Assignment history

Inventors

• Mark A Webster: Likely an employee of Conexant Systems, Inc. at the time of the patent's priority date (April 14, 2004), given the assignment to Conexant Systems, Inc. was executed on June 1, 2005.
• Michael J Seals: Likely an employee of Conexant Systems, Inc. at the time of the patent's priority date (April 14, 2004), given the assignment to Conexant Systems, Inc. was executed on June 1, 2005.

There is no immediate indication of all inventors departing the original assignee within 12 months of filing for this specific patent family, as the initial corporate assignment from the inventors was executed well after the provisional priority date but before the first non-provisional filing.

Original assignee

The original corporate assignee, based on the earliest assignment from the inventors, was Conexant Systems, Inc. (California). Conexant Systems, Inc. was a semiconductor company that developed and shipped products such as modems, audio, and imaging chipsets.

Conexant Systems, Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2013 and was subsequently acquired by Synaptics in 2017.

Assignment timeline

The assignment records for US patent 10103845 are as follows, ordered by execution date:

• 2005-06-01 (executed) / recorded 2018-08-20 — Reel 046861/0858

  • Conveyance: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST
  • Assignor: WEBSTER, MARK A.; SEALS, MICHAEL J.
  • Assignee: CONEXANT SYSTEMS, INC. (CA)
  • Correspondent: CONEXANT SYSTEMS, INC., LEGAL DEPT., 4000 MACARTHUR BLVD., NEWPORT BEACH, CA 92660.
  • Context: Inventors assigned their patent rights to their employer, Conexant Systems, Inc.

• 2008-10-16 (executed) / recorded 2018-08-20 — Reel 046862/0377

  • Conveyance: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST
  • Assignor: CONEXANT SYSTEMS, INC. (CA)
  • Assignee: XOCYST TRANSFER AG L. L. C. (DE)
  • Correspondent: CONEXANT SYSTEMS, INC., LEGAL DEPT. - PATENTS, 4000 MACARTHUR BLVD., NEWPORT BEACH, CA 92660.
  • Context: Transfer of patent rights from operating company Conexant Systems, Inc. to Xocyst Transfer AG L. L. C., likely as part of a portfolio sale or securitization.

• 2011-07-18 (executed) / recorded 2013-06-18 — Reel 030638/0188

  • Conveyance: ASSIGNMENT
  • Assignor: XOCYST TRANSFER AG L.L.C. (DE)
  • Assignee: INTELLECTUAL VENTURES I LLC (DE)
  • Correspondent: SEED INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LAW GROUP PLLC, 701 FIFTH AVENUE, SUITE 5400, SEATTLE, WA 98104. This correspondent firm frequently appears in Intellectual Ventures patent assignments.
  • Context: Transfer of patent rights from Xocyst Transfer AG L.L.C. to Intellectual Ventures I LLC.

The USPTO Assignment Center search results can be verified at https://assignmentcenter.uspto.gov/.

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 10103845
    2005 : Inventors to Conexant Systems Inc
    2008 : Conexant to Xocyst Transfer AG LLC
    2011 : Xocyst to Intellectual Ventures I LLC
    2018 : Patent Issued to IV
    2025 : Litigation filed (PTAB/TX)
    2026 : Patent Expired

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer — Present. The patent was transferred from Conexant Systems, Inc., an operating company, to Xocyst Transfer AG L. L. C. (Reel 046862/0377, executed 2008-10-16), a naming convention often associated with special-purpose entities. Subsequently, Xocyst transferred it to Intellectual Ventures I LLC (Reel 030638/0188, executed 2011-07-18).
2. Known asserter in the chain — Present. Intellectual Ventures I LLC, a well-known Non-Practicing Entity (NPE), became the assignee on July 18, 2011 (executed date), as recorded under Reel 030638/0188.
3. Repeat correspondent across the chain — Present. The correspondent "SEED INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LAW GROUP PLLC" (Reel 030638/0188) is known to frequently handle patent assignments for Intellectual Ventures.
4. Cascading transfers — Not present. There are distinct periods between the transfers: 2005 (inventors to Conexant), 2008 (Conexant to Xocyst), and 2011 (Xocyst to Intellectual Ventures), which do not represent rapid, consecutive transfers within a short timeframe.
5. Pre-litigation transfer — Unclear. The last transfer to Intellectual Ventures I LLC was executed in 2011 and recorded in 2013 (Reel 030638/0188). The noted litigation events began in 2025, which is significantly more than 6 months after the patent's issuance in 2018 and the final assignment to IV.
6. Bankruptcy fire-sale — Unclear. While the original corporate assignee, Conexant Systems, Inc., filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2013, the assignment of the patent from Conexant to Xocyst Transfer AG L. L. C. was executed on October 16, 2008 (Reel 046862/0377), prior to the bankruptcy filing.
7. Privateering — Unclear. There is no explicit evidence in the provided information or assignment records to suggest Conexant Systems, Inc. transferred this patent to Intellectual Ventures I LLC to assert on Conexant's behalf against competitors.
8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE) — Not present. The patent chain terminates with Intellectual Ventures I LLC, a known NPE, not a defensive aggregator.

Verdict

NPE — high confidence

The presence of Intellectual Ventures I LLC, a well-known Non-Practicing Entity, as the current assignee (Reel 030638/0188, executed 2011-07-18) is a strong signal. This is further supported by a shell-entity transfer from an operating company (Conexant Systems, Inc.) to Xocyst Transfer AG L. L. C. (Reel 046862/0377, executed 2008-10-16), before reaching Intellectual Ventures. The consistent correspondent firm for Intellectual Ventures' acquisition (SEED INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LAW GROUP PLLC) also reinforces this pattern. Verification can be done at the USPTO Assignment Center.