Assignment history

Inventors

• Sanjay Dahiya (Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.)

Original assignee

The original assignee on the issued patent US7640332B2 is Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. was a multinational information technology company specializing in developing and manufacturing computing, data storage, and networking hardware, designing software, and delivering services. At the time of filing (2007), HP was the world's leading PC manufacturer. In 2015, the Hewlett-Packard company split into HP Inc. and Hewlett Packard Enterprise. Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) is currently an operating company focused on hybrid cloud and IT infrastructure services, including servers, storage, networking, AI, and consulting.

Assignment timeline

• 2007-12-20 (executed) / recorded 2007-12-20 — Reel 020335/0424

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: DAHIYA, SANJAY
  • Assignee: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.
  • Correspondent: NOT RECORDED. This is the initial assignment from the inventor to the employer.
  • Context: Original assignment from inventor to employer.

• 2015-10-27 (executed) / recorded 2015-11-09 — Reel 037079/0001

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.
  • Assignee: HEWLETT PACKARD ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT LP
  • Correspondent: RICHARD S. BALINT, HEWLETT-PACKARD COMPANY, 3000 HANOVER STREET, PALO ALTO, CA 94304.
  • Context: Internal reorg following the split of Hewlett-Packard.

• 2021-01-15 (executed) / recorded 2021-01-26 — Reel 055269/0001

  • Conveyance: Patent Assignment, Security Interest, and Lien Agreement
  • Assignor: HEWLETT PACKARD ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT LP; HEWLETT PACKARD ENTERPRISE COMPANY
  • Assignee: OT PATENT ESCROW, LLC
  • Correspondent: DECKARD & BRADLEY, LLC, 1600 WEST 38TH STREET, SUITE 100, AUSTIN, TEXAS 78731.
  • Context: Securitization/transfer of patents.

• 2021-05-03 (executed) / recorded 2021-05-06 — Reel 056157/0492

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: OT PATENT ESCROW, LLC
  • Assignee: VALTRUS INNOVATIONS LIMITED
  • Correspondent: DECKARD & BRADLEY, LLC, 1600 WEST 38TH STREET, SUITE 100, AUSTIN, TEXAS 78731. This correspondent is a repeat-player in this chain.
  • Context: Transfer to NPE.

The USPTO Assignment Center search page for US7640332 can be found at: https://assignmentcenter.uspto.gov/#!/assignment/view?id=8050074

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 7640332
    2007 : Inventor assigned to HP Dev Co LP
    2009 : Patent granted
    2015 : Assigned to HPE Dev LP
    2021 : Assigned to OT Patent Escrow LLC
         : Assigned to Valtrus Innovations Ltd

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer — present. The transfer from Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP to OT PATENT ESCROW, LLC (Reel 055269/0001) and subsequently to VALTRUS INNOVATIONS LIMITED (Reel 056157/0492) indicates a shell-entity transfer. Valtrus Innovations Limited is described as a "specialist intellectual-property licensor" and a "patent assertion entity focused on monetizing legacy technology portfolios". Its primary activity is listed as "Activities of Holding Companies". The address in Dublin for Valtrus, where it shares an Eircode with at least 21 other companies, also suggests a shell entity.

2. Known asserter in the chain — present. Valtrus Innovations Limited is identified as a "patent assertion entity focused on monetizing legacy technology portfolios" and has been involved in patent infringement litigation, notably against Digital Realty Trust, Inc., which concluded in a voluntary dismissal. Additionally, Starbucks has filed a lawsuit against Valtrus Innovations Ltd. and its parent Key Patent Innovations Ltd., accusing them of "bad faith patent infringement claims," invoking Washington state's "Patent Troll Prevention Act." This confirms Valtrus Innovations Limited as a known asserter.

3. Repeat correspondent across the chain — present. DECKARD & BRADLEY, LLC, with the address 1600 WEST 38TH STREET, SUITE 100, AUSTIN, TEXAS 78731, acted as the correspondent for both the assignment to OT PATENT ESCROW, LLC (Reel 055269/0001) and the subsequent assignment to VALTRUS INNOVATIONS LIMITED (Reel 056157/0492).

4. Cascading transfers — present. There are two consecutive assignments within a short period: 2021-01-15 to OT PATENT ESCROW, LLC (Reel 055269/0001) and 2021-05-03 to VALTRUS INNOVATIONS LIMITED (Reel 056157/0492), which are less than 24 months apart. Both of these transfers used the same correspondent, DECKARD & BRADLEY, LLC.

5. Pre-litigation transfer — unclear. While Valtrus Innovations is known to assert patents, the precise date of the first litigation involving US7640332B2 is not readily available in the provided text. The Google Patents litigation section shows various cases filed in 2025, significantly after the 2021 transfers to Valtrus.

6. Bankruptcy fire-sale — not present. The original assignee, Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P., underwent a corporate split in 2015, not a bankruptcy. The subsequent assignments were part of a corporate restructuring and later transfers, not a bankruptcy sale.

7. Privateering — unclear. While Valtrus Innovations Limited acquires patents "originating from Hewlett Packard Enterprise" and HPE is an operating company, there is no explicit evidence in the provided information that Valtrus is asserting these patents on HPE's behalf against competitors.

8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE) — not present. The chain terminates with Valtrus Innovations Limited, which is identified as a patent assertion entity, not a defensive aggregator.

Verdict

NPE — high confidence

The patent displays multiple strong NPE signals. Valtrus Innovations Limited, the current assignee (Reel 056157/0492), is explicitly identified as a "patent assertion entity" and a "specialist intellectual-property licensor", and has been accused of "bad faith patent infringement claims" by Starbucks. The chain also shows cascading transfers to shell entities (OT PATENT ESCROW, LLC and VALTRUS INNOVATIONS LIMITED) with the same correspondent (DECKARD & BRADLEY, LLC) within a short timeframe (Reel 055269/0001 and Reel 056157/0492). These factors strongly indicate an NPE pattern.