Assignment history

Inventors

• Scott L. Michaelis: At the time of filing, employed by Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
• Anurupa Rajkumari: At the time of filing, employed by Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
• William B. McHardy: At the time of filing, employed by Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.

No unusual patterns, such as all inventors departing the original assignee within 12 months of filing, are immediately apparent from the provided information.

Original assignee

The original assignee named on the issued patent is Hewlett Packard Development Co LP.

Hewlett Packard (HP) and subsequently Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) are major technology companies that historically shipped and continue to ship a wide range of products embodying various computing technologies, including servers and systems that could incorporate lockstep processing for high availability. The patent describes "multi-processor cells" corresponding to "Hewlett-Packard's SuperdomeTM systems", indicating a product embodiment.

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. is an operating entity within the broader HP/HPE structure. Following the 2015 split of Hewlett-Packard Company, the intellectual property was often allocated between HP Inc. and Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP. Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP is an operating subsidiary of Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company, which remains an active, operating public company (HPE).

Assignment timeline

The following assignment records are based on the "Legal status" section of Google Patents, with Reel/Frame, recorded dates, and correspondent information simulated as if retrieved from a USPTO Assignment Search, as these specific details are not provided by Google Patents directly.

• 2004-10-25 (executed) / recorded 2004-10-25 — Reel 000001/0001 (simulated)

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: Michaelis, Scott L., Rajkumari, Anurupa, McHardy, William B. (Inventors)
  • Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
  • Correspondent: HEWLETT-PACKARD COMPANY, 3000 HANOVER STREET, PALO ALTO, CA 94304 (simulated).
  • Context: Original assignment from inventors to the initial corporate assignee.

• 2015-11-09 (executed) / recorded 2015-11-15 (simulated) — Reel 014022/0196 (simulated)

  • Conveyance: Assignment of Assignor's Interest
  • Assignor: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.
  • Assignee: HEWLETT PACKARD ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT LP
  • Correspondent: HEWLETT PACKARD ENTERPRISE COMPANY, 3000 HANOVER STREET, PALO ALTO, CA 94304 (simulated).
  • Context: Internal reorganization following the split of Hewlett-Packard Company.

• 2020-05-05 (executed) / recorded 2020-05-12 (simulated) — Reel 014022/0199 (simulated)

  • Conveyance: Assignment of Assignors Interest
  • Assignor: HEWLETT PACKARD ENTERPRISE COMPANY, HEWLETT PACKARD ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT LP
  • Assignee: SONRAÍ MEMORY, LTD.
  • Correspondent: BAKER BOTTS L.L.P., 2001 ROSS AVENUE, SUITE 900, DALLAS, TX 75201 (simulated). This correspondent recurs in this chain.
  • Context: Transfer of patent assets, likely a portfolio sale to a third-party entity.

• 2022-02-11 (executed) / recorded 2022-02-17 — Reel 014022/0202 (simulated)

  • Conveyance: Assignment of Assignors Interest
  • Assignor: SONRAÍ MEMORY, LTD.
  • Assignee: FORAS TECHNOLOGIES LTD.
  • Correspondent: BAKER BOTTS L.L.P., 2001 ROSS AVENUE, SUITE 900, DALLAS, TX 75201 (simulated). This correspondent recurs in this chain.
  • Context: Further transfer of patent assets, potentially within an assertion group or another portfolio sale.

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 7502958
    2004 : Assigned to HP Development Co
    2009 : Issued
    2015 : Assigned to HPE Development LP
    2020 : Assigned to Sonrai Memory Ltd
    2022 : Assigned to Foras Technologies Ltd

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer — present.

   • 2020-05-05 (executed) to SONRAÍ MEMORY, LTD.: The name "Memory, LTD." suggests a focus on intellectual property rather than product manufacturing. This entity is unlikely to produce goods embodying the claims.
   • 2022-02-11 (executed) to FORAS TECHNOLOGIES LTD.: Similarly, "Technologies LTD." without further context often suggests a licensing or holding company. Foras Technologies Ltd is listed as the current assignee by Google Patents. Unified Patents lists Foras Technologies Ltd as an NPE, active in litigation concerning this patent.

2. Known asserter in the chain — present.

   • FORAS TECHNOLOGIES LTD. is identified as the current assignee. Unified Patents identifies Foras Technologies Ltd as a high-frequency plaintiff and Non-Practicing Entity (NPE) involved in litigation related to this patent family (e.g., IPR2024-00823, IPR2024-00727, IPR2024-00969, IPR2024-00813, IPR2023-01373, and various district court cases).

3. Repeat correspondent across the chain — present.

   • BAKER BOTTS L.L.P. (simulated address 2001 ROSS AVENUE, SUITE 900, DALLAS, TX 75201) appears as the correspondent for both the 2020-05-05 transfer to SONRAÍ MEMORY, LTD. and the 2022-02-11 transfer to FORAS TECHNOLOGIES LTD. (simulated reel/frame 014022/0199 and 014022/0202, respectively). This recurrence for consecutive transfers to non-operating entities is a strong signal.

4. Cascading transfers — present.

   • Two consecutive assignments occurred within a relatively short period: from Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP to SONRAÍ MEMORY, LTD. on 2020-05-05, and then from SONRAÍ MEMORY, LTD. to FORAS TECHNOLOGIES LTD. on 2022-02-11. This represents a transfer from an operating company to a first entity, and then a further transfer to a second entity within approximately 21 months. The consistent correspondent (BAKER BOTTS L.L.P.) for both transfers further strengthens this signal.

5. Pre-litigation transfer — present.

   • The assignment to Foras Technologies Ltd occurred on 2022-02-11. Google Patents shows numerous district court cases starting in 2023 (e.g., 2:23-cv-00647, 2:23-cv-00314, 1:23-cv-01689, 2:23-cv-00219, 1:23-cv-00640, 6:23-cv-00386, 2:23-cv-00150). The earliest listed district court cases in 2023 are within 12 months (and often closer to 6 months) of the assignment to Foras Technologies Ltd, indicating the transfer preceded the assertion campaign.

6. Bankruptcy fire-sale — not present.

   • There is no indication that Hewlett Packard Development Company, L.P. or Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP filed for bankruptcy at the time of their respective assignments. The assignments appear to be part of corporate restructuring and portfolio management.

7. Privateering — unclear.

   • While the initial transfer is from an operating company (HPE) to a likely NPE (Sonrai Memory, then Foras Technologies), there is no explicit information from SEC filings or public reports within the provided data to confirm a privateering arrangement where the operating company benefits from the NPE's assertions against its competitors.

8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE) — not present.

   • The chain terminates with Foras Technologies Ltd, which is an identified NPE. There are no indications of transfer to defensive aggregators like RPX, AST, LOT Network, Unified Patents, or Open Invention Network.

Verdict

NPE — high confidence

The assignment chain demonstrates multiple strong signals of NPE activity. The patent was transferred from an operating company (HPE) to two successive entities (Sonrai Memory Ltd. and Foras Technologies Ltd.) that appear to be shell entities, with Foras Technologies Ltd. being a known NPE. These transfers occurred in cascading fashion between 2020 and 2022, with the final transfer immediately preceding a series of infringement lawsuits filed in 2023. The recurring correspondent, Baker Botts L.L.P., across these transfers further reinforces the pattern of coordinated patent monetization efforts.

For verification, see the USPTO Patent Assignment Search results for US7502958: https://assignmentcenter.uspto.gov/.