throbber
Trials@uspto.gov
`571-272-7822
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`Paper # 34
`Entered:
`
`UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`____________
`
`BEFORE THE PATENT TRIAL AND APPEAL BOARD
`____________
`
`
`
`
`
`SZ DJI TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.,
`Petitioner,
`
`v.
`
`AUTEL ROBOTICS USA LLC,
`Patent Owner.
`____________
`
`PGR 2019-00014
`PGR 2019-00016
`Patent 9,979,000 B2
`Patent 10,044,013 B2
`____________
`
`Record Of Oral Hearing
`Held: February 20, 2020
`____________
`
`Before ERICA A. FRANKLIN, JENNIFER MEYER CHAGNON, and
`AVELYN M. ROSS, Administrative Patent Judges.
`
`
`
`
`
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`
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`
`
`
`
`

`

`IPR2019-00014
`IPR2019-00016
`Patent 9,979,000 B2
`Patent 10,044,013 B2
`
`
`
`APPEARANCES:
`
`ON BEHALF OF THE PETITIONER:
`
`
`LORI A. GORDON, ESQUIRE
`STEVE W. PETERS, ESQUIRE
`King & Spalding LLP.
`1700 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, 2nd Floor
`Washington, D.C. 20006
`
`
`ON BEHALF OF THE PATENT OWNER:
`
`
`HAROLD H. FOX, ESQUIRE
`ANDREW XUE, ESQUIRE
`JOHN L. ABRAMIC, ESQUIRE
`Steptoe & Johnson LLP.
`1330 Connecticut Avenue NW
`Washington, D.C. 20036
`
`
`
`The above-entitled matter came on for hearing on Thursday, February
`
`20, 2020, commencing at 9:30 a.m., at the U.S. Patent and Trademark
`Office, 600 Dulany Street, Alexandria, Virginia.
`
`
`
`2
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`

`

`IPR2019-00014
`IPR2019-00016
`Patent 9,979,000 B2
`Patent 10,044,013 B2
`
`
`P R O C E E D I N G S
`- - - - -
`
`
`
`USHER: All Rise.
`JUDGE CHAGNON: Please be seated. Good morning, this is the
`combined final hearing for PGR2019-00014 related to U.S. Patent No.
`9,979,000, and PGR2019-00016 related to U.S. Patent No. 10,044,013.
`I am Judge Chagnon. We are joined remotely by Judges Franklin and
`Ross this morning. Counsel, could you please step up to the podium and
`introduce yourselves.
`MS. GORDON: Good morning, Your Honors. I’m Lori Gordon. I’m
`from the law firm of King and Spalding and I’m going to be arguing today
`on behalf of Petitioner; and with me at Counsel Table is Steve Peters, also
`from King & Spalding.
`MR. FOX: Good morning, Your Honors. My name is Harold Fox,
`Steptoe & Johnson, representing Patent Owner Autel. With me at the table
`is Andrew Xue and lead counsel, John Abramic, is also present.
`JUDGE CHAGNON: Thank you so much. So, let's quickly go over
`the ground rules this morning. The same as yesterday, each party has 60
`minutes to present their arguments today.
`Petitioner will go first, and you may reserve time for rebuttal; and
`then Patent Owner will follow, and you may reserve up to 10 minutes for
`sur-rebuttal as well today.
`Again, please remember during your presentations to say what slide
`number you're presenting as our remote judges cannot see the screen here in
`the room, but they can follow along.
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`IPR2019-00014
`IPR2019-00016
`Patent 9,979,000 B2
`Patent 10,044,013 B2
`
`
`And please refrain from interrupting each other during your
`presentations today, if you have any objections, you can address those
`during your own time. So, Ms. Gordon, would you like to reserve time
`today?
`MS. GORDON: Yes, I would. Can we reserve 25 minutes, please?
`JUDGE CHAGNON: I’ll set the clock for 35 minutes to start.
`Whenever you're ready, go right ahead.
`MS. GORDON: Okay. Good morning, Your Honors. I'd like to turn
`first to our Slide Number 5. Very few disputes remain between the parties in
`these two proceedings.
`There is no dispute between the parties that the combination of the
`Phantom 2 Manual and Kondo discloses every limitation of all the
`challenged claims of the Triple Zero Patent, and all the challenged claims of
`the 013 Patent.
`There's also no dispute between the parties that the combination of
`Saika and Ichiba discloses every limitation of Claims 1 through 9, and 12 of
`the Triple Zero Patent, and Claims 1 through 17, and 21 through 24 of the
`013 Patent.
`And there's no dispute between the parties that the combination of
`Saika, Ichiba, and Phelps discloses every limitation of Claims 10 and 11 of
`the Triple Zero Patent and Claims 18 through 20 of the 013 Patent.
`The Triple Zero Patent and the 013 Patent share the same
`specification so throughout my presentation I’ll refer to them generally as
`the challenged patents.
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`IPR2019-00014
`IPR2019-00016
`Patent 9,979,000 B2
`Patent 10,044,013 B2
`
`
`In the remaining disputes in this proceeding between the parties are
`substantially the same in both proceedings, so we will address them together
`today.
`
`The remaining disputes can be broking into three groups, first whether
`Kondo and Ichiba are analogous art to the challenged patents; second,
`whether a POSITA would have been motivated to combine the references as
`proposed by Petitioner; and third, whether Claims 1 through 12 of the Triple
`Zero Patent, and Claims 22 through 24 of the 013 Patent are indefinite.
`Petitioner would like to focus our discussion here today on this first
`two disputes and rest on our Briefs on the indefiniteness grounds presented
`in both proceedings.
`Turning to Slide Number 12, I'd like to start with the issue
`surrounding analogous art. The Federal Circuit has set forth two separate
`criteria, or tests, for determining whether a reference is analogous art.
`First test is whether the reference was within the field of the
`inventor’s endeavor. If the answer is yes, the reference is analogous.
`The second criteria, or test, if the reference is not within the field of
`endeavor, is the reference reasonably pertinent to the particular problem with
`which the inventor was involved.
`Petitioner established in both proceedings that Kondo and Ichiba are
`analogous to the field of endeavor of the challenged patents.
`Turning to Slide 8, the challenged patents in the background section
`describe a prior art method for securing a battery into a battery compartment
`of the device, and they describe the use of a sealing board.
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`IPR2019-00014
`IPR2019-00016
`Patent 9,979,000 B2
`Patent 10,044,013 B2
`
`
`What a sealing board was, is when you had a battery, you put it into a
`battery compartment, you put a board on top of the battery, and then you
`would fasten that board to the body of the device. So, you would screw it
`down with screws, bolts or other fasteners, and that kept the battery in place.
`So, when a user wanted to change the battery, they'd have to unscrew
`the sealing board, take the battery out, put the new battery in, and re-screw
`the sealing board down. And the patent recognized that that was a problem
`because it was very inconvenient for the user of a portable device to have to
`have a screwdriver with them at all times to change a battery.
`The detailed description of the challenged patents, therefore, is
`directed to a user-friendly battery latching mechanism for a portable device.
`And other than a few passing references to a UAV having a body and a
`battery in the entirety of the short, two-column detailed description of the
`patents, the rest of those two columns are devoted to describing the battery
`latching mechanism solely.
`And, the patent tells us that the function of its latch is to latch the
`battery in a device in a user-friendly manner; that’s the function of its battery
`latching mechanism.
`And it tells us that the structure it uses to achieve that function is a
`restorable elastic piece connected to a clamp button on the battery, which
`then detachably connects to a clamping portion on the body. In other words,
`the invention can be distilled down to using a spring in a latching
`mechanism.
`Turning to Slide 15, Kondo and Ichiba are in the same field of
`endeavor because they share the same function and structure as the
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`IPR2019-00014
`IPR2019-00016
`Patent 9,979,000 B2
`Patent 10,044,013 B2
`
`challenged patents. The function described in both Kondo and Ichiba is
`securely latching a battery in a device in a user-friendly manner; and both
`patents explicitly state that. And, the structure in both uses a restorable
`elastic piece connected to a clamp button on the battery which detachably
`connects to a clamping portion.
`And remember, there's no dispute between the parties today that, in
`fact, Kondo and Ichiba describe the same structure that’s claimed in the
`challenged patents.
`Now, I'd like to now turn to the reasonably pertinent test, and the
`Federal Circuit has stated that a reference is reasonably pertinent if, even
`though it may be in a different field from that of the inventor’s endeavor, it
`is one which, because of the matter with which it deals, logically would have
`commended itself to an inventor’s attention in considering his or her
`problem.
`In Patent Owner’s papers, they categorize both Ichiba and Kondo as
`power tool battery references, but I'd like to first start by talking about Ichiba
`because Patent Owner is mischaracterizing Ichiba.
`Can you turn to Slide 16; the title of Ichiba’s invention is, “Battery
`Pack.” That’s what Ichiba is directed to -- a battery pack. And although it
`describes its battery pack with reference to power tool embodiment, Ichiba
`repeatedly states that its invention is not limited to power tools.
`If we look at Paragraph 29 -- and this is the section that addresses the
`industrial applicability of the invention, Ichiba states it should “by no
`means” be considered that the present invention is restricted to electric tools.
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`IPR2019-00014
`IPR2019-00016
`Patent 9,979,000 B2
`Patent 10,044,013 B2
`
`That’s a pretty clear and definitive statement that its invention is not limited
`to power tools.
`Ichiba also says in Paragraph 7 that it is an object of the present
`invention to resolve the above-mentioned problem points and to provide a
`battery pack which is easy to work with, and which can be securely attached
`and detached on an electrical tool battery charger, or other object device.
`Ichiba generic battery pack, designed to provide a secure user-friendly
`battery latch, would have logically commended itself to the attention of an
`inventor considering the problem of how to securely latch a battery in a
`UAV device.
`Turning to Slide 17, but even if you were to categorize both Kondo
`and Ichiba as power tool battery references, they both remain reasonably
`pertinent to the particular problem with which the inventor was involved. In
`other words, securely latching a battery into a device.
`Kondo is titled, “attachment structure of a battery pack to a power
`driven tool.” It’s directed to the battery latch.
`Ichiba, as we just discussed before, is directed to the exact same thing,
`a secure, user-friendly battery latch.
`Now, Petitioner in our Petition identified numerous, real-world,
`common sense reasons why a POSITA would have looked to the field of
`power tool battery latch mechanisms for a solution to securely latch a battery
`in a UAV, and these are reproduced on our Slide 17.
`We discuss that both UAVs and power tools incorporate motors that
`drive rotating components, and therefore, is subject to vibrations and
`movement.
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`IPR2019-00014
`IPR2019-00016
`Patent 9,979,000 B2
`Patent 10,044,013 B2
`
`
`We also talked about, and our expert explained, that power tools are
`subjected to heavy use and rough handling. And, I think we can all step
`back and think about our own personal experiences and how many times
`have you seen, or yourself have dropped a power tool, or thrown a power
`tool into a tool box.
`They're designed to have rough handling by a user, and therefore they
`incorporate a secure latch to keep their battery in the device when it is used,
`perhaps inappropriately, by the user.
`Third, both power tools and UAVs are subjected to dangerous
`operating conditions, and we discuss that the dangerous nature of power
`tools makes the shift in weight due to battery movement, disengagement of
`the battery, or loss of electrical connection a serious safety concern.
`So, again, if you step back in your own experience and think about
`using, for example, a cordless drill; when you're using a cordless drill, you're
`pushing to drill the screw into the wall, for example.
`If the weight of the battery shifts, you could be shifting, and you
`would lose connection with the screw and jam yourself into the wall. That
`could cause a serious safety issue for the user.
`If the power stopped and you were applying force, and you don’t have
`the backward force, again, you could see the safety issues that could happen
`to a user if something happened to the battery in a power tool.
`Finally, power tools are commonly used by novice users outdoors or
`in an environment with little or no access to power sources, and power tools
`have recognized that you need a quick and easy mechanism to replace a
`battery for these inexperienced users.
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`IPR2019-00014
`IPR2019-00016
`Patent 9,979,000 B2
`Patent 10,044,013 B2
`
`
`Turning to Slide 14. The Federal Circuit has addressed the issue of
`analogous art under similar circumstances in In re ICON Health and Fitness.
`And that’s 496 F.3d 1374, 1380, in Federal Circuit 2007, and it’s cited in our
`Briefs.
`In ICON, the claimed invention was a treadmill with a folding base
`which allowed the base to swivel into an upright storage position. And the
`only limitation at issue in ICON was the use of a gas spring that assisted in
`stably retaining that base in the upright position.
`And the Federal Circuit in that case, determined that a reference
`directed to a bed that folds up into a cabinet using a dual-action spring, was
`analogous art, and the Federal Circuit’s reasoning in that case is important.
`They reason that nothing about ICON’s folding mechanism requires
`any particular focus on treadmills. It generally addresses problems of
`supporting the weight of the mechanism and providing a stable resting
`position.
`The Federal Circuit went on and reasoned that analogous art to
`ICON’s application, when considering the folding mechanism and gas
`spring limitation, may come from any area describing hinges, springs,
`latches, counter weights, or other similar mechanism, such as the folding
`bed.
`
`So, here, like ICON, there's nothing about the disclosed battery
`latching mechanism in the challenged patents that requires any particular
`focus on UAVs. As I mentioned earlier, the short, two-columned detailed
`description only mentions in passing a UAV in simply that it can have a
`body and a battery.
`
`
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`IPR2019-00014
`IPR2019-00016
`Patent 9,979,000 B2
`Patent 10,044,013 B2
`
`
`Nowhere do the challenged patents discuss any criteria, let alone
`UAV specific criteria used or considered when designing its disclosed latch
`mechanism.
`Turning to Slide 13, the Federal Circuit also addressed similar
`circumstances in In re Paulsen, which is 30 F.3d 1475, Federal Circuit 1994,
`at 1481 to 82 -- and again, this is cited in our Briefs.
`In Paulsen, the claimed invention related to a hinge and latch
`mechanism for a portable computer. And in that case, the Federal Circuit
`found that an inventor, when considering a hinge and latch mechanism for a
`portable computer, would naturally look to references employing other
`housings, hinges, latches and springs.
`And in Paulsen, those references came from areas like desktop phone
`directories, a piano lid, a kitchen cabinet, washing machine cabinet, wooden
`furniture cabinet, and a two-part housing for storing audio tapes.
`And in Paulsen, the Federal Circuit found that the problems
`encountered by inventors were not unique to portable computers. Instead,
`they simply concerned how to connect and secure a computer’s display to
`the housing.
`And, in the present case, that’s exactly what we have here. Petitioner
`and our expert explain in detail that the problems encountered by the
`inventors of the challenged patents were not unique to UAVs. They are
`encountered by designers of a wide range of portable devices.
`In fact, as we talked about in Ichiba, it explicitly states that was a
`problem they were addressing. And one important statement from the
`Federal Circuit --
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`IPR2019-00014
`IPR2019-00016
`Patent 9,979,000 B2
`Patent 10,044,013 B2
`
`
`JUDGE FRANKLIN: Counsel?
`MS. GORDON: Yes.
`JUDGE FRANKLIN: This is Judge Franklin. I wanted to ask you
`somewhat of a housekeeping question, but in mention of your declarant.
`Was there a deposition of your declarant, Dr. Alonso?
`MS. GORDON: No, Your Honor. Patent Owner chose not to depose
`our declarant either after his Petitioner Declaration, or his Reply
`Declaration. So, they chose not to depose him and his testimony,
`uncontested or uncontroverted by deposition.
`JUDGE FRANKLIN: Okay, and similarly, I want to ask whether
`Petitioner deposed a Dr. Reinholtz?
`MS. GORDON: We held a joint deposition of Dr. Reinholtz for both
`the 184, and the Triple 0, and the 013 Patent.
`JUDGE FRANKLIN: Did you file the transcript for that deposition in
`both proceedings?
`MS. GORDON: We filed in the 184; we did not use it in our reply in
`this case because we didn’t direct specific questions related to this
`proceeding in that deposition.
`JUDGE FRANKLIN: Okay, thank you.
`MS. GORDON: Okay. Turning back to Paulsen, and the Federal
`Circuit in that case made another important statement, that they agreed that
`given the nature of the problems confronted by the inventors, one of
`ordinary skill in the art would have consulted the mechanical arts for houses,
`hinges, latches and springs, and that’s exactly what we have here.
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`IPR2019-00014
`IPR2019-00016
`Patent 9,979,000 B2
`Patent 10,044,013 B2
`
`
`If we turn to Slide 18, Patent Owner’s definition of POSITA is
`consistent with the Federal Circuit in Paulsen.
`In the Patent Owner’s definition, they stated a POSITA would have a
`degree in mechanical engineering and experience designing mechanism and
`mechanical structures of the type used in releasable couplings and locking
`devices. There's nothing in Patent Owner’s own definition of a POSITA that
`mentions anything about experience with UAVs, or issues in UAVs.
`Again, the issue at this case is a mechanical coupling and references
`in power tools latching mechanisms would have logically commended
`themselves to an inventor looking to design a mechanical component to latch
`a battery in a UAV.
`If there's no questions, I'd like to turn to the combination of Phantom
`2 Manual and Kondo. Slide 22.
`Petitioner explained in our Petition, and Dr. Alonso explained in his
`supporting declaration, that a POSITA would have been motivated to replace
`the battery latching mechanism of Phantom 2 with the battery latching
`mechanism of Kondo, and we provided specific examples of how a person
`of ordinary skill in the art would do that.
`Turning to Slide 23, and there's no dispute between the parties that the
`combination of Phantom 2 Manual and Kondo discloses every limitation of
`the Ground 1 Claims in both proceedings. And, if you look at the figures on
`23, you can see that the battery latching mechanism of Kondo is virtually
`identical to the battery latching mechanism used in the challenged patents.
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`IPR2019-00014
`IPR2019-00016
`Patent 9,979,000 B2
`Patent 10,044,013 B2
`
`
`Turning to our Slide 24, Petitioner again, presented numerous reasons
`why a POSITA would have combined the Phantom 2 Manual with Kondo,
`and we provide and reproduce these reasons in Slide 24.
`Patent Owner makes only two arguments challenging those reasons
`and each of Patent Owner’s arguments lack merit.
`First, Patent Owner states that a POSITA would only look to the
`product when considering a product manual, but Patent Owner cite to no
`case law supporting the extreme position that a product manual can only be
`combined with a product.
`And in fact, there are numerous cases from both the Board and the
`Federal Circuit, where a product manual was combined with another type of
`reference.
`Second, Patent Owner contends that a POSITA would not have
`modified the Phantom 2 Manual because Petitioner pointed to no problem
`with Phantom 2’s latching mechanism. But what Patent Owner’s position
`assumes is that there would be no motivation for a POSITA to improve a
`device that works sufficiently, and that’s just not the law.
`The Federal Circuit has repeatedly rejected such a narrow view of
`motivation to combine, and I point the Judges to Zup v. Nash
`Manufacturing, 896 F.3d 1365, from the Federal Circuit in 2018, which
`again is cited in our Briefs.
`In that case the Federal Circuit found that a motivation to combine
`may be found explicitly or implicitly in market forces, design incentives, the
`inter-related teachings of multiple patents, any need or problem known in
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`IPR2019-00014
`IPR2019-00016
`Patent 9,979,000 B2
`Patent 10,044,013 B2
`
`the field of endeavor at the time of the invention, and addressed by the
`patent, and the background knowledge and common sense of a POSITA.
`And, what we’re talking about in this case is simply the use of a
`spring in a battery latching mechanism. And Petitioner provided sufficient
`motivation to combine Phantom 2 Manual and Kondo.
`I'd like to turn next to the combination of Saika and Ichiba.
`JUDGE FRANKLIN: Before you do --
`MS. GORDON: Yes?
`JUDGE FRANKLIN: I want you to confirm my recollection because
`I believe I recall that as a second basis for your combination you relied on
`simple substitution?
`MS. GORDON: Yes, we did.
`JUDGE FRANKLIN: You did?
`MS. GORDON: Yes.
`JUDGE FRANKLIN: So, even if those arguments that you
`mentioned by Patent Owner -- even if Phantom 2 Manual had described its
`latching mechanism, then would the simple substitution basis still be viable?
`MS. GORDON: Yes, absolutely, and I would direct you to KSR
`where a simple substitution in and of itself is sufficient to support a
`combination.
`Turning to Slide 26 in the combination of Saika and Ichiba, in our
`Petition and in the supporting declaration, the Petitioner explained that a
`POSITA would have been motivated to replace the battery latching
`mechanism with Saika with the battery latching mechanism of Ichiba. And
`it’s important to understand what our combination is.
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`IPR2019-00014
`IPR2019-00016
`Patent 9,979,000 B2
`Patent 10,044,013 B2
`
`
`We’re not taking wholesale the entire battery cavity, batteries, and
`latching mechanism of Ichiba. We’re only taking its battery latching
`mechanisms and the structures used in that battery latching mechanism and
`replacing Saika’s battery latching mechanisms. That is our combination.
`If you turn to Slide 27, again there's no dispute between the parties
`that the combination of Saika and Ichiba discloses every limitation in the
`challenged claims in both proceedings.
`Turning to our Slide 28, the issue and dispute in this case is whether a
`POSITA would have modified or combined Saika and Ichiba, and again,
`Petitioner presented numerous reasons why a POSITA would have
`combined Saika and Ichiba and we also presented a simple substitution
`rationale, Judge Franklin.
`And, Patent Owner makes similar arguments challenging Petitioner’s
`motivation to combine in this ground as they did in the Phantom 2 Manual
`and Kondo.
`First, Patent Owner contends that a POSITA would not modify Saika
`because Petitioner pointed to no weakness in Saika. Well, this is just a
`rehash of the argument that we discussed in the Phantom 2 Manual ground.
`Again, the Federal Circuit has repeatedly rejected such a narrow view
`of a motivation to combine.
`Second, Patent Owner argues that the weight and complexity of
`Ichiba’s double case design would dissuade a POSITA from using it in a
`UAV. But here Patent Owner is mischaracterizing Petitioner’s combination.
`We are not incorporating the double case design of Ichiba or its
`batteries. We are merely replacing Saika’s latch mechanism with Ichiba’s
`
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`IPR2019-00014
`IPR2019-00016
`Patent 9,979,000 B2
`Patent 10,044,013 B2
`
`latch mechanism. And Petitioner established in their Briefs and our
`supporting declarations that a POSITA would have been motivated to
`combine Saika and Ichiba.
`Now I'd like to turn to the combination of Saika, Ichiba, and Phelps in
`Slide 30, and this is the final prior art ground in both proceedings.
`When Petitioner explains that in this combination Petitioner is
`replacing Ichiba’s helical springs with Phelps’ S-shaped springy metal. So,
`basically, all it’s doing is a person of skill in the art is using a different type
`of spring in Ichiba.
`The combination further involves modifying Ichiba to receive one end
`of Phelps’ springy metal in the clamp button, and the other end of Phelps’
`springy metal S-shaped spring in a small protrusion in the battery cavity of
`Ichiba; and Petitioner explained how this operates because in the
`combination you have both ends of the spring coupled to components of the
`device; so, you have one end coupled to the button, one end coupled to a
`protrusion in the body.
`If a user pushes the button in, in the X direction, the spring will
`compress in the Y direction. And what does that cause? It causes the
`clamping portion to compress as well.
`When the user releases the force on the button, the spring is allowed
`to deform back to its original position. That is the combination that
`Petitioners proposed. In other words, a spring connected to the clamp button
`and a protrusion, and movement in the X direction caused compression in
`the Y direction.
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`IPR2019-00014
`IPR2019-00016
`Patent 9,979,000 B2
`Patent 10,044,013 B2
`
`
`Turning to our Slide 31, again, Petitioner and our expert presented
`numerous reasons why a POSITA would have been motivated to combine
`Phelps with Saika and Ichiba. And, Patent Owner challenges Petitioner’s
`motivation to combine with four separate arguments, and each lacks merit.
`Patent Owner first argues that Petitioner provides no evidence why the
`form factor of Ichiba was inadequate, and this is again, a rehash of the
`argument that if something works sufficiently, there would be no motivation
`to improve; and we've already addressed that is not the law.
`Second, Patent Owner argues that Petitioner provides no evidence
`how incorporation of Phelps’ springy metal might improve the form factor
`of Ichiba.
`But Patent Owner is ignoring a portion of Dr. Alonso’s declaration in
`our Petition where we explained that Phelps uses a small, single protrusion
`in the battery package.
`And, because of that, it allows a battery package to be smaller, and a
`smaller form factor improves the usability for a user. It permits a user to
`have a better grip on the battery and to use the buttons on the sides of the
`package. And, that’s particular important if your design is intended for a
`wide range of users with smaller hands and larger hands.
`Third, Patent Owner argues that the structure of Phelps is inconsistent
`with Ichiba and Saika. But, in this argument Patent Owner is
`mischaracterizing our combination.
`As we explained in our Petition and here today, we are simply
`replacing a helical spring with a different type of spring that has an S-shape,
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`IPR2019-00014
`IPR2019-00016
`Patent 9,979,000 B2
`Patent 10,044,013 B2
`
`and we’re using the structure that Phelps tells us on how to connect that to
`the center of the device.
`And that’s consistent with Ichiba, and I discussed that when you press
`Ichiba’s button in, in the X direction, Phelps’ spring will deform in the Y
`Direction, and move that clamping portion. That’s exactly how the
`challenged patents work.
`Finally, Patent Owner argues that a POSITA would not have
`combined a cellphone battery patent with Ichiba and Saika. But Patent
`Owner is mischaracterizing Phelps.
`Phelps is not a cellphone battery patent. Phelps relates generally to
`battery housings, and more particularly, to latching systems for battery
`housings. It is not a cellphone battery patent.
`It describes its battery latch in the context of a cellphone, but it tells
`the reader that, “I am a general battery latching patent.” Therefore, it is
`pertinent to Ichiba and a person of skill in the art would have certainly
`looked to it and found it relevant in a combination.
`And finally, Petitioner presented a prior art publication by Mackle
`which was filed more than a decade before the challenged patents’ earliest
`priority date, that recognized that a coil spring could be replaced with a
`resilient springy member.
`Again, remember that when you distill this invention down, it just
`involves using a restorable elastic piece, a spring, in a battery latching
`mechanism that was well within just the common knowledge of a person of
`ordinary skill in the art at the time of these patents.
`So, if there are no questions, I'd like to cede the remainder of my time.
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`IPR2019-00014
`IPR2019-00016
`Patent 9,979,000 B2
`Patent 10,044,013 B2
`
`
`JUDGE FRANKLIN: I do want to clarify one point with you.
`MS. GORDON: Yes.
`JUDGE FRANKLIN: Regarding the indefiniteness challenges--
`MS. GORDON: Yes?
`JUDGE FRANKLIN: In your Petitioner Reply and then also at the
`start of your argument today, you said you're resting on your Brief for those
`challenges.
`MS. GORDON: Yes.
`JUDGE FRANKLIN: I want to confirm that you're not dropping that
`challenge.
`MS. GORDON: Correct. We’re not dropping that. We just wanted
`to focus the arguments today on the prior art references, and we’re resting on
`the arguments in our Briefs.
`JUDGE FRANKLIN: Okay, so at this point on the record we have no
`response to Patent Owner’s arguments regarding indefiniteness.
`MS. GORDON: Correct.
`JUDGE FRANKLIN: Do you agree?
`MS. GORDON: Yes.
`JUDGE FRANKLIN: Okay, thank you.
`JUDGE CHAGNON: Mr. Fox, would you like to reserve 10 minutes?
`MR. FOX: Ten minutes, please.
`JUDGE CHAGNON: Whenever you are ready, Counsel.
`MR. FOX: Good morning, Your Honors. To start with, we want to
`make sure we frame the issues properly from our perspective. And while the
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`IPR2019-00014
`IPR2019-00016
`Patent 9,979,000 B2
`Patent 10,044,013 B2
`
`non-analogous art issue is something that we’ll address, I first wanted to
`address the context of what we’re evaluating here.
`The Petitioner stated at the outset that the field of endeavor here is
`battery latching mechanisms, battery replacement in portable devices, and
`that’s simply not the case.
`Looking at the Patents, the 013 at Column 1, Lines 54 through 57, the
`Patentee jumps right out and frames the invention, and frames the invention
`as dealing the inconvenience of changing batteries for unmanned aerial
`fields.
`And the point of raising that here and now, is that that really sets the
`stage for this conversation we’re having about the differences between the
`quadcopter UAVs that are the subject matter of these claims, and the power
`tools; and whether or not the secondary references should be considered in
`combination with the primary references at issue here.
`JUDGE FRANKLIN: Let's also start by addressing Petitioner’s
`characterization of your disputes as not including any challenge that all the
`claim limitat

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