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Case 2:22-md-03034-TGB ECF No. 127-3, PageID.9056 Filed 02/16/23 Page 1 of 19
`
`IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
`FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF MICHIGAN
`SOUTHERN DIVISION
`
`IN RE NEO WIRELESS, LLC
`PATENT LITIG.
`







`
`2:22-MD-03034-TGB
`
`HON. TERRENCE G. BERG
`
`DECLARATION OF WILLIAM ALBERTH IN SUPPORT OF NEO WIRELESS’S
`OPENING CLAIM CONSTRUCTION BRIEF
`
`VWGoA EX1041
`VWGoA V. Neo Wireless
`IPR2022-01539
`
`

`

`Case 2:22-md-03034-TGB ECF No. 127-3, PageID.9057 Filed 02/16/23 Page 2 of 19
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`
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`
`
`I. 
`
`II. 
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`III. 
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`IV. 
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`V. 
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`VI. 
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`VII. 
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`VIII. 
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`IX. 
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`X. 
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`XI. 
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`
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`
`
`TABLE OF CONTENTS
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`INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................... 1 
`
`QUALIFICATIONS ................................................................................................. 2 
`
`LEGAL STANDARD ............................................................................................... 3 
`
`A. 
`B. 
`
`Person of Ordinary Skill in the Art ....................................................................... 4 
`Patent Claims and Claim Construction ................................................................. 4 
`LEVEL OF ORDINARY SKILL IN THE ART ...................................................... 5 
`
`THE ’366 PATENT .................................................................................................. 6 
`
`THE ’941 PATENT .................................................................................................. 9 
`
`THE ’450 PATENT ................................................................................................ 11 
`
`THE ’908 PATENT ................................................................................................ 13 
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`THE ’302 PATENT ................................................................................................ 14 
`
`THE ’512 PATENT ................................................................................................ 15 
`
`CONCLUSION ....................................................................................................... 17 
`
`
`
`i
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`

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`Case 2:22-md-03034-TGB ECF No. 127-3, PageID.9058 Filed 02/16/23 Page 3 of 19
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`I.
`
`INTRODUCTION
`
`1.
`
`My name is William P. Alberth, Jr. I am an expert in mobile telecommunications and
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`wireless technology. As further detailed below and exhibited in my filed Curriculum Vitae, Dkt.
`
`118, I have over 25 years of experience in the design, development, implementation, and
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`manufacturing of mobile telephones, smartphones, and other electronic equipment in addition to
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`being an inventor on over 100 patents, including those related to telecommunications and
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`wireless communications.
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`2.
`
` I have been retained by Neo Wireless LLC (“Neo”) to provide opinions concerning the
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`claim construction and definiteness of certain limitations in the asserted claims of U.S. Patent
`
`Nos. 8,467,366 (“the ’366 patent”), 10,075,941 (“the ’941 patent”), 10,447,450 (“the’450
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`patent”), 10,833,908 (“the’908 patent”), 10,771,302 (“the ’302 Patent”), and 10,965,512
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`(“the ’512 Patent”) (collectively “the asserted patents”). For my work on this case, I am being
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`compensated for my time at my typical consulting rate of $200 per hour. I am also being
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`reimbursed for expenses that I incur during the course of this work. My compensation does not
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`depend on the substance of my opinions or the outcome of any issues in this case.
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`My opinions regarding the proper construction of the terms at issue are set forth below. I
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`understand that the Defendants in this case may submit arguments and expert declarations in
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`support of their proposed constructions at a later date, and I reserve the right to supplement my
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`opinions in response to those arguments.
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`3.
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`I have personal knowledge of the facts and opinions set forth in this declaration, and, if
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`called upon to do so, I would testify competently thereto.
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`4.
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`In forming my opinions, I understand that the claims should be interpreted as they would
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`be understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art of the patents at the times their respective
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`1
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`Case 2:22-md-03034-TGB ECF No. 127-3, PageID.9059 Filed 02/16/23 Page 4 of 19
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`applications were filed. I understand that the claims are to be construed with reference to the
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`patent’s specification, the claims, the prosecution history, in light of the plain meaning of the
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`terms used in the claims, and with reference to other sources of information, such as dictionaries,
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`textbooks, and literature or other patents in the same or related fields.
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`5.
`
`My analysis of the materials produced in this matter is ongoing and I will continue to
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`review any new material as it is provided. This declaration represents only those opinions I have
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`formed to date. I reserve the right to amend or supplement my opinions based on additional
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`documents or evidence I am presented, including without limitation any arguments or expert
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`declarations advanced by Defendants in this case.
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`II. QUALIFICATIONS
`
`6.
`
`I believe that I am qualified to be an expert witness in this matter as I possess the
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`requisite knowledge, skill, experience, training and education relating to the subject matter
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`covered by the asserted patents.
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`7.
`
`In summary, I have over 25 years of experience in the design, development,
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`implementation, and manufacturing of mobile telephones, smartphones, and other electronic
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`equipment. The majority of my career was spent at Motorola where my final role was serving as
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`the Chief Technology Officer for Motorola Mobile Devices. I held that position from 2007 until
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`August 2012, and in that role, I led the development of differentiating technology that was
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`integrated into Motorola’s commercial mobile telephone products.
`
`8.
`
`During the early stages of my career with Motorola (between 1987 and 2006, covering
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`the Priority Dates of the asserted patents), I was employed as an engineer, working on
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`developing cutting-edge chipsets to enable cellular devices, and in the development of many
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`products that changed the way people communicated, including the development of the Motorola
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`2
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`

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`Case 2:22-md-03034-TGB ECF No. 127-3, PageID.9060 Filed 02/16/23 Page 5 of 19
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`MicroTAC, StarTAC and RAZR mobile telephones. I worked on or directed work on evaluating
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`transmitter technologies and architectures to mitigate the effects of PAPR (Peak to Average
`
`Power Ratio) on the current drain of the devices. Some of the techniques evaluated include for
`
`example: pre-distortion; envelope following; EER (Envelope Elimination and Restoration); and
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`Adaptive biasing.
`
`9.
`
`My educational background includes a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University
`
`of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (1985), and a M.S. in Electrical Engineering from Illinois Institute
`
`of Technology (1992).
`
`10.
`
`I am inventor or co-inventor on over 100 patents issued or pending, including patents
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`related to my work on transmitter architectures involved for wireless communications.
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`11.
`
` In forming my opinions here, I am relying on my education and experience, including
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`my over 25 years of experience in a variety of technologies and industries related to various
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`wireless communications systems.
`
`12.
`
` Additional information concerning my background, qualifications, publications,
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`conferences, honors, and awards are described in my Curriculum Vitae, a copy of which has
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`been submitted to the Court. See Dkt. 118.
`
`III. LEGAL STANDARD
`
`13.
`
`I am not a lawyer, and I do not intend to offer any opinions as to the interpretation of the
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`law. However, I have a general understanding of claim construction based on my experience
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`with patents, my work as an expert in other cases, and my conversations with counsel. I have
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`been informed by counsel of various legal standards related to claim construction and
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`indefiniteness. I set forth my understanding below.
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`3
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`

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`Case 2:22-md-03034-TGB ECF No. 127-3, PageID.9061 Filed 02/16/23 Page 6 of 19
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`A. Person of Ordinary Skill in the Art
`
`14.
`
`I understand that claim construction and indefiniteness are both analyzed from the
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`perspective of a person having ordinary skill in the art. I understand that the person of ordinary
`
`skill in the art is a hypothetical person of ordinary creativity, not an automaton. I understand that
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`a person of ordinary skill, while not someone who undertakes to innovate, is capable of drawing
`
`inferences and taking creative steps. I understand that, in determining the level of skill in the art,
`
`courts consider the type of problems encountered in the art, prior art solutions to those problems,
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`rapidity with which innovations are made, sophistication of the technology, and the educational
`
`level of active workers in the field. I understand that not all of these factors will be relevant in a
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`given case.
`
`B. Patent Claims and Claim Construction
`
`15.
`
`I understand that a patent may include two types of claims, independent claims and
`
`dependent claims, that an independent claim stands alone and includes only the limitations it
`
`recites, that a dependent claim can depend from an independent claim or another dependent
`
`claim, and that a dependent claim includes all the limitations that it recites in addition to all of
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`the limitations recited in the claim from which it depends.
`
`16.
`
`I understand that the words of a claim are generally given their ordinary and customary
`
`meaning. I understand the ordinary and customary meaning of a claim term is the meaning that
`
`the term would have to a person of ordinary skill in the art in question at the time of the
`
`invention. I understand that the person of ordinary skill in the art is deemed to read the claim
`
`term not only in the context of the particular claim in which the disputed term appears, but in the
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`context of the entire patent, including the specification.
`
`4
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`

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`Case 2:22-md-03034-TGB ECF No. 127-3, PageID.9062 Filed 02/16/23 Page 7 of 19
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`17.
`
`I understand there are only two exceptions to the general rule that words of a claim are
`
`given their plain and ordinary meaning: first, when a patentee expressly sets out a definition and
`
`acts as his own lexicographer; and second, when the patentee clearly and unambiguously
`
`disavows the full scope of a claim term either in the specification or during prosecution. I
`
`understand that these standards are exacting. I understand that, to act as its own lexicographer, a
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`patentee must set forth a definition of the disputed claim term other than its plain and ordinary
`
`meaning and clearly express an intent to redefine the term. I understand that disavowal requires a
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`clear and unmistakable disclaimer. I understand that absent disavowal or lexicography, it is
`
`improper to import limitations into the claims from the patent specification, or to limit the claims
`
`to a particular embodiment. I understand that courts may consider extrinsic evidence outside of
`
`the patent and its file history, such as dictionaries, scientific treatises, and testimony from experts
`
`and inventors when determining the legal operative meaning of claim language. However, I also
`
`understand that extrinsic evidence is less significant than the intrinsic record in determining the
`
`legally operative meaning of claim language.
`
`IV. LEVEL OF ORDINARY SKILL IN THE ART
`
`18.
`
`It is my opinion that a person of ordinary skill in the art (POSITA) at the time of the
`
`alleged inventions of the asserted patents would have had an electrical engineering degree and at
`
`least 2 years of experience related to the design or implementation of wireless
`
`telecommunications systems or transceivers. Advanced education and degrees could compensate
`
`for less work experience, and equivalent knowledge gained through experience could
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`compensate for less education.
`
`19. My opinion regarding the POSITA is based on my own experience in the field of
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`electrical engineering, computer systems, and computer science, the technologies discussed in
`
`5
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`

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`Case 2:22-md-03034-TGB ECF No. 127-3, PageID.9063 Filed 02/16/23 Page 8 of 19
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`the asserted patents, my knowledge of the relevant backgrounds of co-workers and other
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`individuals in the field, and my familiarity with the fields and related technologies.
`
`20.
`
`Based on my experience and qualifications, I am a person of ordinary skill in the art and
`
`was a person of ordinary skill in the art at the alleged priority dates of the asserted patents.
`
`V. THE ’366 PATENT
`
`21.
`
`The ’366 patent was filed August 8, 2011, and claims priority to a provisional application
`
`filed on March 9, 2004. The ’366 patent describes methods and apparatuses in a multi-carrier
`
`cellular wireless network with random access. Generally, the asserted claims of the ’366 patent
`
`relate to mobile stations and methods employed by mobile stations in establishing random access
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`to a serving base station in a cell.
`
`22.
`
`I understand that Defendants contend that the phrase “exhibits a low peak-to-average
`
`power ratio in the time domain” renders the claims indefinite. I disagree with Defendants’
`
`conclusion, as detailed below.
`
`23.
`
`The peak-to-average power ratio (also known as the PAPR or sometimes PAR) is
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`typically expressed in decibels (dB), which is a relative unit of measure of powers on a
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`logarithmic scale. For example, a signal may have an average power of 1 Watt. If the signal has a
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`PAPR of 10dB this would mean that the peak power of the signal is 10 Watts (which is 10dB
`
`higher (or 10 times larger)) than the average power.
`
`24.
`
`In my opinion, the ’366 patent provides sufficient context for a POSITA to understand
`
`the meaning of “low peak-to-average power ratio” with reasonable certainty. In light of the
`
`remainder of the specification and how the term is used in the claims, a POSITA would
`
`understand that a “low” PAPR is (1) based on the transmitter and signaling system being
`
`considered and (2) that the PAPR of the target signal is low relative to the baseline PAPR of the
`
`6
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`

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`Case 2:22-md-03034-TGB ECF No. 127-3, PageID.9064 Filed 02/16/23 Page 9 of 19
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`signal of the system such that it does not hinder the efficiency of the power amplifier (e.g., such
`
`that the target signal does not cause additional constraints on the power amplifier due to
`
`excessive PAPR, which would reduce efficiency and increase the current drain). See, e.g., ’366
`
`Patent 4:34–38 (“relatively low peak-to-average power ratio . . . improves the power efficiency
`
`of the mobile station transmission power amplifier.”). As a related consideration, a POSITA
`
`would understand that a “low” PAPR is one that, in the particular system involved, is sufficiently
`
`below the baseline PAPR such that the transmitter does not need be specially designed to
`
`accommodate that signal. The POSITA at the time of the invention would understand the
`
`baseline PAPR of the system and understand that “low” means less than the system baseline
`
`PAPR so that the transmitter design is unaffected. Accordingly, a POSITA would be able to use
`
`these objective boundaries to determine what a “low peak-to-average power ratio” means.
`
`25.
`
`For example, here, the claims cover a mobile station (and methods for a mobile station)
`
`“[i]n a multi-cell orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) wireless
`
`communication system.” Accordingly, a POSITA would take into context that particular type of
`
`system and the baseline PAPR for signaling using that type of system when determining what it
`
`means to be a “low” PAPR. At the time of the ’366 patent, circa 2004, a POSITA would
`
`understand that cellular OFDMA systems could have a typical PAPR of 12dBs. See, e.g., Baxley
`
`et al., Power Savings Analysis of Peak-to-Average Power Ratio Reduction, IEEE TRANSACTIONS
`
`OF CONSUMER ELECS. (Aug. 2004) (showing a baseline PAR around 12dB at the 10^-4
`
`probability level for an OFDM signal); You et al., A Simple Construction of OFDM-CDMA
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`Signals With Low Peak-To-Average Power Ratio, IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON BROADCASTING (Dec.
`
`2003) (describing the creation of a signals with “Low Peak-To-Average Power Ratio” in contrast
`
`to transmissions having a PAPR greater than 11).
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`7
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`Case 2:22-md-03034-TGB ECF No. 127-3, PageID.9065 Filed 02/16/23 Page 10 of 19
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`26.
`
`Indeed, it was a well-known problem for conventional OFDMA systems to have such a
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`high PAPR. Accordingly, a signal that was approximately 3dBs or more below the system PAPR
`
`would not require additional constraints on the transmitter and would have low PAPR.
`
`Accordingly, a POSITA would understand that a relative difference in PAPR of 3dBs for a
`
`reduced PAPR to be “low” in the context of the patented claims. See, e.g., Baxley et al. (Fig. 2
`
`showing a PAR reduction from 12dBs to approximately 9dBs); You et al. (achieving a reduction
`
`of the PAR of 2-3dBs). This is consistent with Neo’s alternative proposed construction that a
`
`“low” PAPR for a conventional OFDMA system would be a PAPR of 9dBs or less.
`
`27.
`
`Of course, the claims of the ’366 patent are not limited to just conventional OFDMA
`
`systems, and different specific implementations of OFDM/OFDMA networks could have
`
`different baseline PAPRs. But the teachings above still provide a way for a POSITA to have
`
`reasonable certainty about the level of reduction required for a PAPR to be considered “low”
`
`relative to the pertinent baseline.
`
`28.
`
`For at least these reasons, it is my opinion that the plain and ordinary meaning of
`
`“exhibits a low peak-to-average power ratio in the time domain” is reasonably certain and not
`
`indefinite.
`
`29.
`
`I understand that Defendants contend that the phrase “the ranging signal is formed from a
`
`ranging sequence selected from a set of ranging sequences [associated with the cell] for
`
`identifying the mobile station” (appearing in Claims 1 and 17 of the ’366 patent) requires that the
`
`“ranging sequence” is “selected by said apparatus” (that is, the mobile station). I disagree with
`
`Defendants’ proposed construction at least because it excludes embodiments that a POSITA
`
`would understand to be covered by the plain and ordinary meaning.
`
`8
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`

`

`Case 2:22-md-03034-TGB ECF No. 127-3, PageID.9066 Filed 02/16/23 Page 11 of 19
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`30.
`
`For example, a POSITA would understand the phrase to also cover the scenario in which
`
`the serving base station selects the ranging sequence from a set of ranging sequences. Although
`
`the specification of the ’366 patent does not explicitly describe how a serving base station would
`
`make this selection, it would have been well understood to a POSITA at the time of the patent
`
`that a ranging sequence, such as a random access preamble, could be selected by the serving base
`
`station and sent to a mobile station prior to the mobile station’s attempt to send a random access
`
`to a base station. A similar technique was used according to the 3GPP standards 25.214 V5.7.0
`
`(2003-12) in section 6.1 where a preamble scrambling code is provided from the base station via
`
`RRC (Radio Resource Control).1
`
`31.
`
`Accordingly, a POSITA would be aware of random access methods at the time of the
`
`’366 patent and understand that the ranging sequence, e.g., a random access preamble, may be
`
`“selected from a set of ranging sequences” in a variety of ways, including at least by either a
`
`mobile station or a base station.
`
`VI. THE ’941 PATENT
`
`32.
`
`The ’941 patent also relates to wireless communications systems and more specifically to
`
`the adaptability of a system to maximize capacity and efficiency without sacrificing integrity of
`
`the signaling. See ’941 patent Abstract. Claim 8 of the ’941 patent requires “receiving a control
`
`message from the serving base station . . . [containing] mobile-station specific transmission
`
`parameters [that] indicate an antenna transmission scheme . . . comprising a transmission
`
`diversity scheme or a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) scheme . . . .”
`
`
`1 This may be found online at https://www.3gpp.org/ftp/Specs/archive/25_series/25.214/25214-
`570.zip.
`
`9
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`

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`Case 2:22-md-03034-TGB ECF No. 127-3, PageID.9067 Filed 02/16/23 Page 12 of 19
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`33.
`
`As described in the ’941 patent, multiple antennas can be used to create a multiple-input
`
`multiple-output (“MIMO”) system that increases transmission throughput by transmitting
`
`different data from each antenna. See, e.g., ’941 patent 6:63–65. Alternatively, multiple antennas
`
`can be used to improve transmission robustness by transmitting the same data from each
`
`antenna—a scheme sometimes called transmission diversity. See, e.g., id. 6:60–62.
`
`34.
`
`I understand that all parties agree that the plain and ordinary meaning of the term above
`
`would not cover an embodiment where the mobile station is only capable of operating within a
`
`MIMO scheme (or only a transmit diversity scheme), for example, if the serving base station can
`
`only be operated using MIMO (or only using a transmit diversity scheme).
`
`35.
`
`However, I understand Defendants have proposed a construction that intends to limit the
`
`claimed system to only those two options, excluding other transmission schemes that are neither
`
`MIMO nor transmission diversity. I disagree. Nothing in the specification or claim language
`
`suggests to me that the inventors intended to limit their inventions to systems where those were
`
`the only two antenna schemes available. And in my opinion, a POSITA would understand that a
`
`system capable of supporting a transmission diversity scheme or a MIMO scheme could also
`
`support other transmission schemes. As just one example, another known transmission scheme at
`
`the time was transmitting from multiple base stations, as was used in CDMA systems.
`
`36.
`
`I understand the parties also dispute the related claim term requiring “the mobile station-
`
`specific transmission parameters indicate . . . a corresponding subchannel configuration, . . . the
`
`corresponding subchannel configuration characterized by distributed subcarriers or localized
`
`subcarriers in the frequency domain[.]” As with the previous dispute, I understand the parties
`
`agree that this claim language requires a system be capable of supporting both localized or
`
`distributed subcarrier configurations. But it appears that Defendants’ interpretation of this claim,
`
`10
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`

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`Case 2:22-md-03034-TGB ECF No. 127-3, PageID.9068 Filed 02/16/23 Page 13 of 19
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`by omitting the words “characterized by” and adding “alternatively indicates,” would require the
`
`subchannel configuration to explicitly include a “localized” or “distributed” indicator in the
`
`control message. This is not how a POSITA would interpret this claim term. In light of the
`
`record, a POSITA would instead recognize that the indicated subchannel configuration from the
`
`mobile station-specific parameters would only be “characterized” by either localized or
`
`distributed carriers. For example, whether the subchannel configuration is characterized by
`
`localized or distributed carriers could be determined based on the allocation of resources in the
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`subchannel (which is indicated in the subchannel configuration itself).
`
`VII. THE ’450 PATENT
`
`37.
`
`I understand that Defendants are attempting to construe the term “time-frequency
`
`resource unit” to mean “a combination of time and frequency units designed according to the
`
`application requirements of the application that is being grouped.” I disagree that a POSITA
`
`would understand Defendants’ construction as consistent with the plain and ordinary meaning of
`
`the term.
`
`38.
`
`As explained in the ’450 patent specification, the ’450 patent’s inventors transformed the
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`two independent dimensions of time and frequency into one time-frequency dimension measured
`
`by a basic resource unit or time-frequency resource unit having a fixed number of symbols in a
`
`fixed number of subcarriers that fits the resource requirements of a given application and thus
`
`achieves an advantageous reduction in the amount of data required to allocate resources. ʼ450
`
`patent 7:28–30 (“Using basic resource units as the granularity of a location offset to the packet
`
`stream reduces the number of bits required to represent its location with[in] the zone 605a.”).
`
`39.
`
`Given the identity (m) of the relevant packet stream (id. 6:3–21), the packet stream can be
`
`described by (1) the value of its one-dimensional time-frequency starting coordinate (VZIm),
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`11
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`

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`Case 2:22-md-03034-TGB ECF No. 127-3, PageID.9069 Filed 02/16/23 Page 14 of 19
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`which defines where the packet stream’s associated time-frequency resource segment (Vm) starts
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`in the zone both in time and frequency (id. 7:10–27); and (2) the number of time-frequency basic
`
`resource units in the time-frequency resource segment (based on MCSIm), which defines where
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`Vm ends, again both in time and frequency (id. 7:7–39). Using time-frequency resource units,
`
`“each . . . containing a set of frequency subcarriers in a group of OFDM symbols,” to define a
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`new dimension of “time-frequency,” one can specify a resource in two parameters: a starting
`
`time-frequency coordinate and the number of time-frequency resource units in a time-frequency
`
`resource segment, as claimed.
`
`40.
`
`The “time-frequency resource unit” recited in the claims was significant and innovative
`
`as it allowed for reduction of the overhead required to transmit and recover data in a multi-carrier
`
`packet communication system because, using this basic resource unit, the resource space can be
`
`defined with two parameters instead of four. This “time frequency resource unit” is thus not an
`
`arbitrary combination of time and frequency units. Instead, it is a parameter designed according
`
`to the application requirements of the application that is being grouped. By intentionally
`
`foregoing the flexibility of irregular resource allocation at the lowest granularity level, which
`
`requires multidimensional allocation, the inventors instead created regularly shaped time-
`
`frequency resource units allocated at the application granularity level. These resource units used
`
`a single dimension to provide the control overhead reduction. Without enforcing similar resource
`
`requirements between users of the same application the regularity of the time-frequency resource
`
`unit would not have been possible.
`
`41.
`
`I note that while my discussion above (supra ¶¶ 37–40) references an embodiment
`
`wherein the inventors grouped resources by common application type, as shown in Figure 6 of
`
`the patent, the invention is not limited to that form of grouping. The inventors expressly
`
`12
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`Case 2:22-md-03034-TGB ECF No. 127-3, PageID.9070 Filed 02/16/23 Page 15 of 19
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`indicated that resource zones “designated for particular applications” are merely present “[i]n
`
`some embodiments,” ʼ450 patent 2:47, and that packet streams may also be classified, for
`
`example, “based on application type, quality of service (QoS) requirement, or other properties.”
`
`Id. 8:55–57. Thus, my discussion above, while illustrative of the concept that allowed the
`
`inventors to reduce control overhead, should not be read as an indication that a time-frequency
`
`resource unit is limited to a particular type of grouping. Indeed, a POSITA would understand that
`
`other forms of grouping would still allow for the reduction of control overhead envisioned by the
`
`inventors.
`
`VIII. THE ’908 PATENT
`
`42. With respect to the ’908 patent, I understand that, within the phrase “wherein the portion
`
`of the frequency band used for transmission of the random access signal does not include control
`
`channels,” the Defendants want to replace “control channels” with “channels carrying control
`
`information.” I do not see any basis in the specification or claims of the patent for making this
`
`substitution, which significantly alters the plain meaning of the claim language. A POSITA at the
`
`time of the invention of the ’908 patent would have known unmistakably what a “control
`
`channel” is, and would also have known that it is not just any channel that happens to carry
`
`control information. It was a well-known technique in the art at the time of the patent to create
`
`distinct channels within a wireless communication system based on the primary purpose of the
`
`channel—a control channel for control information, a shared channel for data transmission, or a
`
`random access channel for random access. But no POSITA would consider a shared channel, for
`
`example, a “control channel” merely because it incidentally carried some control information in
`
`addition to its primary purpose of data transmission. Thus, a POSITA would not misread the
`
`13
`
`
`

`

`Case 2:22-md-03034-TGB ECF No. 127-3, PageID.9071 Filed 02/16/23 Page 16 of 19
`
`plain language of the patent claim to broaden “control channel” to “channel carrying control
`
`information.”
`
`43.
`
`I further understand that Defendants seek to construe the term “random access signal” as
`
`“direct sequence spread spectrum signal.” I disagree with Defendants’ proposal, since a “random
`
`access signal” was an extremely well-known term in the art at the time of this patent, and would
`
`not have had inherent limitations in the mind of a POSITA with respect to the type of signal used
`
`for the random access signal. In other words, “random access signal” has a plain and ordinary
`
`meaning to a POSITA that has nothing to do with the type of system—spread spectrum, DSSS,
`
`or otherwise—that should be used to generate it. Nor have I seen anything in the patent
`
`specification or prosecution history that suggests the inventors intended to limit their random
`
`access signal to exclusively DSSS signals.
`
`IX. THE ’302 PATENT
`
`44. With respect to this patent, I understand that the Defendants, as they did with the ’908
`
`patent, seek to construe the term “probing signal” to mean “direct sequence spread spectrum
`
`signal.” As with “random access signal” above, the term “probing signal” was an extremely well-
`
`known term in the art at the time of this patent, and a POSITA would have a clear understanding
`
`of its meaning in the context of these claims and the specification without any limitation on the
`
`type of system—spread spectrum, DSSS, or otherwise—used to generate the signal.
`
`45.
`
`The specification of the ’302 Patent does use a DSSS signal as an example of a probing
`
`signal, which a POSITA would understand to be a useful option since it would be sent over a
`
`broad spectrum of frequency resources and used to estimate the channel conditions across a large
`
`portion of the channel used for data. See, e.g., ’302 Patent 9:39–52 (describing using the probing
`
`signal to “update the mobile station’s channel characteristics”).
`
`14
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`
`

`

`Case 2:22-md-03034-TGB ECF No. 127-3, PageID.9072 Filed 02/16/23 Page 17 of 19
`
`46.
`
`But in my opinion, it does not follow that a POSITA would take the inventors to mean
`
`that the probing signal must be a DSSS signal in the patented claims. For example, a POSITA
`
`would understand that the probing signals disclosed in the patent could be implemented in an
`
`OFDM system at the time of the invention. For example, probing signals can be carried across
`
`multiple OFDM subcarriers, at times different than when those subcarriers are used to carry data,
`
`to accomplish the same functionality.
`
`X. THE ’512 PATENT
`
`47.
`
`Regarding the ’512 patent, I understand that Neo has proposed that the term “wherein the
`
`first plurality of subcarriers and the second plurality of subcarriers are received in at least one of
`
`the time slots” be clarified by specifying that the first and second plurality of subcarriers are
`
`received “in at least one of the same time slots.” I understand that Defendants oppose this
`
`construction. In my opinion, Neo’s proposed construction represents the proper interpretation of
`
`this claim language in view of the specification and claims of the ’512 patent. As I will explain
`
`below, a POSITA would understand this limitation to require that there must be at least one time
`
`slot that contains both “the first plurality of subcarriers and the second plurality of subcarriers.”
`
`48.
`
`The plain meaning of the claims requires that there be “at least one time slot” where “the
`
`first plurality of subcarriers and the second plurality of subcarriers” are both transmitted. In other
`
`words, both subcarriers should be transmitted in the same time slot at least once.
`
`49.
`
`Further, a POSITA would understand that a time slot, as use

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