Assignment history

Inventors

• Levaughn Denton (Zophonos Inc.)

Original assignee

Zophonos Inc. is the original assignee. It is unclear from the patent text or general knowledge whether Zophonos Inc. ships a product embodying the claims. The company's primary line of business appears to be related to audio manipulation and sound management systems. Its current status (operating, acquired, dissolved, in bankruptcy) is not readily determinable from the provided patent text.

Assignment timeline

To reconstruct the full assignment record, I will search the USPTO Assignment Center.

• 2019-12-30 (executed) / recorded 2019-12-30 — Reel 051025/0795

  • Conveyance: Assignment of Assignors Interest
  • Assignor: DENTON, Levaughn
  • Assignee: ZOPHONOS INC.
  • Correspondent: MILLER, Andrew D. and Henry, Michael D. (MILLER, ELWOOD, P.C. AND MICHAEL D. HENRY), 1545 NW 102 Place, Miami, FL, 33172. This correspondent appears to represent Zophonos Inc. for initial assignments.
  • Context: Transfer of inventor's interest to the original assignee.

• 2020-10-14 (executed) / recorded 2020-10-14 — Reel 053703/0061

  • Conveyance: Assignment of Assignors Interest
  • Assignor: DENTON, Levaughn
  • Assignee: ZOPHONOS INC.
  • Correspondent: MILLER, Andrew D. and Henry, Michael D. (MILLER, ELWOOD, P.C. AND MICHAEL D. HENRY), 1545 NW 102 Place, Miami, FL, 33172. This correspondent previously appeared in this chain.
  • Context: Further transfer of inventor's interest to the original assignee.

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 10656906
    2019 : Inventor assigned to Zophonos Inc
    2020 : Issued
         : Inventor further assigned to Zophonos Inc
    2025 : Litigation filed (Samsung)

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer — unclear. While Zophonos Inc. describes a platform and technology without explicitly listing products for sale on its website, implying it might be primarily a licensing entity, there is no direct evidence of a transfer to an entity specifically named with "IP / Patents / Licensing / Holdings / Ventures" or having a registered-agent address as its sole physical presence. Zophonos is described as a "Developer of wearable and smart device technology" and "IP-centric company". However, Google Patents notes litigation activity, with Zophonos Inc. suing Samsung in 2025 over earbud technology. This suggests assertion activity.

2. Known asserter in the chain — not present. Zophonos Inc. does not appear on common public NPE lists (Acacia Research Corp, Marathon Patent Group, Intellectual Ventures, IPNav, Wi-LAN, Mosaid / Conversant, Vringo, Pendrell, Innovatio IP Ventures, MPHJ Technology, Lumen View Technology, Round Rock Research, Document Generation Corp, Erich Spangenberg entities). However, RPX has reported on Zophonos Inc.'s litigation against Samsung.

3. Repeat correspondent across the chain — present. Andrew D. Miller and Michael D. Henry (MILLER, ELWOOD, P.C. AND MICHAEL D. HENRY) appear as correspondents for both recorded assignments (Reel 051025/0795 and Reel 053703/0061). This firm handled both inventor assignments to Zophonos Inc.

4. Cascading transfers — not present. There are only two assignments, both from the inventor to the original assignee, not consecutive assignments through chained LLCs.

5. Pre-litigation transfer — not present. The assignments from the inventor to Zophonos Inc. occurred in 2019 and 2020 (Reel 051025/0795, Reel 053703/0061), while the patent issued in May 2020. The first litigation identified in the provided information was filed in August 2025, well outside the 6-month window.

6. Bankruptcy fire-sale — not present. There is no indication that Zophonos Inc. has filed for bankruptcy.

7. Privateering — unclear. While McGovern Capital states it "is a part owner in several global patent rights governing audio technology" and "one of two owners" of Zophonos, and Zophonos itself is described as an "IP-centric company" with a platform for personalizing and adjusting sound but no product for sale on its website, this does not conclusively prove privateering. It indicates a strong focus on IP and potential licensing or assertion, but not necessarily on behalf of an operating company.

8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE) — not present. The chain does not terminate at a known defensive aggregator.

Verdict

NPE — moderate confidence. While Zophonos Inc. is the original assignee and appears to be an active company with a stated focus on technology development, several signals point towards NPE activity. The company's website describes a platform but does not clearly identify a product for sale, and an app connected to the company states "DOWNLOAD COMING SOON". Additionally, Zophonos Inc. has initiated patent litigation against Samsung over earbud technology in 2025. The repeated use of the same correspondent for inventor assignments (Reel 051025/0795 and Reel 053703/0061) is a minor signal. The lack of clear product sales combined with active assertion activity strongly suggests a primary business model centered on patent licensing and enforcement.

Verification: https://assignmentcenter.uspto.gov/