Assignment history

Inventors

• Richard Ian Olsen: Employer at time of filing not determinable from the provided patent text.
• Darryl L. Sato: Employer at time of filing not determinable from the provided patent text.
• Feng-Qing Sun: Employer at time of filing not determinable from the provided patent text.
• James Gates: Employer at time of filing not determinable from the provided patent text.

Original assignee

The original assignee on the issued patent is Protarius Filo AG LLC. The provided patent text does not indicate whether Protarius Filo AG LLC shipped a product embodying the claims or their primary line of business. Its current status is not determinable from the provided text, as the patent has since been reassigned.

Assignment timeline

• 2007-07-18 (executed) / recorded 2007-07-18 — Reel 019557/0270
  • Conveyance: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST
  • Assignor: SUN, FENG-QING; GATES, JAMES; OLSEN, RICHARD IAN; SATO, DARRYL L.
  • Assignee: NEWPORT IMAGING CORPORATION
  • Correspondent: NEWPORT IMAGING CORPORATION
  • Context: Transfer from inventors to Newport Imaging Corporation.
• 2008-12-31 (executed) / recorded 2009-01-28 — Reel 022718/0024
  • Conveyance: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST
  • Assignor: NEWPORT IMAGING CORPORATION
  • Assignee: PROTARIUS FILO AG, L.L.C.
  • Correspondent: NEWPORT IMAGING CORPORATION
  • Context: Transfer from Newport Imaging Corporation to Protarius Filo AG, L.L.C.
• 2015-10-02 (executed) / recorded 2015-10-14 — Reel 034177/0212
  • Conveyance: MERGER
  • Assignor: PROTARIUS FILO AG, L.L.C.
  • Assignee: CALLAHAN CELLULAR L.L.C.
  • Correspondent: FOLEY & LARDNER LLP
  • Context: Protarius Filo AG, L.L.C. merged into Callahan Cellular L.L.C.
• 2021-10-14 (executed) / recorded 2021-10-14 — Reel 056455/0810
  • Conveyance: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST
  • Assignor: CALLAHAN CELLULAR L.L.C.
  • Assignee: INTELLECTUAL VENTURES II LLC
  • Correspondent: INTELLECTUAL VENTURES
  • Context: Transfer from Callahan Cellular L.L.C. to Intellectual Ventures II LLC. This correspondent name appears on numerous patent assignments involving Intellectual Ventures entities, indicating a repeat-player attorney/firm for this known NPE.

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 7916180
    2007 : Assigned to Newport Imaging Corp
    2008 : Assigned to Protarius Filo AG LLC
    2011 : Issued
    2015 : Merged to Callahan Cellular LLC
    2021 : Assigned to Intellectual Ventures II LLC

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer — Present.
   • Context: The transfer from Protarius Filo AG, L.L.C. (original assignee) to Callahan Cellular L.L.C. via merger on 2015-10-02 / recorded 2015-10-14 (Reel 034177/0212), and then to Intellectual Ventures II LLC on 2021-10-14 / recorded 2021-10-14 (Reel 056455/0810). Both Callahan Cellular L.L.C. and Intellectual Ventures II LLC fit the pattern of licensing-only LLCs. Intellectual Ventures is a well-known patent assertion entity.
2. Known asserter in the chain — Present.
   • Context: Intellectual Ventures II LLC is the current assignee, as recorded on 2021-10-14 (Reel 056455/0810). Intellectual Ventures is widely recognized as a major NPE.
3. Repeat correspondent across the chain — Present.
   • Context: The correspondent "INTELLECTUAL VENTURES" is listed for the assignment to Intellectual Ventures II LLC (Reel 056455/0810, recorded 2021-10-14). This correspondent is strongly associated with the Intellectual Ventures family of NPEs, indicating a repeat player for their assertion activities.
4. Cascading transfers — Not present.
   • Context: While there are multiple transfers, they are spaced several years apart (2007, 2008, 2015, 2021), not within a short 24-month window.
5. Pre-litigation transfer — Unclear.
   • Context: The most recent assignment to Intellectual Ventures II LLC was on 2021-10-14. The litigation cases listed (IPR2025-00339, 6:24-cv-00188, 1:24-cv-00390) were filed in 2024 and 2025, which is more than 6 months after the last transfer. However, the first worldwide family litigation filing date is not explicitly provided, making it unclear if an earlier litigation event aligned with a transfer.
6. Bankruptcy fire-sale — Not present.
   • Context: No information in the provided patent text suggests any assignor in the chain filed for bankruptcy.
7. Privateering — Unclear.
   • Context: While the current assignee is a known NPE, there is no explicit information in the provided text detailing any privateering agreements or public company involvement that would indicate this specific pattern.
8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE) — Not present.
   • Context: The chain ends with Intellectual Ventures II LLC, which is a patent assertion entity, not a defensive aggregator.

Verdict

NPE — high confidence
The presence of Intellectual Ventures II LLC, a well-known patent assertion entity, as the current assignee, along with their associated repeat correspondent, provides strong signals. The transfer history also involves shell-like entities that appear consistent with NPE behavior, even if not strictly "cascading."

USPTO Assignment Center search for US7916180