Assignment history

Inventors

• Garrett Russell: Metrologic Instruments, Inc.
• David M. Wilz, Sr.: Metrologic Instruments, Inc.
• Carl Harry Knowles: Metrologic Instruments, Inc.

All named inventors appear to have been employed by Metrologic Instruments, Inc. at the time of filing, as the initial assignment of interest on 2000-02-09 transferred the patent from them to Metrologic Instruments.

Original assignee

The original assignee named on the issued patent is Metrologic Instruments Inc.

Metrologic Instruments, Inc. was a global provider of laser and imaging barcode scanners and related hardware/software for data capture and collection. The company developed the first handheld retail laser barcode scanner in 1975 and held a substantial patent portfolio. It was an operating company that shipped products embodying the claims, serving various applications in retail, industrial, healthcare, inventory, and distribution.

Current Status: Metrologic Instruments, Inc. was acquired by Honeywell in July 2008 for approximately $720 million. It is now a division within Honeywell's Imaging & Mobility business unit.

Assignment timeline

• 2000-02-09 (executed) / recorded 2000-02-17 — Reel 022935/0675

  • Conveyance: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST
  • Assignor: KNOWLES, C. HARRY; RUSSELL, GARRETT; WILZ, DAVID M. SR.
  • Assignee: METROLOGIC INSTRUMENTS
  • Correspondent: REED SMITH SHAW & MCCLAY LLP 435 SIXTH AVE PITTSBURGH, PA 15219
  • Context: Original assignment of patent rights from the inventors to the initial corporate assignee.

• 2001-02-12 (executed) / recorded 2001-03-08 — Reel 011504/0073

  • Conveyance: SECURITY AGREEMENT
  • Assignor: ADAPTIVE OPTICS ASSOCIATES, INC.; METROLOGIC INSTRUMENTS, INC.
  • Assignee: PNC BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
  • Correspondent: BLANK ROME LLP ONE LOGAN SQUARE PHILADELPHIA, PA 19103-6998. This correspondent recurs in this chain.
  • Context: A security interest was granted to PNC Bank, likely for a loan or financing arrangement involving Metrologic Instruments, Inc. and Adaptive Optics Associates, Inc.

• 2004-11-15 (executed) / recorded 2004-12-07 — Reel 015383/0656

  • Conveyance: RELEASE
  • Assignor: PNC BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
  • Assignee: METROLOGIC INSTRUMENTS, INC.
  • Correspondent: BLANK ROME LLP ONE LOGAN SQUARE PHILADELPHIA, PA 19103-6998. This correspondent recurs in this chain.
  • Context: PNC Bank released its security interest in the patent back to Metrologic Instruments, Inc.

• 2007-02-28 (executed) / recorded 2007-03-22 — Reel 020083/0746

  • Conveyance: SECURITY AGREEMENT
  • Assignor: METEOR HOLDING CORP.; METROLOGIC INSTRUMENTS, INC.; OMNIPLANAR, INC.
  • Assignee: MORGAN STANLEY & CO. INCORPORATED
  • Correspondent: KUTAK ROCK LLP 1800 CENTURY PARK EAST 8TH FLOOR LOS ANGELES, CA 90067-1510. This correspondent recurs in this chain.
  • Context: A security interest was granted to Morgan Stanley by Metrologic and related holding entities.

• 2007-02-28 (executed) / recorded 2007-03-22 — Reel 020083/0754

  • Conveyance: SECURITY AGREEMENT
  • Assignor: METEOR HOLDING CORP.; METROLOGIC INSTRUMENTS, INC.; OMNIPLANAR, INC.
  • Assignee: MORGAN STANLEY & CO. INCORPORATED
  • Correspondent: KUTAK ROCK LLP 1800 CENTURY PARK EAST 8TH FLOOR LOS ANGELES, CA 90067-1510. This correspondent recurs in this chain.
  • Context: A second security interest was granted to Morgan Stanley by Metrologic and related holding entities.

• 2009-08-12 (executed) / recorded 2009-08-25 — Reel 024032/0833

  • Conveyance: RELEASE
  • Assignor: MORGAN STANLEY & CO. INCORPORATED
  • Assignee: OMNIPLANAR, INC.; METEOR HOLDING CORPORATION; METROLOGIC INSTRUMENTS, INC.
  • Correspondent: SHEARMAN & STERLING LLP 599 LEXINGTON AVENUE NEW YORK, NY 10022. This correspondent recurs in this chain.
  • Context: Morgan Stanley released its security interest in the patent back to Metrologic and related entities.

• 2009-08-12 (executed) / recorded 2009-08-25 — Reel 024032/0834

  • Conveyance: RELEASE
  • Assignor: MORGAN STANLEY & CO. INCORPORATED
  • Assignee: OMNIPLANAR, INC.; METEOR HOLDING CORPORATION; METROLOGIC INSTRUMENTS, INC.
  • Correspondent: SHEARMAN & STERLING LLP 599 LEXINGTON AVENUE NEW YORK, NY 10022. This correspondent recurs in this chain.
  • Context: Morgan Stanley released a second security interest in the patent back to Metrologic and related entities.

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 5905248
    1997 : Filed
    1999 : Issued
    2000 : Assigned to Metrologic by inventors
    2001 : Security interest to PNC Bank
    2004 : PNC Bank releases security interest
    2007 : Security interests to Morgan Stanley
         : Second security interest to Morgan Stanley
    2008 : Metrologic acquired by Honeywell
    2009 : Morgan Stanley releases security interest
         : Second release by Morgan Stanley
    2010 : Patent expired

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer — not present. The patent was originally assigned to an operating company (Metrologic Instruments, Inc.) and the subsequent recorded transactions are security agreements and releases. There is no explicit transfer to a shell entity in the USPTO assignment records.
2. Known asserter in the chain — not present. None of the assignors or assignees (Metrologic Instruments, Inc., PNC Bank, Morgan Stanley, Adaptive Optics Associates, Inc., Meteor Holding Corp., Omnipanar, Inc.) are publicly listed as known patent asserters.
3. Repeat correspondent across the chain — present.
   • BLANK ROME LLP appears as correspondent on Reel 011504/0073 and Reel 015383/0656.
   • KUTAK ROCK LLP appears as correspondent on Reel 020083/0746 and Reel 020083/0754.
   • SHEARMAN & STERLING LLP appears as correspondent on Reel 024032/0833 and Reel 024032/0834.
     This signal indicates that these firms handled multiple related transactions for the parties involved, particularly the security agreements and their releases.
4. Cascading transfers — not present. The recorded events are primarily security interests and releases, not consecutive ownership transfers.
5. Pre-litigation transfer — not present. There is no recorded litigation for this patent.
6. Bankruptcy fire-sale — not present. Metrologic Instruments, Inc. was acquired by Honeywell, not sold off in bankruptcy proceedings.
7. Privateering — unclear. While Metrologic was acquired by Honeywell, and the patent's ownership effectively resides with Honeywell, the USPTO assignment records do not show a direct assignment to Honeywell or any entity that would then assert on Honeywell's behalf against competitors. The recorded chain ends with the release of security interests, leaving Metrologic and related entities as the recorded owners in the context of the USPTO assignment system. Without a recorded transfer to Honeywell, or explicit evidence of privateering, it remains unclear.
8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE) — not present. The chain does not terminate at any known defensive aggregator.

Verdict

Insufficient data. The USPTO assignment records primarily show the initial assignment from inventors to Metrologic Instruments, Inc., followed by several security agreements and their subsequent releases. Although Metrologic Instruments, Inc. was acquired by Honeywell in July 2008, a direct assignment of this specific patent from Metrologic to Honeywell is not explicitly recorded in the USPTO Assignment Center. Therefore, without a clear change in ownership recorded in the assignment chain beyond Metrologic, and with no evidence of this patent ever being asserted, it is not possible to confidently categorize it as an NPE asset or an operating-company assertion, nor is there sufficient information to rule out a defensive posture post-acquisition without further investigation into Honeywell's patent management practices for acquired portfolios.

USPTO Assignment Center search for US5905248: https://assignmentcenter.uspto.gov/patent/5905248