Assignment history

Inventors

• Michael Paljug (Conexant Systems, Inc. at time of priority date/filing of parent application US10/995,188; no employer listed on US8156360B2)

Original assignee

The original assignee listed on the issued patent US8156360B2 is Intellectual Ventures I LLC.

Intellectual Ventures I LLC is known for its business model of patent acquisition and licensing, often characterized as a non-practicing entity (NPE). They generally do not ship products embodying the claims themselves.

Current Status: Intellectual Ventures I LLC is an active entity, although the patent has since been reassigned.

Assignment timeline

• 2008-08-26 (executed) / recorded 2008-08-26 — Reel 021708/0091
  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: Michael Paljug
  • Assignee: CONEXANT SYSTEMS, INC.
  • Correspondent: BLAKELY, SOKOLOFF, TAYLOR & ZAFMAN, LLP, 12400 WILSHIRE BOULEVARD, 7TH FLOOR, LOS ANGELES, CA 90025
  • Context: Inventor assigned patent rights to Conexant Systems, Inc.
• 2009-01-02 (executed) / recorded 2009-01-07 — Reel 022067/0187
  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: CONEXANT SYSTEMS, INC.
  • Assignee: XOCYST TRANSFER AG L.L.C.
  • Correspondent: BLAKELY, SOKOLOFF, TAYLOR & ZAFMAN, LLP, 12400 WILSHIRE BOULEVARD, 7TH FLOOR, LOS ANGELES, CA 90025. This correspondent firm recurs in this chain.
  • Context: Transfer from operating company to another entity.
• 2011-07-22 (executed) / recorded 2011-07-27 — Reel 026779/0001
  • Conveyance: Merger
  • Assignor: XOCYST TRANSFER AG L.L.C.
  • Assignee: INTELLECTUAL VENTURES I LLC
  • Correspondent: MORRISON & FOERSTER LLP, 755 Page Mill Road, Palo Alto, CA 94304-1018
  • Context: Acquisition by Intellectual Ventures I LLC through a merger.
• 2024-10-10 (executed) / recorded 2024-10-10 — Reel 066060/0270
  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: INTELLECTUAL VENTURES I LLC
  • Assignee: INTELLECTUAL VENTURES ASSETS 199 LLC
  • Correspondent: INTELLECTUAL VENTURES, 3450 188TH AVE NE, SUITE 100, BELLEVUE, WA 98007
  • Context: Internal transfer within Intellectual Ventures entities.
• 2024-10-16 (executed) / recorded 2024-10-16 — Reel 066060/0271
  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: INTELLECTUAL VENTURES ASSETS 199 LLC
  • Assignee: INTEGRAL WIRELESS TECHNOLOGIES LLC
  • Correspondent: INTELLECTUAL VENTURES, 3450 188TH AVE NE, SUITE 100, BELLEVUE, WA 98007. This correspondent recurs in this chain.
  • Context: Transfer from Intellectual Ventures subsidiary to Integral Wireless Technologies LLC.

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 8156360
    2008 : Filed by Intellectual Ventures I LLC
         : Assigned to Conexant Systems Inc
    2009 : Assigned to Xocyst Transfer AG LLC
    2011 : Acquired by Intellectual Ventures I LLC
    2012 : Issued
    2024 : Assigned to IV Assets 199 LLC
         : Assigned to Integral Wireless Technologies

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer — present.
   • 2009-01-02 (executed) / recorded 2009-01-07 — Reel 022067/0187: The transfer from CONEXANT SYSTEMS, INC. to XOCYST TRANSFER AG L.L.C. Xocyst Transfer AG L.L.C. with a name suggesting a shell entity.
   • 2024-10-16 (executed) / recorded 2024-10-16 — Reel 066060/0271: Transfer to INTEGRAL WIRELESS TECHNOLOGIES LLC. This name also suggests a potential licensing-only LLC.
2. Known asserter in the chain — present.
   • 2011-07-22 (executed) / recorded 2011-07-27 — Reel 026779/0001: INTELLECTUAL VENTURES I LLC is a known NPE/asserter.
3. Repeat correspondent across the chain — present.
   • BLAKELY, SOKOLOFF, TAYLOR & ZAFMAN, LLP appears on Reel 021708/0091 and Reel 022067/0187.
   • INTELLECTUAL VENTURES appears on Reel 066060/0270 and Reel 066060/0271.
4. Cascading transfers — present.
   • 2024-10-10 (executed) / recorded 2024-10-10 — Reel 066060/0270 followed by 2024-10-16 (executed) / recorded 2024-10-16 — Reel 066060/0271. These are two consecutive assignments within six days, both handled by the same correspondent (INTELLECTUAL VENTURES), indicating an orchestrated transfer.
5. Pre-litigation transfer — unclear. The current task does not include a litigation search that would definitively confirm this in relation to the 2024 transfers. However, given the assignee is now Integral Wireless Technologies LLC, and the litigation entries on Google Patents showing cases filed in Texas Eastern District Court (a common venue for patent assertion), this is a potential signal.
6. Bankruptcy fire-sale — not present. No evidence of bankruptcy proceedings for any assignor in the chain.
7. Privateering — unclear. While the chain involves a known NPE (Intellectual Ventures), there is no specific evidence within the provided data to confirm a privateering arrangement with an operating company.
8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE) — not present. The chain ends with Integral Wireless Technologies LLC, not a known defensive aggregator.

Verdict

NPE — high confidence. The presence of Intellectual Ventures I LLC (a well-known NPE) in the ownership chain (Reel 026779/0001), coupled with subsequent cascading transfers to other entities (Reel 066060/0270 and 066060/0271) and the recurrence of the "Intellectual Ventures" correspondent, strongly indicates an NPE assertion strategy. The final assignee, Integral Wireless Technologies LLC, also has a name suggestive of a shell entity, further supporting this conclusion.

USPTO Assignment Center search for US8156360: https://assignmentcenter.uspto.gov/#!/assignment-result/search-detail?id=8156360&type=patNum