Assignment history — US Patent 10868908

Inventors

Eric M. DeLangis (Individual Inventor, not associated with an employer at the time of filing as per the patent document itself which lists "Original Assignee: Individual" and "Application filed by Individual").

Original assignee

The original assignee listed on the patent is "Individual". However, the "Current Assignee" is listed as Competitive Access Systems Inc. Based on the patent's background, the RCG (the device embodying the claims) was intended to provide a platform for Competitive Local Exchange Companies (CLECs) to compete with Local Exchange Companies (LECs) for residential voice and data services. It aimed to offer advanced calling features and high-bandwidth data services over existing POTS lines. While the patent describes features and services, it does not explicitly state that Competitive Access Systems Inc. shipped a product embodying the claims. Information regarding Competitive Access Systems Inc.'s primary line of business beyond what's described in the patent, or its current status (operating, acquired, dissolved, in bankruptcy) is not readily available within the patent text.

Assignment timeline

No recorded assignments for US Patent 10868908 were found on the USPTO Assignment Center. The Google Patents legal events section indicates an assignment to Competitive Access Systems, Inc. on 2021-05-13. However, without a corresponding reel/frame number from the USPTO Assignment Center, detailed information about this specific transaction and any subsequent transfers cannot be provided.

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 10868908
    2016 : Filed by Eric M. DeLangis (Individual)
    2020 : Issued
    2021 : Assigned to Competitive Access Systems Inc.
    2023 : Challenged in IPR
    2024 : All challenged claims rejected in CRU

NPE / troll-pattern signals

Shell-entity transfer — Unclear. While Competitive Access Systems Inc. is identified as an NPE by Unified Patents, without the specific assignment record (reel/frame) details, it's not possible to determine if the transfer from the individual inventor to Competitive Access Systems Inc. involved a shell entity based on naming conventions, address, or business focus as explicitly defined by the criteria. Competitive Access Systems Inc. is incorporated in Texas with its principal place of business in Plano, Texas. While it is characterized as an NPE, the available information doesn't detail its corporate structure or if its address is a registered-agent service.
Known asserter in the chain — Present. Competitive Access Systems Inc. is explicitly identified as an NPE (Patent Assertion Entity) by Unified Patents in their litigation tracking for this patent. They have asserted this patent against Oracle's Linux offering, as well as against [[Samsung Electronics Co.](/litigations/by-defendant/Samsung%20Electronics%20Co.), Ltd.](/litigations/by-plaintiff/Samsung%20Electronics%20Co.%2C%20Ltd.) and Motorola Mobility LLC.
Repeat correspondent across the chain — Unclear. The USPTO Assignment Center search did not yield any records for this patent. Therefore, no correspondent information is available to assess recurrence.
Cascading transfers — Not present. There are no multiple consecutive assignments through chained LLCs within a 24-month period recorded, as no assignment records were found via the USPTO Assignment Center.
Pre-litigation transfer — Unclear. While the patent was assigned to Competitive Access Systems, Inc. in May 2021, and subsequent litigation was filed in March 2023 (IPR) and October 2023 (CRU), and district court cases in 2022 and 2024-2025, the exact timing relative to the very first infringement suit naming this patent is not definitively established from the provided data. Without the specific recording date and the date of the very first infringement suit, it's hard to make a conclusive statement, especially since district court cases are shown in 2022 and later.
Bankruptcy fire-sale — Not present. There is no indication from the provided information that the original assignee (Eric M. DeLangis) or Competitive Access Systems Inc. filed for bankruptcy.
Privateering — Unclear. While Competitive Access Systems Inc. is an NPE, there is no information provided to suggest that an operating company transferred the patent to Competitive Access Systems Inc. to assert on its behalf against competitors.
Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE) — Not present. The current listed owner, Competitive Access Systems Inc., is an NPE and the patent has been asserted in litigation, which is the opposite of defensive aggregation. Unified Patents is involved as a petitioner in IPR and CRU proceedings against this patent, acting in an anti-NPE role, but they are not the assignee.

Verdict

NPE — high confidence

The verdict is high confidence NPE. Competitive Access Systems Inc. is explicitly identified as an NPE by Unified Patents, and they have actively asserted the patent in multiple litigations against major technology companies like Oracle and Samsung. The assignment from an individual inventor to an entity identified as an NPE strongly signals a patent assertion play.

Verification: USPTO Patent Assignment Search.