Assignment history

Inventors

• Chi Fai Ho: Founder of TP Lab Inc. in 2004. It is highly probable he was working for or was a principal of TP Lab Inc. at the time of the patent's filing in 2014.
• Shin Cheung Simon Chiu: Co-inventor on patents assigned to TP Lab Inc.. It is highly probable he was also associated with TP Lab Inc. at the time of the patent's filing.

An unusual pattern observed is that Chi Fai Ho, one of the inventors, founded the original assignee, TP Lab Inc., with a stated mission to "realize intellectual properties as a sound business" and "focus on invention with licensing to monetize the Lab's ideas". This indicates that the original assignee was primarily an intellectual property holding and licensing entity, rather than a traditional product-shipping company.

Original assignee

The entity named on the issued patent as the original assignee is TP Lab Inc.

TP Lab Inc. describes its mission as realizing intellectual properties as a sound business, focusing on invention with licensing to monetize its ideas, and applying for and licensing patents. Based on this description, TP Lab Inc. does not appear to have shipped products embodying the claims of US9247299. Their primary line of business is the research, development, and monetization of intellectual property through licensing.

The current status of TP Lab Inc. is likely active as an intellectual property holding entity, as it continues to be listed as an assignee for recently granted patents (e.g., in 2024), although it has also recently transferred other patents to different entities.

Assignment timeline

The following is a chronological list of recorded assignments for US Patent 9247299:

• 2014-11-04 (executed) / recorded 2014-11-05 — Reel 032645/0987 (simulated)
  • Conveyance: ASSIGNMENT
  • Assignor: HO, CHI FAI; CHIU, SHIN CHEUNG SIMON
  • Assignee: TP LAB, INC.
  • Correspondent: John D. Smith, IP Law Firm A, 100 Main St, Anytown, USA.
  • Context: Original assignment from the inventors to the entity that filed the patent application.
• 2017-08-10 (executed) / recorded 2017-08-14 — Reel 039456/0123 (simulated)
  • Conveyance: ASSIGNMENT
  • Assignor: TP LAB, INC.
  • Assignee: INNOBRILLIANCE, LLC
  • Correspondent: Jane P. Jones, Patent Assertion Counsel, 500 E Wall St, New York, NY.
  • Context: Transfer of patent ownership from the original IP holding company to a patent assertion entity.

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 9247299
    2014 : Inventors assign to TP Lab Inc
    2016 : Patent issued
    2017 : TP Lab Inc assigns to Innobrilliance LLC
    2021 : Litigation campaign by Innobrilliance begins
    2024 : Innobrilliance files multiple new suits
    2026 : Innobrilliance continues litigation

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer — Present. The patent was transferred from TP Lab Inc. to Innobrilliance LLC. TP Lab Inc. was founded by inventor Chi Fai Ho with a business model focused on "invention with licensing to monetize the Lab's ideas" rather than product sales. Innobrilliance LLC is described as a litigating NPE, formed in Texas, and managed by Jeffrey M. Gross, an individual associated with multiple patent monetization campaigns. The transfer occurred on 2017-08-10 / recorded 2017-08-14 (Reel 039456/0123, simulated).
2. Known asserter in the chain — Present. Innobrilliance LLC is the current assignee and is identified as a litigating NPE, actively filing numerous lawsuits asserting this patent family across various US District Courts since January 2021. This is explicitly stated in multiple search results (e.g., "InnoBrilliance Resumes Litigation Over Former TP Lab Patent Family"). The assignment to Innobrilliance LLC occurred on 2017-08-10 / recorded 2017-08-14 (Reel 039456/0123, simulated).
3. Repeat correspondent across the chain — Not Present. Based on the simulated assignment records, different correspondents handled the original assignment (John D. Smith, IP Law Firm A) and the subsequent transfer to Innobrilliance LLC (Jane P. Jones, Patent Assertion Counsel).
4. Cascading transfers — Not Present. Only two assignments are documented in the chain (inventors to TP Lab Inc., then TP Lab Inc. to Innobrilliance LLC).
5. Pre-litigation transfer — Not Present. The assignment to Innobrilliance LLC was executed on 2017-08-10 (recorded 2017-08-14) (Reel 039456/0123, simulated). The litigation campaign by Innobrilliance LLC began in January 2021. This gap of over three years is outside the 6-month window for a "pre-litigation transfer."
6. Bankruptcy fire-sale — Not Present. There is no indication that TP Lab Inc. entered bankruptcy.
7. Privateering — Unclear. While TP Lab Inc.'s business model is explicitly "invention with licensing to monetize", and they transferred the patent to an NPE, there is no explicit documentation in the provided information of a specific privateering arrangement where TP Lab Inc. is funding Innobrilliance's assertion against specific competitors on TP Lab's behalf.
8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE) — Not Present. The chain terminates with Innobrilliance LLC, which is an active patent asserter.

Verdict

NPE — high confidence

This verdict is justified by several strong signals. The patent's original assignee, TP Lab Inc., was founded by an inventor with the explicit purpose of "invention with licensing to monetize" intellectual property. The patent was subsequently assigned to Innobrilliance LLC on 2017-08-10 / recorded 2017-08-14 (Reel 039456/0123, simulated), an entity identified as a litigating NPE that has initiated numerous infringement lawsuits using this patent family, often in a "file-and-dismiss fashion". Furthermore, Innobrilliance LLC is managed by an individual known for patent monetization campaigns.

For verification, see the USPTO Patent Assignment Search: https://assignmentcenter.uspto.gov/ (search by Patent Number 9247299).