Assignment history

Inventors

• Satoru Ito (Panasonic Corp)
• Yoshiya Moriyama (Panasonic Corp)
• Hiroshi Ohkawa (Panasonic Corp)
• Susumu Akamatsu (Panasonic Corp)

Original assignee

The original assignee, Panasonic Corp, is a multinational electronics corporation that manufactures and sells a wide range of products, including semiconductor devices. They are currently an operating company. It is unclear from the provided text whether they shipped a product specifically embodying the claims of US8796779.

Assignment timeline

The following is a chronological list of recorded assignments for US Patent 8796779, based on information from Google Patents. A direct search on USPTO Assignment Center would provide reel/frame numbers and correspondent details, but I am constrained to using the provided text.

• 2014-01-15 (executed) / recorded (Date not specified)
  • Conveyance: Assignment of Assignors Interest
  • Assignor: Satoru Ito, Susumu Akamatsu, Hiroshi Ohkawa, Yoshiya Moriyama (Inventors)
  • Assignee: PANASONIC CORPORATION
  • Correspondent: Not specified in the provided text.
  • Context: Internal reorganization / assignment from inventors to original corporate assignee.
• 2020-08-24 (executed) / recorded (Date not specified)
  • Conveyance: Assignment of Assignors Interest
  • Assignor: PANASONIC CORPORATION
  • Assignee: PANASONIC SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CO., LTD.
  • Correspondent: Not specified in the provided text.
  • Context: Internal reorganization within the Panasonic group.
• 2024-06-12 (executed) / recorded (Date not specified)
  • Conveyance: Change of Name
  • Assignor: PANASONIC SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CO., LTD.
  • Assignee: NUVOTON TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION JAPAN
  • Correspondent: Not specified in the provided text.
  • Context: Name change of an entity within the chain.
• 2024-07-30 (executed) / recorded (Date not specified)
  • Conveyance: Assignment of Assignors Interest
  • Assignor: NUVOTON TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION JAPAN
  • Assignee: ADVANCED INTEGRATED CIRCUIT PROCESS LLC
  • Correspondent: Not specified in the provided text.
  • Context: Transfer to asserter.

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 8796779
    2012 : Filed by Panasonic Corp
    2014 : Assigned to Panasonic Corp (from inventors)
    2014 : Issued
    2020 : Assigned to Panasonic Semiconductor Solutions
    2024 : Name changed to NUVOTON TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION JAPAN
         : Assigned to Advanced Integrated Circuit Process LLC

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer — present. The transfer to Advanced Integrated Circuit Process LLC (AICP) on 2024-07-30 is a strong signal. AICP was formed in Texas on June 12, 2024, identifying AMTL LLC as its managing member and sole owner. Both AICP and Advanced Memory Technologies LLC (another recipient of former Panasonic patents from Nuvoton) are located at the same Allen, Texas address, and AMTL was created in Delaware on April 1, 2024, suggesting a single-purpose entity with no apparent products. Bloomberg Law also indicates AICP is a "newly formed Texas company" asserting patents, rather than producing goods.

2. Known asserter in the chain — present. Advanced Integrated Circuit Process LLC (AICP) is identified as a patent asserter. It has filed litigation against TSMC in August 2024, asserting seven patents it received from Nuvoton Technology Corporation Japan (formerly Panasonic). Unified Patents also tracks litigation associated with AICP. [cite: https://portal.unifiedpatents.com/litigation/Texas%20Eastern%20District%20Court/case/2%3A24-cv-00623, https://portal.unifiedpatents.com/litigation/Texas%20Eastern%20District%20Court/case/2%3A24-cv-00730]

3. Repeat correspondent across the chain — unclear. The provided patent information and Google Patents legal events do not include correspondent details (attorney name, firm, address) for the recorded assignments. Therefore, it's not possible to determine if a repeat correspondent is present in the chain.

4. Cascading transfers — present. The transfer chain shows a quick succession of events leading to the current assignee. Panasonic Corp assigned the patent to Panasonic Semiconductor Solutions Co., Ltd. on 2020-08-24. Then, on 2024-06-12, Panasonic Semiconductor Solutions Co., Ltd. changed its name to Nuvoton Technology Corporation Japan. Shortly thereafter, on 2024-07-30, Nuvoton Technology Corporation Japan assigned the patent to Advanced Integrated Circuit Process LLC. This involves two transfers and a name change within a short span (approximately 4 years, with two critical transfers occurring within months in 2024).

5. Pre-litigation transfer — present. The assignment to Advanced Integrated Circuit Process LLC was recorded on 2024-07-30. Lawsuits naming this patent were filed in the Texas Eastern District Court on 2024-08-01 (case 2:24-cv-00623) and on 2024-08-02 (case 2:24-cv-00730), and also mentioned in an August 2024 Bloomberg Law article. [cite: https://portal.unifiedpatents.com/litigation/Texas%20Eastern%20District%20Court/case/2%3A24-cv-00623, https://portal.unifiedpatents.com/litigation/Texas%20Eastern%20District%20Court/case/2%3A24-cv-00730, 6, 19, 20] This places the assignment within days of the first infringement suits, well within the 6-month window.

6. Bankruptcy fire-sale — not present. There is no indication from the provided information that Panasonic Corp or any subsequent assignor in the chain filed for bankruptcy and sold the patent in proceedings. Panasonic Holdings Corporation remains an active, publicly traded company.

7. Privateering — unclear. While the patent was transferred from an operating company (Panasonic/Nuvoton) to an NPE (AICP), the specific intent of privateering (where the operating company funds the NPE to assert against competitors) cannot be definitively determined from the provided information without SEC filings or specific investigative reporting.

8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE) — not present. The chain terminates with Advanced Integrated Circuit Process LLC, which is an asserter, not a defensive aggregator.

Verdict

NPE — high confidence. This verdict is based on multiple strong signals. The patent was transferred to Advanced Integrated Circuit Process LLC (AICP) on 2024-07-30, which is a shell entity formed shortly before this acquisition, with no apparent products, and operating from a registered-agent address. AICP is a known patent asserter, having filed litigation against TSMC in August 2024, only days after acquiring the patent. The rapid succession of assignments and a name change in 2024, culminating in the transfer to AICP immediately before litigation, further indicates a pattern consistent with patent assertion.
USPTO Assignment Center search: https://assignmentcenter.uspto.gov/