US 8238832

Here's a concise summary of US Patent 8238832:

Patent Number: US8238832B1

Title: Antenna optimum beam forming for multiple protocol coexistence on a wireless device

Current Assignee: Velocity Communication Technologies LLC (as of 2024-09-23). Previously assigned to NXP USA, INC. (2019-12-18) and Marvell International Ltd. and Marvell Semiconductor Inc. (original assignees).

Inventor: Cuifeng Zhou

Filing Date: 2008-08-27

Issue Date: 2012-08-07

Abstract: In a method for forming beam patterns for a wireless device, the device determines angles of arrival for data signals corresponding to different wireless network protocols, such as Bluetooth signals and wireless local area network signals. The wireless device has a multiple antenna array and a beamform controller to selectively transmit and receive data signals along a communication path corresponding to the angle of arrival of the particular protocol data. Data signal transmissions along angles of arrival corresponding to other protocol channels are suppressed to avoid interference between data signals and to allow the wireless device to receive data signals for different protocols simultaneously.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims:

The patent contains four independent claims: Claims 1, 11, 18, and 32.

• Independent Claim 1 (Method for a primary network device):
  This claim describes a method for a wireless device with an antenna array to manage communication with two different remote devices using two distinct wireless protocols (e.g., Bluetooth and WLAN) simultaneously without significant interference. The method involves:

  1. Identifying a first communication path for Bluetooth data with a first remote device by figuring out the angle from which its signal arrives.
  2. Identifying a second communication path for WLAN data with a second remote device by figuring out the angle from which its signal arrives. Crucially, these two angles must be different.
  3. Creating a first antenna beam pattern for Bluetooth data. This pattern sends the Bluetooth data strongly in the direction of the first remote device but significantly weakens the Bluetooth signal in the direction of the second remote device.
  4. Creating a second antenna beam pattern for WLAN data. This pattern sends the WLAN data strongly in the direction of the second remote device but significantly weakens the WLAN signal in the direction of the first remote device.
     The goal is to ensure that each type of data (Bluetooth or WLAN) is sent efficiently to its intended recipient while causing minimal interference to the other communication.

• Independent Claim 11 (Apparatus for controlling beamforming):
  This claim describes a physical device designed to control antenna beamforming. The apparatus includes:

  1. A Bluetooth interface for handling Bluetooth data.
  2. A WLAN interface for handling WLAN data.
  3. A beamform controller that manages an antenna array. This controller is configured to:
     • Transmit and receive Bluetooth data along a specific communication path defined by a first angle.
     • Transmit and receive WLAN data along a separate communication path defined by a second, different angle.
       The key feature is that this controller enables simultaneous Bluetooth and WLAN communication. It achieves this by shaping the Bluetooth signal into a first beam pattern that is strong towards the Bluetooth device but weak towards the WLAN device, and shaping the WLAN signal into a second beam pattern that is strong towards the WLAN device but weak towards the Bluetooth device. This minimizes interference between the two types of wireless communication.

• Independent Claim 18 (Method for forming beam patterns for a wireless device):
  This claim outlines a method for a wireless device with an antenna array to create specific beam patterns for two different wireless communication protocols. The method comprises:

  1. Determining a first communication path to a first remote device for a first type of data (following a first wireless protocol), which includes defining a first beam pattern pointed at a first angle.
  2. Determining a second communication path to a second remote device for a second type of data (following a second wireless protocol), which includes defining a second beam pattern pointed at a second angle.
     The core inventive aspect is how these beam patterns are formed:
  • The first beam pattern (for the first data) is designed to have a strong signal along its intended first angle but a significantly weaker signal along the second angle, thereby reducing interference with the second communication path.
  • Similarly, the second beam pattern (for the second data) is designed to have a strong signal along its intended second angle but a significantly weaker signal along the first angle, minimizing interference with the first communication path.

• Independent Claim 32 (Apparatus for forming beam patterns for a wireless device):
  This claim describes an apparatus (a physical device) that can create specific antenna beam patterns to manage two simultaneous wireless communications. The apparatus includes:

  1. A first protocol interface for sending and receiving data according to a first wireless protocol.
  2. A second protocol interface for sending and receiving data according to a second wireless protocol.
  3. A beamform controller. This controller is responsible for:
     • Identifying a first communication path to a first remote device, including establishing a first beam pattern pointed at a first angle for the first data.
     • Identifying a second communication path to a second remote device, including establishing a second beam pattern pointed at a second angle for the second data.
       Similar to the method claims, the apparatus ensures that the first beam pattern transmits/receives the first data strongly at the first angle but suppresses it at the second angle, and the second beam pattern transmits/receives the second data strongly at the second angle but suppresses it at the first angle, to prevent interference.

CAFC 2026 Dockets:
A search of CAFC 2026 dockets for US8238832 did not yield any direct results indicating litigation specifically for this patent in the provided search snippets. The Google Patents page for US8238832B1 does, however, indicate "Family has litigation" and lists several US cases filed in the Texas Eastern District Court and Delaware District Court in 2025. These cases include:

• 5:25-cv-00105 (Texas Eastern District Court)
• 5:25-cv-00103 (Texas Eastern District Court)
• 5:25-cv-00109 (Texas Eastern District Court)
• 5:25-cv-00108 (Texas Eastern District Court)
• 1:25-cv-00912 (Delaware District Court)
• 1:25-cv-00894 (Delaware District Court)
• 5:25-cv-00106 (Texas Eastern District Court)
• 5:25-cv-00104 (Texas Eastern District Court)
• 1:25-cv-00850 (Delaware District Court)
• 5:25-cv-00101 (Texas Eastern District Court)
• 5:25-cv-00100 (Texas Eastern District Court)
• 5:25-cv-00099 (Texas Eastern District Court)
• 5:25-cv-00107 (Texas Eastern District Court)
• 5:25-cv-00098 (Texas Eastern District Court)

This indicates active litigation related to the patent family, though not specifically in the CAFC dockets for 2026 within the provided snippets.

I'll research litigation involving US patent 8238832 across litigation databases.

Let me verify the 2026 cases and check for any case outcomes or PTAB activity tied to this patent.

Known Litigation Involving US Patent 8,238,832

Bottom line

US 8,238,832 (the '832 patent) is not litigated on its own. It is one of 11 patents asserted together as a single campaign by Velocity Communication Technologies, LLC (VCT) — the current assignee since 23 Sep 2024 — beginning July 2025. The campaign targets makers/sellers of IEEE 802.11ax ("Wi-Fi 6") products (access points, laptops, routers, smartphones, TVs, etc.). VCT has sued in the Eastern District of Texas (Texarkana, Judge Robert W. Schroeder III) and the District of Delaware.

The 11 patents asserted in every complaint are: 8,213,870; 8,238,832; 8,238,859; 8,260,213; 8,265,573; 8,270,343; 8,644,765; 8,675,570; 9,083,401; 9,596,648; and 10,200,096. (RPX, Mondaq/RPX)

2025 filings (all assert the '832 patent)

The '832 patent is expressly identified as a patent-in-suit on the Rule 3 / AO-120 reports in the Dell, Ericsson, Charter and MSI dockets, and is listed as Exhibit 3 ("'832 Patent") in the most recent complaints. (CourtListener D.I. 3, PACER Monitor)

2026 filings (expansion of the same campaign; '832 asserted)

Outcomes / current posture

• No final judgment, trial verdict, or appellate decision involving the '832 patent has been identified.
• Dell (1:25-cv-00850) is the closest to resolution: the case is stayed pending a settlement agreement (as of April 2026).
• NETGEAR is proceeding on an amended complaint after the initial MTD was mooted.
• OnePlus (lead) + LG (member) have a full case schedule (Markman 9/9/2026; trial 6/28/2027).
• No CAFC appeals involving this patent were found.
• No PTAB (IPR/PGR/CBM) proceedings on US 8,238,832 were found — consistent with the earlier "PTAB challenges" section of this analysis, which flagged no AIA trials. A search for "8,238,832 IPR" surfaced only an unrelated '883 patent petition (see caution below).

Important cautions

1. Do not conflate other "'883" patents. Web searches for "'883 patent" return multiple unrelated matters: the C-Cation Technologies case (US 5,563,883); the CAFC decision in Adenta (06-1571, a different '883 patent); and a PTAB petition (Petitioners represented via Celerity_IPRs@mckoolsmith.com) concerning a US 9,479,973-family '883 patent about cellular "inter-node connectivity." None of these involve US 8,238,832. Interpreted literally, the identifier "8,238,832" maps only to the VCT campaign above.

2. All 2025/2026 cases are multi-patent campaign suits. The '832 patent has never been the sole asserted patent in any identified case. Any outcome in these suits may be driven by the other 10 asserted patents (notably the '859 patent, which is the subject of the §101/Alice motions).

3. Statuses are docket-level as of the most recent retrievals (several justia/courtlistener snapshots range from mid-2025 through mid-2026) and are subject to change; PACER remains the authoritative source.

4. Date discrepancy flag: The task prompt states the current date is April 26, 2026, but the system date provided is 2026-09-24, and sources report filings dated July 30–31, 2026 (Vantiva, Charter, MSI). I have treated the later-dated docket records as current ground truth per the instruction to prefer search results over prior assumptions, and I flag this inconsistency explicitly rather than resolving it silently.

Key sources

• Google Patents, US8238832B1 (litigation links): https://patents.google.com/patent/US8238832B1/en
• RPX, "Velocity Communication Technologies Bursts out of the Litigation Blocks" (July 13, 2025): https://litigation.rpxcorp.com/news/87290-velocity-communication-technologies-bursts-out-of-the-litigation-blocks
• Mondaq/RPX, "Velocity Overtakes Two More Defendants" (Aug. 28, 2025): https://www.mondaq.com/unitedstates/patent/[1671428](/patent/1671428)/
• CourtListener – Dell docket 1:25-cv-00850: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/70748675/velocity-communication-technologies-llc-v-dell-technologies-inc/
• Justia dockets – NETGEAR (1:25-cv-00894), Ericsson (1:25-cv-00912), OnePlus (5:25-cv-00098)
• PACER Monitor – Charter (5:26-cv-00104), MSI (5:26-cv-00106)
• Unified Patents litigation portal (as cited on the Google Patents page): https://portal.unifiedpatents.com/litigation/caselist

If you want, I can next pull the asserted claims of the '832 patent from a specific complaint (e.g., the Lenovo or Dell First Amended Complaint) to map infringement contentions against claims 1, 11, 18, and 32 — note the earlier "Prior art" and "Obviousness" sections could not retrieve the patent's cited references, so any §102/§103 work remains open.

Proceedings overview

The USPTO ODP API indicates no AIA trial proceedings on file for US Patent 8238832 as of the most recent ingest. A web search also did not reveal any active or terminated PTAB proceedings for this patent. This means the patent has not been subjected to IPR, PGR, or CBM trials.

Strategic summary

As of today, US Patent 8238832 has not been challenged in any AIA trial proceedings (IPR, PGR, or CBM). Therefore, all 41 claims of the patent remain untested and are currently presumed valid. There is no estoppel landscape established through PTAB proceedings, meaning all prior art grounds remain available for a potential future petitioner. The absence of PTAB activity could indicate several things: the patent has not been widely asserted, previous assertions did not lead to PTAB challenges, or potential challengers have opted for other avenues.

Recommended next steps

If you are a defendant facing assertion of US Patent 8238832, it is important to understand that all claims are currently unadjudicated by the PTAB. Therefore, an IPR, PGR, or CBM petition could be a viable defensive strategy, as there is no prior PTAB decision to overcome. The absence of PTAB activity suggests that a thorough prior art search could yield strong grounds for a petition, if such a challenge is warranted by the assertion.

Inventors

• Cuifeng Zhou (Employer: Marvell International Ltd. / Marvell Semiconductor Inc. at the time of filing)

Original assignee

Marvell International Ltd. was the original assignee listed at the time of filing. Marvell Technology, Inc. (and its subsidiaries like Marvell International Ltd. and Marvell Semiconductor Inc.) is a fabless semiconductor company that develops and markets products for data infrastructure, including storage, networking, and connectivity solutions. They ship products embodying wireless communication technologies. Marvell Technology, Inc. is currently operating.

Assignment timeline

• 2008-08-27 (executed) / recorded 2008-08-27 — Reel 021452/0272

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: ZHOU, CHUIFENG
  • Assignee: MARVELL SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.
  • Correspondent: BLAKELY, SOKOLOFF, TAYLOR & ZAFMAN LLP, 1279 OAKMEAD PARKWAY, SUNNYVALE, CALIFORNIA UNITED STATES 94085
  • Context: Inventor assignment to an operating company.

• 2008-08-27 (executed) / recorded 2008-08-27 — Reel 021452/0274

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: MARVELL SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.
  • Assignee: MARVELL INTERNATIONAL LTD.
  • Correspondent: BLAKELY, SOKOLOFF, TAYLOR & ZAFMAN LLP, 1279 OAKMEAD PARKWAY, SUNNYVALE, CALIFORNIA UNITED STATES 94085. This correspondent also recorded the previous assignment.
  • Context: Internal reorganization/transfer between related operating company entities.

• 2012-06-05 (executed) / recorded 2012-06-25 — Reel 028590/0819

  • Conveyance: Corrective Assignment
  • Assignor: ZHOU, CUIFENG
  • Assignee: MARVELL SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.
  • Correspondent: MARVELL SEMICONDUCTOR, INC., 5488 MARVELL LANE, SANTA CLARA, CA UNITED STATES 95054.
  • Context: Correction to the spelling of the inventor's name.

• 2019-12-18 (executed) / recorded 2019-12-18 — Reel 051394/0827

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: MARVELL INTERNATIONAL LTD.
  • Assignee: NXP USA, INC.
  • Correspondent: NXP USA, INC., 7650 W. COURTYARD DR., SUITE 360, AUSTIN, TX UNITED STATES 78730.
  • Context: Acquisition or portfolio transfer from an operating company to another operating company.

• 2024-09-23 (executed) / recorded 2024-09-23 — Reel 057017/0861

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: NXP B.V., NXP USA, INC.
  • Assignee: VELOCITY COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES LLC
  • Correspondent: Brian M. McShane, Morris, Manning & Martin, LLP, 3343 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1600, Atlanta, GA UNITED STATES 30326.
  • Context: Transfer of patent from an operating company to a potentially non-practicing entity.

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 8238832
    2008 : Filed by Marvell International Ltd
    2008 : Assigned to Marvell Semiconductor Inc
    2008 : Assigned to Marvell International Ltd
    2012 : Corrective assignment
    2012 : Issued
    2019 : Assigned to NXP USA Inc
    2024 : Assigned to Velocity Communication Technologies LLC

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer — present

   • 2024-09-23 (executed) / recorded 2024-09-23 — Reel 057017/0861: The patent was assigned to Velocity Communication Technologies LLC. "Velocity Communication Technologies LLC" has a name suffix "LLC" which is often associated with licensing-only entities. Public records for Velocity Communication Technologies LLC show a registered agent address in Delaware (e.g., Corporation Service Company), which is a common characteristic of shell entities. Additionally, the Google Patents page indicates "Family has litigation" with numerous cases filed in 2025, which is consistent with an entity whose primary business is patent assertion.

2. Known asserter in the chain — present

   • 2024-09-23 (executed) / recorded 2024-09-23 — Reel 057017/0861: Velocity Communication Technologies LLC is identified as the current assignee. Unified Patents lists "Velocity Communication Technologies" as an active NPE, and multiple litigation cases were filed by this entity in 2025.

3. Repeat correspondent across the chain — present

   • 2008-08-27 (executed) / recorded 2008-08-27 — Reel 021452/0272 and 021452/0274: BLAKELY, SOKOLOFF, TAYLOR & ZAFMAN LLP acted as correspondent for two assignments from the inventor to Marvell Semiconductor, Inc. and then to Marvell International Ltd.
   • While not recurring across the entire chain, the correspondent Brian M. McShane of Morris, Manning & Martin, LLP (Reel 057017/0861) is associated with the transfer to Velocity Communication Technologies LLC, which is a known asserter. This correspondent may be a repeat player for other NPE families, though this specific pattern cannot be definitively confirmed from the provided patent chain alone.

4. Cascading transfers — not present

   • The assignments are spaced out over several years, with the latest transfer occurring five years after the previous one, and the two initial Marvell transfers happening on the same day.

5. Pre-litigation transfer — present

   • 2024-09-23 (executed) / recorded 2024-09-23 — Reel 057017/0861: The assignment to Velocity Communication Technologies LLC occurred on this date. According to the Google Patents legal events, numerous litigation cases related to this patent family were filed in 2025 (e.g., 5:25-cv-00105, 1:25-cv-00912), which is within six months of the assignment date. This indicates the transfer was likely in preparation for assertion.

6. Bankruptcy fire-sale — not present

   • There is no indication that Marvell International Ltd., Marvell Semiconductor Inc., or NXP USA, Inc. filed for bankruptcy.

7. Privateering — unclear

   • While the patent was transferred from an operating company (NXP USA, INC.) to a known NPE (Velocity Communication Technologies LLC), there is no explicit information in the provided data to confirm that NXP USA, INC. is funding or directing the assertion against its competitors.

8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE) — not present

   • The chain does not terminate at a known defensive aggregator.

Verdict

NPE — high confidence

This verdict is based on multiple strong signals: the transfer to Velocity Communication Technologies LLC, which is a known patent asserter identified by Unified Patents, and the clear pre-litigation timing of this transfer (assignment in September 2024, followed by multiple infringement suits in 2025). These factors strongly indicate that the patent is now held by a non-practicing entity for assertion purposes.

USPTO Assignment Center search for US8238832

To identify the most relevant prior art for US patent 8238832, I will perform a search on the USPTO database for the patent and then examine its cited references.

Here's the plan:

1. Access the USPTO Patent Public Search database.
2. Search for US Patent 8238832.
3. Extract the "References Cited" section from the patent document.
4. For each cited reference, gather its full citation, publication/filing date, and brief description.
5. Analyze each reference's description to identify which claims of US8238832 it potentially anticipates under 35 U.S.C. § 102.

Due to the limitations of the current tools, I cannot directly access the USPTO database, execute specific search queries within it, or extract the full list of cited references for US8238832 and their details. The provided search results primarily explain how to use the USPTO search system rather than providing the actual cited references for the specific patent.

Therefore, I cannot provide a definitive list of the most relevant prior art with full citations, publication/filing dates, brief descriptions, and potential anticipation details for US8238832 at this time.

To accurately fulfill your request, I would need direct access to the "References Cited" section of US Patent 8238832 from an authoritative source like the USPTO.

I cannot perform an obviousness analysis of US patent 8238832 under 35 U.S.C. § 103 at this time.

The "Prior art" section explicitly states that due to tool limitations, a definitive list of the most relevant prior art with full citations, publication/filing dates, brief descriptions, and potential anticipation details for US8238832 could not be provided. To conduct a proper obviousness analysis, specific prior art references are required, including their content, publication dates, and how they relate to the claims of US8238832. Without this foundational information, it is not possible to identify combinations of references or explain the motivation for a person having ordinary skill in the art (PHOSITA) to combine them.