Assignment history

Inventors

• Peter A. Mehring (Zest Labs Inc)
• Thomas C. Reese (Zest Labs Inc)
• Dean M. Kawaguchi (Zest Labs Inc)
• Sameer Dekate (Zest Labs Inc)
• Russell Shikami (Zest Labs Inc)

All inventors were associated with the original assignee, Zest Labs Inc, at the time of filing.

Original assignee

Zest Labs Inc

• Shipped a product embodying the claims: Yes, Zest Labs (later Zest Fresh, acquired by Post Harvest Technologies) developed and marketed post-harvest fresh produce management solutions, which included real-time shelf-life tracking and delivery management systems relevant to the patent's claims.
• Primary line of business: Real-time fresh food shelf-life and cold chain management, particularly for perishable products.
• Current status: Acquired by Post Harvest Technologies, a wholly-owned subsidiary of R&D Holdings, LLC, in 2021.

Assignment timeline

The USPTO Assignment Search for patent number 12008509 shows the following recorded assignments:

• 2021-06-23 (executed) / recorded 2021-06-23 — Reel 056461/0816

  • Conveyance: Assignment of Assignors Interest
  • Assignor: KAWAGUCHI, DEAN M., REESE, Thomas C., SHIKAMI, Russell, DEKATE, Sameer, MEHRING, PETER A.
  • Assignee: INTELLEFLEX CORPORATION
  • Correspondent: KUTZ, L. C., INTELLEFLEX CORPORATION, 3601 E. LAFAYETTE BLVD., PHOENIX, AZ, UNITED STATES, 85032
  • Context: Transfer from individual inventors to the corporate entity.

• 2021-06-23 (executed) / recorded 2021-06-23 — Reel 056461/0816

  • Conveyance: Change of Name
  • Assignor: INTELLEFLEX CORPORATION
  • Assignee: ZEST LABS, INC.
  • Correspondent: KUTZ, L. C., INTELLEFLEX CORPORATION, 3601 E. LAFAYETTE BLVD., PHOENIX, AZ, UNITED STATES, 85032
  • Context: Corporate name change from Intelleflex Corporation to Zest Labs, Inc. This aligns with information that Intelleflex Corporation changed its name to Zest Labs, Inc. on October 28, 2016.

(Note: Google Patents lists "Original Assignee: Zest Labs Inc" and "Assigned to ZEST LABS, INC." on 2021-06-23. The USPTO Assignment records clarify this as an initial assignment from inventors to Intelleflex Corporation, followed by a name change to Zest Labs, Inc. on the same date for the patent record. The application itself was filed by Zest Labs Inc on 2021-06-08.)

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US12008509
    2021 : Inventors assign to Intelleflex Corp
         : Intelleflex Corp changes name to Zest Labs
    2024 : Patent Issued to Zest Labs Inc

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer — Not present. The transfers reflect initial assignment from inventors to their employer (Intelleflex Corporation), followed by a corporate name change to Zest Labs, Inc. Zest Labs was an operating company with a product line, "Zest Fresh," focused on cold chain monitoring and freshness management for perishable foods.

2. Known asserter in the chain — Not present. Zest Labs Inc. (formerly Intelleflex Corporation) is an operating company focused on agricultural technology and cold chain solutions. There is no indication of any known NPEs in the direct assignment chain.

3. Repeat correspondent across the chain — Not present. The correspondent, KUTZ, L. C. of INTELLEFLEX CORPORATION, appears for both the inventor assignment and the name change, which occurred on the same date and are essentially part of the same initial recordation process for the application. This is not a pattern of recurrence across multiple, distinct assignments.

4. Cascading transfers — Not present. There are only two entries, both on the same date, reflecting a logical initial assignment and a corporate name change for the patent record.

5. Pre-litigation transfer — Unclear. Without a litigation search, it's impossible to determine if the patent was asserted within 6 months of any transfer. However, the transfers noted are related to initial ownership and a name change rather than a sale or re-assignment.

6. Bankruptcy fire-sale — Not present. Zest Labs was acquired by Post Harvest Technologies in 2021. This was an acquisition of an operating company, not a bankruptcy sale.

7. Privateering — Not present. The patent remains with an entity integrated into an operating business (Post Harvest Technologies via Zest Labs/Zest Fresh).

8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE) — Not present. The chain does not end at a known defensive aggregator.

Verdict

Insufficient data. While the patent is currently held by an operating company (Zest Labs Inc, which became part of Post Harvest Technologies), there are no post-issuance assignments recorded in the USPTO Assignment Center beyond the initial inventor assignment and corporate name change from 2021-06-23 (Reel 056461/0816). This indicates the patent has likely remained with the original assignee or its acquirer since issuance, which is not characteristic of an NPE pattern. Without further transfer records, a definitive high-confidence verdict for or against NPE activity cannot be made, but the current ownership points away from an NPE.

For verification, see the USPTO Assignment Center search for patent 12008509: https://assignmentcenter.uspto.gov/