2011年8月17日 星期三

HTC告Apple侵害三件專利

這次HTC反告Apple的Mac電腦、ipad, ipod, iphone侵害三件HTC的專利:

US 7,765,414這件是HTC於2007.8.23申請的美國專利,並於2010.7.27獲准


US 7,672,219US 7,417,944這兩件有共同的母案,同為多件母案的後續CIP、分割案,並在今年(2011.4.12)由HTC購自ADC TELECOMMUNICATIONS, INC.



US 7,765,414揭露一種整合PDA與無線通訊系統的介面電路與運作方法,主要範圍如下,相關電路包括有兩個端子的第一序列埠,一端連接PDA,另一端連接無線通訊系統,可以雙向傳輸控制訊號;另有具備兩個端子的第二序列埠,也是一端連接PDA,另一端連接無線通訊系統,用來雙向傳輸音訊(audio data)。
這是甚麼東西?兩個埠口同時連接PDA與通訊系統,如下圖,利用兩個序列埠分別處理控制訊號與音訊,可以簡化一個通訊埠處理兩種訊號的複雜度!

1. A circuit for an integrated interface of a PDA and a wireless communication system, suitable for integrating the PDA and the wireless communication system, the circuit comprising:

a first serial port, having two terminals, wherein one of the two terminals is electrically connected to the PDA, another one of the two terminals is electrically connected to the wireless communication system, and the first serial port is used to bi-directionally transmit a control signal between the PDA and the wireless communication system; and
a second serial port, having two terminals, wherein one of the two terminals is electrically connected to the PDA, another one of the two terminals is electrically connected to the wireless communication system, and the second serial port is used to bi-directionally transmit audio data between the PDA and the wireless communication system.


US 7,672,219揭露OFDM系統多點對點的通訊技術,主要範圍涉及一個可雙向通訊的通訊裝置(數據機,如下圖),包括有符元(symbol)對應表、FFT引擎、訊號轉換器、射頻訊號傳輸器與處理器。在主機對應多個遠端單元時,此裝置可處理多點對一點的訊號處理,

1. A remote communication device for operation in a bidirectional communication system, the device comprising:

at least one symbol mapper for mapping symbols using quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) symbol mapping and phase-shift keying (PSK) symbol mapping;
a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) engine that receives a frame of parallel data based on symbol data generated by the symbol mapper, the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) engine generating a frame of time domain in-phase and quadrature phase data from the symbol data generated by the symbol mapper;
at least one converter generating an analog signal based on the stream of time domain in-phase and quadrature phase data;
a radio frequency transmitter for transmitting a radio frequency signal based on the analog signal; and
a processor, wherein the symbol mapper is responsive to the processor, and the processor controls synchronization of symbol timing and carrier frequency of transmissions from the radio frequency transmitter.


US 7,417,944揭露一種維運連絡模組的方法,同樣應用於多點對點的OFDM通訊系統,一個主機連接有多個遠端單元,根據範圍所示,先建立與多個遠端單元的連線,再由第一遠端單元傳輸非控制資料(non-control data),再傳輸控制訊號(control signal),其中控制訊號是經二元相位位移鍵控(BPSK)處理

1. A method for an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing multipoint-to-point communications system, the method comprising:

establishing communication between a first remote unit of a plurality of remote units and a host unit, the plurality of remote units communicatively coupled to the host unit in a multipoint-to-point configuration;
transmitting non-control data on up to a plurality of tones from the first remote unit using an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) waveform, the up to a plurality of tones modulated with the non-control data using a first modulation scheme; and
transmitting control signals on up to a plurality of tones from the first remote unit using an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) waveform, the up to a plurality of tones modulated with the control signals using a second, more robust modulation scheme;
wherein transmitting the control signals comprises transmitting control signals on tones modulated using binary phase shift keying (BPSK).


判斷侵權並不是容易的事,其中還包括各個專利獲准歷程與損害賠償的判斷,更需要知道對手產品的內容,以上幾個專利顯然是比較有關通訊系統,且針對特定問題提出解決方案,也算比較新且重要的技術,但感覺仍沒有擊中要害,對方是Apple,除了技術本質侵害鑑定外,應該要有些顯而易見的侵權議題可能比較可以引起一些共鳴!

update on 8.18.2011,這些專利僅是一些電腦軟硬體的技術,智慧型手機應該重點是行動通訊,但是當被看作電腦系統時,自然就會遭遇這類專利訴訟!
可參考:http://enpan.blogspot.com/2011/07/itchtcapple.html
"And that's why the patent problem is such a mess," Mueller (某IP部落客) added. "The vast majority of the patents in a smartphone are computer hardware and software patents -- mobile communication is just a minority.

Ron

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