UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`__________________________________
`
`BEFORE THE PATENT TRIAL AND APPEAL BOARD
`__________________________________
`
`AMAZON.COM, INC.,
`AMAZON.COM SERVICES LLC,
`AMAZON WEB SERVICES, INC., and
`AUDIBLE, INC.,
`Petitioners,
`
`v.
`
`AUDIO POD IP, LLC,
`Patent Owner.
`
`Case No. IPR2025-01003
`U.S. Patent No. 9,729,907
`
`PETITION FOR INTER PARTES REVIEW OF
`U.S. PATENT NO. 9,729,907
`
`
`__________________________________
`
`BEFORE THE PATENT TRIAL AND APPEAL BOARD
`__________________________________
`
`AMAZON.COM, INC.,
`AMAZON.COM SERVICES LLC,
`AMAZON WEB SERVICES, INC., and
`AUDIBLE, INC.,
`Petitioners,
`
`v.
`
`AUDIO POD IP, LLC,
`Patent Owner.
`
`Case No. IPR2025-01003
`U.S. Patent No. 9,729,907
`
`PETITION FOR INTER PARTES REVIEW OF
`U.S. PATENT NO. 9,729,907
`
`
`
`I.
`
`II.
`
`III.
`
`IV.
`
`V.
`
`TABLE OF CONTENTS
`
`INTRODUCTION --------------------------------------------------------------- 1
`
`THE ’907 PATENT ------------------------------------------------------------- 2
`
`A. Overview ------------------------------------------------------------------ 2
`
`B.
`
`C.
`
`Prosecution ---------------------------------------------------------------- 3
`
`Priority --------------------------------------------------------------------- 3
`
`LEVEL OF ORDINARY SKILL IN THE ART ----------------------------- 4
`
`CLAIM CONSTRUCTION ---------------------------------------------------- 4
`
`STATEMENT OF PRECISE RELIEF REQUESTED --------------------- 4
`
`A. Grounds -------------------------------------------------------------------- 4
`
`B.
`
`Status of References as Prior Art --------------------------------------- 5
`
`VI.
`
`GROUND 1A: CLAIMS 1-14, 17-19, AND 21 WOULD
`HAVE BEEN OBVIOUS IN VIEW OF DTB ------------------------------- 6
`
`A.
`
`Claim 1 -------------------------------------------------------------------- 6
`
`1.
`
`2.
`
`3.
`
`4.
`
`5.
`
`6.
`
`7.
`
`8.
`
`Preamble ----------------------------------------------------------- 6
`
`1[a][i]: Descriptor File ------------------------------------------- 6
`
`1[a][ii]-1[a][iii]: Digital Media Streams ----------------------- 7
`
`1[a][iv]: External Descriptor File ------------------------------- 8
`
`1[b]: Location Information -------------------------------------- 9
`
`1[c][i]: Time Offsets -------------------------------------------- 11
`
`1[c][ii]: Content Points in Audio Narration ------------------ 13
`
`1[d]: Correlating Time Offsets and Content Points --------- 14
`
`-i-
`
`
`
`9.
`
`10.
`
`11.
`
`1[e]: Synchronization Points ----------------------------------- 14
`
`1[f]: Synchronization Time Offsets --------------------------- 16
`
`1[g][i]: Correlating Synchronization Time Offsets
`and Synchronization Points ------------------------------------ 17
`
`12.
`
`1[g][ii]: Synchronized Rendering ----------------------------- 18
`
`Claim 2 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 19
`
`Claim 3 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 20
`
`Claim 4 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 20
`
`Claim 5 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 22
`
`Claim 6 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 22
`
`Claim 7 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 23
`
`1.
`
`2.
`
`7[a]: Visually Rendered Content ------------------------------ 23
`
`7[b]: Automated Page Turns ----------------------------------- 23
`
`B.
`
`C.
`
`D.
`
`E.
`
`F.
`
`G.
`
`H.
`
`Claim 8 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 24
`
`I.
`
`J.
`
`Claim 9 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 24
`
`Claim 10 ------------------------------------------------------------------ 25
`
`K.
`
`Claim 11 ------------------------------------------------------------------ 25
`
`1.
`
`2.
`
`3.
`
`11[a]: Selecting Streams ---------------------------------------- 26
`
`11[b]: Determining a First Position --------------------------- 26
`
`11[c]: Rendering from the First Position --------------------- 27
`
`L.
`
`Claim 12 ------------------------------------------------------------------ 28
`
`M. Claim 13 ------------------------------------------------------------------ 28
`
`-ii-
`
`
`
`N.
`
`O.
`
`P.
`
`Q.
`
`R.
`
`Claim 14 ------------------------------------------------------------------ 29
`
`Claim 17 ------------------------------------------------------------------ 30
`
`Claim 18 ------------------------------------------------------------------ 30
`
`1.
`
`2.
`
`18[a][i]: Navigating --------------------------------------------- 30
`
`18[a][ii]: Some Content Not Resident on Client
`Device ------------------------------------------------------------- 31
`
`Claim 19 ------------------------------------------------------------------ 31
`
`Claim 21 ------------------------------------------------------------------ 32
`
`VII.
`
`GROUND 1B: CLAIMS 2 AND 18-19 WOULD HAVE
`BEEN OBVIOUS IN VIEW OF DTB AND YOSHIMURA ------------- 33
`
`A.
`
`B.
`
`Claim 2 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 33
`
`Claim 18 ------------------------------------------------------------------ 34
`
`1.
`
`2.
`
`18[a][i]: Navigating --------------------------------------------- 34
`
`18[a][ii]: Some Content Not Resident on Client
`Device ------------------------------------------------------------- 35
`
`C.
`
`Claim 19 ------------------------------------------------------------------ 37
`
`VIII.
`
`GROUND 1C: CLAIM 7 WOULD HAVE BEEN OBVIOUS
`IN VIEW OF DTB AND DUNCAN ----------------------------------------- 37
`
`IX.
`
`X.
`
`GROUND 1D: CLAIM 8 WOULD HAVE BEEN OBVIOUS
`IN VIEW OF DTB AND HECKERMAN ----------------------------------- 39
`
`GROUND 1E: CLAIMS 14 AND 20 WOULD HAVE BEEN
`OBVIOUS IN VIEW OF DTB AND BULTERMAN --------------------- 42
`
`A.
`
`B.
`
`Claim 14 ------------------------------------------------------------------ 42
`
`Claim 20 ------------------------------------------------------------------ 44
`
`-iii-
`
`
`
`XI.
`
`XII.
`
`XIII.
`
`GROUND 1F: CLAIM 15 WOULD HAVE BEEN OBVIOUS
`IN VIEW OF DTB AND YANG --------------------------------------------- 45
`
`GROUND 1G: CLAIM 16 WOULD HAVE BEEN OBVIOUS
`IN VIEW OF DTB, YANG, AND COPLEY ------------------------------- 47
`
`GROUND 2A: CLAIMS 1-3, 8-12, 14, 17-19, AND 21
`WOULD HAVE BEEN OBVIOUS IN VIEW OF
`MCCARTNEY ------------------------------------------------------------------ 49
`
`A.
`
`Claim 1 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 49
`
`1.
`
`2.
`
`3.
`
`4.
`
`5.
`
`6.
`
`7.
`
`8.
`
`9.
`
`10.
`
`11.
`
`Preamble ---------------------------------------------------------- 49
`
`1[a][i]: Descriptor File ------------------------------------------ 49
`
`1[a][ii]: Same Originating Work ------------------------------ 51
`
`1[a][iii]: Digital Media Streams ------------------------------- 51
`
`1[a][iv]: External Descriptor File ------------------------------ 51
`
`1[b]: Location Information ------------------------------------- 52
`
`a.
`
`b.
`
`TSD File -------------------------------------------------- 52
`
`BPM File -------------------------------------------------- 53
`
`1[c][i]: Time Offsets -------------------------------------------- 53
`
`1[c][ii] and 1[d]: Content Points Correlated to
`Time Offsets------------------------------------------------------ 54
`
`1[e]: Synchronization Points ----------------------------------- 55
`
`1[f]: Synchronization Time Offsets --------------------------- 56
`
`1[g][i]: Correlating Synchronization Time Offsets
`and Synchronization Points ------------------------------------ 58
`
`12.
`
`1[g][ii]: Synchronized Rendering ----------------------------- 59
`
`-iv-
`
`
`
`B.
`
`C.
`
`D.
`
`E.
`
`F.
`
`G.
`
`H.
`
`I.
`
`J.
`
`Claim 2 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 59
`
`Claim 3 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 61
`
`Claim 8 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 61
`
`Claims 9-10 -------------------------------------------------------------- 61
`
`Claims 11-12 ------------------------------------------------------------- 62
`
`1.
`
`2.
`
`3.
`
`11[a]: Selecting Streams ---------------------------------------- 62
`
`11[b]: Determining a First Position and 12: User
`Interaction -------------------------------------------------------- 62
`
`11[c]: Rendering from the First Position --------------------- 63
`
`Claim 14 ------------------------------------------------------------------ 63
`
`Claim 17 ------------------------------------------------------------------ 64
`
`Claim 18 ------------------------------------------------------------------ 64
`
`Claim 19 ------------------------------------------------------------------ 65
`
`K.
`
`Claim 21 ------------------------------------------------------------------ 65
`
`XIV.
`
`GROUND 2B: CLAIMS 2 AND 18 WOULD HAVE BEEN
`OBVIOUS IN VIEW OF MCCARTNEY AND KAUFFMAN ---------- 65
`
`A.
`
`B.
`
`Claim 2 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 65
`
`Claim 18 ------------------------------------------------------------------ 67
`
`XV.
`
`GROUND 2C: CLAIMS 4-6 AND 13 WOULD HAVE BEEN
`OBVIOUS IN VIEW OF MCCARTNEY AND DTB --------------------- 67
`
`A.
`
`Claim 4 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 67
`
`1.
`
`2.
`
`4[a]: Tracking Position ----------------------------------------- 67
`
`4[b]: Bookmark -------------------------------------------------- 69
`
`-v-
`
`
`
`B.
`
`C.
`
`D.
`
`Claim 5 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 70
`
`Claim 6 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 70
`
`Claim 13 ------------------------------------------------------------------ 71
`
`XVI.
`
`GROUND 2D: CLAIM 7 WOULD HAVE BEEN OBVIOUS
`IN VIEW OF MCCARTNEY AND DUNCAN ---------------------------- 71
`
`XVII. GROUND 2E: CLAIM 8 WOULD HAVE BEEN OBVIOUS
`IN VIEW OF MCCARTNEY AND WOODILL --------------------------- 73
`
`XVIII. GROUND 2F: CLAIMS 14 AND 20 WOULD HAVE BEEN
`OBVIOUS IN VIEW OF MCCARTNEY AND
`BULTERMAN ------------------------------------------------------------------ 74
`
`A.
`
`B.
`
`Claim 14 ------------------------------------------------------------------ 74
`
`Claim 20 ------------------------------------------------------------------ 75
`
`GROUND 2G: CLAIM 15 WOULD HAVE BEEN OBVIOUS
`IN VIEW OF MCCARTNEY AND SHTEYN ----------------------------- 75
`
`GROUND 2H: CLAIM 16 WOULD HAVE BEEN OBVIOUS
`IN VIEW OF MCCARTNEY, SHTEYN, AND COPLEY --------------- 76
`
`SECONDARY CONSIDERATIONS OF
`NONOBVIOUSNESS --------------------------------------------------------- 77
`
`XIX.
`
`XX.
`
`XXI.
`
`XXII. CONCLUSION ----------------------------------------------------------------- 77
`
`XXIII. MANDATORY NOTICES, GROUNDS FOR STANDING,
`AND FEE PAYMENT --------------------------------------------------------- 77
`
`A.
`
`B.
`
`C.
`
`D.
`
`Real Parties-In-Interest (37 C.F.R. §42.8(b)(1)) -------------------- 78
`
`Related Matters (37 C.F.R. §42.8(b)(2)) ----------------------------- 78
`
`Lead and Backup Counsel (37 C.F.R. §42.8(b)(3)) ----------------- 79
`
`Service Information (37 C.F.R. §42.8(b)(4)) ------------------------ 80
`
`-vi-
`
`
`
`E.
`
`F.
`
`Grounds for Standing (37 C.F.R. §42.104(a)) ----------------------- 80
`
`Payment of Fees (37 C.F.R. §42.103) -------------------------------- 80
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`-vii-
`
`
`
`TABLE OF AUTHORITIES
`
`Page(s):
`
`Cases:
`In re GPAC Inc.,
`57 F.3d 1573 (Fed. Cir. 1995) ......................................................................... 4
`KSR Int’l Co. v. Teleflex Inc.,
`550 U.S. 398 (2007)................................................................................passim
`Leapfrog Enters., Inc. v. Fisher-Price, Inc.,
`485 F.3d 1157 (Fed. Cir. 2007) ..................................................................... 77
`Nidec Motor Corp. v. Zhongshan Broad Ocean Motor Co. Ltd.,
`868 F.3d 1013 (Fed. Cir. 2017) ....................................................................... 4
`Vivid Techs., Inc. v. Am. Sci. & Eng’g, Inc.,
`200 F.3d 795 (Fed. Cir. 1999) ......................................................................... 4
`Statutes and Rules:
`35 U.S.C. §103 ...................................................................................................... 4
`
`-viii-
`
`
`
`Amazon.com, Inc. v. Audio Pod IP, LLC
`IPR Petition - U.S. Pat. No. 9,729,907
`
`TABLE OF EXHIBITS
`
`Exhibit No.
`1001
`
`Description
`U.S. Patent No. 9,729,907 (“the ’907 patent”)
`
`1002
`
`Declaration of Professor Ketan Mayer-Patel, Ph.D.
`
`1003
`
`NATIONAL INFORMATION STANDARDS ORGANIZATION, SPECI-
`FICATIONS FOR THE DIGITAL TALKING BOOK (ANSI/NISO
`Z39.86-2002) (2002) (“DTB”)
`
`Exhibit Numbers 1004-1005 Not Used
`
`1006
`
`1007
`
`Yoshimura et al., Content Delivery Network Architecture for
`Mobile Streaming Service Enabled by SMIL Modification, 86
`IEICE TRANSACTIONS ON COMMC’N 1778 (2003) (“Yoshi-
`mura”)
`
`Excerpts from DICK C.A. BULTERMAN & LLOYD RUTLEDGE,
`SMIL 2.0, INTERACTIVE MULTIMEDIA FOR WEB AND MOBILE
`DEVICES (2004) (“Bulterman”)
`
`Exhibit Number 1008 Not Used
`
`1009
`
`U.S. Patent Publication No. 2003/0061305 (“Copley”)
`
`1013
`
`1014
`
`1015
`
`Exhibit Numbers 1010-1012 Not Used
`
`U.S. Patent Publication No. 2003/0033147 (“McCartney”)
`
`U.S. Patent Publication No. 2003/0081336 (“Woodill”)
`
`U.S. Patent No. 5,857,203 (“Kauffman”)
`
`Exhibit Numbers 1016-1026 Not Used
`
`1027
`
`U.S. Patent Publication No. 2003/0013073 (“Duncan”)
`
`Exhibit Number 1028 Not Used
`
`Table of Exhibits, Page 1
`
`
`
`Amazon.com, Inc. v. Audio Pod IP, LLC
`IPR Petition - U.S. Pat. No. 9,729,907
`
`Exhibit No.
`
`1029
`
`Description
`Robert Steele et al., Accessing SMIL-based Dynamically
`Adaptable Multimedia Presentations from Mobile Devices,
`in INT’L CONF. ON INFO. TECH.: CODING AND COMPUTING
`(2004) (“Steele”)
`
`1030
`
`U.S. Patent No. 6,260,011 (“Heckerman”)
`
`1032
`
`1033
`
`1045
`
`1046
`
`Exhibit Number 1031 Not Used
`
`U.S. Patent. No. 6,108,703 (“Leighton”)
`
`U.S. Patent No. 5,922,045 (“Hanson”)
`
`Exhibit Numbers 1034-1044 Not Used
`
`Chun-Chuan Yang et al., Design and Implementation of the
`Just-in-Time Retrieving Policy for Schedule-Based Distrib-
`uted Multimedia Presentations, 71 J. SYS. & SOFTWARE 49
`(2004) (“Yang”)
`
`Tredinnick, Implementing the SMIL Specification, PROC. OF
`THE LINUX SYMP. (2003) (“Tredinnick”)
`
`Exhibit Numbers 1047-1048 Not Used
`
`1049
`
`UNIFORM RESOURCE IDENTIFIERS (URI): GENERIC SYNTAX,
`RFC 2396 (1998)
`
`Exhibit Number 1050 Not Used
`
`1051
`
`Excerpts from World Wide Web Consortium, Synchronized
`Multimedia Integration Language (SMIL 2.0) Specification,
`W3C Recommendation (Aug. 7, 2001),
`https://www.w3.org/TR/2001/REC-smil20-
`20010807/smil20.html. (the “SMIL Standard”)
`
`Exhibit Numbers 1052-1056 Not Used
`
`1057
`
`U.S. Patent No. 5,798,841 (“Takahashi”)
`
`Table of Exhibits, Page 2
`
`
`
`Amazon.com, Inc. v. Audio Pod IP, LLC
`IPR Petition - U.S. Pat. No. 9,729,907
`
`Exhibit No.
`1058
`
`Description
`U.S. Patent No. 5,021,989 (“Fujisawa”)
`
`1059
`
`PCT Patent Publication No. WO2001/01373 (“Hendricks”)
`
`Exhibit Numbers 1060-1062 Not Used
`
`1063
`
`P. Delacourt & C.J. Wellekens, DISTBIC: A speaker-based
`segmentation for audio data indexing, 32 SPEECH COMM’N
`111 (2000) (“Delacourt”)
`
`Exhibit Numbers 1064-1068 Not Used
`
`1069
`
`PCT Patent Publication No. WO2002/080524 (“Dimitrova”)
`
`Exhibit Numbers 1070-1071 Not Used
`
`1072
`
`Excerpt from File History for European Patent Publication
`No. EP1961154
`
`Exhibit Number 1073 Not Used
`
`1074
`
`1075
`
`Final Office Action dated July 28, 2010, U.S. Patent App.
`No. 12/096933
`
`Barry Arons, SpeechSkimmer: A System for Interactively
`Skimming Recorded Speech, 4 ACM TRANSACTIONS ON
`COMPUTER-HUMAN INTERACTION 3 (1997) (“Arons”)
`
`Exhibit Numbers 1076-1085 Not Used
`
`1086
`
`PCT Patent Publication No. WO2001/024474 (“Shteyn”)
`
`1095
`
`1096
`
`1097
`
`Exhibit Numbers 1087-1094 Not Used
`
`Excerpts from the File History for U.S. Patent No. 9,729,907
`
`CV of Professor Ketan Mayer-Patel, Ph.D.
`
`Declaration of Sylvia D. Hall-Ellis, Ph.D.
`
`Exhibit Numbers 1098-1100 Not Used
`
`Table of Exhibits, Page 3
`
`
`
`Amazon.com, Inc. v. Audio Pod IP, LLC
`IPR Petition - U.S. Pat. No. 9,729,907
`
`Exhibit No.
`
`1101
`
`1102
`
`1103
`
`1104
`
`1105
`
`1106
`
`Description
`John E. Simpson, From XML to SMIL, XML.COM (May 26,
`2004), https://web.ar-
`chive.org/web/20040606014049/https:/www.xml.com/pub/a/
`2004/05/26/qa.html (June 6, 2004 snapshot via the Wayback
`Machine) (“Simpson”)
`
`Ingo Elsen et al., Streaming Technology in 3G Mobile Com-
`munication Systems, 34 COMPUTER, no. 9, at 46-52 (2001)
`(“Elsen”)
`
`WIKIBOOKS, XML – Managing Data Exchange/SMIL,
`https://en.wikibooks.org/w/index.php?title=XML_-_Manag-
`ing_Data_Exchange/SMIL&oldid=283559 (November 15,
`2005 snapshot via Wikibooks) (“SMIL Wiki”)
`
`Lloyd Rutledge, SMIL 2.0: XML for Web Multimedia, IEEE
`INTERNET COMPUTING, Sept.-Oct. 2001, at 78-84
`(“Rutledge”)
`
`Dongkyoo Shin et al., Design and Implementation of the
`SMIL (Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language)
`Player, 48 IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON CONSUMER ELECS. 575
`(2002) (“Shin”)
`
`Herng-Yow Chen et al., Design of a Web-Based Synchro-
`nized Multimedia Lecture System for Distance Education, 2
`PROC. IEEE INT’L CONF. ON MULTIMEDIA COMPUTING AND
`SYS. 887 (1999) (“Chen”)
`
`1107
`
`U.S. Patent Publication No. 2007/0124331 (“Griffin”)
`
`
`
`
`
`Table of Exhibits, Page 4
`
`
`
`Amazon.com, Inc. v. Audio Pod IP, LLC
`IPR Petition - U.S. Pat. No. 9,729,907
`Petitioners Amazon.com, Inc., Amazon.com Services LLC, Amazon Web
`
`Services, Inc., and Audible, Inc. (“Petitioners” or “Amazon”) respectfully request
`
`inter partes review of claims 1-21 of U.S. Patent No. 9,729,907 (“the ’907 patent”),
`
`which Audio Pod IP, LLC (“Patent Owner” or “PO”) purportedly owns.
`
`I.
`
`INTRODUCTION
`
`The challenged claims relate to creating a file for synchronizing digital media
`
`streams (e.g., audio and text) from the same originating work. Such synchronization
`
`files had been in use for nearly a decade prior to the ’907 patent’s earliest possible
`
`priority date of December 13, 2005. By 2005, synchronization files were so common
`
`there were multiple industry standards implementing them. (EX-1002 ¶32.) For
`
`example, in the late 1990s, a standard was developed for a “Synchronized Multime-
`
`dia Integration Language (SMIL),” which used XML files to synchronize text, au-
`
`dio, and images. (EX-1046, 424-25.) In 2002, the SMIL specification was used by
`
`the National Information Standards Organization in a standard for digital talking
`
`books (“DTBs”) that provided synchronized rendering of digital versions of text,
`
`audio, and images from print books for the visually impaired. (EX-1003, vii, 6-7.)
`
`Other synchronization files for “talking books”—now commonly referred to
`
`as “audiobooks”—were also well known before 2005. (EX-1002 ¶33.) For exam-
`
`ple, in 2003, McCartney disclosed a method “for coordinating independently pro-
`
`duced text and audio clip data” to produce “a properly coordinated and constructed
`
`-1-
`
`
`
`Amazon.com, Inc. v. Audio Pod IP, LLC
`IPR Petition - U.S. Pat. No. 9,729,907
`digital talking book” using “synchronization files.” (EX-1013, Abstract.)
`
`In view of the wealth of prior art describing synchronization files to synchro-
`
`nize digital media streams, the ’907 patent claims should never have issued.
`
`II. THE ’907 PATENT
`A. Overview
`
`The ’907 patent describes creating audiobooks having synchronized media
`
`streams. As shown in Figure 24a below, a “presentation manager” combines media
`
`streams (e.g., audio, text, and illustrations) using synchronization information from
`
`a “Virtual Media Descriptor” to generate an audiobook:
`
`-2-
`
`
`
`
`
`Amazon.com, Inc. v. Audio Pod IP, LLC
`IPR Petition - U.S. Pat. No. 9,729,907
`(EX-1001, Fig. 24a1.)
`
`The Virtual Media Descriptor includes a “Virtual Audio Stream” and a “Vir-
`
`tual eText Stream.” (Id., 20:23-39, 33:54-57.) The Virtual Audio Stream includes
`
`time information identifying points (e.g., the start of a chapter) in the audio stream.
`
`(Id., 20:48-55.) This information is used to assign time information to the corre-
`
`sponding points (e.g., the start of the same chapter) in the text stream. (Id., 27:9-18,
`
`33:57-65.) The time information for the text content is stored in the Virtual eText
`
`Stream. (Id., 26:60-27:7, 33:57-60.) Thus, the Virtual Audio Stream and Virtual
`
`eText Stream are “linked via a common timeline,” which facilitates synchronization
`
`and navigation of text and audio streams “without modifying the media streams with
`
`identifiers.” (Id., 22:41-67, 33:39-42; EX-1002 ¶¶34-35.)
`
`B.
`
`Prosecution
`
`The Examiner allowed the claims without issuing a single Office Action.
`
`(EX-1095, 27-28.) None of the references relied on herein were submitted to, or
`
`considered by, the Examiner.
`
`C.
`
`Priority
`
`The patent’s earliest possible priority date is December 13, 2005. (EX-1001,
`
`1-2.) Petitioners do not concede that the claims are entitled to that priority date.
`
`
`1 Images herein may be colored and/or annotated for clarity.
`
`-3-
`
`
`
`Amazon.com, Inc. v. Audio Pod IP, LLC
`IPR Petition - U.S. Pat. No. 9,729,907
`III. LEVEL OF ORDINARY SKILL IN THE ART
`
`A POSITA is “a person of ordinary creativity, not an automaton.” KSR Int’l
`
`Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 550 U.S. 398, 421 (2007). Here, a POSITA would have had at
`
`least a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, computer engineering, or
`
`computer science, and at least three years of industry or academic experience in the
`
`design, development, and/or implementation of content rendering and/or distribution
`
`systems. (EX-1002 ¶¶27-31); see In re GPAC Inc., 57 F.3d 1573, 1579 (Fed. Cir.
`
`1995). Work experience could substitute for formal education and additional formal
`
`education could substitute for work experience. (EX-1002 ¶29.)
`
`IV. CLAIM CONSTRUCTION
`
`No claim terms require construction to resolve the obviousness challenges
`
`here. Nidec Motor Corp. v. Zhongshan Broad Ocean Motor Co. Ltd., 868 F.3d 1013,
`
`1017 (Fed. Cir. 2017); Vivid Techs., Inc. v. Am. Sci. & Eng’g, Inc., 200 F.3d 795,
`
`803 (Fed. Cir. 1999). For purposes of this proceeding only, Petitioners assume the
`
`claims are not invalid under §112.
`
`V.
`
`STATEMENT OF PRECISE RELIEF REQUESTED
`
`A. Grounds
`
`The Board should cancel the claims as obvious under 35 U.S.C. §103 on the
`
`following Grounds:
`
`-4-
`
`
`
`Amazon.com, Inc. v. Audio Pod IP, LLC
`IPR Petition - U.S. Pat. No. 9,729,907
`
`Ground Challenged Claims
`1A
`1-14, 17-19, 21
`
`DTB
`
`References
`
`1B
`
`1C
`
`1D
`
`1E
`
`1F
`
`1G
`
`2A
`
`2B
`
`2C
`
`2D
`
`2E
`
`2F
`
`2G
`
`2H
`
`2, 15, 18-19
`
`DTB and Yoshimura
`
`7
`
`8
`
`14, 20
`
`15
`
`16
`
`DTB and Duncan
`
`DTB and Heckerman
`
`DTB and Bulterman
`
`DTB and Yang
`
`DTB, Yang, and Copley
`
`1-3, 8-12, 14, 17-19, 21 McCartney
`
`2, 18
`
`4-6, 13
`
`7
`
`8
`
`14, 20
`
`15
`
`16
`
`McCartney and Kauffman
`
`McCartney and DTB
`
`McCartney and Duncan
`
`McCartney and Woodill
`
`McCartney and Bulterman
`
`McCartney and Shteyn
`
`McCartney, Shteyn, and Copley
`
`Additional support is included in the Declaration of Professor Ketan Mayer-
`
`Patel, Ph.D. (EX-1002.)
`
`B.
`
`Status of References as Prior Art
`
`Each of the following references is prior art under pre-AIA §102(b) because
`
`it published more than one year before the ’907 patent’s earliest possible priority
`
`date of December 13, 2005: DTB (2002); Bulterman (May 2004); Shteyn (2001);
`
`-5-
`
`
`
`Amazon.com, Inc. v. Audio Pod IP, LLC
`IPR Petition - U.S. Pat. No. 9,729,907
`McCartney (2003); Kauffman (1999); Woodill (2003); Duncan (2003); Yoshimura
`
`(2003); Heckerman (2001); Copley (2003); and Yang (February 2004). (See
`
`EX-1097.)
`
`These references are analogous art because each is from the same field of
`
`endeavor as the ’907 patent, e.g., content distribution and/or rendering. (EX-1002
`
`¶22.) They are also pertinent to a particular problem the inventor was focused on,
`
`e.g., efficient and effective distribution and/or rendering of content. (Id.)
`
`VI. GROUND 1A: CLAIMS 1-14, 17-19, AND 21 WOULD
`HAVE BEEN OBVIOUS IN VIEW OF DTB.
`
`DTB describes methods by which the text of a book can be “synchronized
`
`with the audio presentation” using a SMIL file. (EX-1003, vii, 21.)
`
`A. Claim 1
`Preamble
`1.
`
`The preamble recites “[a] method comprising.” DTB discloses a method of
`
`creating digital talking books using SMIL files. (EX-1003, Abstract, 6; EX-1002
`
`¶38.)
`
`2.
`
`1[a][i]: Descriptor File
`
`Element 1[a][i] recites “creating a descriptor file for synchronizing a plurality
`
`of digital media streams.”
`
`DTB discloses creating a descriptor file, such as a “Synchronized Multimedia
`
`Integration Language [SMIL]” file, for synchronizing digital audio, text, and image
`
`-6-
`
`
`
`Amazon.com, Inc. v. Audio Pod IP, LLC
`IPR Petition - U.S. Pat. No. 9,729,907
`streams to provide a “digital talking book.” (EX-1003, 3; id., 21, 61 (“[t]ext, audio,
`
`and [] images are synchronized in the SMIL files”), 23-43, vii (DTB enables syn-
`
`chronization of digital media streams), 4, 6, 7-9, 12; EX-1002 ¶40.)
`
`Thus, DTB discloses creating a descriptor file (e.g., SMIL file) for synchro-
`
`nizing a plurality of digital media streams (e.g., text, audio, and image streams).
`
`(EX-1002 ¶¶39-41.)
`
`3.
`
`1[a][ii]-1[a][iii]: Digital Media Streams
`
`Elements 1[a][ii]-1[a][iii] recite that “the plurality of digital media streams
`
`each contain digital media content corresponding to a same originating work” and
`
`“the plurality of digital media streams includes a first digital media stream contain-
`
`ing a digital audio narration of the originating work and one or more other digital
`
`media streams.” “An Originating Work is the complete text of a printed document,
`
`such as an article, speech, book or other written work[.]” (EX-1001, 19:40-46,
`
`19:56-60.)
`
`DTB discloses digital media streams containing the audio narration of an orig-
`
`inating work (e.g., book). For example, DTB’s audio files “can include human or
`
`synthetic speech recordings” of the complete originating work. (EX-1003, 6-9, 12
`
`(“narrator” attribute includes the “[n]ame of the person whose recorded voice is em-
`
`bodied in the DTB”), 66 (SMIL file “permit[s] concurrent display of the text being
`
`narrated”), 60-61, vii, Abstract, vii, 4.)
`
`-7-
`
`
`
`Amazon.com, Inc. v. Audio Pod IP, LLC
`IPR Petition - U.S. Pat. No. 9,729,907
`DTB also discloses at least one other digital media stream, such as the com-
`
`plete “text” and/or “images” of the originating work (e.g., book). (EX-1003, 6 (DTB
`
`includes “a combination of audio, text, and images”), 6 (“In addition to text and
`
`audio, DTBs can include images”), 60-61 (DTB may include “full text of the docu-
`
`ment”); EX-1002 ¶45.)
`
`
`
`Thus, DTB discloses that the plurality of digital media streams each contain
`
`digital media content (e.g., text, images, or audio) corresponding to a same originat-
`
`ing work (e.g., print material including reference works, text books, magazines, etc.)
`
`and the plurality of digital media streams includes a first digital media stream con-
`
`taining a digital audio narration of the originating work and one or more other digital
`
`media streams (e.g., text and/or image). (EX-1002 ¶¶42-46.)
`
`4.
`
`1[a][iv]: External Descriptor File
`
`Element 1[a][iv] recites “wherein the descriptor file is external to the first dig-
`
`ital media stream.”
`
`DTB’s SMIL file (e.g., descriptor file) (highlighted below) is separate from
`
`(e.g., external to) to the audio stream (e.g., the first digital media stream) (blue)
`
`with different extensions (e.g., “.smil” vs. “.mp3”):
`
`-8-
`
`
`
`Amazon.com, Inc. v. Audio Pod IP, LLC
`IPR Petition - U.S. Pat. No. 9,729,907
`
`(EX-1003, 14-15; id., 27 (audio streams are “point[ed] to” by SMIL file).) Thus,
`
`
`
`DTB discloses this limitation. (EX-1002 ¶¶47-50.)
`
`5.
`
`1[b]: Location Information
`
`Element 1[b] recites “storing location information for the plurality of digital
`
`media streams in the descriptor file.”
`
`DTB’s SMIL files store location information for the plurality of media
`
`streams as source information including a uniform resource identifier (“URI”):
`
`
`
`-9-
`
`
`
`Amazon.com, Inc. v. Audio Pod IP, LLC
`IPR Petition - U.S. Pat. No. 9,729,907
`
`
`
`(EX-1003, 25-27; see also id., 98, 19, 3, 32; EX-1002 ¶52.)
`
`DTB’s URI is a locator because it “[p]oints to,” for example, a “segment of
`
`audio content to be rendered.” (EX-1003, 25-27.) Indeed, DTB discloses that the
`
`“src” attribute “specifies by URI the location of” the file. (Id., 98 (emphasis added);
`
`EX-1002 ¶53.) POSITAs understood that src attributes in SMIL files are “used for
`
`locating and fetching the associated media.” (EX-1051, 108; EX-1007, 90-91, 86;
`
`see EX-1049, 2; EX-1002 ¶53.)
`
`Accordingly, DTB discloses or renders obvious storing location information
`
`(e.g., URI in src attribute) for the plurality of digital media streams (e.g., audio, text,
`
`image streams) in the descriptor file (e.g., SMIL file). (EX-1002 ¶¶51-54.)
`
`Alternatively, if “location information” includes a location within the file
`
`(e.g., play location), DTB discloses this limitation because its SMIL file includes (1)
`
`clipBegin and clipEnd attributes specifying “time-based positions” in the audio and
`
`-10-
`
`
`
`Amazon.com, Inc. v. Audio Pod IP, LLC
`IPR Petition - U.S. Pat. No. 9,729,907
`(2) URIs identifying the corresponding position within the textual content.
`
`(EX-1003, 21-24, 3, 6-7, 27; EX-1002 ¶55.)
`
`6.
`
`1[c][i]: Time Offsets
`
`Element 1[c][i] recites “identifying a plurality of time offsets in a timeline of
`
`the digital audio narration of the first digital media stream.” “Time offset” “refers
`
`to the period of time, or difference in time, between two points in time[.]” (EX-1001,
`
`21:60-62.)
`
`DTB’s audio “files are indexed by time-based positions[.]” (EX-1003, 21.)
`
`The time-based positions are represented as clipBegin and clipEnd attributes (pink),
`
`which specify the beginning and end of a segment of an audio file (blue):
`
`(Id., 32; see also id., 31-34.) The clipBegin and clipEnd attributes specify “a time
`
`offset from the start of the audio file”:
`
`
`
`-11-
`
`
`
`Amazon.com, Inc. v. Audio Pod IP, LLC
`IPR Petition - U.S. Pat. No. 9,729,907
`
`
`
`(Id., 27; EX-1002 ¶59.) The offsets are “identified” at least when they are indexed
`
`or otherwise determined by the DTB producer. (EX-1003, 21; EX-1002 ¶59.)
`
`These offsets are also “in a timeline of the digital audio narration of the first
`
`digital media stream.” (EX-1002 ¶60.) When DTB’s audio stream is a single file,
`
`the offsets represent the time from the beginning of the stream to the selected point.
`
`(EX-1003, 37 (an audio file ordinarily contains the entire audio content of DTB);
`
`EX-1002 ¶60.) When the stream comprises multiple audio files, the time offsets
`
`within that file are time offsets in a timeline (e.g., an audio file) of the first digital
`
`media stream. (Id.)
`
`Accordingly, DTB discloses or renders obvious identifying (e.g., determining
`
`and/or indexing) a plurality of time offsets (e.g., clipBegin and/or clipEnd times) in
`
`a timeline of the digital audio narration of the first digital media stream (e.g., time-
`
`line of the audio file). (EX-1002 ¶¶57-61.)
`
`-12-
`
`
`
`Amazon.com, Inc. v. Audio Pod IP, LLC
`IPR Petition - U.S. Pat. No. 9,729,907
`1[c][ii]: Content Points in Audio Narration
`7.
`
`Element 1[c][ii] recites “wherein the plurality of time offsets correspond to a
`
`plurality of content points in the digital audio narration.” The ’907 patent refers to
`
`the beginning of a chapter, paragraph, or sentence as examples of “points” in the
`
`digital media stream. (EX-1001, 21:42-45.)
`
`SMIL files group media content into “parallels” or <par> elements.
`
`(EX-1003, 26, 27 (parallel is a “[p]arallel time grouping in which multiple elements
`
`(e.g., text, audio, and image) play back simultaneously”); EX-1002 ¶64.) Each par-
`
`allel comprises portions of media streams that comprise the same “body of material
`
`(e.g., the same paragraph)” or heading. (EX-1003, 29-30, 26, 32.) These bodies of
`
`material (e.g., paragraphs or headings) are content points. (EX-1002 ¶64.) For ex-
`
`ample, the SMIL file below shows a <par> for two content points (green): a heading
`
`(“h1”) and a paragraph (“para1”):
`
`
`
`(EX-1003, 32.) Thus, DTB discloses that the plurality of time offsets (e.g., clip-
`
`Begin and clipEnd) correspond to a plurality of content points (e.g., headings and/or
`
`paragraphs) in the digital audio narration. (EX-1002 ¶¶62-65.)
`
`-13-
`
`
`
`Amazon.com, Inc. v. Audio Pod IP, LLC
`IPR Petition - U.S. Pat. No. 9,729,907
`1[d]: Correlating Time Offsets and Content
`8.
`Points
`
`Element 1[d] recites “storing the plurality of time offsets and the plurality of
`
`content points in the descriptor file in a manner indicating a correlation between the
`
`plurality of time offsets and the plurality of content points.”
`
`DTB’s plurality of time offsets (e.g., clipBegin and clipEnd) (pink) are con-
`
`tained in content tags (e.g., <audio> tags) withi
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