US 11063625

Here is a concise summary of US Patent 11063625:

US Patent 11063625: Steerable antenna device

• Title: Steerable antenna device
• Assignee: Massively Broadband LLC
• Inventors: Theodore S. Rappaport
• Filing Date: 2013-08-14
• Issue Date: 2021-07-13
• Abstract: Wireless devices, particularly mobile devices such as cellphones, PDAs, computers, and navigation devices, among others, that transmit or receive data across multiple frequency bands, incorporate at least one steerable antenna. These devices can be configured to transmit and receive across various bands (e.g., GSM, Bluetooth, UWB). They are capable of identifying "zones or spans of directions" to avoid radiating beams at frequencies of 10 GHz or higher. Signals can be received via either the steerable antenna or another antenna. Furthermore, the wireless devices can be set to radiate in a pattern distinct from their receiving pattern.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims:

• Independent Claim 1 (Method for Avoiding Radiation): This claim describes a method for a wireless device, equipped with at least one steerable antenna, to prevent radiating energy toward a user or physical structure. The method involves:

  1. Detecting Orientation: Using sensors (such as cameras, microphones, ultrasound, range finders, capacitive sensors, gyroscopes, light detectors, or motion detectors), the device determines its orientation relative to the user or structure in three-dimensional space.
  2. Determining Avoidance Zones: Based on this detection, the device calculates specific "zones or spans of directions" where the user or structure is located relative to its steerable antenna.
  3. Adjusting Radiation Pattern: The device then adjusts the steerable antenna's radiation patterns to direct its energy in specific "particular directions" while ensuring that "nulls or dead zones" (areas of minimal radiation) are created in the previously identified avoidance zones. The steerable antenna operates on one or multiple frequency bands, radiating at frequencies between 10 GHz and 500 GHz.

• Independent Claim 11 (Wireless Device for Avoiding Radiation): This claim describes a wireless device engineered to avoid radiating a user or structure. The device comprises:

  1. Sensors: One or more sensors (including cameras, microphones, audio/ultrasound sensors, range finders, capacitive sensors, gyroscopes, light/motion detectors) that detect the device's orientation relative to a user or structure in three-dimensional space.
  2. Processors: One or more processors connected to these sensors.
  3. Steerable Antenna: At least one steerable antenna connected to the processors, which can adjust its beam radiation patterns to steer energy in particular directions and create nulls or dead zones in others. This antenna radiates at frequencies between 10 GHz and 500 GHz and operates on one or multiple bands.
  4. Non-Transitory Computer Readable Medium: A storage medium containing instructions that, when executed by the processors, cause the device to: receive signals from the sensors, compute the "zones or spans of directions" where the user or structure is located, and adjust the antenna's radiation patterns to avoid radiating into those zones.
  5. Receiver: A receiver for receiving over-the-air signals.

• Independent Claim 23 (Steerable Antenna System for Avoiding Radiation): This claim outlines a steerable antenna system designed to be used in a wireless device to avoid radiating a user or structure. The system includes:

  1. Sensors: One or more sensors (such as cameras, microphones, audio/ultrasound transducers, ultrasound sensors, range finders, capacitive sensors, gyroscopes, light detectors, or motion detectors) to detect the wireless device's orientation relative to a user or structure in three-dimensional space.
  2. Computation Module: A computation module connected to the sensors, configured to determine "zones or spans of directions" corresponding to the user's or structure's location.
  3. Steerable Antenna: At least one steerable antenna connected to the computation module, which radiates at frequencies between 10 GHz and 500 GHz. This antenna is configured to adjustably radiate beams in directions outside the determined avoidance zones, steering energy in particular directions while creating nulls or dead zones in others. The antenna operates on one or multiple bands.
  4. Receiver: A receiver for receiving signals.

USPTO and CAFC 2026 Docket Search:
A review of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) scheduled cases for May 2026 did not reveal any direct dockets or scheduled cases specifically mentioning patent number US11063625 or its current assignee, Massively Broadband LLC, or inventor Theodore S. Rappaport. Information on this patent's details (assignee, inventor, dates, abstract) is consistently found across patent databases, and the provided full patent text serves as the authoritative source for this information. The USPTO provides public search tools for patents.

Known litigation involving US patent 11063625 includes the following:

1. Inter Partes Review (IPR) Proceeding

   • Plaintiff(s): Unified Patents (Petitioner)
   • Defendant(s): Massively Broadband LLC (Patent Owner)
   • Jurisdiction: Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB)
   • Case Number: IPR2025-01564
   • Filing Date: 2025 (implied by case number "IPR2025")
   • Outcome/Current Status: Not Instituted - Procedural.

2. District Court Litigation

   • Plaintiff(s): Massively Broadband LLC
   • Defendant(s): [[Samsung Electronics Co.](/litigations/by-defendant/Samsung%20Electronics%20Co.), Ltd.](/litigations/by-plaintiff/Samsung%20Electronics%20Co.%2C%20Ltd.) and Samsung Electronics America, Inc.
   • Jurisdiction: Texas Eastern District Court
   • Case Number: 2:25-cv-00608
   • Filing Date: June 6, 2025
   • Outcome/Current Status: Ongoing. Court documents from October 2025 indicate active proceedings, including motions for extension of time and a docket control order setting a trial date for April 19, 2027.

Proceedings overview

The patent US11063625 has been subject to one AIA trial proceeding. This proceeding, an Inter Partes Review (IPR), resulted in a discretionary denial of institution, meaning no claims of the patent were challenged on the merits in a full trial. This outcome generally strengthens the patent's defensive posture as its claims have not been invalidated by the PTAB.

IPR2025-01564 — [[[Samsung Electronics Co.](/litigations/by-defendant/Samsung%20Electronics%20Co.), Ltd.](/litigations/by-plaintiff/Samsung%20Electronics%20Co.%2C%20Ltd.) et al.](/litigations/by-plaintiff/Samsung%20Electronics%20Co.%2C%20Ltd.%20et%20al.) v. Massively Broadband LLC

• Type: Inter Partes Review
• Filed: 2025-09-26
• Status: Discretionary Denial (The PTAB declined to institute the IPR, meaning a trial on the merits did not occur).
• Judge panel: Information not publicly available at this stage in the given search results.
• Petition grounds: The exact claims challenged, prior art asserted, and statutory bases (§ 102 / § 103 / § 112) for the petition are not available from the provided public data or the initial search snippets.
• Institution decision: Denied. The IPR was discretionarily denied on 2026-04-09. The specific reasoning for the discretionary denial, such as arguments under Fintiv factors, is not detailed in the available summary data.
• Final Written Decision (if issued): Not applicable, as institution was denied.
• Settlement / termination: The case was closed with a status of "Discretionary Denial," indicating it terminated at the institution phase. No settlement was reported, as the proceeding did not advance to a trial.
• Appeal: No appeal was filed, as the case ended with a denial of institution.
• Defensive value: The patent owner, Massively Broadband LLC, successfully defended against the petition to institute an IPR. This means the claims of US11063625 were not reviewed on their merits by the PTAB in this proceeding, and thus remain intact. Any future defendant would face a patent whose claims have not been invalidated through this IPR.

Strategic summary

As of today, US11063625 has not had any claims canceled by the PTAB. The single IPR filed against it, IPR2025-01564, was denied institution on discretionary grounds, leaving all claims of the patent untested by the PTAB. This outcome generally strengthens the patent owner's position.

Regarding the estoppel landscape, since IPR2025-01564 was denied institution on discretionary grounds, it is unlikely to trigger the full statutory estoppel of 35 U.S.C. § 315(e)(2) for the petitioner, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. et al. While the precise scope of Fintiv-based estoppel (which often accompanies discretionary denials) is still evolving, it typically does not bar a petitioner from raising the same grounds in district court that were denied at institution, unless there's an explicit finding of redundant or insufficient grounds. For a defendant currently facing assertion, this means that the prior-art grounds that Samsung may have presented in their petition might still be available for use in district court litigation or in a subsequent IPR by a different party (subject to other estoppel rules like NHK Fintiv and Custom Truck if relevant). The current record does not show any pattern of multiple IPRs by the same petitioner or aggressive PTAB appeals by the patent owner. The petitioner, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. et al., is a significant operating company, not typically classified as a defensive aggregator.

Recommended next steps

Given that IPR2025-01564 was denied institution on discretionary grounds, no claims of US11063625 were invalidated by the PTAB. Therefore, there is no Final Written Decision to link to for claim cancellation.

For any defendant facing assertion of this patent:

• Carefully review the public record for IPR2025-01564 (once available from USPTO PTAB E2E) to understand the precise discretionary reasons for denial. This insight could inform whether similar grounds, or grounds that avoid the discretionary denial reasoning, could be brought in a new IPR by a different petitioner.
• Note that the patent remains active and its claims are formally intact from this PTAB proceeding.
• Consider the strength of the prior art that could have been raised in the IPR, as those arguments might still be viable in district court.

The absence of an instituted IPR means the patent has not been subjected to a full administrative review of its patentability.## Proceedings overview
The patent US11063625 has been subject to one AIA trial proceeding. This proceeding, an Inter Partes Review (IPR), resulted in a discretionary denial of institution, meaning a trial on the merits did not occur and no claims of the patent were ultimately challenged. This outcome generally strengthens the patent's defensive posture as its claims have not been invalidated by the PTAB.

IPR2025-01564 — Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. et al. v. Massively Broadband LLC

• Type: Inter Partes Review
• Filed: 2025-09-26
• Status: Discretionary Denial (The PTAB declined to institute the IPR, meaning a trial on the merits did not occur).
• Judge panel: The specific judge panel for IPR2025-01564 is not publicly available in the provided information.
• Petition grounds: The specific claims challenged, prior art asserted, and statutory bases (§ 102 / § 103 / § 112) for the petition are not publicly available in the provided information.
• Institution decision: Denied. The IPR was discretionarily denied on 2026-04-09. While the status is clear, the detailed reasoning for the discretionary denial (e.g., under Fintiv factors, or other considerations like "settled expectations") is not publicly available in the provided search snippets for this specific IPR.
• Final Written Decision (if issued): Not applicable, as institution was denied.
• Settlement / termination: The case was closed with a status of "Discretionary Denial," indicating it terminated at the institution phase. No settlement was reported, as the proceeding did not advance to a trial.
• Appeal: No appeal was filed, as the case ended with a denial of institution.
• Defensive value: The patent owner, Massively Broadband LLC, successfully defended against the petition to institute an IPR. This means the claims of US11063625 were not reviewed on their merits by the PTAB in this proceeding, and thus remain intact. Any future defendant would face a patent whose claims have not been invalidated through this IPR.

Strategic summary

As of today, US11063625 has not had any claims canceled by the PTAB. The single IPR filed against it, IPR2025-01564, was denied institution on discretionary grounds, leaving all claims of the patent untested by the PTAB. This outcome generally strengthens the patent owner's position.

Regarding the estoppel landscape, since IPR2025-01564 was denied institution on discretionary grounds, it is unlikely to trigger the full statutory estoppel of 35 U.S.C. § 315(e)(2) for the petitioner, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. et al. While the precise scope of Fintiv-based estoppel (which often accompanies discretionary denials) is still evolving, it typically does not bar a petitioner from raising the same grounds in district court that were denied at institution, unless there's an explicit finding of redundant or insufficient grounds. For a defendant currently facing assertion, this means that the prior-art grounds that Samsung may have presented in their petition might still be available for use in district court litigation or in a subsequent IPR by a different party (subject to other estoppel rules like NHK Fintiv and Custom Truck if relevant). The current record does not show any pattern of multiple IPRs by the same petitioner or aggressive PTAB appeals by the patent owner. The petitioner, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. et al., is a significant operating company, not typically classified as a defensive aggregator.

Recommended next steps

Given that IPR2025-01564 was denied institution on discretionary grounds, no claims of US11063625 were invalidated by the PTAB. Therefore, there is no Final Written Decision to link to for claim cancellation.

For any defendant facing assertion of this patent:

• Carefully review the public record for IPR2025-01564 (once available from USPTO PTAB E2E) to understand the precise discretionary reasons for denial. This insight could inform whether similar grounds, or grounds that avoid the discretionary denial reasoning, could be brought in a new IPR by a different petitioner.
• Note that the patent remains active and its claims are formally intact from this PTAB proceeding.
• Consider the strength of the prior art that could have been raised in the IPR, as those arguments might still be viable in district court.

The absence of an instituted IPR means the patent has not been subjected to a full administrative review of its patentability.

Inventors

The only named inventor for US11063625 is Theodore S. Rappaport. At the time of the application filing (2013-08-14), the patent lists "Individual" as the original assignee, implying Theodore S. Rappaport was the original owner. Theodore S. Rappaport is a distinguished academic and engineer, holding the David Lee/Ernst Weber Chair of Electrical and Computer Engineering at New York University (NYU) Tandon School of Engineering and serving as the founding director of NYU WIRELESS. He has a history of founding academic wireless research centers and co-founding private sector companies, with over 100 patents issued or pending.

Original assignee

The original assignee, as listed on the patent application US13/966,853 (which became US11063625B2), was "Individual," referring to the inventor, Theodore S. Rappaport.

The current assignee, Massively Broadband LLC, does not appear to ship products embodying the claims. Instead, it is engaged in patent assertion activities. Massively Broadband LLC was created in Texas in February 2023. It has initiated patent infringement litigation against Samsung in the Eastern District of Texas in June 2025, asserting infringement of a portfolio of patents, including those categorized as "Smart Antenna Patents." Its primary line of business appears to be patent monetization through litigation. Massively Broadband LLC is currently operating.

Assignment timeline

• 2024-12-30 (executed) / recorded 2024-12-31 — Reel 062837/0746
  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: THEODORE S. RAPPAPORT
  • Assignee: MASSIVELY BROADBAND LLC
  • Correspondent: Matthew F. J. Sullivan, STUBBS ALDERTON & MARKILES, LLP, 11111 SANTA MONICA BLVD STE 2500, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA 90025.
  • Context: Transfer to a patent assertion entity.

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 11063625
    2013 : Filed by Inventor Rappaport
    2021 : Patent Issued
    2024 : Assigned to Massively Broadband LLC
    2025 : First infringement suit filed

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer — present. The patent was transferred from individual inventor Theodore S. Rappaport to Massively Broadband LLC, an entity created in February 2023, which does not appear to have a product-shipping business. This transfer occurred shortly before Massively Broadband LLC filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Samsung. The name "Massively Broadband LLC" is suggestive of a licensing-focused entity.
2. Known asserter in the chain — present. Massively Broadband LLC is identified by RPX as an entity that received patents from Theodore S. Rappaport and subsequently filed its first lawsuit accusing Samsung of infringement, indicating its role as a patent assertion entity. Unified Patents also lists an IPR case against Massively Broadband LLC (IPR2025-01564).
3. Repeat correspondent across the chain — not present. Only one assignment record is available, so no recurrence can be observed for this specific patent chain. The correspondent for the assignment (Reel 062837/0746) is Matthew F. J. Sullivan of STUBBS ALDERTON & MARKILES, LLP.
4. Cascading transfers — not present. Only one recorded assignment is present.
5. Pre-litigation transfer — present. The assignment to Massively Broadband LLC was executed on 2024-12-30 and recorded on 2024-12-31 (Reel 062837/0746). Massively Broadband LLC filed its first infringement suit against Samsung on June 6, 2025. This transfer occurred approximately six months before the litigation, strongly indicating it was arranged to enable assertion.
6. Bankruptcy fire-sale — not present. There is no indication of the original assignee or inventor filing for bankruptcy that led to this transfer.
7. Privateering — unclear. While the pattern aligns with an inventor transferring patents to an NPE that then asserts them, there is no public information or SEC filing indicating a specific operating company is leveraging Massively Broadband LLC to assert patents on its behalf against competitors.
8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE) — not present. The chain ends with Massively Broadband LLC, which is an asserting entity, not a defensive aggregator.

Verdict

NPE — high confidence
This verdict is based on multiple strong signals. The patent was transferred from the individual inventor, Theodore S. Rappaport, to Massively Broadband LLC, a newly formed entity (February 2023). This transfer (executed 2024-12-30, recorded 2024-12-31, Reel 062837/0746) occurred approximately six months before Massively Broadband LLC initiated patent infringement litigation against Samsung on June 6, 2025, a classic pre-litigation transfer pattern. Furthermore, Massively Broadband LLC is recognized by RPX as a patent assertion entity.

Verification: USPTO Patent Assignment Search for US11063625.

Here is an analysis of the most relevant prior art for US patent 11063625, based on the provided patent text and its explicit discussions. The patent US11063625B2 has a priority date of August 14, 2008.

Most Relevant Prior Art for US11063625B2

The most relevant prior art patents are those that address multi-band antenna tuning, which forms a foundational concept upon which US11063625B2 builds. The patent itself highlights these references in its "Background of the Invention" and "Summary" sections when discussing the evolution of antenna technology.

1. U.S. Patent No. 7,369,828

   • Full Citation: US7369828B2, "Electronically tunable multiple band antenna for wireless devices," issued May 6, 2008.
   • Publication/Filing Date: Published: May 6, 2008. Filed: March 24, 2006.
   • Brief Description: This patent, assigned to Paratek Microwave, Inc., describes a device for tuning two different cellphone antennas (one for high band and one for low band) for use on several frequency bands. Each antenna incorporates at least one active element, such as a voltage-tunable varactor, that can be adjusted via a controller to achieve desired performance for a particular frequency band.
   • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): US7369828B2 potentially anticipates the broad concept of an antenna operating on "multiple bands" as mentioned in claims 1, 11, and 23 of US11063625B2 (e.g., "wherein said at least one steerable antenna operates on one or multiple bands"). It teaches the use of active tuning elements to allow an antenna system to function across various frequency bands. However, it does not anticipate the core inventive features of US11063625B2, which include detecting a user or structure, determining avoidance zones, and actively steering or nulling a beam pattern of a steerable antenna, particularly at millimeter-wave frequencies (10 GHz to 500 GHz), to avoid radiating towards the user or structure.

2. U.S. Patent No. 7,369,829

   • Full Citation: US7369829B2, "Method and apparatus for using electronically tunable multi-band antenna," issued May 6, 2008.
   • Publication/Filing Date: Published: May 6, 2008. Filed: March 24, 2006.
   • Brief Description: This patent, also assigned to Paratek Microwave, Inc., describes a method for transmitting and receiving RF signals from multiple frequency bands using an electronically tunable multiple band antenna. The method involves providing a high band antenna and a low band antenna, each with voltage-tunable varactors, and using a controller to apply bias voltages to these varactors for tuning.
   • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): Similar to US7369828B2, US7369829B2 potentially anticipates the method and system elements in claims 1, 11, and 23 of US11063625B2 that relate to an antenna "operating on one or multiple bands." It explicitly details a method for achieving multi-band operation through electronic tuning. However, US11063625B2 itself states that US7369829B2 "and other prior art have not contemplated the present invention, which allows a single antenna to be used for simultaneous transmission (or reception) for multiple bands," and further that the invention "allows a steerable antenna within a wireless device to avoid radiating towards a person or object." Therefore, US7369829B2 does not anticipate the aspects of US11063625B2 concerning user/structure detection, spatial avoidance zones, beam steering/nulling, or operation in the 10 GHz to 500 GHz frequency range.

Under 35 U.S.C. § 103, a patent claim is obvious if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the subject matter as a whole would have been obvious at the time the invention was made to a person having ordinary skill in the art (PHOSITA). The US11063625 patent itself describes the relevant prior art and the problems it seeks to solve, providing significant motivation for combining known elements.

The core of Claim 1 of US11063625 is a method for avoiding radiation of a user or structure by a wireless device with a steerable antenna, where detection of the user/structure's orientation relative to the device (using various sensors) leads to determining avoidance zones and adjusting the antenna's beam radiation patterns to avoid those zones, particularly at frequencies between 10 GHz and 500 GHz.

The patent identifies several relevant pieces of prior art and general knowledge:

1. Known Steerable/Adaptive Antenna Technology: The patent explicitly acknowledges that "Patterns for adaptive antennas may be controlled using a wide range of electrical switching, phasing, or selecting techniques known in the art and described elsewhere in this specification to enable pattern adjustments in two and three dimensions." This indicates that the fundamental mechanisms for implementing steerable or adaptive antenna patterns were known to a PHOSITA.
2. Motivation to Avoid Radiation from Users/Structures: The patent articulates clear reasons for steering radiation away from a person or object:
   • Improved Performance: "portable wireless devices should radiate away from a body of a person (or structure) because a body may often attenuate or interfere with an intended radiation signal of such a device." It notes that "It is often advantageous to radiate energy away from a person or structure such that that a path between the portable device and access point is clear of local obstructions."
   • Safety/Health Concerns: The patent states that "it is generally desirable to radiate energy away from a person's head for safety or health considerations (for example, see: http://hps.org/hpspublications/articles/rfradiation.html regarding present day portable radio systems)."
3. Known Sensor Technologies for User/Structure Detection: The patent lists numerous sensors that can detect parameters related to a user or structure's presence and orientation: "Sensing of the parameters of the portable wireless device... may be accomplished in many ways using one or parameter sensors 29... may include, e.g., without limitation, cameras, heat sensors, gyroscopes, light detectors, capacitive detectors... microphones, and ultrasound sensors or transducers." It further details how a camera, for instance, could "sense the presence of one or more persons" to "steer away from the detected user... to avoid radiating the user."
4. Advantages of Millimeter Wave (mmWave) Frequencies for Steerable Antennas: The patent highlights that for "millimeter wave (mmWave) bands (for example, above 10 GHz in frequency)... directional antennas may be fabricated using antenna elements much smaller than used in today's 2 GHz cellphones". It also states that "mmWave communication systems... will be able to exploit the steerable properties of such antennas for improved performance and safety of the user."

Obviousness Combination and Motivation:

A person having ordinary skill in the art (PHOSITA) in wireless device design, aware of the issues and technologies described in the patent's own background, would have been motivated to combine the following prior art elements:

• Known steerable/adaptive antenna technology (Prior Art 1).
• The well-understood problems of signal attenuation by users/structures and health concerns regarding RF exposure (Prior Art 2).
• Existing and readily available sensor technologies (Prior Art 3) for detecting a user's presence, proximity, or device orientation.
• The emerging practicalities and advantages of mmWave frequencies (Prior Art 4) for implementing smaller, steerable antenna arrays in portable devices.

Motivation for Combination:

The motivation for this combination is directly taught within the patent itself:

1. To enhance communication link reliability and efficiency: Knowing that a user's body or other obstructions can attenuate signals, a PHOSITA would be motivated to utilize known steerable antenna technology to direct energy away from these obstructions, thereby improving signal strength and maintaining a clear path to an access point. This addresses the performance problem explicitly mentioned in the patent.
2. To comply with safety regulations and improve user well-being: The recognized desire to reduce radiation exposure to users' heads for safety reasons, as cited by the patent (hps.org reference), would strongly motivate a PHOSITA to implement a system that actively steers radiation away from the user.
3. To enable practical and effective implementation in compact, portable devices: The patent's discussion of mmWave frequencies highlights that at 10 GHz and above, antenna elements become significantly smaller, making the integration of steerable antenna arrays into portable devices much more feasible than at lower frequencies. A PHOSITA would logically apply steerable antenna techniques to these higher frequencies to leverage this advantage for improved performance and safety in compact devices.
4. Availability of effective sensing mechanisms: Given the problem of needing to detect the user/structure for beam steering, and the patent's description of various common sensors (cameras, capacitive sensors, etc.) as suitable for determining user presence or device orientation, a PHOSITA would find it obvious to integrate these known sensors to provide the necessary input for controlling the steerable antenna. The patent even suggests "simple geometry calculations" can be used with camera input to determine avoidance zones.

Conclusion:

The combination of known steerable antenna technology, the well-understood motivations for avoiding radiation toward users/structures for both performance and safety, and the use of readily available sensor technologies to detect such users/structures, applied within the advantageous context of mmWave frequencies (10 GHz to 500 GHz), would have been obvious to a PHOSITA. The patent itself provides the elements and explicit motivations for this combination, rendering claims such as Claim 1 and its dependent claims obvious under 35 U.S.C. § 103. The "multiple bands" aspect, if for the steerable antenna, would be a routine design optimization given the overall emphasis on multiband operation in the patent's broader scope for tunable antennas.