Assignment history

Inventors

• Makoto Mizuki (Panasonic Corp)
• Kazuyoshi Nishi (Panasonic Corp)
• Tetsuro Ohmori (Panasonic Corp)
• Tomokazu Kojima (Panasonic Corp)
• Hiroshi Kojima (Panasonic Corp)

All named inventors were employed by Panasonic Corp (originally Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.) at the time of filing, as Panasonic Corp was the original assignee listed on the patent application.

Original assignee

The original assignee was Panasonic Corp (formerly Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.).

Panasonic Corporation is a major Japanese multinational electronics company that manufactures and sells a diverse range of electronic products. The patent itself states that the invention relates to a current driving device "used preferably as a driver for displays such as organic EL (Electro-luminescence) panels, LED panels, and the like," which aligns with Panasonic's product lines. It is highly probable that Panasonic shipped products embodying the claims.

Current status: Operating.

Assignment timeline

Note: Reel/frame numbers and correspondent details are not available from the provided patent text. These details would typically be sourced from an interactive USPTO Patent Assignment Search, which is outside the scope of this tool's direct access capabilities.

• 2008-04-04 (executed) / recorded 2008-04-04 — Reel Not available/Frame Not available

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: OHMORI, TETSURO, KOJIMA, HIROSHI, KOJIMA, TOMOKAZU, MIZUKI, MAKOTO, NISHI, KAZUYOSHI (Inventors)
  • Assignee: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
  • Correspondent: Not available from provided patent text or my current search capabilities.
  • Context: Transfer of inventors' interest to the original corporate entity.

• 2008-11-20 (executed) / recorded 2008-11-20 — Reel Not available/Frame Not available

  • Conveyance: Change of Name
  • Assignor: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
  • Assignee: PANASONIC CORPORATION
  • Correspondent: Not available from provided patent text or my current search capabilities.
  • Context: Corporate name change from Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. to Panasonic Corporation.

• 2014-02-03 (executed) / recorded 2014-02-03 — Reel Not available/Frame Not available

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: PANASONIC CORPORATION (FORMERLY MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.)
  • Assignee: GODO KAISHA IP BRIDGE 1
  • Correspondent: Not available from provided patent text or my current search capabilities.
  • Context: Transfer of patent interest from an operating company to an IP management/assertion entity.

• 2020-07-14 (executed) / recorded 2020-07-14 — Reel Not available/Frame Not available

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: GODO KAISHA IP BRIDGE 1
  • Assignee: PARKSIDE IP LLC
  • Correspondent: Not available from provided patent text or my current search capabilities.
  • Context: Transfer between IP holding entities.

• 2021-03-05 (executed) / recorded 2021-03-05 — Reel Not available/Frame Not available

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: PARKSIDE IP LLC
  • Assignee: BISHOP DISPLAY TECH LLC
  • Correspondent: Not available from provided patent text or my current search capabilities.
  • Context: Transfer between IP holding entities, to the current assignee.

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 7995047
    2007 : Application filed by Panasonic Corp
    2008 : Assigned to Matsushita Electric
         : Matsushita changes name to Panasonic
    2011 : Issued
    2014 : Assigned to IP Bridge 1
    2020 : Assigned to Parkside IP LLC
    2021 : Assigned to Bishop Display Tech LLC
         : First infringement suit filed

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer — Present. The patent was transferred from Panasonic Corp to GODO KAISHA IP BRIDGE 1 on 2014-02-03. It was subsequently transferred to PARKSIDE IP LLC on 2020-07-14 and then to BISHOP DISPLAY TECH LLC on 2021-03-05. These entities (IP Bridge 1, Parkside IP LLC, Bishop Display Tech LLC) are structured as IP holding or assertion companies rather than product manufacturers, which is a strong indicator of shell entities involved in patent assertion.
2. Known asserter in the chain — Present. GODO KAISHA IP BRIDGE 1 (assignee from 2014-2020) is a known IP fund/NPE. BISHOP DISPLAY TECH LLC (assignee from 2021-present) is also a known patent assertion entity, evidenced by the numerous district court cases (e.g., 2:26-cv-00257, 2:25-cv-00310, 2:24-cv-00085, 2:22-cv-00385, 2:21-cv-00139) and PTAB challenges (IPR2025-01330, IPR2022-00501) listed in the patent's litigation history.
3. Repeat correspondent across the chain — Not present / Not determinable. The correspondent information is not available from the provided patent text, therefore this signal cannot be assessed.
4. Cascading transfers — Present. The patent was assigned from GODO KAISHA IP BRIDGE 1 to PARKSIDE IP LLC on 2020-07-14, and then from PARKSIDE IP LLC to BISHOP DISPLAY TECH LLC on 2021-03-05. This constitutes two transfers within approximately 7-8 months between IP holding entities, indicating a rapid sequence of transfers.
5. Pre-litigation transfer — Present. The patent was assigned to BISHOP DISPLAY TECH LLC on 2021-03-05. The litigation records indicate a US case filed in the Texas Eastern District Court (2:21-cv-00139) which commenced in 2021. This transfer occurred within 6 months prior to the likely filing of the earliest litigation, suggesting the transfer was arranged to enable assertion.
6. Bankruptcy fire-sale — Not present. The original assignee, Panasonic Corp, remains an active operating company.
7. Privateering — Unclear. While the patent was transferred from an operating company (Panasonic) to an IP management firm (IP Bridge 1) and then to other assertion entities, there is no explicit information in the provided data to confirm a privateering arrangement where Panasonic actively directs the assertion against its competitors.
8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE) — Not present. The current assignee, Bishop Display Tech LLC, is a known patent assertion entity, not a defensive aggregator.

Verdict

NPE — high confidence

This verdict is driven by multiple strong signals. The patent was transferred from an operating company (Panasonic Corp) to known patent assertion entities (GODO KAISHA IP BRIDGE 1, then BISHOP DISPLAY TECH LLC) through a chain involving shell entities and cascading transfers. Critically, the final transfer to Bishop Display Tech LLC on 2021-03-05 appears to be a pre-litigation transfer, immediately preceding the initiation of district court litigation in 2021. Bishop Display Tech LLC is widely recognized as a patent assertion entity, as evidenced by the extensive litigation history associated with this patent.

For verification, see the assignment records at the USPTO Assignment Center by searching for patent number US7995047: https://assignmentcenter.uspto.gov/patent/index.html.