throbber

`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`IN THE UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`
`
`
`In re Inter Partes Review of:
`)
`
`U.S. Patent No. 8,147,077
`)
`
`Issued: April 3, 2012
`)
`
`Application No.: 13/071,174
`)
`
`
`For: Exterior Sideview Mirror System
`
`FILED VIA E2E
`
`
`
`PETITION FOR INTER PARTES REVIEW
`OF U.S. PATENT NO. 8,147,077
`
`
`
`

`

`
`
`Petition for Inter Partes Review of USP 8,147,077
`
`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 ’077 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 ’077 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 ................................................................................ 10
`1. Magna previously prosecuted, and abandoned, a two-
`mirror design in the ’712 patent family .................................... 10
`2. Magna impermissibly used the ’843 patent’s application
`to revive prosecution of the abandoned ’712 patent
`family ........................................................................................ 11
`
`ii
`
`

`

`
`
`Petition for Inter Partes Review of USP 8,147,077
`
`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 ’077 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 .................... 21
`The ’077 Patent’s Claims Are Not Supported By The ’666
`Application Regardless Of The Extent Of Incorporation By
`Reference ............................................................................................. 25
`1.
`The written description requirement in 35 U.S.C. § 120 .......... 25
`2.
`The ’666 application lacks written description support for
`the ’077 patent’s claims even if the ’712 and ’451 patents
`were incorporated in their entireties ......................................... 26
`VII. Ground 1: Claims 1-17 and 20-27 Are Anticipated By The ’026
`Publication (Ex. 1011) ................................................................................... 34
`A.
`Independent Claim 1 ........................................................................... 35
`1.
`Preamble, [a], [b] Exterior sideview mirror assembly .............. 36
`2.
`[d] Plano-auxiliary assembly .................................................... 36
`3.
`[n] Reflective Element Substrates ............................................. 37
`4.
`[e], [i], [v] Mounted adjacently, outboard, and further
`distant ........................................................................................ 37
`[c] Electrically-operated actuator .............................................. 38
`[f] Backing plate mounted to actuator ...................................... 39
`[h], [k], [l], [m] Support portions and capable of
`supporting .................................................................................. 39
`[j] Polymeric substrate .............................................................. 40
`[g] Planar and auxiliary field of view, blind spot ..................... 40
`
`4.
`
`5.
`6.
`7.
`
`8.
`9.
`
`iii
`
`

`

`
`
`Petition for Inter Partes Review of USP 8,147,077
`
`10.
`[p] Generally coplanar .............................................................. 40
`[o], [q], [r], [s], [t], [u] Demarcation ......................................... 41
`11.
`Claim 2: Three-degree Angle .............................................................. 41
`B.
`Claim 3: Outwardly and/or downwardly ............................................. 41
`C.
`Claim 4: Adhesive attachment and bent glass substrate ..................... 42
`D.
`Claims 5, 6, 11: Multiradius, spheric, and aspheric shapes ................ 42
`E.
`Claim 7: Curved portion ...................................................................... 42
`F.
`Claim 8: Wall ...................................................................................... 43
`G.
`Claim 9: Heater Element ..................................................................... 43
`H.
`Claim 10: Rearward field of view of 25 degrees ................................ 43
`I.
`Claim 12: Relative sizes ...................................................................... 44
`J.
`Claim 13: 1 to 24 feet behind .............................................................. 44
`K.
`Claim 14: substrate with metallic coating ........................................... 44
`L.
`M. Claims 15, 16: Electro-Optic Reflective Element ............................... 44
`N.
`Independent Claim 17 ......................................................................... 45
`1.
`Repeated limitations [a]-[m] ..................................................... 45
`2.
`[n] Different, angled rearward field of view ............................. 45
`3.
`[o] Angling ................................................................................ 45
`4.
`[p] Planar and auxiliary field of view, blind spot ..................... 46
`5.
`[q] Reflective element substrates .............................................. 46
`6.
`[r] Rearward field of view ......................................................... 46
`7.
`[s] Rearward field of view of 25 degrees .................................. 46
`8.
`[t] Fixed reflectance mirror reflector ........................................ 46
`
`iv
`
`

`

`
`
`Petition for Inter Partes Review of USP 8,147,077
`
`O.
`P.
`Q.
`R.
`
`Claim 20: Reflective Element Substrates ............................................ 47
`Claim 21: substrate with metallic coating ........................................... 47
`Claims 22, 23: Spherical Curvature .................................................... 47
`Independent Claim 24 ......................................................................... 47
`1.
`Repeated limitations [a]-[m], [n]-[q] ........................................ 48
`2.
`[r] Fixed reflectance mirror reflector ........................................ 48
`Claim 25: Substrate with metallic coating, curved backing plate ....... 48
`S.
`Claims 26: backing plate partition ...................................................... 49
`T.
`Claim 27: Rearward field of view of 25 degrees ................................ 49
`U.
`VIII. Ground 2: Claims 17-19 Would Have Obvious over the ’026
`publication and the ’011 Publication (Ex. 1036) ........................................... 49
`A.
`Claim 17 .............................................................................................. 50
`B.
`Claim 18 .............................................................................................. 50
`C.
`Claim 19 .............................................................................................. 50
`D. Motivation To Combine ...................................................................... 51
`IX. Ground 3: Claims 17, 22, and 24-27 Would Have Been Obvious Over
`Henion (Ex. 1012), Platzer (Ex. 1013), and Catlin (Ex. 1034) ..................... 51
`A. Overview ............................................................................................. 51
`B.
`The Asserted Prior Art ........................................................................ 52
`1.
`International Pub. No. WO 2001/44013 (Ex. 1012,
`“Henion”) .................................................................................. 52
`International Pub. No. WO 2001/81956 (Ex. 1013,
`“Platzer”) ................................................................................... 52
`U.S. Pat. No. 5,721,646 (Ex. 1034, “Catlin”) ........................... 53
`3.
`C. Motivation To Combine ...................................................................... 53
`
`2.
`
`v
`
`

`

`
`
`D.
`
`E.
`
`F.
`
`Petition for Inter Partes Review of USP 8,147,077
`
`5.
`6.
`7.
`
`Claim 17 .............................................................................................. 54
`1.
`Preamble, [a], [b] Exterior sideview mirror assembly .............. 54
`2.
`[c] Electrically-Operated Actuator ............................................ 55
`3.
`[d] Plano-auxiliary assembly .................................................... 55
`4.
`[e] Mounted adjacently, side-by-side, and not
`superimposed ............................................................................ 56
`[f] Backing plate mounted to actuator ...................................... 58
`[g], [p] Planar and auxiliary field of view, blind spot .............. 59
`[h], [k], [l], [m] Support portions and capable of
`supporting .................................................................................. 60
`[i] Auxiliary mirror outboard .................................................... 61
`[j] Polymeric substrate .............................................................. 64
`[n] Different, angled rearward field of view ............................. 65
`[o] Angled second support portion ........................................... 67
`[q] Reflective Element Substrates ............................................. 67
`[r] Outwardly and downwardly ................................................. 68
`[s] Driver’s-Side Assembly, At Least 25 Degrees to Side
`of Automobile ........................................................................... 71
`[t] Fixed reflectance .................................................................. 73
`15.
`Claim 22 .............................................................................................. 74
`1.
`Spherical Curvature................................................................... 74
`Claim 24 .............................................................................................. 75
`1.
`Repeated limitations [a]-[q] ...................................................... 75
`2.
`[r] Fixed reflectance, spherically bent, metallic reflector
`coating ....................................................................................... 75
`
`8.
`9.
`10.
`11.
`12.
`13.
`14.
`
`vi
`
`

`

`
`
`Petition for Inter Partes Review of USP 8,147,077
`
`G.
`
`H.
`
`Claim 25 .............................................................................................. 76
`1.
`[a] Glass substrate, metallic reflector coating ........................... 76
`2.
`[b] Adapted backing plate ......................................................... 76
`Claim 26 .............................................................................................. 76
`1.
`[a] Demarcation element ........................................................... 76
`2.
`[b] Adapted backing plate ......................................................... 78
`Claim 27 .............................................................................................. 78
`1.
`[a] Driver’s-side assembly ........................................................ 78
`2.
`[b] At least 25 degrees to side of automobile ........................... 78
`Secondary Considerations ............................................................................. 78
`X.
`XI. Conclusion ..................................................................................................... 79
`
`I.
`
`vii
`
`

`

`
`
`Petition for Inter Partes Review of USP 8,147,077
`
`TABLE OF AUTHORITIES
`
` Page(s)
`
`CASES
`Ariad Pharms., Inc. v. Eli Lily & Co.,
`598 F.3d 1336 (Fed. Cir. 2010) .......................................................................... 25
`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) .......................................................................... 24
`Comcast Cable Comm’n, LLC v. Rovi Guides, Inc.,
`IPR2017-00950, Paper 12 (Sep. 20, 2017) ......................................................... 25
`In re Costello,
`717 F.2d 1346 (Fed. Cir. 1983) .............................................................. 16, 17, 18
`Dynamic Drinkware, LLC v. National Graphics, Inc.,
`800 F.3d 1375 (Fed. Cir. 2015) ............................................................................ 8
`Harari v. Lee,
`656 F.3d 1331 (Fed. Cir. 2011) .......................................................................... 24
`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) .................................................................... 21, 24
`Lockwood v. Am. Airlines, Inc.,
`107 F.3d 1565 (Fed. Cir. 1997) .......................................................................... 26
`Medichem, S.A. v. Rolabo, S.L.,
`437 F.3d 1157 (Fed. Cir. 2006) .......................................................................... 17
`Modine Mfg. Co. v. ITC,
`75 F.3d 1545 (Fed. Cir. 1996), abrogated on other grounds, Festo
`Corp. v. Shoketsu Kinzoku Kogyo Kabushiki Co., Ltd., 234 F.3d
`558 (Fed. Cir. 2000) ............................................................................................ 32
`
`viii
`
`

`

`Petition for Inter Partes Review of USP 8,147,077
`
`
`Novozymes A/S v. DuPont Nutrition Biosciences APS,
`723 F.3d 1336 (Fed. Cir. 2013) .............................................................. 18, 26, 32
`Ex Parte Schatz,
`No. 2007-1335, 2007 WL 2814106 (BPAI Sept. 21, 2007) ............................... 19
`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, LLC v. ITC,
`757 F.3d 1358 (Fed. Cir. 2014) .......................................................................... 25
`Zenon Envtl., Inc. v. U.S. Filter Corp.,
`506 F.3d 1370 (Fed. Cir. 2007) .................................................................... 22, 23
`STATUTES
`35 U.S.C. § 120 ........................................................................................................ 10
`REGULATIONS
`37 C.F.R. § 1.131 ............................................................................................... 18, 20
`37 C.F.R. § 1.131(b) .......................................................................................... 17, 18
`37 C.F.R. § 41.201 ................................................................................................... 18
`37 C.F.R. § 42.100(b) ................................................................................................ 6
`OTHER AUTHORITIES
`Chisum on Patents § 10.05 ................................................................................. 17, 18
`MPEP 715 ................................................................................................................ 18
`MPEP 715.01(c) ....................................................................................................... 15
`MPEP 715.07 ........................................................................................................... 17
`
`ix
`
`

`

`Petition for Inter Partes Review of USP 8,147,077
`
`
`MPEP 716.10 ........................................................................................................... 15
`
`
`x
`
`

`

`Petition for Inter Partes Review of USP 8,147,077
`
`Exhibit List
`
`
`
`
`
`Ex. No.
`
`Description
`
`1001
`
`1002
`
`1003
`
`1004
`
`1005
`
`1006
`
`1007
`
`1008
`
`1009
`
`1010
`
`1011
`
`1012
`
`1013
`
`1014
`
`U.S. Patent No. 8,147,077 (the “’077 patent”)
`
`Declaration of Dr. Jose Sasian (“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. 8,147,077 (the “’077 FH”)
`
`U.S. Patent Application No. 13/071,174 (the “’174 application”)
`
`U.S. Patent No. 7,934,843 (the “’843 patent”)
`
`File History for U.S. Patent No. 7,934,843 (the “’843 FH”)
`
`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”)
`
`U.S. Patent Application No. 12/197,666 (the “’666 application”)
`
`xi
`
`

`

`
`
`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 8,147,077
`
`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”)
`
`U.S. Patent Application No. 12/851,045 (the “’045 application”)
`
`Computer-generated document comparison showing differences in
`the ’045 and ’666 applications
`
`RESERVED
`
`U.S. Patent No. 8,783,882 (the “’882 patent”)
`
`File History for U.S. Patent No. 8,783,882 (the “’882 FH”)
`
`RESERVED
`
`RESERVED
`
`RESERVED
`
`U.S. Patent No. 7,420,756 (the “’756 patent”)
`
`File History for U.S. Patent No. 7,420,756 (the “’756 FH”)
`
`RESERVED
`
`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)
`(1997) (“Bucknall”)
`
`xii
`
`

`

`
`
`1034
`
`1035
`
`1036
`
`1037
`
`1038
`
`1039
`
`1040
`
`Petition for Inter Partes Review of USP 8,147,077
`
`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
`publication”)
`
`Certified English Translation of French Republic Patent No.
`2,650,982 (“Silvestre”)
`
`U.S. Patent No. 6,984,048 (“Yamabe”)
`
`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)
`
`xiii
`
`

`

`
`I.
`
`Introduction
`
`Petition for Inter Partes Review of USP 8,147,077
`
`SMR Automotive Systems USA, Inc. (“SMR”) requests inter partes review
`
`of Claims 1-27 of U.S. Patent No. 8,147,077, “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 ’077 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 8,147,077
`
`§§ 102(a) and (e) under the earliest filing date on the face of the ’077 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 ’077 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 8,147,077
`
`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 ’077 patent in Magna Mirrors of America, Inc. v.
`
`Samvardhana 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. 7,934,843; 8,128,244; 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 ’077 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 8,147,077
`
`• 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 1-17, and 20-27 are anticipated by the ’026
`
`publication (Ex. 1011).
`
`• Ground 2: Claims 18-19 would have been obvious over the ’026
`
`publication and the ’011 publication (Ex. 1036).
`
`• Ground 3: Claims 17, 22, and 24-27 would have been obvious over
`
`4
`
`

`

`
`
`Petition for Inter Partes Review of USP 8,147,077
`
`Henion (Ex. 1012), Platzer (Ex. 1013), and Catlin (Ex. 1034).
`
`All challenged claims are also unpatentable for any additional reasons
`
`identified with respect to their dependent claims.
`
`IV. Background
`A. The ’077 Patent (Ex. 1001)
`The ’077 patent relates to an automobile sideview mirror. The claims recite
`
`an “exterior sideview mirror system” with two separate mirrors, one flat and one
`
`curved. Sasian Decl. ¶¶ 69-74 (Ex. 1002). 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:
`
`As explained herein, Figure 16, along with all disclosures of a two-mirror
`
`design, were copied into an ancestor of the ’077 patent from an earlier-filed patent
`
`
`
`5
`
`

`

`
`family which had been abandoned for years. Before insertion of this material, all
`
`Petition for Inter Partes Review of USP 8,147,077
`
`previous applications in the ’077 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 ’077 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
`
`F.3d 1306, 1327-28 (Fed. Cir. 2015).1
`
`
`1 SMR does not concede that the meanings 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.
`
`6
`
`

`

`
`
`Petition for Inter Partes Review of USP 8,147,077
`
`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., ’077 patent claim 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:
`
`
`
`2d Am. Compl. 19 (Ex. 1010). 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
`
`7
`
`

`

`
`“side-by-side,” the challenged claims would still be invalid for the reasons
`
`Petition for Inter Partes Review of USP 8,147,077
`
`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 ’077 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 ’077 patent, May 20, 2003. If Magna attempts to
`
`offer evidence that the ’077 patent claims and relevant disclosure in the ’026
`
`publication have a common inventive entity, that evidence should be subject to
`
`cross examination during the trial phase of the requested inter partes review
`
`proceeding.
`
`8
`
`

`

`Petition for Inter Partes Review of USP 8,147,077
`
`
`VI. The ’077 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 ’077 patent is entitled only to the actual filing date of its ancestor U.S.
`
`Patent No. 7,934,843 (Ex. 1008). The ’843 patent’s application was filed August 5,
`
`2010, which is well over one year after the ’026 was published in 2002.
`
`The ’077 patent is not entitled to the benefit of an earlier filing date because
`
`the ’843 patent’s immediate parent, U.S. Patent Application No. 12/197,666 (Ex.
`
`1014) does not provide written description support for the ’077 patent’s claims. At
`
`best, the ’077 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 (Ex.
`
`1016) and 6,717,712 (Ex. 1017), the latter of which arose from the ’026
`
`publication. But this is insufficient for the ’666 application itself to support the
`
`’077 patent 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 ’077
`
`patent’s claimed two-mirror subject matter because the ’666 application itself is
`
`directed to a single mirror design.
`
`9
`
`

`

`
`
`Petition for Inter Partes Review of USP 8,147,077
`
`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.
`
`B.
`Background Facts
`1. Magna previously prosecuted, and abandoned, a two-mirror
`design in the ’712 patent family
`The ’712 patent is a continuation-in-part of the ’451 patent. The ’712 patent
`
`in turn has one continuation, U.S. Patent No. 7,167,294 (Ex. 1018). All three
`
`10
`
`

`

`
`patents in this family (referred to herein as the “’712

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