Optical Disc Corp. v. Del Mar Avionics

45 F. App'x 887
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
DecidedAugust 1, 2002
DocketNo. 01-1606
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 45 F. App'x 887 (Optical Disc Corp. v. Del Mar Avionics) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Optical Disc Corp. v. Del Mar Avionics, 45 F. App'x 887 (Fed. Cir. 2002).

Opinion

DECISION

SCHALL, Circuit Judge.

Optical Disc Corporation (“ODC”) appeals the final decision of the United States District Court for the Central District of California that granted summary judgment of invalidity of ODC’s U.S. Patent No. 5,297,129 (“the 129 patent”) in favor of the defendants (collectively, “Del Mar”) for failure to disclose the best mode. Optical Disc Corp. v. Del Mar Avionics, No. CV 97-00650 MRP (C.D.Cal. July 25, 2001). Because we conclude that there is a genuine issue of material fact as to whether the inventors of the 129 patent [888]*888contemplated a best mode of their invention as of the filing date, we reverse and remand.

DISCUSSION

I.

The T29 patent relates to optical recording. Optical recording refers to storing information in a medium that is sensitive to light, such as a compact disc (“CD”). The first step in the production of a CD is the creation of a master CD with data on it. Data is written onto the master CD, or recorded on it, by making physical alterations in the surface of a disc. These alterations are known as “surface effects.” Normally, laser beams are used to write data onto the surface of a master CD. “Pits” are the most common form of surface alteration used to write information onto a disc.

After a master CD with data on it has been created, a metal layer typically is deposited on top of the disc in order to make an inverse image of it. The metal-lized inverse copy of the master CD, called a “stamper,” then is separated from the master disc. The stamper is used to mold multiple replicas of the original master CD for distribution and sale.

In order to make an optical recording, a “laser write signal” controls the laser light so that it will make marks of the right shape on the recording medium. A prior art method of optical recording used simple rectangular waves as laser write signals. That is, the laser was turned on for a period of time in order to make a mark, and then turned off. An example of a rectangular laser write signal is shown in Line (Aj) in Fig. 3 of the ’129 patent:

[889]*889[[Image here]]

As explained in the 129 patent, the rectangular waveshape in Line (AJ suffers from some disadvantages. When a laser beam hits the surface of the disc, it takes some time for the laser to heat up the disc. On the other hand, when the laser beam is turned off, the disc cools off almost immediately. This results in a pit in the disc with a shape that is not symmetrical. Specifically, a “pear-shaped” or “teardrop-shaped” surface effect will result at the leading edge of the pit, and a rounded or blunt edge will result at the trailing edge of the pit. This is illustrated in Line (A3) in Fig. 3 of the 129 patent.

The lack of symmetry in the shape of the pit causes problems when reading the pits on the disc. If the front and back ends of the pit are non-symmetric, it can be difficult for a CD player to determine exactly where the pit begins and ends. The 129 patent explains that one prior art attempt to improve the shape of the pit involved increasing the intensity of the laser beam at the beginning of the laser pulse. This produces symmetrical blunt ends on both ends of the pit. This is illustrated in Line (Bj) (laser pulse shape) and in Line (B3) (resulting pit shape) in Fig. 3 of the 129 patent.

The 129 patent goes on to explain that “blunt ends on the pits make tracking difficult for some players.” The invention of the 129 patent addresses this problem using a laser waveshape that produces tapered ends on both ends of the pit. The laser write signal that produces this effect uses what it called a “trapezoid” wavesh-[890]*890ape, illustrated in Line (Cx) of Fig. 3 of the ’129 patent. The trapezoid waveshape has a steep leading edge followed by a flat plateau portion followed by a ramped trailing edge. The 129 patent describes and claims the use of the trapezoid waveshape for optical recording.

After its development of the trapezoid waveshape, ODC continued to conduct research geared towards further improving its laser write signal. Sometime in 1992, named inventors Richard Wilkinson and Li Shigang came up with the idea for a new waveshape, which ultimately became known at ODC as the “CDRET” wavesh-ape.1 ODC documents show the CDRET waveshape as follows:

[[Image here]]

As can be seen from the above figure, the trailing edge has the same ramped shape as the trapezoid waveshape. The CDRET waveshape differs from the trapezoid waveshape in that the leading edge has an overshoot which then exponentially decays to a lower level of intensity, followed by a ramped trailing edge.

II.

The parties agree that the CDRET wav-eshape is the best mode of the claimed invention. The major issue in dispute is whether the inventors of the 129 patent considered the CDRET waveshape to be the best mode of their invention as of the date of filing of the 129 patent application, December 24, 1992 (the “filing date”). ODC’s position is that the CDRET circuit was not completely tested by the filing date, and that therefore the ODC inventors were not sure as of that date whether the CDRET waveshape was the best mode of the invention. Del Mar’s position is that the CDRET waveshape had been fully tested as of the filing date, and that the testing showed such positive results that the ODC inventors knew by then that the CDRET waveshape was the best mode of the invention.

In the district court below, Del Mar moved for summary judgment of patent invalidity, arguing that the 129 patent was invalid by reason of the on-sale bar and for failure to meet the best mode requirement. The district court granted Del Mar’s best mode motion, finding that the inventors considered CDRET to be the best mode of the invention before the filing date and that ODC did not adequately disclose this best mode in the patent. Optical Disc, slip op. at 4-5. The court rejected ODC’s argument that the inventors did not know that CDRET was the best mode of the invention at filing because “beta” testing had not yet been performed. The court concluded that “[wjhether or not ODC had completed all of the beta testing required to perfect their commercial implementation of what later was called CDRET has no bearing on whether the inventors contemplated the new waveshape to be the [891]*891best mode of practicing the invention for which they filed an application.” Optical Disc, slip op. at 7 n. 1 (emphasis in original). Having granted Del Mar’s best mode motion, the district court denied the on-sale bar motion as moot.

III.

We independently review the district court’s grant of summary judgment. N. Telecom Ltd. v. Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., 215 F.3d 1281, 1286 (Fed.Cir.2000). Summary judgment is appropriate only if there is no genuine issue of material fact and the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. See Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c). To this end, the court must draw all reasonable factual inferences in favor of the nonmovant. See Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 255, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986).

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