The Dolcera Blog

Here’s a cool use for a phone that has both cellular broadband and Wi-Fi: Turn it into a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot so your friends can surf the Internet on their laptops.

A couple startups have created and made available software like this in the last year. But a more established software maker said Wednesday that it has created a package for carriers to offer their customers.

TapRoot Systems Inc. of Research Triangle Park, N.C., said it was talking with carriers about providing their customers with the software, which would let up to five Wi-Fi users connect to a phone.

A possible free trial version would let only one Wi-Fi user connect to the phone at a time.

The software works on phones with Windows Mobile or Symbian S60 software. Windows phones are common in the U.S., while Symbian is championed by Nokia Corp. and more common in Europe. There already is an independent program called WMWifirouter that turns Windows phones into hotspots, and there’s one called JoikuSpot for Nokia phones.

Capacity is limited on third-generation cellular broadband networks, and carriers are somewhat restrictive of the applications they allow, for fear their networks will be overwhelmed.

TapRoot’s system attempts to assuage that fear by letting carriers control access through a server, said Chief Executive Bob Bicksler. The carriers could then charge extra for the service, he said.

Not many phones have both 3G and Wi-Fi. U.S. carriers have in some cases removed or disabled Wi-Fi antennas for the U.S. launches of some phones by overseas manufacturers, apparently because they fear customers would be less likely to pay for 3G. However, combined Wi-Fi and 3G phones are becoming more common.

Bicksler mentioned AT&T Inc.’s Tilt and 8525 models and Sprint Nextel Corp.’s Mogul by HTC as phones that would work as mobile hotspots.

Another way of using a 3G network to create a Wi-Fi hotspot is to buy a Wi-Fi router that accepts a cellular broadband card. Cisco Systems Inc. makes such a router for the Sprint network.

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Honeywell International has accused four Japanese firms and their U.S. subsidiaries of infringing its patents.
Honeywell accused the Japanese companies for infringing patents on automotive display and navigation systems.

• Alpine Electronics
• Denso Corporation
• Pioneer Corporation
• Kenwood Corporation

The four companies all have U.S. subsidiaries that are also named in Honeywell’s request for an investigation.

The commission has been a popular venue for patent infringement suits because, unlike other courts, it can bar products made with infringed technology from importation.

According to Honeywell Aerospace spokeswoman Cathy Gedvilas, “Honeywell continues to invest substantial resources in the design, development and manufacture of navigation systems and equipment . This action will protect against the unauthorized use of our patented technologies”.

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Apple Inc. is being sued by Klausner Technologies that has claimed that Apple iPhone has infringed on the Klausner patent for visual voice mail. Klausner is seeking $360 million in compensation and damages for its patent numbers US5572576 and US5283818 which basically describe a system that allows for the visual retrieval and sorting of voice mail by way of a display.

Patent #: US5572576
Title: Telephone answering device linking displayed data with recorded audio message
Assignee: Klausner Patent Technologies
Filind Date: March 15, 1994
Abstract: A telephone answering device (TAD) which includes a means of intelligently organizing voice messages, associated entered codes such as personal IDs and home telephone numbers, and information stored in the memory of the TAD. These codes or numbers are decoded by means of the caller entering DTMF signals into the telephone which are recognized, recorded and processed by the TAD. When processed with codes and personal information previously entered into the device’s memory, the TAD displays the identity of the callers for each message, thus providing a menu of choices, i.e., a list of callers. This enables the user to access messages in a selective manner based on the identity of the caller. The need to listen to the actual voice messages to determine the caller’s identity and the need to listen to the messages sequentially or chronologically is obviated, saving both time and effort. Additionally, because the voice message is also linked to pre-stored additional data in the data base, when hearing a message, one also can view relevant associated information, such as a fax number, etc., that might not have been left in the audio message but might be important. A remote access device is also provided that allows the user to retrieve and display the callers’ identities and select a message to be played back from a remote location.

Patent #: US5283818
Title: Telephone answering device linking displayed data with recorded audio message
Assignee: Klausner Patent Technologies
Filind Date: March 31, 1992
Abstract: A telephone answering device (TAD) which includes a means of intelligently organizing voice messages, associated entered codes such as personal IDs and home telephone numbers, and information stored in the memory of the TAD. These codes or numbers are decoded by means of the caller entering DTMF signals into the telephone which are recognized, recorded and processed by the TAD. When processed with codes and personal information previously entered into the device’s memory, the TAD displays the identity of the callers for each message, thus providing a menu of choices, i.e., a list of callers. This enables the user to access messages in a selective manner based on the identity of the caller. The need to listen to the actual voice messages to determine the caller’s identity and the need to listen to the messages sequentially or chronologically is obviated, saving both time and effort. Additionally, because the voice message is also linked to pre-stored additional data in the data base, when hearing a message, one also can view relevant associated information, such as a fax number, etc., that might not have been left in the audio message but might be important.

There are several other companies that have paid Klausner to license these technologies mentioned in these patents including AOL which is featuring the technology in its AOL Voicemail service. Vonage also pays for the use of this technology for its Voicemail Plus service. Thus far, Apple and AT&T have not made any comment on this issue.

Klausner is also filing against Comcast for their Digital Voice Mail, Cablevision for its Systems’ Optimum Voicemail, and Ebay’s Skype. The second suit filed in a different court on the same day seeks $300 in damages for patent infringement. Klausner Technologies is an avid patent seeker and was founded by Judah Klausner who invented and patented the PDA and electronic organizer. Klausner has been well known for its aggressive patent mongering.

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Vonage has agreed to settle partially on a patent suit with Verizon after the company was faced with possible interruption of its service. Verizon alleges that Vonage is infringing on seven of its patents on voice-over-IP technologies. A joint statement read succinctly “The parties are pleased to have resolved this matter.”

In March of this year, a jury found that Vonage is infringing on three of the seven patents, awarding Verizon with $58 million in damages. The judge issued an injunction which was stayed pending an appeal. Nevertheless in September, the U.S. Court of Appeals upheld the earlier court decision. Vonage then filed a petition for a rehearing.

If Vonage wins a rehearing on either the ‘574 or ‘711 patent, or if the injunction is vacated as to the ‘574 or ‘711 patent, Vonage will have to pay Verizon $80 million. If Vonage does not win a rehearing on either the ‘574 or ‘711 patent, or if the stay is lifted reinstating the injunction, Vonage will pay Verizon $117.5 million.

Things got more interesting as AT&T filed a lawsuit against Vonage on October 17 for a patent on connecting a traditional telephone to the Internet. The suit was filed after two years of unsuccessful negotiations, however Vonage said they would resolve the matter with AT&T to prevent court proceedings.

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Apple agreed to settle a patent dispute with Burst.com, ending two years of litigation. Burst agreed not to sue Apple over current or pending DVR patents.

Under the agreement, Apple will pay Burst.com $10 million and get access to Burst.com’s patent portfolio, with some exceptions. Apple won’t have access to four of Burst.com’s current and pending patents, including three pending patents relating to digital video recorder (DVR) technology. Court costs, expenses and attorney’s fees will reduce the proceeds to Burst.com to $4.6 million.

Burst alleges that Apple infringed four patents for transmission of compressed audio and video files in iTunes, iLife, QuickTime and the iPod.

Apple was asked by Burst in 2004 to license some of its patents, saying they were at the pioneering heart of the iPod. In January 2006, Apple sued Burst.com in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, seeking a judgment that the Burst.com patents were invalid and not infringed upon. Burst.com countersued in April 2006, alleging that Apple infringed four of its patents.

Bust also won a $60 million financial settlement from Microsoft in 2005 after a patent dispute over the transmission of music and video with its Windows Media Player.

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Anascape Inc., a small East Texas-based gaming company, sued Microsoft and Nintendo in 2006 for being in breach of no less than twelve of their controller patents. Filed in 2000, these patents include “Remote Controller with Analog Button”, “3D Controller With Vibration” and “Game Controller with Analog Pressure Sensor”.

Late Wednesday, a federal jury found Nintendo infringed upon Anascape’s patents while designing their GameCube, Wavebird, and Wii Classic controllers. Nintendo is being ordered to pay Anascape $21 Million USD for patent infringement.

Microsoft’s out-of-court settlement with Anascape before the Nintendo trial began is considered confidential, and no further information is available.

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Sanofi-Aventis said it is ‘considering all its legal options’ after the U.S. Court of Appeals upheld an earlier ruling in the Lovenox anti-coagulant patent infringement suit against Amphastar and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries.

As a result of the Court of Appeals ruling the U.S. Lovenox patent is deemed to be ‘unenforceable’.

While several generic manufacturers have requested marketing approval from the FDA for their products alleged to be generic versions of Lovenox, Sanofi-Aventis has not learned of any FDA approval of these requests.

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Applied Nanoscience Inc. announced in a press release that it has received formal notification for the issuance of a patent in Singapore for its core technology platform encompassing “Filtering Devices Incorporating Nanoparticles.”

The company has already been issued this similarly broad patent in Taiwan. The patent covers three main ways of associating the nanoparticles with filter media: (1) having pellets of nanoparticles located adjacent to the filter media, (2) coating the filter media with a powder of nanoparticles, and (3) impregnating the nanoparticles into the filter media.

In addition, ANI has received formal communication that the issuance of this same patent is imminent in Russia along with written confirmation that the granting of a patent based upon a divisional application is expected soon in India.

The company has received very positive notification relating to the patent application on their proprietary nanoparticle formulation from the USPTO.

Applied Nanoscience Inc. is a marketer and developer of innovative, high-performance filtration systems and technologies to customers worldwide in a focused effort to provide a safer tomorrow.

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For the set-top box Apple Apple TV could be a 3D remote control in the pipeline. On November 2006 submitted patent with the title’3 D remote control system employing absolute and relative position detection ‘describes a remote control, the controller of the Nintendo Wii comparable. As a U.S. patent application 20080106517, it was now.

Acceleration sensors detect the position in space and their change. Everything you need to make a game situation. As such sensors in the iPhone and iPod touch exist, it would be conceivable that Apple these devices via WiFi as a game controller zuführt new applications.

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A US jury has ruled that Realtek Semiconductor Corp has infringed a number of 3Com Corp patents and has awarded the plaintiff $45.3million in damages. 3Com Corp claimed that Taiwanese company Realtek had infringed four of its patents relating to revolutionary network interface technology. The jury found in favour of all of 3Com Corp’s claims. It also decided that Realtek had encouraged others to infringe the patents in the US, thereby being involved in wilful patent violation. 3Com Corp is now tracking a final court judgement consistent with the jury findings. It is hoping the court will consider enhancing the damages because of Realtek’s wilful actions.

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