Assignment history

Inventors

The sole named inventor is Leigh M. Rothschild. The patent states that the initial assignment of the patent was from Leigh M. Rothschild to REAGAN INVENTIONS LLC on 2010-09-15. There is no information provided regarding his employment at the time of filing or any departure patterns.

Original assignee

The original assignee named on the issued patent is REAGAN INVENTIONS LLC. The patent text does not state that REAGAN INVENTIONS LLC shipped a product embodying the claims. Based on its name and the subsequent transfer of the patent, its primary line of business appears to be intellectual property management or holding. The current status of REAGAN INVENTIONS LLC is unclear from the provided patent text, as it assigned the patent to SYMBOLOGY INNOVATIONS LLC in 2015.

Assignment timeline

• 2010-09-15 (executed) / recorded 2010-09-15 (priority date and assignment date) — Reel [Not specified in provided text]

  • Conveyance: Assignment of Assignor's Interest
  • Assignor: Leigh M. Rothschild
  • Assignee: REAGAN INVENTIONS, LLC
  • Correspondent: [Not specified in provided text]
  • Context: Initial assignment from inventor.

• 2015-01-28 (executed) / recorded 2015-01-28 — Reel [Not specified in provided text]

  • Conveyance: Assignment of Assignor's Interest
  • Assignor: REAGAN INVENTIONS, LLC
  • Assignee: SYMBOLOGY INNOVATIONS, LLC
  • Correspondent: [Not specified in provided text]
  • Context: Transfer of patent ownership between two LLCs.

The provided Google Patents data does not contain reel/frame numbers or specific correspondent attorney names, firms, or addresses for these assignment records.

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 7992773
    2010 : Filed by inventor Rothschild
         : Assigned to Reagan Inventions
    2011 : Issued
    2015 : Assigned to Symbology Innovations
    2016 : First litigation filed
    2030 : Anticipated expiration

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer — present.
   The transfer from REAGAN INVENTIONS, LLC to SYMBOLOGY INNOVATIONS, LLC (assigned 2015-01-28) is a strong indicator. Both names, "Inventions" and "Innovations," are commonly used by entities focused on intellectual property licensing rather than product development. The extensive litigation history associated with SYMBOLOGY INNOVATIONS, LLC (numerous cases filed from 2016 to 2023) further supports that its primary activity is patent assertion, not shipping products.

2. Known asserter in the chain — present.
   SYMBOLOGY INNOVATIONS, LLC, the current assignee (as of 2015-01-28), is heavily involved in patent litigation, with numerous cases cited across multiple district courts from 2016 through 2023. This volume of litigation strongly indicates that SYMBOLOGY INNOVATIONS, LLC operates as a high-frequency plaintiff or patent asserter (commonly referred to as an NPE).

3. Repeat correspondent across the chain — not present.
   The provided patent text does not include information about the correspondent attorney or firm for any of the assignment records, precluding analysis of this signal.

4. Cascading transfers — not present.
   There are two distinct assignment events listed, separated by over four years (2010 and 2015). This does not meet the criterion of multiple consecutive transfers within 24 months.

5. Pre-litigation transfer — not present.
   The assignment to SYMBOLOGY INNOVATIONS, LLC was executed on 2015-01-28. The first listed worldwide family litigation for this patent was filed on 2016-05-09. This gap of approximately 16 months is outside the 6-month window for a pre-litigation transfer.

6. Bankruptcy fire-sale — not present.
   No information in the provided patent text indicates that any assignor filed for bankruptcy.

7. Privateering — not present.
   The provided patent text offers no information to suggest a privateering arrangement.

8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE) — not present.
   The current assignee, SYMBOLOGY INNOVATIONS, LLC, is not a defensive aggregator.

Verdict

NPE — high confidence (2+ strong signals)
The high confidence verdict is based on two strong signals: the presence of a shell-entity transfer (REAGAN INVENTIONS, LLC to SYMBOLOGY INNOVATIONS, LLC on 2015-01-28), characterized by names suggesting IP management, and the fact that SYMBOLOGY INNOVATIONS, LLC is clearly a known asserter, evidenced by the extensive litigation history detailed in the patent's legal status timeline. These facts strongly indicate that the patent is being used for assertion purposes rather than supporting product sales.

For verification, see the assignment records and litigation history on Google Patents: https://patents.google.com/patent/US7992773/en