Assignment history

Inventors

• Tom Freeman (Voicebox Technologies, Inc.)
• Mike Kennewick (Voicebox Technologies, Inc.)

No unusual patterns observed regarding inventor departure.

Original assignee

The original assignee, as per the filing of US11080758, is VB Assets LLC. However, the priority date traces back to an application filed by Voicebox Technologies, Inc. (U.S. Pat. No. 7,818,176, filed Feb. 6, 2007). Voicebox Technologies Corporation was known for its natural language understanding and speech recognition software, particularly for embedded devices and automotive applications. It is unclear if VB Assets LLC directly shipped a product embodying the claims of this specific patent. Voicebox Technologies Corporation was acquired by Nuance Communications in 2018. VB Assets LLC's current operating status is "Active".

Assignment timeline

• 2018-11-19 (executed) / recorded 2018-11-19 — Reel 004873/0080

  • Conveyance: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST
  • Assignor: FREEMAN, TOM; KENNEWICK, MIKE
  • Assignee: VOICEBOX TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
  • Correspondent: BRENT E. RRICE, STOEL RIVES LLP, 600 ATLANTIC AVENUE SUITE 2100 BOSTON MA 02210
  • Context: Transfer from inventors to Voicebox Technologies, Inc.

• 2018-11-19 (executed) / recorded 2018-11-19 — Reel 004873/0080

  • Conveyance: MERGER
  • Assignor: VOICEBOX TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
  • Assignee: VOICEBOX TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
  • Correspondent: BRENT E. RICE, STOEL RIVES LLP, 600 ATLANTIC AVENUE SUITE 2100 BOSTON MA 02210. This correspondent recurs in this chain.
  • Context: Internal corporate reorganization/merger.

• 2018-11-19 (executed) / recorded 2018-11-19 — Reel 004873/0080

  • Conveyance: NUNC PRO TUNC ASSIGNMENT
  • Assignor: VOICEBOX TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
  • Assignee: VB ASSETS, LLC
  • Correspondent: BRENT E. RICE, STOEL RIVES LLP, 600 ATLANTIC AVENUE SUITE 2100 BOSTON MA 02210. This correspondent recurs in this chain.
  • Context: Transfer of patent assets to VB Assets, LLC.

• 2019-04-12 (executed) / recorded 2019-04-12 — Reel 004958/0468

  • Conveyance: SECURITY INTEREST
  • Assignor: VB ASSETS, LLC
  • Assignee: DELPHI ASSET MANAGEMENT CORPORATION
  • Correspondent: JENNIFER L. HUEY, MCDERMOTT WILL & EMERY LLP, 227 WEST MONROE STREET, SUITE 4400, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 60606-5096
  • Context: Securitization of patent assets.

• 2019-06-13 (executed) / recorded 2019-06-13 — Reel 004992/0594

  • Conveyance: RELEASE BY SECURED PARTY
  • Assignor: DELPHI ASSET MANAGEMENT CORPORATION
  • Assignee: VB ASSETS, LLC
  • Correspondent: Jennifer L Huey, McDermott Will & Emery LLP, 444 W Lake St., Suite 4400, Chicago, IL 60606
  • Context: Release of security interest.

• 2025-04-08 (executed) / recorded 2025-04-08 — Reel 006121/0446

  • Conveyance: SECURITY INTEREST
  • Assignor: VB ASSETS, LLC
  • Assignee: CONTINGENCY CAPITAL FUND A LP
  • Correspondent: John D. Level, Cooley LLP, 1299 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Suite 700, Washington, DC 20004-2975
  • Context: Securitization of patent assets.

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 11080758
    2007 : Priority date from Voicebox Tech
    2018 : Inventors assign to Voicebox
         : Voicebox Inc merges into Voicebox Corp
         : Voicebox Corp assigns to VB Assets LLC
    2019 : VB Assets grants security interest
         : Security interest released
    2021 : Patent issued to VB Assets LLC
    2025 : VB Assets grants new security interest

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer — present. The assignment from Voicebox Technologies Corporation to VB ASSETS, LLC on 2018-11-19 (Reel 004873/0080) appears to be a transfer to a licensing-only entity. Voicebox Technologies Corporation was acquired by Nuance, and the creation of "VB ASSETS, LLC" to hold the patent assets after this event is a strong indicator of a shell entity for monetization. VB Assets LLC does not appear to ship products.
2. Known asserter in the chain — unclear. While VB Assets, LLC holds the patent, it is not explicitly listed on public NPE lists like RPX or Unified Patents directories in a readily identifiable manner. The recent litigation filings (PTAB case IPR2025-01240 and US case in Delaware District Court) suggest an assertion strategy.
3. Repeat correspondent across the chain — present. Brent E. Rice of Stoel Rives LLP is listed as the correspondent for all three assignments on 2018-11-19 (Reel 004873/0080). This recurrence is a signal, especially as these assignments occurred in quick succession and involved the transfer to VB Assets, LLC.
4. Cascading transfers — present. There are three consecutive assignments recorded on the same day, 2018-11-19 (Reel 004873/0080), culminating in the transfer to VB Assets, LLC. This rapid series of transfers, particularly with the same correspondent, is a strong indicator.
5. Pre-litigation transfer — unclear. The patent issued on 2021-08-03. While litigation has recently been filed (IPR2025-01240 filed 2025-01-14, and a Delaware District Court case filed 2024-03-01 per Unified Patents), the most recent assignment of ownership (to VB Assets, LLC) occurred in 2018, which is more than 6 months prior to these filings. The security interest granted in 2025 is not an ownership transfer.
6. Bankruptcy fire-sale — not present. There is no indication that Voicebox Technologies Corporation or VB Assets LLC filed for bankruptcy.
7. Privateering — unclear. While Voicebox Technologies Corporation was acquired by Nuance Communications, the transfer of this patent to VB Assets, LLC could be a form of privateering where Nuance is using VB Assets, LLC to assert patents, but explicit evidence of this relationship for assertion purposes is not present in the public record of assignments.
8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE) — not present. The chain does not terminate with any known defensive aggregators.

Verdict

NPE — high confidence

The strong indicators include the transfer to a likely shell entity (VB Assets, LLC) on 2018-11-19 (Reel 004873/0080) following the acquisition of Voicebox Technologies, the cascading transfers on the same day involving the same correspondent, and the involvement of this patent in recent litigation (as indicated by the PTAB IPR2025-01240 and Delaware District Court case, mentioned in the Google Patents legal status section, though not directly in the assignment records). These factors collectively point to an NPE assertion strategy.

Verification: https://assignmentcenter.uspto.gov/ (search for patent number 11080758).