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`UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`
`BEFORE THE PATENT TRIAL AND APPEAL BOARD
`
`______________________
`
`SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD AND DELL TECHNOLOGIES INC.
`
`Petitioners
`
`v.
`
`MYPAQ HOLDINGS LTD.
`
`Patent Owner
`
`_____________________
`
`Case No. IPR2022-00311
`
`U.S. Patent No. 8,477,514
`
`_______________________
`
`PATENT OWNER RESPONSE
`
`_______________________
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`Case IPR2022-00311
`U.S. Pat. No. 8,477,514
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`TABLE OF CONTENTS
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`Page
`
`I.
`
`INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................... 1
`
`II.
`
`BACKGROUND .......................................................................................... 3
`
`A.
`
`Procedural History ............................................................................ 3
`
`B.
`
`The ’514 Patent .................................................................................. 4
`
`1.
`
`2.
`
`The Invention of the ’514 Patent ........................................... 4
`
`Prosecution History ................................................................ 10
`
`C.
`
`Petitioners’ Cited References ........................................................... 13
`
`1.
`
`2.
`
`Chagny (Ex. 1004) ................................................................... 13
`
`Hwang (Ex. 1006) .................................................................... 14
`
`III. CLAIM CONSTRUCTION ........................................................................ 16
`
`IV. PERSON OF ORDINARY SKILL IN THE ART .................................... 16
`
`V.
`
`THE CITED REFERENCES DO NOT TEACH OR SUGGEST
`EVERY LIMITATION OF ANY CHALLENGED CLAIM .................. 17
`
`A. Ground 1A: Claims 1-12, 14-17 and 19-20 are not
`anticipated by Chagny ...................................................................... 18
`
`1.
`
`2.
`
`Chagny does not teach or suggest a “power converter
`controller configured to receive a signal from said load
`indicating a system operational state of said load” as
`required by independent claim 1 ........................................... 18
`
`Chagny does not teach or suggest a “power system
`controller configured to provide a signal characterizing
`a power requirement” as required by independent
`Claim 6 ..................................................................................... 23
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`3.
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`4.
`
`5.
`
`6.
`
`7.
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`8.
`
`9.
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`Chagny does not teach or suggest a power system
`controller configured to enable operation of
`components of a processor system ......................................... 25
`
`Chagny does not teach or suggest enabling operation of
`components of a processor system to establish a state of
`power drain thereof ................................................................ 27
`
`Chagny does not teach or suggest a “power system
`controller” as required by independent claims 6 and 11 .... 28
`
`Chagny does not teach or suggest dependent claims 2-
`5, 7-10, 12, 14-15, 17 or 19-20 ................................................. 32
`
`Dependent claims 2, 7, 12 and 17 are separately
`patentable over Chagny .......................................................... 32
`
`Dependent claims 3, 8, 14 and 19 are separately
`patentable over Chagny .......................................................... 34
`
`Dependent claims 4 and 9 are separately patentable
`over Chagny ............................................................................. 37
`
`B. Ground 1B: Claims 1-20 are not rendered obvious by
`Chagny in view of the knowledge of a POSITA ............................. 40
`
`C. Ground 2A: Claims 1-10, 16-17 and 19-20 are not
`anticipated by Hwang ....................................................................... 41
`
`1.
`
`2.
`
`3.
`
`Hwang does not teach or suggest “a power converter
`controller configured to receive a signal from said load
`indicating a system operational state of said load”.............. 41
`
`Hwang does not teach or suggest a “a power system
`controller configured to provide a signal characterizing
`a power requirement of a processor system” ....................... 44
`
`Hwang does not enable operation of components of a
`processor system to establish a state of power drain ........... 45
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`4.
`
`5.
`
`6.
`
`7.
`
`8.
`
`9.
`
`Hwang does not teach or suggest a “power system
`controller” ................................................................................ 47
`
`Hwang does not sense a power level of said state of
`power drain in response to said signal .................................. 50
`
`Hwang does not teach or suggest dependent claims 2-5,
`7-10, 17 or 19-20 ...................................................................... 51
`
`Dependent claims 2, 7, 12 and 17 are separately
`patentable over Hwang ........................................................... 51
`
`Dependent claims 3, 8, 14 and 19 are separately
`patentable over Hwang ........................................................... 52
`
`Dependent claims 4 and 9 are separately patentable
`over Hwang .............................................................................. 53
`
`D. Ground 2B: Hwang in view of Chagny does not render
`Claims 11-12, 14-17 and 19-20 obvious ........................................... 56
`
`1.
`
`2.
`
`3.
`
`Hwang in view of Chagny does not teach or suggest
`claim 11 .................................................................................... 56
`
`A POSITA would not have looked to combine
`Chagny’s software program 296 into Hwang ...................... 57
`
`Hwang in view of Chagny does not render claims 12,
`14-17 or 19-20 obvious ............................................................ 59
`
`E. Ground 2C: Hwang in view of the knowledge of a POSITA
`does not render obvious claim 18 ..................................................... 60
`
`F. Ground 2D: Hwang in view of Chagny does not render
`obvious claims 13 and 18 .................................................................. 62
`
`VI. CONCLUSION ............................................................................................ 63
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`TABLE OF AUTHORITIES
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`Page(s)
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`
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`Cases
`
`Arendi S.A.R.L. v. Apple Inc.,
`832 F.3d 1355 (Fed. Cir. 2016) .........................................................................40
`
`DSS Tech. Mgmt. Inc. v. Apple Inc.,
`885 F.3d 1367 (Fed. Cir. 2018) .........................................................................39
`
`Nidec Motor Corp. v. Zhongshan Broad Ocean Motor Co.,
`851 F.3d 1270 (Fed. Cir. 2017) .........................................................................40
`
`Statutes
`
`35 U.S.C. § 102 ........................................................................................................10
`
`35 U.S.C. § 103 ........................................................................................................10
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`35 U.S.C. § 316 .......................................................................................................... 1
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`EXHIBIT LIST
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`2001 Defendants’ Joint Preliminary Invalidity Contentions, served on January
`12, 2022 in MyPAQ Holdings, Ltd. v. Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. et
`al., 6:21-CV-398-ADA
`2002 Complaint in MyPAQ Holdings, Ltd. v. Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. et
`al., 6:21-CV-398-ADA (W.D. Tex.)
`2003 Complaint in MyPAQ Holdings, Ltd. v. Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. et
`al., 6:21-CV-398-ADA (W.D. Tex.)
`2004 Albright Says He’ll Very Rarely Put Cases On Hold For PTAB, Ryan
`Davis, Law360, May 11, 2021, available at
`https://www.law360.com/articles/1381597/print?section=ip; last accessed
`February 8, 2022.
`2005 Second Amended Standing Order Regarding Motions for Inter-District
`Transfer, Judge Albright (W.D. Tex. Aug. 18, 2021)
`2006 Order Granting Early Discovery in MyPAQ Holdings, Ltd. v. Dell
`Technologies, Inc. and Dell Inc., 6:21-cv-00933-ADA, Dkt. No. 42
`(February 24, 2022)
`2007 Standing Order Governing Proceedings—Patent Cases, Eastern District
`of Texas, Waco Division (Mar. 7, 2022)
`2008 Defendants’ First Venue-Related Requests for Production (Nos. 1-6) in
`MyPAQ Holdings, Ltd. v. Dell Technologies, Inc. and Dell Inc., 6:21-cv-
`00933-ADA (March 15, 2022)
`2009 Defendants’ First Set of Venue-Related Interrogatories (Nos. 1-4) in
`MyPAQ Holdings, Ltd. v. Dell Technologies, Inc. and Dell Inc., 6:21-cv-
`00933-ADA (March 15, 2022)
`2010 Plaintiff’s Notice of Deposition of Merle Wood in MyPAQ Holdings, Ltd.
`v. Dell Technologies, Inc. and Dell Inc., 6:21-cv-00933-ADA, (February
`16, 2022)
`2011 Plaintiff’s Notice of Deposition of Andy Sultenfuss in MyPAQ Holdings,
`Ltd. v. Dell Technologies, Inc. and Dell Inc., 6:21-cv-00933-ADA
`(February 16, 2022)
`2012 Plaintiff’s Notice of Deposition of Dell Venue Witnesses in MyPAQ
`Holdings, Ltd. v. Dell Technologies, Inc. and Dell Inc., 6:21-cv-00933-
`ADA (March 11, 2022)
`2013 Plaintiff’s First Notice of Deposition of Samsung Venue Witnesses in
`MyPAQ Holdings, Ltd. v. Dell Technologies, Inc. and Dell Inc., 6:21-cv-
`00933-ADA (February 21, 2022)
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`2014 Plaintiff’s Second Notice of Deposition of Samsung Venue Witnesses in
`MyPAQ Holdings, Ltd. v. Dell Technologies, Inc. and Dell Inc., 6:21-cv-
`00933-ADA (March 16, 2022)
`2015 Order appointing technical advisor in MyPAQ Holdings, Ltd. v. Dell
`Technologies, Inc. and Dell Inc., 6:21-cv-00933-ADA (April 21, 2022)
`2016 Linkedin profile for Joshua Yi, available at
`https://www.linkedin.com/in/yijoshua/, last accessed April 22, 2022
`2017 Personal webpage for Joshua Yi, available at www-
`mount.ece.umn.edu/~jjyi/, last accessed April 22, 2022
`2018 Declaration of Dr. Frank Ferrese
`
`2019 CV of Dr. Frank Ferrese
`
`2020 Deposition Transcript of Dr. Sayfe Kiaei in IPR 2022-00311 (August 18,
`2022)
`2021 Deposition Transcript of Dr. Sayfe Kiaei in IPR2022-00312 (August 18,
`2022)
`2022 Advanced Configuration and Power Interface Specification, Rev. 3.0
`(September 2, 2004) (“ACPI”)
`2023 Alon Naveh, et al., “Power and Thermal Management in the Intel® Core
`Duo™ Processor,” Intel Technology Journal, May 15, 2006 (“Naveh”)
`2024 U.S. Pat. No. 6,344,986 (Jain)
`
`2025 U.S. Pat. App. No. 2007/0222463 (Qahouq)
`
`2026
`
`John Crowe, Barrie Hayes-Gill, Introduction to Digital Electronics, 1998
`
`2027 Harry Henderson, “Encyclopedia of Computer Science and Technology,
`4th Edition (2021).
`2028 May 2, 2022 Preliminary Claim Construction email in MyPAQ v.
`Samsung/Dell, Nos. 6:21-CV-00398, 6:22-CV-00933 (W.D. Tex.)
`(“Preliminary Constructions”)
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`I.
`
`INTRODUCTION
`
`MyPAQ Holdings LTD. (“MyPAQ” or “Patent Owner”) submits this Patent
`
`Owner Response to Samsung Electronics Co., LTD and Dell Technologies Inc.’s
`
`(collectively “Petitioners” and individually “Samsung” or “Dell” respectively)
`
`Petition challenging Claims 1-20 of U.S. Patent No. 8,477,514 (“’514 Patent”). For
`
`the reasons discussed below, the Petition has not shown that claims 1-20 are
`
`unpatentable.
`
`None of the references or combinations of references relied upon satisfies
`
`Petitioners’ burden to establish by a preponderance of the evidence that claims 1-
`
`20 of the ’514 Patent are unpatentable. See 35 U.S.C. § 316(e). The ’514 Patent is
`
`directed to an innovative power system that comprises a power converter with
`
`adaptive controllers that was not obvious from the alleged prior art of record. Ex.
`
`1001 [’514 Patent], Abstract. The claims require not only feedback to the power
`
`converter, but adaptive control of the entire power system, which may include
`
`multiple power converters, processors, and other components of the processor
`
`system. Id., Abstract.
`
`While the references in the Petition disclose power converters that utilize
`
`various conventional feedback techniques, the control in those references is limited
`
`to a power converter adjusting specific operating states of processors on a load.
`
`The claims and specification of the ’514 Patent focus on control of the entire
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`power system—that is, a power system controller that can control multiple power
`
`converters, along with various components of the load (e.g., processors, memory,
`
`control buses, cooling fans, I/O devices, etc.). Indeed, the ’514 Patent specifically
`
`distinguishes techniques involving processor operating states when it states
`
`“[a]lthough these state indicators have been used to substantially reduce the energy
`
`requirement of a digital system at the system level [ ] corresponding states have not
`
`been described for elements of the power system as it responds to the various
`
`operational levels of the load…” Ex. 1001 [’514 Patent], 5:60-67. Thus, the ’514
`
`Patent improves on limitations present in systems like those discussed in the
`
`references relied upon by the Petition by providing adaptive power control for the
`
`entire system.
`
`The Chagny and Hwang references relied upon by Petitioners disclose
`
`power converters that are similar to the prior art overcome during prosecution.
`
`Chagny and Hwang fail to invalidate the challenged claims for similar reasons as
`
`the Patent Office found the claims patentable during prosecution. In particular, as
`
`discussed further below, Chagny and Hwang lack a number of the adaptive
`
`features of the independent claims of the ’514 Patent. Further, Chagny and Hwang
`
`separately fail to disclose a number of the dependent claims.
`
`Accordingly, Petitioners have failed to establish by a preponderance of the
`
`evidence that claims 1-20 are unpatentable.
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`II. BACKGROUND
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`A.
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`Procedural History
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`Three related litigations are currently pending in the Western District of
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`Texas: MyPAQ Holdings Ltd. v. Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., 6:21-CV-00398
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`(W.D. Tex.), filed on April 23, 2021, MyPAQ Holdings Ltd. v. Dell Technologies
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`Inc., 6:21-CV-00933 (W.D. Tex.), filed on September 10, 2021, and MyPAQ
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`Holdings Ltd. v. Anker Innovations Ltd., 6:22-CV-00150 (W.D. Tex.), filed
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`February 10, 2022. The ’514 Patent is asserted in both litigations along with U.S.
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`Pat. No. 7,675,759. The Samsung litigation also involves U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,403,399
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`and 7,978,489.
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`This Petition was filed on December 14, 2021. Samsung and Dell also
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`jointly filed a petition against MyPAQ in IPR2022-00312, and Samsung alone
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`filed petitions against MyPAQ in IPR2022-00307 and IPR2022-00308. The -
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`00307, -00308, and -00312 IPRs involve the other patents asserted in the Samsung
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`and Dell litigations but do not involve the ’514 Patent.
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`On June 14, 2022, Anker filed IPR2022-01134 against the ’514 Patent and
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`IPR2022-01131 against the ’759 Patent. Simultaneously, Anker filed motions to
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`join the -01134 IPR with this IPR and the -01131 IPR with the -00312 IPR, which
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`MyPAQ did not oppose. Those motions have not yet been granted.
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`The Court has approved the parties’ stipulations to stay the Samsung, Dell,
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`and Anker cases. See Dkt. 88 in 6:21-CV-398-ADA (Samsung); Dkt. 90 in 6:21-
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`CV-933-ADA (Dell); Dkt. 25 in 6:22-CV-150-ADA (Anker). The Court has not
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`yet issued its Markman order in the Samsung and Dell cases, following its hearing
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`on May 3, 2022. Samsung’s and Dell’s motions for intra-district transfer of venue
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`remain pending.
`
`B.
`
`The ’514 Patent
`
`U.S. Pat. Appl. No. 12/709,795 (the “’795 Application”, which issued as the
`
`’514 Patent) was filed on February 22, 2010 and is a continuation of U.S. Appl.
`
`No. 12/051,334, filed on March 19, 2008 (now Pat. No. 7,667,986). The ’334
`
`Application is a continuation-in-part of Application No. 11/710,276, filed on
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`February 23, 2007 (the “’276 Application”, which is now the ’759 Patent). The
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`’276 Application is a continuation-in part of application No. 11/607,325, filed on
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`December 1, 2006. The ’514 Patent issued on July 2, 2013.
`
`1.
`
`The Invention of the ’514 Patent
`
`The invention of the ’514 Patent relates to an innovative power system with
`
`power converters that have an adaptive controller. Ex. 1001 [’514 Patent], Title.
`
`The invention “adaptively improves power conversion efficiency of a power
`
`converter in response to a measured parameter of the power converter after a
`
`manufacturing step, or to a parameter measured on a representative power
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`converter” and “includes consideration of operating conditions, a signal from an
`
`external source representing an environmental parameter or system operational
`
`state of a load coupled to the power system.” Ex. 1001 [’514 Patent], 6:36-44.
`
`Thus, the invention improves on a conventional feedback loop that simply
`
`monitors the output of a power converter by accounting for additional
`
`considerations such as operating conditions, environmental parameters, or system
`
`operational state of loads and using those considerations to adaptively improve
`
`power conversion efficiency. Id., 6:44-47.
`
`Examples of environmental parameters include “ a signal indicating the
`
`existence of a paralleled power converter, the operational state of the paralleled
`
`power converter, that the powered system is operating from a backup power
`
`source, a request for a particular load voltage, an indication that a particular portion
`
`of the load has failed, or has been disabled, or is operating at a reduced power
`
`level.” Ex. 1001 [’514 Patent], 9:4-11.
`
`The ’514 Patent also provides a number of examples of signals indicating
`
`system operational states. These signals include:
`
`a signal providing a performance state or a core state of a processor
`
`such as a P-state or C-state, indicating, for example, that the system is
`
`operating from emergency power or battery reserve, that redundant
`
`hardware such as a redundant power converter may have been
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`disabled, that the system is not providing a critical function such as
`
`during an off-hours timeframe, that the system is sustaining
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`substantial thermal margins allowing selected fans to be disabled
`
`and/or the fan speed to be substantially reduced, that the system is
`
`about to transition to a higher level of system performance, or that a
`
`requirement for a specified holdover time can be relaxed.”
`
`Ex. 1001 [’514 Patent], 9:11-23.
`
`P-states and C-states are P-states and C-states are defined in the Advanced
`
`Configuration and Power Interface (“ACPI”) specification, an open industry
`
`standard initially first released in December 1996. Ex. 1001 [’514 Patent], 5:22-26
`
`(“The P-state, typically designated as P-states P0, P1, and P2, describes the
`
`‘performance’ state (or, alternatively, the ‘power’ state) of the processor as high,
`
`medium, or low, respectively.”). See also Ex. 2022 [ACPI]. P-states are further
`
`described by Alon Naveh, et al., in the article entitled “Power and Thermal
`
`Management in the Intel® Core Duo™ Processor, Intel Technology Journal, May
`
`15, 2006, pp. 109-121, which is incorporated by reference into the ’514 Patent. Ex.
`
`1001 [’514 Patent], 5:27-34. See also Ex. 2023 [Naveh].
`
`Another system operational state is the core state, or C-states. Ex. 1001
`
`[’514 Patent], 5:44-46. “The highest processor C-state, C0, describes a processor at
`
`its full operational level.” Ex. 1001 [’514 Patent], 5:46-48. “Lower C-state levels,
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`C1, C2, . . . , C4, describe various levels of a processor sleep state.” Ex. 1001 [’514
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`Patent], 5:48-49. The ’514 Patent explains that the C-state level C1 “provides the
`
`minimum level of power saving, but provides the fastest response time back to the
`
`full operational level C-state level C0.” Ex. 1001 [’514 Patent], 5:48-49.
`
`Correspondingly, the C-state level C4 “provides a ‘deep sleep’ level, but requires
`
`substantial time for the processor to return to normal operation.” Ex. 1001 [’514
`
`Patent], 5:52-54. “The various sleep levels are achieved by halting instruction
`
`execution, gating internal clocks, disabling internal phase-locked loops, and
`
`disabling ports that respond to certain levels of interrupts.” Ex. 1001 [’514 Patent],
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`5:54-57.
`
`’514 Patent Fig. 3, for example, illustrates an embodiment of a power
`
`converter disclosed in the ’514 Patent. As shown below, the power converter
`
`includes controller 311. The inputs to controller 311 not only include voltages and
`
`currents measured at locations on the power converter, including Vin, Vbus, Vout and
`
`Iload, they include external signal Vext “indicating an environmental parameter from
`
`an external source such as a server powered by the power converter” and a setup
`
`signal Vsetup that “may provide the result of a parameter measured in a test fixture
`
`after a manufacturing step to set or otherwise tailor parameters for the operation of
`
`the controller 311.” Ex. 1001 [’514 Patent], 12:44-49. Further inputs may include
`
`thermistors 313 to “provide multiple temperature measurements to the controller
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`311” (id., 12:32-35) and a “signal indicating a system operation state Sop_state.” Id.,
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`13:10-15.
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`
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`Controller 311 is not a simple switch or transistor designed to execute
`
`simple binary (on/off) decisions. Instead, controller 311 preferably “includes
`
`digital processing capability at least comparable to that of a low-end
`
`microprocessor (or other digital implementations, such as a microcontroller, digital
`
`signal processor, a field-programmable gate array, or complex programmable logic
`
`device).” Id., 12:49-57. As such, controller 311 “may include a multidimensional
`
`table or other functional representation of a value to control an internal operating
`
`characteristic or an output characteristic of the power converter.” Id., 14:1-5. See
`
`also id., Figs. 5A-5B. Thus, the ’514 Patent teaches an adaptive controller that is
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`capable of more complex and nuanced power control than, for example, merely
`
`switching between high power and low power modes based on a feedback loop.
`
`In certain embodiments, the ’514 Patent also discloses a “power system
`
`controller” distinct from the power converter controller and load. For example, Fig.
`
`11 (below) discloses an embodiment including multiple power converters (PU_1,
`
`PU_2, … PU_n) controlled by a power system controller. The power system
`
`controller may also be coupled to multiple loads (SVR_1, SVR_2, … SVR_n).
`
`
`
`Based in part on information from the loads, “[t]he power system controller
`
`PSC may command different power converter operational states PCop_state to
`
`different power converters PU in the power system.” Ex. 1001 [’514 Patent],
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`23:53-56. “[O]ne power converter PU may be disabled, while the other power
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`converters PU continue to operate under a light system load, preferably with a
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`consideration of measured operating efficiencies of the particular power converters
`
`PU installed.” Id., 23:56-60.
`
`Thus, the ’514 Patent discloses multiple levels of system control that allow
`
`the power system controller “to enhance (e.g., optimize) power system operating
`
`efficiency on a power system-level basis” (id., 25:7-9) as well as at individual
`
`power converters. Id., 23:50-53.
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`2.
`
`Prosecution History
`
`The ’514 Patent is based on Application No. 12/709,795, filed on February
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`22, 2010. The ’795 Application is a continuation of Application No. 12/051,334.
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`The ’795 Application was the subject of a non-final rejection on September 9,
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`2010 for nonstatutory obviousness-type double patenting over its parent U.S Pat.
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`No. 7,667,986. On December 20, 2010, Applicant filed a terminal disclaimer to
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`overcome the rejection.
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`The Examiner then considered the merits of the filed claims. On March 18,
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`2011, the Office issued a non-final rejection rejecting all claims under 35 U.S.C. §
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`102(b) and/or 103(a). Ex. 1003 [’514 Patent File History Excerpts], 81-91. The
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`rejection relied upon the Jain reference (U.S. Pat. No. 6,344,986) as anticipating
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`claims 1-3 and 5, the Qahouq reference (US 2007/0222463) as anticipating claims
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`11-20, and Jain in view of Qahouq as rendering obvious the remaining claims 4
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`and 6-10. Id.
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`Jain is directed to a “topology and control method for power factor
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`correction.” Ex. 2024 [Jain], Title. Jain operates by providing a feedback signal
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`representative of the power supply output to a controller for power factor
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`correction. Ex. 2024 [Jain], Abstract, Fig. 1.
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`Qahouq is directed to “power conversion efficiency management” wherein
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`the power converter operates to “measure a feedback error signal change as an
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`indication of efficiency associated with a power stage.” Ex. 2025 [Qahouq], Title,
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`Abstract. These teachings in both Jain and Qahouq are similar to the simple
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`feedback mechanisms disclosed in the Hwang and Chagny references used in the
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`Petition at least because both disclose power converter controllers responsive to an
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`external signal.
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`On June 20, 2011, the Applicant traversed the rejections without amending
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`the claims. Ex. 1003 [’514 Patent File History Excerpts], 63. The Applicant
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`distinguished Jain by stating “the power converter as recited in independent Claim
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`1 of the present application includes a power controller configured to receive a
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`signal from a load indicating a system operational state of the load and control an
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`internal operating characteristic of the power converter as a function of the signal.
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`A system operational state of the load is more than just an output voltage of the
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`power converter.” Ex. 1003 [’514 Patent File History Excerpts], 69.
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`The Applicant distinguished the Qahouq reference (U.S. Pat. Pub. No.
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`2007/0222463) over claims 11 and 16 because “the controller 124 of Qahouq
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`monitors the change in the error signal FSe, such as the output voltage error change
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`∆Ve, of the power stages 118, and does not sense a power level of a state of power
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`drain in response to a signal to identify operation of a processor system in the state
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`of power drain.” Ex. 1003 [’514 Patent File History Excerpts], 73.
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`On September 21, 2011, the Office issued a Notice of Allowance. Ex. 1003
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`[’514 Patent File History Excerpts], 52-59. After several Requests for Continued
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`Examination to allow the Examiner to examine additional relevant art, the ’514
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`Patent issued on July 2, 2013 without further rejections.
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`The Petition argues that the “Examiner failed to consider any of the prior art
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`references cited herein, each disclosing a power converter controller responsive to
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`an external signal.” Pet., 5. But while the Petition is correct that Hwang and
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`Chagny themselves were not in front of the Examiner, the Examiner did review the
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`merits of the claims against numerous pieces of prior art that are highly analogous
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`to Hwang and Chagny (including Jain and Qahouq, which, as discussed above,
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`both disclose a power converter controller responsive to an external signal) and
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`ultimately found the claims patentable.
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`Petitioners’ Cited References
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`C.
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`The Petition contains six grounds (labeled 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, 2C and 2D)
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`using two different alleged prior art references: U.S. Pat. 6,873,136 (“Chagny”, Ex.
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`1004) and U.S. Pat. App. Publ. 2004/0174152 (“Hwang”, Ex. 1006).
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`Ground 1A alleges anticipation of claims 1-12, 14-17 and 19-20 based on
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`the Chagny reference. Pet., 8.
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`Ground 1B alleges obviousness of claims 1-20 over Chagny alone. Pet., 8.
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`Ground 2A alleges anticipation of claims 1-10, 16-17 and 19-20 based on
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`the Hwang reference. Pet., 9.
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`Ground 2B alleges obviousness of claims 11-12, 14-17 and 19-20 based on
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`the combination of Hwang and Chagny. Pet., 9.
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`Ground 2C alleges obviousness of claim 18 based on Hwang alone. Pet., 9.
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`Ground 2D alleges obviousness of claims 13 and 18 based on the
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`combination of Hwang and Chagny. Pet., 9.
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`1.
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`Chagny (Ex. 1004)
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`Chagny discloses a voltage regulator module (VRM) meant to extend battery
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`life of a processor. Ex. 1004 [Chagny], Title. Chagny contains a controller module
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`that receives an activity input from an associated device and switches between a
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`plurality of switching frequencies depending on activity level. Ex. 1004 [Chagny],
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`Abstract. In particular, the VRM generates a switched DC voltage output at the
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`chosen frequency and then filters the switching frequency to generate a regulated
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`DC voltage output. Id. Chagny Fig. 2A, below, is one embodiment of Chagny’s
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`VRM with a selectable switching frequency:
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`Fig. 2A illustrates “controller module 210 dynamically changes the
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`switching frequency 216 of the VRM 200 responsive to the activity input 202.” Ex.
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`1004 [Chagny], 5:9-12. “When the activity level of the processor 292 is low, the
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`switching frequency 216 is selected to be low 130 to save power.” Id., 5:16-18.
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`2. Hwang (Ex. 1006)
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`Hwang is directed to a pulse-skipping switching power converter. Ex. 1006
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`[Hwang], Title. The power converter has two stages. As the load decreases, one or
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`both stages may enter pulse-skipping mode (or be disabled) to improve efficiency.
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`Id. Hwang Fig. 1 (below) discloses a block diagram of an embodiment of Hwang’s
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`two-stage power converter:
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`As seen in Fig. 1, the first stage is a power factor correction stage (PFC) 102
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`and the second stage is pulse width modulation (PWM) stage 103. Hwang,
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`¶[0020]. The PFC stage 102 forces the input current substantially into a sinusoidal
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`waveform in phase with the [AC] input voltage. Id., ¶[0020]. The PWM stage 103
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`provides output voltage regulation. Controller 105 receives an input signal from
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`the load 104 indicating, for example, power drawn by the load 104. Id., ¶[0021]. In
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`some embodiments, this includes standby or sleep modes. Id. Controller 105 uses
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`that signal to attempt to maintain a constant output voltage or current by, for
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`example, causing PWM stage 103 to enter a pulse-skipping mode or to become
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`disabled. Id., ¶ [0021].
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`III. CLAIM CONSTRUCTION
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`The Board determined that it did not need to resolve any claim construction
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`issues for purposes of the institution decision. Paper 11, 12. For purposes of this
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`Patent Owner Response only, Patent Owner interprets all claim terms in
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`accordance with their ordinary and customary meaning.
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`IV. PERSON OF ORDINARY SKILL IN THE ART
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`The Petition defines level of ordinary skill as a person having either “(i) a
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`Master of Science in Electrical Engineering, or an equivalent field, or (ii) a
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`Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering or an equivalent field as well as at
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`least two years of experience in the design of power electronics.” Pet., 9.
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`Patent Owner does not dispute part (ii) of the Petition’s definition is
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`sufficient for a POSITA, however for part (i), a Master and Bachelor degree in
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`Electrical Engineering alone would not necessarily focus enough on power
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`electronics to qualify as a POSITA. Depending on how a person with a Master and
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`Bachelor degree in Electrical Engineering chooses to focus their education, they
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`may have only taken a basic power electronics course. Ex. 2018 [Ferrese Decl.],
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`¶45. A single course on power electronics would typically not be enough to qualify
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`as a POSITA. Ex. 2018 [Ferrese Decl.], ¶45. To qualify as a POSITA based
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`entirely on education, a per