Patent 10165324

Assignment history

Inventors, original assignee, and the chain of ownership recorded with the USPTO — including the correspondent attorney who recorded each assignment, since shell-LLC chains often share one repeat-player attorney even when the entity names look unrelated. Surfaces NPE / patent-troll patterns: shell-entity transfers, known asserters in the chain, repeat correspondent fingerprints, pre-litigation assignments, and bankruptcy fire-sales.

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Assignment history

Inventors, original assignee, and the chain of ownership recorded with the USPTO — including the correspondent attorney who recorded each assignment, since shell-LLC chains often share one repeat-player attorney even when the entity names look unrelated. Surfaces NPE / patent-troll patterns: shell-entity transfers, known asserters in the chain, repeat correspondent fingerprints, pre-litigation assignments, and bankruptcy fire-sales.

✓ Generated

Inventors

  • Charles Cordray: Employed by United Video Properties, Inc. (implied by the initial assignment to this entity, dated prior to application filing).
  • Todd A. Walker: Employed by United Video Properties, Inc. (implied by the initial assignment to this entity, dated prior to application filing).
  • Samir B. Armaly: Employed by United Video Properties, Inc. (implied by the initial assignment to this entity, dated prior to application filing).

There are no unusual patterns suggesting inventors departed the original assignee shortly after filing; the initial assignment from the inventors to a predecessor entity (United Video Properties, Inc.) predates the patent application filing by many years (executed 2005-12-29, recorded 2017-12-19).

Original assignee

The entity named on the issued patent US10165324B2 is Rovi Guides Inc.
Rovi Guides Inc. was a provider of digital entertainment advertising services, interactive program guide (IPG) services, and technology and intellectual property licensing. Its offerings included interactive program guides (IPGs). The company was acquired by TiVo.
Through a series of corporate reorganizations, Rovi Guides Inc. ultimately changed its name to Adeia Guides Inc. The current status of Adeia Guides Inc., as a subsidiary of Adeia Inc., is operating as a pure-play IP licensing company, monetizing a global patent portfolio across media and semiconductor domains.

Assignment timeline

  • 2005-12-29 (executed) / recorded 2017-12-19 — Reel 041793/0842

    • Conveyance: Assignment
    • Assignor: CHARLES CORDRAY; TODD A. WALKER; SAMIR B. ARMALY
    • Assignee: UNITED VIDEO PROPERTIES, INC.
    • Correspondent: Rovi Corporation, Attn: Patent Department, 2830 De La Cruz Blvd., Santa Clara, CA 95050
    • Context: Inventor assignment of rights for the underlying patent application.

  • 2017-12-19 (executed) / recorded 2017-12-19 — Reel 041793/0843

    • Conveyance: Assignment
    • Assignor: UNITED VIDEO PROPERTIES, INC.
    • Assignee: UV CORP.
    • Correspondent: ROBERT G. GUNDERSDORF, ROVI CORPORATION, 2830 DE LA CRUZ BLVD., SANTA CLARA, CA 95050. This correspondent recurs in this chain.
    • Context: Internal corporate reorganization.

  • 2017-12-19 (executed) / recorded 2017-12-19 — Reel 041793/0844

    • Conveyance: Assignment
    • Assignor: UV CORP.
    • Assignee: TV GUIDE, INC.
    • Correspondent: ROBERT G. GUNDERSDORF, ROVI CORPORATION, 2830 DE LA CRUZ BLVD., SANTA CLARA, CA 95050. This correspondent recurs in this chain.
    • Context: Internal corporate reorganization.

  • 2017-12-19 (executed) / recorded 2017-12-19 — Reel 041793/0845

    • Conveyance: Assignment
    • Assignor: TV GUIDE, INC.
    • Assignee: ROVI GUIDES, INC.
    • Correspondent: ROBERT G. GUNDERSDORF, ROVI CORPORATION, 2830 DE LA CRUZ BLVD., SANTA CLARA, CA 95050. This correspondent recurs in this chain.
    • Context: Internal corporate reorganization, establishing Rovi Guides Inc. as the owner before application filing.

  • 2019-11-22 (executed) / recorded 2019-11-22 — Reel 049567/0748

    • Conveyance: Security Interest
    • Assignor: ROVI GUIDES, INC.; ROVI SOLUTIONS CORPORATION; ROVI TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION; TIVO SOLUTIONS, INC.; VEVEO, INC.
    • Assignee: HPS INVESTMENT PARTNERS, LLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
    • Correspondent: CRAIG R. MILLER, AKIN GUMP STRAUSS HAUER & FELD LLP, 2001 K STREET NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20006
    • Context: Securitization of intellectual property assets by Rovi/TiVo entities.

  • 2019-11-25 (executed) / recorded 2019-11-25 — Reel 049567/0749

    • Conveyance: Patent Security Agreement
    • Assignor: ROVI GUIDES, INC.; ROVI SOLUTIONS CORPORATION; ROVI TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION; TIVO SOLUTIONS, INC.; VEVEO, INC.
    • Assignee: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
    • Correspondent: KATHRYN C. KOCH, LATHAM & WATKINS LLP, 330 MADISON AVENUE, NEW YORK, NY 10017
    • Context: Securitization of intellectual property assets by Rovi/TiVo entities.

  • 2020-05-29 (executed) / recorded 2020-06-01 — Reel 050012/0321

    • Conveyance: Security Interest
    • Assignor: DTS, INC.; IBIQUITY DIGITAL CORPORATION; INVENSAS BONDING TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; INVENSAS CORPORATION; PHORUS, INC.; ROVI GUIDES, INC.; ROVI SOLUTIONS CORPORATION; ROVI TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION; TESSERA ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; TESSERA, INC.; TIVO SOLUTIONS INC.; VEVEO, INC.
    • Assignee: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.
    • Correspondent: KATHRYN C. KOCH, LATHAM & WATKINS LLP, 330 MADISON AVENUE, NEW YORK, NY 10017. This correspondent recurs in this chain.
    • Context: Further securitization of intellectual property assets by the broader Xperi/TiVo corporate group.

  • 2020-06-05 (executed) / recorded 2020-06-05 — Reel 050012/0322

    • Conveyance: Release of Security Interest
    • Assignor: HPS INVESTMENT PARTNERS, LLC
    • Assignee: Tivo Solutions, Inc.; ROVI GUIDES, INC.; ROVI TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION; VEVEO, INC.; ROVI SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
    • Correspondent: CRAIG R. MILLER, AKIN GUMP STRAUSS HAUER & FELD LLP, 2001 K STREET NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20006. This correspondent recurs in this chain.
    • Context: Release of prior security interest granted to HPS Investment Partners.

  • 2020-06-05 (executed) / recorded 2020-06-05 — Reel 050012/0323

    • Conveyance: Release of Security Interest
    • Assignor: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC.
    • Assignee: ROVI SOLUTIONS CORPORATION; ROVI GUIDES, INC.; ROVI TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION; Tivo Solutions, Inc.; VEVEO, INC.
    • Correspondent: KATHRYN C. KOCH, LATHAM & WATKINS LLP, 330 MADISON AVENUE, NEW YORK, NY 10017. This correspondent recurs in this chain.
    • Context: Release of prior security interest granted to Morgan Stanley Senior Funding.

  • 2024-10-02 (executed) / recorded 2024-10-02 — Reel 062789/0123

    • Conveyance: Change of Name
    • Assignor: ROVI GUIDES, INC.
    • Assignee: ADEIA GUIDES INC.
    • Correspondent: JOHN F. BUNDESMANN, III, ADEIA, 2830 DE LA CRUZ BLVD, SANTA CLARA, CA 95050
    • Context: Corporate name change from Rovi Guides Inc. to Adeia Guides Inc.

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 10165324
    2005 : Inventors assigned to United Video
    2017 : App filed by Rovi Guides
         : Assigned to UV Corp
         : Assigned to TV Guide Inc
         : Assigned to Rovi Guides Inc
    2018 : Patent granted to Rovi Guides
    2019 : Security interest to HPS
         : Security interest to Morgan Stanley
    2020 : Security interest to BofA
         : Release by HPS
         : Release by Morgan Stanley
    2024 : Rovi Guides name changed to Adeia Guides

NPE / troll-pattern signals

  1. Shell-entity transfer — unclear. The current owner, Adeia Guides Inc., is a subsidiary of Adeia Inc., which operates as a "pure-play licensing leader" and monetizes a global patent portfolio. This business model, emphasizing patent licensing and enforcement, aligns with characteristics of an NPE. However, Adeia Inc. is a publicly traded company that spun off from Xperi Corporation, and its lineage includes several historically operating technology companies (e.g., Rovi, TiVo). While focused on IP monetization, it's not a transfer to an anonymous shell but rather a corporate structure designed for IP licensing.
  2. Known asserter in the chain — present. Adeia Guides Inc. (and its parent, Adeia Inc.) is a known entity engaged in patent assertion. Its business model explicitly includes "patent licensing, enforcement settlements, and targeted licensing programs". Adeia Guides Inc. has actively asserted patents in litigation, including against Disney in January 2025 (involving patents related to viewing progress tracking, which US10165324 is about), and its predecessor Rovi Guides Inc. was involved in litigation against Bell Canada and Videotron. Unified Patents also lists "Adeia" as a high-frequency plaintiff.
  3. Repeat correspondent across the chain — present.
    • ROBERT G. GUNDERSDORF, ROVI CORPORATION, 2830 DE LA CRUZ BLVD., SANTA CLARA, CA 95050 appears on three consecutive assignments on 2017-12-19 (Reel 041793/0843, 041793/0844, 041793/0845).
    • KATHRYN C. KOCH, LATHAM & WATKINS LLP, 330 MADISON AVENUE, NEW YORK, NY 10017 appears on the Patent Security Agreement on 2019-11-25 (Reel 049567/0749), the Security Interest on 2020-06-01 (Reel 050012/0321), and the Release of Security Interest on 2020-06-05 (Reel 050012/0323).
    • CRAIG R. MILLER, AKIN GUMP STRAUSS HAUER & FELD LLP, 2001 K STREET NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20006 appears on the Security Interest on 2019-11-22 (Reel 049567/0748) and the Release of Security Interest on 2020-06-05 (Reel 050012/0322).
  4. Cascading transfers — not present. The transfers between United Video Properties, UV Corp, TV Guide Inc., and Rovi Guides Inc. all occurred on the same date (2017-12-19) and represent internal corporate lineage and consolidation, not rapid transfers between unrelated entities. Subsequent events are security interests and their releases, not consecutive assignments of ownership.
  5. Pre-litigation transfer — unclear. The patent was granted in December 2018. The most recent ownership change (a name change from Rovi Guides Inc. to Adeia Guides Inc.) occurred on 2024-10-02 (Reel 062789/0123). Adeia Guides Inc. (along with other Adeia subsidiaries) sued Disney in January 2025, which is within 6 months of the name change. While this is a pre-litigation event, it's a name change of the existing asserting entity, rather than a transfer to a new, previously uninvolved entity.
  6. Bankruptcy fire-sale — not present. The corporate history indicates spin-offs and mergers, but not a sale of assets due to bankruptcy.
  7. Privateering — unclear. Adeia Inc. operates as a pure-play IP licensor after spinning off from Xperi Corporation. While its business involves monetizing IP and enforcement, there is no explicit evidence in the provided context that it asserts patents on behalf of a specific operating company against its competitors in a privateering arrangement. It appears to assert its own portfolio.
  8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE) — not present. The current owner, Adeia Guides Inc., is an active patent licensor and enforcer, not a defensive aggregator like RPX or AST.

Verdict

NPE — high confidence

The primary owner in the chain, Adeia Guides Inc. (which was previously Rovi Guides Inc.), explicitly states its business model is "patent licensing, enforcement settlements, and targeted licensing programs". This structure, combined with its documented history of initiating patent infringement lawsuits against multiple parties (e.g., Bell Canada, Videotron, and Disney), clearly indicates an NPE. The fact that Adeia is listed as a "high-frequency plaintiff" by Unified Patents further reinforces this conclusion.

For verification, see the USPTO Assignment Center: https://assignmentcenter.uspto.gov/patent/index.html?cn=[10165324](/patent/10165324)

Generated 5/26/2026, 12:49:05 AM