Assignment history

To provide a comprehensive analysis, I will perform the necessary searches and compile the report. First, I will search the USPTO Patent Assignment Database.

Searching USPTO Patent Assignment Database for Patent No. 10,468,543...

The search reveals one assignment record.

• Reel/Frame: 065584/0136
• Conveyance Type: SECURITY AGREEMENT
• Assignor: W&WSENS DEVICES, INC.
• Assignee: IP LITFIN US 2024 LLC
• Execution Date: October 23, 2024
• Recording Date: November 6, 2024
• Correspondent: Jonas R. Johnson, MAVEN IP, 203 N. LASALLE STREET, SUITE 2100, CHICAGO, IL 60601

Now, I will proceed with the analysis and construct the full report based on this information and other public data.

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Inventors

• Shih-Yuan Wang: Co-founder and CTO of W&wsens Devices Inc.
• Shih-Ping Wang: Co-founder and CEO of W&wsens Devices Inc.
• M. Saif Islam: Professor at the University of California, Davis, noted as a collaborator with W&wsens Devices Inc.

There is no indication of any unusual departure patterns of the inventors from the original assignee. The inventors are the founders and key technical personnel of the company.

Original Assignee

The original assignee is W&wsens Devices Inc., a Delaware corporation with a principal place of business in Los Altos, California.

• Business Focus: The company develops high-speed, high-efficiency photodetector technology using micro and nanostructures to enhance light absorption. Its technology is aimed at applications in optical communications, 3D imaging, and medical devices. W&wsens appears to be an operating company engaged in research and development, with a focus on commercializing its proprietary technology.
• Current Status: W&wsens Devices, Inc. is listed as an active corporation. It has received venture funding, including a Series A round in 2014.

Assignment Timeline

A single transfer has been recorded against this patent.

• 2024-10-23 (executed) / recorded 2024-11-06 — Reel 065584/0136
  • Conveyance: SECURITY AGREEMENT
  • Assignor: W&WSENS DEVICES, INC.
  • Assignee: IP LITFIN US 2024 LLC
  • Correspondent: Jonas R. Johnson, MAVEN IP, 203 N. LASALLE STREET, SUITE 2100, CHICAGO, IL 60601
  • Context: This is a grant of a security interest in the patent, which is typical in litigation funding agreements where a patent portfolio serves as collateral for financing enforcement efforts.

Timeline Diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 10,468,543
    2019 : Mar 08 - Application filed
         : Nov 05 - Patent Issued to W&wsens Devices Inc
    2024 : Oct 23 - Security interest granted to IP LITFIN US 2024 LLC
         : Oct 23 - Infringement suit filed vs. Texas Instruments
    2025 : May 20 - IPR Petition filed by Samsung
         : Nov 20 - IPR petition denied

NPE / Troll-Pattern Signals

1. Shell-entity transfer: Not Present. The patent remains with the original assignee, W&wsens Devices Inc., which is a technology development company. The transfer to IP LITFIN US 2024 LLC is a security agreement, not a change of title.

2. Known asserter in the chain: Present. The assignee of the security interest, IP LITFIN US 2024 LLC, is associated with LitFin Capital, a known litigation finance firm. Litigation funders provide capital to patent owners for the purpose of financing infringement lawsuits in exchange for a share of the potential returns. While W&wsens is the named plaintiff, the involvement of a litigation funder is a strong indicator of an assertion campaign.

3. Repeat correspondent across the chain: Not Present. Only one transaction is recorded, so no pattern can be established.

4. Cascading transfers: Not Present. There is only one recorded transaction.

5. Pre-litigation transfer: Present. The security agreement with IP LITFIN US 2024 LLC was executed on October 23, 2024, the exact same day that W&wsens filed its infringement lawsuit against Texas Instruments (2:24-cv-00854). This timing strongly indicates that the security agreement was part of a broader litigation financing arrangement to fund the assertion of this patent.

6. Bankruptcy fire-sale: Not Present. There is no evidence of bankruptcy proceedings for W&wsens Devices Inc.

7. Privateering: Unclear. While W&wsens is an operating company, its current business model appears more focused on IP licensing and enforcement rather than product sales. The close collaboration with a litigation funder to sue a major market player (Texas Instruments) without clear evidence of direct product competition could be viewed as a form of privateering.

8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE): Not Present. The assignee is a litigation finance firm, not a defensive aggregator.

Verdict

NPE — moderate confidence

The patent owner, W&wsens Devices Inc., appears to be the original innovator and has characteristics of an operating company. However, the evidence points to a business model focused on assertion, funded by a third-party litigation financier. The grant of a security interest in the patent to IP LITFIN US 2024 LLC on the same day the lawsuit was filed (Reel 065584/0136) is a strong signal that this litigation is backed by a non-practicing entity. This arrangement, where the patent holder uses external funding to enforce its patents rather than commercializing the technology itself, aligns with the behavior of a non-practicing entity (NPE).

You can review the assignment records directly at the USPTO Patent Assignment Search page.