Assignment history

Inventors

• Matthew Bell - Employer at the time of filing not explicitly stated in the patent document. However, the original assignee was Intellectual Ventures Holding 67 LLC.

Original assignee

The original assignee named on the issued patent US8810803B2 was Intellectual Ventures Holding 67 LLC.

Intellectual Ventures (IV) is primarily known as a patent assertion entity (PAE) or patent troll, focused on acquiring and licensing patents across various technology sectors. They generally do not ship products embodying the claims themselves, but rather monetize patents through licensing and litigation. Their primary line of business was patent acquisition and licensing.

Intellectual Ventures Holding 67 LLC is an operating entity within the broader Intellectual Ventures organization. The overall Intellectual Ventures group continues to operate, managing its vast patent portfolio.

Assignment timeline

• 2012-06-25 (executed) / recorded 2012-06-25 — Reel 028099/0426
  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: DHANDO INVESTMENTS, INC.
  • Assignee: INTELLECTUAL VENTURES HOLDING 67 LLC
  • Correspondent: BRENT W. LABARGE, ESQ.
  • Context: Transfer from a precursor entity to the primary Intellectual Ventures holding entity.
• 2015-10-02 (executed) / recorded 2015-10-02 — Reel 035626/0890
  • Conveyance: Merger
  • Assignor: INTELLECTUAL VENTURES HOLDING 67 LLC
  • Assignee: INTELLECTUAL VENTURES HOLDING 81 LLC
  • Correspondent: LORNA HAGAN, KIRKLAND & ELLIS LLP, 300 NORTH LASALLE, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, 60654
  • Context: Internal reorganization/merger within the Intellectual Ventures family of entities.
• 2023-09-25 (executed) / recorded 2023-10-02 — Reel 060596/0927
  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: INTELLECTUAL VENTURES HOLDING 81 LLC
  • Assignee: INTELLECTUAL VENTURES ASSETS 190 LLC
  • Correspondent: CHRISTINA NEWMAN, INTELLECTUAL VENTURES, 3450 188TH AVE NE, REDMOND, WA, 98052
  • Context: Internal transfer within the Intellectual Ventures portfolio, likely for further aggregation or divestment.
• 2023-10-13 (executed) / recorded 2023-10-24 — Reel 060714/0628
  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: INTELLECTUAL VENTURES ASSETS 190 LLC
  • Assignee: AI-CORE TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
  • Correspondent: ERIC M. ABER, MORRISON & FOERSTER LLP, 2000 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE, NW, SUITE 6000, WASHINGTON, DC, 20006-1888
  • Context: Transfer from an Intellectual Ventures entity to AI-CORE TECHNOLOGIES, LLC.
• 2024-03-26 (executed) / recorded 2024-03-28 — Reel 061327/0507
  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: AI-CORE TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
  • Assignee: LONGHORN AUTOMOTIVE GROUP LLC
  • Correspondent: MARK A. NELSON, 7924 SOUTHPARK PLAZA, SUITE 210, LITTLETON, CO, 80120
  • Context: Transfer from AI-CORE TECHNOLOGIES, LLC to LONGHORN AUTOMOTIVE GROUP LLC.

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 8810803
    2008 : Application filed
    2012 : Issued to Intellectual Ventures Holding 67 LLC
    2015 : Merged to Intellectual Ventures Holding 81 LLC
    2023 : Assigned to Intellectual Ventures Assets 190 LLC
         : Assigned to AI-CORE TECHNOLOGIES LLC
    2024 : Assigned to LONGHORN AUTOMOTIVE GROUP LLC
         : Litigation initiated

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer — present.
   • Intellectual Ventures Holding 67 LLC and subsequent Intellectual Ventures entities (e.g., Intellectual Ventures Holding 81 LLC, Intellectual Ventures Assets 190 LLC) are known patent licensing and assertion vehicles, not product-shipping companies.
   • AI-CORE TECHNOLOGIES, LLC and LONGHORN AUTOMOTIVE GROUP LLC appear to be shell entities, based on common NPE naming conventions and the rapid transfer of the patent. No evidence of product sales for either. The transfers are to named entities that are distinct from the original operating company (Dhando Investments, Inc. which initially assigned to IV).
2. Known asserter in the chain — present. Intellectual Ventures Holding 67 LLC, Intellectual Ventures Holding 81 LLC, and Intellectual Ventures Assets 190 LLC are all part of Intellectual Ventures, a well-known NPE. These entities appear in the assignment chain from 2012 (Reel 028099/0426) to 2023 (Reel 060596/0927).
3. Repeat correspondent across the chain — unclear. There isn't a single correspondent attorney or firm that appears on multiple assignments across different ultimate owners (e.g., from IV to AI-Core or AI-Core to Longhorn). Different correspondents are listed for each transfer outside the internal IV transfers.
4. Cascading transfers — present.
   • The patent was assigned from Intellectual Ventures Assets 190 LLC to AI-CORE TECHNOLOGIES, LLC on 2023-10-13 (recorded 2023-10-24, Reel 060714/0628).
   • Then, shortly after, from AI-CORE TECHNOLOGIES, LLC to LONGHORN AUTOMOTIVE GROUP LLC on 2024-03-26 (recorded 2024-03-28, Reel 061327/0507).
   • This represents two transfers in approximately five months between different entities, fitting the pattern of cascading transfers.
5. Pre-litigation transfer — present. The patent was assigned to LONGHORN AUTOMOTIVE GROUP LLC on 2024-03-26 (recorded 2024-03-28, Reel 061327/0507). Multiple litigations against US8810803 were filed in the Texas Eastern District Court in 2024, including cases 2:24-cv-0933, 2:24-cv-00686, 2:24-cv-00685, 2:24-cv-00603, 2:24-cv-00554, and 2:24-cv-00397. This close proximity between the final assignment and the initiation of lawsuits strongly indicates a pre-litigation transfer to enable assertion.
6. Bankruptcy fire-sale — not present. No evidence in the patent record or Google Patents legal events suggests a bankruptcy sale for Intellectual Ventures or any subsequent assignors.
7. Privateering — unclear. While Intellectual Ventures has been involved in privateering in the past, the current chain does not provide direct evidence (e.g., SEC filings detailing an arrangement) that Longhorn Automotive Group LLC is asserting on behalf of an operating company.
8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE) — not present. The chain does not terminate at a known defensive aggregator.

Verdict

NPE — high confidence. The presence of Intellectual Ventures, a known NPE, early in the chain, combined with rapid cascading transfers to successive shell-like entities (AI-CORE TECHNOLOGIES, LLC and LONGHORN AUTOMOTIVE GROUP LLC) and the clear pattern of pre-litigation transfers immediately preceding multiple infringement suits filed in 2024, strongly indicates NPE behavior. These patterns are evident in the assignment records, particularly Reels 028099/0426 (Intellectual Ventures), 060714/0628 (transfer to AI-CORE), and 061327/0507 (transfer to Longhorn Automotive Group LLC just before litigation filings).

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