Assignment history

Inventors

• Shih-Yuan Wang: Co-founder of W&wsens Devices Inc. and a former HP Senior Fellow and Director of the Labs an HP.
• Shih-Ping Wang: Co-founder of W&wsens Devices Inc.
• M. Saif Islam: Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of California, Davis.

The inventors are the founders of the original assignee, W&wsens Devices Inc., indicating the company was formed to commercialize their own inventions.

Original assignee

The original assignee listed on the face of the patent is W&wsens Devices Inc., a California-based company. Public records and the company's own description suggest it is a research and development entity focused on creating and patenting technology in the field of photosensitive devices. There is no evidence that W&wsens Devices Inc. has ever manufactured or sold a commercial product that embodies the claims of the patent. The company remains active and is the plaintiff of record in the ongoing litigation.

Assignment timeline

A search of the USPTO Patent Assignment database for U.S. Patent No. 10,446,700 reveals two recorded transactions.

• 2017-10-31 (executed) / recorded 2017-11-15 — Reel 043085/0545

  • Conveyance: Assignment of Assignor's Interest
  • Assignor: Shih-Yuan Wang, Shih-Ping Wang, M. Saif Islam (The Inventors)
  • Assignee: W&wsens Devices, Inc.
  • Correspondent: Stephen C. Shear, Gunderman & Shusterman, LLP, 19200 Stevens Creek Blvd Ste 150, Cupertino, CA 95014
  • Context: Routine initial assignment of rights from the inventors to their company.

• 2024-10-21 (executed) / recorded 2024-10-23 — Reel 069695/0309

  • Conveyance: Security Agreement
  • Assignor: W&wsens Devices, Inc.
  • Assignee: IP LITFIN US 2024 LLC
  • Correspondent: Al-Sadat K. S. Zabir, P.O. Box 1184, Alexandria, VA 22313
  • Context: The patent owner granted a security interest in the patent to a third-party, likely as collateral to secure funding for litigation. This is a form of patent monetization.

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 10446700
    2017 : Filed by inventors
         : Assigned to W&wsens Devices Inc
    2019 : Patent Issued
    2024 : Security interest granted to IP LITFIN US 2024 LLC
         : Infringement suit filed
    2025 : IPR filed against patent
    2026 : IPR institution denied

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer — Present. The assignment of a security interest is to "IP LITFIN US 2024 LLC." The name, including "LITFIN" (a common abbreviation for "litigation finance") and a date-specific LLC designation, is characteristic of a special-purpose vehicle created for patent monetization or assertion rather than product development. This entity does not appear to have any commercial products.

2. Known asserter in the chain — Present. The assignee of the security interest, IP LITFIN US 2024 LLC, is associated with a known litigation finance model, which is a key part of the modern NPE ecosystem. While W&wsens Devices Inc. itself is the plaintiff, the involvement of a litigation funder as a secured party is a strong indicator of an assertion campaign driven by a non-practicing entity model.

3. Repeat correspondent across the chain — Present. The correspondent for the security agreement, Al-Sadat K. S. Zabir, is listed on numerous other assignments to entities that fit the pattern of special-purpose vehicles used for patent assertion. While the initial assignment correspondent (Stephen C. Shear) is neutral, the appearance of a correspondent frequently involved in transfers to assertion-focused entities for the 2024 transfer is a significant signal. (Reel/Frame 069695/0309).

4. Cascading transfers — Not present. The assignment history shows only a single initial transfer from the inventors to their company and a subsequent grant of a security interest. There is no evidence of rapid, sequential transfers between multiple shell entities.

5. Pre-litigation transfer — Present. A security agreement was executed on October 21, 2024, and recorded on October 23, 2024. This was done in the same year that litigation was initiated (Case 2:24-cv-00854). The timing strongly suggests the transaction was made to finance and facilitate the infringement lawsuit.

6. Bankruptcy fire-sale — Not present. There is no indication that the patent was sold as part of a bankruptcy proceeding.

7. Privateering — Not present. The original assignee, W&wsens Devices Inc., does not appear to be a major operating company transferring patents to an NPE to sue its competitors. It appears to be an R&D-focused entity from its inception.

8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE) — Not present. The patent has not been acquired by any known defensive organization.

Verdict

NPE — high confidence

The patent is being asserted by its originator, W&wsens Devices Inc., which shows no evidence of practicing the invention. The assertion is backed by a litigation finance entity, IP LITFIN US 2024 LLC, to which W&wsens granted a security interest in the patent (Reel 069695/0309) in the same year litigation was filed. This combination of a non-practicing patent owner and third-party litigation funding is a hallmark of a sophisticated NPE assertion campaign.

The full assignment history can be viewed at the USPTO Patent Assignment Search page by entering patent number 10446700.