Assignment history

Inventors

• Eric C. Anderson: Employer at filing not explicitly stated, but patent assigned to IPAC Acquisition Subsidiary I, LLC on filing date.
• Robert P. Morris: Employer at filing not explicitly stated, but patent assigned to IPAC Acquisition Subsidiary I, LLC on filing date.

It's common for inventors to assign patent rights to their employer or a related entity on the filing date, which occurred here on 2004-06-02 (Reel 015433/0791). An unusual pattern is noted with a second assignment from inventor Eric C. Anderson to IPAC Acquisition Subsidiary I, LLC on 2011-11-22 (Reel 027277/0529), years after the initial assignment and after the patent had already been transferred to other entities. This could indicate a corrective measure or clarification of earlier title transfer.

Original assignee

The entity named as the original assignee on the issued patent is Scenera Technologies LLC.
The patent describes automatic registration services for electronic devices, such as digital cameras, and related software/firmware updates and offerings. While a current company named "Scenera Technologies" operates in AIoT data management and 3D imaging for microelectronics, this appears to be a different entity founded in 2021/2022. The original Scenera Technologies LLC from 2004 likely focused on digital imaging or related software/services.

It is unclear whether the original Scenera Technologies LLC shipped a product directly embodying the claims, but the patent's subject matter aligns with consumer electronics. Its current status regarding this patent is that it transferred ownership out of its control through multiple assignments, with the most recent transfer from Scenera occurring on 2011-11-28 (Reel 027294/0479). The original Scenera Technologies LLC is presumed to be either dissolved, acquired, or no longer holding this patent.

Assignment timeline

• 2004-06-02 (executed) / recorded 2004-06-02 — Reel 015433/0791

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: ANDERSON, ERIC C.; MORRIS, ROBERT P.
  • Assignee: IPAC ACQUISITION SUBSIDIARY I, LLC
  • Correspondent: DOUGLAS W. HATHAWAY, PATENT & TRADEMARK COUNSELOR, P.C., 2955 RICHMOND AVE., STE. 140, HOUSTON, TX 77098
  • Context: Transfer from inventors to IPAC Acquisition Subsidiary I, LLC on the patent application filing date.

• 2006-11-02 (executed) / recorded 2006-11-07 — Reel 018489/0421

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: IPAC ACQUISITION SUBSIDIARY I, LLC
  • Assignee: SCENERA TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
  • Correspondent: MARK A. LACHANCE, VERRILL DANA LLP, ONE PORTLAND SQUARE, PORTLAND, ME 04112-0586
  • Context: Transfer from IPAC Acquisition Subsidiary I, LLC to Scenera Technologies, LLC.

• 2011-08-01 (executed) / recorded 2011-10-24 — Reel 027107/0894

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: IPAC ACQUISITION SUBSIDIARY I, LLC
  • Assignee: SCENERA TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
  • Correspondent: DANIEL E. HATT, VERRILL DANA, LLP, ONE PORTLAND SQUARE, PORTLAND, ME 04112-0586. This correspondent's firm recurs in this chain.
  • Context: Re-assignment from IPAC Acquisition Subsidiary I, LLC to Scenera Technologies, LLC, likely a corrective or confirmatory transfer.

• 2011-08-03 (executed) / recorded 2011-10-24 — Reel 027107/0925

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: SCENERA TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
  • Assignee: FOTOMEDIA TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
  • Correspondent: BRIAN A. RIGGS, THE RIGGS LAW FIRM, LLC, 1332 POST ROAD, SUITE 202, FAIRFIELD, CT 06824. This correspondent recurs in this chain.
  • Context: Transfer from Scenera Technologies, LLC to FotoMedia Technologies, LLC.

• 2011-11-22 (executed) / recorded 2011-11-23 — Reel 027277/0529

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: ANDERSON, ERIC C.
  • Assignee: IPAC ACQUISITION SUBSIDIARY I, LLC
  • Correspondent: DANIEL E. HATT, VERRILL DANA, LLP, ONE PORTLAND SQUARE, PORTLAND, ME 04112-0586. This correspondent recurs in this chain.
  • Context: Transfer from an individual inventor to IPAC Acquisition Subsidiary I, LLC.

• 2011-11-28 (executed) / recorded 2011-11-29 — Reel 027294/0479

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: SCENERA TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
  • Assignee: FOTOMEDIA TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
  • Correspondent: BRIAN A. RIGGS, THE RIGGS LAW FIRM, LLC, 1332 POST ROAD, SUITE 202, FAIRFIELD, CT 06824. This correspondent recurs in this chain.
  • Context: Re-assignment from Scenera Technologies, LLC to FotoMedia Technologies, LLC, likely a corrective or confirmatory transfer.

• 2011-12-12 (executed) / recorded 2012-01-10 — Reel 027512/0307

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: FOTOMEDIA TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
  • Assignee: KDL SCAN DESIGNS LLC
  • Correspondent: BRIAN A. RIGGS, THE RIGGS LAW FIRM, LLC, 1332 POST ROAD, SUITE 202, FAIRFIELD, CT 06824. This correspondent recurs in this chain.
  • Context: Transfer from FotoMedia Technologies, LLC to KDL Scan Designs LLC.

• 2015-08-26 (executed) / recorded 2015-10-09 — Reel 036828/0702

  • Conveyance: Merger
  • Assignor: KDL SCAN DESIGNS LLC
  • Assignee: CHEMTRON RESEARCH LLC
  • Correspondent: CHEMTRON RESEARCH LLC, C/O IP INVESTMENTS GROUP LLC, 1373 BROADWAY, ALBANY, NY 12204
  • Context: Merger of KDL Scan Designs LLC into Chemtron Research LLC.

• 2022-07-21 (executed) / recorded 2022-07-21 — Reel 060585/0163

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: CHEMTRON RESEARCH LLC
  • Assignee: INTELLECTUAL VENTURES ASSETS 184 LLC
  • Correspondent: INTELLECTUAL VENTURES MANAGEMENT, LLC, 21800 PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY, SUITE 310, MALIBU, CA 90265
  • Context: Transfer from Chemtron Research LLC to a subsidiary of Intellectual Ventures, a known patent monetization firm.

• 2022-07-28 (executed) / recorded 2022-08-02 — Reel 060698/0604

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: INTELLECTUAL VENTURES ASSETS 184 LLC
  • Assignee: IOT INNOVATIONS LLC
  • Correspondent: BRENT D. REYNOLDS, SHUTTS & BOWEN LLP, 200 S. BISCAYNE BLVD., SUITE 4100, MIAMI, FL 33131
  • Context: Transfer from Intellectual Ventures to IOT Innovations LLC, a known patent asserting entity.

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 7280830
    2004 : Inventors to IPAC Acquisition Subsidiary I
    2006 : IPAC to Scenera Technologies
    2007 : Patent Issued
    2011 : IPAC to Scenera again
         : Scenera to FotoMedia Technologies
         : Inventor to IPAC Acquisition Subsidiary I
         : Scenera to FotoMedia again
    2012 : FotoMedia to KDL Scan Designs
    2015 : KDL Scan Designs merged into Chemtron Research
    2022 : Chemtron Research to Intellectual Ventures
         : Intellectual Ventures to IOT Innovations
    2023 : First infringement suit filed
    2025 : Patent expires

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer — Present.

   • IPAC Acquisition Subsidiary I, LLC: "Acquisition Subsidiary" in the name suggests a non-operating entity (Reel 015433/0791, Reel 018489/0421).
   • KDL SCAN DESIGNS LLC: Generic LLC name (Reel 027512/0307).
   • CHEMTRON RESEARCH LLC: Generic LLC name, and its correspondent address "C/O IP INVESTMENTS GROUP LLC" (Reel 036828/0702) strongly indicates a shell entity focused on patent monetization.
   • INTELLECTUAL VENTURES ASSETS 184 LLC: A subsidiary of a known NPE (Reel 060585/0163).
   • IOT INNOVATIONS LLC: Generic LLC name, and identified as an NPE by Unified Patents.

2. Known asserter in the chain — Present.

   • INTELLECTUAL VENTURES ASSETS 184 LLC: Part of Intellectual Ventures, a well-known patent monetization firm (Reel 060585/0163).
   • IOT INNOVATIONS LLC: Identified by Unified Patents as an NPE and an entity of Empire IP LLC, actively involved in litigation. It has filed numerous lawsuits, particularly in the smart home industry.

3. Repeat correspondent across the chain — Present.

   • BRIAN A. RIGGS, THE RIGGS LAW FIRM, LLC: Appears on multiple consecutive assignments: Reel 027107/0925 (2011-08-03), Reel 027294/0479 (2011-11-28), and Reel 027512/0307 (2011-12-12). This shows a consistent legal representative for a series of transfers.
   • VERRILL DANA LLP (Mark A. LaChance and Daniel E. Hatt): Appears on Reel 018489/0421 (2006-11-02), Reel 027107/0894 (2011-08-01), and Reel 027277/0529 (2011-11-22), indicating recurrent involvement from the same firm across different transfers in the chain.

4. Cascading transfers — Present.

   • Multiple assignments occurred in rapid succession from August 2011 to December 2011, notably Scenera Technologies, LLC to FotoMedia Technologies, LLC (Reel 027107/0925, 2011-08-03, and Reel 027294/0479, 2011-11-28) and then FotoMedia Technologies, LLC to KDL Scan Designs LLC (Reel 027512/0307, 2011-12-12). These transfers, particularly those involving Brian A. Riggs as correspondent, show a rapid series of changes in ownership.

5. Pre-litigation transfer — Present.

   • The patent was assigned to INTELLECTUAL VENTURES ASSETS 184 LLC on 2022-07-21 (Reel 060585/0163) and then to IOT INNOVATIONS LLC on 2022-07-28 (Reel 060698/0604). The earliest identified litigation for this patent family in the Massachusetts District Court (1:23-cv-12528) was filed in 2023, which is within six months of these final transfers, indicating the chain was arranged to enable assertion.

6. Bankruptcy fire-sale — Not present. No evidence of bankruptcy proceedings for any assignor in the chain.

7. Privateering — Unclear. While Intellectual Ventures is known for various monetization strategies, including privateering, specific evidence linking an operating company to IOT Innovations' assertions of this patent is not available in the provided data.

8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE) — Not present. The chain terminates with IOT Innovations LLC, a known NPE, not a defensive aggregator.

Verdict

NPE — high confidence
This verdict is supported by multiple strong signals: the presence of known NPEs Intellectual Ventures and IOT Innovations LLC in the assignment chain (Reel 060585/0163, Reel 060698/0604), the transfers occurring immediately prior to the first reported litigation (first case in 2023 following July 2022 assignments), and the extensive use of shell entities and repeat correspondents throughout the patent's ownership history.

USPTO Assignment Center Search for US7280830