PTAB challenges

Proceedings overview

There is one AIA trial proceeding on file for US patent 11641661. This proceeding, IPR2025-01190, was terminated due to settlement. This means the patent's claims have not been formally adjudicated for patentability by the PTAB.

IPR2025-01190 — [[[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. Hannibal IP LLC

• Type: Inter Partes Review
• Filed: 2025-07-29
• Status: Terminated-Settled. The proceeding concluded due to a settlement between the parties.
• Judge panel: Not publicly available due to termination before institution decision.
• Petition grounds: Information regarding specific claims, prior art, and statutory bases (§ 102 / § 103 / § 112) is not publicly available as the case was terminated prior to an institution decision.
• Institution decision: Not applicable; the proceeding was terminated before an institution decision was issued.
• Final Written Decision: Not applicable; no Final Written Decision was issued due to termination.
• Settlement / termination: The proceeding was terminated on 2026-04-17 due to a settlement between Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. et al. and Hannibal IP LLC. The specific terms of the settlement are confidential.
• Appeal: Not applicable; no appeal was filed as no Final Written Decision was issued.
• Defensive value: This proceeding indicates that Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. challenged the patent but ultimately settled, suggesting a potential desire to avoid a full PTAB trial. For a defendant currently facing assertion, the patent claims remain untested by the PTAB, meaning an IPR-based defense could still be viable, but the specific prior art used by Samsung is unknown.

Strategic summary

All claims of US11641661 remain untested by PTAB as the only filed IPR (IPR2025-01190) was terminated due to a settlement before an institution decision was made. Therefore, no claims have been formally canceled or sustained by the PTAB.

Regarding estoppel, since IPR2025-01190 was terminated prior to institution, there is no estoppel under § 315(e)(2) for the petitioner (Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. et al.) or their privies. This means they are not barred from raising any ground that was raised or reasonably could have been raised in that specific IPR. For any other defendant facing assertion of this patent, all prior-art grounds remain available for a potential IPR challenge.

The termination by settlement for the only IPR proceeding suggests a potential strategic decision by the patent owner or the petitioner, rather than a substantive ruling on the patentability of the claims. The involvement of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. as a petitioner indicates that at least one major entity found grounds to challenge the patent. The patent owner, Hannibal IP LLC, is listed as an assignee, and Unified Patents has noted litigation activity related to this patent, suggesting a potential "troll" or non-practicing entity scenario.

Recommended next steps

Since no PTAB Final Written Decision has been issued for US11641661, there are no invalidated claims to cite. The patent's claims are all currently active.

If you are a defendant facing assertion of this patent, consider conducting a thorough prior art search to identify potential grounds for a new IPR petition. The previous IPR by Samsung, though settled, suggests there may be vulnerable claims. The absence of a formal PTAB decision leaves the door open for new challenges.