REVERSED
Tech Center 1700 Chemical & Materials Engineering
1756 Ex Parte Cramer et al 10552618 - (D) OWENS 102/103 KENYON & KENYON LLP DINH, BACH T
Tech Center 2100 Computer Architecture and Software
2156 Ex Parte Cheng et al 12105759 - (D) HUGHES 103 RYAN, MASON & LEWIS, LLP LIAO, JASON G
2158 Ex Parte RAJARAM et al 12487254 - (D) NAPPI 102/103 HEWLETT-PACKARD COMPANY WILLIS, AMANDA LYNN
2196 Ex Parte Rathi 11930603 - (D) MacDONALD 103 SCHWEGMAN LUNDBERG & WOESSNER/NOVELL HUARACHA, WILLY W
Tech Center 2400 Networking, Multiplexing, Cable, and Security
2441 Ex Parte Shorty et al 11737717 - (D) PINKERTON 103 GTC Law Group LLP & Affiliates c/o CPA Global PATEL, HITESHKUMAR R
2462 Ex Parte Han 11849837 - (D) STEPHENS 103 37 CFR 41.50(b) 103 THE FARRELL LAW FIRM, P.C. DANIEL JR, WILLIE J
2466 Ex Parte Wu et al 10400882 - (D) HUTCHINGS 103 Apple Inc. -- FKM PATEL, JAY P
Tech Center 2800 Semiconductors, Electrical and Optical Systems and Components
2875 Ex Parte Fink 11371496 - (D) OWENS 103 Matheson Keys & Kordzik PLLC BREVAL, ELMITO
2875 Ex Parte Jung et al 12291022 - (D) DERRICK 103 INTELLECTUAL VENTURES - ISF TSIDULKO, MARK
Tech Center 3600 Transportation, Construction, Electronic Commerce, Agriculture, National Security, and License & Review
3626 Ex Parte Rubsamen 11329376 - (D) CRAWFORD 103 BOZICEVIC, FIELD & FRANCIS LLP NAJARIAN, LENA
3643 Ex Parte Norgaard et al 12287051 - (D) BAHR 103 37 CFR 41.50(b) 112(1)/112(2) PATTERSON THUENTE PEDERSEN, P.A. NGUYEN, SON T
Moreover, regarding the aforementioned third plausible construction, although the recitation in the last paragraph of claim 31 is expressed in the passive rather than active voice, one can only determine whether the limitation is satisfied once someone or something matches a crop variety to the one or more soil management categories. We again emphasize that claim 31 does not set forth structure for performing a matching step. In IPXL Holdings, L.L.C. v. Amazon.com, Inc., 430 F.3d 1377 (Fed. Cir. 2005), a patent holder sought to enforce a claim reciting a “system . . . wherein the predicted transaction information comprises both a transaction type and transaction parameters associated with that transaction type, and the user uses the input means to either change the predicted transaction information or accept the displayed transaction type and transaction parameters.” IPXL Holdings at 1384 (italics in original). On appeal, our reviewing court interpreted this claim as reciting both a system and a method step to be carried out by a user. Our reviewing court held that:
it is unclear whether infringement . . . occurs when one creates a system that allows the user to change the predicted transaction information or accept the displayed transaction, or whether infringement occurs when the user actually uses the input means to change transaction information or uses the input means to accept a displayed transaction. Because [the claim] recites both a system and the method for using that system, it does not apprise a person of ordinary skill in the art of its scope. Id.
In H-W Tech., L.C. v. Overstock.com, Inc., 758 F.3d 1329 (Fed. Cir. Jul. 11, 2014), a patent holder sought to enforce a claim reciting:
A tangible computer readable medium encoded with computer program for performing contextual searches on an Internet Phone (IP) phone comprising the steps of:
receiving a command to perform a contextual search; receiving search criteria from a user of said IP phone;
submitting said search criteria to a server coupled to said IP phone; and
receiving from said server a list of merchants matching said search criteria and information regarding each of said merchants in said list;
wherein said user completes a transaction with at least one of said merchants listed without the need to generate a voice call;
wherein said information received by said user comprises a variety of offers, wherein said user selects one of said variety of offers associated with said one of said merchants listed, wherein said selected offer is transmitted to said one of said merchants listed electronically; and
wherein said user’s contact and payment information is not transmitted to said one of said merchants listed, wherein said user’s contact and payment information is available to said one of said merchants listed.
Id. at 1335 (italics in original).
On appeal from a district court decision holding the claim invalid as indefinite, our reviewing court agreed that the italicized limitations were method steps recited in an apparatus claim. Citing the reasoning of IPXL Holdings and In re Katz Interactive Call Processing Patent Litigation, 639 F.3d 1303, 1318 (Fed. Cir. 2011), our reviewing court held that the claim was indefinite because “it is unclear here when infringement would occur.” Id. at 1336.
Like the claims in IPXL Holdings and H-W Technology, a maker or seller of a system for matching crop varieties of a crop to soil type comprising a plurality of crop varieties and a digitized map depicting soil management categories of a region cannot determine whether the system will infringe, directly or contributorily, at the time of manufacture or sale. Thus, claim 31 is indefinite for this additional reason.
IPXL Holdings v. Amazon.com, Inc., 430 F.2d 1377, 77 USPQ2d 1140 (Fed. Cir. 2005) 2173.05(p)
3677 Ex Parte Lubchansky et al 11459998 - (D) WOODS 103 HUGH P. GORTLER DELISLE, ROBERTA S
3681 Ex Parte Muthugopalakrishnan et al 13043238 - (D) MOHANTY 103 Hickman Palermo Becker Bingham / Coupons SORKOWITZ, DANIEL M
3687 Ex Parte Manucha et al 12327555 - (D) MOHANTY 103 WONG, CABELLO, LUTSCH, RUTHERFORD & BRUCCULERI, L.L.P. HAYLES, ASHFORD S
AFFIRMED-IN-PART
Tech Center 2100 Computer Architecture and Software
2163 Ex Parte Sundaresan et al 12263396 - (D) STEPHENS 102/103 102 SCHWEGMAN LUNDBERG & WOESSNER/EBAY NGUYEN, KIM T
Tech Center 2400 Networking, Multiplexing, Cable, and Security
2423 Ex Parte Pino et al 12127602 - (D) HORVATH 103 103 MANELLI SELTER PLLC BANTAMOI, ANTHONY
Tech Center 2600 Communications
2688 Ex Parte Coker et al 12653862 - (D) FRAHM 103 103 MARLIN KNIGHT MERCEDES, DISMERY E
Tech Center 3600 Transportation, Construction, Electronic Commerce, Agriculture, National Security, and License & Review
3656 Ex Parte Hindle et al 11939336 - (D) BAHR 103 102/103 HONEYWELL/IFL YABUT, DANIEL D
Tech Center 3700 Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing, and Products & Design
3753 Ex Parte Haedicke et al 10529002 - (D) ASTORINO 102/103 102 BSH Home Appliances Corporation ROST, ANDREW J
AFFIRMED
Tech Center 1600 Biotechnology and Organic Chemistry
1612 Ex Parte Wagner et al 10558560 - (D) BRADEN 102/103 RATNERPRESTIA WEBB, WALTER E
Tech Center 1700 Chemical & Materials Engineering
1761 Ex Parte Owens 13106319 - (D) OWENS 103 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY HARDEE, JOHN R
Tech Center 2100 Computer Architecture and Software
2114 Ex Parte PAEK 12638191 - (D) MacDONALD 103 Jefferson IP Law, LLP CHU, GABRIEL L
2163 Ex Parte Leonard et al 12253194 - (D) FRAHM 103 HUGH P. GORTLER HWA, SHYUE JIUNN
2164 Ex Parte Morris 11086923 - (D) BEAMER 112(1) 103 Stolowitz Ford Cowger LLP / ptomail KUDDUS, DANIEL A
2194 Ex Parte Daherkar et al 11549609 - (D) WINSOR 103 KONRAD RAYNES DAVDA & VICTOR, LLP IBM54 YUN, CARINA
Tech Center 2400 Networking, Multiplexing, Cable, and Security
2445 Ex Parte Greggs et al 12327877 - (D) CRAWFORD 103 Kennedy Lenart Spraggins LLP LENOVO COMPANY (LENOVO-BKLS) JAKOVAC, RYAN J
2452 Ex Parte Kurylo 11731077 - (D) FRAHM 112(2)/103 Deirdra M Meagher WIDHALM, ANGELA M
2471 Ex Parte Kashima et al 12532085 - (D) MacDONALD 103 Ditthavong & Steiner, P.C. ADHAMI, MOHAMMAD SAJID
2497 Ex Parte Borden et al 11783271 - (D) ZADO 102/103 STERNE, KESSLER, GOLDSTEIN & FOX P.L.L.C. ARMOUCHE, HADI S
Tech Center 2600 Communications
2622 Ex Parte Peeters et al 12117580 - (D) TROCK 103 BEVER, HOFFMAN & HARMS, LLP TRUONG, NGUYEN H
2671 Ex Parte Liccini et al 11328885 - (D) HARLOW 103 Prass LLP RILEY, MARCUS T
2688 Ex Parte Mathur et al 12716408 - (D) SHAW 102 HolzerIPLaw, P.C. WONG, KIN C
Tech Center 3600 Transportation, Construction, Electronic Commerce, Agriculture, National Security, and License & Review
3629 Ex Parte Canora et al 12036176 - (D) FISCHETTI 101/103 Ference & Associates LLC DISNEY ENTERPRISES, INC. BAHL, SANGEETA
3651 Ex Parte Alexander et al 13186215 - (D) MURPHY 103 ZARLEY LAW FIRM P.L.C. SINGH, KAVEL
3683 Ex Parte Pullman 10159344 - (D) FISCHETTI 103 Davidson, Davidson & Kappel, LLC MEINECKE DIAZ, SUSANNA M
3684 Ex Parte Cue et al 11650858 - (D) MAYBERRY 103 37 CFR 41.50(b) 103 Fletcher Yoder, PC APPLE INC. CASEY, ALEXIS M
3685 Ex Parte Aydar et al 11314752 - (D) FISCHETTI 112(2) 101/103 Gates & Cooper LLP - Specific Media/Myspace KIM, STEVEN S
3687 Ex Parte Wade et al 12332887 - (D) BAYAT 102/103 VERIZON ZARE, SCOTT A
3687 Ex Parte Carlegren et al 13163235 - (D) FISCHETTI 103 Kennedy Lenart Spraggins LLP Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions Holdings Corp. LUDWIG, PETER L
Tech Center 3700 Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing, and Products & Design
3717 Ex Parte Okuniewicz 11057499 - (D) GOODSON 102/103 BRADLEY ARANT BOULT CUMMINGS LLP SHAH, MILAP
3766 Ex Parte Edwards 12139359 - (D) MOHANTY 103 MARGER JOHNSON & MCCOLLOM, P.C. -PHYSIO -CONTROL, INC. HELLER, TAMMIE K
3782 Ex Parte Moore 11404712 - (D) MOHANTY 103 James Ray & Associates Intellectual Property, LLC HELVEY, PETER N.
REHEARING
DENIED
Tech Center 2100 Computer Architecture and Software
2166 Ex Parte Chen et al 11230446 - (D) FRAHM 101/102 CRGO LAW STEVEN M. GREENBERG LO, ANN J
REEXAMINATION
REHEARING
DENIED
Tech Center 2600 Communications
2632 ALIEN TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION Third Party Requestor and Appellant v. INTERMEC CORP., INTERMEC TECHNOLOGIES CORP. and INTERMEC IP CORP. Patent Owners and Respondents Ex Parte 6812841 et al 10/056,398 95001265 - (D) HOFF 103 NELSON MULLINS RILEY & SCARBOUROUGH LLP Third Party Requester: VAN PELT YI & JAMES LLP LEUNG, CHRISTINA Y original MULLEN, THOMAS J
