US 9078488

Here is a concise summary of US Patent 9078488:

US Patent 9078488

• Title: Article of footwear incorporating a lenticular knit structure
• Assignee: Nike Inc
• Inventors: Adrian Meir, Daniel A. Podhajny
• Filing Date: November 7, 2014
• Issue Date: July 14, 2015
• Abstract: An article of footwear is provided with an upper that includes a knitted component having color-shifting properties. These color-shifting properties are generated by one or more lenticular knit structures integrated into the upper. The lenticular knit structures are formed as a unitary knit construction with the rest of the knitted component and feature portions made with different yarns. These varying yarns on the lenticular knit structures create a visual effect that changes the color of the article of footwear depending on the viewing angle.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims (based on the "Summary" section):

The full text of the claims was not provided in the prompt; therefore, the following overviews are based on the "Summary" section of the patent, which describes the different aspects of the invention, typically mirroring the independent claims.

• Independent Claim 1 (Article of Footwear): This claim describes an article of footwear that includes an upper and a sole structure. The upper features a knitted component, made as a single piece (unitary knit construction). This knitted component has at least one "lenticular knit structure" which itself has a first portion and a second portion on opposite sides. This lenticular knit structure extends outward from a base portion on the upper's exterior. The key feature is that the first portion displays a first visual effect when viewed from a specific angle, while the second portion displays a different second visual effect when viewed from a different angle.

• Independent Claim 2 (Knitted Component): This claim focuses on a knitted component designed to be incorporated into an article. This component comprises multiple "lenticular knit structures." Each structure is formed with a first yarn on one side (the first portion) and a different second yarn on the opposite side (the second portion). A base portion is located between adjacent lenticular knit structures. All these parts—the first portion, second portion, and base portion—are created as a single, continuous knitted piece. Similar to the footwear claim, the first portion shows a first visual effect from a first viewing angle, and the second portion shows a second, different visual effect from a second viewing angle.

• Independent Claim 3 (Method of Manufacturing): This claim outlines a method for manufacturing a knitted component for an article. The method involves several knitting steps: first, knitting a base portion of the component; second, knitting a first portion of a lenticular knit structure using a first yarn; and third, knitting a second portion of the lenticular knit structure using a second yarn, where the second yarn is different from the first. The lenticular knit structure is specifically formed so its first and second portions are on opposite sides and extend vertically away from the base portion. This manufacturing process results in a component where the first portion creates a first visual effect from a first viewing angle, and the second portion creates a second, different visual effect from a second viewing angle.

Litigation Status:

The Google Patents record indicates that this patent family has been involved in litigation. Specifically, a PTAB case (IPR2019-01060) was filed and settled, and a US case was filed in the Massachusetts District Court. A direct search of CAFC 2026 dockets for patent 9078488 did not yield specific active cases for 2026 in the provided search results.