Filed on behalf of John Mezzalingua Associates, LLC
`
`UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`__________
`
`BEFORE THE PATENT TRIAL AND APPEAL BOARD
`_________
`
`JOHN MEZZALINGUA ASSOCIATES, LLC,
`Petitioner,
`
`v.
`
`DALI WIRELESS, INC.,
`Patent Owner.
`__________
`
`Case No. To Be Assigned
`Patent 10,334,499 B2
`__________
`
`PETITION FOR INTER PARTES REVIEW OF
`U.S. PATENT NO. 10,334,499 B2
`PURSUANT TO 35 U.S.C. §§ 311–319 AND 37 C.F.R. § 42.100
`
`

`

`TABLE OF CONTENTS
`
`I.
`
`MANDATORY NOTICES ........................................................................... 1
`A.
`Real Parties-In-Interest .......................................................................... 1
`B.
`Related Matters ...................................................................................... 1
`C.
`Lead And Back-Up Counsel ................................................................. 1
`D.
`Service Information ............................................................................... 2
`II. WORD COUNT CERTIFICATION ........................................................... 2
`III. PAYMENT OF FEES ................................................................................... 2
`IV. REQUIREMENTS FOR INTER PARTES REVIEW .............................. 3
`A.
`Grounds for Standing ............................................................................ 3
`B.
`Identification of Challenge And Precise Relief Requested ................... 4
`1.
`Claims For Which Inter Partes Review Is Requested ................. 4
`2.
`Prior Art Qualification Of The Asserted Prior Art ..................... 4
`3.
`Specific Art And Statutory Grounds On Which The
`Challenges Are Based ................................................................. 5
`Supporting Evidence Relied Upon To Support The
`Challenge .................................................................................... 5
`How The Challenged Claims Are To Be Construed .................. 5
`5.
`OVERVIEW OF THE ’499 PATENT ......................................................... 5
`A.
`Summary Of The ’499 Patent ................................................................ 5
`B.
`The Level of Ordinary Skill in the Art .................................................. 7
`VI. CLAIM CONSTRUCTION .......................................................................... 7
`A.
`“Signal Source” ..................................................................................... 8
`B.
`“Radio Resource” .................................................................................. 8
`C.
`“Baseband Unit” ..................................................................................10
`VII. STATE OF THE ART AT THE TIME OF THE INVENTION OF THE
`’499 PATENT ...............................................................................................12
`A.
`Distributed Antenna Systems With Remote Radio Units Were
`Well Known Prior to 2011. .................................................................12
`
`V.
`
`4.
`
`i
`
`

`

`B.
`
`C.
`
`3.
`
`Translating Analog Radio Resources to Digital Baseband (e.g.,
`for Packetized Transport) in a Digital DAS Was Well Known
`Prior to 2011. .......................................................................................15
`Reconfiguration to Send Different Sets of Radio Resources to
`Remote Antenna Units Was Well Known Prior to 2011. ...................17
`VIII. THE CHALLENGED CLAIMS OF THE ’499 PATENT ARE
`UNPATENTABLE. .....................................................................................19
`A.
`Ground 1: Claims 1-5, 8-11, 14-16 and 19 are anticipated by
`Oh. .......................................................................................................19
`1.
`Claim 1. .....................................................................................19
`2.
`Claim 2 – “The system of claim 1 wherein the baseband
`unit [DAS hub 26] is configured to packetize each digital
`representation of a radio resource” ...........................................41
`Claim 3 – “The system of claim 1 wherein the digital
`representation of the first set of radio resources includes
`destination information [IP address] identifying the first
`remote unit and the digital representation of the second
`set of radio resources includes destination information
`[IP address] identifying the first remote unit” ..........................41
`Claim 4 – “The system of claim 1 wherein the first set of
`radio resources is a subset of the plurality of radio
`resources and includes at least some radio resources from
`the first signal source and at least some radio resources
`from the second signal source [BTSs 18].” ..............................43
`Claim 5 – “The system of claim 1 wherein the baseband
`unit [DAS hub 26] and at least one of the plurality of
`signal sources [one BTS 18] are part of a baseband
`controller [DAS hub 26 and one BTS 18].”..............................45
`Claim 8. .....................................................................................47
`Claim 9 – “The baseband controller [DAS hub 26 and
`one BTS 18] of claim 8 wherein the baseband unit [DAS
`hub 26] is configured to packetize each digital
`representation of a radio resource” ...........................................49
`Claim 10 – “The baseband controller [DAS hub 26 and
`one BTS 18] of claim 8 wherein the digital representation
`of the first set of radio resources includes destination
`
`6.
`7.
`
`4.
`
`5.
`
`8.
`
`ii
`
`

`

`9.
`
`information [IP address] identifying the first remote unit
`[DAS antenna unit 30] and the digital representation of
`the second set of radio resources includes destination
`information [IP address] identifying the first remote unit
`[DAS antenna unit 30]” ............................................................50
`Claim 11 – “The baseband controller [DAS hub 26 and
`one BTS 18] of claim 8 wherein the first set of radio
`resources is a subset of the plurality of radio resources
`and includes at least some radio resources from the first
`signal source [transceiver of BTSs 18] and at least some
`radio resources from the second signal source
`[transceiver of BTSs 18]” .........................................................50
`10. Claim 14. ...................................................................................50
`11. Claim 15 – “The method of claim 14 wherein the digital
`representation of the first set of radio resources includes
`destination information [IP address] identifying the first
`remote unit[DAS antenna unit 30] and the digital
`representation of the second set of radio resources
`includes destination [IP address] information identifying
`the second remote unit [DAS antenna unit 30]” .......................52
`12. Claim 16 – “The method of claim 14 wherein the first set
`of radio resources is a subset of the plurality of radio
`resources and includes at least some radio resources from
`the first signal source and at least some radio resources
`from the second signal source [transceivers of BTSs 18]” .......52
`13. Claim 19 – “The method of claim 14 further comprising
`packetizing [DAS hub 26], at the baseband unit, at least a
`subset of the plurality of radio resources” ................................53
`Ground 2: Claims 1-5, 8-11, 14-16 and 19 are obvious over Oh
`in view of Cannon. ..............................................................................53
`1.
`Claim 1. .....................................................................................53
`2.
`Claim 2 – “The system of claim 1 wherein the baseband
`unit is configured to packetize each digital representation
`of a radio resource” ...................................................................58
`Claim 3 – “The system of claim 1 wherein the digital
`representation of the first set of radio resources includes
`
`3.
`
`iii
`
`B.
`
`

`

`4.
`
`5.
`
`6.
`7.
`
`destination information identifying the first remote unit
`and the digital representation of the second set of radio
`resources includes destination information identifying the
`first remote unit” .......................................................................58
`Claim 4 – “The system of claim 1 wherein the first set of
`radio resources is a subset of the plurality of radio
`resources and includes at least some radio resources from
`the first signal source and at least some radio resources
`from the second signal source.” ................................................58
`Claim 5 – “The system of claim 1 wherein the baseband
`unit and at least one of the plurality of signal sources are
`part of a baseband controller.” ..................................................59
`Claim 8 ......................................................................................61
`Claim 9 – “The baseband controller of claim 8 wherein
`the baseband unit is configured to packetize each digital
`representation of a radio resource” ...........................................63
`Claim 10 – “The baseband controller of claim 8 wherein
`the digital representation of the first set of radio resources
`includes destination information identifying the first
`remote unit and the digital representation of the second
`set of radio resources includes destination information
`identifying the first remote unit” ..............................................63
`Claim 11 – “The baseband controller of claim 8 wherein
`the first set of radio resources is a subset of the plurality
`of radio resources and includes at least some radio
`resources from the first signal source and at least some
`radio resources from the second signal source” .......................64
`10. Claim 14. ...................................................................................64
`11. Claim 15 – “The method of claim 14 wherein the digital
`representation of the first set of radio resources includes
`destination information identifying the first remote unit
`and the digital representation of the second set of radio
`resources includes destination information identifying the
`second remote unit” ..................................................................65
`12. Claim 16 – “The method of claim 14 wherein the first set
`of radio resources is a subset of the plurality of radio
`
`8.
`
`9.
`
`iv
`
`

`

`C.
`
`2.
`
`3.
`
`resources and includes at least some radio resources from
`the first signal source and at least some radio resources
`from the second signal source” .................................................66
`13. Claim 19 – “The method of claim 14 further comprising
`packetizing, at the baseband unit, at least a subset of the
`plurality of radio resources” ......................................................66
`Ground 3: Claims 5-8, 12, 13, 17 and 18 are obvious over Oh
`in view of Fischer ................................................................................66
`1.
`Claim 5 – “The system of claim 1 wherein the baseband
`unit and at least one of the plurality of signal sources are
`part of a baseband controller.” ..................................................66
`Claim 6 – “The system of claim 1 wherein the baseband
`unit further comprises at least one interface to
`communicatively couple the baseband unit to one or
`more additional baseband units.” ..............................................68
`Claim 7 – “The system of claim 6 wherein the one or
`more additional baseband units includes a plurality of
`additional baseband units, and the baseband unit is
`connected to at least a first one of the plurality of
`additional baseband units through a direct connection and
`at least a second one of the plurality of additional
`baseband units through an indirect connection.” ......................69
`Claim 8 ......................................................................................70
`Claim 12 – “The baseband controller of claim 8 wherein
`the baseband unit further comprises at least one interface
`to communicatively couple the baseband unit to one or
`more additional baseband units” ...............................................72
`Claim 13 – “The baseband controller of claim 8 wherein
`the plurality of radio resources include a first composite
`signal from the first signal source and a second
`composite signal from the second signal source, and the
`baseband unit is configured to form the digital
`representation of the first set of radio resources from a
`first subset of the first composite signal and a second
`subset of the second composite signal” ....................................73
`
`4.
`5.
`
`6.
`
`v
`
`

`

`7.
`
`8.
`
`Claim 17 – “The method of claim 14 further comprising
`receiving at the baseband unit, from at least one
`additional baseband unit, a second plurality of radio
`resources” ..................................................................................75
`Claim 18 – “The method of claim 14 wherein the
`plurality of radio resources include a first composite
`signal from the first signal source and a second
`composite signal from the second signal source, the
`method further comprising forming, at the baseband unit,
`the digital representation of the first set of radio resources
`from a first subset of the first composite signal and a
`second subset of the second composite signal” ........................75
`IX. CONCLUSION ............................................................................................76
`
`vi
`
`

`

`TABLE OF AUTHORITIES
`CASES
`
`Phillips v. AWH Corp.,
`415 F.3d 1305 (Fed. Cir. 2005) (en banc) .............................................................. 8
`Vivid Techs., Inc. v. Am. Sci. & Eng’g, Inc.,
`200 F.3d 795 (Fed. Cir. 1999) ................................................................................ 8
`
`STATUTES
`35 U.S.C. § 102(a),(b) (pre-AIA) .............................................................................. 5
`35 U.S.C. § 102(a),(e) ................................................................................................ 5
`35 U.S.C. § 318(a) ..................................................................................................... 4
`RULES
`37 C.F.R. § 42.102(a)(1) ............................................................................................ 3
`37 C.F.R. § 42.102(a)(2) ............................................................................................ 3
`37 C.F.R. § 42.104(b) ................................................................................................ 4
`37 C.F.R. § 42.15(a)(1) .............................................................................................. 3
`37 C.F.R. § 42.24 ....................................................................................................... 1
`37 C.F.R. § 42.24(a)(1)(i) .......................................................................................... 2
`
`vii
`
`

`

`EXHIBIT LIST
`
`EXHIBIT
`
`DESCRIPTION
`
`EX1001 U.S. Patent No. 10,334,499 (“’499 Patent”)
`EX1002 U.S. Patent No. 9,820,171 (“’171 Patent”)
`EX1003 U.S. Patent No. 7,286,507 (“Oh”)
`EX1004 U.S. Patent Application Pub. No. 2010/0177760 A1 (“Cannon”)
`EX1005 U.S. Patent Application Pub. No. 2007/0008939 (“Fischer”)
`EX1006 U.S. Patent Application Pub. No. 2010/0128676 (“Wu”)
`EX1007 U.S. Patent Application Pub. No. 2010/0296816A1 (“Larsen”)
`EX1008 U.S. Patent Application Pub. No. 2018/0287833A1 (“Kennedy”)
`EX1009 U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/144,349 (“Cannon
`Provisional”)
`EX1010 U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/117,469 (“Wu
`Provisional”)
`EX1011 U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/374,593 (“’593
`Provisional”)
`Tolstrup, Morten. Indoor Radio Planning: A Practical Guide for
`GSM, DCS, UMTS and HSPA. John Wiley & Sons Ltd., 2008.
`EX1013 Webster’s New World Telecom Dictionary (2008).
`EX1014
`Complaint (DALI WIRELESS, INC. v. JOHN MEZZALINGUA
`ASSOCIATES, LLC d/b/a JMA WIRELESS) (December 30, 2019)
`Proof of Service (December 30, 2019)
`EX1015
`EX1016 DALI WIRELESS, INC. v COMMSCOPE TECHNOLOGIES LLC)
`(May 22, 2019)
`EX1017 Declaration of James A. Proctor, Jr.
`
`EX1012
`
`viii
`
`

`

`John Mezzalingua Associates, LLC (“Petitioner”) petitions for inter partes
`
`review (“IPR”) of claims 1-19 of U.S. Patent No. 10,334,499 B2 (“’499 Patent”)
`
`(EX1001) owned by Dali Wireless, Inc. (“Patent Owner”).
`
`I.
`
`MANDATORY NOTICES
`
`A.
`
`Real Parties-In-Interest
`
`Petitioner identifies John Mezzalingua Associates, LLC as a real party-in-
`
`interest. In addition, Petitioner identifies the following parties as real parties-in-
`
`interest: John Mezzalingua Holdings, LLC, JMA Wireless LTD, Teko Telecom
`
`Srl, XRN, LLC, and CellH, LLC.
`
`B.
`
`Related Matters
`
`Petitioner identifies the following list of judicial or administrative matters
`
`that would affect, or be affected, by a decision in this proceeding:
`
` Dali Wireless, Inc. v. John Mezzalingua Associates, LLC d/b/a JMA
`
`Wireless, C.A. No. 19-2367-RGA (D. Del.)
`
` Petition for Inter Partes Review Of U.S. Patent No. 9,820,171 (Claims 1-
`
`20) (filed concurrently herewith)
`
` U.S. Patent No. 9,820,171 B2
`
`C.
`
`Lead And Back-Up Counsel
`
`Petitioner identifies the following as lead and back-up counsel:
`
`1
`
`

`

`Lead Counsel
`Denis J. Sullivan (Reg. No. 47,980)
`BARCLAY DAMON, LLP
`Barclay Damon Tower
`125 East Jefferson St.
`Syracuse, NY 13202
`Direct Tel.: (315) 425-2868
`Email: dsullivan@barclaydamon.com
`
`Back-up Counsel
`Naresh K. Kannan (Reg. No. 71,730)
`BARCLAY DAMON, LLP
`80 State Street
`Albany, New York 12207
`Direct Tel.: (518) 429-4291
`Email: nkannan@barclaydamon.com
`
`Thomas Hoehner (Reg. No. 73,474)
`BARCLAY DAMON, LLP
`Barclay Damon Tower
`125 East Jefferson St.
`Syracuse, NY 13202
`Direct Tel.: (315) 425-2839
`Email: thoehner@barclaydamon.com
`
`Petitioner also concurrently files a power of attorney.
`
`D.
`
`Service Information
`
`Petitioner states that papers concerning this matter should be served by
`
`overnight mail, by hand-delivery, or electronic mail (email) to lead and back-up
`
`counsel as shown above. Petitioner consents to, and requests, electronic service of
`
`a papers by email sent to all of the email addresses identified above for lead and
`
`back-up counsel.
`
`II. WORD COUNT CERTIFICATION
`
`Certification of the word count limit set forth in 37 C.F.R. § 42.24(a)(1)(i) is
`
`provided in the attached Certificate of Compliance.
`
`III. PAYMENT OF FEES
`
`The undersigned authorizes the Office to charge the inter partes request fee
`
`2
`
`

`

`of $15,500 as required by 37 C.F.R. § 42.15(a)(1) and the inter partes post-
`
`institution fee of $17,400 as required by 37 C.F.R. § 42.15(a)(2) for the filing of
`
`this Petition for Inter Partes Review, to Deposit Account No. 50-3010 (Barclay
`
`Damon, LLP). The undersigned further authorizes the payment for any additional
`
`fees, or credit for any overpayment, to Deposit Account No. 50-3010.
`
`IV. REQUIREMENTS FOR INTER PARTES REVIEW
`
`A.
`
`Grounds for Standing
`
`Pursuant to 37 C.F.R. § 42.104(a), Petitioner certifies that the ’499 Patent is
`
`available for IPR in accordance with 37 C.F.R. § 42.102(a)(1) or 37 C.F.R. §
`
`42.102(a)(2), and that Petitioner is not barred or estopped from requesting IPR
`
`challenging the claims of the ’499 Patent on the grounds identified in this Petition.
`
`This Petition is filed within one year from the date on which Petitioner was
`
`served with the complaint in the related litigation, Dali Wireless, Inc. v. John
`
`Mezzalingua Associates, LLC d/b/a JMA Wireless, C.A. No. 19-2367-RGA (D.
`
`Del.) (EX100X, EX100X), which asserted infringement of the ’499 Patent.
`
`Neither Petitioner nor any privies of Petitioner have received a final written
`
`decision under 35 U.S.C. § 318(a) with respect to any claim of the ’499 Patent on
`
`any ground that was raised or could have been raised by Petitioner or privies of
`
`Petitioner in any IPR, post grant review, or covered business method patent review.
`
`3
`
`

`

`B.
`
`Identification of Challenge And Precise Relief Requested
`
`Pursuant to 37 C.F.R. § 42.104(b), Petitioner identifies its challenge of
`
`claims 1-19 of the ’499 Patent, and requests that these claims be found
`
`unpatentable over the asserted prior art for the reasons given herein.
`
`1.
`
`Claims For Which Inter Partes Review Is Requested
`
`Petitioner requests review of claims 1-19 of the ’499 Patent.
`
`2.
`
`Prior Art Qualification Of The Asserted Prior Art
`
`The ’499 Patent claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application
`
`No. 61/439,940, filed February 7, 2011. Accordingly, the earliest possible filing
`
`date of the ’499 Patent is February 7, 2011.
`
`The following prior art references relied upon in this Petition were all
`
`published or issued more than one year before February 7, 2011 and therefore
`
`constitute prior art to the claims of the ’499 Patent under at least 35 U.S.C. §
`
`102(a),(b) (pre-AIA):
`
` U.S. Patent No. 7,286,507 (“Oh”) (EX1003), which was filed on October 4,
`
`2005, and issued on October 23, 2007.
`
` U.S. Patent Application Pub. No. 2007/0008939 (“Fischer”) (EX1005),
`
`published January 11, 2007.
`
`The following prior art reference relied upon in this Petition qualify as prior
`
`art under at least 35 U.S.C. § 102(a),(e).
`
`4
`
`

`

` U.S. Patent Application Pub. No. 2010/0177760 A1 (“Cannon”) (EX1004),
`
`was filed on January 13, 2010 claiming priority to U.S. Provisional Patent
`
`Application No. 61/144,349 (EX1009), and published July 15, 2010.
`
`3.
`
`Specific Art And Statutory Grounds On Which The Challenges
`Are Based
`
`The challenged claims of the ’499 Patent and grounds comprise:
`
` Ground 1: Claims 1-5, 8-11, 14-16 and 19 are anticipated by Oh.
`
` Ground 2: Claims 1-5, 8-11, 14-16 and 19 are obvious under 35 U.S.C.
`
`§ 103(a) (pre-AIA) over Oh in view of Cannon.
`
` Ground 3: Claims 5-8, 12, 13, 17 and 18 are obvious under 35 U.S.C. §
`
`103(a) (pre-AIA) over Oh in view of Fischer.
`
`4.
`
`Supporting Evidence Relied Upon To Support The Challenge
`
`In addition to the asserted prior art, Petitioner relies upon the evidence listed
`
`in the Exhibit List, including the Declaration of James A. Proctor, Jr. (EX1017.)
`
`5.
`
`How The Challenged Claims Are To Be Construed
`
`An explanation of how the challenged claims are to be construed is provided
`
`below.
`
`V.
`
`OVERVIEW OF THE ’499 PATENT
`
`A.
`
`Summary Of The ’499 Patent
`
`The ’499 Patent discloses a “Distributed Antenna System 100” in which a
`
`baseband unit (digital access unit 105) provides transport of signals to digital
`
`5
`
`

`

`remote units 125 for communications with mobile devices. (EX1001 1:21-23,
`
`4:32-44; FIG. 1; EX1017 ¶44.)
`
`’499 Patent (EX1001) Fig. 1
`
`The challenged claims, allowed without any prior art rejections, recite a
`
`conventional system of a baseband unit that receives radio resources from signal
`
`sources, and sends digital representations of radio resources to remote units.
`
`(EX1001 14:12-24, 14:65-15:10, 16:1-13; EX1017 ¶45.) The challenged claims
`
`recite the functions of sending digital representations of radio resources to remote
`
`antenna units. (EX1001 14:15-24, 15:1-15:10, 16:5-13; EX1017 ¶45.) The
`
`challenged claims further recite the functions of configuring [and re-configuring]
`
`the baseband unit to send digital representations of first and second sets of radio
`
`resources at first and second points in time. (EX1001 14:15-24, 15:1-15:10, 16:5-
`
`6
`
`

`

`13; EX1017 ¶45.)
`
`B.
`
`The Level of Ordinary Skill in the Art
`
`A person of ordinary skill in the art (“POSITA”)1 for the ’499 Patent as of
`
`the earliest filing date of the patent (February 7, 2011) would have at least: (1) a
`
`bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering; and (2) a minimum of 3-4 years of
`
`industry experience in wireless communications networks and engineering.
`
`However, an individual with an advanced degree in electrical engineering would
`
`require less industry experience (e.g., 1-2 years). (EX1017 ¶¶41-43.)
`
`VI. CLAIM CONSTRUCTION
`
`In this Petition, the terms of the claims are given their ordinary and
`
`customary meaning in the context of the claims and specification, according to the
`
`understanding of a POSITA as of the effective filing date. Phillips v. AWH Corp.,
`
`415 F.3d 1305, 1313 (Fed. Cir. 2005) (en banc). Here, no construction is
`
`necessary for the majority of the terms because the asserted prior art teaches the
`
`limitation regardless of how the claim terms are construed. See Vivid Techs., Inc.
`
`v. Am. Sci. & Eng’g, Inc., 200 F.3d 795, 803 (Fed. Cir. 1999) (“[O]nly those terms
`
`need be construed that are in controversy, and only to the extent necessary to
`
`resolve the controversy.”) Where not specified below, Petitioner asserts that a
`
`1 All references to the perspective of a POSITA in this Petition are with reference
`
`to the time of the invention (2010-2011).
`
`7
`
`

`

`POSITA would have understood all claim terms to have their ordinary and
`
`customary meaning. Petitioner reserves the right to respond to any claim
`
`constructions proposed by Patent Owner.
`
`A.
`
` “Signal Source”
`
`The independent claims of the ’499 Patent recite “signal sources” that are
`
`communicatively coupled to a baseband unit. (EX1001 14:15-24, 14:28-29, 14:65-
`
`15:10, 16:1-13; EX1017 ¶46.)
`
`The ’499 Patent explains that base transceiver stations are the sources of RF
`
`signals sent to the distributed antenna system (DAS): “RF input signals 120A
`
`through 120n are received at the DAU 105 from one or more base station units
`
`(BTS).” (EX1001 4:63-65; EX1017 ¶46.)
`
`A base transceiver station (BTS) includes at least one “transceiver,” which is
`
`a portmanteau of the words transmitter and receiver, meaning a device that
`
`combines transmitter and receiver functions for RF communications. (EX1017
`
`¶49.) Either a transmitter or a transceiver, but not a receiver, can be the source of a
`
`RF signal. (EX1017 ¶¶47-52.)
`
`Thus a “signal source” should be construed to mean “an RF transceiver or
`
`transmitter.” (EX1017 ¶53.)
`
`B.
`
` “Radio Resource”
`
`The independent claims of the ’499 Patent recite that a baseband unit is
`
`8
`
`

`

`configured to receive “radio resources” from signal sources, and further recites that
`
`the baseband unit sends digital representations of the “radio resources.” (EX1001
`
`14:12-24, 14:65-15:10, 16:1-13; EX1017 ¶54.)
`
`The ’499 Patent provides examples of radio resources including “RF
`
`carriers, CDMA codes or TDMA time slots” and “narrow frequency band or
`
`bands, RF carriers or RF channels” which are all analog components of an RF
`
`spectrum. (EX1001 12:61-62, 7:21-22; EX1017 ¶55.)
`
`The term “radio resource” is explained in the textbook by Morten Tolstrup,
`
`Indoor Radio Planning: A Practical Guide for GSM, DCS, UMTS and HSPA, John
`
`Wiley & Sons Ltd., 2008 (EX1012) (“Tolstrup”). Tolstrup explains that “radio
`
`resources” consist of an “RF spectrum,” and provides numerous examples of how
`
`different components of an RF spectrum, such as carriers, CDMA codes, etc., are
`
`used as radio resources for GSM, UMTS, and other technologies. (EX1012 7, 12-
`
`15, 26, 28, 30-34, 108-109, 278, 297, FIGS 2.3, 2.4, 2.7, 2.13, 2.17, 2.19, 4.15;
`
`EX1017 ¶¶56-70.) By specifying both “radio resources” and digital
`
`representations of “radio resources,” the structure of the claims make clear that
`
`radio resources are analog, not digital. (EX1017 ¶¶56-70.)
`
`Thus “radio resource” should be construed to mean “an analog component of
`
`an RF spectrum.” (EX1017 ¶71.)
`
`9
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`

`

`C.
`
`“Baseband Unit”
`
`The independent claims of the ’499 Patent recite a “baseband unit” that
`
`receives radio resources from signal sources and sends digital representations of
`
`the radio resources to remote units. (EX1001 14:15-24, 14:28-29, 14:65-15:10,
`
`16:1-13; EX1017 ¶72.)
`
`The specification of the ’499 Patent does not use the term “baseband unit,”
`
`but it discloses that a “digital access unit” performs conversion between RF and
`
`baseband signals for communication with remote units: “[t]he RF input signals are
`
`separately down-converted, digitized, and converted to baseband (using a Digital
`
`Down-Converter) by the DAU… [t]he independently serialized, parallel data
`
`streams are then delivered to different [digital remote units] DRU's 125A-125k.”
`
`(EX1001 4:66-5:6; EX1017 ¶76.)
`
` While the ’499 Patent doesn’t expressly define a baseband unit, U.S. Patent
`
`Application Pub. No. 2010/0296816A1 (“Larsen”), which also deals with
`
`distributed antenna systems, explains that a “baseband unit” is a device that
`
`performs conversion to and from baseband signals for communication with remote
`
`units: “[i]n an alternative [distributed antenna system] DAS architecture, encoded
`
`baseband signals are routed from a baseband unit (BBU) to remote ‘radio heads’
`
`where the signals are modulated to appropriate RF carriers for radio transmission
`
`to mobile devices.” (EX1007 [0006]; EX1017 ¶¶77-82.) Consistent with the’499
`
`10
`
`

`

`Patent and Larsen, the term “baseband unit” has an ordinary meaning in the art of a
`
`device that performs conversion to and from “baseband signals,” e.g., for
`
`communication with remote units. (EX1001 4:66-5:6; EX1007 [0006]; EX1017
`
`¶¶82-84.)
`
`In addition, another DAS reference, U.S. Patent Application Pub. No.
`
`2010/0177760 A1 (“Cannon”) explains that “digital data signals representing
`
`digital RF samples … may be alternately referred to … as ‘digital RF’, ‘digitally
`
`sampled RF and ‘digital baseband’, may comprise digital representations of an RF,
`
`IF or baseband version of the original RF signal.” (EX1004 [0021]; EX1017 ¶85.)
`
`As evidenced by Larsen and Cannon “baseband” signals can be characterized in
`
`different ways depending on the context. (EX1017 ¶86.) For the purposes of this
`
`Petition, “baseband signals” that are relevant to digital DAS may be understood
`
`with reference to specific examples. (EX1017 ¶87.) “Baseband signals” relevant
`
`to digital distributed antenna systems include digitized streams and digital signals
`
`specified in the ’499 Patent and Cannon. (EX1001 4:66-5:6; EX1004 [0021];
`
`EX1017 ¶87.)
`
`Thus the scope of the claimed “baseband unit” should be construed to
`
`include “a device that performs conversion to and from baseband signals, e.g.,
`
`digitized streams.” (EX1017 ¶88.)
`
`11
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`

`

`VII. STATE OF THE ART AT THE TIME OF THE INVENTION OF THE
`’499 PATENT
`
`The ‘499 Patent is directed to reconfigurable digital distributed antenna
`
`systems (DAS) that interconnect analog RF base stations to remote units using
`
`digitized data streams. A review of the prior art available before the earliest
`
`possible filing date of the ’499 Patent (February 7, 2011) demonstrates that each of
`
`the recited features was well known at that time.
`
`A.
`
`Distributed Antenna Systems With Remote Radio Units Were
`Well Known Prior to 2011.
`
`Independent Claims 1, 8 and 14 of the ’499 Patent require a baseband unit
`
`that receives radio resources
`
`from signal sources, and sends digital
`
`representations of radio resources to remote units. (EX1001 14:12-24, 14:65-
`
`15:10, 16:1-13; EX1017 ¶90.)
`
`Prior to 2010, distributed antenna systems (DAS) providing digital access to
`
`multiple remote radio units were well-known for expanding the reach of wireless
`
`services to distributed client devices, e.g., in multi-story office buildings, and
`
`offered reduced power consumption compared to analog systems. (EX1017 ¶¶91-
`
`97.)
`
`For example, U.S. Patent No. 7,286,507 (“Oh”) (EX1003), which is asserted
`
`prior art in this petition, discloses that “a distributed antenna system (DAS) 24 …
`
`functions advantageously to extend coverage,” and “includes a DAS hub 26”
`
`12
`
`

`

`(digital access unit) and “further includes a plurality of DAS remote antenna
`
`units 28, 30, 32.” (EX1003 4:65-5:6, 5:57-5:67, FIG. 1; EX1017 ¶97.)
`
`Oh (EX1003) Fig. 1
`
`U.S. Patent Application Pub. No. 2010/0177760 A1 (“Cannon”), which is
`
`asserted prior art in this petition, discloses in FIG. 1 “a distributed antenna system
`
`(DAS) 100 … for receiving and distributing radio frequency signals within a
`
`coverage area” which “includes a host unit 102 and a plurality of remote units
`
`106.” (EX1004 [0018]; EX1017 ¶98.)
`
`13
`
`

`

`Cannon (EX1004) Fig. 1
`
`U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0008939
`
`(“Fischer”)
`
`(EX1005), which is asserted prior art in this petition, also discloses in Fig. 1 a
`
`digital DAS system that includes a digital access unit 104 that communicates with
`
`remote radio units 106 – 108-N, and is designed to “extend coverage for wireless
`
`services to buildings located at a significant distance from the interface to the
`
`service provider's network.” (EX1005 [0017]; EX1017 ¶99.)
`
`14
`
`

`

`Fischer (EX1005) Fig. 1
`
`Thus, Oh, Cannon and Fischer all disclose the system required by the claims
`
`of a baseband unit that receives radio resources from signal sources, and se