throbber
Trials@uspto.gov
`571-272-7822
`
` Paper 34
`
`Date: September 23, 2022
`
`UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`____________
`
`BEFORE THE PATENT TRIAL AND APPEAL BOARD
`____________
`
`TCL INDUSTRIES HOLDINGS CO., LTD., HISENSE CO., LTD., and
`LG ELECTRONICS INC.,
`Petitioners,
`
`v.
`
`PARKERVISION, INC.,
`Patent Owner.
`____________
`
`IPR2021-00985 (Patent 7,292,835 B2)1
`IPR2021-00990 (Patent 7,110,444 B1)2
`_____________
`
`Record of Oral Hearing
`Held: September 8, 2022
`_____________
`
`
`Before MICHAEL R. ZECHER, BART A. GERSTENBLITH, and
`IFTIKHAR AHMED, Administrative Patent Judges.
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
` LG Electronics Inc., who filed a petition in IPR2022-00246, is joined as
`petitioner in IPR2021-00985.
`2 LG Electronics Inc., who filed a petition in IPR2022-00245, is joined as
`petitioner in IPR2021-00990.
`
` 1
`
`

`

`IPR2021-00985 (Patent 7,292,835 B2)
`IPR2021-00990 (Patent 7,110,444 B1)
`
`APPEARANCES
`
`ON BEHALF OF THE PETITIONER:
`
`
`EDWARD J. MAYLE, ESQUIRE
`KRISTOPHER L. REED, ESQUIRE
`MATIAS FERRARIO, ESQUIRE
`KILPATRICK TOWNSEND & STOCKTON LLP
`1400 Wewatta Street, Suite 600
`Denver, Colorado 80202
`
`
`ON BEHALF OF THE PATENT OWNER:
`
`
`JASON CHARKOW, ESQUIRE
`STEPHANIE R. MANDIR, ESQUIRE
`DAIGNAULT IYER LLP
`8618 Westwood Center Drive, Suite 150
`Vienna, Virginia 22182
`
`ALSO PRESENT:
`Richard Harlan
`
`
`
`The above-entitled matter came on for hearing on Thursday,
`September 8, 2022, commencing at 10:08 a.m. EST, by video/by telephone.
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`2
`
`

`

`IPR2021-00985 (Patent 7,292,835 B2)
`IPR2021-00990 (Patent 7,110,444 B1)
`
`
` P R O C E E D I N G S
` JUDGE GERSTENBLITH: Good morning, everyone.
` We are here for oral arguments in IPR2021-00985, TCL
`Industries Holdings Company, Limited, and Hisense Company,
`Limited, as well as joined party, LG Electronics, Inc., v.
`ParkerVision, Inc. This case was joined with IPR2022-00246,
`and with me today are Judges Zecher and Ahmed.
` Who do we have on the call and video for Petitioner, please?
` MR. MAYLE: Good morning, Your Honor. This is Ted
`Mayle of the Denver office of Kilpatrick Townsend. I will be
`speaking for the Petitioners. And I'm joined today by
`Kristopher Reed, who is the lead counsel for the TCL
`Petitioners, and Matias Ferrario is joining us from Los
`Angeles. He is the lead counsel for the Hisense Petitioners.
` JUDGE GERSTENBLITH: Excellent. Is there someone on
`the line for LG?
` (No verbal response.)
` JUDGE GERSTENBLITH: Okay. Do you know, Mr. Mayle,
`if anybody's here on behalf of LG? It's not required.
` MR. MAYLE: Oh, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I believe
`that they have a representative from Ropes & Gray on the
`public link.
` JUDGE GERSTENBLITH: Okay. Okay. No problem.
` And who do we have on for Patent Owner?
`
`1
`2
`3
`4
`5
`6
`7
`8
`9
`10
`11
`12
`13
`14
`15
`16
`17
`18
`19
`20
`21
`22
`23
`24
`
`3
`
`

`

`IPR2021-00985 (Patent 7,292,835 B2)
`IPR2021-00990 (Patent 7,110,444 B1)
` MR. CHARKOW: Morning, Your Honors. Jason Charkow
`for ParkerVision, as well as I have Stephanie Mandir, as
`well, both from the Daignault Iyer law firm. Ron Daignault
`should be joining, if he's not already on, and I have two
`client representatives on the -- I think the public link.
` JUDGE GERSTENBLITH: Excellent. Excellent. Welcome,
`everybody.
` I just want to mention that the panel was discussing
`this morning's case as well as this afternoon's case. And
`given the significant overlap in arguments and technology and
`patents and everything else that's involved, we would like to
`propose that we make one transcript that runs from now
`through the argument this afternoon for the '990 case, which
`we think will help everybody avoid -- the parties and us --
`having to circle back and effectively make the same
`arguments all over again this afternoon for the issues that
`overlap.
` That being said, obviously, the '985 and the '990
`case are not consolidated. We would just be making this
`transcript for ease of reference, and it would be entered
`into both cases.
` Is there any objection to doing that, Mr. Mayle, from
`Petitioners' side?
` MR. MAYLE: No, Your Honor.
` JUDGE GERSTENBLITH: Okay. And, Mr. Charkow, is
`
`1
`2
`3
`4
`5
`6
`7
`8
`9
`10
`11
`12
`13
`14
`15
`16
`17
`18
`19
`20
`21
`22
`23
`24
`25
`
`4
`
`

`

`IPR2021-00985 (Patent 7,292,835 B2)
`IPR2021-00990 (Patent 7,110,444 B1)
`there any objection to doing that from Patent Owner's side?
` MR. CHARKOW: No objection, Your Honor.
` JUDGE GERSTENBLITH: Okay. Great.
` So the way that we are envisioning this working is
`that we will begin with the arguments from Petitioner. We will
`take a five-minute recess after Petitioners' opening. Patent
`Owner will proceed with its opening. We'll take a
`five-minute recess after Patent Owner's opening, and then we
`will have the rebuttal arguments from each side without a
`break in between.
` Once those have concluded for the '985 case, we'll
`see what time it is. We'll take either a 45-minute or an
`hour break so everybody can get some food, and then we will
`come back and proceed through the same procedure for the '990
`case.
` I will go into a little bit more detail.
` We set forth today's procedure in our Oral Argument
`Order, which granted the parties' request for oral argument,
`which is Paper 35 in the '985 case. Each party will have 90
`minutes of total argument time for this particular case. As
`I said, we'll begin with Petitioner who will present its case
`in chief regarding the challenged claims. Petitioner may
`reserve time for rebuttal. Thereafter, Patent Owner may
`respond to Petitioners' argument and may also reserve time
`for rebuttal. Petitioner will then present its rebuttal,
`
`1
`2
`3
`4
`5
`6
`7
`8
`9
`10
`11
`12
`13
`14
`15
`16
`17
`18
`19
`20
`21
`22
`23
`24
`25
`
`5
`
`

`

`IPR2021-00985 (Patent 7,292,835 B2)
`IPR2021-00990 (Patent 7,110,444 B1)
`followed by Patent Owner's rebuttal.
` In this video format, I don't have a timer that I can
`share on the screen, but when it's your turn giving your
`opening, if you would like to let me know how much time --
`how much time -- if I said 90 minutes, I apologize. I
`thought that I said 60 minutes, but if I said 90 minutes, I
`apologize. It's 60 minutes per -- per side for the '985
`case.
` Let me see here.
` So a couple things to keep in mind while we're on
`video, which is -- my understanding is that we do not have
`any confidential information in the record. So we do have a
`public line. If anybody has confidential information that
`we're not aware of, please don't say anything until we can do
`something to seal the -- the hearing.
` But just to be sure, Mr. Mayle, from your
`perspective, there's no confidential information being
`discussed today; is that right?
` MR. MAYLE: That's correct, Your Honor. There's
`nothing confidential in our presentation.
` JUDGE GERSTENBLITH: Okay. And, Mr. Charkow, from
`your perspective, there's nothing confidential being
`discussed either; right?
` MR. CHARKOW: Correct, Your Honor.
` JUDGE GERSTENBLITH: Okay. Perfect.
`
`1
`2
`3
`4
`5
`6
`7
`8
`9
`10
`11
`12
`13
`14
`15
`16
`17
`18
`19
`20
`21
`22
`23
`24
`25
`
`6
`
`

`

`IPR2021-00985 (Patent 7,292,835 B2)
`IPR2021-00990 (Patent 7,110,444 B1)
` The next thing just to keep in mind is to try to be
`as clear as possible as to which slide, demonstrative slide,
`exhibit, paper, whatever you are pointing to in the case
`file, to, please, be clear on the record. Call out the
`number. Call out the slide. Call out whatever you need to
`so that we can track it in the transcript and keep the record
`as clear as possible.
` I think everybody knows this, but when it's not your
`turn to speak, please have everybody go on mute so that we
`don't have background noise. And, also, what you'll see is
`there's sometimes a delay when somebody else is coming in to
`speak, so we may try to interrupt nicely or vice versa, but
`we will sort of pause so that the computer can basically
`catch up, and then speak. So if you can give, like, a half
`second when you're about to start talking, it will catch up
`and the transmission will hopefully be clear.
` Also -- and this is important -- if either side
`experiences any technical or other difficulties, please
`immediately contact the I.T. personnel with whom you've been
`in touch to set up this hearing and your connection so that
`we can make whatever adjustments are needed as quickly as
`possible.
` Again, I apologize. Each side has 60 minutes,
`six-zero, for the '985 case.
` Are there any questions about how we're going to
`
`1
`2
`3
`4
`5
`6
`7
`8
`9
`10
`11
`12
`13
`14
`15
`16
`17
`18
`19
`20
`21
`22
`23
`24
`25
`
`7
`
`

`

`IPR2021-00985 (Patent 7,292,835 B2)
`IPR2021-00990 (Patent 7,110,444 B1)
`proceed or anything else before we get started from
`Petitioners' side?
` MR. MAYLE: No, Your Honor.
` JUDGE GERSTENBLITH: Okay. Great.
` Mr. Charkow, are there any questions about anything I
`said or how we're going to proceed or anything else that we
`need to handle ahead of time from Patent Owner's side?
` You're -- you're on mute, which I know I said to do,
`but I apologize.
` MR. CHARKOW: Sorry. No. No, Your Honor.
` JUDGE GERSTENBLITH: Okay. Great.
` All right. With that, I will turn it over to
`Mr. Mayle, and you can proceed when you're ready, and let me
`know if you'd like to reserve any time for rebuttal out of
`your 60 minutes.
` MR. MAYLE: Thank you, Your Honor.
` Let me first see if I can get the technology to work.
`Does Your Honors see the slide show now that I'm trying to
`share?
` JUDGE GERSTENBLITH: Yes, we do. Yes, we do.
` MR. MAYLE: Okay.
` ORAL ARGUMENT ON BEHALF OF PETITIONERS, IPR2021-00985
` MR. MAYLE: May it please the -- may it please the
`Board. Again, this is Ted Mayle. I'm joined with -- for
`Petitioners -- I'm joined with Kristopher Reed, Matias
`
`1
`2
`3
`4
`5
`6
`7
`8
`9
`10
`11
`12
`13
`14
`15
`16
`17
`18
`19
`20
`21
`22
`23
`24
`25
`
`8
`
`

`

`IPR2021-00985 (Patent 7,292,835 B2)
`IPR2021-00990 (Patent 7,110,444 B1)
`Ferrario.
` I'd like to reserve 15 minutes for rebuttal, so if
`you could remind me, that'd be very helpful.
` Slide 2. I'd like to begin with a summary of the
`argument.
` Moving to slide 3. The alleged invention of this
`'835 patent is a well-known receiver architecture, and it's
`shown on this slide. The left -- the left side of slide 3
`shows Figure 54B from the '835 patent. And at a high level,
`this is a receiver architecture where a modulated signal
`comes in, which is shown in purple, the receive signal. That
`modulated signal may have what the patent calls complex
`modulations.
` Are we on slide 3?
` JUDGE GERSTENBLITH: Counsel, this is
`Judge Gerstenblith.
` I would just say your slides haven't progressed
`through, but we also have all the demonstratives from each
`side. So if you --
` MR. MAYLE: Okay.
` JUDGE GERSTENBLITH: -- if you need to share, that's
`fine, but we're following along as well on the --
` MR. MAYLE: I'm going to -- I'm going to stop sharing
`and just look at it on my end.
` I'm on slide 3. The receive signal has what the
`
`1
`2
`3
`4
`5
`6
`7
`8
`9
`10
`11
`12
`13
`14
`15
`16
`17
`18
`19
`20
`21
`22
`23
`24
`25
`
`9
`
`

`

`IPR2021-00985 (Patent 7,292,835 B2)
`IPR2021-00990 (Patent 7,110,444 B1)
`patent refers to as complex modulations, and that would
`include quadrature amplitude modulation, or QAM, pronounced
`"Quam," which has an in-phase component called I, which is
`the upper branch of the receiver, and a quadrature-phase
`component, called Q, which is in the lower branch.
` And you see on this slide that the received signal
`comes in in the upper branch. It goes through a
`down-conversion module, shown in red, and that
`down-conversion module down-converts the high-frequency
`modulated carrier signal down to the baseband in-phase
`signal, which is shown in yellow.
` In the bottom branch, the received signal comes in to
`the second down-conversion module, which is the same as the
`first one, and it down-converts to the quadrature in-phase
`component, which is shown in gray.
` Now, how does this down-conversion work? You see in
`the middle of the left-hand side there's a -- there's an
`oscillator, sometimes called a local oscillator, in pink, and
`that puts out a control signal. It could be a rectangular
`wave. In the preferred embodiment, it would be at the same
`frequency. The oscillator signal would be at the same
`frequency as the carrier frequency of the modulated incoming
`signal, and the oscillator ports that control signal up to
`the first frequency down-conversion module.
` And the inner workings of the -- of that module are
`
`1
`2
`3
`4
`5
`6
`7
`8
`9
`10
`11
`12
`13
`14
`15
`16
`17
`18
`19
`20
`21
`22
`23
`24
`25
`
`10
`
`

`

`IPR2021-00985 (Patent 7,292,835 B2)
`IPR2021-00990 (Patent 7,110,444 B1)
`shown on the right side of this slide 3, which is taken from
`Figure 28 of the patent.
` And all the down-conversion module is is a switch
`that opens and closes according to the control signal from
`the local oscillator. When the switch is closed, the
`modulated signal comes in from the left, and it transfers
`charged, enhanced energy to the capacitor, shown in brown,
`and then the capacitor down -- generates the down-converted
`signal.
` On the bottom branch, it's the same thing, except for
`the phase shifter, shown on the left of the screen in orange,
`shifts the local oscillator signal by 90 degrees in phase,
`without changing the frequency.
` The prior art of record shows that this -- this
`architecture was well known.
` Moving to my slide 4, the Hulkko prior art, which is
`Exhibit 1004.
` Figure 2 of Hulkko is shown on the left of my slide
`4, and it shows the exact same architecture as Figure 54B of
`the '835 patent. You see an incoming signal. It could be a
`QAM signal, in purple, being split into the two branches.
`There's two down-conversion modules: the upper one, red,
`which generates the in-phase down-converted signal; and the
`lower one, green, which generates the quadrature-phase
`signal.
`
`1
`2
`3
`4
`5
`6
`7
`8
`9
`10
`11
`12
`13
`14
`15
`16
`17
`18
`19
`20
`21
`22
`23
`24
`25
`
`11
`
`

`

`IPR2021-00985 (Patent 7,292,835 B2)
`IPR2021-00990 (Patent 7,110,444 B1)
` There's a local oscillator shown in pink and the PHI
`3 and the PHI 4. The PHI 3 and the PHI 4 boxes on the bottom
`are 90 degrees separated, which generates the difference
`between the in-phase and the quadrature phase.
` And on the right of the slide, Figure 4 of Hulkko
`shows how the down-conversion modules work, exactly like
`Figure 20 of the patent. It's a switch opened and closed by
`the square wave local oscillator signal, which allows the
`energy to be transferred from the input to the capacitor,
`shown in brown, and generates the output.
` That's the primary reference of Ground 1 of the
`Petition.
` Moving to slide 5, which is a summary of Ground 2.
`Ground 2 of the Petition combines the Gibson reference,
`Exhibit 1005, shown on the left, and the Schiltz reference,
`Exhibit 1006, shown on the right.
` On the left, Gibson, again, has this notoriously
`well-known IQ receiver architecture where the carrier -- the
`modulated carrier signal is split into the two branches, and
`the top down-converter generates -- you see after the top
`mixer in red, you'll see I, which means in-phase, and on the
`bottom, the bottom mixer 12, green. You'll see coming out of
`that a symbol Q, which means the down-converted quadrature
`signal.
` And here, again, we have a local oscillator in
`
`1
`2
`3
`4
`5
`6
`7
`8
`9
`10
`11
`12
`13
`14
`15
`16
`17
`18
`19
`20
`21
`22
`23
`24
`25
`
`12
`
`

`

`IPR2021-00985 (Patent 7,292,835 B2)
`IPR2021-00990 (Patent 7,110,444 B1)
`Gibson, shown in pink, which controls the upper mixer, and
`that signal, that local oscillator signal is shifted by π/2 radians,
`which is 90 degrees, shown in orange, which
`controls the bottom down-conversion module.
` Now, Gibson uses those symbols for the mixers 10 and
`12, shown in red and green, but does not further explain how
`those mixers work.
` The secondary reference, Schiltz, is shown on the
`right, and Schiltz has the switch capacitor mixer, exactly
`the same as Figure 20 of the '835 patent.
` So that's the combination.
` If there's no questions on the overview, I would like
`to move to claim construction, slide 6.
` JUDGE GERSTENBLITH: Please do. Thank you.
` MR. MAYLE: The main dispute here is on the storage
`module term, which the Board has seen before in other IPRs,
`and the difference here between the parties' proposals is
`that ParkerVision wants to read in the language of an energy
`transfer system while Petitioners do not think that that
`language is appropriate.
` Two sub-bullets here. Both parties agree that the
`construction should include the phrase non-negligible amounts
`of energy. There's dispute about what that means when it's
`applied to the prior art. Petitioners argue that if the
`Board deems it necessary to further construe the construction
`
`1
`2
`3
`4
`5
`6
`7
`8
`9
`10
`11
`12
`13
`14
`15
`16
`17
`18
`19
`20
`21
`22
`23
`24
`25
`
`13
`
`

`

`IPR2021-00985 (Patent 7,292,835 B2)
`IPR2021-00990 (Patent 7,110,444 B1)
`and come up with a precise meaning of non-negligible, it
`means distinguishable from noise. And as the Federal Circuit
`has found, and as I will discuss, a successful
`down-conversion is proof of the non-negligible energy.
` Moving to slide 8, Patent No. 6,061,551, the '551
`patent, is incorporated by reference into the '835 patent as
`well as the '444 patent we will discuss later today.
` And column 66 of the '551 patent includes the
`inventor's lexicography for the definition of storage module,
`and it says that storage modules and storage capacitances, on
`the other hand, refer to system that store non-negligible
`amounts of energy from an input EM signal.
` Now, the Federal Circuit holds in numerous cases that
`the language “refers to” in a patent signals lexicography. I
`can give you one case cite for that: Vasudevan Software v.
`MicroStrategy, 782 F.3d 671 at 679, Federal Circuit, 2015.
` Moving to my slide 9. Now, this Board has already
`determined in IPR2020-01265, which concerns the related '444
`patent, that the '551 patent on my previous slide does have a
`lexicographic definition for storage element.
` Now, here the word is storage module, but the parties
`have agreed that storage element and storage module should
`have the same definition.
` And in that proceeding, the Board considered
`ParkerVision's argument, which it's repeating here today,
`
`1
`2
`3
`4
`5
`6
`7
`8
`9
`10
`11
`12
`13
`14
`15
`16
`17
`18
`19
`20
`21
`22
`23
`24
`25
`
`14
`
`

`

`IPR2021-00985 (Patent 7,292,835 B2)
`IPR2021-00990 (Patent 7,110,444 B1)
`that the construction should also refer to an energy system
`-- excuse me, energy transfer system, and the Board heard
`those arguments and rejected those arguments in that IPR, and
`we feel that they should do the same thing here today.
` Moving to slide 10, what is more --
` JUDGE ZECHER: Mr. Mayle, this is Judge Zecher.
` Can I ask a quick question about this.
` MR. MAYLE: Of course.
` JUDGE ZECHER: I'm familiar with the '948 case, and I
`understand Patent Owner to argue that given the difference of
`claim construction in that case, that case was under the
`broadest reasonable interpretation construction that we used
`to have here for AIA trials. We have since switched over to
`the district court construction, otherwise known as the
`Phillips construction, and there's somehow -- this difference
`in standards somehow implicates a different way to read this
`term.
` Now, my question -- I guess I'll be direct here --
`is, when you -- when we're determining whether or not a
`specification explicitly defines a claim term, does our
`assessment of that change when you're under BRI versus, say,
`the district court, Phillips, or is it the same?
` MR. MAYLE: Well, excellent question. It's the same.
` And I want to skip to my slide 11. I don't know if
`you have access -- access to that. I've actually prepared a
`
`1
`2
`3
`4
`5
`6
`7
`8
`9
`10
`11
`12
`13
`14
`15
`16
`17
`18
`19
`20
`21
`22
`23
`24
`25
`
`15
`
`

`

`IPR2021-00985 (Patent 7,292,835 B2)
`IPR2021-00990 (Patent 7,110,444 B1)
`slide in that, actually, '948 IPR.
` The left side shows snippets from pages 6 and 10 of
`the Board's institution decision, and the Board there on page
`6, which is shown on the top, referred to the BRI standard,
`broadest reasonable interpretation, and said that there's a
`presumption under that standard that the terms carry their
`ordinary meaning, but the Board said that that presumption
`may be rebutted when a patentee acts as its own
`lexicographer.
` And on page 10, the Board there stated that the
`parties agreed that the storage module term was defined.
` Now, that's what happened there.
` So -- and on the right, I have a screenshot from a
`Federal Circuit case, Nestle v. Steuben, that held, of
`course, giving claims their broadest reasonable
`interpretation does not include giving claims a legally
`incorrect interpretation. Here the specification twice
`defines the term. That is binding lexicography.
` So the answer to the question is, if -- if there is a
`lexicography, then it controls under every claim construction
`standard -- Phillips and BRI.
` JUDGE ZECHER: Thank you.
` MR. MAYLE: So, with that, I'll move to slide 12. We
`also note that Petitioners' proposed construction is also
`consistent with -- rather, ParkerVision's now IPR position is
`
`1
`2
`3
`4
`5
`6
`7
`8
`9
`10
`11
`12
`13
`14
`15
`16
`17
`18
`19
`20
`21
`22
`23
`24
`25
`
`16
`
`

`

`IPR2021-00985 (Patent 7,292,835 B2)
`IPR2021-00990 (Patent 7,110,444 B1)
`inconsistent with its previous litigation positions; where, in
`the complaints for the TCL and Hisense cases, ParkerVision
`alleges that a module that has one or more capacitors is a
`storage module. They didn't do any sort of calculations or
`say anything more than that.
` And when this Board denied ParkerVision's motions to
`strike the Petitioners' Reply, the Board noted that the reply
`position was substantially the same as ParkerVision's
`assertions in the district court cases.
` Moving to slide --
` JUDGE GERSTENBLITH: Counsel, Judge Gerstenblith.
` Question for you before you go to the next slide. If
`you're going to get to this later, that's fine. I don't see
`it specifically mentioned in the slide; that's why I'm
`jumping in to ask you this.
` So in the -- this is, I guess, somewhat connected to
`your slide 8, where you have this paragraph or part of the
`paragraph from the '551 patent. What -- what is the
`significance, if any, of the concept that this discussion is
`comparing two or more aspects of the disclosure of that
`patent?
` In other words, if somebody is looking to see does
`this section define a term, what impact, if any, is there
`based on it also, or separately, or even don't assume that
`it's defining a term, what significance is there at all to
`
`1
`2
`3
`4
`5
`6
`7
`8
`9
`10
`11
`12
`13
`14
`15
`16
`17
`18
`19
`20
`21
`22
`23
`24
`25
`
`17
`
`

`

`IPR2021-00985 (Patent 7,292,835 B2)
`IPR2021-00990 (Patent 7,110,444 B1)
`saying, oh, this is a comparison, it's not a definition? Or
`what impact does that have, if any?
` MR. MAYLE: Thank you, Your Honor.
` I think the fact that it's a comparison actually
`underscores and bolsters the conclusion that it's
`lexicography because the two things that are being compared
`are the amount of energy.
` So I'm back on my slide 8. I have that sentence, the
`last sentence that's underlined and bolded. The sentence
`prior to that is talking about holding modules, and it says
`that they store negligible amounts of energy. The final
`sentence says, on the other hand, storage modules, which is
`the term at issue here, refers to systems that store
`non-negligible amounts of energy.
` So the comparison that's being made is negligible
`versus non-negligible.
` JUDGE GERSTENBLITH: And where is this energy being
`stored?
` MR. MAYLE: In the capacitor -- well, the storage
`module. It uses the word storage, and, you know, the
`preferred embodiment in all of the figures of the patent is
`the capacitor. In the prior art, we're relying on a
`capacitor. So, technically, the capacitor sets up an
`electric field, and the energy is stored inside of the
`electric field of the capacitor.
`
`1
`2
`3
`4
`5
`6
`7
`8
`9
`10
`11
`12
`13
`14
`15
`16
`17
`18
`19
`20
`21
`22
`23
`24
`25
`
`18
`
`

`

`IPR2021-00985 (Patent 7,292,835 B2)
`IPR2021-00990 (Patent 7,110,444 B1)
` JUDGE GERSTENBLITH: So why do you think -- and I
`know you didn't write this patent, but why do you think this
`sentence says, "refer to systems that store," as opposed to
`saying, you know, something like, an element or repeating a
`general term or something else? In other words, why do you
`think it says -- they're saying for each of these last two
`sentences "identify systems" that do something and then the
`last sentence "refer to systems" that do something?
` Is there any significance or -- I'm just, also,
`trying to wrap my mind around why these bring in systems.
` MR. MAYLE: The answer to that is the -- first off,
`the term -- the term systems there does not mean the entire
`circuitry.
` So what the patent here -- they didn't want to be
`limited to capacitors. Obviously, they're talking about a
`capacitor, capacitance. So they could've just said capacitor
`and had the claims say capacitor. They have some dependent
`claims that do.
` But they wanted to leave -- leave them room later in
`litigation to find some other structure and say, ah, that's a
`storage module. So they used all kinds of these made-up
`words, really made-up words, like storage module; that's a
`made-up word, kind of a nonce term. But -- and when they say
`a storage module is a system that stores energy, that's just
`referring to a capacitor.
`
`1
`2
`3
`4
`5
`6
`7
`8
`9
`10
`11
`12
`13
`14
`15
`16
`17
`18
`19
`20
`21
`22
`23
`24
`25
`
`19
`
`

`

`IPR2021-00985 (Patent 7,292,835 B2)
`IPR2021-00990 (Patent 7,110,444 B1)
` JUDGE GERSTENBLITH: Okay. Thank you.
` MR. MAYLE: You're welcome.
` JUDGE AHMED: Counsel, let me follow up on that a
`little bit regarding where this discussion appears in the
`specification of the '551 patent.
` If you look at the specification, starting on column
`13, there's a section titled General Terminology. And under
`there, the patent seems to define various terms, including
`different signals and other things.
` The fact that this section, the discussion that we're
`talking about, appears in column 66 under a section titled
`Introduction to Energy Transfer, what significance does it
`have on our decision to decide whether it's a definition or
`not given that there's a separate section in the
`specification called Terminology?
` MR. MAYLE: Thank you, Your Honor.
` Well, under the Federal Circuit precedent, a
`lexicography definition could appear anywhere. There's no
`magic place to put it.
` And here, the fact that they use the phrase "refer
`to," that signals lexicography, and I cited you a case
`earlier for that, a Federal Circuit case, and there's many
`cases that -- that hold a sentence like this, which has a
`term, a claim term, and it says refers to, and then what
`follows is the definition.
`
`1
`2
`3
`4
`5
`6
`7
`8
`9
`10
`11
`12
`13
`14
`15
`16
`17
`18
`19
`20
`21
`22
`23
`24
`25
`
`20
`
`

`

`IPR2021-00985 (Patent 7,292,835 B2)
`IPR2021-00990 (Patent 7,110,444 B1)
` And here, as to the other judge's prior question,
`this -- this section, which is Figure 8 of my slide, it sets
`up the clear distinction between negligible and
`non-negligible. That's the difference between -- that's the
`defining characteristic of a storage module.
` JUDGE AHMED: Okay. Thank you.
` JUDGE GERSTENBLITH: Counsel.
` MR. MAYLE: And I would just -- yep.
` JUDGE GERSTENBLITH: Oh, go ahead. I didn't mean to
`interrupt you if you were going to --
` MR. MAYLE: I was just also going to add that
`ParkerVision argues that there is not lexicography. So it's
`not like they're relying on some other definition. Their
`main argument is that there's no lexicography whatsoever.
` JUDGE GERSTENBLITH: So, counsel, this is
`Judge Gerstenblith.
` Couldn't the argument be made that the General
`Terminology section, column 13 of the '551 patent, when the
`terms are being defined there, it doesn't only use the term
`refers to. It says, when used herein. So it looks like each
`time in this section, it starts, it gives a term, the term
`whatever, when used herein refers to something. So couldn't
`it be said that this is a difference in column 66 because in 66 it
`doesn't say when used herein, or does that not make a
`difference?
`
`1
`2
`3
`4
`5
`6
`7
`8
`9
`10
`11
`12
`13
`14
`15
`16
`17
`18
`19
`20
`21
`22
`23
`24
`25
`
`21
`
`

`

`IPR2021-00985 (Patent 7,292,835 B2)
`IPR2021-00990 (Patent 7,110,444 B1)
` MR. MAYLE: Well, first, I would note that
`ParkerVision never made this argument, so they forfeited --
`if they tried to argue along the lines that you just
`indicated, that's been forfeited and waived.
` This is now their -- they've had several district
`court cases. This is now the second or third -- third or
`fourth IPR with the storage module terms, and they have never
`argued that column 13 has lexicography. And, in fact, their
`entire argument in this case, which they got the magistrate
`judge in Texas to agree with, is that there's not
`lexicography.
` So that's really the issue. The issue is not where
`-- where is the lexicography; the issue is whether there's
`lexicography.
` So I would have to look to that column 13. I don't
`believe it's been -- I would hate to do it on the fly here,
`but all I can say is that the column 66 has the clear
`distinction between the terms, and that's -- that's the part
`that's been briefed.
` JUDGE ZECHER: Mr. --
` JUDGE GERSTENBLITH: So -- oh, go ahead.
` JUDGE ZECHER: Mr. Mayle, this is Judge Zecher.
` I'm glad you brought up that order from the
`magistrate judge in the Western District of Texas because it
`seems clear to me that Patent Owner's aligning themselves
`
`1
`2
`3
`4
`5
`6
`7
`8
`9
`10
`11
`12
`13
`14
`15
`16
`17
`18
`19
`20
`21
`22
`23
`24
`25
`
`22
`
`

`

`IPR2021-00985 (Patent 7,292,835 B2)
`IPR2021-00990 (Patent 7,110,444 B1)
`with that analysis and -- and construction that
`particular judge arrived at.
` How do you suggest we handle that order?
`What significance should we accord it?
` MR. MAYLE: Thank you, Your Honor.
` Well, I agree that you should -- you should consider
`it, and I'm sure that you are. I believe it's Exhibit 2039,
`and I can give you a couple points out of it if you have it
`handy. But if not, I'll just -- I'll just say them.
` JUDGE ZECHER: Yeah, this -- I have -- this is
`Judge Zecher. I have it open.
` MR. MAYLE: Right. But as initial matter, it's not
`binding. It's not binding at all. At most, it would be
`entitled to persuasive value according to its reasoning.
` And we -- we believe that the magistrate judge has
`gotten it wrong. That was a case with LG Electronics. It
`didn't involve any -- any of the TCL or Hisense Petitioners,
`and we did not participate in those proceedings, so another
`reason it doesn't bind against us.
` But if you turn to page 16 of that order, you'll see
`some paragraphs -- first, second, third -- and they're all
`kind of making the same point.
` On page 16 of the order, it says, first, the court
`does not believe that the last sentence, which we referred to
`on my

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


Or .

Accessing this document will incur an additional charge of $.

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

Accept $ Charge
throbber

Still Working On It

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

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

throbber

A few More Minutes ... Still Working

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

Thank you for your continued patience.

This document could not be displayed.

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

Your account does not support viewing this document.

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

Your account does not support viewing this document.

Set your membership status to view this document.

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

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

Become a Member

One Moment Please

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

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

Your document is on its way!

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

Sealed Document

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

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


Access Government Site

We are redirecting you
to a mobile optimized page.





Document Unreadable or Corrupt

Refresh this Document
Go to the Docket

We are unable to display this document.

Refresh this Document
Go to the Docket