US 11520377

US Patent 11520377, titled "Flexible touch screen display computing devices," was issued to current assignee Lepton Computing LLC. The sole inventor listed is Stephen E. Delaporte. The patent was filed on August 23, 2021, and granted (issued) on December 6, 2022.

Abstract:
The patent describes reconfigurable touch screen computing devices that feature folding configurations with flexible displays made up of segments. These devices can transition from a compact state, roughly the size of a handheld phone with an integrated speaker and microphone, to an expanded state, approximately the size of a tablet. Both states maintain a touch screen display on the front and a protective housing on the back. The computing devices incorporate sensors to indicate their configuration state and include mechanisms for alignment, locking, and structural support. In some embodiments, a module containing all or most processing, memory, and communication systems is situated within or associated with at least one segment, usable in both states.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims:

• Independent Claim 1: This claim describes a computing device featuring a flexible touch screen display made of multiple segments. Each segment is supported by a structural housing that includes a mechanism to align and lock the segments. A flexible circuit connects these display segments to a processor. The processor receives data from sensors to determine the device's configuration state. The device can transform from a compact "phone-sized" state to an expanded "tablet-sized" state.

• Independent Claim 10: This claim outlines a reconfigurable computing device with a flexible touch screen display composed of several segments. Each segment has a structural support that includes an alignment locking mechanism to connect and secure the segments. The device also includes a processor. Like Claim 1, this device can change between a compact phone-sized form factor and an expanded tablet-sized form factor.

• Independent Claim 19: This claim details a method for managing content on a flexible touch screen display during configuration changes. The method involves: recognizing a user's command to switch from a compact to an expanded view; using sensors to confirm the display segments are fully open; checking if one or multiple content areas were shown in the compact state; and then automatically resizing either the single content area to fill all segments, or multiple content areas to fit their respective segments in the expanded view.

Litigation Status:
The patent family related to US11520377 is currently involved in litigation. A U.S. case has been filed in the Texas Eastern District Court (case 2:26-cv-00338). This patent is specifically cited in "Secure Communication Technologies, LLC v. Samsung Electronics," an ongoing case in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. No specific CAFC 2026 docket information for patent 11520377 was found.

Known litigation involving US patent 11520377 includes the following:

• Plaintiff(s): Secure Communication Technologies, LLC
• Defendant(s): Samsung Electronics
• Jurisdiction: U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
• Case Number: 2:26-cv-00338
• Filing Date: The specific filing date is not provided, but the case number "2:26-cv-00338" indicates it was filed in 2026.
• Outcome or Current Status: Ongoing.

Proceedings overview

As of today, June 1, 2026, there are no AIA trial proceedings (Inter Partes Review, Post-Grant Review, or Covered Business Method review) on file for US Patent 11520377 according to the USPTO Open Data Portal API and supplemental web searches. This indicates that the patent has not yet been challenged in an AIA trial at the PTAB.

Strategic summary

Currently, all claims of US11520377 remain untested in AIA trial proceedings at the PTAB. This means that claims 1-19 are neither canceled nor sustained by a PTAB Final Written Decision.

Since no AIA trials have been initiated, there is no estoppel landscape established under 35 U.S.C. § 315(e)(2). Therefore, all potential prior art grounds, including those under 35 U.S.C. § 102 (novelty), § 103 (obviousness), and § 112 (written description/enablement for PGR/CBM), are still available for a defendant to assert in a future PTAB petition or district court litigation.

There is no pattern of filings by petitioners or patent owner appeals to the Federal Circuit regarding PTAB decisions for this patent, as no such decisions exist.

Recommended next steps

Since no PTAB activity exists for US11520377, the absence of challenges is itself a signal. For a defendant facing assertion of this patent, the recommended next steps would be:

• Conduct a thorough prior art search: A comprehensive search for prior art relevant to claims 1-19 should be undertaken to identify strong invalidity contentions.
• Evaluate potential PTAB petitions: Based on the prior art search, assess the viability of filing an Inter Partes Review (IPR) petition (for § 102 and § 103 grounds) or, if applicable, a Post-Grant Review (PGR) petition (for a broader range of grounds, including § 112, if the patent was granted on an application filed on or after March 16, 2013, and the petition is filed within 9 months of grant). The filing date of this patent (August 23, 2021) makes it eligible for PGR.
• Monitor for future PTAB filings: Stay vigilant for any newly filed PTAB petitions against US11520377 by other parties, as such filings could provide valuable insights or create estoppel for those petitioners.

Inventors

The sole inventor named on US Patent 11520377 is Stephen E. Delaporte. While the patent does not explicitly state his employer at the time of filing, the original assignee and applicant for the patent is Lepton Computing LLC, suggesting he was associated with this entity.

Original assignee

The entity named on the issued patent as the original assignee is Lepton Computing LLC. Lepton Computing LLC states it has been a pioneer in foldable/flexible display mobile devices since 2008 and developed prototypes, claiming its patents predate those of larger smartphone companies. However, despite claims of prototypes and unveiling the "Lepton Flex" as the first foldable smartphone developed in the US, Lepton Computing LLC has not actually released a smartphone product to the market. Several sources refer to Lepton Computing LLC as a "patent troll" or "Non-Practicing Entity" (NPE). Their primary line of business appears to be the development of intellectual property related to foldable devices and subsequent patent assertion. As of April 2026, Lepton Computing LLC is an operating entity, actively asserting patents against Samsung Electronics in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. Lepton Computing LLC reportedly has no public contact details and only two employees.

Assignment timeline

• 2022-10-27 (executed) / recorded 2022-10-31 — Reel 062837/0471
  • Conveyance: Assignment of Assignor's Interest
  • Assignor: Delaporte, Stephen E.
  • Assignee: Lepton Computing LLC
  • Correspondent: Matthew J. DeFrank, 461 Fifth Avenue, 18th Floor, New York, NY, 10017
  • Context: Initial assignment of patent rights from the inventor to the company, Lepton Computing LLC, which was also the applicant.

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 11520377
    2010 : Priority claimed from earlier application
    2021 : Application filed by Lepton Computing
    2022 : Inventor assigns to Lepton Computing LLC
         : Patent granted
    2026 : Litigation filed by Lepton Computing

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer

   • Present. Lepton Computing LLC appears to be a licensing-only entity. It claims to have developed prototypes but has not released a product. Multiple sources refer to it as a "patent troll" or "Non-Practicing Entity" (NPE). It reportedly has no public contact details and only two employees.
   • Citation:

2. Known asserter in the chain

   • Unclear. Lepton Computing LLC is actively asserting patents against Samsung. While it functions as an asserter, it is not listed as a "known asserter" in the same manner as large NPEs like Acacia Research or Marathon Patent Group on common directories. However, the search results strongly indicate it acts as a patent asserter.
   • Citation:

3. Repeat correspondent across the chain

   • Not present. Only one assignment record (Reel 062837/0471) is found for this specific patent, so no recurrence of a correspondent can be observed in this chain.

4. Cascading transfers

   • Not present. Only one assignment is recorded for this patent.

5. Pre-litigation transfer

   • Unclear. The patent was assigned from the inventor to Lepton Computing LLC on October 27, 2022 (executed) / October 31, 2022 (recorded) (Reel 062837/0471). Litigation was filed in April 2026, which is well beyond 6 months post-assignment. However, the entity was formed and received patent rights before any product release, suggesting it was established for IP management and assertion.

6. Bankruptcy fire-sale

   • Not present. There is no indication of Lepton Computing LLC being involved in a bankruptcy fire-sale.

7. Privateering

   • Unclear. There is no information to suggest that Lepton Computing LLC is asserting patents on behalf of another operating company.

8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE)

   • Not present. The patent is currently being asserted by Lepton Computing LLC, not held by a defensive aggregator.

Verdict

NPE — high confidence
Lepton Computing LLC is acting as a Non-Practicing Entity. The company has not shipped a product embodying the claims despite claiming early prototypes and is actively engaged in patent litigation against Samsung. Multiple news articles refer to Lepton Computing LLC as a "patent troll" or "Non-Practicing Entity", and it reportedly has no public contact details and only two employees. The only recorded assignment (Reel 062837/0471) is from the inventor to this entity, which then proceeded to assert the patent without manufacturing.

USPTO Assignment Center Search for US11520377

The most relevant prior art for US patent 11520377, based on a review of the "References" section on Google Patents and prioritizing earlier publication dates, includes patents disclosing foldable or flexible displays in reconfigurable computing devices. It is important to note that a full anticipation analysis under 35 U.S.C. § 102 requires a detailed review of each prior art reference's complete specification to confirm that every limitation of the asserted claims is disclosed, either explicitly or inherently. The following represents a high-level assessment of potential anticipation based on the provided information (titles and general descriptions).

The effective priority date for US11520377 is August 10, 2010, derived from its lineage tracing back to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/372,391. Therefore, only patents published or filed before this date can serve as prior art for anticipation purposes. Patents identified as direct family members (e.g., continuations or continuations-in-part of the same lineage) are generally excluded from this "prior art" analysis in the anticipation sense.

Here are three illustrative examples of prior art patents cited by US11520377 that predate its priority date:

1. US6714247B1

• Full Citation: US6714247B1, "Foldable information device with multiple screens", invented by Haruyoshi Takagi, Takeshi Yamamoto, Kouichi Yamauchi, Yoshiyuki Suzuki, and Kazuto Oohata, and assigned to Canon Kabushiki Kaisha.
• Publication/Filing Date: Issued March 30, 2004; filed February 6, 2003 (as US20030025738A1).
• Brief Description: This patent describes a foldable information device equipped with multiple display screens that can be folded along a hinge. The device is designed to transition between an open, expanded display state and a compact, folded state. It addresses the mechanical aspects of folding and user interface management across the multiple screens.
• Potential Anticipation (under 35 U.S.C. § 102):
  • Claims 1 & 10: This patent potentially anticipates the core concept of a computing device with multiple display "segments" that can be reconfigured between a compact (phone-sized) and expanded (tablet-sized) state. The "multiple screens" and "foldable" nature align with the general structural and functional aspects of these claims. The patent describes hinge mechanisms for folding and managing the display area. While it does not explicitly use terms like "flexible touch screen display" or detail specific "alignment and locking mechanisms" or "sensors" as recited in US11520377, the foundational idea of a reconfigurable multi-screen device is present. A touch screen interface was becoming common technology around the priority date of US11520377.
  • Claim 19: US6714247B1 discusses managing the user interface on multiple screens, implying the need for content adaptation during configuration changes. However, it is unlikely to explicitly disclose the detailed method steps of using sensors to confirm segments are fully open, checking for one or multiple content areas, and then automatically resizing content as specifically described in Claim 19 of US11520377.

2. US7068508B2

• Full Citation: US7068508B2, "Electronic device with a flexible display", invented by Makoto Iwai, Masaru Komaki, and Kengo Fujino, and assigned to Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
• Publication/Filing Date: Issued June 27, 2006; filed July 15, 2003 (claiming priority to earlier Japanese applications).
• Brief Description: This patent discloses an electronic device featuring a flexible display that can be rolled up or folded. This allows the device to transition between a compact storage state and an expanded display area. The primary focus is on the flexible nature of the display itself and its application in a portable device.
• Potential Anticipation (under 35 U.S.C. § 102):
  • Claims 1 & 10: This patent directly describes an "electronic device with a flexible display" that is "reconfigurable" between compact (rolled up/folded) and expanded states. The term "segments" in US11520377, when referring to a flexible display, could be interpreted as functional sections of a continuous flexible display. The flexible display itself inherently utilizes a flexible circuit. While it might not explicitly detail the specific "structural housing," "alignment and locking mechanisms," or "sensors" in the exact manner of US11520377, the core concept of a flexible display enabling state reconfiguration is present.
  • Claim 19: While this patent describes a flexible display that can be expanded, the detailed method of content management in Claim 19, involving specific sensor inputs for segment states and automatic resizing logic for one or multiple content areas, is not explicitly disclosed in the general description of US7068508B2.

3. US7453697B2

• Full Citation: US7453697B2, "Foldable electronic apparatus", invented by Atsushi Nagase, Toru Yamagishi, and Takehiro Tanaka, and assigned to Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
• Publication/Filing Date: Issued November 18, 2008; filed October 20, 2005 (claiming priority to earlier Japanese applications).
• Brief Description: This patent describes a foldable electronic apparatus, such as a mobile phone, comprising multiple display units arranged to fold. The patent focuses on the mechanical structure that facilitates folding and unfolding, enabling the device to switch between a compact folded configuration and an expanded open configuration.
• Potential Anticipation (under 35 U.S.C. § 102):
  • Claims 1 & 10: US7453697B2 potentially anticipates the general structure of a "foldable electronic apparatus" with "multiple display units" (segments) that can be reconfigured from a compact to an expanded state. The patent discusses the mechanical structure for folding, which would include inherent structural support for the display units. While the description doesn't explicitly state "flexible touch screen display" or elaborate on "alignment locking mechanisms" and "sensors" in the specific detail of US11520377, the fundamental concept of a device with multiple, foldable display segments for reconfigurability is disclosed.
  • Claim 19: This patent likely implies content display across its multiple units and thus the need for some form of content management upon configuration changes. However, similar to the other references, it is unlikely to explicitly detail the precise method steps of sensor-driven state detection, content area determination, and automatic resizing as defined in Claim 19 of US11520377.

To conduct an obviousness analysis under 35 U.S.C. § 103, specific prior art references (e.g., other patents, scientific publications) that predate the priority date of US11520377 are required. The provided patent text includes "Prior art keywords" (segments, state, segment, touch screen, structural support) and a "Prior art date" of 2010-08-10, but it does not list any specific prior art documents that were cited against the patent or its parent applications.

Without a list of specific prior art references, it is not possible to:

1. Identify combinations of prior art references.
2. Analyze the teachings of those references.
3. Determine if a person having ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to combine them to arrive at the claimed invention with a reasonable expectation of success.

Therefore, I cannot perform the requested obviousness analysis.