throbber

`
`
`
`
`UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`____________
`
`BEFORE THE PATENT TRIAL AND APPEAL BOARD
`____________
`
`PACIFIC SURF DESIGNS, INC.,
`Petitioner,
`
`v.
`
`SURF WAVES, LTD.,
`Patent Owner.
`____________
`
`Case IPR2016-01454
`Patent 8,088,016 B2
`____________
`
`Record of Oral Hearing
`Held: November 8, 2017
`____________
`
`
`
`Before PHILLIP J. KAUFFMAN, BEVERLY M. BUNTING,
`and JASON W. MELVIN, Administrative Patent Judges.
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`

`

`Case IPR2016-01454
`Patent 8,088,016 B2
`
`
`
`APPEARANCES:
`
`ON BEHALF OF THE PETITIONER:
`CHARANJIT BRAHMA, ESQUIRE
`ANUP M. SHAH, ESQUIRE
`Troutman Sanders, LLP
`580 California Street
`Suite 1100
`San Francisco, California 94104
`
`ON BEHALF OF PATENT OWNER:
`BARRY J. SCHINDLER, ESQUIRE
`JOSHUA MALINO, ESQUIRE
`Greenberg Traurig, LLP
`200 Park Avenue
`New York, New York 10166
`
`
`
`
`The above-entitled matter came on for hearing on
`Wednesday, November 8, 2017, commencing at 1:00 p.m., at the
`U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, 600 Dulany Street,
`Alexandria, Virginia.
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
` 2
`
`

`

`1
`2
`3
`4
`5
`6
`7
`8
`9
`10
`11
`12
`13
`14
`15
`16
`17
`18
`19
`20
`21
`22
`23
`24
`25
`
`Case IPR2016-01454
`Patent 8,088,016 B2
`
`
`
`P R O C E E D I N G S
`- - - - -
`JUDGE MELVIN: Good afternoon, everyone. This is
`the hearing in IPR2016-1454 between petitioner, Pacific Surf
`Designs, and patent owner, Surf Waves, reviewing patent number
`8,088,016. I'm Judge Melvin. With me is Judge Kauffman, and
`Judge Bunting is appearing remotely from Detroit.
`Let's get the parties' appearances, please. Who do we
`have from petitioner?
`MR. BRAHMA: Charanjit Brahma and backup
`counsel, Anup Shah from Troutman Sanders.
`JUDGE MELVIN: Thank you. And for the patent
`
`owner?
`
`MR. SCHINDLER: Good afternoon, Your Honors.
`My name is Barry Schindler from the firm of Greenberg Traurig.
`With me is Josh Malino, and behind me is Lennie Bersh and Erik
`Squier.
`
`JUDGE MELVIN: Thank you and welcome. We
`appreciate you appearing here today and helping us understand
`your arguments. We look forward to your presentations.
`So the order regarding oral argument set forth the
`procedure for today's hearing, but I would like to remind
`everyone of the way it will work. You each have 30 minutes for
`your presentations. And petitioner will start and may reserve
`time for rebuttal. Please keep in mind that Judge Bunting will not
`
`
`
`
` 3
`
`

`

`1
`2
`3
`4
`5
`6
`7
`8
`9
`10
`11
`12
`13
`14
`15
`16
`17
`18
`19
`20
`21
`22
`23
`24
`25
`
`Case IPR2016-01454
`Patent 8,088,016 B2
`
`
`be able to see what you project on the screen, but she has a copy
`of the materials. So when you refer to an exhibit or a slide
`number, please state for the record clearly so that we have a good
`record and so that Judge Bunting understands what you are
`talking about. And also remember that she can only hear when
`you speak into the microphone.
`Under no circumstances should you interrupt the other
`party while that party is presenting arguments or demonstratives.
`If you believe that something the other party is presenting is
`objectionable, please save that for your argument time. And if it's
`an objection during the rebuttal time, you can raise that
`afterwards. Do either of you have any questions?
`MR. SCHINDLER: No, Your Honor.
`MR. BRAHMA: No, Your Honor.
`JUDGE MELVIN: With that, we are ready if you are.
`Petitioner, would you like to reserve time?
`MR. BRAHMA: Yes, we would like to reserve ten
`minutes for rebuttal, if possible.
`JUDGE MELVIN: Okay. Whenever you are ready.
`MR. BRAHMA: Good afternoon, Your Honors.
`Today, as previously noted, we are talking about the claims of the
`'016 patent. All of these claims are challenged. Two of them are
`independent claims, 1 and 20.
`If we go to slide 3, we see the relevant language of
`claim 1. The highlighted limitations are the ones that are
`
`
`
`
` 4
`
`

`

`1
`2
`3
`4
`5
`6
`7
`8
`9
`10
`11
`12
`13
`14
`15
`16
`17
`18
`19
`20
`21
`22
`23
`24
`25
`
`Case IPR2016-01454
`Patent 8,088,016 B2
`
`
`primarily in dispute relating to the activity section and the first
`and second curved side walls. Those limitations are substantially
`the same in both independent claims 1 and 20.
`There are also a number of dependent claims that are at
`issue in this IPR. None of the limitations of those dependent
`claims were separately identified as a basis for validity.
`If we go to slide 7, I would like to briefly start with the
`claim constructions. This slide shows the different terms that
`were construed by the Board as part of the decision to institute.
`Most of these limitations aren't really in dispute, aren't going to
`be the basis for any of the arguments between the sides. The one
`possible exception to that is the term "opposite", which the Board
`construed as on the other side from. None of these constructions
`has been contested by patent owner, but as we'll see in the
`discussion today, patent owner is trying to read the claims as
`more limited and specifically limited to, for example, a half-pipe
`type of ride. And one way in which they try to do that is to claim
`that the term "opposite" means something more than it does in the
`Board's construction.
`So if we take a look at that first on slide 8, what we are
`looking at here in the image is from patent owner's infringement
`contentions in the related District Court litigation. The ride that
`is shown there is an allegedly infringing ride made by petitioner.
`And the boxes were included in the infringement contentions as
`patent owner's way of showing what parts of that ride supposedly
`
`
`
`
` 5
`
`

`

`1
`2
`3
`4
`5
`6
`7
`8
`9
`10
`11
`12
`13
`14
`15
`16
`17
`18
`19
`20
`21
`22
`23
`24
`25
`
`Case IPR2016-01454
`Patent 8,088,016 B2
`
`
`met the first curved side wall, substantially flat middle section
`and second curved side wall opposite the first limitations of the
`'016 patent claims.
`So you'll note there that in pointing to the various parts
`of the ride, the side walls that are identified are not diametrically
`opposite to each other. They are not parallel to each other. So
`the term "opposite" has been construed by the Board has been
`construed broadly, as it should be, for purposes of this
`proceeding. There is nothing in the claims, there is nothing in the
`specification that requires that the side walls be diametrically
`opposed or parallel. And that's the position that patent owner
`even took in the claim construction proceedings in the District
`Court.
`
`JUDGE MELVIN: Counsel, what do you understand
`patent owner's construction to be now?
`MR. BRAHMA: Well, technically, I don't think they
`are challenging the Board's construction. But when you ask
`patent owner's expert, Dr. Stevick, what these claims are related
`to, ultimately he comes down to saying that opposite means that
`the ride has to be configured like a half-pipe. So there have to be
`diametrically opposed rideable surfaces, areas of high potential,
`he calls them. So there has to be a wall that is basically like a
`semicircle.
`So that's very different from the broad construction of
`opposite that the Board applied and for purposes of this
`
`
`
`
` 6
`
`

`

`1
`2
`3
`4
`5
`6
`7
`8
`9
`10
`11
`12
`13
`14
`15
`16
`17
`18
`19
`20
`21
`22
`23
`24
`25
`
`Case IPR2016-01454
`Patent 8,088,016 B2
`
`
`proceeding and what patent owner itself applied or argued to the
`Court when it was arguing for the construction of these terms in
`the related District Court litigation.
`JUDGE BUNTING: Counselor, I have a question for
`you. Do you agree then with our construction from the DI?
`MR. BRAHMA: Yes. We agree that it should be that
`broad for purposes of this IPR, correct.
`JUDGE BUNTING: Thank you.
`MR. BRAHMA: So if we move to the next slide, slide
`9, this shows a portion of Dr. Stevick's deposition testimony in
`which he plainly says -- so the question was, Is claim 1 limited to
`half-pipe rides? This was after some lead-up from Dr. Stevick.
`And he said he thinks it describes a half-pipe but is limited to
`either a half-pipe or something that is substantially similar.
`And on the next slide, slide 10, he makes clear that his
`derivation of this half-pipe limitation comes from the term
`"opposing." When I asked specifically, Why do you think these
`side walls aren't opposing? He says that's completely
`nonsensical. No one would look at this and call this a half-pipe
`because you don't have the opposing high potential areas that you
`can reciprocate between.
`Now, I will note, if we go back a couple slides, actually
`to slide 8, you see the top bullet point there. In the District Court
`litigation, patent owner actually took the position that the
`specification of the '016 patent itself showed embodiments in
`
`
`
`
` 7
`
`

`

`Case IPR2016-01454
`Patent 8,088,016 B2
`
`
`which the side walls were not parallel. And that was one of the
`reasons that they argued that the term "opposite" should not be
`limited to diametrically opposed and parallel side walls. And
`they made that argument in relation to Figure 6 of the '016 patent.
`Now, I should note in talking about opposite, this is not
`an argument that patent owner raised in its responsive brief as a
`reason for finding the claims not invalid. The patent owner's
`arguments and even Dr. Stevick's declaration focused on whether
`the side walls extended substantially upwardly. The discussion of
`opposite, the discovery that Dr. Stevick was reading this half-pipe
`limitation into the claims, that all came out at his deposition.
`JUDGE MELVIN: Then why does it matter if it's not
`something that patent owner is relying on?
`MR. BRAHMA: It should not matter. We have seen
`the other side's demonstratives, so I have some belief that it will
`be raised in their argument.
`JUDGE MELVIN: But you didn't object to those as a
`new argument?
`MR. BRAHMA: Well, so the excerpts they take are all
`in the record. So it depends on what argument they actually make
`from the slides. This is just my suspicion at this point. But the
`other thing I will note is that -- so they have raised arguments, for
`example, that side walls don't extend substantially upwardly
`because if you draw a line perpendicular from the edge between
`
`1
`2
`3
`4
`5
`6
`7
`8
`9
`10
`11
`12
`13
`14
`15
`16
`17
`18
`19
`20
`21
`22
`23
`24
`
`
`
`
`
` 8
`
`

`

`Case IPR2016-01454
`Patent 8,088,016 B2
`
`
`the side wall and the middle section, that perpendicular arrow
`doesn't go up.
`And when you probe, when I probed Dr. Stevick more
`deeply about that in his deposition, he said that part of that
`interpretation is based on how he views this half-pipe limitation
`of the claims. Now, that is never explicitly stated either in his
`declaration or the opposition in the responsive brief. In the
`response brief it just comes out as these side walls don't extend
`substantially upwardly. So it really goes into the kind of implicit
`reasoning for Dr. Stevick's statements that certain limitations are
`not met.
`But you are absolutely correct, Your Honor, that patent
`owner should not now be allowed to argue that the side walls
`aren't opposite because they didn't actually do that in their
`previous responsive briefing.
`So now if we go to slide 6, this actually summarizes the
`five grounds for institution in the decision, in the Board's
`decision. There are three pieces of prior art that were referenced,
`the '589 patent, the '590 patent and the '530 patent. All three of
`those name the same inventor. They all relate to water rides.
`They all discuss side walls and containing water. And so we will
`go into the specific reasons to or motivations to combine
`particular references when we discuss particular grounds, but they
`all come from that same background.
`
`1
`2
`3
`4
`5
`6
`7
`8
`9
`10
`11
`12
`13
`14
`15
`16
`17
`18
`19
`20
`21
`22
`23
`24
`
`
`
`
`
` 9
`
`

`

`1
`2
`3
`4
`5
`6
`7
`8
`9
`10
`11
`12
`13
`14
`15
`16
`17
`18
`19
`20
`21
`22
`23
`24
`25
`
`Case IPR2016-01454
`Patent 8,088,016 B2
`
`
`
`So if we take the first of these, this is on slide 11, the
`first two of these relate to anticipation by the Lochtefeld '589
`patent for certain of the claims and then obviousness of the '589
`patent with respect to all 20 claims.
`So if we move forward to slide 14, these are the two
`images that were included in the petition. These are versions of
`Figure 4A of the '589 patent. The red section was colored to
`show the activity -- the red portion in the image on the left
`showed the activity section. The blue and red sections in the
`image on the right show the first and second side walls.
`JUDGE MELVIN: I'm interested in that --
`JUDGE BUNTING: Counselor, I have a question. In
`the blue and red annotations that you did in Figure 4A, is that
`intended to show the entire side wall?
`MR. BRAHMA: You mean is the colored portion the
`entire side wall?
`JUDGE BUNTING: The colored annotations, yes. So I
`see a blue portion and I see a red portion. Is that entire red
`portion considered a side wall?
`MR. BRAHMA: It would be considered a side wall. I
`will note, though, that in the decision to institute, one of the
`points that was made is that because these side walls extend
`substantially upwardly, not all parts of the side wall need to be
`upward. So a substantial portion, whatever the actual extent of
`that is, a substantial portion of the side wall needs to extend
`
`
`
`
` 10
`
`

`

`Case IPR2016-01454
`Patent 8,088,016 B2
`
`
`upwardly from the edge between the middle section and that side
`wall.
`
`JUDGE BUNTING: And I understand that. What was
`your intent, then, in the petition then when you annotated?
`Again, back to my question, is the entire blue portion intended to
`be a side wall?
`MR. BRAHMA: The entire blue portion is intended to
`be a side wall. There are different ways that the Board could
`interpret the figures of this prior art reference. So certainly there
`is another coloring of this figure that we showed to Dr. Stevick
`during his deposition. And this is on slide 24. So one could
`alternatively consider the middle section to be the green portion
`and then the side walls to be the red and blue that are shown in
`this otherwise colored version on slide 24. And that is also an
`interpretation. We asked Dr. Stevick about this because we
`needed to get the admission from him, and he admitted it, that if
`you colored the portions of Figure 4A this way, then the red side
`wall extends upward from the portion -- the green portion of the
`middle section directly underneath it, and the blue side wall
`extends upward from the green portion of the middle section
`directly underneath it. So there are --
`JUDGE BUNTING: So counselor, I have another
`question here. So please help me understand. I know it's difficult
`because we are both looking at different things. So I'm looking at
`
`1
`2
`3
`4
`5
`6
`7
`8
`9
`10
`11
`12
`13
`14
`15
`16
`17
`18
`19
`20
`21
`22
`23
`24
`
`
`
`
`
` 11
`
`

`

`1
`2
`3
`4
`5
`6
`7
`8
`9
`10
`11
`12
`13
`14
`15
`16
`17
`18
`19
`20
`21
`22
`23
`24
`25
`
`Case IPR2016-01454
`Patent 8,088,016 B2
`
`
`your Figure 4A. So where is this edge and the "another edge"
`that we are talking about? Can you explain?
`MR. BRAHMA: Sure. And so if we go back to the
`original identification of these portions, and maybe it's best to
`look at the version of the image on slide 20, so on slide 20 there
`you can see so you have got the blue side wall and you have the
`green middle section. There is an arrow there that extends
`from -- so the base of the arrow is on an edge between the middle
`section and the blue side wall, and that arrow extends up into the
`side wall.
`JUDGE MELVIN: Is there a difference between edge
`and boundary?
`MR. BRAHMA: There could be a difference between
`an edge and a boundary. I mean, if you think of a boundary as a
`physical blockage, it isn't necessarily -- there are definitely
`interpretations of boundary that would also be edge. I know one
`of the arguments that patent owners made is that we argued that
`certain things were bounded the activity section and therefore, we
`supposedly admitted that they are outside of the activity section.
`JUDGE MELVIN: That's in a separate ground. So
`maybe we should talk about that.
`MR. BRAHMA: It is. With respect to that argument,
`and that argument was raised with respect to, I think, ground 4,
`maybe 4 and 5 of the '530 patent. There's a simple analogy that
`explains this. So if my backyard is bounded by a fence, that
`
`
`
`
` 12
`
`

`

`1
`2
`3
`4
`5
`6
`7
`8
`9
`10
`11
`12
`13
`14
`15
`16
`17
`18
`19
`20
`21
`22
`23
`24
`25
`
`Case IPR2016-01454
`Patent 8,088,016 B2
`
`
`doesn't mean that the fence is outside of my backyard and
`therefore, on my neighbor's property. It is still part of the yard. It
`just happens to delineate what the outer part of that yard is.
`JUDGE MELVIN: So in your identification of the '589
`patent, you used reference numeral 162 as the generally flat or
`horizontal portion, right, as part of the middle section. But that
`seems to overlap with the red colored side wall. So is that okay?
`MR. BRAHMA: Well, yes. So the numbering that is in
`the patent itself talks about 162 covering basically all of the A
`portions, 212A to 216A, which would be the substantially flat
`portions. And then 120 prime covers all of the B sections, I
`think, 212B to 216B. So admittedly, the use of the '589's
`numbering strictly was perhaps a little confusing. That's why we
`tried to put the coloring in to make it a little bit clearer as to what
`particular portions we were talking about.
`But so if you look at the coloring, this coloring -- so as I
`previously mentioned, the version of Figure 4A that has the blue
`and the red, that was in our petition. The green section was
`colored in, and so this image is actually from patent owner's
`response. That green section is intended to show what is the
`middle section.
`So the middle section has that substantial flat inclined
`part which is the -- to more precisely use the numbers, it is the
`213A, 214A and 215A parts of 162. And then there is another
`portion of that middle section that is sloped upward.
`
`
`
`
` 13
`
`

`

`1
`2
`3
`4
`5
`6
`7
`8
`9
`10
`11
`12
`13
`14
`15
`16
`17
`18
`19
`20
`21
`22
`23
`24
`25
`
`Case IPR2016-01454
`Patent 8,088,016 B2
`
`
`
`JUDGE MELVIN: Is it your view that an edge of the
`middle section can be somewhere other than the boundary of the
`middle section?
`MR. BRAHMA: I think the edge -- well, an edge of the
`middle section has to be somewhere on the boundary. It does not
`have to be the whole boundary.
`JUDGE MELVIN: Why would a person of skill, then,
`look at this figure and look at the line between the red and green
`portion and identify that as a boundary of the substantially flat
`portion?
`MR. BRAHMA: Are you asking why it would be
`identified as it is in this image?
`JUDGE MELVIN: Right. It seems to me looking at it
`that the bottom -- it's 216A -- is part of the substantially flat
`portion of the ride surface.
`MR. BRAHMA: Well, and it could be. A person of
`ordinary skill could interpret it that way. And that's, I think, what
`is shown in the other version that we were looking at on slide 24.
`Is this what you are referring to?
`JUDGE MELVIN: Right. But that's not what you
`relied on in the petition, correct?
`MR. BRAHMA: I think in the initial petition, we
`actually argued as what we had seen on the slide before. So there
`are multiple ways for the Board to interpret this. I think even if
`the Board colored it this way on slide 24 -- the image shown on
`
`
`
`
` 14
`
`

`

`1
`2
`3
`4
`5
`6
`7
`8
`9
`10
`11
`12
`13
`14
`15
`16
`17
`18
`19
`20
`21
`22
`23
`24
`25
`
`Case IPR2016-01454
`Patent 8,088,016 B2
`
`
`slide 24 where all of 162 is viewed as the substantially flat
`inclined middle section and the red and blue side walls are just
`parts 212B and 216B, that still would fit the limitations of the
`claim.
`
`And we asked Dr. Stevick about that at his deposition.
`He confirmed that the side wall extends upward in this coloring
`of the Figure 4A of the '589 patent. But it is not necessary -- the
`Board is not limited to finding that that's the only identification of
`side walls that would work to meet these claim limitations.
`JUDGE KAUFFMAN: Can I ask you, you keep saying
`that the Board is not limited to interpreting that way. Aren't we
`bound by the way you have asserted it in the petition?
`MR. BRAHMA: Well, so that alternate coloring was in
`response to Dr. Stevick's arguments at the deposition. So if the
`Board was to actually consider Dr. Stevick's arguments, then it is
`allowed to also consider the response. Now, certainly if you
`throw out Dr. Stevick's statements about it not extending
`upwardly because he's viewing it as a half-pipe and all that, if you
`disregard Dr. Stevick's testimony, then there's not really an
`opposition in which case the Board should just follow through
`with its reasoning from the decision to institute.
`JUDGE MELVIN: That argument from Dr. Stevick
`isn't the same as the opposite argument.
`MR. BRAHMA: Well, it is in a --
`JUDGE MELVIN: There might be some overlap.
`
`
`
`
`
` 15
`
`

`

`1
`2
`3
`4
`5
`6
`7
`8
`9
`10
`11
`12
`13
`14
`15
`16
`17
`18
`19
`20
`21
`22
`23
`24
`25
`
`Case IPR2016-01454
`Patent 8,088,016 B2
`
`
`
`MR. BRAHMA: There is overlap in the sense that the
`basis for all of these arguments is that the term "opposite"
`requires a half-pipe ride. And therefore, because a half-pipe ride
`is required, you have to look at the entire edge, you draw lines
`perpendicularly. All of that stuff stems from that first mistake.
`JUDGE MELVIN: Can you point me to what you think
`is best, in the record, connecting patent owner's “extending from
`an edge” argument and the half-pipe interpretation?
`MR. BRAHMA: I will try to point you to that.
`JUDGE MELVIN: I'm fine with you doing that on your
`rebuttal. Just keep that in mind I'd like to know that.
`MR. BRAHMA: Sure. I think if we go to slide 23, so
`there is this deposition testimony from Dr. Stevick. This is
`talking about the definition of the edge and whether it has to be
`the whole line across, you know, separating that long blue side
`wall and the green section. And in that discussion of the edge
`and why it has to be a perpendicular arrow, he refers to, if you see
`the bottom answer there, you don't have an opposing half-pipe
`configuration.
`A half-pipe configuration should have nothing to
`do -- or you would not be able to tell from the arguments in the
`patent owner's response that reading in a half-pipe configuration
`had anything to do with his arguments about whether the edges
`had been delineated in the decision to institute or whether the side
`walls were substantially upward. So this discussion we are
`
`
`
`
` 16
`
`

`

`Case IPR2016-01454
`Patent 8,088,016 B2
`
`
`having about opposite, that all stems from Dr. Stevick's
`deposition testimony that this was the fundamental misconception
`he had about the claims, and that's why he came to these opinions
`about whether the side walls extended upward or not.
`And while we are on that topic of whether the side
`wall -- how you draw the arrows basically to show whether the
`side walls extend upwardly, we had previously looked at slide 20
`where it clearly shows. You can draw arrows that extend
`upwardly from the edge of the middle section into the side wall.
`What Dr. Stevick draws is somewhat different. He draws those
`small arrows that extend from the -- what's identified as the edge
`of the middle section and another edge of the middle section. He
`said that the way he decided how to draw those arrows was that
`he --
`
`JUDGE MELVIN: I think we understand this point of
`the argument. Since you are into your rebuttal time, we'll go
`ahead and hear from patent owner and then we'll hear from you
`again.
`
`MR. SCHINDLER: Your Honor, can you give us a
`second to switch cables?
`JUDGE MELVIN: Sure. No problem.
`MR. SCHINDLER: And may I approach the bench?
`We have colored copies.
`JUDGE MELVIN: Sure.
`
`1
`2
`3
`4
`5
`6
`7
`8
`9
`10
`11
`12
`13
`14
`15
`16
`17
`18
`19
`20
`21
`22
`23
`24
`
`
`
`
`
` 17
`
`

`

`Case IPR2016-01454
`Patent 8,088,016 B2
`
`
`
`MR. SCHINDLER: And Your Honor, we are going to
`give three if you want it to be shipped. We have a third one.
`JUDGE KAUFFMAN: Would you document for the
`record, please, that these have been provided to --
`MR. SCHINDLER: Yes, those are the identical what
`was filed with the Court, yes. Before I start my time, am I going
`to get any of those red lights or can I have a hint of five minutes
`left or something like that? I will try to look and do this, Your
`Honor. I don't know if the lights are working. Sometimes they
`do. Sometimes they don't.
`JUDGE MELVIN: Did the red light come on that time?
`MR. SCHINDLER: No.
`JUDGE KAUFFMAN: We will try to give you a
`five-minute warning.
`MR. SCHINDLER: I appreciate that. Judge Bunting,
`can you hear me?
`JUDGE BUNTING: Yes, I can.
`MR. SCHINDLER: Thank you very much.
`JUDGE MELVIN: I'll give you a five-minute warning.
`MR. SCHINDLER: Good afternoon, Your Honors. Let
`me first clear up one issue so we can get past it. We are not at all
`arguing that "opposite" is not in the references. So we can go
`past this issue.
`JUDGE MELVIN: Okay.
`
`1
`2
`3
`4
`5
`6
`7
`8
`9
`10
`11
`12
`13
`14
`15
`16
`17
`18
`19
`20
`21
`22
`23
`24
`
`
`
`
`
` 18
`
`

`

`1
`2
`3
`4
`5
`6
`7
`8
`9
`10
`11
`12
`13
`14
`15
`16
`17
`18
`19
`20
`21
`22
`23
`24
`25
`
`Case IPR2016-01454
`Patent 8,088,016 B2
`
`
`
`MR. SCHINDLER: So what we would like to do, and I
`think a lot of your questions were really directed at that, is the
`question you can see that there was a first position taken by
`petitioner with regard to this reference '589 and then a second
`position, and I would like to talk about it. But before I do that,
`you can notice from petitioner's slides that they never went to the
`spec. Our spec, because when we want to argue what does a first
`curved side wall mean, what is from an edge, the first thing you
`should do is go to the spec and go to the drawings.
`JUDGE MELVIN: You didn't argue that these claims
`should be interpreted in any particular manner, did you?
`MR. SCHINDLER: No, no, I'm arguing it the way the
`spec shows it. So if we go to our figures, I mean, in other words,
`I'm not giving any particular explanation other than what our spec
`shows.
`
`JUDGE MELVIN: Is that different from a claim
`construction argument?
`MR. SCHINDLER: No, it's not, because I'm not asking
`you to construe an edge to mean anything but an edge. And in
`order for you to understand what an edge is, you go to the spec.
`We were arguing whether it's a point, whether it's a boundary.
`And the answer is the spec just shows you. The drawings show
`you that. So I'm not putting forth any claim construction on that.
`I think what we are arguing is, and you can see the way petitioner
`has changed from their colored diagram from all color to a little
`
`
`
`
` 19
`
`

`

`Case IPR2016-01454
`Patent 8,088,016 B2
`
`
`color, from this arrow and so forth, and all I'm saying is and we'll
`show you that our expert drew arrows very consistently with what
`the spec shows. So I'm being consistent with what our expert
`argued.
`
`JUDGE MELVIN: Your expert -- as I understand your
`argument regarding curved substantially upwardly, it is that the
`side walls must be curved upwardly from all points along the
`edge. Not just some points along the edge.
`MR. SCHINDLER: Correct. That's exactly what we
`are arguing. So if we go to slide 18, let me go back --
`JUDGE BUNTING: Excuse me, counsel. So going
`back, can you point to where in the spec it supports your
`position?
`MR. SCHINDLER: Yes. So if you go to slide 18, for
`example, 18 is Figure 11. And the diagram of Figure 11, we
`colored it in, but those that are identified as the edge, those
`numbers are directly Figure 11 of our spec.
`JUDGE MELVIN: But that's just a figure.
`MR. SCHINDLER: That's a figure that identifies an
`edge. It identifies side walls and identifies a middle section.
`JUDGE MELVIN: And what is the key characteristic
`here? It's that there is some place on the side wall that's higher
`than the highest point in the middle section?
`
`1
`2
`3
`4
`5
`6
`7
`8
`9
`10
`11
`12
`13
`14
`15
`16
`17
`18
`19
`20
`21
`22
`23
`
`
`
`
`
` 20
`
`

`

`1
`2
`3
`4
`5
`6
`7
`8
`9
`10
`11
`12
`13
`14
`15
`16
`17
`18
`19
`20
`21
`22
`23
`24
`25
`
`Case IPR2016-01454
`Patent 8,088,016 B2
`
`
`
`MR. SCHINDLER: That all of the points on the edge,
`if you look at both side walls, first and second side walls, every
`single point is upward from the middle section.
`JUDGE BUNTING: And counselor, can you show me
`anywhere in your written description, I understand your drawings
`show it, but what about in the written description where it
`describes the edge?
`MR. SCHINDLER: So I will agree with you, Your
`Honor --
`JUDGE BUNTING: Of a description of the activity
`
`section.
`
`MR. SCHINDLER: So the answer is there's nothing in
`the spec that I can say an edge is a full-length line. What I will
`posit is that the drawings must be part of the specification and
`must be viewed when interpreting what an edge is and what side
`walls are. I mean, why else do you put figures into a patent?
`JUDGE MELVIN: Well, they seem to be examples,
`right? And your patent does state that they are merely examples
`and that the invention is not necessarily so limited. So why
`would I read anything beyond the words of the claim in that case
`when you are talking about a word like "edge" that's very
`straightforward?
`MR. SCHINDLER: Right. Because if you go to -- we
`have a slide that shows all the other figures. So if you go to every
`figure here --
`
`
`
`
` 21
`
`

`

`Case IPR2016-01454
`Patent 8,088,016 B2
`
`
`
`JUDGE KAUFFMAN: We are on slide 6?
`MR. SCHINDLER: We are on slide 6. Sorry, Your
`Honor. Every figure shows what we are talking about, that
`upward side walls and that there is a middle section that's
`between the two side walls.
`JUDGE MELVIN: Has the Federal Circuit ever held
`that we should limit the plain words of the claim when all figures
`are consistently one way but the specification contains no text
`relevant to that?
`MR. SCHINDLER: Your Honor, I cannot answer that,
`but I will -- you will agree that the specification includes the
`drawings. And in a September 28th case, In Re Wright, where the
`term "body" was being interpreted just in the Federal Circuit just
`recently, the Federal Circuit specifically said that you can't make
`any probable -- the quote that the Federal Circuit specifically said
`with regard to that was -- I mean, this is the quote from the
`Federal Circuit, September 26th, the Board emphasized that the
`patentee here did not access a lexicographer. However, following
`such logic, any description short of an express definition or
`disclaimer in the specification would result in adoption of the
`broadest possible interpretation of a claim term irrespective of
`repeated and consistent description in the specification. That is
`not properly giving the claim term its broadest reasonable
`interpretation in light of the specification.
`
`1
`2
`3
`4
`5
`6
`7
`8
`9
`10
`11
`12
`13
`14
`15
`16
`17
`18
`19
`20
`21
`22
`23
`24
`
`
`
`
`
` 22
`
`

`

`1
`2
`3
`4
`5
`6
`7
`8
`9
`10
`11
`12
`13
`14
`15
`16
`17
`18
`19
`20
`21
`22
`23
`24
`25
`
`Case IPR2016-01454
`Patent 8,088,016 B2
`
`
`
`So I would say in light of the specification, you have to
`interpret what edge is. You got to know that. I mean, we can all
`speculate what an edge is. I'm not asking you to give it anything
`but what the broadest reasonable interpretation of an edge is.
`JUDGE MELVIN: That doesn't advance the ball to say
`that I should apply the claim construction standard. Of course
`that's the standard we apply. The question is, where does that get
`us to? And the point that it gets us to is a claim construction.
`And as I understand it, you haven't argued for a claim
`construction.
`MR. SCHINDLER: No, we haven't, because --
`JUDGE MELVIN: That's the same as arguing that the
`claim need not be construed.
`MR. SCHINDLER: Correct. But when you look at a
`figure -- so let's go to slide 19. So this is in our expert report.
`These are the arrows that were drawn, right. And t

This document is available on Docket Alarm but you must sign up to view it.


Or .

Accessing this document will incur an additional charge of $.

After purchase, you can access this document again without charge.

Accept $ Charge
throbber

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.

throbber

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.

Become a Member

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

We are redirecting you
to a mobile optimized page.





Document Unreadable or Corrupt

Refresh this Document
Go to the Docket

We are unable to display this document.

Refresh this Document
Go to the Docket