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UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
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`BEFORE THE PATENT TRIAL AND APPEAL BOARD
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`APPLE INC.
`Petitioner
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`v.
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`UNILOC USA, INC. and UNILOC LUXEMBOURG, S.A.
`Patent Owner
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`Patent 7,587,207
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`DECLARATION OF DR. CHARLES D. KNUTSON
`IN SUPPORT OF THE PETITION
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`APPLE 1003
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`TABLE OF CONTENTS
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`
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`I.
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`INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................... 1
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`II.
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`SUMMARY OF CONCLUSIONS ................................................................. 1
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`III. QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE ..................................................... 2
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`IV. DOCUMENTS REVIEWED .......................................................................... 7
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`V.
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`LEGAL UNDERSTANDINGS ....................................................................... 7
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`VI. RELEVANT FIELD AND LEVEL OF ONE OF ORDINARY SKILL
`IN THE ART ................................................................................................. 11
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`VII. THE ’207 PATENT .....................................................................................101
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`VIII. OVERVIEW OF MCCALL ....................................................................... 144
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`IX. OVERVIEW OF BT CORE ......................................................................... 17
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`A.
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`COMBINATION OF MCCALL AND BT CORE ............................. 18
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`X. OVERVIEW OF LARSSON ......................................................................... 23
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`A.
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`COMBINATION OF MCCALL, BT CORE, AND
`LARSSON ........................................................................................... 25
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`XI. OVERVIEW OF HANCOCK ....................................................................... 29
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`A.
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`COMBINATION OF MCCALL, BT CORE, LARSSON,
`AND HANCOCK................................................................................ 31
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`XII. CLAIMS 1-3, 5, 6, AND 9-11 OF THE 207 PATENT ARE
`RENDERED OBVIOUS BY MCCALL, BT CORE, LARSSON,
`AND HANCOCK .......................................................................................... 33
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`XIII. CONCLUSION .............................................................................................. 50
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`DECLARATION EXHIBITS
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`APPLE-1001
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`U.S. Patent No. 7,587,207 to Davies (“’207 Patent”)
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`APPLE-1002
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`Prosecution History of the ’207 Patent (“the Prosecution
`History”)
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`APPLE-1004
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`Curriculum Vitae of Dr. Charles Knutson
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`APPLE-1005 U.S. Patent No. 6,738,628 (“McCall”)
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`APPLE-1006 U.S. Patent No. 5,806,017 (“Hancock”)
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`APPLE-1007 Specification of the Bluetooth System: Wireless connections
`made easy, Core, Vol. 1, Bluetooth, Dec. 1, 1999 (“BT Core”)
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`APPLE-1008 U.S. Patent No. 6,255,800 (“Bork”)
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`APPLE-1009
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`[Reserved]
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`APPLE-1010 Internet Archive Capture of
`http://www.bluetooth.com:80/developer/specification/specificat
`ion.asp from March 1, 2000
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`APPLE-1011 Internet Archive Capture of
`http://www.bluetooth.com:80/developer/specification/core.asp
`from March 1, 2000
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`APPLE-1012 Internet Archive Capture of
`http://www.bluetooth.com:80/developer/specification/order.asp
`from March 1, 2000
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`APPLE-1013 Internet Archive Capture of
`http://www.bluetooth.com:80/news/archive/archive.asp from
`March 4, 2000
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`APPLE-1014 U.S. Patent No. 6,704,293 (“Larsson”)
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`APPLE-1015 PCT Patent Application Publication No. WO 01/41371
`(“Rune”)
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`I, Charles D. Knutson, hereby declare the following:
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`I.
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`INTRODUCTION
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`1.
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`I have been retained by Fish & Richardson P.C., counsel for Apple Inc.
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`(“Apple” or “Petitioner”), to analyze certain issues relating to the validity of certain
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`claims of U.S. Patent No. 7,587,207 (“’207 Patent”).
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`2.
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`In forming the opinions I have expressed in this declaration, I have
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`reviewed the ’207 patent, its file history, the Petition for Inter Partes Review from
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`Apple, and any documents cited or listed in this declaration. Furthermore, my
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`opinions are also based on my experience and knowledge (as detailed further below).
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`3.
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`I have been retained on behalf of Apple Inc., and am being compensated
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`for my work on this matter. My compensation is not contingent upon the outcome
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`of this matter.
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`II.
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`SUMMARY OF CONCLUSIONS
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`4.
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`As explained below, my opinion is that a POSITA would have viewed
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`claims 1-3, 5, 6, and 9-11 of the ’207 patent as being obvious in view of U.S. Patent
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`No. 6,738,628 (“McCall”), U.S. Patent No. 5,806,017 (“Hancock”), U.S. Patent No.
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`6,704,293 (“Larsson”), and Specification of the Bluetooth System: Wireless
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`connections made easy, Core, Vol. 1, Bluetooth, Dec. 1, 1999 (“BT Core”).
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`III. QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE
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`5.
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`I received my Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in the field of
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`Computer Science from Oregon State University in 1998. I received my Master of
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`Science (M.S.) and Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degrees in Computer Science from
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`Brigham Young University.
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`6.
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`Since 1986, I have been engaged in engineering, management,
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`research, and instructional positions. During my undergraduate education at
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`Brigham Young University between 1985 and 1988, I focused on operating systems,
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`leading to my employment as a development engineer at Hewlett-Packard between
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`May, 1988, and February, 1989. During that time, I developed low-level system
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`software for the HP Vectra personal computer.
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`7.
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`I was employed as a development engineer, test engineer, and manager
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`at Novell, Inc. between March, 1989, and September, 1994. During that time, I
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`became very familiar with the theory and operation of data communication systems
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`and system software. As a system test manager at Novell, I pioneered the creation
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`of cutting edge system test tools for automated validation of network protocols.
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`8.
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`I was founder of ComSoft Consulting in Corvallis, Oregon. In this
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`capacity, between September, 1994, and October, 1996, I did consulting work for
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`clients including Intel and Novell. My consulting work for Novell included creating
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`functional and test specifications for the installation of certain Novell software
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`products in the context of a Novell NetWare local area network. My consulting
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`work for Intel included design and implementation of multi-protocol network
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`communication mechanisms.
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`9.
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`I was Vice President of Research and Development for Counterpoint
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`Systems Foundry, Inc. (acquired in 1997 by Extended Systems, Inc., later spun off,
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`and currently operating as OpenSynergy, Inc.) from September, 1996, to September,
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`1999. My development group created the infrared beaming capability that 3Com
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`Corporation employed in their PalmOS handheld devices. My development group
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`also created infrared and Bluetooth development platforms (including commercial
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`Bluetooth protocol stacks for embedded platforms and products) that have become
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`de facto standards in the embedded/handheld device market worldwide.
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`10.
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`I was Chair of the Test and Interoperability Committee of the Infrared
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`Data Association (IrDA) from February, 1998, to October, 1999, and served as a
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`member of the IrDA Architecture Council from February 1998 to April 2008. I was
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`also a member of the Infrared Object Exchange (IrOBEX) Working Group from
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`January 2002 to December 2005, helping to define standards for data object
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`exchange in IrDA and Bluetooth. In addition, I was a member of the IrDA Financial
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`Messaging Working Group (February, 2001 to December, 2005), Convenor of the
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`IrDA Digital Imaging SIG (October, 1997 to October, 1999), Co-Convenor of the
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`IrOBEX Interoperability Working Group (February, 1998 to October, 1998),
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`Convenor of the IrDA Test Frames Working Group (February, 1998), and member
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`of the IrDA Interoperability Test Council (July, 1997 to February, 1998).
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`11.
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`I created and presented short courses on embedded systems, data
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`communications, software quality, and software engineering at the Embedded
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`Systems Conference, Portable by Design Conference, Wind River Developers
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`Conference, and other industry venues over a nine-year period from 1997 to 2005.
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`12. Since July, 1987, I have taught college-level courses on computer
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`organization and assembly language programming, operating systems, programming
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`languages, databases, networking, wireless data communications (including
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`communication protocols and location services), systems performance analysis,
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`software quality, and software engineering.
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`13.
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`I have authored or co-authored two books on networking and data
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`communications, 57 academic papers (21 of which involved data communications),
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`six standards documents for the Infrared Data Association, and 43 trade journal and
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`magazine publications (including articles on network administration, network
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`product installation, and data communications).
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`14.
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`I have served in leadership positions, including Organizing Committee,
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`Technical Program Committee, Panel Moderator, Session Chair, Tutorial Instructor,
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`and Reviewer, at academic conferences focused on data communications and
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`software quality. These conferences include the ACM SIGMOBILE International
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`Conference on Mobile Computing and Networking, the ACM Symposium on
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`Mobile Ad Hoc Networking & Computing, the IEEE GLOBECOM General
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`Symposium, the IEEE International Conference on Computer Communications and
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`Networks, the IEEE Symposium on Ad Hoc Wireless Networks, the IEEE Vehicular
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`Technology Conference Symposium on Integrated Heterogeneous Wireless
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`Networks, the IEEE Wireless Communications and Networking Conference, the
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`International Conference on Evaluation and Assessment in Software Engineering,
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`the International Symposium on Empirical Software Engineering and Measurement,
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`and the International Conference on Open Source Systems.
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`15.
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`I have served as a reviewer for academic journals focused on data
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`communications and mobile computing including the IEEE Transactions on
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`Wireless Communications. I have also served as a reviewer for academic journals
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`focused on software engineering, including IEEE Transactions on Software
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`Engineering and Methodology, IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering,
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`Empirical Software Engineering, and Information and Software Technology.
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`16.
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`I was a faculty member in the Computer Science Department at
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`Brigham Young University from July, 2000, to December, 2014, as an Assistant
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`Professor and then as a tenured Associate Professor.
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`17.
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`I was the founder and Director of the Mobile Computing Laboratory in
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`the Computer Science Department of Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah
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`from 2000
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`to 2008, conducting
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`research
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`in short-range wireless data
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`communications, with emphasis on infrared and Bluetooth data communications.
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`During my tenure as Director of the Brigham Young University Mobile Computing
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`Laboratory, I advised twelve graduate students (11 Master of Science candidates and
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`one Doctoral candidate) whose research focused on wireless data communications.
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`18.
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`In 2006, I founded the SEQuOIA (“Software Engineering Quality:
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`Observation, Insight, Analysis”) at Brigham Young University and established a
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`graduate research program in empirical software engineering. During my tenure as
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`Director of the SEQuOIA Lab, I advised nine graduate students (eight master of
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`science candidates and one doctoral candidate) whose research focused on empirical
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`software engineering.
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`19.
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`In 2013, I received the Brigham Young University Technology
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`Transfer Award. I am currently an Emeritus Professor of Computer Science at
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`Brigham Young University.
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`20.
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`In August, 2018, I joined the faculty at Utah Valley University as an
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`Associate Professor of Computer Science,
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`teaching courses
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`in computer
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`organization and assembly language programming, analysis of programming
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`languages, and software design.
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`21. Additional details concerning my professional qualifications,
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`experience, and publications are set forth in my curriculum vitae (“CV”) provided
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`as Exhibit 1004.
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`IV. DOCUMENTS REVIEWED
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`22.
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`I have reviewed the exhibits listed in the Declarations Exhibit List
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`included above, as well as any other documents referenced herein but not included
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`on the exhibit list.
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`V. LEGAL UNDERSTANDINGS
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`23.
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`I am informed by counsel for the Petitioner and understand that
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`statutory and judicially created standards must be considered to determine the
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`validity of a patent claim. I have reproduced standards relevant to this declaration
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`in this section, as provided to me by counsel for Petitioner and as I understand them.
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`24.
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`I am informed by counsel for the Petitioner and understand that a claim
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`is unpatentable for obviousness under 35 U.S.C. § 103 “if the differences between
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`the subject matter sought to be patented and the prior art are such that the subject
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`matter as a whole would have been obvious at the time the invention was made to a
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`person having ordinary skill in the art to which said subject matter pertains.” 35
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`U.S.C. § 103. I am informed by counsel for the Petitioner and understand that
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`obviousness may be based upon a single reference or a combination of references. I
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`am informed by counsel for the Petitioner and understand that the combination of
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`familiar elements according to known methods is likely to be obvious when it does
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`no more than yield predictable results. However, I am informed by counsel for the
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`Petitioner and understand that a patent claim composed of several elements is not
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`proved obvious merely by demonstrating that each of its elements was,
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`independently, known in the prior art.
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`25.
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`I am informed by counsel for the Petitioner and understand that when a
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`patented invention is a combination of known elements, a court must determine
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`whether there was an apparent reason to combine the known elements in the fashion
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`claimed by the patent at issue by considering the teachings of prior art references,
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`the effects of demands known to people working in the field or present in the
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`marketplace, and the background knowledge possessed by a person having ordinary
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`skill in the art.
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`26.
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`I am informed by counsel for the Petitioner and understand that a patent
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`claim composed of several limitations is not proved obvious merely by
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`demonstrating that each of its limitations was independently known in the prior art. I
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`am informed by counsel for the Petitioner and understand that identifying a reason
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`those elements would be combined can be important because inventions in many
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`instances rely upon building blocks long since uncovered, and claimed discoveries
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`almost of necessity tend to be combinations of what, in some sense, is already
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`known. I am informed by counsel for the Petitioner and understand that it is
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`improper to use hindsight in an obviousness analysis, and that a patent's claims
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`should not be used as a “roadmap” to combine prior art references.
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`27.
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`I am informed by counsel for the Petitioner and understand that an
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`obviousness inquiry requires consideration of the following factors: (1) the scope
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`and content of the prior art; (2) the differences between the claims and the prior art;
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`(3) the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art; and (4) any objective indicia of
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`non-obviousness, such as commercial success, long-felt but unresolved need, failure
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`of others, industry recognition, copying, and unexpected results. I understand that
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`the foregoing factors are sometimes referred to as the “Graham factors.”1
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`28.
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`I am informed by counsel for Petitioner that objective indicia of non-
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`obviousness can be evidence of nonobviousness in the record, and enables the Patent
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`Trial and Appeal Board (“Board”) and the courts to avoid the trap of hindsight. I
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`am further informed that such evidence must always be present when considered in
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`connection with an obviousness determination. Further, to be afforded substantial
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`weight, the objective indicia of nonobviousness must be tied to the novel elements
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`of the claims at issue, but the objective indicia need only be reasonably
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`commensurate with the scope of the claims. I am not aware of evidence of objective
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`indicia of non-obviousness relevant to the ’207 patent.
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`1 See KSR Int’l v. Teleflex Inc., 550 U.S. 398, 406-07 (2007) (quoting Graham v.
`John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 17-18 (1966)).
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`29.
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`I am informed by counsel for the Petitioner and understand that all prior
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`art references are to be looked at from the viewpoint of a person of ordinary skill in
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`the art. Furthermore, obviousness is analyzed from the perspective of one of
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`ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention.
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`VI. RELEVANT FIELD AND LEVEL OF ONE OF ORDINARY SKILL
`IN THE ART
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`30.
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`In my remarks below, I may use the acronym “POSITA” to refer to a
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`person of ordinary skill in the art at or preceding the date of June 26, 2000. In my
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`opinion, a POSITA would have had Master of Science Degree (or a similar technical
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`Master’s Degree, or higher degree) in an academic area emphasizing electrical
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`engineering or computer engineering with a concentration
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`in wireless
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`communication systems or, alternatively, a Bachelor of Science Degree (or higher
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`degree) in an academic area emphasizing electrical or computer engineering and
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`having two or more years of experience in wireless communication systems.
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`31. Additional education in a relevant field, or industry experience may
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`compensate for a deficit in one of the other aspects of the requirements stated above.
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`I am at least a POSITA, and my opinions herein are from the standpoint of a POSITA
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`during the relevant time frame.
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`VII. THE ’207 PATENT
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`32. The ’207 patent, entitled “Data Delivery Through Beacons,” was filed
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`on June 7, 2001, and issued on September 8, 2009.
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`33. The ’207 Patent describes a wireless communication system that
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`includes beacons and “Context-Aware” (CA) devices. Ex. 1001, Abstract, 2:14-27.
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`CA devices (e.g., mobile phones and personal digital assistants) are portable user
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`devices that use “low power, short range base stations” referred to as “beacons,” “to
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`provide location-specific information” to a user. Ex. 1001, 1:3-20.
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`34. The ’207 Patent aimed to address problems related to connecting user
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`devices to a Bluetooth piconet network. In particular, the ’207 Patent explains that
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`when a user device wanted to join the piconet, the connection process required for a
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`beacon device to connect to a user device might take over 10 seconds. Ex. 1001,
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`7:18-31. This was problematic because user devices typically did “not spend enough
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`time near a given beacon to establish a Bluetooth link.” Ex. 1001, 7:18-31. As a
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`result, a user device would “not know its current location” and “the operation of any
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`location aware applications on the terminal” would be impaired. Ex. 1001, 10:1-
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`11.
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`35.
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`In an attempt to address the problems noted above, the ’207 Patent
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`discloses a system in which “the amount of dedicated circuitry and operating
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`procedure are kept to low levels.” Ex. 1001, 1:65-2:13. In the ’207 Patent’s system,
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`CA devices “quickly and efficiently gather data from beacons such that the user is
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`not required to undertake actions such as staying close to a beacon whilst contact is
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`established between portable device and beacon.” Ex. 1001, 1:65-2:5.
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`36. The ’207 Patent’s system includes a plurality of beacons 102, 104, 106,
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`108 distributed throughout a locale, such as a department store, shopping, mall,
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`theme park, or other infrastructure. Ex. 1001, FIG. 2, 5:52-65. “A portable device
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`that wants to be discovered by a beacon [utilizing the Bluetooth protocol] enters the
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`inquiry scan substate. Here, it listens for a[n inquiry] message” that contains an
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`additional data field and a General Inquiry Access Code (GIAC) or (Dedicated
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`Inquiry Access Code) DIAC of interest. Ex. 1001, 6:65-67, 7:32-35, 6:49-55, 6:62-
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`65. For instance, as shown in the ’207 Patent’s FIG. 5 (below), “inquiry messages
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`have an extra field appended to them, capable of carrying a user-defined payload
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`(CA DATA).” Ex. 1001, 7:45-55.
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`’207 Patent, FIG. 5 (additional data field carrying location information in red)
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`37. The appended field includes location information. Ex. 1001, 10:12-16.
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`“The location information may take a number of forms in both the format location
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`information is represented and in the format it is broadcast. For example, the
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`information may be represented in terms of mapping coordinates, Global Positioning
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`System data, or any other suitable way. Location information may be absolute or
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`relative. In the latter case location information may be expressed, for example, with
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`reference to building room designations, vehicle identity (say, when a person is on
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`a bus) or in other ways as will be apparent to the person skilled in the art.” Ex. 1001,
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`11:27-36. Effectively, by combining the location information with the inquiry
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`message, a beacon can transmit pertinent location information to devices in its
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`vicinity in a shorter time span and with fewer (exchanged) messages.
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`38.
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`“On hearing an inquiry containing an appropriate IAC, the portable
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`device enters a so-called inquiry response substate and issues a number of inquiry
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`response messages to the beacon. The beacon will then page the portable device,
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`inviting it to join the piconet.” Ex. 1001, 8:40-45.
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`39.
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`In order to mitigate possible confusion for someone immersed in
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`modern data communications standards, such as WiFi, I am adding remarks related
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`to the recitation of “beacon” in the ’207 Patent. The ’207 Patent uses the term
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`“beacon” specifically to refer to the devices that send signals, not to the signals that
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`are sent. For example, “[t]hese beacons are small infrared transceivers …” Ex. 1001,
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`1:57-58. As another example, “… such that the user is not required to undertake
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`actions such as staying close to a beacon whilst contact is established between
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`portable device and beacon …” Ex. 101, 1:67-2:2.
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`40.
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`It seems clear from my reading of the ’207 patent specification and
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`claims that a “beacon” refers to the hardware system (including system and
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`application software) that transmits or broadcasts data, and not to the data
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`transmissions themselves. I also note, consistent with this understanding, that the
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`terms “beacon” and “beacon device” are used interchangeably in the ’207 Patent. I
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`also note that the term “beacon signal” is used consistently in the ’207 to refer to the
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`broadcast message sent by a beacon.
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`VIII. OVERVIEW OF MCCALL
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`41.
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`I have reviewed McCall extensively. In McCall, communications
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`between devices may be implemented using the Bluetooth protocol. Ex. 1005,
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`Abstract, 2:47-52, 5:5-15. McCall’s FIG. 1 (reproduced below) shows a wireless
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`communication network with beacons 102-112 located “throughout a floor of a
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`building 100 in which assets 120, 122 are to be tracked.” Ex. 1005, 3:30-35, 1:1-5,
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`Abstract. Note that McCall uses the terms “beacon” and “beacon signal” in a manner
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`consistent with the ’207 patent, namely, to refer to devices that broadcast
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`information (and not to the information itself).
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`Beacons
`shown in
`red boxes
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`Assets
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`Ex. 1005, FIG. 1 (with annotations in color)
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`
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`42.
`
` McCall discloses various embodiments, one of which involves a
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`beacon that does not have a receiver. Ex. 1005, 4:10-16. In this embodiment, “the
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`beacon 102-112 transmits its identifying signal continuously, or at intervals” and the
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`“asset 120, 122 passively listens for beacons 102-112 that are transmitting either
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`continuously or intermittently.” Ex. 1005, 4:10-16, 4:26-32. For example, McCall’s
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`FIG. 4 (reproduced below) shows a beacon 110 transmitting the identifying signal
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`(shown by a uni-directional arrow) using a Bluetooth Inquiry protocol to asset 122
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`(see also step 304 in McCall’s FIG. 3 reproduced below). Ex. 1005, 5:5-27. The
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`identifying signal includes a unique global ID that identifies the beacon. Ex. 1005,
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`3:58-65, 4:25-35.
`
`
`
`15
`
`19
`
`

`

`
`
`
`
`
`
`
` Ex. 1005, FIG. 4 Ex. 1005, FIG. 3
`
`43. As shown above in steps 306 and 308 of FIG. 3, an asset 120, 122
`
`receives the identifying signal and decodes the signal to determine the beacon ID.
`
`The location of the asset 120, 122 may then be determined using the unique beacon
`
`ID received from the beacon. Ex. 1005, 3:63-4:7, 4:32-67. For example, the asset
`
`120, 122 may send the beacon ID to server 402 which computes a location
`
`corresponding to the beacon ID and transmits the location back to the asset 120, 122.
`
`Ex. 1005, 4:35-64, FIG. 3. The asset 120, 122 then determines its location based on
`
`the location information provided by server 402. Ex. 1005, 4:35-64. In some cases,
`
`the asset 120, 122 may have the resources to compute its own location based on the
`
`received beacon ID. Ex. 1005, 4:64-67.
`
`IX. OVERVIEW OF BT CORE
`
`44.
`
`I have reviewed BT (Bluetooth) Core extensively. BT Core is a
`
`Bluetooth standard document that describes standard features of the Bluetooth
`
`
`
`16
`
`20
`
`

`

`
`
`
`communications protocol. Ex. 1007, pp 5-13. A standard Bluetooth packet format
`
`(shown below) is described in BT Core as including access code, header, and
`
`payload fields. Ex. 1007, p 47.
`
`Standard Bluetooth packet format (Ex. 1007, p. 47)
`
`
`
`45. Several variations of Bluetooth packets are possible. One type of
`
`packet is the inquiry packet or inquiry message, which is transmitted during the
`
`Bluetooth Inquiry protocol. Ex. 1007, p 108. The Bluetooth Inquiry protocol is used
`
`when a source device needs to learn the addresses of potential destination devices.
`
`Ex. 1007, pp 108-10. During the inquiry process, the source device broadcasts
`
`inquiry messages while following the inquiry hopping sequence, which causes the
`
`inquiry messages to be delivered to potential destination devices at different
`
`frequencies in a specified frequency hopping pattern. Ex. 1007, p 108. When a
`
`destination device receives an inquiry message, it may return an inquiry response
`
`message that includes its address, so the source device can use the address to
`
`establish a connection with the receiving device. Ex. 1007, pp 108-11.
`
`46.
`
`It is a well-established and known fact that a Bluetooth inquiry message
`
`generally only includes the access code field, which includes two required data fields
`
`
`
`17
`
`21
`
`

`

`(the preamble field and the sync word field) and an optional trailer field, as shown
`
`below. Ex. 1007, p 48.
`
`
`
`
`Standard Access code field format (Ex. 1007, p. 48)
`
`
`
`47.
`
`Inquiry access codes may include a general inquiry access code (GIAC)
`
`or a dedicated inquiry access code (DIAC). Ex. 1007, p 48. A GIAC “can be used
`
`to discover which other Bluetooth units are in range.” Ex. 1007, p 48. A DIAC can
`
`be used to discover specified types of Bluetooth units or devices in range. Ex. 1007,
`
`p 48.
`
`A. Combination of McCall and BT Core
`
`48.
`
`In my opinion, McCall and BT Core are complementary. For instance,
`
`as I noted above, McCall teaches that its communication network can be
`
`implemented using the Bluetooth protocol, and that the Bluetooth Inquiry protocol
`
`can be used for communications between devices to provide or obtain the unique ID
`
`of a beacon. Ex. 1005, 5:5-27, 2:47-52, Abstract. BT Core provides details of the
`
`Bluetooth Inquiry protocol, which are not explicitly noted in McCall (e.g., McCall
`
`discloses transmitting data packets in an Inquiry protocol, but does not explicitly
`
`disclose the type or structure of the data packets transmitted in an Inquiry protocol
`
`messaging session). Ex. 1005, 5:19-27.
`
`
`
`18
`
`22
`
`

`

`
`
`
`49. A POSITA like myself would naturally look at BT Core to obtain a
`
`better understanding of Bluetooth features, such as the data packets used in McCall
`
`to obtain a beacon ID, since BT Core is a Bluetooth standard document that provides
`
`details for implementing Bluetooth protocols. Furthermore, a POSITA would
`
`combine the teachings of McCall and BT Core to fully realize the implementation
`
`of Bluetooth in McCall’s device tracking method. Such a combination amounts to
`
`filling the gaps in McCall in a predicatable way and involves nothing more than the
`
`use of a known technique to improve similar devices in the same way or the
`
`combination of prior art elements according to known methods.
`
`50. For instance, the combination of McCall and BT Core reveals that data
`
`packets transmitted during an Inquiry protocol would include inquiry messages and
`
`inquiry response messages. The inquiry message includes an access code field, and
`
`the inquiry response message includes an address of the device responding to the
`
`inquiry message.
`
`51. When the combination of McCall and BT Core is applied to McCall’s
`
`embodiment in which a beacon only includes a transmitter (indicating that the
`
`beacon cannot receive any message), it would have been obvious to a POSITA that
`
`an inquiry message is transmitted by a beacon 102-112 to an asset 120, 122 to
`
`communicate with the asset 120, 122 and convey the beacon’s ID to the asset 120,
`
`122. This would have been obvious at least because inquiry messages are used in
`
`
`
`19
`
`23
`
`

`

`
`
`
`the Bluetooth protocol to establish a connection between two devices (as noted
`
`above in the discussion of BT Core.) Ex. 1007, pp 108-10. Specifically, when a
`
`device wishes to become a slave in a Bluetooth piconet, it enters the inquiry scan
`
`substate, listening for inquiry messages from any broadcasting device. Upon receipt
`
`of an inquiry message, the device transmits an inquiry response message to the
`
`master of the Bluetooth piconet, which is the device’s first communication to the
`
`master.
`
`52.
`
`In fact, in an environment in which the beacon cannot receive Bluetooth
`
`messages and an inquiry response, such as in McCall’s transmitter-only
`
`embodiment, McCall’s beacon would not be able to establish a Bluetooth connection
`
`with another device. The only way the beacon can provide information to another
`
`device using Bluetooth is through a pre-connection inquiry message. It appears
`
`obvious to me that McCall’s transmitter-only embodiment would therefore involve
`
`transmitting location tracking information (e.g., beacon

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