Assignment history

Inventors

• Richard A. Mann (ESS Technology Inc)

Original assignee

The original assignee named on the issued patent US6838651B1 is ESS Technology Inc.. ESS Technology Inc. was primarily involved in the business of developing and marketing audio and video semiconductors. As of 2026, ESS Technology Inc. appears to be operating, though its focus may have shifted or its market presence changed since the patent's filing.

Assignment timeline

• 2002-03-28 (executed) / recorded 2002-03-28 — Reel 012769/0638

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: MANN, RICHARD A.
  • Assignee: CONEXANT SYSTEMS, INC., CALIFORNIA
  • Correspondent: Not specified in available data for this record.
  • Context: Inventor assigned patent rights to Conexant Systems, Inc.

• 2002-09-19 (executed) / recorded 2003-05-05 — Reel 014017/0459

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: CONEXANT SYSTEMS, INC.
  • Assignee: PICTOS TECHNOLOGIES, INC., CALIFORNIA
  • Correspondent: Not specified in available data for this record.
  • Context: Conexant Systems, Inc. assigned patent rights to Pictos Technologies, Inc.

• 2004-06-25 (executed) / recorded 2004-07-07 — Reel 015494/0513

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: PICTOS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
  • Assignee: ESS TECHNOLOGIES INTERNATIONAL, INC., CALIFORNIA
  • Correspondent: Not specified in available data for this record.
  • Context: Pictos Technologies, Inc. assigned patent rights to ESS Technologies International, Inc.

• 2008-06-30 (executed) / recorded 2008-07-21 — Reel 021316/0252

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: ESS TECHNOLOGY, INC.
  • Assignee: IMPERIUM (IP) HOLDINGS, NEW YORK
  • Correspondent: Not specified in available data for this record.
  • Context: ESS Technology, Inc. assigned patent rights to Imperium (IP) Holdings.

• 2018-04-30 (executed) / recorded 2020-10-02 — Reel 053974/0766

  • Conveyance: Change of Name
  • Assignor: IMPERIUM IP HOLDINGS (CAYMAN), LTD.
  • Assignee: PICTOS TECHNOLOGIES INC., CALIFORNIA
  • Correspondent: Not specified in available data for this record.
  • Context: Imperium IP Holdings (Cayman), Ltd. changed its name to Pictos Technologies Inc.

• 2018-04-30 (executed) / recorded 2021-06-15 — Reel 056595/0208

  • Conveyance: Change of Name
  • Assignor: IMPERIUM IP HOLDINGS (CAYMAN), LTD.
  • Assignee: PICTOS TECHNOLOGIES INC., CALIFORNIA
  • Correspondent: Not specified in available data for this record.
  • Context: Imperium IP Holdings (Cayman), Ltd. changed its name to Pictos Technologies Inc. This appears to be a re-recording or duplicate of the previous change of name.

• 2022-07-06 (executed) / recorded 2022-07-21 — Reel 060801/0001

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: PICTOS TECHNOLOGIES INC
  • Assignee: RE SECURED NETWORKS LLC, TEXAS
  • Correspondent: Not specified in available data for this record.
  • Context: Pictos Technologies Inc. assigned patent rights to RE Secured Networks LLC.

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 6838651
    2002 : Assigned to Conexant
    2003 : Assigned to Pictos Tech
    2004 : Assigned to ESS Tech Intl
    2005 : Issued
    2008 : Assigned to Imperium IP Holdings
    2020 : Imperium dba Pictos Technologies Inc
    2021 : Imperium dba Pictos Technologies Inc
    2022 : Assigned to RE Secured Networks LLC

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer — present.

   • 2008-06-30 (executed) / recorded 2008-07-21 — Reel 021316/0252: Assignment to IMPERIUM (IP) HOLDINGS, NEW YORK. The "IP Holdings" suffix is indicative of a licensing entity.
   • 2022-07-06 (executed) / recorded 2022-07-21 — Reel 060801/0001: Assignment to RE SECURED NETWORKS LLC, TEXAS. "LLC" and the generic name are common for shell entities.

2. Known asserter in the chain — present.

   • RE Secured Networks LLC is listed as a current assignee on Google Patents and has been associated with patent litigation, including PTAB cases. Unified Patents lists RE Secured Networks LLC as a known NPE, having filed multiple litigations in Texas Eastern District Court and International Trade Commission cases.
   • Imperium (IP) Holdings (which later became Pictos Technologies Inc.) has also been associated with patent assertion.

3. Repeat correspondent across the chain — unclear. Correspondent information was not available for the listed assignment records from the Google Patents legal events section. To definitively determine if a repeat correspondent is present, one would need to manually examine the reel/frame documents on the USPTO Assignment Center.

4. Cascading transfers — not present. While there are multiple transfers, they are spaced several years apart rather than in rapid succession (e.g., within 24 months).

5. Pre-litigation transfer — unclear. Without a precise date for the first infringement suit naming this patent, it's difficult to confirm this signal. However, Google Patents notes that "Family has litigation" and shows several US cases filed, with the earliest listed US case filed in Texas Eastern District Court having an unspecified filing date that predates the most recent assignment to RE Secured Networks LLC. More precise litigation dates would be needed to confirm if transfers occurred within 6 months of a suit.

6. Bankruptcy fire-sale — not present. No indication of bankruptcy proceedings for any assignor in the provided data.

7. Privateering — unclear. While the transfers to IP holding companies suggest a potential for assertion, there is no direct evidence in the provided data or legal events that an operating company explicitly transferred the patent for assertion against its competitors.

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

Verdict

NPE — high confidence. The presence of transfers to known NPEs such as RE Secured Networks LLC (current assignee) and Imperium (IP) Holdings (a prior assignee), both of which are identified by Unified Patents as entities involved in patent litigation, strongly indicates an NPE pattern. The use of "IP Holdings" in a prior assignee's name also points towards a licensing-focused entity. The current assignee, RE Secured Networks LLC, has been involved in multiple litigations, as indicated by the Unified Patents data linked on Google Patents.

Verification: USPTO Assignment Center Search for US6838651