Assignment history

Inventors

Based on the initial patent assignment, the inventors were all affiliated with the original assignee, Second Spectrum, Inc.

• Yu-Han Chang
• Rajiv Tharmeswaran Maheswaran
• Jeffrey Wayne Su
• Emil Dotchevski
• Jason Kent Simon

There is no public information to suggest any unusual departure patterns of the inventors following the patent application.

Original Assignee

Second Spectrum, Inc.

The original assignee was Second Spectrum, Inc., a California-based company known for providing data analytics, visualizations, and video augmentation services to sports leagues, including the NBA and the English Premier League. The company's products, which include player tracking and real-time video analysis, directly embody the technologies described in this patent. In May 2021, Second Spectrum was acquired by Genius Sports Group, and it appears to operate as a subsidiary or integrated unit.

Assignment Timeline

• 2020-02-19 (recorded 2020-02-25) — Reel 053673/0748
  • Conveyance: Assignment of Assignor's Interest
  • Assignor: Yu-Han Chang, Rajiv Tharmeswaran Maheswaran, Jeffrey Wayne Su, Emil Dotchevski, Jason Kent Simon
  • Assignee: Second Spectrum, Inc.
  • Correspondent: Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie LLP, Glendale, CA
  • Context: Routine assignment from inventors to their employer at the time of filing.
• 2021-06-02 (recorded 2023-01-23) — Reel 064434/0833
  • Conveyance: Merger
  • Assignor: Second Spectrum, Inc.
  • Assignee: GENIUS SPORTS SS, LLC
  • Correspondent: KILPATRICK TOWNSEND & STOCKTON LLP, Atlanta, GA
  • Context: Transfer of assets resulting from the acquisition of Second Spectrum, Inc. by Genius Sports Group.
• 2022-12-14 (recorded 2024-05-01) — Reel 065261/0861
  • Conveyance: Security Interest
  • Assignor: GENIUS SPORTS SS, LLC
  • Assignee: CITIBANK, N.A.
  • Correspondent: John C. Ralls, Pearlstone, Dallas, TX
  • Context: The patent was pledged as collateral to secure a financial agreement, a standard business practice for operating companies.

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 10769446
    2020 : Filed and assigned to Second Spectrum Inc
    2021 : Genius Sports acquires Second Spectrum Inc
    2022 : Pledged as collateral to Citibank NA
    2023 : Merger with Genius Sports SS LLC recorded
    2024 : Security interest recorded

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer: Not present. The assignment from Second Spectrum to Genius Sports SS, LLC was the result of a merger between two well-established operating companies in the sports technology sector.
2. Known asserter in the chain: Not present. Neither Second Spectrum, Inc. nor Genius Sports SS, LLC are on public lists of patent assertion entities.
3. Repeat correspondent across the chain: Not present. The three recorded assignments were handled by three different law firms, which is consistent with distinct events: initial patent prosecution, a corporate merger, and a financing deal.
4. Cascading transfers: Not present. The transfers are separated by significant time and correspond to standard corporate activities (acquisition and financing).
5. Pre-litigation transfer: Not present. A search of litigation databases shows no record of this patent being asserted in any lawsuit.
6. Bankruptcy fire-sale: Not present. The transfer was part of a strategic acquisition, not a bankruptcy proceeding.
7. Privateering: Not present. The patent remains with the acquiring operating company, Genius Sports.
8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE): Not present. The patent is held by an operating company, not a defensive aggregator.

Verdict

Insufficient data

The assignment history shows a clear and conventional chain of ownership from the inventors to their employer, Second Spectrum, Inc., and then to its acquirer, Genius Sports SS, LLC. Both entities are operating companies that commercialize the technology covered by the patent. While there is no evidence of litigation, the "Operating-company assertion" category is not a perfect fit as there is no active assertion. The patent is currently held as a standard corporate asset, and there are no signals whatsoever of non-practicing entity (NPE) or "patent troll" activity.

Verify at: USPTO Patent Assignment Search