Patent 8515765

Assignment history

Inventors, original assignee, and the chain of ownership recorded with the USPTO — including the correspondent attorney who recorded each assignment, since shell-LLC chains often share one repeat-player attorney even when the entity names look unrelated. Surfaces NPE / patent-troll patterns: shell-entity transfers, known asserters in the chain, repeat correspondent fingerprints, pre-litigation assignments, and bankruptcy fire-sales.

Active provider: Google · gemini-2.5-flash

Ownership chain (10)

Asserters network →

Structured records extracted from the assignment-history narrative below. Each entity links to its full ownership-network profile.

  1. 2011-10-03 · reel 028889/0751 · ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST

    BALDWIN, LARRY; EBERSOLD, BLANE; FREEMAN, TOM; TJALVE, MICHAEL; WEIDER, CHRISVOICEBOX TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION

    Correspondent: · BLANK ROME

    Original assignment of patent rights from inventors to the founding company.

  2. 2014-04-07 · reel 031766/0309 · MERGER

    VOICEBOX TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATIONVOICEBOX TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION

    Correspondent: · KUTAK ROCK

    Internal corporate reorganization and name change.

  3. 2017-12-22 · reel 046369/0615 · SECURITY INTEREST

    VOICEBOX TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATIONORIX GROWTH CAPITAL, LLC

    Correspondent: · O'Melveny & Myers

    Securitization – patent used as collateral for a loan.

  4. 2018-04-05 · reel 046788/0503 · RELEASE BY SECURED PARTY

    ORIX GROWTH CAPITAL, LLCVOICEBOX TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION

    Correspondent: · O'Melveny & Myers

    Release of the security interest.

  5. 2018-07-25 · reel 047195/0626 · NUNC PRO TUNC ASSIGNMENT

    VOICEBOX TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATIONVB ASSETS, LLC

    Correspondent: · DLA Piper

    Transfer of patent from operating company to a holding entity, likely a shell for patent monetization.

  6. 2019-04-12 · reel 048701/0154 · SECURITY INTEREST

    VB ASSETS, LLCDELPHI ASSET MANAGEMENT CORPORATION

    Correspondent: · DLA Piper

    Securitization – patent used as collateral.

  7. 2019-06-13 · reel 049008/0173 · RELEASE BY SECURED PARTY

    DELPHI ASSET MANAGEMENT CORPORATIONVB ASSETS, LLC

    Correspondent: · DLA Piper

    Release of the security interest.

  8. 2020-01-22 · reel 051581/0216 · ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST

    VB ASSETTS LLCNUANCE COMMUNICATIONS, INC.

    Correspondent: · MORRISON & FOERSTER

    Patent transfer, later superseded by a corrective assignment regarding this specific patent.

  9. 2020-09-22 · reel 052441/0080 · CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE ASSIGNOR'S NAME AND ASSIGNEE'S NAME PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 051581 FRAME: 0216. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST.

    VOICEBOX TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATIONVB ASSETS, LLC

    Correspondent: · DLA Piper

    Corrective assignment reaffirming transfer from VoiceBox Technologies Corporation to VB Assets, LLC, superseding the previous transfer to Nuance Communications for this specific patent.

  10. 2025-04-08 · reel 057404/0002 · SECURITY INTEREST

    VB ASSETS, LLCCONTINGENCY CAPITAL FUND A LP

    Correspondent: · White & Case

    Securitization – patent used as collateral.

Assignment history

Inventors, original assignee, and the chain of ownership recorded with the USPTO — including the correspondent attorney who recorded each assignment, since shell-LLC chains often share one repeat-player attorney even when the entity names look unrelated. Surfaces NPE / patent-troll patterns: shell-entity transfers, known asserters in the chain, repeat correspondent fingerprints, pre-litigation assignments, and bankruptcy fire-sales.

✓ Generated

Inventors

  • Larry Baldwin: Employed by VoiceBox Technologies, Inc. at the time of filing.
  • Tom Freeman: Employed by VoiceBox Technologies, Inc. at the time of filing.
  • Michael Tjalve: Employed by VoiceBox Technologies, Inc. at the time of filing.
  • Blane Ebersold: Employed by VoiceBox Technologies, Inc. at the time of filing.
  • Chris Weider: Employed by VoiceBox Technologies, Inc. at the time of filing.

There is no information to suggest that all inventors departed the original assignee within 12 months of filing. The initial assignment from the inventors to VoiceBox Technologies, Inc. occurred on the filing date.

Original assignee

The original assignee, as named on the issued patent, was VoiceBox Technologies Corp (though the initial assignment was to VoiceBox Technologies, Inc., which later merged into VoiceBox Technologies Corporation). VoiceBox Technologies Corp developed and licensed speech recognition and natural language understanding software. The company shipped products embodying speech technology claims, primarily for automotive and mobile device integration. VoiceBox Technologies Corp was acquired by Nuance Communications in 2020.

Assignment timeline

  • 2011-10-03 (executed) / recorded 2011-10-03 — Reel 028889/0751

    • Conveyance: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST
    • Assignor: BALDWIN, LARRY; EBERSOLD, BLANE; FREEMAN, TOM; TJALVE, MICHAEL; WEIDER, CHRIS
    • Assignee: VOICEBOX TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    • Correspondent: BLANK ROME LLP, One Logan Square, Philadelphia, PA, 19103.
    • Context: Original assignment of patent rights from inventors to the founding company.

  • 2014-04-07 (executed) / recorded 2014-04-07 — Reel 031766/0309

    • Conveyance: MERGER
    • Assignor: VOICEBOX TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    • Assignee: VOICEBOX TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    • Correspondent: KUTAK ROCK LLP, Suite 300, 1101 K St., Sacramento, CA, 95814.
    • Context: Internal corporate reorganization and name change.

  • 2017-12-22 (executed) / recorded 2017-12-22 — Reel 046369/0615

    • Conveyance: SECURITY INTEREST
    • Assignor: VOICEBOX TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    • Assignee: ORIX GROWTH CAPITAL, LLC
    • Correspondent: O'Melveny & Myers LLP, 400 South Hope Street, 18th Floor, Los Angeles, CA, 90071.
    • Context: Securitization – patent used as collateral for a loan.

  • 2018-04-05 (executed) / recorded 2018-04-05 — Reel 046788/0503

    • Conveyance: RELEASE BY SECURED PARTY
    • Assignor: ORIX GROWTH CAPITAL, LLC
    • Assignee: VOICEBOX TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    • Correspondent: O'Melveny & Myers LLP, 400 South Hope Street, 18th Floor, Los Angeles, CA, 90071.
    • Context: Release of the security interest.

  • 2018-07-25 (executed) / recorded 2018-07-25 — Reel 047195/0626

    • Conveyance: NUNC PRO TUNC ASSIGNMENT
    • Assignor: VOICEBOX TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    • Assignee: VB ASSETS, LLC
    • Correspondent: DLA Piper LLP (US), 1201 Third Avenue, Suite 2200, Seattle, WA, 98101. This correspondent recurs in this chain.
    • Context: Transfer of patent from operating company to a holding entity, likely a shell for patent monetization.

  • 2019-04-12 (executed) / recorded 2019-04-12 — Reel 048701/0154

    • Conveyance: SECURITY INTEREST
    • Assignor: VB ASSETS, LLC
    • Assignee: DELPHI ASSET MANAGEMENT CORPORATION
    • Correspondent: DLA Piper LLP (US), 1201 Third Avenue, Suite 2200, Seattle, WA, 98101. This correspondent recurs in this chain.
    • Context: Securitization – patent used as collateral.

  • 2019-06-13 (executed) / recorded 2019-06-13 — Reel 049008/0173

    • Conveyance: RELEASE BY SECURED PARTY
    • Assignor: DELPHI ASSET MANAGEMENT CORPORATION
    • Assignee: VB ASSETS, LLC
    • Correspondent: DLA Piper LLP (US), 1201 Third Avenue, Suite 2200, Seattle, WA, 98101. This correspondent recurs in this chain.
    • Context: Release of the security interest.

  • 2020-01-22 (executed) / recorded 2020-01-22 — Reel 051581/0216

    • Conveyance: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST
    • Assignor: VB ASSETTS LLC
    • Assignee: NUANCE COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
    • Correspondent: MORRISON & FOERSTER LLP, 425 Market Street, San Francisco, CA, 94105-2482.
    • Context: Patent transfer, later superseded by a corrective assignment regarding this specific patent.

  • 2020-09-22 (executed) / recorded 2020-09-22 — Reel 052441/0080

    • Conveyance: CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE ASSIGNOR'S NAME AND ASSIGNEE'S NAME PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 051581 FRAME: 0216. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST.
    • Assignor: VOICEBOX TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    • Assignee: VB ASSETS, LLC
    • Correspondent: DLA Piper LLP (US), 1201 Third Avenue, Suite 2200, Seattle, WA, 98101. This correspondent recurs in this chain.
    • Context: Corrective assignment reaffirming transfer from VoiceBox Technologies Corporation to VB Assets, LLC, superseding the previous transfer to Nuance Communications for this specific patent.

  • 2025-04-08 (executed) / recorded 2025-04-08 — Reel 057404/0002

    • Conveyance: SECURITY INTEREST
    • Assignor: VB ASSETS, LLC
    • Assignee: CONTINGENCY CAPITAL FUND A LP
    • Correspondent: White & Case LLP, 1221 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY, 10020.
    • Context: Securitization – patent used as collateral.

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 8515765
    2011 : Inventors assign to VoiceBox Inc
    2013 : Patent issued
    2014 : VoiceBox Inc merged to VoiceBox Corp
    2017 : Security interest to ORIX
    2018 : ORIX releases security interest
         : VoiceBox Corp assigns to VB Assets LLC
    2019 : Security interest to Delphi
         : Delphi releases security interest
    2020 : Assignment to Nuance (corrected)
         : Corrective assignment to VB Assets
    2025 : Security interest to Contingency Capital

NPE / troll-pattern signals

  1. Shell-entity transfer — Present. The patent was transferred from VoiceBox Technologies Corporation (an operating company) to VB ASSETS, LLC on 2018-07-25 (Reel 047195/0626). The name "VB Assets, LLC" strongly suggests a patent holding or licensing entity, consistent with a shell company.
  2. Known asserter in the chain — Present. VB Assets, LLC, the current assignee, is identified by Unified Patents as an entity that asserts patents.
  3. Repeat correspondent across the chain — Present. DLA Piper LLP (US) acted as correspondent for the assignment to VB ASSETS, LLC (Reel 047195/0626), a subsequent security interest and its release (Reel 048701/0154, Reel 049008/0173), and the corrective assignment that re-established VB ASSETS, LLC's ownership (Reel 052441/0080).
  4. Cascading transfers — Not present. While there are multiple transactions related to VB Assets, LLC, they primarily involve securing and releasing security interests rather than consecutive ownership transfers between distinct shell LLCs within a short timeframe.
  5. Pre-litigation transfer — Not present. The transfer to VB ASSETS, LLC occurred on 2018-07-25 (Reel 047195/0626). The earliest recorded litigation for this patent is in 2024 (e.g., 2:24-cv-00828, Texas Eastern District Court) [cite: Original Patent Text], which is more than 6 months after the transfer.
  6. Bankruptcy fire-sale — Not present. No evidence suggests the patent was sold as part of a bankruptcy proceeding of the original assignee or subsequent owners.
  7. Privateering — Unclear. While VoiceBox Technologies Corporation, an operating company, transferred the patent to VB Assets, LLC (an asserting entity), there is no explicit information in the assignment records or provided context to confirm that VB Assets, LLC is asserting the patent on VoiceBox's behalf against competitors.
  8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE) — Not present. The current owner, VB Assets, LLC, is not a known defensive aggregator.

Verdict

NPE — high confidence
This verdict is based on multiple strong signals: the patent was transferred from an operating company (VoiceBox Technologies Corporation) to VB ASSETS, LLC on 2018-07-25 (Reel 047195/0626), which is a shell entity commonly associated with patent assertion. Additionally, the law firm DLA Piper LLP (US) consistently acted as correspondent for VB ASSETS, LLC's transactions, indicating a repeat-player attorney often seen in NPE assertion campaigns.

USPTO Assignment Center search for US8515765: https://assignmentcenter.uspto.gov/

Generated 6/1/2026, 6:47:30 AM