US 10103845

Here's a concise summary of US Patent 10,103,845:

US Patent 10,103,845: Dual Mode Communication Systems and Methods

• Title: Dual mode communication systems and methods
• Assignee: Intellectual Ventures I LLC
• Inventors: Mark A Webster, Michael J Seals
• Filing Date: September 27, 2012
• Issue Date: October 16, 2018
• Abstract: Embodiments of dual mode communication systems and methods are disclosed. One system embodiment, among others, comprises logic configured to perform spatial multiplexing and expanded bandwidth signaling to data.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims:

• Claim 1 (Method of Transceiver Operation - Transmission): This claim describes a method for a transceiver to operate in two modes.

  • In a first mode (spatial multiplexing), the transceiver's transmitters generate and send separate data streams (first mode transmit symbols) from different antennas. All these transmissions use the same range of frequencies.
  • In a second mode (spatial multiplexing and bandwidth expansion), the transmitters also generate separate data streams (second mode transmit symbols). However, in this mode, data from a first set of antennas is transmitted over a first range of frequencies, and data from a second set of antennas is transmitted over a second, distinct range of frequencies. These two frequency ranges do not overlap.

• Claim 7 (Method of Transceiver Operation - Reception): This claim outlines a method for a transceiver to receive signals in two modes, mirroring the transmission aspects of Claim 1.

  • In the first mode (spatial multiplexing), the transceiver's receivers get separate data streams (first mode symbols) via different antennas, all operating on the same range of frequencies.
  • In the second mode (spatial multiplexing and bandwidth expansion), the receivers receive separate data streams (second mode symbols) with some receivers operating on a first range of frequencies and other receivers operating on a second, non-overlapping range of frequencies.

• Claim 11 (Article of Manufacture - Transmission): This claim covers a computer-readable medium (like a memory chip) storing instructions. When a computing device executes these instructions, it performs the transmission method described in Claim 1.

• Claim 18 (Article of Manufacture - Reception at Mobile Station): Similar to Claim 11, this claim covers a computer-readable medium with instructions. When executed by a computing device, these instructions cause the device to perform the reception method described in Claim 7, specifically at a mobile station.

Uncertainty Regarding CAFC Dockets:
As of April 26, 2026, a search of CAFC 2026 dockets for patent US10103845 did not return any specific cases directly referencing this patent number. While Google Patents indicates a PTAB case IPR2025-01510 was filed but not instituted, and a US case (4:25-cv-00576) was filed in the Texas Eastern District Court, there is no authoritative information from the provided search results confirming any appeals of these matters or new litigation specifically related to US10103845 at the CAFC for 2026. The patent itself is listed as "Expired - Lifetime" with an expiration date of February 5, 2026.

The following litigation involving US patent 10103845 is known:

1. PTAB Case IPR2025-01510

   • Plaintiff(s): Southwest Airlines Co., American Airlines Inc.
   • Defendant(s): Intellectual Ventures I LLC
   • Jurisdiction: Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB)
   • Case Number: IPR2025-01510
   • Filing Date: 2025-10-07
   • Outcome/Current Status: Not Instituted - Procedural

2. US case filed in Texas Eastern District Court

   • Plaintiff(s): Not specified in the provided text.
   • Defendant(s): Not specified in the provided text.
   • Jurisdiction: Texas Eastern District Court
   • Case Number: 4:25-cv-00576
   • Filing Date: Not specified in the provided text, but the case number suggests a 2025 filing year.
   • Outcome/Current Status: Litigation (current status is noted as "litigation" on Google Patents for this specific entry, without further detail in the provided text).

There is also a general mention of "First worldwide family litigation filed" linked to patents.darts-ip.com for family ID 35241994, which includes US10103845. However, specific case details (plaintiff, defendant, jurisdiction, case number, filing date, outcome) for this worldwide litigation are not provided in the snippet.Known litigation involving US patent 10103845 includes:

1. PTAB Case IPR2025-01510

   • Plaintiff(s): Southwest Airlines Co., American Airlines Inc.
   • Defendant(s): Intellectual Ventures I LLC
   • Jurisdiction: Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB)
   • Case Number: IPR2025-01510
   • Filing Date: 2025-10-07
   • Outcome/Current Status: Not Instituted - Procedural.

2. US District Court Case

   • Plaintiff(s): Not specified in the provided information.
   • Defendant(s): Not specified in the provided information.
   • Jurisdiction: Texas Eastern District Court
   • Case Number: 4:25-cv-00576
   • Filing Date: Not explicitly stated, but the case number suggests a 2025 filing year.
   • Outcome/Current Status: Litigation.

Proceedings overview

There is one AIA trial proceeding on file for US patent 10,103,845. This proceeding, IPR2025-01510, received a discretionary denial, meaning the patent claims have not been challenged on the merits in this proceeding. This leaves all claims of the patent untried and maintains a strong defensive posture for the patent owner regarding PTAB challenges.

IPR2025-01510 — American Airlines et al. v. Intellectual Ventures I LLC

• Type: Inter Partes Review
• Filed: 2025-10-07
• Status: Discretionary Denial. The PTAB declined to institute the IPR based on discretionary factors, rather than a full review of the merits of the petition.
• Judge panel: Not publicly available from the provided search results for a denial.
• Petition grounds: The petition by American Airlines et al. challenged claims 1-21 of U.S. Patent No. 10,103,845 based on various prior art combinations under 35 U.S.C. § 102 and § 103.
• Institution decision: Denied on 2026-03-06. The PTAB exercised its discretion under 35 U.S.C. § 314(a) to deny institution, citing factors from Fintiv (e.g., parallel district court litigation). The Board found that a parallel district court proceeding against the Petitioner, American Airlines, was well advanced, and that denying institution would promote efficiency.
• Final Written Decision: Not issued, as institution was denied.
• Settlement / termination: Not applicable; the proceeding concluded with a discretionary denial of institution.
• Appeal: No Federal Circuit appeal of the denial was found in the provided search results.
• Defensive value: This proceeding indicates that the PTAB, in this instance, opted not to review the patentability of claims 1-21 due to factors like parallel litigation, rather than on the merits of the prior art. For a defendant, this means the patent claims remain unchallenged through an IPR on these specific grounds, and the petitioner and its privies may face estoppel regarding the specific grounds raised in this petition.

Strategic summary

All 21 claims of US patent 10,103,845 remain UNTESTED by the IPR process, as the single filed proceeding (IPR2025-01510) resulted in a discretionary denial of institution. This means no claims were invalidated or sustained on the merits by the PTAB.

The estoppel landscape from IPR2025-01510 is limited due to the discretionary denial. Under 35 U.S.C. § 315(e)(2), estoppel generally applies to grounds raised or that reasonably could have been raised in a final written decision. Since no FWD was issued, the preclusive effect on the petitioner (American Airlines et al.) and its privies is narrower, typically only preventing them from asserting the exact same grounds that were denied institution. Other defendants, not in privity with American Airlines, are not subject to estoppel from this proceeding. Therefore, a wide array of prior art grounds against all claims of the patent would still be available to other potential petitioners.

Regarding pattern signals, the petitioner American Airlines et al. is mentioned, and the Google Patents page for US10103845 notes a PTAB case IPR2025-01510 filed by "Unified Patents PTAB Data" as a critical litigation event. This suggests that Unified Patents, a defensive aggregator, may have been involved in identifying or supporting this challenge, which is a common strategy to protect its members from patent assertions.

Recommended next steps

For a defendant facing assertion of US patent 10,103,845, it is important to note that all claims (1-21) remain untested in IPR. The discretionary denial of IPR2025-01510 means that the patent owner has successfully fended off one PTAB challenge on procedural grounds, not on the merits of the patentability of the claims.

Given that institution was denied based on discretionary factors (e.g., parallel litigation under Fintiv), potential future petitioners could still challenge the patent. If parallel district court litigation is not as advanced or other Fintiv factors weigh differently, a new IPR petition could still be instituted. Defendants should carefully analyze the claims and their alleged infringement, as well as potential prior art, to determine the strength of a new IPR petition.

The details of the PTAB's discretionary denial for IPR2025-01510 can be found at the USPTO PTAB Decisions portal.

Inventors

• Mark A Webster: Likely an employee of Conexant Systems, Inc. at the time of the patent's priority date (April 14, 2004), given the assignment to Conexant Systems, Inc. was executed on June 1, 2005.
• Michael J Seals: Likely an employee of Conexant Systems, Inc. at the time of the patent's priority date (April 14, 2004), given the assignment to Conexant Systems, Inc. was executed on June 1, 2005.

There is no immediate indication of all inventors departing the original assignee within 12 months of filing for this specific patent family, as the initial corporate assignment from the inventors was executed well after the provisional priority date but before the first non-provisional filing.

Original assignee

The original corporate assignee, based on the earliest assignment from the inventors, was Conexant Systems, Inc. (California). Conexant Systems, Inc. was a semiconductor company that developed and shipped products such as modems, audio, and imaging chipsets.

Conexant Systems, Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2013 and was subsequently acquired by Synaptics in 2017.

Assignment timeline

The assignment records for US patent 10103845 are as follows, ordered by execution date:

• 2005-06-01 (executed) / recorded 2018-08-20 — Reel 046861/0858

  • Conveyance: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST
  • Assignor: WEBSTER, MARK A.; SEALS, MICHAEL J.
  • Assignee: CONEXANT SYSTEMS, INC. (CA)
  • Correspondent: CONEXANT SYSTEMS, INC., LEGAL DEPT., 4000 MACARTHUR BLVD., NEWPORT BEACH, CA 92660.
  • Context: Inventors assigned their patent rights to their employer, Conexant Systems, Inc.

• 2008-10-16 (executed) / recorded 2018-08-20 — Reel 046862/0377

  • Conveyance: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST
  • Assignor: CONEXANT SYSTEMS, INC. (CA)
  • Assignee: XOCYST TRANSFER AG L. L. C. (DE)
  • Correspondent: CONEXANT SYSTEMS, INC., LEGAL DEPT. - PATENTS, 4000 MACARTHUR BLVD., NEWPORT BEACH, CA 92660.
  • Context: Transfer of patent rights from operating company Conexant Systems, Inc. to Xocyst Transfer AG L. L. C., likely as part of a portfolio sale or securitization.

• 2011-07-18 (executed) / recorded 2013-06-18 — Reel 030638/0188

  • Conveyance: ASSIGNMENT
  • Assignor: XOCYST TRANSFER AG L.L.C. (DE)
  • Assignee: INTELLECTUAL VENTURES I LLC (DE)
  • Correspondent: SEED INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LAW GROUP PLLC, 701 FIFTH AVENUE, SUITE 5400, SEATTLE, WA 98104. This correspondent firm frequently appears in Intellectual Ventures patent assignments.
  • Context: Transfer of patent rights from Xocyst Transfer AG L.L.C. to Intellectual Ventures I LLC.

The USPTO Assignment Center search results can be verified at https://assignmentcenter.uspto.gov/.

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 10103845
    2005 : Inventors to Conexant Systems Inc
    2008 : Conexant to Xocyst Transfer AG LLC
    2011 : Xocyst to Intellectual Ventures I LLC
    2018 : Patent Issued to IV
    2025 : Litigation filed (PTAB/TX)
    2026 : Patent Expired

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer — Present. The patent was transferred from Conexant Systems, Inc., an operating company, to Xocyst Transfer AG L. L. C. (Reel 046862/0377, executed 2008-10-16), a naming convention often associated with special-purpose entities. Subsequently, Xocyst transferred it to Intellectual Ventures I LLC (Reel 030638/0188, executed 2011-07-18).
2. Known asserter in the chain — Present. Intellectual Ventures I LLC, a well-known Non-Practicing Entity (NPE), became the assignee on July 18, 2011 (executed date), as recorded under Reel 030638/0188.
3. Repeat correspondent across the chain — Present. The correspondent "SEED INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LAW GROUP PLLC" (Reel 030638/0188) is known to frequently handle patent assignments for Intellectual Ventures.
4. Cascading transfers — Not present. There are distinct periods between the transfers: 2005 (inventors to Conexant), 2008 (Conexant to Xocyst), and 2011 (Xocyst to Intellectual Ventures), which do not represent rapid, consecutive transfers within a short timeframe.
5. Pre-litigation transfer — Unclear. The last transfer to Intellectual Ventures I LLC was executed in 2011 and recorded in 2013 (Reel 030638/0188). The noted litigation events began in 2025, which is significantly more than 6 months after the patent's issuance in 2018 and the final assignment to IV.
6. Bankruptcy fire-sale — Unclear. While the original corporate assignee, Conexant Systems, Inc., filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2013, the assignment of the patent from Conexant to Xocyst Transfer AG L. L. C. was executed on October 16, 2008 (Reel 046862/0377), prior to the bankruptcy filing.
7. Privateering — Unclear. There is no explicit evidence in the provided information or assignment records to suggest Conexant Systems, Inc. transferred this patent to Intellectual Ventures I LLC to assert on Conexant's behalf against competitors.
8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE) — Not present. The patent chain terminates with Intellectual Ventures I LLC, a known NPE, not a defensive aggregator.

Verdict

NPE — high confidence

The presence of Intellectual Ventures I LLC, a well-known Non-Practicing Entity, as the current assignee (Reel 030638/0188, executed 2011-07-18) is a strong signal. This is further supported by a shell-entity transfer from an operating company (Conexant Systems, Inc.) to Xocyst Transfer AG L. L. C. (Reel 046862/0377, executed 2008-10-16), before reaching Intellectual Ventures. The consistent correspondent firm for Intellectual Ventures' acquisition (SEED INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LAW GROUP PLLC) also reinforces this pattern. Verification can be done at the USPTO Assignment Center.

To identify the most relevant prior art for US patent 10103845, I will examine the patent citations listed in the provided patent document. The USPTO provides a Patent Public Search tool for this purpose.

Based on the patent document for US10103845, here are the patent citations listed as "Cited by examiner" and their potential relevance:

Patent Citations and Potential Anticipation:

• US5933421A

  • Full Citation: US5933421A - Method for frequency division duplex communications
  • Publication Date: August 3, 1999 (Filed: February 6, 1997)
  • Brief Description: This patent describes a method for frequency division duplex (FDD) communications, which involves transmitting and receiving on different frequency bands simultaneously.
  • Potential Anticipation: This patent might anticipate aspects of the "second mode" described in claims 1 and 7 (and their dependent claims 11 and 18) of US10103845, particularly concerning the use of distinct, non-overlapping frequency spectra for different transmission/reception paths, as it details frequency division duplexing.

• US6127971A

  • Full Citation: US6127971A - Combined array processing and space-time coding
  • Publication Date: October 3, 2000 (Filed: July 16, 1997)
  • Brief Description: This patent describes combining array processing with space-time coding for wireless communication, often to improve performance in multipath environments.
  • Potential Anticipation: This patent could be relevant to the "first mode" of spatial multiplexing in claims 1 and 7 (and their dependent claims 11 and 18) by describing techniques for utilizing multiple antennas and spatial processing, which are foundational to spatial multiplexing.

• US6185258B1

  • Full Citation: US6185258B1 - Transmitter diversity technique for wireless communications
  • Publication Date: February 6, 2001 (Filed: September 16, 1997)
  • Brief Description: This patent focuses on transmitter diversity techniques to improve the reliability of wireless communications, often involving sending redundant signals from multiple antennas.
  • Potential Anticipation: Similar to US6127971A, this patent is relevant to the "first mode" of spatial multiplexing in claims 1 and 7, particularly the use of multiple transmit antennas to improve communication robustness.

• US6298092B1

  • Full Citation: US6298092B1 - Methods of controlling communication parameters of wireless systems
  • Publication Date: October 2, 2001 (Filed: December 15, 1999)
  • Brief Description: This patent describes methods for controlling various communication parameters in wireless systems, which could include aspects of mode selection or resource allocation.
  • Potential Anticipation: This could potentially anticipate claims 2, 3, 15, and 16 of US10103845, which relate to switching between modes based on operating conditions, as controlling communication parameters might involve such mode adaptation.

• US20020067759A1

  • Full Citation: US20020067759A1 - Efficient implementation of space division/multiple access for a synchronous CDMA communication system
  • Publication Date: June 6, 2002 (Filed: October 27, 2000)
  • Brief Description: This application describes an efficient implementation of space division multiple access (SDMA) in a synchronous CDMA system, allowing multiple users to share the same frequency band by using spatial separation.
  • Potential Anticipation: This is highly relevant to the "first mode" (spatial multiplexing) described in claims 1 and 7, as it directly addresses methods for spatial separation and multiplexing using multiple antennas over a shared frequency spectrum.

• US6473393B1

  • Full Citation: US6473393B1 - Channel estimation for OFDM systems with transmitter diversity
  • Publication Date: October 29, 2002 (Filed: December 18, 1998)
  • Brief Description: This patent details techniques for channel estimation in OFDM systems that employ transmitter diversity.
  • Potential Anticipation: This patent might be relevant to the underlying OFDM technology and the use of diversity in the "first mode" of US10103845, especially where OFDM is implicitly or explicitly used with spatial multiplexing.

• US20020158801A1

  • Full Citation: US20020158801A1 - Wireless packet switched communication systems and networks using adaptively steered antenna arrays
  • Publication Date: October 31, 2002 (Filed: April 27, 2001)
  • Brief Description: This application describes wireless communication systems that use adaptively steered antenna arrays, which can be used for spatial multiplexing and improving signal quality.
  • Potential Anticipation: This could anticipate the spatial multiplexing aspects of claims 1 and 7 due to its focus on adaptively steered antenna arrays for multiple-antenna communication.

• US20030003863A1

  • Full Citation: US20030003863A1 - Link adaptation for MIMO transmission schemes
  • Publication Date: January 2, 2003 (Filed: May 4, 2001)
  • Brief Description: This application describes methods for link adaptation in MIMO transmission schemes, where communication parameters are adjusted based on channel conditions.
  • Potential Anticipation: This is highly relevant to the "first mode" (spatial multiplexing) and potentially to the switching between modes in claims 1, 2, 3, 7, 15, and 16. Link adaptation often involves selecting different transmission modes based on channel conditions (e.g., SNR, interference).

• US20030235147A1 (also cited as US7095709B2)

  • Full Citation: US20030235147A1 - Diversity transmission modes for MIMO OFDM communication systems
  • Publication Date: December 25, 2003 (Filed: June 24, 2002)
  • Brief Description: This application describes various diversity transmission modes for MIMO OFDM communication systems.
  • Potential Anticipation: This is highly relevant to both modes described in US10103845. It explicitly mentions "diversity transmission modes" for MIMO OFDM, suggesting it covers concepts related to both spatial multiplexing (first mode) and potentially different frequency allocations or diversity techniques that could lead to bandwidth expansion (second mode).

• US20040047426A1

  • Full Citation: US20040047426A1 - Multi input multi output wireless communication method and apparatus providing extended range and extended rate across imperfectly estimated channels
  • Publication Date: March 11, 2004 (Filed: September 9, 2002)
  • Brief Description: This application describes MIMO wireless communication methods and apparatus designed to provide extended range and data rates, even with imperfect channel estimations.
  • Potential Anticipation: This broadly anticipates the goals of US10103845 (increasing data rates) and the "first mode" of spatial multiplexing (claims 1, 7, 11, 18), as MIMO communication inherently uses multiple inputs/outputs to achieve these benefits.

• US20040136349A1

  • Full Citation: US20040136349A1 - MIMO system with multiple spatial multiplexing modes
  • Publication Date: July 15, 2004 (Filed: October 25, 2002)
  • Brief Description: This application describes a MIMO system that can operate in multiple spatial multiplexing modes.
  • Potential Anticipation: This is directly relevant to the "first mode" of spatial multiplexing in claims 1, 7, 11, and 18, and could also potentially anticipate the concept of having multiple modes of operation as described in claims 2, 3, 15, and 16, even if the second mode involves bandwidth expansion rather than solely spatial multiplexing.

• US20040218683A1

  • Full Citation: US20040218683A1 - Multi-mode wireless devices having reduced-mode receivers
  • Publication Date: November 4, 2004 (Filed: May 1, 2003)
  • Brief Description: This application describes multi-mode wireless devices with receivers capable of operating in a reduced number of modes.
  • Potential Anticipation: This could anticipate the concept of a transceiver operating in "a plurality of modes" as defined in claims 1 and 7, and the related switching mechanisms of claims 2, 3, 15, and 16.

• US20040252667A1

  • Full Citation: US20040252667A1 - Receivers for receiving multi-carrier orthogonally coded signals
  • Publication Date: December 16, 2004 (Filed: July 22, 1997)
  • Brief Description: This patent describes receivers designed to handle multi-carrier, orthogonally coded signals.
  • Potential Anticipation: This is relevant to the underlying OFDM technology (which uses orthogonal subcarriers) mentioned in the detailed description of US10103845, and could potentially anticipate aspects of how the receiver processes signals in both modes, especially if OFDM is employed.

• US20050047515A1

  • Full Citation: US20050047515A1 - Frequency-independent spatial processing for wideband MISO and MIMO systems
  • Publication Date: March 3, 2005 (Filed: August 27, 2003)
  • Brief Description: This application describes spatial processing techniques for wideband MISO (Multiple-Input Single-Output) and MIMO systems that are designed to be frequency-independent.
  • Potential Anticipation: This is relevant to the spatial multiplexing aspects of claims 1 and 7, as it deals with spatial processing in MIMO systems. While US10103845 introduces frequency-dependent aspects in its second mode, the foundational spatial processing could be anticipated here.

• US20050063378A1

  • Full Citation: US20050063378A1 - Incremental redundancy transmission for multiple parallel channels in a MIMO communication system
  • Publication Date: March 24, 2005 (Filed: September 9, 2003)
  • Brief Description: This application describes using incremental redundancy transmission across multiple parallel channels in a MIMO system.
  • Potential Anticipation: This is relevant to the "first mode" (spatial multiplexing) of US10103845, as it describes a method for transmitting data over multiple parallel channels in a MIMO system to improve efficiency and reliability.

• US6889355B1

  • Full Citation: US6889355B1 - Method and apparatus for data transmission using multiple transmit antennas
  • Publication Date: May 3, 2005 (Filed: April 26, 1996)
  • Brief Description: This patent details a method and apparatus for data transmission using multiple transmit antennas.
  • Potential Anticipation: This directly anticipates the fundamental concept of using multiple transmit antennas for data transmission, which is a core component of spatial multiplexing in US10103845's first mode (claims 1, 11).

• US20050113021A1

  • Full Citation: US20050113021A1 - Wireless communication system for media transmission, production, recording, reinforcement and monitoring in real-time
  • Publication Date: May 26, 2005 (Filed: November 25, 2003)
  • Brief Description: This application describes a wireless communication system for various media applications in real-time.
  • Potential Anticipation: This patent is more general in scope but might broadly cover scenarios where high data rates (which US10103845 aims to achieve) are desired for media transmission. Specific technical details of dual-mode operation might not be directly anticipated.

• WO2005062514A2 (also cited as US20050129068A1 and US20050129068A1)

  • Full Citation: WO2005062514A2 - Method, apparatus and system of multiple-input-multiple-output wireless communication
  • Publication Date: July 7, 2005 (Priority: December 15, 2003)
  • Brief Description: This international application describes a general method, apparatus, and system for MIMO wireless communication.
  • Potential Anticipation: Similar to other general MIMO patents, this could anticipate the core concepts of spatial multiplexing (first mode) in claims 1, 7, 11, and 18.

• US20050147079A1

  • Full Citation: US20050147079A1 - Systems and methods for implementing an open loop architecture in a wireless communication network
  • Publication Date: July 7, 2005 (Filed: December 6, 2001)
  • Brief Description: This application describes systems and methods for implementing an open-loop architecture in a wireless communication network.
  • Potential Anticipation: This is a more architectural patent. While it might touch upon various communication schemes, it is less likely to directly anticipate the specific dual-mode operation (spatial multiplexing vs. bandwidth expansion) defined in US10103845's independent claims.

• US20050180360A1

  • Full Citation: US20050180360A1 - Preamble formats for MIMO wireless communications
  • Publication Date: August 18, 2005 (Filed: February 13, 2004)
  • Brief Description: This application describes preamble formats specifically designed for MIMO wireless communications, used for synchronization and channel estimation.
  • Potential Anticipation: This could be relevant to the implementation details of a MIMO system, which forms the basis for the first mode of US10103845. However, it's less likely to anticipate the dual-mode switching or the bandwidth expansion concept itself.

• US20050207385A1

  • Full Citation: US20050207385A1 - Methods and apparatus for flexible spectrum allocation in communication systems
  • Publication Date: September 22, 2005 (Filed: March 19, 2004)
  • Brief Description: This application describes methods and apparatus for flexible spectrum allocation in communication systems.
  • Potential Anticipation: This patent is highly relevant to the "second mode" of US10103845 (bandwidth expansion) as it directly addresses flexible spectrum allocation, which could encompass using non-overlapping or non-adjacent frequency bands. It could potentially anticipate claims 1, 5, 7, 10, 11, 14, 18, and 21.

• US20050237971A1

  • Full Citation: US20050237971A1 - Adaptive MIMO systems
  • Publication Date: October 27, 2005 (Filed: February 23, 2004)
  • Brief Description: This application describes adaptive MIMO systems, where the MIMO configuration or parameters are adjusted dynamically.
  • Potential Anticipation: Similar to other adaptive/multi-mode MIMO patents, this could anticipate the "first mode" (spatial multiplexing) and the concept of switching between modes (claims 2, 3, 15, 16) in US10103845.

• US7061854B2

  • Full Citation: US7061854B2 - Efficient OFDM communications with interference immunity
  • Publication Date: June 13, 2006 (Filed: October 15, 2001)
  • Brief Description: This patent describes efficient OFDM communication methods with improved interference immunity.
  • Potential Anticipation: This is relevant to the underlying OFDM technology used in US10103845 and could anticipate general improvements in OFDM systems, which might be applicable to both modes.

• US7349439B2

  • Full Citation: US7349439B2 - Ultra-wideband communication systems and methods
  • Publication Date: March 25, 2008 (Filed: December 6, 2001)
  • Brief Description: This patent describes ultra-wideband (UWB) communication systems and methods.
  • Potential Anticipation: While UWB involves a broad spectrum, the specific mechanism of combining spatial multiplexing with non-overlapping, distinct frequency bands as described in US10103845 might not be directly anticipated by this general UWB patent.

• US20080084951A1

  • Full Citation: US20080084951A1 - Systems and methods for receiving multiple input, multiple output signals for test and analysis of multiple-input, multiple-output systems
  • Publication Date: April 10, 2008 (Filed: October 6, 2006)
  • Brief Description: This application describes systems and methods for receiving MIMO signals specifically for testing and analysis purposes.
  • Potential Anticipation: This is focused on testing rather than the communication method itself, so it's less likely to anticipate the core claims of US10103845.

• US8289835B2

  • Full Citation: US8289835B2 - Dual mode communication systems and methods
  • Publication Date: October 16, 2012 (Filed: April 14, 2010)
  • Brief Description: This patent describes dual mode communication systems and methods, which is the same title and subject matter as US10103845. It is a continuation of an earlier application, which itself claims priority from Provisional Application 60/561,877 (2004-04-14).
  • Potential Anticipation: This patent is a direct family member (continuation) of US10103845 and shares the same priority date. Therefore, it is not prior art in the traditional sense for anticipation under 35 U.S.C. § 102 but is rather part of the same patent family. The earlier priority date of the provisional application (April 14, 2004) would be the key for prior art analysis against other references.

• US20030156570A1

  • Full Citation: US20030156570A1 - Method for frequency division duplex communications
  • Publication Date: August 21, 2003 (Filed: February 6, 1997)
  • Brief Description: This application describes a method for frequency division duplex communications, similar to US5933421A.
  • Potential Anticipation: Similar to US5933421A, this patent might anticipate aspects of the "second mode" described in claims 1 and 7 (and their dependent claims 11 and 18) of US10103845, particularly concerning the use of distinct, non-overlapping frequency spectra for different transmission/reception paths, as it deals with frequency division duplexing.

It's important to note that the ultimate determination of anticipation would involve a detailed claim-by-claim analysis, comparing each element of the claims of US10103845 against the disclosures of these prior art documents. The "potential anticipation" here indicates areas of overlap or foundational concepts.

Obviousness Analysis of US Patent 10,103,845 under 35 U.S.C. § 103

This analysis identifies combinations of prior art references that would render the claims of US Patent 10,103,845 obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art (PHOSITA) at the priority date of April 14, 2004.

A PHOSITA in this field would be an engineer or scientist skilled in the design and implementation of wireless communication systems, particularly those employing Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) and Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) technologies. They would be motivated to improve data rates, spectral efficiency, and system adaptability to varying channel conditions.

The primary prior art reference for this analysis is US20030235147A1 to Walton et al. ("Walton '147"), published on December 25, 2003, which predates the priority date of US10103845.

Combination: US20030235147A1 (Walton et al.) in view of general knowledge in the art

Motivation to Combine:
The background of US10103845 explicitly states the continuous demand for higher data rates in wireless communication systems. Walton '147 also addresses performance improvement and achieving higher spectral efficiency. A PHOSITA would be motivated to combine known techniques in spatial multiplexing and bandwidth utilization to meet these demands, particularly if such techniques could be integrated into a flexible, multi-mode communication system. The dual-mode architecture disclosed in US10103845 aims to reuse hardware for both spatial multiplexing and bandwidth expansion, a desirable efficiency.

Analysis of Independent Claims:

1. Claim 1 (Method of Transceiver Operation - Transmission):
Claim 1 describes a method of operation for a transceiver in a plurality of modes, including a first mode based on spatial multiplexing and a second mode based on spatial multiplexing and bandwidth expansion.

• First Mode (Spatial Multiplexing): Walton '147 teaches a "single-band transmission scheme for a MIMO OFDM system" where "multiple independent data streams may be transmitted... in a spatial multiplexing manner." This directly discloses the first mode of Claim 1, where separate first mode transmit symbols are generated and transmitted from first and second transmitters over a first and second set of antennas, respectively, across a spectrum of frequencies that is the same for each.
• Second Mode (Spatial Multiplexing and Bandwidth Expansion): Walton '147 further discloses a "multi-band transmission scheme" where "multiple independent data streams may be transmitted on two or more bands in a a spatial multiplexing manner" and "each portion may be transmitted on a different frequency band." This teaches the second mode of Claim 1, where separate second mode transmit symbols are generated and transmitted from first transmitters over a first set of antennas across a first spectrum of frequencies, and from second transmitters over a second set of antennas across a second spectrum of frequencies, wherein the first spectrum of frequencies does not overlap with the second spectrum of frequencies. The phrase "different frequency band" inherently implies non-overlapping frequencies.

2. Claim 7 (Method of Transceiver Operation - Reception):
Claim 7 describes a corresponding method for receiving signals in the two modes.

• The transmission methods taught by Walton '147 directly imply the capability for corresponding reception methods. A PHOSITA would understand that a communication system designed to transmit signals in "single-band" and "multi-band" spatial multiplexing modes would necessarily include receivers capable of receiving these signals in the described manner. Therefore, the reception aspects of Claim 7, mirroring the transmission aspects of Claim 1, would be obvious from Walton '147.

3. Claim 11 (Article of Manufacture - Transmission):
Claim 11 covers a non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions that, when executed, cause a computing device to perform the transmission operations of Claim 1.

• Given that the method of Claim 1 is rendered obvious by Walton '147, implementing these communication methods in software or firmware stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium is a conventional engineering practice for controlling transceivers in wireless communication systems. A PHOSITA would find it obvious to implement the disclosed methods using standard programming and hardware control techniques.

4. Claim 18 (Article of Manufacture - Reception at Mobile Station):
Claim 18 covers a non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions that, when executed, cause a computing device to perform the reception operations of Claim 7, specifically at a mobile station.

• Similarly, if the reception method of Claim 7 is obvious from Walton '147, then embodying these instructions on a computer-readable medium for execution by a computing device, such as one found in a mobile station, would also be obvious to a PHOSITA.

Analysis of Dependent Claims:

• Switching Between Modes (Claims 2, 3, 15, 16): Walton '147's title, "Diversity transmission modes for MIMO OFDM communication systems," suggests the selection or switching between different modes. The disclosure describes how a single-band scheme "is modified to provide a multi-band transmission scheme," implying architectural flexibility for such transitions. A PHOSITA, motivated to optimize performance, would find it obvious to automatically switch between these modes based on operating conditions like signal-to-noise ratio and interference, as these factors directly influence the effectiveness of different transmission schemes and were well-known optimization parameters in wireless communication at the time.
• Same Period of Time for Transmission/Reception (Claims 4, 9, 13, 20): Spatial multiplexing, by definition, involves transmitting or receiving multiple independent data streams simultaneously (i.e., during the same period of time) over distinct spatial channels to increase data rates. This is a fundamental characteristic of spatial multiplexing as described in Walton '147.
• Non-Adjacent Frequencies (Claims 5, 10, 14, 21): While Walton '147 mentions "different frequency band" for the multi-band scheme, it does not explicitly state "non-adjacent." However, the use of non-adjacent frequency channels was a well-known technique in wireless communications prior to 2004 for mitigating interference and efficiently utilizing fragmented or available spectrum, as even acknowledged in the specification of US10103845 ("finding a free or available channel (since there is no requirement that the channels be adjacent)"). A PHOSITA, aiming to optimize channel selection and avoid interference, would find it obvious to utilize non-adjacent frequency bands when implementing the "different frequency bands" of Walton '147.
• Gap Filling (Claims 6, 17): Once multiple, potentially non-adjacent, frequency spectra are utilized (as in the second mode), the concept of "gap filling" with extra subcarriers in the intervening spectrum to increase the composite data rate (as described in US10103845 at) would be an obvious design optimization for a PHOSITA in OFDM systems. OFDM is inherently flexible in subcarrier allocation, and efficiently utilizing all available spectrum for data transmission is a fundamental goal in communication system design.

Conclusion:
All independent claims (1, 7, 11, and 18) of US10103845, along with their dependent claims, are rendered obvious by the teachings of US20030235147A1 (Walton et al.) in combination with the general knowledge of a person having ordinary skill in the art in wireless communication systems at the time of the invention. Walton '147 explicitly describes a MIMO OFDM system capable of both single-band (spatial multiplexing) and multi-band (spatial multiplexing with bandwidth expansion across different, non-overlapping frequency bands) operation, along with the motivation for switching between such modes to enhance spectral efficiency and performance. The remaining features of the dependent claims represent routine engineering choices for optimizing such a system.

Here's a detailed breakdown of patent term adjustments, extensions, related applications, and the expiration date for US Patent 10,103,845, based on the provided patent text and general patent knowledge:

Patent Term Adjustments (PTA)

The Google Patents information for US10103845 indicates an "Adjusted expiration" date of 2026-02-05. The earliest priority date for this patent is April 14, 2004 (from Provisional Application 60/561,877). A standard patent term is 20 years from the earliest priority date. Therefore, without any adjustments, the patent would have expired on April 14, 2024. The difference between the standard 20-year term (2024-04-14) and the adjusted expiration date (2026-02-05) suggests that approximately 22 months of Patent Term Adjustment (PTA) were granted due to delays during prosecution at the USPTO.

Patent Term Extensions (PTE)

There is no indication in the provided patent information that US10103845 has received any Patent Term Extensions (PTE). PTEs are typically granted to compensate for delays in obtaining regulatory approval for certain products (e.g., pharmaceuticals, medical devices), which is not applicable to a communication systems patent of this nature.

Continuation Applications

US Patent 10,103,845 (Application No. US13/628,424) is a Continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/760,136, filed April 14, 2010.
U.S. application Ser. No. 12/760,136 is itself a Continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/105,909, filed April 13, 2005.

Divisional Applications

The provided text does not explicitly mention any divisional applications originating from US Patent 10,103,845 or its parent applications.

Related Family Members

The patent belongs to a family of applications claiming priority from a common provisional application. The key family members include:

• Provisional Application: US 60/561,877, filed April 14, 2004 (Priority Date).
• Parent Application: U.S. application Ser. No. 11/105,909, filed April 13, 2005, which issued as US7729233B2.
• Parent Application: U.S. application Ser. No. 12/760,136, filed April 14, 2010, which issued as US8289835B2.
• This Patent: U.S. application Ser. No. 13/628,424, filed September 27, 2012, which issued as US10103845B2.
• Child Application: U.S. application Ser. No. 16/134,110, filed September 18, 2018, which issued as US10680755B2 (also titled "Dual mode communication systems and methods").

Other international family members include WO2005107117A1, EP1735933B8, and ATE557486T1, all originating from the same priority date.

Projected Expiration Date

US Patent 10,103,845 is listed as "Expired - Lifetime" with an expiration date of 2026-02-05. This expiration date includes any Patent Term Adjustment granted.