2012年5月7日 星期一

Nokia對HTC, Viewsonic, RIM提告

擁有專利可以擁有條件交換與對抗的籌碼

Nokia這個具有許多基礎專利的公司一出手,就在美國與德國對HTC, RIM與Viewsonic提出侵權官司,在美國同時在ITC與Delaware法院提告。
此消息中同時也訪問到Nokia法務長,Nokia已經對許多公司授權其擁有的FRAND專利(可同時參閱:http://enpan.blogspot.com/2012/02/frand-defense.html),沒有道理要讓未被授權的公司繼續使用其專利技術,因此提告。

我的感覺是,Nokia此役並未對Motorola與Apple提告,一方面是內部策略評估,另一方面應該是面對過去同是電信產業、手機霸主的Motorola,勝算不大,且雙方已經存在交互授權的協議;對於Apple,Apple的好戰(以戰止戰)與擁有的專利數量也是挺令人害怕的吧!

其中Nokia對HTC顯然是較為全面的攻擊,同時包括ITC與地方法院的訴訟,並在德國三個法院同時提出訴訟。這些專利涉及雙工天線、電力管理、多模無線電技術、APP商店、多工、導航、對話訊息顯示、動態菜單、資料加密、行動裝置上的電子郵件功能等。

涉及訴訟的專利很多,同時為歐洲與美國專利的如下摘錄,確實可見為無線通訊的基礎技術:
U.S. Patent No. 5,570,369 (EP0673175)
揭露一種在手機上的省電功能,其中揭露的手機可對基地台發出訊息,並接收基地台上經過處理訊息的訊號,而傳送訊息的時間間隔可被切割為多個部份,並於手機通訊技術TDMA的時槽(time slot)中發出,由於訊息被切割為多的部份,此專利的技術可以僅根據部份的訊息重建完整的訊息,而可在其他時間進入省電模式。下圖中,訊息以多個片段傳送,當部份訊息可以被重建,可省未傳送部份所耗的電力。

根據權利範圍獨立項,其中揭示的控制電力消耗的方法包括,供給接收訊息之預設部份的電力,並判斷這些訊息是否可以完整重建訊息,如果接收的部份訊息無法重建,則繼續提供下一部分的訊息;如果判斷可以完整重建,則能以部份訊息重建訊息,因為有部份時間可以進入省電模式而達到省電的效果。
1. A method for controlling the power consumption of a mobile station in a cellular radio system when receiving a message, the method comprising the steps of:
    a) providing power for receiving a first predetermined portion of a message;
    b) determining whether the message can be reconstructed from the received portion of the message; and
    c) if the message cannot be reconstructed from the previous predetermined portion of the message, providing power for receiving a next predetermined portion of the message, receiving a second predetermined portion of the message, and returning to step b) if the complete message has not been received.

U.S. Patent No. 7,415,247 (EP1133831)
揭露一種在不同無線介面傳送與接收無線訊號的方法,技術利用一個合成器混合不同系統的頻率,權利範圍涉及在不同無線介面中處理接收訊號的方法,其中利用高低通濾波手段可以取出不同頻率的訊號,經訊號轉換,訊號編入相當的資訊,以利處理過程識別訊號,因此可以同時用相同的合成器(synthesizer)、放大器(amplifier)、混合器(mixer),同時處理來自不同無線介面的訊號。
1. A method for processing signals received from different radio interfaces of communication systems, comprising steps in which:
    a carrier-frequency signal is received from a radio interface,
    the signal at the carrier frequency is bandpass-filtered,
    the filtered signal at the carrier frequency is amplified,
    a RX mixing signal at a receive frequency is generated,
    a complex baseband signal is generated from the received carrier-frequency signal by mixing it with the RX mixing signal,
    the baseband signal generated is low-pass filtered,
    the baseband signal generated is amplified or attenuated prior to analog-to-digital conversion,
    the baseband signal is converted to digital, and
    the baseband signal converted to digital is processed so as to produce an information signal encoded and modulated into the received carrier-frequency signal,
    wherein said amplifying of the carrier frequency signal is performed with one and the same amplifier for signals received from at least two different radio interfaces, and a gain of said amplifier is set with a program-controlled gain control signal in relation to the radio interface from which signals are received,
    said generating of the complex baseband signal is performed with one and the same mixer for signals received from at least two different radio interfaces,
    said RX mixing signal is generated with a frequency synthesizer, and an output frequency of said frequency synthesizer is selected with a program-controlled frequency selection signal in relation to the radio interface from which signals are received, and
    said bandpass-filtering is performed using a pass band selected with a program-controlled pass-band selection signal in relation to the radio interface from which signals are received.

U.S. Patent No. 6,188,909 (EP1439723)
揭露一種包括顯示與處理資訊卡內容,與無線傳輸資訊的的發報器,其中所載的內容有資訊卡與目的端的識別符(identifier),其中可處理的資訊如由字元組成的短訊,包括推播的訊息。
此技術顯然為簡訊處理技術,根據獨立範圍所載的內容,相關通訊網路包括有顯示資訊與處理資訊的程式,並包括無線傳輸訊息的手段,終端裝置可具備接收訊息的手段(程式)與根據資訊標頭(header)處理這些資訊的手段。
1. A terminal for a communication network, the terminal comprising a plurality of applications for displaying information and processing information and further comprising wireless communication means for communicating user messages, wherein said terminal comprises means for receiving a wireless communicated user message having information for one of said applications and a header pointing to one of said applications, said terminal further comprising means for addressing said information to a respective application according to said header, the user message having an address field containing the address of the destination of the message and a data field containing said information of the user message, wherein said header is disposed in said data field.

U.S. Patent No. 7,106,293 (EP1312974)
此案不同於通訊技術,特別揭露整合光導(light guide)的光感測器(light sensor),可以調節螢幕顯示亮度,也就是根據環境光改變螢幕顯示亮度的技術(原來是Nokia掌握此關鍵專利!)
此揭露一種具有控制亮度的電子裝置,其中電子裝置能感測環境光,並根據環境光調節顯示亮度。根據獨立範圍的描述,範圍不小,控制光亮度的方法包括:將環境光透過光導導向光感測元件,此光感測元件可控制顯示亮度,當光亮改變,也會隨調整亮度。
1. A method for controlling the lighting of a display in an electronic device, in which method
    ambient light is led to a light-sensitive component of the device through a light guide,
    the light-sensitive component controlling a display illuminator that lights the display on the basis of the ambient light,
    wherein the light guide is integrated as part of a protective display window and configured to communicate light in a manner differing from that of other portions of the protective display window.

Ron
資料參考:FOSS PATENTS, Engadget.com

沒有留言: