`
`UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
`WESTERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS
`WACO DIVISION
`
`Case No. 6:20-cv-00665
`
`KOSS CORPORATION,
`
`Plaintiff,
`
`v.
`
`APPLE, INC.,
`
` Defendant.
`
`JOINT CLAIM CONSTRUCTION STATEMENT
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`Page 1 of 8
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`KOSS-2002
`IPR2021-00686
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`Case 6:20-cv-00665-ADA Document 68 Filed 04/14/21 Page 2 of 8
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`Pursuant to the scheduling order in the above-captioned case, Plaintiff Koss Corporation
`
`and Defendant Apple Inc. submit this Joint Claim Construction Statement. The hearing is
`
`scheduled for April 23, 2021, at 1:30 PM. The asserted patents and claims are:
`
`• U.S. Patent No. 10,206,025 (“’025 Patent”) – Claims 1–2, 4, 5, 7–10, 12, 14, 15, 17–19,
`
`21, 23–24, 26–28, 30, 32–33, 35–38, 42, 44, 45, and 47–51
`
`• U.S. Patent No. 10,298,451 (“’451 Patent”) – Claims 1 and 18
`
`• U.S. Patent No. 10,469,934 (“’934 Patent”) – Claims 1–8, 11–13, 15–22, 24, 26–31, 36–
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`41, 44–46, and 58–62
`
`• U.S. Patent No. 10,491,982 (“’982 Patent”) – Claims 2, 6, 11, and 17
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`• U.S. Patent No. 10,506,325 (“’325 Patent”) – Claims 1, 5, 8–9, 11, and 17
`
`The parties’ agreed and disputed claim constructions are below.
`
`Regarding the hearing on April 23, 2021, the parties agree to conduct the hearing by Zoom
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`or other remote platform, according to the Court’s preferences.
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`
`
`Agreed Construction
`
`
`
`
`Claims
`’982 Patent – claim 2
`’325 Patent – claim 1
`
`Agreed Construction
`The parties have agreed that this term
`does not require construction
`
`Term
`“wherein the docking
`station comprises a
`power cable for
`connecting to an
`external device”
`
`
`
`
`Term No Longer Requiring Construction At This Hearing
`
`Term
`“wherein the
`headphone assembly
`is configured, with
`the processor, to
`transition
`automatically . . .”
`
`
`Claims
`’155 Patent – claim 1
`
`Agreed Construction
`This term was present only in claims
`asserted against two defendants—
`Skullcandy and Plantronics—that are no
`longer parties to this Markman
`proceeding.
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`Page 2 of 8
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`Case 6:20-cv-00665-ADA Document 68 Filed 04/14/21 Page 3 of 8
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`
`
` Disputed Constructions1
`
`Term2
`
`“a remote, network-connected server that is
`in wireless communication with the mobile,
`digital audio player”
`
`(’025 Patent – claim 1)
`(’934 Patent – claims 1 and 58)
`
`“the processor is for, upon activation of a
`user-control of the headphone assembly,
`initiating transmission of a request to the
`remote, network-connected server”
`
`(’025 Patent – claim 1)
`(’934 Patent – claims 1 and 58)3
`(ʼ982 Patent – claim 4)
`(ʼ325 Patent – claim 3)
`
`“in a second audio play mode, the earphones
`play audio content streamed from the remote,
`network-connected server”
`
`(’025 Patent – claims 2, 12, 21, 30, and 42)
`(’934 Patent – claims 2, 15, 24, 36, and 59)
`(ʼ982 Patent – claim 3)4
`
`Plaintiff’s
`Proposal
`plain and ordinary
`meaning
`
`plain and ordinary
`meaning
`
`plain and ordinary
`meaning
`
`Defendants’ Proposal
`
`Wireless communication:
`“communication without
`wires”
`
`The remainder of the phrase
`requires no further
`construction
`
`“[The processor is for, upon
`activation of a user-control of
`the headphone] causing the
`earphone to address a request
`to the remote, network-
`connected server instead of
`the digital audio player”
`
`
`Second audio play mode: “A
`mode in which the earphones
`communicate with the server
`over an infrastructure
`wireless network”
`
`If Apple’s construction is not
`adopted, the term is indefinite
`
`
`1 There are certain claim terms addressed in Defendants’ opening brief (Dkt. No. 57) that, due
`to the status of the case of the other on-brief Defendants, are not addressed in Apple’s Surreply,
`and thus are no longer necessary for inclusion in this statement. (See Dkt. No. 66 at page 18).
`
` All terms herein were proposed for construction by Apple.
`
` The phrase at issue appears in the claims noted with slight wording variations.
`
` The phrase at issue appears in the claims noted with slight wording variations.
`
` 2
`
` 3
`
` 4
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`Page 3 of 8
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`KOSS-2002
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`Term2
`
`“a signal strength [level] for the second
`wireless communication link”
`
`(’025 Patent – claims 4, 5, 7, 9, 14, 15, 17,
`19, 23, 24, 26, 28, 32, 33, 35, 37, 44, 45,
`47, 49, and 50)
`(’934 Patent – claims 4, 6, 8, 12, 13, 17,
`18, 20, 22, 26, 27, 29, 31, 38, 40, 41, 44,
`and 58)
`(’982 Patent – claims 6 and 11)
`(’325 Patent – claims 5 and 11)
`
`“upon activation of the microphone by the
`user, data are transmitted about the
`headphone assembly to a remote device”
`
`(’025 Patent – claims 8, 18, 27, 36, and 48)
`(’934 Patent – claims 7, 21, 30, 45, and 61)
`
`
`plain and ordinary
`meaning
`
`“the processor circuits of the headphones are
`configured to receive firmware upgrades
`transmitted from a remote network server”
`
`(’155 Patent – claim 13)
`(’934 Patent – claims 1, 9, 46, 62) 5
`(’325 Patent – claim 9)
`
`“host servers”
`
`(’451 Patent – claims 1 and 18)
`
`
`plain and ordinary
`meaning
`
`plain and ordinary
`meaning
`
`Case 6:20-cv-00665-ADA Document 68 Filed 04/14/21 Page 4 of 8
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`Plaintiff’s
`Proposal
`plain and ordinary
`meaning
`
`Defendants’ Proposal
`
`“A measurement of the
`strength of a signal received
`by the [headphone assembly /
`headphones]”
`
`The term “remote” as used
`here and throughout the
`asserted claims is indefinite;
`
`Alternatively, “remote
`device” means a device
`external to the headphone
`assembly
`
`The phrase “data are
`transmitted” renders the claim
`indefinite
`
`Configured to receive
`firmware upgrades
`transmitted from a remote
`network server: configured to
`receive firmware upgrades
`pushed to the earphones from
`the server
`
`A server that hosts a website
`through which a user inputs
`credential data for at least one
`infrastructure wireless
`network;
`
`Alternatively, indefinite
`
`
`5 The phrase at issue appears in the claims noted with slight wording variations.
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`Case 6:20-cv-00665-ADA Document 68 Filed 04/14/21 Page 5 of 8
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`Plaintiff’s
`Proposal
`plain and ordinary
`meaning
`
`Defendants’ Proposal
`
`A capacitor; otherwise,
`indefinite
`
`Term2
`
`“a passive, wireless rechargeable power
`source”
`
`(’982 Patent – claim 17)
`(’325 Patent – claims 8 and 17)
`
`
`
`
`Dated: April 14, 2021
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
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`Respectfully submitted,
`
`By: /s/ Darlene F. Ghavimi
`Darlene F. Ghavimi
`(TX Bar No. 24072114)
`K&L GATES LLP
`2801 Via Fortuna, Suite #350
`Austin, TX 78746
`Tel.: (512) 482-6919
`Fax: (512) 482-6859
`darlene.ghavimi@klgates.com
`
`Benjamin E. Weed (admitted pro hac vice)
`Philip A. Kunz (admitted pro hac vice)
`Erik J. Halverson (admitted pro hac vice)
`Gina A. Johnson (admitted pro hac vice)
`K&L GATES LLP
`Suite 3300
`70 W. Madison Street
`Chicago, IL 60602
`Tel.: (312) 372-1121
`Fax: (312) 827-8000
`benjamin.weed@klgates.com
`philip.kunz@klgates.com
`erik.halverson@klgates.com
`gina.johnson@klgates.com
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`Page 5 of 8
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`Case 6:20-cv-00665-ADA Document 68 Filed 04/14/21 Page 6 of 8
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`Peter E. Soskin (admitted pro hac vice)
`K&L GATES LLP
`Suite 1200
`4 Embarcadero Center
`San Francisco, CA 94111
`Tel.: (415) 882-8046
`Fax: (415) 882-8220
`peter.soskin@klgates.com
`
`Attorneys for Plaintiff Koss Corporation
`
`By: /s/Michael T. Pieja
`Michael T. Pieja (pro hac vice)
`Alan E. Littmann (pro hac vice)
`Doug Winnard (pro hac vice)
`Samuel E. Schoenburg (pro hac vice)
`Whitney Woodward (pro hac vice)
`Goldman Ismail Tomaselli
`Brennan & Baum LLP
`200 South Wacker Dr., 22nd Floor
`Chicago, IL 60606
`Tel: (312) 681-6000
`Fax: (312) 881-5191
`mpieja@goldmanismail.com
`alittmann@goldmanismail.com
`dwinnard@goldmanismail.com
`sschoenburg@goldmanismail.com
`wwoodward@goldmanismail.com
`
`Stephen E. McConnico
`State Bar No. 13450300
`Steven J. Wingard
`State Bar No. 00788694
`Stephen L. Burbank
`State Bar No. 24109672
`Scott Douglass & McConnico
`Colorado Tower
`303 Colorado St., Ste. 2400
`Austin, TX 78701
`Tel: (512) 495-6300
`Fax: (512) 495-6399
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`smcconnico@scottdoug.com
`swingard@scottdoug.com
`sburbank@scottdoug.com
`
`Counsel for Defendant Apple Inc.
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`Page 7 of 8
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`Case 6:20-cv-00665-ADA Document 68 Filed 04/14/21 Page 8 of 8
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`CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
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`The undersigned hereby certifies that on April 14, 2021, the foregoing was served on all
`
`counsel of record by ECF.
`
`/s/ Darlene F. Ghavimi
`Darlene F. Ghavimi
`
`
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`Page 8 of 8
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