[International IP Briefing] KR, US

 

KR

LG Electronics, Korea wins LTE standard essential patent (SEPs) infringement lawsuit against TCL, China.

▲ lge.co.kr

On Mar. 9, 2021, LG Electronics announced that they had won a patent infringement lawsuit against TCL, a Chinese electronics company.

In Nov. 2019, the Mannheim District Court in Germany ruled that TCL used LG Electronics patents without permission at the infringement lawsuit filed by LG Electronics against TCL. The key point in this lawsuit is that some technologies applied to feature phones and smartphones sold by TCL infringed on LG Electronics ''LTE standard essential patent”.

▲ clipartkorea.co.kr

This result is for one out of total three patent infringement lawsuits filed by LG Electronics, and the remaining two trials are scheduled to take place in March and May, respectively.

Based on this ruling, LG Electronics will prevent TCL from selling mobile phones that applied LG Electronics' LTE communication standard essential patent in Germany.

Original source of this post,

https://www.kiip.re.kr/board/trend/view.do?bd_gb=trend&bd_cd=1&bd_item=0&po_item_gb=&currentPage=2&po_no=20271

 

US

Apple, filed AR Smart Ring Patent

Major foreign media including Phone Arena announced on the 11th (local time) that Apple has filed for a patent for a “ring” accessory that can operate virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) devices.

▲ wipsglobal.com> US 16/934988
titled "Self-Mixing Interferometry-Based Gesture Input System Including a Wearable or Handheld Device"

According to the patent, the ring works based on a “self-mixing interferometer (SMI)” sensor.

The SMI sensor optically measures the motion between the sensor and the object using triangular wave form. A ring equipped with an SMI sensor can analyze the movement of the wearer and determine the relationship with surrounding objects.

▲ wipsglobal.com> US 16/934988
titled "Self-Mixing Interferometry-Based Gesture Input System Including a Wearable or Handheld Device"

How about putting on two rings? The patent asserted that the more sensors there are, the more 'accurately grasping various movements in a complete three-dimensional environment'. Wearing it on your thumb and index finger, you can also identify gesture such as pinching, zooming in and out, and rotating with two fingers.

▲ wipsglobal.com> US 16/934988
titled "Self-Mixing Interferometry-Based Gesture Input System Including a Wearable or Handheld Device"

An example of using it with other devices was 'Apple Pencil'. The ring provides additional functions by recognizing the location and motion of the Apple Pencil in detail.

Original source of this post,

https://www.etnews.com/20210312000202

Smart alert service to monitor technological changes, SDI

 

Following the ‘My Folder’ from the last issue, let’s look at another personalized feature, ‘SDI’ in this issue.

'SDI' is Selective Dissemination of Information, which means simply a ‘Notification service on newly updated patents.' It is an alert feature that provides notification via e-mail whenever patent documents or information of the items requested by the user are updated. By using the SDI, not only you receive the updates but also can easily understand the flow and changes of technology you’re watching. Checking out the technological changes of competitors can be very important information in establishing your company's patent strategy. 

The SDI of WIPS Global provides various items such as monitoring competitors, status information, and Trial/Appeal and so forth. Let’s look at one by one from now on.

▲ wipsglobal.com> View Detail

SDI can simply be requested in the search box or within the View Detail page during review as above screenshot but today, we are going to find out how to request directly in the SDI page.

▲ wipsglobal.com> SDI manager

The available types of SDI are listed at the top of the page.

. Competitor SDI, which can monitor competitors' technologies and R&D

. Status SDI, which is to know the change of status information,

. Appeal SDI, which is Trial/Appeal information,

. Query SDI, which is the updated patent information corresponding to the saved search query,

. Family SDI and Citation SDI, which is the updated information about changes in the patent family and citation relationship of a specific document.

▲ wipsglobal.com> SDI manager

By checking which field of patents a competitor is filing or purchasing, you can find out the main technology field or the direction of R&D of your competitor.

Competitor SDI is provided based on specific applicants/right holders, and can be notified of the patent application trends and rights changes of competitors that need to be monitored according to the cycle set by the user.

The updated contents are notified based on the requested applicant, so you can know the entire patent status of the competitor.

▲ wipsglobal.com> SDI manager> Competitor SDI

(1) You can request by selecting Assignment info, which is the information on change of rights, or Patent gazette (publication/registration). If you select Patent gazette, you can grasp the details of which field of technology or product a competitor has applied for. (2) Select Publication or Granted from the Selected gazette, (3) select Assignee and Target Country (4) select the Technical Classification Code, and you will receive a notification by e-mail when new public information is updated according to the set Frequency.

▲ wipsglobal.com> My SDI> Competitor SDI's update

SDI update on Assignment information of the applicant (A) and Patent Gazette information in detail (B)

▲ wipsglobal.com> SDI manager> Status SDI, Appeal SDI

In terms of securing the rights to new technologies, it is very important to figure out the status of competitors' flagship patents, including whether or not the company's technology has been patented. In the case of similar inventions, if the cause of the rejection of application is quickly identified, it is possible to design around against the technology, and easily find the available alternative technologies using information on rights expiry.

 Status SDI sends the notification e-mail when there is a change in the status of the document after filing due to a decision of rejection, confirmation of a decision of rejection, change of registration status, lapse of registration rights, etc.. You can’t miss the major events from the application of the patent to rights expiry.

 Appeal SDI sends the notification email when all types of trials occurred for the requested patents, such as trial on invalidity, trial to confirm scope of rights, (defensive and positive), and trial to invalidate corrections.

▲ wipsglobal.com> My SDI> Appeal SDI's update

SDI update on Trial/Appeal information in MY SDI

▲ wipsglobal.com> SDI manager> Query SDI

Query SDI that you can receive newly updated patent document corresponding to the search query saved by the user.

For reference, if you use the original language for the applicant's name, you can receive notifications without delay due to data update.

▲ wipsglobal.com> My SDI> Query SDI's update

SDI update on Query in MY SDI

▲ wipsglobal.com> SDI manager> Family SDI, Citation SDI

Family SDI notifies when the new documents are updated in the patent family relationship of the requested patent..

Citation SDI notifies when the requested patent is cited in another application.

Family/ Citation SDI can be used to attack competitors' overseas patent activities or to establish defense strategies for their own patents.

▲ wipsglobal.com> My SDI> all types of SDI

My SDI in which you can check the updated status of all types of SDI in detail.

. Deleted SDI keeps the deleted SDI histories up to 50 weeks before it completely deleted.

. Group users can share SDI with other users in the group.

▲ wipsglobal.com> main page

 

  ◀ SDI is accessed on the main page of the        WIPS  Global

So far, we have looked in detail how to request and check for each type of SDI.

Try the SDI of WIPS Global and get ideas for patent strategy.

Using patent information for technology management

 

We can see companies that once led the market often neglect the potential of new technologies and fell behind in the marketplace. Nokia once held an overwhelming advantage in the mobile phone sector with a market share of over 40%, but failed to keep up with new technological changes and fell behind in the market. It's not just Nokia. Since then, companies have begun to react sensitively to the trend of technological change, and it has been an opportunity to significantly increase R&D costs.

As more money invested in R&D, technology management for R&D products has also become more important. Companies use patents that contain technology information to manage technology. The patent was chosen not only because it contains technological information, but also it can be said as objective information because it is examined by the patent office. This time, we will look at strategic technology management using patent information.

Competitor monitoring and technology assessment

A company's patent activity can be seen as an indication of what technology a company is interested in. So, by following the information, you can predict the final goal of the company. And based on the value of patents, you can see the technology share that tells the company's competitive position, and through the share, you can see the technology they have in the market. Therefore, if a company's technology share drops significantly, it means that their technology is at stake, so the R&D strategy needs to be modified.

The patent value can be evaluated in the following way.

(1) Ratio of granted of filed patents

(2) International scope

(3) Technical scope

(4) Citation frequency

This criterion is aligned with a commercial point of view, that is, the company's sales and profits are related to the value of the patent.

▲ clipartkorea.co.kr

Patent portfolios

One of the most important decisions to be made in technology management is the investment of R&D resources; senior management must decide how much of the R&D resources will be spent on which type of technology. To make this decision-making process easier, we start using technology portfolio. Portfolios have the advantage of structuring and visualizing complex problems while focusing on most relevant decision-making criteria. However, it was created based on the subjective evaluation of the managers, and information was insufficient. Patent information has been added to the portfolio to compensate for this problem. The patent portfolio was also important when making decisions inside the company, but it can also be used when reviewing M&As or licenses due to its high applicability in competitor analysis.

▲ clipartkorea.co.kr

Identification and assessment of M&A options

The reason for M&A is to gain access to technological knowledge, which is of long-term strategic interest to the company.  Due to the risk of R&D and limited resources in the high-tech field, there is a limit to developing technology by the organization itself. To compensate for this limitation, M&A is used to secure a continuous competitive advantage of technology. An important success factor for technology-driven M&As are the selection of the most appropriate M&A target and the target’s subsequent into the organization is to proceed with M&A with the most appropriate target. If patent information is required when selecting the target, the selection decision will be more reliable.

▲ clipartkorea.co.kr

Human resource management

Patent information can also determine how good an inventor is. The inventor of the patented technology is also evaluated in accordance with the patent evaluation. The inventor portfolio distinguishes four types of inventors in accordance with patent activities and quality. Most inventors are low performers with low quality and patent activities. Key inventors with high patent activity and high quality account for 6.9% of the total inventors. However, it is said that key inventors' patenting output may achieve a maximum of 80%. Therefore, the company must identify key inventors in advance and make continuous efforts to continuously produce patents.

▲ Four types of inventor

This post is excerpted from "Patent Information for strategic technology management" by Holger Ernst

Apple's various charging technologies

 

Apple's MagSafe

In 2020, Apple launched MagSafe on the iPhone 12 series. MagSafe is a power connector that attaches magnets to the main body of a MacBook for charging, and has disappeared since the emergence of USB-C. Apple has applied this technology to the iPhone this time by adding a charging coil, a circular magnet design, an improved shield, and NFC.

▲ wipsglobal.com
US patent 10910862
'Electromagnetic shielding for wireless power transfer systems'

MagSafe provides a Qi wireless charging function and has the advantage of being able to wirelessly charge 15W at high speed. In addition, the magnet on the back of the phone pulls the charger into the charging position, so you don't have to struggle to align the charging pad with the chargeable coil position. With this ease of use, there are many Apple users who use MagSafe.

Registered a patent for a case that can charge AirPods

Apple has also registered a patent for a case that charges AirPods. Inside this case, you can store and charge your AirPods, and its screen displays the batteries and time of the AirPods and phone call.

▲ wipsglobal.com
US patent 10892625
'Cases and folios for carrying and charging accessories'

Another is a patent on a case which shapes like a card wallet. It seems that it will be easy to use in that it can store and charge AirPods on the back through MagSafe, and even clip cards.

▲ wipsglobal.com
US patent 16/530836
'Accessory case with a power supply'

IPhone charging with MacBook

It is a patent that can charge wirelessly other electronic devices such as iPhone, Apple Watch, and iPad with a MacBook technologies.  Other devices can be charged wirelessly by placing them on the top or inside of the MacBook cover. You can see that there are a number of charging coils placed inside the MacBook frame.

▲ wipsglobal.com
US patent 10886771
'Inductive charging between electronic device'

As shown in the drawing, the iPhone, Apple Watch, etc. can be charged at the same time when placed on it. Wireless battery sharing  will be good news for those who prefer Apple products.

As such, Apple is trying to satisfy consumers through battery technology that combines simplicity and convenience. The next technology is expected.

BlackBerry sold 90 patents to Huawei

 

Blackberry has sold 90 patents related to smartphone technology to Huawei. This also means that the Canadian company is stepping down from the mobile phone business.

The Canadian newspaper, The Globe and Mail, reported that it confirmed the transfer of intellectual property through records from the United States Patent Office (USPTO), and that BlackBerry's CFO also confirmed this on an investor call. The BlackBerry was once a leader in the smartphone market, but at the time such devices were enterprise tools and enterprise customers appreciated the handset's security and management features and other features such as the QWERTY keyboard.

▲ pixabay.com

BlackBerry Huawei patent deal

However, despite high praise from enterprises, the company, then known as RIM (Research In Motion Limited, formerly BlackBerry), was unable to adapt to changing market trends. Apple and Android manufacturers have been able to provide more desirable handsets and weaken BlackBerry's strengths in terms of security. The problem was that it couldn't launch a more modern operating system than before 2013, and eventually it withdrew from the market in 2016.

Since then, BlackBerry has focused on providing mobile services and security, but CEO John Chen wants to realize the enormous value of his intellectual property. It is estimated that there are 38,000 patents in BlackBerry's library, and with this in mind, the 90 patents sold to Huawei are only a small fraction. However, some of the sold patents include innovative core technologies developed during the company's heyday, including 1) the technology to display text and images on devices according to physical orientation and location tagging of photos (picture 2 below). But other things are Blackberry's traditional technologies for security, such as 2) sharing data to a group of devices (pictured below).

▲ wipsglobal.com 
example for (1) US patent 9367097
which titled; System and method for adjusting presentation of text and images
on an electric device according to an orientation of the device

▲ wipsglobal.com
example for (2) US patent 9917702
which titled; System and method for managing items in a list shared
by a group of mobile devices

Some observers have even questioned whether it had to sell IP to Huawei as BlackBerry has raised national security concerns among some Canadian allies. In response, BlackBerry added that the transaction was allowed under applicable rules.

▲ wipsglobal.com
list of patent that has been sold to Huawei

Original source for the post

https://www.techradar.com/news/blackberry-sells-smartphone-patents-to-huawei 

Transforming chair

 

Introduce chairs that allow you to change your posture in various ways.

We usually forget the importance of correct posture. We urgently try to find a solution only after experiencing pain in the neck, shoulders, or lower back. There was also a time when the standing desk became a hot topic to work.

So what about a chair?

Simply use an assistive device that is mounted on an existing chair to correct your posture. There are also many functional chairs that can be slightly adjusted in height or backrest angle. This time, I will introduce a chair that allows you to change your posture more widely.

Laying chair, Altwork Station,

alwork.com

The Altwork Station is very similar to the one you usually see in the dental clinic. It is an electric chair that can be almost laid down with the large adjustment radius at the front and rear of the chair. The angle from the monitor to the desk is adjustable, and the magnet is built into the desk so that the keyboard and mouse will not be fallen. Even turning the monitor sideways creates space in the front, so home-based workers can use the monitor for other purposes, such as home training.

BeYou, Transforming chair with 10 ways you can sit,

indiegogo.com

BeYou is a chair that can be changed in various ways, allowing you to take more than 10 different positions.

You can manually move the back and armrests of the chair. It can also be used for personal work, meetings, or to take a break. It is made of solid wood and can withstand up to 180kg, and the seating area is wider (90CM) than ordinary chairs (65-70CM), so even a big person can use the chair. Also it’s a kit type of product and can be assembled by yourself in about 20 minutes.

The two products are very different from how they work, to material or shape. In addition, there will be a variety of transformer chairs. This is an idea product that will be of interest to anyone who has had concerns about their usual posture!

Difficult for mind-control? Try the digital meditation trainer

 

We'd like to Introduce a digital meditation guide that can even manage your health.

▲ hellocore.com

Core

The New way to Meditate

How many people do not feel stressed or depressed,

Especially these days, there are many cases of appealing for Corona Blue. Reality cannot be changed, so you will have to take good care of your mind. Digital meditation could also be a method. How about installing an app for meditation and trying it out, or relaxing with meditation music?

▲ hellocore.com

The Core is a tool used during meditation programs and a small device that measures the body's reactions during meditation. It is used with a mobile app and starts by selecting the desired program through the app. In the app, you can check the health information measured during meditation and listen to meditation music. In addition, when using the paid subscription service, various contents such as new programs are available.

▲ hellocore.com

First, install the mobile app and connect the app to the device via Bluetooth. Next, hold the device as if it were wrapped with both hands, and hold it with your thumb touching the electrocardiogram (ECG) sensor on the top. SESSION is a method of guiding using vibration and sound. It is recommended to wear earphones or headphones for effective meditation.

▲ hellocore.com

After completing the meditation, the information detected by the sensor is analyzed and provides the results. It shows you how your heart rate has changed during the session, and provides a heart rate variability (HRV). Heart rate variability is an index that determines your ability to adapt to changing environments, so the higher the number, the better. You can also check additional information such as how much focus you have been through during the session.

▲ hellocore.com

▲ hellocore.com

This is a great idea product for those who need mindfulness or eager for meditation but don't have the confidence to do it on their own!