Wi-Lan USA, Inc. v. Ericsson, Inc.

675 F. App'x 984
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
DecidedJanuary 17, 2017
Docket2015-1766, -1794
StatusUnpublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 675 F. App'x 984 (Wi-Lan USA, Inc. v. Ericsson, Inc.) 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
Wi-Lan USA, Inc. v. Ericsson, Inc., 675 F. App'x 984 (Fed. Cir. 2017).

Opinions

Concurring in part and dissenting in part opinion filed by Circuit Judge O’Malley.

Wallach, Circuit Judge.

The instant dispute returns to us a second time following additional district court proceedings. Initially, Wi-LAN USA, Inc. and Wi-LAN, Inc. (together, “Wi-LAN”) sued Ericsson, Inc. and Telefonaktiebola-get LM Ericsson (together, “Ericsson”) in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida (“District Court”) alleging infringement of various claims of U.S. Patent Nos. 8,027,298 (“the '298 patent”), 8,249,014 (“the '014 patent”), and 8,229,437 (“the '437 patent”) (collectively, “the Patents-in-Suit”). Ericsson argued that Wi-LAN was precluded from asserting infringement and moved for summary judgment based on the Most Favored Licensee Provision (“MFL Provision”) in the Patent and Conflict Resolution Agreement (“PCRA”) between Wi-LAN and Ericsson. The District Court determined on summary judgment that the MFL Provision was triggered, that Ericsson was entitled to a license, and that the claims of infringement were moot. On appeal, we determined that the “MFL Provision only applies to Wi-LAN’s patents owned or controlled as of the effective date of the PCRA, which the [Patents-in-Suit] ... were not.” Wi-LAN USA, Inc. v. Ericsson, Inc., 574 Fed.Appx. 931, 940 (Fed. Cir. 2014). Thus, because “Ericsson’s rights under the MFL Provision were not triggered,” we reversed the District Court’s judgment and remanded the case for further proceedings. Id.

On remand, the District Court construed claim terms in the Patents-in-Suit. See Wi-LAN USA, Inc. v. Telefonaktiebolaget TM Ericsson, No. 12-CV-23569-DMM, 2015 WL 6673742, at *3-13 (S.D. Fla. Jan. 13, 2015). Ericsson then moved for summary judgment of non-infringement of various claims (“the Asserted Claims”)1 of the ’298 patent and the ’014 patent (together, “the Bandwidth Patents”) and for summary judgment of invalidity of claims 8 and 18 of the ’437 patent. Ericsson also argued the MFL Provision applied despite this court’s previous decision. The District Court granted Ericsson’s Motion in part and entered summary judgment that (1) claims 8 and 18 of the ’437 patent were invalid as anticipated and (2) Ericsson’s accused products did not directly infringe the Bandwidth Patents, J.A. 12-32. The District Court found the MFL Provision did not apply to the Patents-in-Suit. J.A. 11-12, 32.

Wi-LAN appeals the District Court’s decision granting summary judgment of invalidity and non-infringement. Ericsson cross-appeals the District Court’s decision that the MFL Provision does not apply to the Patents-in-Suit. We have jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1295(a)(1) (2012). We vacate-in-part, affirm-in-part, and remand for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.

Background

Before addressing the merits of the parties’ arguments, we provide a brief sum[987]*987mary of the Patents-in-Suit. We divide our discussion of the Patents-in-Suit into two parts based on their subject matter.

I. - The Bandwidth Patents

The Bandwidth Patents are entitled “Methods and Systems for Transmission of Multiple Modulated Signals Over Wireless Networks” and disclose “[a] method and apparatus for requesting and allocating bandwidth in a broadband wireless communication system,” whereby “a combination of bandwidth allocation techniques” are used to efficiently allocate physical resources. ’298 patent, Abstract.2

“The broadband wireless communication system facilitates two-way communication between a plurality of base stations and a plurality of fixed subscriber stations or Customer Premises Equipment [ (‘CPE’) ].” Id. col. 1 ll. 62-65. The broadband wireless communication system “includes a plurality of cells.... Each cell ... provides wireless connectivity between the cell’s base station ... and a plurality of ... [CPEs] positioned at fixed customer sites ... throughout the coverage area of the cell....” Id. col. 2 ll. 2-8. The system is an on-demand system where CPEs “request bandwidth allocations from their respective base stations ... based upon the type and quality of services requested by the customers served by the CPEs.” Id. col. 2 ll. 16-19. “Base stations do not have a priori information regarding the bandwidth or quality of services that a selected CPE will require at any given time.” Id. col. 2 ll. 39-42 (italics added). Thus, “[t]he type and quality of services available to the customers are variable and selectable.” Id, col. 2 ll. 20-21. The Bandwidth Patents “reduce[] the amount of bandwidth that must be set aside for these bandwidth allocation -requests.” Id. col. 9 ll. 38-40.

II. The ’437 Patent

Entitled “Pre-Allocated Random Access Identifiers,” the ’437 patent generally discloses “[slytems and methods of pre-allo-cating identifiers to wireless devices for use in requesting resources over a random access channel.... ” ’437 patent, Abstract. The ’437 patent provides a method for “[a] mobile subscriber station[, e.g., cellular telephone, to] transition from a coverage area supported by a first base station to a coverage area supported by a second base station.” Id. col. 20 ll. 1-3. The “communication link from the subscriber station is handed over from the first or serving base station to the second base station....” Id. col. 20 ll.4-6.

“The use of pre-allocated codes,” i.e., random access identifiers, as taught by the ’437 patent, “avoids the collision probability^ e.g., dropped calls,] associated with random subscriber selected access codes.... ” Id. col. 2 ll. 64-66. “The base station ,., pre-allocates one or more codes to registered subscriber stations” in its coverage area, and these base stations “track[ ] the code allocation such that each of the allocatable codes are allocated to at most one subscriber station at a time.” Id. col. 6 ll. 20-21, 22-24. The pre-allocated codes are then released by the subscriber station “when it de-registers with the base [988]*988station” and leaves the coverage area. Id. col. 6 l. 26.

Discussion

Wi-LAN argues that (1) genuine issues of material fact precluded invalidity summary judgment for the ’437 patent based on anticipation; (2) the District Court erred in construing “bandwidth” in the Bandwidth Patents; and (3) genuine issues of material fact precluded non-infringement summary judgment for the Bandwidth Patents. Appellants’ Br. 22-60. Ericsson argues on cross-appeal that the District Court erred in finding as a matter of law that the PCRA’s MFL Provision was triggered in this case. Cross-Appellants’ Br. 59-69, We address these arguments in turn.

I. Standard of Review

We review the grant of summary judgment under the law of the regional circuit in which the district court sits. Classen Immunotherapies, Inc. v. Elan Pharm., Inc., 786 F.3d 892, 896 (Fed. Cir. 2015). The Eleventh Circuit reviews a district court’s grant of summary judgment de novo. Ellis v. England, 432 F.3d 1321, 1325 (11th Cir. 2005).

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