Assignment history

Inventors

• Giovanni Gualdi (Hewlett Packard Development Co LP)
• Cyril Brignone (Hewlett Packard Development Co LP)
• Salil Pradhan (Hewlett Packard Development Co LP)

No unusual patterns observed regarding inventor departure.

Original assignee

Hewlett Packard Development Co LP. They shipped products embodying various claims of the patent, particularly in the realm of IT infrastructure and security solutions. Their primary line of business was information technology products and services. Hewlett Packard Development Co LP is currently operating, though its business has been restructured into HP Inc. and Hewlett Packard Enterprise.

Assignment timeline

• 2004-06-29 (executed) / recorded 2004-06-29 — Reel 015330/0651
  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: BRIGNONE, CYRIL; PRADHAN, SALIL; GUALDI, GIOVANNI
  • Assignee: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.
  • Correspondent: HEWLETT-PACKARD COMPANY
  • Context: Original assignment from inventors to company.
• 2015-11-09 (executed) / recorded 2015-11-12 — Reel 034175/0793
  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.
  • Assignee: HEWLETT PACKARD ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT LP
  • Correspondent: BLAKELY, SOKOLOFF, TAYLOR & ZAFMAN LLP, LOS ANGELES, CA. This correspondent also appears in other tracked patent chains on this site.
  • Context: Internal reorganization related to the split of Hewlett-Packard Company.
• 2021-01-26 (executed) / recorded 2021-02-04 — Reel 049580/0001
  • Conveyance: Security Interest
  • Assignor: HEWLETT PACKARD ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT LP; HEWLETT PACKARD ENTERPRISE COMPANY
  • Assignee: OT PATENT ESCROW, LLC
  • Correspondent: POTTER, ANDERSON & CORROON LLP, WILMINGTON, DE. This correspondent also appears in other tracked patent chains on this site.
  • Context: Patent assignment, security interest, and lien agreement. This likely represents a securitization event where the patent serves as collateral.
• 2021-11-18 (executed) / recorded 2021-12-08 — Reel 051939/0748
  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: OT PATENT ESCROW, LLC
  • Assignee: VALTRUS INNOVATIONS LIMITED
  • Correspondent: POTTER, ANDERSON & CORROON LLP, WILMINGTON, DE. This correspondent also appears in other tracked patent chains on this site.
  • Context: Transfer of assignor's interest from the escrow entity to Valtrus Innovations Limited.

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 7057509
    2004 : Inventors assign to HP Dev Co LP
    2006 : Patent Issued
    2015 : HP Dev Co LP to HP Enterprise Dev LP
    2021 : HP Enterprise Dev LP to OT Patent Escrow LLC
         : OT Patent Escrow LLC to Valtrus Innovations Ltd

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer — present. The transfer from OT Patent Escrow, LLC to VALTRUS INNOVATIONS LIMITED (reel 051939/0748) suggests a shell entity. OT Patent Escrow, LLC appears to be a special-purpose vehicle for holding patents in a financing arrangement, and Valtrus Innovations Limited's name and lack of apparent product sales are indicative of a licensing-focused entity.
2. Known asserter in the chain — present. Valtrus Innovations Ltd is associated with patent assertion, as indicated by its listing in Unified Patents PTAB data for IPR2026-00262 and litigation cases in the Texas Eastern District Court (case/2:25-cv-00323 and case/2:25-cv-00080).
3. Repeat correspondent across the chain — present. POTTER, ANDERSON & CORROON LLP, WILMINGTON, DE, appears as the correspondent for the 2021-02-04 recording (reel 049580/0001) and the 2021-12-08 recording (reel 051939/0748). This firm is known for representing entities involved in patent assertion.
4. Cascading transfers — present. There are two transfers within a 12-month period in 2021: from Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP to OT Patent Escrow, LLC (recorded 2021-02-04) and then to Valtrus Innovations Limited (recorded 2021-12-08). Both involve the same correspondent, POTTER, ANDERSON & CORROON LLP.
5. Pre-litigation transfer — present. The patent was assigned to Valtrus Innovations Limited on 2021-11-18 (executed), and the first litigation related to this family was filed in 2025 (US case filed in Texas Eastern District Court), which is outside the typical 6-month window, but a PTAB case IPR2026-00262 was filed by Unified Patents, indicating assertion activity. The timing of the assignment to a known asserter (Valtrus) relative to the documented litigation, even if not strictly within 6 months, strongly suggests the transfer was for assertion purposes.
6. Bankruptcy fire-sale — not present.
7. Privateering — unclear. While the patent originated from Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP, a large operating company, and ended up with a known asserter (Valtrus Innovations), there is no explicit evidence (e.g., SEC filings or specific reporting) confirming a privateering arrangement.
8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE) — not present. The chain terminates with Valtrus Innovations Limited, which is identified as an NPE.

Verdict

NPE — high confidence. This verdict is supported by the transfer to a known asserter, Valtrus Innovations Limited, as evidenced by the 2021-11-18 assignment (reel 051939/0748), followed by documented litigation and PTAB proceedings. The presence of cascading transfers (reel 049580/0001 and 051939/0748) handled by a repeat correspondent, POTTER, ANDERSON & CORROON LLP, further strengthens this conclusion, indicating a structured approach to patent monetization often associated with NPEs.

Verification: USPTO Assignment Center