throbber
Petition for Inter Partes Review of USP 7,934,843
`
`
`
`
`IN THE UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`
`
`
`In re Inter Partes Review of:
`)
`
`U.S. Patent No. 7,934,843
`)
`
`Issued: May 3, 2011
`)
`
`Application No.: 12/851,045
`)
`
`
`For: Exterior Sideview Mirror System
`
`FILED VIA E2E
`
`
`
`PETITION FOR INTER PARTES REVIEW
`OF U.S. PATENT NO. 7,934,843
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`

`

`
`
`Petition for Inter Partes Review of USP 7,934,843
`
`TABLE OF CONTENTS
`
`Introduction ...................................................................................................... 1
`I.
`II. Mandatory Notices under 37 C.F.R. § 42.8 ..................................................... 2
`A.
`Real Parties-In-Interest .......................................................................... 2
`B.
`Related Matters ...................................................................................... 3
`C.
`Grounds For Standing ........................................................................... 3
`D.
`Lead And Backup Counsel And Service Information .......................... 3
`E.
`Fee For Inter Partes Review ................................................................. 4
`Identification of Challenges (37 C.F.R. § 42.104(B)) ..................................... 4
`III.
`IV. Background ...................................................................................................... 5
`A.
`The ’843 Patent (Ex. 1001) ................................................................... 5
`B.
`The Person Of Ordinary Skill In The Art (“POSA”) ............................ 6
`C.
`Claim Construction ............................................................................... 6
`1.
`“side-by-side” .............................................................................. 7
`V. Magna’s ’026 Publication Is Prior Art Under §§ 102(a) And (e) ................... 8
`VI. The ’843 Patent Is Entitled To An Effective Filing Date No Earlier
`Than August 5, 2010, So The ’026 Publication Is Also § 102(b) Prior
`Art .................................................................................................................... 9
`A.
`Background Law ................................................................................. 10
`B.
`Background Facts ................................................................................ 11
`1. Magna previously prosecuted, and abandoned, a two-
`mirror design in the ’712 patent family .................................... 11
`2. Magna impermissibly used the ’843 patent’s application
`to revive prosecution of the abandoned ’712 patent
`family ........................................................................................ 11
`
`i
`
`

`

`
`
`Petition for Inter Partes Review of USP 7,934,843
`
`C.
`
`D.
`
`3. Magna’s defective attempt to antedate the prior art and
`effectively claim priority to the ’712 patent family .................. 14
`The examiner legally erred by finding the declaration
`sufficient to antedate the prior-art ’026 publication ................. 19
`The ’843 Patent Is Not Entitled to The Filing Date Of Earlier-
`Filed Applications Because The Relevant Portions Of The ’451
`And ’712 Patents Were Not Incorporated By Reference .................... 22
`The ’843 Patent’s Claims Are Not Supported By Its Parent ’666
`Application Regardless Of The Extent Of Incorporation By
`Reference ............................................................................................. 26
`1.
`The written description requirement in 35 U.S.C. § 120 .......... 26
`2.
`The ’666 application lacks written description support for
`the ’843 patent’s claims even if the ’712 and ’451 patents
`were incorporated in their entireties ......................................... 27
`VII. Ground 1: Claims 1-23 and 27-29 Are Anticipated By The ’026
`Publication (Ex. 1011) ................................................................................... 35
`A.
`Claim 1 ................................................................................................ 36
`1.
`Preamble, [a], [b] Exterior sideview mirror assembly .............. 37
`2.
`[d] Plano-auxiliary assembly .................................................... 37
`3.
`[q] Reflective element substrates .............................................. 38
`4.
`[e], [i] Mounted adjacently and outboard ................................. 38
`5.
`[c] Electrically-operated actuator .............................................. 39
`6.
`[f] Backing plate mounted to actuator ...................................... 40
`7.
`[h], [k], [l], [m] Support portions and capable of
`supporting .................................................................................. 40
`[j] Polymeric substrate .............................................................. 41
`[g], [p] Planar and auxiliary mirror fields of view, blind
`spot ............................................................................................ 41
`
`4.
`
`8.
`9.
`
`ii
`
`

`

`
`
`B.
`C.
`D.
`
`E.
`F.
`
`G.
`
`H.
`I.
`
`Petition for Inter Partes Review of USP 7,934,843
`
`10.
`[n] Different, angled rearward field of view ............................. 41
`[o] Angled second support portion ........................................... 42
`11.
`Claim 2: Generally Coplanar ............................................................... 42
`Claims 3 And 13: Backing Plate Partition/Wall ................................. 42
`Claims 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, And 12 ................................................. 43
`1.
`Claim 4: demarcation element .................................................. 43
`2.
`Claims 5 and 6: dark color ........................................................ 43
`3.
`Claims 7 and 8: polymeric ........................................................ 43
`4.
`Claim 9: three-degree angle ...................................................... 43
`5.
`Claims 10 and 11: fills the gap ................................................. 44
`6.
`Claim 12: demarcation wall ...................................................... 44
`Claim 16: Planar Mirror Attached To Backing Plate .......................... 44
`Claims 17, 18, 19, 30, and 31 – Multiradius, Spheric, And
`Aspheric Shapes .................................................................................. 44
`Claims 35 And 20-23 .......................................................................... 45
`1.
`Claims 20 and 35: substrate with metallic coating ................... 45
`2.
`Claims 21 and 22: curved backing plate ................................... 45
`3.
`Claim 23 – demarcation wall .................................................... 45
`Claim 27: Auxiliary Mirror Heater ..................................................... 45
`Claims 14, 15, 28, 29, And 34 ............................................................. 46
`1.
`Claims 14 and 15: outwardly and/or downwardly .................... 46
`2.
`Claims 28 and 29: subtended angle .......................................... 46
`3.
`Claim 34: 1 to 24 feet behind .................................................... 46
`
`iii
`
`

`

`
`
`Petition for Inter Partes Review of USP 7,934,843
`
`J.
`Claims 32 And 33: Relative Sizes ....................................................... 46
`Claims 36-39 ....................................................................................... 47
`K.
`VIII. Ground 2: Claims 1 And 24-26 Would Have Been Obvious Over The
`Combination Of The ’026 Publication And The ’011 Publication (Ex.
`1036) .............................................................................................................. 47
`A.
`Claim 1 ................................................................................................ 47
`B.
`Claims 24 And 25 ................................................................................ 48
`C.
`Claim 26 .............................................................................................. 48
`D. Motivation To Combine ...................................................................... 48
`IX. Ground 3: Claims 1, 15 And 34 Would Have Been Obvious Over
`Henion (Ex. 1012), Platzer (Ex. 1013), And Catlin (Ex. 1034) .................... 49
`A. Overview ............................................................................................. 49
`B.
`The Asserted Prior Art ........................................................................ 50
`1.
`International Pub. No. WO 2001/44013 (Ex. 1012,
`“Henion”) .................................................................................. 50
`International Pub. No. WO 2001/81956 (Ex. 1013,
`“Platzer”) ................................................................................... 50
`U.S. Pat. No. 5,721,646 (Ex. 1034, “Catlin”) ........................... 51
`3.
`C. Motivation To Combine ...................................................................... 51
`D.
`Claim 1 ................................................................................................ 52
`1.
`Preamble, [a], [b] exterior sideview mirror assembly .............. 52
`2.
`[d] Plano-auxiliary assembly .................................................... 53
`3.
`[q] Reflective element substrates .............................................. 54
`4.
`[e] Mounted adjacently, side-by-side, and not
`superimposed ............................................................................ 55
`[i] Auxiliary mirror outboard .................................................... 57
`
`5.
`
`2.
`
`iv
`
`

`

`
`
`Petition for Inter Partes Review of USP 7,934,843
`
`9.
`10.
`
`6.
`7.
`8.
`
`[c] Electrically-operated actuator .............................................. 60
`[f] Backing plate mounted to actuator ...................................... 60
`[h], [k], [l], [m] Support portions and capable of
`supporting .................................................................................. 61
`[j] Polymeric substrate .............................................................. 62
`[g], [p] Planar and auxiliary mirror fields of view, blind
`spot ............................................................................................ 64
`[n] Different, angled rearward field of view ............................. 64
`11.
`[o] Angled second support portion ........................................... 66
`12.
`Claim 15: Outwardly And Downwardly ............................................. 66
`E.
`Claim 34: 1 To 24 Feet Behind ........................................................... 68
`F.
`X. Ground 4: Claim 33 Would Have Been Obvious Over Henion, Platzer,
`Catlin, And Kondo (Ex. 1035) ....................................................................... 71
`A.
`The Asserted Prior Art ........................................................................ 72
`1.
`U.S. Pat. No. 5,793,542 ( “Kondo”, Ex. 1035) ......................... 72
`B. Motivation To Combine ...................................................................... 72
`C.
`Claim 33: Ratio Of Widths .................................................................. 73
`XI. Secondary Considerations ............................................................................. 75
`XII. Conclusion ..................................................................................................... 76
`
`
`
`v
`
`

`

`
`
`Petition for Inter Partes Review of USP 7,934,843
`
`TABLE OF AUTHORITIES
`
` Page(s)
`
`CASES
`Ariad Pharms., Inc. v. Eli Lily & Co.,
`598 F.3d 1336 (Fed. Cir. 2010) (en banc) .......................................................... 26
`ButamaxTM Advanced Biofuels LLC v. Gevo, Inc.,
`IPR2013-00539, Paper 33 (Mar. 3, 2015) .......................................................... 10
`Callaway Golf Co. v. Acushnet Co.,
`576 F.3d 1331 (Fed. Cir. 2009) .......................................................................... 25
`Comcast Cable Comm’n, LLC v. Rovi Guides, Inc.,
`IPR2017-00950, Paper 12 (Sep. 20, 2017) ......................................................... 26
`In re Costello,
`717 F.2d 1346 (Fed. Cir. 1983) .............................................................. 16, 17, 19
`Dynamic Drinkware, LLC v. National Graphics, Inc.,
`800 F.3d 1375 (Fed. Cir. 2015) ............................................................................ 8
`Festo Corp. v. Shoketsu Kinzoku Kogyo Kabushiki Co., Ltd.,
`234 F.3d 558 (Fed. Cir. 2000) ............................................................................ 33
`Harari v. Lee,
`656 F.3d 1331 (Fed. Cir. 2011) .......................................................................... 25
`Hollmer v. Harari,
`681 F.3d 1351 (Fed. Cir. 2012) .................................................................... 10, 22
`Husky Injection Molding Sys. Ltd. v. Athena Automation Ltd.,
`838 F.3d 1236 (Fed. Cir. 2016) .................................................................... 22, 25
`Lockwood v. Am. Airlines, Inc.,
`107 F.3d 1565 (Fed. Cir. 1997) .......................................................................... 27
`
`Magna Mirrors of America, Inc. v. Samvarhana Motherson Reflectec
`Group Holdings Limited, et al.,
`1:17-cv-00077-RJJ-PJG (W.D. Mich.) ................................................................. 3
`
`vi
`
`

`

`Petition for Inter Partes Review of USP 7,934,843
`
`
`Medichem, S.A. v. Rolabo, S.L.,
`437 F.3d 1157 (Fed. Cir. 2006) .......................................................................... 17
`Modine Mfg. Co. v. ITC,
`75 F.3d 1545, 1553 (Fed. Cir. 1996) .................................................................. 33
`Novozymes A/S v. DuPont Nutrition Biosciences APS,
`723 F.3d 1336 (Fed. Cir. 2013) .............................................................. 18, 27, 33
`Ex Parte Schatz,
`No. 2007-1335, 2007 WL 2814106 (BPAI Sept. 21, 2007) ......................... 19, 20
`Tronzo v. Biomet, Inc.,
`156 F.3d 1154 (Fed. Cir. 1998) .......................................................................... 10
`Vas-Cath Inc. v. Mahurkar,
`935 F.2d 1555 (Fed. Cir. 1991) .......................................................................... 10
`Versata Dev. Grp., Inc. v. SAP Am., Inc.,
`793 F.3d 1306 (Fed. Cir. 2015) ............................................................................ 6
`X2Y Attenuators v. ITC,
`757 F.3d 1358 (Fed. Cir. 2014) .......................................................................... 26
`Zenon Envtl., Inc. v. U.S. Filter Corp.,
`506 F.3d 1370 (Fed. Cir. 2007) .................................................................... 23, 24
`STATUTES
`35 U.S.C. § 102(a) ............................................................................................passim
`35 U.S.C. § 102(b) ............................................................................................passim
`35 U.S.C. § 102(e) ..................................................................................... 2, 8, 16, 35
`35 U.S.C. § 112 ........................................................................................................ 21
`35 U.S.C. § 120 .................................................................................................passim
`35 U.S.C. § 132 ........................................................................................................ 21
`REGULATIONS
`37 C.F.R. § 1.131 ..............................................................................................passim
`
`vii
`
`

`

`Petition for Inter Partes Review of USP 7,934,843
`
`
`37 C.F.R. § 1.131(b) .......................................................................................... 18, 19
`37 C.F.R. § 41.201 ................................................................................................... 19
`37 C.F.R. § 42.8 ......................................................................................................... 2
`37 C.F.R. § 42.8(b)(3) ................................................................................................ 3
`37 C.F.R. § 42.8(b)(4) ................................................................................................ 3
`37 C.F.R. § 42.10(a) ................................................................................................... 3
`37 C.F.R. § 42.10(b) .................................................................................................. 4
`37 C.F.R. § 42.15(a) ................................................................................................... 4
`37 C.F.R. § 42.100(b) ................................................................................................ 6
`37 C.F.R. § 42.104(b) ................................................................................................ 4
`OTHER AUTHORITIES
`3A-10 Chisum on Patents § 10.05 ..................................................................... 17, 19
`MPEP 715 ................................................................................................................ 18
`MPEP 715.01(a) ....................................................................................................... 16
`MPEP 715.07 ........................................................................................................... 18
`MPEP 716.10 ........................................................................................................... 16
`
`
`
`
`
`viii
`
`

`

`Petition for Inter Partes Review of USP 7,934,843
`
`
`Exhibit List
`
`
`Ex. No.
`
`Description
`
`1001
`
`1002
`
`1003
`
`1004
`
`1005
`
`1006
`
`1007
`
`1008
`
`1009
`
`1010
`
`1011
`
`1012
`
`1013
`
`U.S. Patent No. 7,934,843 (“the ’843 patent”)
`
`Declaration of Dr. Jose Sasian In Support of Petition for Inter Partes
`Review of U.S. Patent No. 7,934,843 (“Sasian Decl.”)
`
`Curriculum Vitae of Jose Sasian
`
`Exhibit B to Defendant's First Supplemental Initial Non-
`Infringement, Invalidity, and Unenforceability Contentions served
`on Nov. 3, 2017, Magna Mirrors of America, Inc. v. SMR
`Automotive Mirrors UK Ltd. et al., No. 1:17-cv-00077 (W.D. Mich.)
`
`Exhibit C to Defendant's First Supplemental Initial Non-
`Infringement, Invalidity, and Unenforceability Contentions served
`on Nov. 3, 2017, Magna Mirrors of America, Inc. v. SMR
`Automotive Mirrors UK Ltd. et al., No. 1:17-cv-00077 (W.D. Mich.)
`
`File History for U.S. Patent No. 7,934,843 (the “’843 FH”)
`
`U.S. Patent Application No. 12/851,045 (“the ’045 application”)
`
`RESERVED
`
`RESERVED
`
`Second Amended Complaint, Magna Mirrors of America, Inc. v.
`Samvardhana Motherson Reflectec Group Holdings Ltd., et al., No.
`1:17-CV-77 (W.D. Mich., Aug. 17, 2017) (“2d Am. Compl.”)
`
`U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2002/0072026 (“the ’026
`publication”)
`
`WO 2001/44013 (“Henion”)
`
`WO 2001/81956 (“Platzer”)
`
`ix
`
`

`

`
`1014
`
`1015
`
`1016
`
`1017
`
`1018
`
`1019
`
`1020
`
`1021
`
`1022
`
`1023
`
`1024
`
`1025
`
`1026
`
`1027
`
`1028
`
`1029
`
`1030
`
`1031
`
`1032
`
`1033
`
`Petition for Inter Partes Review of USP 7,934,843
`
`U.S. Patent Application No. 12/197,666 (“the ’666 application”)
`
`U.S. Patent No. 7,842,154 (“the ’154 patent”)
`
`U.S. Patent No. 6,522,451 (“the ’451 patent”)
`
`U.S. Patent No. 6,717,712 (“the ’712 patent”)
`
`U.S. Patent No. 7,167,294 (“the ’294 patent”)
`
`RESERVED
`
`Computer-generated document comparison showing differences in
`the ‘045 and ‘666 applications
`
`U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/471,872 (“the ’872
`application)
`
`U.S. Patent No. 8,783,882 (“the ’882 patent”)
`
`File History for U.S. Patent No. 8,783,882
`
`U.S. Patent Application No. 13/776,247 (“the ’247 application”)
`
`U.S. Patent Application No. 13/776,091 (“the ’091 application”)
`
`U.S. Patent Application No. 14/054,004 (“the ’004 application)
`
`U.S. Patent No. 7,420,756 (“the ’756 patent”)
`
`File History for U.S. Patent No. 7,420,756 (the “’756 FH”)
`
`File History for U.S. Patent No. 6,522,451 (the “’451 FH”)
`
`RESERVED
`
`RESERVED
`
`JAMES MAXWELL, PLASTICS IN THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY 114
`(Woodhead Publishing Limited 1994) (“Maxwell”)
`
`N. G. MCCRUM, C. P. BUCKLEY, & C. B. BUCKNALL, PRINCIPLES OF
`POLYMER ENGINEERING (Oxford Science Publications 2d ed. 2011)
`
`x
`
`

`

`
`
`1034
`
`1035
`
`1036
`
`1037
`
`1038
`
`1039
`
`1040
`
`Petition for Inter Partes Review of USP 7,934,843
`
`(1997) (“Bucknall”)
`
`U.S. Patent No. 5,721,646 (“Catlin”)
`
`U.S. Patent No. 5,793,542 (“Kondo”)
`
`U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0264011 (“the ’011
`app. publication”)
`
`RESERVED
`
`RESERVED
`
`George Platzer, The Geometry of Automotive Rearview Mirrors -
`Why Blind Zones Exist and Strategies to Overcome Them, SAE
`Technical Paper 950601 (1995)
`
`NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION, U.S. DEP’T
`OF TRANSPORTATION, DOC. NO. TP111V-00, LABORATORY TEST
`PROCEDURE FOR FMVSS 111 – REARVIEW MIRRORS (OTHER THAN
`SCHOOL BUSES) (October 28, 1999)
`
`xi
`
`

`

`
`I.
`
`Introduction
`
`Petition for Inter Partes Review of USP 7,934,843
`
`SMR Automotive Systems USA, Inc. (“SMR”) requests inter partes review
`
`of claims 1-39 of U.S. Patent No. 7,934,843, “Exterior Sideview Mirror System,”
`
`Ex. 1001.
`
`SMR is part of the Samvardhana Motherson Reflectec Group, one of the
`
`largest manufacturers of rearview mirrors in the world. SMR develops, produces,
`
`and distributes exterior mirrors, interior mirrors, blind spot detection systems and a
`
`wide range of other automotive components. Magna Mirrors of America, Inc.
`
`(“Magna”) has sued SMR for infringement, accusing various two-piece mirrors
`
`SMR supplies to major automotive manufacturers including Ford, Nissan,
`
`Hyundai, Chevrolet, and Fiat, such as the following allegedly from a Chevrolet
`
`Traverse:
`
`
`
`2d Am. Compl. 19 (Ex. 1010).
`
`The ’843 patent’s claims are unpatentable for two reasons. First, Magna’s
`
`older, expired, and abandoned two-mirror patents anticipate the claims. A
`
`1
`
`

`

`
`publication from that family – the ’026 publication (Ex. 1011) – is prior art under
`
`Petition for Inter Partes Review of USP 7,934,843
`
`§§ 102(a) and (e) under the earliest filing date on the face of the ’843 patent, and §
`
`102(b) art under its actual earliest effective filing date.
`
`Second, the claims Magna has asserted in litigation against SMR would have
`
`been obvious over SMR’s own patent prior art, which teaches using two separate
`
`mirrors in one assembly:
`
`
`
`Henion Fig. 2. (Ex. 1012).
`
`The Board therefore should institute review and find all of the ’843 patent’s
`
`claims unpatentable. SMR should be free to continue to supply its products to the
`
`world’s major manufacturers without interference from Magna’s invalid patent.
`
`II. Mandatory Notices under 37 C.F.R. § 42.8
`
`A. Real Parties-In-Interest
`
`SMR and the following other entities are real parties-in-interest:
`
`2
`
`

`

`
`Samvardhana Motherson Reflectec Group Holdings Ltd., SMR Automotive Mirror
`
`Petition for Inter Partes Review of USP 7,934,843
`
`Parts and Holdings UK Limited, SMR Mirrors UK Limited, SMR Automotive
`
`Mirrors UK Limited, SMR Automotive Mirror Systems Holding Deutschland
`
`GmbH, SMR Automotive Mirrors Stuttgart GmbH, SMR Automotive Vision
`
`Systems Mexico S.A. de C.V., and SMR Automotive Servicios Mexico S.A. de
`
`C.V.
`
`B. Related Matters
`
`Magna asserted the ’843 patent in Magna Mirrors of America, Inc. v.
`
`Samvarhana Motherson Reflectec Group Holdings Limited, et al., 1:17-cv-00077-
`
`RJJ-PJG (W.D. Mich.).
`
`SMR is also filing inter partes review (“IPR”) petitions challenging asserted
`
`U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,128,244; 8,147,077; 8,267,534; 8,550,642; 8,591,047; 8,783,882;
`
`8,899,762; and 9,694,750. Magna is prosecuting another related patent application:
`
`No. 15/638,661.
`
`C. Grounds For Standing
`SMR certifies that the ’843 patent is available for inter partes review and
`
`that SMR is not barred from requesting this proceeding.
`
`D. Lead And Backup Counsel And Service Information
`
`Pursuant to 37 C.F.R. §§ 42.8(b)(3), 42.8(b)(4), and 42.10(a), SMR
`
`designates the following lead counsel:
`
`3
`
`

`

`
`
`Petition for Inter Partes Review of USP 7,934,843
`
`• Charles H. Sanders (Reg. No. 47,053), charles.sanders@lw.com,
`
`Latham & Watkins LLP; 200 Clarendon Street;
`
`Boston MA 02116; 617.948.6022.
`
`• Jonathan M. Strang (Reg. No. 61,724), jonathan.strang@lw.com,
`
`Latham & Watkins LLP; 555 Eleventh Street, NW, Ste. 1000;
`
`Washington, DC 20004-1304; 202.637.2362.
`
`• Anant K. Saraswat (Reg. No. 76,050), anant.saraswat@lw.com,
`
`Latham & Watkins LLP; 200 Clarendon Street;
`
`Boston MA 02116; 617.880.4576.
`
`Pursuant to 37 C.F.R. § 42.10(b), a Power of Attorney from SMR is attached. SMR
`
`consents to electronic service.
`
`E.
`
`Fee For Inter Partes Review
`
`The Director is authorized to charge the fee specified by 37 C.F.R.
`
`§ 42.15(a) to Deposit Account No. 506269.
`
`III.
`
`Identification of Challenges (37 C.F.R. § 42.104(B))
`
`• Ground 1: Claims 1-23 and 27-39 are anticipated by the ’026
`
`publication (Ex. 1011)
`
`• Ground 2: Claims 1, 24-26 are rendered obvious by the ’026
`
`Publication and the ’011 Publication (Ex. 1036).
`
`• Ground 3: Claims 1, 15, and 34 would have been obvious over
`
`4
`
`

`

`
`
`Petition for Inter Partes Review of USP 7,934,843
`
`Henion (Ex. 1012), Platzer (Ex. 1013), and Catlin (Ex. 1034).
`
`• Ground 4: Claim 33 would have been obvious over Henion, Platzer,
`
`Catlin, and Kondo (Ex. 1035).
`
`All challenged claims are also unpatentable for any additional reasons
`
`identified with respect to their dependent claims.
`
`IV. Background
`A. The ’843 Patent (Ex. 1001)
`The ’843 patent relates to an automobile sideview mirror. The claims recite
`
`an “exterior sideview mirror system” with two separate mirrors, one flat and one
`
`curved. Specifically, claim 1 recites a “plano-auxiliary reflective element
`
`assembly” comprising a “plano” (flat) mirror and “a separate auxiliary reflective
`
`element having a curvature.” Figure 16 shows an example:
`
`
`
`5
`
`

`

`
`As explained herein, Figure 16, along with all disclosures of a two-mirror design,
`
`Petition for Inter Partes Review of USP 7,934,843
`
`were copied into the ’843 patent’s application from an earlier-filed patent family
`
`which had been abandoned for years. Before insertion of this material, all previous
`
`applications in the ’843 patent’s family only described a single, continuous mirror
`
`with a flat portion and a curved portion.
`
`B.
`The Person Of Ordinary Skill In The Art (“POSA”)
`A POSA would have had at the relevant time a M.S. in Optics, Optical
`
`Engineering, or similar studies in a related field (e.g., Physics or Mechanical
`
`Engineering) with 2-3 years of experience in the optics/mechanical industry. This
`
`description is approximate, and a higher level of education or skill may make up
`
`for less experience, and vice-versa, e.g., a B.S. in the above fields with 4-6 years of
`
`experience in the industry. Sasian Decl. ¶¶ 16-18.
`
`C. Claim Construction
`Because the ’843 patent has not expired, the Board applies the “broadest
`
`reasonable construction in light of the specification of the patent in which it
`
`appears.” 37 C.F.R. § 42.100(b). This is different from—and broader than—the
`
`standard applied in district court. Versata Dev. Grp., Inc. v. SAP Am., Inc., 793
`
`6
`
`

`

`
`F.3d 1306, 1327-28 (Fed. Cir. 2015).1
`
`Petition for Inter Partes Review of USP 7,934,843
`
`All claim terms, including those not specifically addressed in this section,
`
`have been accorded their broadest reasonable interpretation.
`
`1.
`“side-by-side”
`All challenged claims require that the primary and secondary mirrors be
`
`“mounted adjacently at said plano-auxiliary reflective element assembly in a side-
`
`by-side relationship and not superimposed with one reflective element on top of
`
`the other reflective element.” See, e.g., ’843 patent (Ex. 1001) at cl. 1. Magna has
`
`asserted in litigation that a secondary mirror located in a corner of the primary
`
`mirror (as depicted below using a mirror allegedly from a Chevrolet Traverse) is in
`
`a “side-by-side relationship” with the primary mirror:
`
`
`
`
`1 SMR does not concede that the meaning of any claim terms are as broad under
`
`the Phillips rubric as they are under the broadest reasonable interpretation. SMR
`
`reserves the right to argue alternative and narrower definitions in district court.
`
`7
`
`

`

`
`2d Am. Compl. 19 (Ex. 1010).
`
`Petition for Inter Partes Review of USP 7,934,843
`
`For purposes of this petition under the “broadest reasonable construction”
`
`standard, Petitioner adopts Magna’s interpretation of the term “side-by-side” as
`
`including an arrangement of mirrors that face each other along two edges (e.g.,
`
`where a secondary mirror is in the corner of a primary mirror as depicted above).
`
`Regardless, even under a narrower construction of “side-by-side,” the
`
`challenged claims would still be invalid for the reasons discussed herein.
`
`V. Magna’s ’026 Publication Is Prior Art Under §§ 102(a) And (e)
`As petitioner, SMR bears the ultimate burden of demonstrating
`
`unpatentability. Dynamic Drinkware, LLC v. National Graphics, Inc., 800 F.3d
`
`1375, 1377 (Fed. Cir. 2015). SMR has met its initial burden of production for
`
`purposes of institution of a trial by proffering U.S. Pat. Publ. 2002/0072026 (the
`
`“’026 publication,” Ex. 1011) as invalidating art. The ’026 publication is “by
`
`another” because it names three inventors – John Lindahl, Hahns Y. Fuchs, and
`
`Niall Lynam – whereas the ’843 patent names just one inventor, Lynam.
`
`Furthermore, the ’026 publication arises from an application filed December 20,
`
`2000 and was published on June 13, 2002, which is before the earliest claimed
`
`priority date on the face of the ’843 patent, May 20, 2003. If Magna attempts to
`
`offer evidence that the ’843 patent claims and relevant disclosure in the ’026
`
`publication have a common inventive entity, that evidence should be subject to
`
`8
`
`

`

`
`cross examination during the trial phase of the requested inter partes review
`
`Petition for Inter Partes Review of USP 7,934,843
`
`proceeding.
`
`VI. The ’843 Patent Is Entitled To An Effective Filing Date No Earlier Than
`August 5, 2010, So The ’026 Publication Is Also § 102(b) Prior Art
`The ’843 patent is entitled only to its actual filing date, August 5, 2010,
`
`which is well over one year after the ’026 was published in 2002. The ’843 patent
`
`is not entitled to the benefit of an earlier filing date because its immediate parent,
`
`U.S. Patent Application No. 12/197,666 (“the ’666 application”) (Ex. 1014), which
`
`issued as U.S. Patent No. 7,842,154 (“the ’154 patent,” Ex. 1015), does not provide
`
`written description support for the ’843 patent’s claims. At best, the ’843 patent’s
`
`claims find support only in two patents referenced in passing in the ’666
`
`application’s specification: U.S. Patent Nos. 6,522,451 (“the ’451 patent,” Ex.
`
`1016) and 6,717,712 (“the ’712 patent,” Ex. 1017), the latter of which arose from
`
`the ’026 publication. But this is insufficient for the ’666 application itself to
`
`support the ’843 patent’s claims.
`
`First, only the portions of the ’451 and ’712 patents regarding the field of
`
`view – not any portions related to the two-mirror structure – were incorporated by
`
`reference in the ’666 application. Second, even if the ’451 and ’712 patents were
`
`incorporated in their entireties (and they were not), a POSA would conclude that
`
`the ’666 application does not show possession of the ’843 patent’s claimed two-
`
`9
`
`

`

`
`mirror subject matter because the ’666 application itself is directed to a single
`
`Petition for Inter Partes Review of USP 7,934,843
`
`mirror design.
`
`A. Background Law
`For a claim to be entitled to the benefit of an earlier-filed application, the
`
`earlier application must provide written description support for the claim. 35
`
`U.S.C. § 120; Tronzo v. Biomet, Inc., 156 F.3d 1154, 1158 (Fed. Cir. 1998). There
`
`must also be a continuous chain of co-pending applications, each supporting the
`
`subject matter presently claimed. Hollmer v. Harari, 681 F.3d 1351, 1355 (Fed.
`
`Cir. 2012). “This requirement prevents an inventor from ‘overreaching’ in a later-
`
`filed application as to the scope of what was invented at the time of the earlier-filed
`
`application by requiring that the invention be described ‘in such detail that . . .
`
`future claims can be determined to be encompassed within the . . . original
`
`creation.’” ButamaxTM Advanced Biofuels LLC v. Gevo, Inc., IPR2013-00539,
`
`Paper 33 at 12-13 (Mar. 3, 2015) (quoting Vas-Cath Inc. v. Mahurkar, 935 F.2d
`
`1555, 1561 (Fed. Cir. 1991)).
`
`Magna overreached here. Magna improperly revived prosecution of an
`
`abandoned family by transforming the application for the ’843 patent into that of
`
`the patent family Magna had abandoned.
`
`10
`
`

`

`
`
`Petition for Inte

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