`FOR THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS
`WACO DIVISION
`
`ECOFACTOR, INC.,
`Plaintiff,
`
`v.
`ECOBEE.,
`
`Defendant.
`
`§
`§
`§
`§
`§
`§
`§
`§
`CLAIM CONSTRUCTION ORDER
`
`LEAD CASE: W-21-CV-00428-ADA
`MEMBER CASE: W-20-CV-00078-
`ADA
`
`Before the Court are the Parties’ claim construction briefs in W-21-CV-00428: Defendant
`
`ecobee’s (“ecobee”) Opening Claim Construction Brief (ECF No. 26), Plaintiff EcoFactor, Inc.’s
`
`(“EcoFactor”) Response to Defendant’s Opening Claim Construction Brief (ECF No. 27),
`
`Defendant’s Reply in Support of its Opening Claim Construction Brief (ECF No. 29), Plaintiff’s
`
`Sur-Reply in Response to Defendant’s Opening Claim Construction Brief (ECF No. 32), and the
`
`Joint Claim Construction Statement (ECF No. 34). The Court provided the parties with its
`
`Preliminary Claim Constructions, and on March 22, 2022, the Court held a Markman hearing.
`
`Before the Court are the Parties’ claim construction briefs in W-20-CV-0078: Ecobee’s
`
`Opening Claim Construction Brief (ECF No. 32), EcoFactor’s Opening Claim Construction Brief
`
`(ECF No. 33), Plaintiff’s Responsive Claim Construction Brief (ECF No. 34), Defendant’s
`
`Responsive Claim Construction Brief (ECF No. 35), Defendant’s Reply Claim Construction Brief
`
`(ECF No. 36), Plaintiff’s Reply Claim Construction Brief (ECF No. 37), and the Joint Claim
`
`Construction Statement (ECF No. 38). The Court provided the parties with its Preliminary Claim
`
`Constructions, and on December 9, 2020, the Court held a Markman hearing.
`
`Exhibit 1033
`
`001
`
`
`
`The Court issues this Order to memorialize the Court’s final claim construction rulings for
`
`the parties in both cases, and to inform the parties that the Court plans to issue a more-detailed
`
`Order explaining its analysis in due course.
`
`SIGNED this 10th day of May, 2023.
`
`
`
`
`002
`
`
`
`I.
`
`AGREED CONSTRUCTIONS - W-20-CV-00078:
`
`Term
`
`Agreed Construction
`
`“setpoint”
`
`’492 patent claims 1, 8-10, 17, 18
`“compare(s)”
`
`’488 patent claims 1, 9;
`’327 patent claims 1, 11
`
`“measurement of the current outdoor
`temperature”
`
`’382 patent claim 5
`
`
`“a temperature setting for a thermostat to achieve or maintain”
`
`“analyze to determine one or more similarities or differences
`between”
`
`“measurement of the outdoor temperature at the present time”
`
`Term
`No.
`1
`
`2
`
`3
`
`
`
`II.
`
`DISPUTED CONSTRUCTIONS - W-20-CV-00078:
`
`Plaintiff’s Proposed
`Construction
`“the difference between two
`inside temperature
`measurements over a particular
`span of time between the
`measurements”
`
`Defendant’s Proposed
`Construction
`“the difference between inside
`temperature measurements
`divided by the span of time
`between the measurements (i.e.,
`∆T/∆t)”
`
`Court’s Final Construction
`
`“the difference between inside
`temperature measurements
`divided by the span of time
`between the measurements”
`
`Term
`No.
`1
`
`Term
`
`“rate of change in
`inside temperature”
`
`’488 patent claims 1, 9;
`’327 patent claims 1,11
`
`“rate of change in
`temperature inside the
`[said] structure”
`
`
`003
`
`
`
`2
`
`3
`
`4
`
`’488 patent claims 8,
`16
`’327 patent claims 5,
`15
`“measurement[s]”
`“measurement[s]”;
`“measurement of
`outside temperatures”;
`“temperature
`measurement inside a
`structure”; temperature
`measurements from
`inside the structure”;
`“measurement of at
`least one characteristic
`of the building”;
`“measurement of the
`current outdoor
`temperature”
`
`’488, ’327, and ’382
`patents, all claims
`’488 Patent Claims 1
`and 9 – Indefiniteness
`
`“user interface actions
`intended to alter a
`state of one or more of
`said [networked]
`electronic devices”
`
`Plain and ordinary meaning; no
`construction necessary.
`
`“determination [of the claimed
`property] by an instrument by
`using standardized units”
`
`Plain and ordinary meaning.
`
`Plain and ordinary meaning; no
`construction necessary.
`
`Plain and ordinary meaning; no
`construction necessary.
`
`Indefinite due to lack of
`essential structural
`connections, under In re
`Collier, 397 F.2d 1003
`(C.C.P.A. 1968), and its
`progeny.
`“a user intentionally interacting
`with the device’s graphic user
`interface to alter the device’s
`state and indicate whether the
`structure is occupied”
`
`Plain and ordinary meaning.
`Not indefinite.
`
`Plain and ordinary meaning.
`
`004
`
`
`
`
`’492 patent claims 1,
`10
`“receiving [receives]
`input from said one
`or more users”
`
`’492 patent claims 1,
`10
`
`“said input from said
`one or more users”
`’492 patent claims 1, 9,
`10, 18)
`“outside temperature”
`
`’488 patent claims 1, 2,
`9, 10;
`
`’327patent claims 1, 2,
`11, 12
`“programmable
`thermostat” (’327
`patent claims 3, 13)
`
`5
`
`6
`
`7
`
`
`
`Plain and ordinary meaning; no
`construction necessary.
`
`“a user inputting a response
`to a prompt on the graphic
`user interface [display] of
`the one or more networked
`electronic devices”
`
`Plain and ordinary meaning,
`wherein “self-reported” means
`information from vendor(s).
`
`“the temperature at a location
`outside (or external to) [the
`structure]”
`
`“the actual temperature at a
`location outside (or
`external to) [the structure]”
`
`Plain and ordinary meaning.
`
`“thermostat that uses
`microprocessor-based
`circuitry to control the switch
`and operate based upon user
`determined protocols for
`temperature vs. time”
`
`“thermostat that uses
`microprocessor-based
`circuitry to control
`the switch and to
`store and operate
`based upon user
`determined protocols
`for temperature vs.
`time”
`
`“thermostat that uses
`microprocessor-based circuitry
`to control the switch and that
`can be programmed with user-
`determined protocols for
`temperature vs. time, upon
`which it operates.”
`
`005
`
`
`
`III. AGREED CONSTRUCTIONS - W-22-CV-00428:
`
`Term
`
`Claims
`
`Agreed Construction
`
`A system for reducing the
`usage of a ventilation
`system comprising
`rate of change of
`temperatures inside the
`structure
`A process for optimizing
`the delay enforced by a
`thermostatic controller
`after said thermostatic
`controller turns a
`ventilation system off
`prior to allowing said
`thermostatic controller to
`signal said ventilation
`system to turn on again
`comprising
`rates of change in
`temperature at the first
`location
`automated setpoint
`
`setpoint
`
`comparing
`
`setpoint
`
`’100 Patent, Claim 1
`
`Preamble is limiting
`
`’100 Patent, Claims 1, 9
`
`’100 Patent, Claim 9
`
`“difference between inside temperature
`measurements divided by the span of time
`between the measurements”
`Preamble is limiting
`
`’186 Patent, Claims 1, 8
`
`’597 Patent, Claim 9
`
`’597 Patent, Claim 9
`
`’597 Patent, Claim 9
`
`’890 Patent, Claim 1
`
`difference between inside temperature
`measurements divided by the span of time
`between the measurements
`A computer-calculated temperature setting for a
`thermostat to achieve or maintain
`a temperature setting for a thermostat to achieve
`or maintain
`analyzing to determine one or more similarities or
`differences between
`a temperature setting for a thermostat to achieve
`or maintain
`
`Term
`No.
`1
`
`2
`
`3
`
`4
`
`5
`
`6
`
`7
`
`8
`
`
`
`006
`
`
`
`IV. DISPUTED CONSTRUCTIONS - W-22-CV-00428:
`
`Plaintiff’s Proposed
`Construction
`No construction necessary;
`plain and ordinary meaning
`
`Defendant’s Proposed
`Construction
`Indefinite
`
`Court’s Final Construction
`
`construction necessary;
`No
`plain and ordinary meaning
`
`
`Indefinite
`
`Indefinite.
`
`Term
`No.
`1
`
`2
`
`3
`
`4
`
`
`
`
`
`Term
`
`“evaluate one or more
`parameters / evaluating
`… one or more
`parameters relating to
`the operation of the said
`ventilation system”
`
`’100 Patent, Claims 1, 9
`“the predicted rate of
`change”
`
`’597 Patent, Claim 9
`
`“protect the compressor
`from rapid cycling”
`
`’890 Patent, Claim 1
`“performance
`characteristic”
`
`’890 Patent, Claim 17
`
`“rate of change”: difference
`between inside temperature
`measurements divided by the
`span of time between the
`measurements
`
`Remainder of phrase: No
`construction necessary; plain
`and ordinary meaning
`No construction necessary;
`plain and ordinary meaning
`
`Indefinite
`
`No construction necessary;
`plain and ordinary meaning.
`
`Indefinite
`
`construction necessary;
`No
`plain and ordinary meaning
`
`
`construction necessary;
`No
`plain and ordinary meaning
`
`
`007
`
`