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`UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
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`BEFORE THE PATENT TRIAL AND APPEAL BOARD
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`VOLKSWAGEN GROUP OF AMERICA, INC.,
`Petitioner
`
`v.
`
`YECHEZKAL EVAN SPERO,
`Patent Owner
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`
`
`Case IPR2023-00315
`U.S. Patent No. 9,955,551
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`
`
`PETITION FOR INTER PARTES REVIEW
`OF U.S. PATENT NO. 9,955,551
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`
`
`Mail Stop PATENT BOARD
`Patent Trial and Appeal Board
`U.S. Patent & Trademark Office
`P.O. Box 1450
`Alexandria, VA 22313-1450
`
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`SPERO EX. 2006
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`

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`Petition for Inter Partes Review of
`U.S. Patent No. 9,955,551
`
`TABLE OF CONTENTS
`
`
`I.
`INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................... 1
`GROUNDS FOR STANDING (37 C.F.R. § 42.104(A)) ................................ 3
`II.
`IDENTIFICATION OF CHALLENGE (37 C.F.R. § 42.104(B)) ................... 3
`III.
`IV. THE ’551 PATENT ....................................................................................... 4
`A.
`Summary ............................................................................................. 4
`B.
`Prosecution History Summary ............................................................. 6
`C.
`Level of Ordinary Skill in the Art ........................................................ 7
`D.
`Claim Construction .............................................................................. 7
`“electronic circuitry apparatus for the controlled powering of the
`
`LEDs” ........................................................................................ 8
`V. OVERVIEW OF APPLIED REFERENCES.................................................. 8
`A.
`Beam ................................................................................................... 8
`B.
`Satonaka ............................................................................................ 10
`C.
`Kobayashi .......................................................................................... 11
`D. Karlsson ............................................................................................. 13
`E.
`Nakamura .......................................................................................... 15
`F.
`Gotou ................................................................................................. 15
`VI. GROUND 1: BEAM AND SATONAKA RENDER OBVIOUS
`CLAIMS 24, 25, 30–33, 38–41, 46–49, AND 54–55 ....................................17
`A. A POSA would have been motivated to combine Beam and
`Satonaka with a reasonable expectation of success. ........................... 17
`Independent Claim Structural Elements ............................................. 21
`[24.P]/[32.P]/[40.P]/[48.P] ........................................................22
`
`[24.1]/[32.1]/[40.1]/[48.1] ........................................................24
`
`[24.2]/[32.2]/[40.2]/[48.2] ........................................................24
`
`[24.3]/[32.3]/[40.3]/[48.3] ........................................................26
`
`[24.4]/[32.4]/[40.4]/[48.4] ........................................................27
`
`[24.5]/[32.5]/[40.5]/[48/5] ........................................................28
`
`[24.6]/[32.6]/[40.6]/[48.6] ........................................................31
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`
`B.
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`C.
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`D.
`E.
`F.
`G.
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`H.
`I.
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`Petition for Inter Partes Review of
`U.S. Patent No. 9,955,551
`[24.7]/[32.7]/[40.7]/[48.7] ........................................................32
`
`Independent Claim 24 Instructions ..................................................... 33
`[24.8] .......................................................................................33
`
`[24.9] .......................................................................................34
`
`[24.10] .....................................................................................35
`
`Claim 25 ............................................................................................ 36
`Claims 30/38/46/54 ............................................................................ 39
`Claims 31/39/47/55 ............................................................................ 39
`Independent Claim 32 Instructions ..................................................... 40
`[32.8a] .....................................................................................40
`
`[32.8b] .....................................................................................41
`
`[32.9] .......................................................................................42
`
`Claim 33 ............................................................................................ 42
`Independent Claim 40 Instructions ..................................................... 43
`[40.8a] .....................................................................................43
`
`[40.8b] .....................................................................................43
`
`[40.8c] .....................................................................................44
`
`[40.8d] .....................................................................................44
`
`[40.8e] .....................................................................................44
`
`Claim 41 ............................................................................................ 45
`Independent Claim 48 Instructions ..................................................... 45
`[48.8a] ......................................................................................45
`
`[48.8b] ......................................................................................45
`
`Claim 49 ............................................................................................ 46
`L.
`VII. GROUND 2: BEAM, SATONAKA, AND KOBAYASHI RENDER
`OBVIOUS CLAIMS 26–29, 34–37, 42–45, AND 50–53..............................48
`A. A POSA would have been motivated to combine Beam,
`Satonaka, and Kobayashi with a reasonable expectation of
`success. .............................................................................................. 48
`Claims 26/34/42/50 ............................................................................ 51
`
`J.
`K.
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`B.
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`B.
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`C.
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`Petition for Inter Partes Review of
`U.S. Patent No. 9,955,551
`Claims 27/35/43/51 ............................................................................ 52
`C.
`Claims 28/36/44/52 ............................................................................ 52
`D.
`Claim 29/37/45/53 ............................................................................. 53
`E.
`VIII. GROUND 3: KARLSSON AND NAKAMURA RENDER OBVIOUS
`CLAIMS 24, 25, 30–33, 38–41, 46–49, AND 54–55 ....................................54
`A. A POSA would have been motivated to combine Karlsson and
`Nakamura with a reasonable expectation of success. ......................... 54
`Independent Claim Structural Elements ............................................. 58
`[24.P]/[32.P]/[40.P]/[48.P] ........................................................58
`
`[24.1]/[32.1]/[40.1]/[48.1] ........................................................59
`
`[24.2]/[32.2]/[40.2]/[48.2] ........................................................60
`
`[24.3]/[32.3]/[40.3]/[48.3] ........................................................60
`
`[24.4]/[32.4]/[40.4]/[48.4] ........................................................61
`
`[24.5]/[32.5]/[40.5]/[48.5] ........................................................62
`
`[24.6]/[32.6]/[40.6]/[48.6] ........................................................64
`
`[24.7]/[32.7]/[40.7]/[48.7] ........................................................65
`
`Claim 24 instructions ......................................................................... 66
`[24.8] .......................................................................................66
`
`[24.9] .......................................................................................67
`
`[24.10] .....................................................................................68
`
`Claim 25 ............................................................................................ 69
`Claims 30/38/46/54 ............................................................................ 71
`Claims 31/39/47/55 ............................................................................ 71
`Claim 32 instructions ......................................................................... 72
`[32.8a] .....................................................................................72
`
`[32.8b] .....................................................................................73
`
`[32.9] .......................................................................................74
`
`Claim 33 ............................................................................................ 74
`Claim 40 instructions ......................................................................... 76
`[40.8a] .....................................................................................76
`
`
`D.
`E.
`F.
`G.
`
`H.
`I.
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`J.
`K.
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`Petition for Inter Partes Review of
`U.S. Patent No. 9,955,551
`[40.8b] .....................................................................................76
`
`[40.8c] .....................................................................................76
`
`[40.8d] .....................................................................................76
`
`[40.8e] .....................................................................................77
`
`Claim 41 ............................................................................................ 77
`Claim 48 instructions ......................................................................... 77
`[48.8a] .....................................................................................77
`
`[48.8b] .....................................................................................78
`
`Claim 49 ............................................................................................ 78
`L.
`IX. GROUND 4: KARLSSON, NAKAMURA, AND GOTOU RENDER
`OBVIOUS CLAIMS 26–29, 34–37, 42–45, AND 50–53..............................79
`A. A POSA would have been motivated to combine Karlsson,
`Nakamura, and Gotou with a reasonable expectation of success. ....... 79
`Claims 26/34/42/50 ............................................................................ 81
`B.
`Claims 27/35/43/51 ............................................................................ 82
`C.
`Claims 28/36/44/52 ............................................................................ 83
`D.
`Claim 29/37/45/53 ............................................................................. 83
`E.
`SECONDARY CONSIDERATIONS DO NOT SUPPORT
`NONOBVIOUSNESS ..................................................................................84
`XI. DISCRETIONARY CONSIDERATIONS UNDER SECTIONS 314(A)
`AND 325(D) STRONGLY FAVOR INSTITUTION ....................................86
`A.
`The Fintiv factors strongly favor institution. ...................................... 86
`B.
`General Plastic and Valve Corp. strongly favor institution. ............... 88
`C.
`Advanced Bionics strongly favors institution. .................................... 88
`XII. MANDATORY NOTICES (37 C.F.R. § 42.8(A)(1) .....................................89
`XIII. CONCLUSION ............................................................................................89
`
`
`X.
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`SPERO EX. 2006
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`Petition for Inter Partes Review of
`U.S. Patent No. 9,955,551
`PETITIONER’S EXHIBIT LIST
`Description
`U.S. Patent No. 9,955,551 B2 to Spero (“the ’551 patent”)
`File History of Ex Parte Reexamination of U.S. Patent No.
`9,955,551, Control No. 90/014,815
`Declaration of Dr. Jianzhong Jiao
`Curriculum Vitae of Dr. Jianzhong Jiao
`U.S. Patent No. 6,144,158 to Beam
`Intentionally Left Blank
`Intentionally Left Blank
`U.S. Patent No. 6,049,749 to Kobayashi
`WIPO Patent Publication No. 2002/004247 to Braun et al.
`WIPO Patent Publication No. 1998/054030 to Karlsson
`Intentionally Left Blank
`U.S. Patent No. 5,588,733 to Gotou
`English Translation of Japanese Unexamined Patent Application
`Publication H7-65603 to Nakamura et al.
`English Translation of Japanese Unexamined Patent Application
`Publication H7-101291 to Satonaka et al.
`Westermann, “History and Scientific Back-up,” 48th Session of
`GRE, EUREKA Project 1403, Informal Document No. 30, April
`30, 2002
`“Adaptive Front Lighting Systems (AFS),” 48th Session of GRE,
`EUREKA Project 1403, Informal Document No. 28, April 12,
`2002
`Hogrefe et al., “Adaptive Light Pattern – A New Way to Improve
`Light Quality,” SAE Transactions, Vol. 106, No. 6, February 27,
`1997
`Löwenau et al., “Adaptive Light Control – A New Light Concept
`Controlled by Vehicle Dynamics and Navigation, SAE
`Transactions, Vol. 107, No. 6, pp. 33-38, February 26, 1998
`Manassero et al., “Adaptive Headlamp: A contribution for Design
`and Development of Motorway Light,” SAE Transactions, Vol.
`107, No. 6, February 26, 1998
`Michael Hamm, “System Strategies for Adaptive Lighting
`Systems,” 2001 Symposium: Progress in Automobile Lighting
`(PAL), pp. 368-380, September 26, 2001
`Intentionally Left Blank
`Intentionally Left Blank
`
`Exhibit #
`1001
`1002
`1003
`1004
`1005
`1006
`1007
`1008
`1009
`1010
`1011
`1012
`1013
`
`1014
`
`1015
`
`1016
`
`1017
`
`1018
`
`1019
`
`1020
`
`1021
`1022
`
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`Petition for Inter Partes Review of
`U.S. Patent No. 9,955,551
`
`Description
`Manassero et al., Adaptive Lighting Systems: Technical Solutions
`and Methodological Approach for Photometric Specifications,
`Progress in Automotive Lighting Vol. 6, pp. 514-525 (1999).
`Hanno Westermann, Lighting Performance Requirements in
`Vehicle Lighting Exemplified by System Requirements for AFS,
`Progress in Automotive Lighting Vol. 6, pp. 807-820 (1999).
`Diem et al., Analysis of the Eye-Movement Behaviour During
`Use Moveable Headlamps, Progress in Automotive Lighting Vol.
`5, pp. 185-207 (1999).
`Kobayashi & Sugimoto, Development of the Phase-I AFS Front
`Lighting System, Progress in Automotive Lighting Vol. 5, pp.
`449-464 (1999).
`Alejandro Vukotiich, Evaluation of the applicability of digital
`maps for the reconstruction of the real street shape, Progress in
`Automotive Lighting Vol. 6, pp. 774-790 (1999).
`Bernhard Wörner, Adaptive Frontlighting – Experimental
`System, Development and Functional Evaluation, Progress in
`Automotive Lighting Vol. 6, pp. 844-853 (1999).
`Mark van den Berg, Development of high Brightness LED’s for
`Automotive Applications, Progress in Automotive Lighting Vol.
`9, 987-993 (2001).
`Assessment of Headlamp Glare and Potential Countermeasures,
`Survey of Advanced Front Lighting System (AFS) Research and
`Technology, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
`(2005)
`Watanabe et al., The Research on the Effectiveness of AFS
`Bending Lamp in Japanese Road Environment, Progress in
`Automotive Lighting Vol. 9, 1042-1053 (2001).
`Intentionally Left Blank
`Intentionally Left Blank
`U.S. Patent No. 6,127,947 to Uchida et al.
`Ex Parte Reexamination Certificate of U.S. Patent No. 9,955,552
`to Spero, issued Aug. 19, 2022
`U.S. Patent No. 5,523,193 to Nelson
`U.S. Patent Application 2004/0052090 to Pederson
`U.S. Patent No. 4,662,746 to Hornbeck
`U.S. Patent No. 5,061,049 to Hornbeck
`U.S. Patent No. 5,933,183 to Enomoto et al.
`Intentionally Left Blank
`
`Exhibit #
`
`1023
`
`1024
`
`1025
`
`1026
`
`1027
`
`1028
`
`1029
`
`1030
`
`1031
`
`1032
`1033
`1034
`1035
`1036
`1037
`1038
`1039
`1040
`1041
`
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`Petition for Inter Partes Review of
`U.S. Patent No. 9,955,551
`
`Exhibit #
`1042
`1043
`1044
`1045
`1046
`1047
`1048
`1049
`1050
`1051
`
`Description
`Intentionally Left Blank
`Intentionally Left Blank
`Intentionally Left Blank
`Intentionally Left Blank
`Intentionally Left Blank
`Intentionally Left Blank
`Intentionally Left Blank
`Intentionally Left Blank
`Intentionally Left Blank
`United States District Courts – National Judicial Caseload Profile,
`June 2022
`
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`Petition for Inter Partes Review of
`U.S. Patent No. 9,955,551
`
`I.
`
`INTRODUCTION
`Petitioner Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (“Petitioner”) requests inter
`
`partes review (“IPR”) and cancellation of claims 24–55 of U.S. Patent No.
`
`9,955,551 (“the ’551 patent”) to Spero, which is purportedly exclusively licensed to
`
`Torchlight Technologies LLC (collectively “Patent Owner”). Claims 24–87 were
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`added to the ’551 patent by a Reexamination Certificate dated August 19, 2022.
`
`These new claims are directed to automatic vehicle headlight systems. The claims
`
`recite an illuminating device that is part of a motor vehicle that automatically
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`adjusts light output based on various inputs, such as detecting other vehicles or an
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`upcoming road curve. EX1003, ¶¶47-50.
`
`
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`These claims do not, however, recite a patentable invention. The claimed
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`structure includes basic, well-known features like controllable LEDs using
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`conventional processing, memory, and control circuitry. And the claimed
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`instructions stored in the memory are nothing more than well-known steps
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`commonly done in prior-art adaptive headlights, such as determining the position of
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`an oncoming vehicle and controlling the output of a corresponding group of LEDs
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`to reduce glare for the oncoming driver.
`
`As early as the 1940s and 1950s, vehicles such as the Tucker Torpedo and
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`Citroen DS-19 included headlamps that swiveled with the turning angle of the
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`wheels via mechanical linkage. EX1030, 3-4; EX1003, ¶51. From 1992-1999, a
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`Petition for Inter Partes Review of
`U.S. Patent No. 9,955,551
`global consortium of headlamp and automotive manufacturers participated in the
`
`EUREKA project to advance adaptive front lighting systems (AFS). EX1003 ¶51;
`
`EX1015, 3-6; EX1016, 1-19; EX1023, 514-15; EX1024, 819.
`
`By the mid-1990s, it was well known to detect vehicles positioned in an
`
`illumination area of the headlights and control headlight output to reduce glare.
`
`EX1014, ¶¶2-7; EX1013, ¶¶1-6, 44-45; EX1003, ¶¶52-56. And by 2000, adaptive
`
`headlamps with multiple directional light sources and sensors detected and reduced
`
`glare for oncoming/preceding vehicles. EX1003, ¶¶49, 57; EX1005, 1:5-3:44, 4:9-
`
`59; EX1010, 1:10-26, 9:18-26, 20:29-32; see also EX1015, 6-18, 21; EX1009,
`
`16:6-25, 20:15-33; EX1023, 514-15; EX1024, 815-16. Arrays of independently
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`controlled narrow-beam directional light sources (e.g., LED arrays) were developed
`
`as an improvement over traditional incandescent and gas discharge bulbs, providing
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`adaptive light patterns from real-time feedback. EX1005, 1:5-3:44, 4:9-59; EX1010,
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`1:10-26, 9:18-26, 20:29-32; EX1015, 6-18, 21; EX1009, 16:6-25, 20:15-33;
`
`EX1029, 987. Moreover, using map data (e.g., GPS) to control directionality of
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`headlamp lighting was also well known. EX1003, ¶¶55, 57; see, e.g., EX1008,
`
`Abstract, 1:10-63; EX1012, Abstract, 1:6-47, 1:51-59, 3:24-4:49, 8:9-41; see also
`
`EX1025, 186; EX1026, 461-62; EX1024, 815-16; EX1023, 525; EX1027, Abstract.
`
`Petitioner’s expert, Dr. Jianzhong Jiao, has over 30 years of experience in
`
`adaptive lighting, automotive lighting, and optical engineering. EX1003, ¶¶9-20;
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`Petition for Inter Partes Review of
`U.S. Patent No. 9,955,551
`EX1004. His testimony supports the Grounds that demonstrate the conventional
`
`functionality of the ’551 reexamination patent claims, rendering the challenged
`
`claims unpatentable. EX1003, ¶¶1-20
`
` The Board should therefore find the challenged claims unpatentable.
`
`II. GROUNDS FOR STANDING (37 C.F.R. § 42.104(A))
`Petitioner certifies that the ʼ551 patent is available for IPR. Petitioner is not
`
`barred or estopped from requesting IPR.
`
`III.
`
`IDENTIFICATION OF CHALLENGE (37 C.F.R. § 42.104(B))
`Ground
`References
`Basis
`Claims Challenged
`1
`Beam, Satonaka
`§103
`24, 25, 30–33, 38–41,
`46–49, 54–55
`26-29, 34-37, 42-45, 50-
`53
`
`§103
`
`2
`
`Beam, Satonaka,
`Kobayashi
`
`Karlsson,
`24, 25, 30–33, 38–41,
`Nakamura
`46–49, 54–55
`Karlsson,
`26-29, 34-37, 42-45, 50-
`Nakamura, Gotou
`53
` Beam, U.S. Patent No. 6,144,158, issued November 7, 2000, is prior
`
`3
`
`4
`
`§103
`
`§103
`
`art under §102(b).
`
` Satonaka, JPH07-101291, published April 18, 1995, is prior art under
`
`§102(b).
`
` Kobayashi, U.S. Patent No. 6,049,749, issued April 11, 2000, is prior
`
`art under §102(b).
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`Petition for Inter Partes Review of
`U.S. Patent No. 9,955,551
` Karlsson, WIPO Patent Publication No. 98/54030, published
`
`December 3, 1998, is prior art under §102(b).
`
` Nakamura, JPH07-65603, published March 10, 1995, is prior art
`
`under §102(b).
`
` Gotou, U.S. Patent No. 5,588,733, issued December 31, 1996, is prior
`
`art under §102(b).
`
`IV. THE ’551 PATENT
`Summary
`A.
`While the ’551 patent’s specification focuses on non-automotive systems, it
`
`also discloses headlamp systems that purportedly can “aid in seeing around curves”
`
`and control a headlamp beam such that the beam “will not blind oncoming traffic.”
`
`EX1001, 51:43-67; EX1003, ¶58.
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`Petition for Inter Partes Review of
`U.S. Patent No. 9,955,551
`
`EX1001, FIG. 15 (annotated).
`
`
`
`But the ’551 patent provides little discussion of the structure and function of
`
`the claimed headlamps. Figure 15 shows headlamp 270 with LEDs 275 in an array
`
`with clusters 276, 281, 285, and 287 that are selected by controller 279 based on
`
`input from sensors 280. EX1001, 53:13-54:23; EX1003, ¶¶59-62. Controller 279
`
`controls the clusters to achieve the desired lighting. EX1001, 53:13-54:23. For
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`Petition for Inter Partes Review of
`U.S. Patent No. 9,955,551
`example, anti-glare functionality is achieved by altering output of specific clusters.
`
`Id. The ’551 patent leaves to a person of ordinary skill in the art (“POSA”) the
`
`details of implementing how the controller operates to achieve this anti-glare
`
`functionality.
`
`The ’551 patent also describes that a “GPS system on the car may also let the
`
`headlamps system know of curves up ahead, one-way traffic and others factors such
`
`[that] the headlamp may be operated in the optimal mode at that instantaneous
`
`location.” Id., 51:52-56.
`
`As the Grounds below show, a POSA would have been well aware of how to
`
`control headlamps LEDs based on sensor inputs to avoid blinding other traffic and
`
`to adapt to changing road conditions. EX1003, ¶50; EX1005, 1:5-3:44, 4:9-59;
`
`EX1010, 1:10-26, 9:18-26, 20:29-32; EX1014, ¶¶2-7; EX1013, ¶¶1-6, 44-45;
`
`EX1025, 186; EX1026, 461-2; EX1024, 815-6; EX1023, 525; EX1027, Abstract.
`
`Prosecution History Summary
`B.
`Patent Owner requested reexamination only of independent claim 6 of the
`
`original ’551 patent over a pair of prior-art references, and at the same time added
`
`64 new claims. EX1002, 0035-37, 0568-89; EX1003, ¶66. The Office instituted
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`reexamination for claim 6 only, and issued a single non-final Office Action, which
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`rejected claim 6 over the art, and interpreted “electronic circuit[ry] apparatus” as a
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`means-plus-function element. Id., 0929-39. Patent Owner canceled claim 6 and
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`Petition for Inter Partes Review of
`U.S. Patent No. 9,955,551
`argued against the claim interpretation. Id., 0965-67. The Office allowed the new
`
`claims and rejected Patent Owner’s traversal of the interpretation of “electronic
`
`circuitry.” Id., 0973-80.
`
`C. Level of Ordinary Skill in the Art
`A POSA at the time of the alleged invention would have had a bachelor’s
`
`degree (B.S.) in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, optical engineering,
`
`applied physics, or an equivalent field, as well as at least 2 years of industry
`
`experience in the area of automotive lighting and lighting-control systems. EX1003,
`
`¶¶44-46, 67. The POSA may work as part of a team, for example, with computer
`
`engineers to integrate/program controllers and various control inputs to affect
`
`control of a given light source. Id.
`
`D. Claim Construction
`During an IPR, claims are “construed using the same claim construction
`
`standard that would be used to construe the claim in a civil action under 35 U.S.C.
`
`282(b)”—namely, the so-called Phillips standard. 37 C.F.R. § 42.100(b); Phillips v.
`
`AWH Corp., 415 F.3d 1303, 1312-1313 (Fed. Cir. 2005) (en banc); see also 83 Fed.
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`Reg. 51,340 (Oct. 11, 2018). Without waiver, Petitioner does not believe any claim
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`Petition for Inter Partes Review of
`U.S. Patent No. 9,955,551
`terms require specific construction and thus should receive their plain and ordinary
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`meaning, in the context of the ’551 patent specification, under Phillips.1
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`
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`“electronic circuitry apparatus for the controlled powering of
`the LEDs”
`During reexamination, the Office interpreted this term as a means-plus-
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`function element, and identified an exemplary corresponding structure as “logic
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`control electronics unit 7.” EX1002, 0929-39; EX1001, 25:34-52. If the Board
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`adopts the Office’s construction, the Office’s identified structure or equivalent—
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`e.g., the ’551 patent’s “logic control electronics unit 7,” EX1001, 25:34-52—is
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`disclosed by the prior art. EX1003, ¶¶68-69.
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`V. OVERVIEW OF APPLIED REFERENCES
`A. Beam
`Beam’s adaptive anti-blinding headlight/headlamp system (“AABH”)
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`controls the intensity, shape, and/or angular position (e.g., direction) of microbeams,
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`thereby improving driver safety. EX1005, 3:8-45, 6:53-7:13; EX1003, ¶¶70-74.
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`Beam’s microbeam source examples include individual, controllable, light-emitting
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`diodes (LEDs). EX1005, Abstract, claims 4, 5. Beam’s AABH detects oncoming
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`vehicle headlights using sensors and adjusts illumination to selectively reduce
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`1 Petitioner reserves the right to challenge the claims under 35 U.S.C. §112 in
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`other forums.
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`Petition for Inter Partes Review of
`U.S. Patent No. 9,955,551
`illumination, thereby protecting the vision of oncoming drivers. EX1005, 4:9-25.
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`Controller 108 controls illuminator 109, thereby controlling the optical system 106
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`(the headlamp unit). EX1005, 4:9-25; EX1003, ¶70. Sensor 107 inputs data to
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`controller 108. EX1005, 4:9-25; EX1003, ¶70.
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`EX1005, FIG. 1 (annotated).
`Significantly reduced intensity illumination, represented by shaded areas, is
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`
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`automatically provided to specific vehicle areas 104, 105 to reduce blinding drivers
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`of oncoming/preceding vehicles 102, 103 while retaining high-intensity illumination
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`elsewhere. EX1005, 2:53-3:3, 4:10-25, FIGs. 1C-1D; EX1003, ¶¶75-78. This
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`process is dynamically updated to maintain correct illumination: “As the positions
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`Petition for Inter Partes Review of
`U.S. Patent No. 9,955,551
`of both vehicles move, the blanked area tracks the location of the oncoming vehicle,
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`dynamically varying in position and in size.” EX1005, 6:24-272, 5:46-54.
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`EX1005, FIGs. 1C-1D (annotated).
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`Satonaka
`B.
`Satonaka’s automatic vehicle headlamp system switches between light
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`settings (e.g., high beam and low beam) based on detection of other traffic. EX1014,
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`¶¶7-11; EX1003, ¶79. Control device 50 controls headlamps 18 and 20. EX1014,
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`¶¶16-17, 21-22. Camera 22 connects to control device 60 via an image processing
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`device 48. Id., ¶22.
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`2 Emphasis added unless otherwise noted.
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`Petition for Inter Partes Review of
`U.S. Patent No. 9,955,551
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`
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`EX1014, FIG. 6.
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`Satonaka’s detailed algorithm determines which lighting mode to activate.
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`EX1014, ¶¶25-38. The algorithm processes each pixel in the image taken by camera
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`22, determining the coordinates of the oncoming vehicle target, and then activates
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`the required lighting corresponding to the determined target vehicle coordinates in
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`order to avoid blinding the other traffic. Id., ¶¶35-45; EX1003, ¶¶80-81.
`
`C. Kobayashi
`Kobayashi controls headlight shaping (e.g., changing an “irradiating” or
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`“illumination” direction, range, shape, etc.) based on map data/information,
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`including GPS data and navigation beacon data. See EX1008, Abstract, 1:10-63;
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`Petition for Inter Partes Review of
`U.S. Patent No. 9,955,551
`EX1003, ¶82. Kobayashi’s ECU 10 receives input “from GPS navigation device 29,
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`steering sensor 13, vehicle speed sensor 14, direction indicating switch 15 and
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`automatic control changeover switch 16.” EX1008, 17:8-15. “GPS navigation
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`device 29 corresponding to the road profile calculating means 2 includes: GPS
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`receiving section 32, gyrosensor 33, calculating section 34, guide route setting
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`section 35, map information output section 36, and display section 37.” Id., 17:16-
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`20; EX1003, ¶83.
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`EX1008, FIGs. 9, 12.
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`
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`GPS navigation device 29 sends information about the road profile and
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`present vehicle position to ECU 10. EX1008, 17:39-40. Output signals from ECU
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`10 are sent to control the headlights. Id.; EX1003, ¶¶84-87.
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`Petition for Inter Partes Review of
`U.S. Patent No. 9,955,551
`
`EX1008, FIG. 1.
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`
`
`D. Karlsson
`Karlsson’s headlights include LEDs with automatically controlled direction
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`and/or intensity. EX1010, Abstract; EX1003, ¶88. Sensors detect oncoming traffic
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`and an LED lighting pattern is automatically changed to reduce blinding oncoming
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`traffic. EX1010, Abstract. Karlsson automatically varies the LED pattern in
`
`response to control signals from light-sensitive sensors. Id., 2:30-35, 9:18-26, 13:24-
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`14:4, FIG. 3; EX1003, ¶88.
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`Karlsson’s spotlight beams 34 can be provided by a light source 2 composed
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`of a grid of LEDs, controlled individually or in groups to provide the desired
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`lighting. EX1010, 2:30-35, 9:18-26, 13:24-14:4. The emitted light beam 50 is
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`represented as a window that can shift left to right and top to bottom, produced by
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`Petition for Inter Partes Review of
`U.S. Patent No. 9,955,551
`LEDs based on the data from inputs, e.g., from spotlight sensors S. Id.; EX1003,
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`¶¶89-93.
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`EX1010, FIG. 14 (annotated).
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`EX1010, FIG. 3 (annotated).
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`Petition for Inter Partes Review of
`U.S. Patent No. 9,955,551
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`EX1010, FIG. 16.
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`E. Nakamura
`Nakamura’s automatic vehicle headlamp system also reduces glare and tracks
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`changing road conditions. EX1013, ¶¶7-10; EX1003, ¶94. Nakamura’s control
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`apparatus 50 “control[s] … the distribution of light from headlamps 18 and 20.”
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`EX1013, ¶24; EX1003, ¶94.
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`Nakamura’s control apparatus 50 receives several different inputs to
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`determine an appropriate light-illumination pattern, and detects vehicles as part of
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`an anti-blinding system. EX1013, ¶¶25-48; EX1003, ¶¶95-97. Images taken by
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`camera 22 are processed to determine oncoming vehicle coordinates, which are used
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`to activate the required lighting to avoid blinding the other traffic. EX1013, ¶¶45-47.
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`F. Gotou
`Gotou’s headlight direction can be adjusted based on map data from GPS.
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`EX1012, Abstract, 1:6-47, 1:51-59, 3:24-4:49, 8:9-41. When “a curved part or the
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`like is foreseen in advance in reference to both map information of the navigation
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`Petition for Inter Partes Review of
`U.S. Patent No. 9,955,551
`system and information of the proper or subject vehicle position on the map, and the
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`lighting region is changed before entering the curved part.” Id.; EX1003, ¶98.
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`
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`EX1012, FIG. 2.
`
`Navigation system 30 sends map data to light distributing control ECU 10,
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`which controls light shaping from the headlamps. EX1012, 3:52-62. Gotou provides
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`additional details of the navigation system 30, including the GPS receiver 34, for
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`example at 4:1-29. EX1003, ¶¶99-100.
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`Petition for Inter Partes Review of
`U.S. Patent No. 9,955,551
`
`EX1012, FIG. 4.
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`
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`VI. GROUND 1: BEAM AND SATONAKA RENDER OBVIOUS CLAIMS
`24, 25, 30–33, 38–41, 46–49, AND 54–55.
`A. A POSA would have been motivated to combine Beam and
`Satonaka with a reasonable expectation of success.
`Beam’s adaptive headlight system detects oncoming traffic and dims a
`
`portion of the headlight beam to prevent glare. EX1005, 2:53-5