`BNR proposes:
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`“a signal that an external object is
`within a predetermined range”
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`These terms appear in the following claims in the Goris Patents, and there is a
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`difference in language between the ’889 Patent term and the ’554 Patent terms:
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`’889 Patent Claim 1
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`’554 Patent Claim 1
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`’554 Patent Claim 14
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`A mobile station,
`comprising:
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`A mobile station,
`comprising:
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`A mobile station,
`comprising:
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`’889 Patent Claim 1
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`’554 Patent Claim 1
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`’554 Patent Claim 14
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`a display;
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`a display;
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`a display;
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`a proximity sensor adapted
`to generate a signal
`indicative of proximity of
`an external object; and
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`a microprocessor adapted
`to:
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`(a) determine whether a
`telephone call is active;
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`(b) receive the signal from
`the proximity sensor, and
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`(c) reduce power to the
`display if (i) the
`microprocessor
`determines that a
`telephone call is active and
`(ii) the signal indicates the
`proximity of the external
`object; wherein:
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`the telephone call is a
`wireless telephone call;
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`the microprocessor
`reduces power to the
`display while the signal
`indicates the proximity of
`the external object only if
`the microprocessor
`determines that the
`wireless telephone call is
`active; and
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`the proximity sensor
`begins detecting whether
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`a proximity sensor adapted
`to generate a signal
`indicative of the
`existence of a first
`condition, the first
`condition being that an
`external object is
`proximate; and
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`a proximity sensor adapted
`to generate a signal
`indicative of the
`existence of a first
`condition, the first
`condition being that an
`external object is
`proximate; and
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`a microprocessor adapted
`to:
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`a microprocessor adapted
`to:
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`(a) determine, without
`using the proximity
`sensor, the existence of a
`second condition
`independent and different
`from the first condition,
`the second condition being
`that a user of the mobile
`station has performed an
`action to initiate an
`outgoing call or to answer
`an incoming call;
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`(b) in response to a
`determination in step (a)
`that the second condition
`exists, activate the
`proximity sensor;
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`(c) receive the signal from
`the activated proximity
`sensor; and
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`(d) reduce power to the
`display if the signal from
`the activated proximity
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`(a) determine,
`independently of the
`determination whether the
`external object is
`proximate, the existence of
`a second condition
`different from the first
`condition, the second
`condition being that a user
`of the mobile station has
`performed an action to
`initiate an outgoing call or
`to answer an incoming
`call;
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`(b) in response to a
`determination in step (a)
`that the second condition
`exists, activate the
`proximity sensor;
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`(c) receive the signal from
`the activated proximity
`sensor; and
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`’889 Patent Claim 1
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`’554 Patent Claim 1
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`’554 Patent Claim 14
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`an external object is
`proximate substantially
`concurrently with the
`mobile station initiating an
`outgoing wireless
`telephone call or receiving
`an incoming wireless call.
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`
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`sensor indicates that the
`first condition exists.
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`(d) reduce power to the
`display if the signal from
`the activated proximity
`sensor indicates that the
`first condition exists.
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`The only dispute regarding the definition of this claim term centers on
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`Defendants’ insertion of the three words “or is not,” effectively requiring that the
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`proximity sensor be adapted to generate a signal when an external object is not within
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`a predetermined range. But Defendants cannot point to any support in the intrinsic
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`record that requires the proximity sensor of these three claims to be adapted to
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`generate a signal to show that something is not there. Nor do the Defendants cite any
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`extrinsic evidence, including any expert testimony, that a person of ordinary skill in the
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`art would interpret the claim term to require a signal indicating the absence of an
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`object within a predetermined range. On the contrary, the specification invariably
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`refers to a determination that an external object is within a predetermined range. For
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`instance, in the specification:
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` “The proximity sensor is coupled to the chassis and causes the power
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`consumption to be reduced when the display is within a predetermined
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`range of an external object.” (Ex. A, ’889 Patent at Abstract; Ex. C, ’554
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`Patent at Abstract.)
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` “…a proximity sensor coupled to the chassis and adapted to cause a
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`power consumption of the display to be reduced when the display is
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`within a predetermined range of an external object.” (Ex. A, ’889 Patent
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`at 1:43–46; Ex. C, ’554 Patent at 1:44–47.)
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` “If the proximity sensor 140 detects an external object (such as the user's
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`ear) within the monitored range…” (Ex. A, ’889 Patent at 3:20–22; Ex. C,
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`’554 Patent at 3:21–23.)
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` “…detecting an attachment of the set, in particular of the display of said
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`set near to an object, in particular to the ear…” (’889 Patent at 2:20–22;
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`Ex. C, ’554 Patent at 2:21–23.)
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`“If the proximity sensor 140 detects an external object (such as the user's
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`ear) within the monitored range…” (Ex. A, ’889 Patent at 3:20–22; Ex.
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`C, ’554 Patent at 3:21–23.)
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` “…the proximity sensor 140 detects proximity to an external object…”
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`(E