`
`IN THE UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`_____________________
`
`BEFORE THE PATENT TRIAL AND APPEAL BOARD
`_____________________
`
`ERICSSON INC.
`NOKIA OF AMERICA CORPORATION
`Petitioners,
`
`v.
`
`XR COMMUNICATIONS LLC
`Patent Owner.
`____________
`
`U.S. PATENT NO. 10,715,235
`Title: DIRECTED WIRELESS COMMUNICATION
`_____________________
`
`Inter Partes Review No.: IPR2024-00613
`_____________________
`
`PETITION FOR INTER PARTES REVIEW OF U.S. PAT. NO. 10,715,235
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`Mail Stop “PATENT BOARD”
`Patent Trial and Appeal Board
`U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
`P.O. Box 1450
`Alexandria, VA 22313-1450
`
`
`
`
`
`TABLE OF CONTENTS
`
`Page
`I.
`INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................... 1
`OVERVIEW .................................................................................................... 1
`II.
`III. GROUNDS FOR STANDING (37 C.F.R. §42.104(A)) ................................. 4
`IV. REASONS FOR THE REQUESTED RELIEF .............................................. 4
`V.
`BACKGROUND ............................................................................................. 4
`A.
`Previous IPR Proceedings ..................................................................... 4
`B.
`Prosecution History ............................................................................... 6
`C.
`Claim Construction ............................................................................... 6
`D.
`Person of Ordinary Skill in the Art (“POSITA”) .................................. 6
`E.
`Using A Butler Matrix To Receive Information From Multiple
`Antenna Array Elements Simultaneously Has Been Well-
`Known Since 1960. ............................................................................... 7
`Based on the Intrinsic Record, PO Is Estopped from Arguing
`that a Butler Matrix Does Not Satisfy the Elements Related to
`“Receiving … Simultaneously” and “Different Signal
`Informations.” ...................................................................................... 19
`1.
`The Prosecution History Shows That The Butler Matrix
`Discloses These Elements. ........................................................ 20
`a.
`The Butler Matrix Operation Is the Only Alleged
`Distinction over Crilly. ................................................... 20
`To Overcome Crilly, the Applicant Cited To the
`Butler Matrix Operation in Littlejoe. .............................. 23
`PO affirmed The applicant’s arguments that A Butler Matrix
`Meets The Simultaneously Receiving Elements. ..................... 25
`The ‘235 Specification Includes a butler matrix and Does Not
`
`F.
`
`b.
`
`2.
`
`3.
`
`ii
`
`
`
`
`
`VI.
`
`VII.
`
`Explicitly Teach The “Simultaneously” elements. ................... 27
`IDENTIFICATION OF CHALLENGES ...................................................... 29
`A.
`Challenged Claims .............................................................................. 29
`B.
`Statutory Ground for Challenges......................................................... 29
`IDENTIFICATION OF HOW THE CHALLENGED CLAIMS ARE
`UNPATENTABLE ........................................................................................ 30
`A. Ground 1: The Challenged Claims are unpatentable over Agee
`alone or in combination with Butler. ................................................... 30
`1.
`Overview of Agee ..................................................................... 31
`2.
`Overview of Butler.................................................................... 34
`3.
`Detailed Application of Agee alone or in combination with
`Butler ......................................................................................... 35
`a.
`Claim 1 ............................................................................ 35
`[1.0] A receiver for use in a wireless
`communications system, the receiver
`comprising: an antenna, wherein the antenna
`comprises a first antenna element and a
`second antenna element; ....................................... 35
`[1.1] a transceiver operatively coupled to the
`antenna and configured to transmit and
`receive electromagnetic signals using the
`antenna; ................................................................ 37
`[1.2] a processor operatively coupled to the
`transceiver, the processor configured to: ............. 39
`[1.3] receive a first signal transmission from a
`remote station via the first antenna element
`and a second signal transmission from the
`remote station via the second antenna
`element simultaneously; ....................................... 43
`
`iii
`
`
`
`
`
`(a) Agee’s Butler Matrix Teaches
`Simultaneously Receiving Signal
`Transmissions In The Same Way As
`PO Argued That The ‘235 Patent And
`Priority Document Teach It. ...................... 44
`(b) Agee’s Other Teachings Of The
`Simultaneous Receiving Element. ............. 49
`(c) Agee’s BS Antennas Receive
`Multiple OFDM Tones
`Simultaneously ........................................... 54
`[1.4] determine first signal information for the first
`signal transmission; .............................................. 61
`[1.5] determine second signal information for the
`second signal transmission, wherein the
`second signal information is different than
`the first signal information; .................................. 61
`[1.6] determine a set of weighting values based on
`the first signal information and the second
`signal information; ............................................... 64
`[1.7] wherein the set of weighting values is
`configured to be used by the transceiver to
`construct one or more beam-formed
`transmission signals; ............................................ 69
`[1.8] cause the transceiver to transmit a third
`signal to the remote station via the antenna,
`the third signal comprising content based on
`the set of weighting values. .................................. 71
`Claim 2 ............................................................................ 72
`[2]
`The receiver as recited in claim 1, wherein
`the first signal transmission and the second
`signal transmission comprise
`electromagnetic signals comprising one or
`more transmission peaks and one or more
`
`iv
`
`b.
`
`
`
`
`
`c.
`
`d.
`
`e.
`
`f.
`
`transmission nulls. ................................................ 72
`Claim 3 ............................................................................ 74
`[3]
`The receiver as recited in claim 2, wherein
`the first signal transmission and the second
`signal transmission are directional
`transmissions. ....................................................... 74
`Claim 4 ............................................................................ 74
`[4]
`The receiver as recited in claim 1, wherein
`the content comprises data configured to be
`used by the remote station to modify the
`placement of one or more transmission
`peaks and one or more transmission nulls in
`a subsequent signal transmission. ........................ 74
`Claim 5 ............................................................................ 75
`[5]
`The receiver as recited in claim 4, wherein
`the set of weighting values is further based
`on one or more of: a transmit power level, a
`data transmit rate, an antenna direction,
`quality of service data, or timing data. ................. 75
`Claim 8 ............................................................................ 76
`[8]
`8. A method in a wireless communications
`system, the method comprising. ........................... 76
`[8.1] receiving a first signal transmission from a
`remote station via a first antenna element of
`an antenna and a second signal transmission
`from the remote station via a second antenna
`element of the antenna simultaneously,
`wherein the first signal transmission and the
`second signal transmission comprise
`electromagnetic signals comprising one or
`more transmission peaks and one or more
`transmission nulls; ................................................ 76
`
`v
`
`
`
`
`
`[8.2] determining first signal information for the
`first signal transmission; ....................................... 76
`[8.3] determining second signal information for
`the second signal transmission, wherein the
`second signal information is different than
`the first signal information; .................................. 76
`[8.4] determining a set of weighting values based
`on the first signal information and the
`second signal information, wherein the set
`of weighting values is configured to be used
`by the remote station to construct one or
`more beam-formed transmission signals;
`and; ....................................................................... 76
`[8.5] transmitting to the remote station a third
`signal comprising content based on the set
`of weighting values. ............................................. 79
`Claim 9 ............................................................................ 79
`[9]
`The method as recited in claim 8, further
`comprising: transmitting the third signal to
`the remote station via the antenna. ....................... 79
`Claim 10 .......................................................................... 80
`Claim 11 .......................................................................... 80
`Claim 12 .......................................................................... 80
`Claim 15 .......................................................................... 80
`[15] 15. An apparatus for use in a wireless
`communications system, the apparatus
`comprising: an antenna ......................................... 80
`[15.1] a transceiver operatively coupled to the
`antenna; ................................................................ 80
`[15.2] a processor operatively coupled to the
`transceiver, the processor configured to: ............. 80
`
`vi
`
`g.
`
`h.
`i.
`j.
`k.
`
`
`
`
`
`[15.3] receive a first signal transmission from a
`remote station via the antenna; ............................. 80
`[15.4] the first signal transmission comprising first
`signal information, wherein the first signal
`information comprises one or more of: a
`transmit power level, a data transmit rate, an
`antenna direction, quality of service data, or
`timing data; ........................................................... 80
`[15.5] receive a second signal transmission from
`the remote station via the antenna, the
`second signal transmission comprising
`second signal information; ................................... 80
`[15.6] determine a set of weighting values based
`on the first signal information and the
`second signal information, wherein the set
`of weighting values is configured to be used
`by the transceiver to construct one or more
`beam-formed transmission signals; ...................... 81
`[15.7] cause the transceiver to generate a third
`signal comprising content based on the set
`of weighting values. ............................................. 81
`Claim 16 .......................................................................... 81
`[16] The apparatus as recited in claim 15,
`wherein the first signal transmission and the
`second signal transmission comprise
`electromagnetic signals comprising one or
`more transmission peaks and one or more
`transmission nulls. ................................................ 81
`Claim 17 .......................................................................... 81
`m.
`Claim 18 .......................................................................... 84
`n.
`Claim 19 .......................................................................... 86
`o.
`VIII. THE BOARD SHOULD NOT EXERCISE ITS DISCRETION AND
`
`l.
`
`vii
`
`
`
`
`
`B.
`
`DENY INSTITUTION .................................................................................. 87
`A.
`The Board Should Not Deny Institution Under 35 U.S.C. §
`325(d) .................................................................................................. 87
`The Board Should Not Deny Institution Under 35 U.S.C. §
`314(a) ................................................................................................... 87
`IX. MANDATORY NOTICES UNDER 37 C.F.R. §42.8 .................................. 90
`A.
`Real Party-in-Interest (37 C.F.R. § 42.8(b)(1)) ................................... 90
`B.
`Related Matters (37 C.F.R. § 42.8(b)(2)) ............................................ 90
`1.
`Judicial Matters ......................................................................... 90
`2.
`Administrative Matters: ............................................................ 91
`3.
`Related Patents .......................................................................... 92
`Lead/Back-up Counsel (37 C.F.R. § 42.8(b)(3)): ............................... 92
`C.
`D. Notice of Service Information (37 C.F.R. § 42.8(b)(4)): .................... 93
`CONCLUSION .............................................................................................. 93
`X.
`CERTIFICATION OF SERVICE ON PATENT OWNER ....................................... 1
`
`
`
`
`
`
`viii
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
` Exhibit #
`1001
`1002
`
`1003
`1004
`1005
`1006
`1007
`1008
`1009
`
`1010
`
`1011
`
`1012
`1013
`1014
`1015
`
`1016
`
`1017
`
`Petitioners’ Exhibit List
`
`Description
`
`U.S. Patent No. 10,715,235 (the “‘235 Patent”)
`Select portions of prosecution history of the ‘235 Patent (“File
`History”)
`Declaration of Petitioners’ Expert Dr. Mark Mahon
`U.S. Pat. No. 7,248,841 (“Agee”)
`U.S. Pat. No. 3,255,450 (“Butler”)
`[This exhibit number intentionally omitted]
`[This exhibit number intentionally omitted]
`U.S. Pat. App. 2002/0158801 (“Crilly”)
`U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/423,660 (includes “Beamforming
`for Littlejoe” priority document at page 134)
`Preliminary Patent Owners Response, IPR2022-00367, Paper 7, 04/19,
`2022
`Patent Owner’s Sur-Reply To Petitioner’s Reply, IPR2022-00367,
`Paper 9, 6/16/2022
`Patent Owner’s Response, IPR2022-00367, Paper 14, October 20, 2022.
`[This exhibit number intentionally omitted]
`Comparison of Crilly language vs ‘235 patent language
`XR Claim Construction Brief, XR Comm'ns LLC v. Cisco Sys., No.
`6:21-cv-00623-ADA, Dkt. No. 44 (W.D. Tex. May 6, 2022)
`XR Sur-Reply Claim Construction Brief, XR Comm'ns LLC v. Cisco
`Sys., No. 6:21-cv-00623-ADA, Dkt. No. 47 (W.D. Tex. June 3, 2022)
`Claim Construction Order, XR Comm'ns LLC v. Cisco Sys., No. 6:21-
`cv-00623-ADA, Dkt. No. 56 (W.D. Tex. September 30, 2022)
`
`
`ix
`
`
`
`
`
`I.
`
`INTRODUCTION
`Pursuant to 35 U.S.C. §§ 311 et seq. and 37 C.F.R. §§ 42.1 et seq., Ericsson
`
`Inc. and Nokia of America Corporation (collectively “Petitioners”) hereby petition
`
`for an inter partes review (“IPR”) of U.S. Patent No. 10,715,235 (the “‘235
`
`Patent”). Petitioners respectfully submit that claims 1-5, 8-12, and 15-19 (the
`
`“Challenged Claims”) of the ‘235 Patent are unpatentable under 35 U.S.C. §103
`
`over the prior art herein – none of which was considered during prosecution or any
`
`previously-filed IPR petition.
`
`II. OVERVIEW
`Most of the Challenged Claims focus on “simultaneously” receiving signal
`
`transmissions via multiple antennas from a remote station; determining different
`
`“signal informations” from those transmissions; and calculating beam-forming
`
`weights from those “signal informations.” During prosecution and before this
`
`Board, PO repeatedly sought to evade prior art based on two of these claim
`
`elements.
`
`First, PO argued that the prior art did not disclose signal transmissions
`
`received “simultaneously” from the same remote station. Second, PO argued that
`
`certain prior art did not show “different signal informations” were determined, as
`
`required in elements 1.4-1.5, infra. Notably, neither the ’235 patent specification
`
`nor priority documents expressly recite these allegedly-novel concepts anywhere
`
`1
`
`
`
`
`
`and PO has never identified any excerpt or figure in the specification that expressly
`
`recites these elements. Instead, as PO has argued repeatedly to the Examiner and
`
`this Board, it is the operation of a “Butler matrix” beamformer that provides
`
`implicit written description support for these claim elements. In fact, the Butler
`
`matrix has been front and center since the initial prosecution of the ’235 Patent and
`
`citation to its operation was the distinction that allowed for patentability during
`
`prosecution. Section V.F, infra.
`
`A “Butler matrix” is a long-known concept patented in 1960 that uses
`
`signals that are received (or transmitted) simultaneously on multiple antennas to
`
`form beams. Section 0, infra. Butler’s U.S. Pat. No. 3,255,450 teaches the “Butler
`
`matrix” functionality. According to PO, “Butler matrix” connected to an antenna
`
`array implicitly discloses simultaneous reception of signal transmissions from the
`
`remote station:
`
`Document C [Littlejoe] describes that the “searcher” receivers use a
`
`“Butler matrix” with “N = 16 array elements to form N beams.” EX-
`
`1009, 137. … This design enables the searcher receiver to receive
`
`multiple signals simultaneously via the receive beams.
`
`EX-1010 at 000019, see also EX-1011 at 000007-000008.1 Referenced
`
`
`1 See also EX-1010, POPR at 000023 (“as a matter of law, the scope of the
`
`2
`
`
`
`
`
`“Document C” is a priority document for the ‘235 patent called “Beamforming for
`
`Littlejoe” (referenced herein as “Littlejoe”) (EX-1009, at 0134). Like the ‘235
`
`specification, Littlejoe shows a “Butler matrix” attached to an antenna array with
`
`its outputs used for determining beamforming weights. While Littlejoe discloses a
`
`Butler matrix, it does not explicitly recite “simultaneously” receiving transmissions
`
`from the same station.
`
`Consistent with PO’s argument, using a Butler matrix for beamforming
`
`based on signal measurements was well known; such as disclosed in the primary
`
`prior art reference herein -- U.S. Pat. No. 7,248,841 (“Agee”). Agee discloses: (1)
`
`using a Butler matrix to receiving signal transmissions on different antennas from
`
`the same remote station simultaneously; (2) using different “signal informations”
`
`from the different antennas’ receptions; and (3) calculated “weights” that are used
`
`for beamformed receptions and transmissions. There is no light between Agee’s
`
`disclosure and the Challenged Claims’ scope in view of the Butler matrix on which
`
`PO relies for written description support. Vitronics Corp. v. Conceptronic, Inc., 90
`
`F.3d 1576, 1583 (Fed. Cir. 1996) (excluding the preferred embodiment from the
`
`
`challenged element must include the disclosures in Document C [Littlejoe] cited by
`
`Applicant for this element during patent prosecution”). Also, unless otherwise
`
`noted, all emphases and annotations herein are added.
`
`3
`
`
`
`
`
`claim scope “rarely, if ever, [is] correct and would require highly persuasive
`
`evidentiary support.”). Agee teaches a Butler matrix, used for the same purpose
`
`that PO cited in prosecution and before the Board, along with all other claim
`
`limitations, and therefore, Petitioners respectfully request that the Board institute
`
`IPR and cancel the Challenged Claims. GROUNDS FOR STANDING (37 C.F.R.
`
`§ 42.104(A))
`
`III. GROUNDS FOR STANDING (37 C.F.R. §42.104(A))
`Petitioners certify that the ‘235 Patent is available for IPR and that
`
`Petitioners are not barred or estopped from requesting an IPR on the grounds
`
`identified herein. 37 C.F.R. §42.104(a).
`
`IV. REASONS FOR THE REQUESTED RELIEF
`As explained below and in the attached Declaration of Petitioners’ Expert
`
`(EX-1003), the Challenged Claim were obvious over the prior art to a person of
`
`ordinary skill in the art (“POSITA”) at the invention time.
`
`V. BACKGROUND
`A.
`Previous IPR Proceedings
`Two distinct IPRs were filed against the ‘235 patent. Neither prior IPR
`
`included the prior art or arguments made herein.
`
`In IPR2022-00367,2 PO submitted numerous arguments regarding the scope
`
`
`2 IPR2022-01398, IPR2022-01362, and IPR2022-01353 were joined with
`
`4
`
`
`
`
`
`of the disputed claim terms in its Patent Owner’s Preliminary Response (“POPR”)
`
`(EX-1010) and sur-reply to the POPR (EX-1011). Section V.F, infra.
`
`Substantively, PO argued primarily that the prior art did not disclose receiving two
`
`signals “simultaneously.” Patent Owner’s Response, 14-33; Patent Owner’s Sur-
`
`Reply, 2-15. Following institution, further briefing and an oral argument, PO
`
`settled with petitioners and IPR2022-00367 was dismissed.
`
`The Board declined to institute IPR2022-01155. There, the Board accepted
`
`PO’s arguments that the prior art in IPR2022-01155 did not disclose
`
`simultaneously receiving two signal transmissions. IPR2022-01155, Institution
`
`Decision, 27-32. Importantly, the Board was not presented with, and did not
`
`analyze, the following compelling arguments made herein:
`
` the known Butler matrix operation discloses the “simultaneously”
`
`receiving elements;
`
` PO extensively relied upon this known Butler matrix operation during
`
`prosecution and in IPR2022-00367 to disclose the “simultaneously”
`
`receiving elements;
`
` the Applicant argued that the Butler matrix operation was the feature
`
`allowing the Applicant to predate the largely verbatim prior art cited
`
`
`IPR2022-00367.
`
`5
`
`
`
`
`
`by the Examiner for all elements except the “simultaneously”
`
`elements; and
`
` different “signal informations” can include “signal strengths” on
`
`different antennas; not just the content of signals argued in IPR2022-
`
`01155; and
`
` Agee’s OFDM tones simultaneously are received by each antenna
`
`element.
`
`B.
`Prosecution History
`The ‘235 Patent issued from U.S. Pat. App. No. 15/495,539 filed April 24,
`
`2017 claiming priority through continuation applications to U.S. Provisional Pat.
`
`App. No.60/423,660 filed on November 2, 2002. Section V.F details the relevant
`
`prosecution history exchanges.
`
`C. Claim Construction
`For this Petition’s purposes, Petitioners propose that each claim term be
`
`given its plain and ordinary meaning. The prior art herein meets each claim
`
`limitation under any reasonable construction.
`
`D.
`Person of Ordinary Skill in the Art (“POSITA”)
`A POSITA in November 2002 would have been familiar with wireless
`
`communications networks, including the design of beamforming using multiple
`
`antennas. A POSITA would have at least a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical
`
`6
`
`
`
`
`
`Engineering or equivalent, and at least two years of work experience. A more
`
`advanced degree can substitute for some work experience. EX-1003, ¶¶37-39.
`
`E. Using A Butler Matrix To Receive Information From Multiple
`Antenna Array Elements Simultaneously Has Been Well-Known
`Since 1960.
`By 2002 (when the ‘235 inventors used this old technology in Littlejoe), the
`
`Butler matrix was well known and referenced in hundreds of patents throughout
`
`the world. EX-1003, ¶¶284-291. Figures 3 and 4 of Butler’s patent (EX-1005)
`
`show the Butler matrix. “FIGURE 4 shows the relative orientation of the eight
`
`beam patterns for the circuit of FIGURE 3.” EX-1005, 2:13-14.
`
`
`
`.
`
`EX-1005, Fig. 4. “FIGURE 3 … show[s] schematically the feed structure for an
`
`eight element array with eight independent feed terminals and designed to produce
`
`eight patterns.” EX-1005, 3:16-20. Circuitry connects the two sets of
`
`7
`
`
`
`
`
`input/outputs. The top “antenna ports” in Fig. 3 connect to a set of antennas (“a”-
`
`”h”). E.g., EX-1005, 3:28-29.
`
`
`
`At the bottom are “feed terminals” that correspond to the beams (1L, 1R, 2L, 2R,
`
`3L, 3R, 4L, 4R) transmitted (or received) by the antennas based on the signals of
`
`the antennas connected to those “feed terminals” through the circuitry. The feed
`
`terminals can be referenced as:
`
`(a) “combiner” feeds for reception because they output the “combined”
`
`signals from multiple antennas being received and aggregated to form
`
`each reception beam; or
`
`(b) “distributer” feeds for transmissions because the signals applied to these
`
`8
`
`
`
`
`
`terminals are distributed to various antennas to form a transmission
`
`beam.
`
`E.g., EX-1005, 3:70-73 (“Connections a3 and h3 form the input connections for
`
`energy sources to produce the various beam patterns … in FIGURE 3.”).
`
`The circuitry between the antenna ports at the top and the “feeds” at the
`
`bottom is configured such that the different collection of signals to / from one or
`
`more antennas forms each beam. This circuitry includes dividers (which divide the
`
`signals) and phase shifters (which shift the phase of signals). EX-1005, 3:28-73.
`
`EX-1003, ¶¶321-329.
`
`The beams can be formed for transmission or reception. In one Butler
`
`embodiment, the same Butler matrix is used both to receive signals using the
`
`beams and then re-transmit those same signals back along the original beam. E.g.
`
`EX-1005, 4:16-37, Fig. 6.
`
`The antennas receive “signal transmissions” in the form of continuous radio
`
`waves, as exemplified in the sine wave below which represents using a single
`
`frequency.
`
`9
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`The relative amplitude of the signal wave is the “signal strength” which, as shown
`
`in this diagram, can be represented as going from -1 at the bottom to 1 at the top.
`
`The wave’s amplitude (i.e., signal strength) varies depending on the “phase” of the
`
`wave; in this example, the amplitude is 0 at a phase angle 0 degrees, and is 1 at
`
`phase angle 90 degrees. EX-1003, ¶¶330-335.
`
`While the received signal’s amplitude and signal strength vary over time, the
`
`signal wave is continuous and is “sampled” by the receiver(s) at particular times;
`
`rather than being discrete and limited to one point in time.
`
`Furthermore, because the wave is traveling spatially from the transmitter to
`
`an antenna, it has a “phase front” (similar to a weather front moving
`
`geographically) associated with directionality and which determines the signal’s
`
`“path.” Accordingly, circuitry sampling the signal (wave) at each antenna element
`
`of an antenna array at the same time will detect different “amplitudes” (or signal
`
`10
`
`
`
`
`
`strengths) depending upon the angle of arrival of the signal’s phase front with
`
`respect to the relative orientation of the antenna elements in the array. EX-1003,
`
`¶¶335-336.
`
`To illustrate this point, two antenna elements are depicted below and the
`
`wave is sampled simultaneously. Because of the physical separation of the
`
`antennas, each sample reflects a different “phase” (i.e., at a different location
`
`which translate directly into a different phase value for the propagating wave), and
`
`the circuitry, which samples the wave received at each antenna, detects and
`
`measures a different signal strength (amplitude) for the same received signal.
`
`
`
`
`
`11
`
`
`
`
`
`In other words, at a given sampling instance, the wave is in the process of
`
`propagating across the antenna array and antenna A detects the signal when it is at
`
`phase 45 degrees and detects a signal strength of around 0.7. Antenna B is
`
`physically located such that (sampling at the same time as Antenna A) it detects
`
`the same signal at phase 270 degrees and will measure a received signal strength of
`
`-1.0. EX-1003, ¶337.
`
`The Butler matrix purposefully uses these different phases detected
`
`simultaneously by the antennas. The Butler matrix has “phase shifters” that
`
`account for the physical separation of the antennas (based on a fixed mathematical
`
`relationship between phase, frequency and distance for a propagating). These
`
`phase shifters (and later combiners) generate the beams:
`
`Through suitable wavelength spacing of the antennas from each
`
`other and phasing of the signal paths, the directional patterns can be
`
`varied as desired. The phase shifters 25 may preferably be an extra
`
`length of transmission line to cause signals therethrough to lag those
`
`signals going through the parallel paths.
`
`EX-1005, 35-37.
`
`The amount of phase shifting of the signals depends upon the desired
`
`direction of the beam to be received or transmitted. This system is
`
`equally adaptable to reception as well as transmission of signals.
`
`12
`
`
`
`
`
`EX-1005, 17-20.
`
`For a transmit beam, the use of the phase shifters and simultaneous
`
`transmission from the antennas facilitate the purpose of a Butler matrix, which is to
`
`create beams using antennas that are physically spaced apart. For a “receive”
`
`beam, the inverse is true: the simultaneously received signals on multiple antennas
`
`are shifted and combined to form receive “beams” on the feed outputs. In doing
`
`so, the Butler matrix takes advantage of the signal wave being at different phases
`
`when measured simultaneously at the differently located antennas. EX-1003,
`
`¶¶338-340.
`
`The Butler matrix can use this same approach and provide more specific
`
`results when more antenna elements receive the signal wave to be sampled. As
`
`shown below the signal wave is simultaneously detected on each of the Butler
`
`matrix antennas “a” through “h” as shown in Figure 3:
`
`13
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`Each antenna receives simultaneously its own signal strength (amplitude) which in
`
`the example above, is different (from other antennas). These measurements are
`
`passed into the circuitry of shifters and dividers / combiners. EX-1003, ¶¶341-342.
`
`
`
`The following annotated figures from EX-1005 show using the Butler matrix
`
`for beamforming based on its processing of simultaneously received signals. In
`
`this example, there is a “transmitter device” in the direction of beam 4R that
`
`transmits a signal transmission on wave “X.”
`
`
`
`14
`
`
`
`
`
`Each antenna receives that transmission at different phases, which are detected
`
`through sampling, each representing different informations associated with signal
`
`strengths, which the Butler matrix circuitry processes as shown below:
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`15
`
`
`
`
`
`Because the “transmitter device” is located in the direction of beam “4R”, the
`
`Butler circuitry processing results in a strong combined signal being output at the
`
`“4R” feed terminal at the bottom. The other feed terminals output progressively
`
`weaker signals as the formed beams move away from the transmitter’s location.
`
`Thus, beam “4L” will have the smallest reported combined signal strength
`
`(possibly 0) because the beam resulting from the circuitry associated with the 4L
`
`feed is “pointed” that beam away from the transmitter device. EX-1003, ¶¶343-
`
`345.
`
`Note that, the signal measurements for each antenna [a(x), b(x) … h(x)] are
`
`different (i.e., different portions of the continuous wave) with different signal
`
`informations (phase and amplitudes) because the wave is being measured at
`
`different points.3
`
`The different signals (measured at different phases and amplitudes) allow
`
`the Butler matrix to “form” the beam. The Butler matrix circuitry is taking the
`
`signal measurements of multiple antennas and combining those measurements in a
`
`manner such that the aggregated measurements are either increased or decreased
`
`based on the “direction” of the beam in comparison to the direction of the
`
`
`3 In addition to phase difference, the signal strengths differ due to different
`
`distances from the antenna. EX-1003, ¶¶346-347.
`
`16
`
`
`
`
`
`transmitter – as reflected in the different phase / amplitude measurements. The
`
`point of the Butler matrix is to receive, and use, the different signals being received
`
`on different antennas simultaneously. EX-1003, ¶¶348-349. If the measured
`
`signals were the same, it would be effectively the same as using only a single
`
`antenna – which would not allow for beamforming through leveraging the
`
`information implicitly contained in the different phases and amplitude.
`
`The beamforming criteria determined by the Butler matrix circuitry in
`
`response to the simultaneous receipt of signal informations then is used to
`
`determine the orientation of beams. As a signal to be transmitted is applied on the
`
`feed(s) corresponding to the desired beam(s) (see bottom of Butler Fig. 3), the
`
`circuity then divides, shifts and distributes the signal and weights to the antennas
`
`used to form desire beam(s). EX-1003, ¶350.
`
`Littlejoe explains the Butler matrix consistently with the above, but using a
`
`different diagram to represent the wave with the transmitter in the upper right and
`
`the signal wave arriving from the upper right.
`
`17
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`E
Accessing this document will incur an additional charge of $.
After purchase, you can access this document again without charge.
Accept $ Charge
Still Working On It
This document is taking longer than usual to download. This can happen if we need to contact the court directly to obtain the document and their servers are running slowly.
Give it another minute or two to complete, and then try the refresh button.
A few More Minutes ... Still Working
It can take up to 5 minutes for us to download a document if the court servers are running slowly.
Thank you for your continued patience.
This document could not be displayed.
We could not find this document within its docket. Please go back to the docket page and check the link. If that does not work, go back to the docket and refresh it to pull the newest information.
Your account does not support viewing this document.
You need a Paid Account to view this document. Click here to change your account type.
Your account does not support viewing this document.
Set your membership
status to view this document.
With a Docket Alarm membership, you'll
get a whole lot more, including:
- Up-to-date information for this case.
- Email alerts whenever there is an update.
- Full text search for other cases.
- Get email alerts whenever a new case matches your search.
One Moment Please
The filing “” is large (MB) and is being downloaded.
Please refresh this page in a few minutes to see if the filing has been downloaded. The filing will also be emailed to you when the download completes.
Your document is on its way!
If you do not receive the document in five minutes, contact support at support@docketalarm.com.
Sealed Document
We are unable to display this document, it may be under a court ordered seal.
If you have proper credentials to access the file, you may proceed directly to the court's system using your government issued username and password.
Access Government Site
