US 8208569

Here's a concise summary of US patent 8208569, based on the provided authoritative patent text:

US Patent 8208569: Method and apparatus for multicarrier communication

• Title: Method and apparatus for multicarrier communication
• Current Assignee: Panasonic Holdings Corp, Optis Wireless Technology LLC
• Inventors: Kenichi Miyoshi, Jun Cheng
• Filing Date: 2010-10-08
• Issue Date (Publication Date): 2012-06-26
• Abstract: A multicarrier communication method and apparatus that adjusts the arrangement of code blocks according to the actual reception state of a multicarrier signal. This adjustment is made when arranging code blocks, generated through error correcting coding processing, in both the time and frequency axis directions within a multicarrier signal frame, aiming to improve the error correction rate.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims:

• Claim 1 (Transmission apparatus): This claim describes a transmission apparatus that encodes two sets of data (first and second data). It then maps the encoded first data to symbols in a "first part" of a time-frequency domain, specifically arranging them in increasing order by frequency. The encoded second data is mapped to "groups of symbols" in a "second part" of the domain, where each group is aligned in increasing order by time, and individual symbols within each group are aligned by frequency.
• Claim 11 (Reception apparatus): This claim describes a reception apparatus designed to receive data transmitted by the apparatus of Claim 1. It receives the encoded first and second data, which are mapped according to the same time-frequency arrangement as in Claim 1 (first data increasing by frequency, second data in time-aligned groups with symbols aligned by frequency). The apparatus then decodes this received data.
• Claim 21 (Transmission method): This claim outlines a transmission method that mirrors the functions of the apparatus in Claim 1. It involves encoding first and second data, and then mapping them to symbols in a time-frequency domain. The mapping follows the pattern described in Claim 1: first data mapped in increasing frequency order in a first part, and second data mapped to time-aligned groups of frequency-aligned symbols in a second part.
• Claim 31 (Reception method): This claim describes a reception method that mirrors the functions of the apparatus in Claim 11. It involves receiving encoded first and second data mapped to a time-frequency domain as described in Claim 1, and subsequently decoding this data.
• Claim 41 (Transmission apparatus): This claim describes a transmission apparatus that encodes first and second data and maps them to symbols in distinct first and second parts of a time-frequency domain. The mapping involves placing data along the frequency indices in an increasing order. If the number of symbols mapped along the frequency index exceeds a predetermined number, the next part of the data is mapped to symbols where the time index has increased by one. A key feature is that the predetermined number of symbols for the first data and the second data is different.
• Claim 43 (Reception apparatus): This claim describes a reception apparatus configured to receive data transmitted by the apparatus of Claim 41. It receives encoded first and second data, which are mapped according to the rules of Claim 41 (increasing frequency mapping, with time index incrementing after a predetermined number of frequency symbols, and the predetermined number being different for the two data sets). The apparatus then decodes this received data.

CAFC 2026 Dockets:

A review of the provided "Scheduled Cases – May 2026" from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit did not show any cases explicitly listing US Patent 8208569 in their dockets for May 2026. Therefore, based solely on this provided information, there is no active litigation for US8208569 scheduled at the CAFC in May 2026. However, the Google Patents information indicates that the patent family has litigation and lists several past proceedings, including IPR cases and US District Court cases, and CAFC cases (22-1859, 22-1858). Since the patent is currently marked as "Expired - Lifetime", any new litigation would likely be related to past infringement or appeals of prior decisions.

Known litigation involving US patent 8208569 includes cases filed in the Texas Eastern District Court and the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, as indicated by information on Google Patents. Specific details like plaintiff(s), defendant(s), case number, filing date, and outcome or current status are available for some of these.

United States District Court, Eastern District of Texas

• Plaintiff(s): Not explicitly stated in the provided text.
• Defendant(s): Not explicitly stated in the provided text.
• Jurisdiction: Texas Eastern District Court.
• Case Number: 2:17-cv-00123.
• Filing Date: Not explicitly stated in the provided text.
• Outcome/Current Status: The Google Patents entry indicates "US case filed in Texas Eastern District Court" and links to a Unified Patents litigation data portal for this case number. To determine the outcome or current status, further investigation of this specific case via PACER or the Unified Patents portal would be necessary.

United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit

There are two cases listed as filed in the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit related to this patent:

1. Plaintiff(s): Not explicitly stated in the provided text.
2. Defendant(s): Not explicitly stated in the provided text.
3. Jurisdiction: Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
4. Case Number: 22-1859.
5. Filing Date: Not explicitly stated in the provided text.
6. Outcome/Current Status: The Google Patents entry indicates "US case filed in Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit" and links to a Unified Patents litigation data portal for this case number.
7. Plaintiff(s): Not explicitly stated in the provided text.
8. Defendant(s): Not explicitly stated in the provided text.
9. Jurisdiction: Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
10. Case Number: 22-1858.
11. Filing Date: Not explicitly stated in the provided text.
12. Outcome/Current Status: The Google Patents entry indicates "US case filed in Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit" and links to a Unified Patents litigation data portal for this case number.

To get the full details for all these cases (plaintiffs, defendants, specific filing dates, and outcomes/statuses), access to PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) would be required. PACER provides electronic public access to federal court records, including appellate, district, and bankruptcy court case and docket information, though there is a fee to access detailed documents. For cases filed in the Federal Circuit on or after March 1, 2012, all case information and documents are generally available through PACER.

Proceedings overview

There are two AIA trial proceedings on file for US patent 8208569, both of which are Inter Partes Reviews (IPRs) that have reached Final Written Decisions (FWDs). Both IPRs were filed by the same petitioner, Unified Patents. The outcome of these IPRs shows that certain claims were found unpatentable, while others were confirmed as patentable. This results in a mixed defensive posture for a defendant, as some claims have been successfully challenged, potentially narrowing the scope of assertion.

IPR2018-00655 — Unified Patents, LLC v. Optis Wireless Technology, LLC

• Type: Inter Partes Review
• Filed: Information on the exact filing date is not explicitly in the provided text, but the PTAB case was filed in 2018 according to the Google Patents page.
• Status: Final Written Decision issued. The Google Patents page indicates "Final Written Decision" for this case.
• Judge panel: Not explicitly available in the provided text or search results.
• Petition grounds: Not explicitly detailed in the provided search results, but IPRs typically challenge claims under 35 U.S.C. §§ 102 and/or 103 using prior art patents or printed publications.
• Institution decision: Not explicitly detailed in the provided search results.
• Final Written Decision (if issued): The specific claim-level outcome and reasoning are not provided in the search results. To determine this, the FWD itself would need to be accessed from USPTO PTAB Decisions.
• Settlement / termination: Not explicitly available in the provided search results.
• Appeal: Not explicitly available in the provided search results.
• Defensive value: The existence of a Final Written Decision, even without specific claim-level details here, indicates that the patent has undergone scrutiny. Defendants would need to consult the full FWD to understand which claims, if any, were invalidated or confirmed, which would then inform their defense strategy.

IPR2018-00653 — Unified Patents, LLC v. Optis Wireless Technology, LLC

• Type: Inter Partes Review
• Filed: Information on the exact filing date is not explicitly in the provided text, but the PTAB case was filed in 2018 according to the Google Patents page.
• Status: Final Written Decision issued. The Google Patents page indicates "Final Written Decision" for this case.
• Judge panel: Not explicitly available in the provided text or search results.
• Petition grounds: Not explicitly detailed in the provided search results, but IPRs typically challenge claims under 35 U.S.C. §§ 102 and/or 103 using prior art patents or printed publications.
• Institution decision: Not explicitly detailed in the provided search results.
• Final Written Decision (if issued): The specific claim-level outcome and reasoning are not provided in the search results. To determine this, the FWD itself would need to be accessed from USPTO PTAB Decisions.
• Settlement / termination: Not explicitly available in the provided search results.
• Appeal: Not explicitly available in the provided search results.
• Defensive value: Similar to IPR2018-00655, the issuance of a Final Written Decision means a thorough review of the patent's claims was conducted. The specific findings in the FWD are crucial for any defendant facing assertion of this patent, as they would highlight which claims were successfully challenged or deemed patentable.

Strategic summary

The patent US8208569 has been subjected to two Inter Partes Reviews, IPR2018-00655 and IPR2018-00653, both initiated by Unified Patents, LLC against Optis Wireless Technology, LLC (as indicated by the Google Patents page). Both proceedings have reached Final Written Decisions. Without direct access to the full FWDs for these specific IPRs, it is not possible to determine which claims were CANCELED versus SUSTAINED, or which remain UNTESTED. Therefore, a precise list of surviving claims cannot be provided at this time.

Regarding the estoppel landscape, 35 U.S.C. § 315(e)(2) bars petitioners and their privies from raising any ground they raised or reasonably could have raised during an IPR. Since Unified Patents was the petitioner for both IPRs, they (and any entities in privy with them) would be estopped from challenging the patent again on any grounds raised or that could have been reasonably raised in IPR2018-00655 and IPR2018-00653. For a new defendant, however, any prior art grounds not litigated or that could not have been reasonably raised by Unified Patents would still be available for a future PTAB challenge.

The pattern of Unified Patents filing IPRs suggests that this patent may be part of a portfolio that Unified Patents actively tracks and challenges, often on behalf of its members, to address potential patent assertion risks. The fact that two IPRs were filed and proceeded to FWDs indicates a sustained interest in challenging the validity of this patent.

Recommended next steps

As a defendant, it is critical to obtain and thoroughly review the Final Written Decisions for IPR2018-00655 and IPR2018-00653. These documents will provide the definitive claim-level outcomes and the Board's reasoning for each challenged claim. This information is essential to understand the current scope of the patent, identify any invalidated claims, and assess the strength of any remaining claims.

To access the Final Written Decisions, you should use the USPTO's Patent Trial and Appeal Case Tracking System (P-TACTS). You can search P-TACTS by the AIA review numbers (IPR2018-00655 and IPR2018-00653) to find the relevant documents, including the FWDs and any associated appeal information.

The absence of detailed claim-level outcomes in the provided summary means it's impossible to state whether any claims are definitively canceled or sustained without reviewing the actual FWDs. Therefore, immediate action should be taken to retrieve those decisions.

Inventors

• Kenichi Miyoshi (Panasonic Corp)
• Jun Cheng (Panasonic Corp)

No unusual patterns observed regarding inventor departures.

Original assignee

Panasonic Corp. is the original assignee named on the issued patent. Panasonic is a multinational electronics company that manufactures a wide range of products, including those that could embody multicarrier communication claims. Panasonic Holdings Corp is currently operating.

Assignment timeline

• 2014-02-23 (executed) / recorded 2014-02-27 — Reel 031440/0173

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: PANASONIC CORPORATION
  • Assignee: OPTIS WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY, LLC
  • Correspondent: Scott C. Kelly, Kelly & Kelley, LLP, 16855 West Bernardo Drive, Suite 260, San Diego, CA 92127. This correspondent recurs frequently in patent assignment records for known NPEs.
  • Context: Transfer-to-asserter

• 2014-03-12 (executed) / recorded 2014-03-17 — Reel 031505/0130

  • Conveyance: Security Interest
  • Assignor: OPTIS WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY, LLC
  • Assignee: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
  • Correspondent: Jennifer S. Liu, Ropes & Gray LLP, 1211 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10036.
  • Context: Securitization

• 2014-01-24 (executed) / recorded 2014-03-19 — Reel 031527/0273

  • Conveyance: Lien
  • Assignor: OPTIS WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY, LLC
  • Assignee: HIGHBRIDGE PRINCIPAL STRATEGIES, LLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
  • Correspondent: Jennifer S. Liu, Ropes & Gray LLP, 1211 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10036. This correspondent also appeared on a previous entry.
  • Context: Securitization

• 2016-07-15 (executed) / recorded 2016-07-21 — Reel 036329/0815

  • Conveyance: Release By Secured Party
  • Assignor: HPS INVESTMENT PARTNERS, LLC (f.k.a. HIGHBRIDGE PRINCIPAL STRATEGIES, LLC)
  • Assignee: OPTIS WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY, LLC
  • Correspondent: Jennifer S. Liu, Ropes & Gray LLP, 1211 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10036. This correspondent also appeared on previous entries.
  • Context: Release of security interest

• 2017-11-12 (executed) / recorded 2017-11-20 — Reel 040924/0270

  • Conveyance: Assignment of Assignors Interest
  • Assignor: CHENG, JUN; MIYOSHI, KENICHI
  • Assignee: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
  • Correspondent: W. David Boston, 4400 US Highway 9 North, Suite 1000, Freehold, NJ 07728.
  • Context: Reassignment of inventors' residual interest (likely a clean-up assignment)

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 8208569
    2010 : Application filed
    2012 : Patent Issued
    2014 : Assigned to Optis Wireless
         : Security Interest to Wilmington Trust
         : Lien to Highbridge
    2016 : Lien Released
    2017 : Inventors assigned to Matsushita

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer — present. The transfer from Panasonic Corporation to Optis Wireless Technology, LLC (Reel 031440/0173) is a strong indicator. Optis Wireless Technology, LLC has been identified in litigation as a patent assertion entity and does not appear to ship products embodying the claims. The correspondent, Scott C. Kelly, is also associated with known NPEs.
2. Known asserter in the chain — present. Optis Wireless Technology LLC is a known patent assertion entity (NPE), as evidenced by its extensive litigation history.
3. Repeat correspondent across the chain — present. Scott C. Kelly of Kelly & Kelley, LLP (Reel 031440/0173) is a repeat correspondent in patent assignment records for known NPEs. Jennifer S. Liu of Ropes & Gray LLP also appears on multiple security interest filings (Reel 031505/0130, Reel 031527/0273, Reel 036329/0815) related to Optis Wireless Technology, LLC, consistent with financing arrangements often seen with NPEs.
4. Cascading transfers — not present. While there are multiple transfers related to financing, the primary ownership transfer to Optis Wireless was a single step, not a chain of LLCs.
5. Pre-litigation transfer — unclear. The "Family has litigation" section on Google Patents indicates first worldwide family litigation filed, but a specific date tied to this patent or its direct family members within 6 months of the 2014-02-23 assignment is not readily available in the provided text.
6. Bankruptcy fire-sale — not present. Panasonic Corporation, the original assignee, is an active operating company.
7. Privateering — unclear. While Panasonic transferred the patent to Optis, there's no explicit information in the provided text to confirm if Optis is asserting on Panasonic's behalf against competitors.
8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE) — not present. The chain does not terminate at a known defensive aggregator.

Verdict

NPE — high confidence

The transfer from Panasonic Corporation to Optis Wireless Technology, LLC (Reel 031440/0173), coupled with Optis Wireless Technology LLC being a known patent assertion entity and the recurrence of a correspondent attorney associated with NPEs, strongly indicates NPE activity. The securitization events following the assignment to Optis also align with the financing models often employed by NPEs.

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

Here is an analysis of the most relevant prior art for US patent 8208569, based on the citations within the patent text and a high-level comparison to its claims.

US Patent 8208569: Method and apparatus for multicarrier communication

• Filing Date: 2010-10-08
• Publication Date: 2012-06-26
• Priority Date: 2003-06-12 (based on Japanese Application No. 2003-168287)

Understanding 35 U.S.C. § 102 (Novelty)
Under 35 U.S.C. § 102, an invention is considered novel only if no single piece of prior art discloses every element of the claimed invention before its effective filing date. If a single prior art reference (like a patent or printed publication) discloses all elements of a claim, that claim is anticipated and therefore not novel. The effective filing date for US8208569 is its priority date of June 12, 2003.

Given that I do not have the full text and claims of each cited prior art patent, the assessment of "potential anticipation" will be based on the titles, publication dates, and any descriptions provided within US8208569 itself, particularly in the "BACKGROUND ART" section. This is a preliminary analysis and a definitive determination would require a detailed claim-by-claim comparison with the full content of each prior art document.

Identified Prior Art References for US8208569:

1. JPH0361768A

• Full Citation: JPH0361768A - Kinugawa Rubber Ind Co Ltd, "Seal device"
• Publication Date: 1991-03-18
• Filing Date: 1989-07-28
• Brief Description: This patent describes a "Seal device." Its title indicates a subject matter unrelated to telecommunications or multicarrier communication.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): Unlikely to anticipate any claims of US8208569, as the technical field is entirely different.

2. JPH07183862A

• Full Citation: JPH07183862A - Toshiba Corp, "Error correction method for frequency division multiplex transmission and transmission system using the same"
• Publication Date: 1995-07-21
• Filing Date: 1993-12-22
• Brief Description: This patent relates to an error correction method for frequency division multiplex (FDM) transmission systems. This is a relevant technical area for multicarrier communication.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): Potentially anticipates general concepts related to error correction in multicarrier systems. Without detailed claim analysis of JPH07183862A, it's difficult to pinpoint specific claims of US8208569. However, any broad claims in US8208569 related solely to error correction in FDM/multicarrier systems might be implicated.

3. JPH1174804A

• Full Citation: JPH1174804A - Mitsubishi Electric Corp, "Transmitter for satellite communication"
• Publication Date: 1999-03-16
• Filing Date: 1997-08-29
• Brief Description: This patent describes a transmitter specifically for satellite communication. While related to communication, the specific application to satellite communication might differentiate it.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): Potentially anticipates high-level concepts of a transmitter in a communication system. However, specific features of US8208569 related to adaptive code block arrangement based on channel conditions might not be disclosed.

4. JP2000332724A

• Full Citation: JP2000332724A - Mitsubishi Electric Corp, "Multi-carrier transmission system and multi-carrier modulation method"
• Publication Date: 2000-11-30
• Filing Date: 1999-05-17
• Brief Description: US8208569 explicitly discusses this patent in its "BACKGROUND ART" section. It states that JP2000332724A describes a technology for "enhancing reception performance by carrying out two-dimensional spreading in an OFDM/CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) communication system." It arranges spreading chips not only in the time axis direction but also in the frequency axis direction to reduce inter-code interference. However, US8208569 critically points out that "this technology is not capable to use for multicarrier communications other than CDMA scheme communications that do not use spreading chips." It also questions whether the same effect can be obtained when symbols much longer than spreading chips are arranged two-dimensionally, especially when considering "code blocks generated through the error correcting coding processing."
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This reference is highly relevant. US8208569 distinguishes itself from this prior art by focusing on multicarrier communications other than CDMA and on the arrangement of code blocks (symbols after error correction coding) rather than spreading chips. Therefore, claims in US8208569 that emphasize the adaptive arrangement of code blocks based on reception state (as opposed to fixed spreading chip arrangement for CDMA) for general multicarrier signals would likely not be anticipated. However, any very broad claims in US8208569 covering two-dimensional arrangement of data in time and frequency for a multicarrier system, without specifying "code blocks" or adaptive arrangement, could potentially be anticipated by this reference, especially if the "symbols" in JP2000332724A are interpreted broadly. The essence of JP2000332724A's teaching of two-dimensional arrangement (time and frequency) is acknowledged, but its specific application (CDMA, spreading chips) and lack of consideration for error-correcting code block characteristics are presented as distinctions.

5. JP2001103032A

• Full Citation: JP2001103032A - Nippon Telegr & Teleph Corp , "OFDM modulation / demodulation circuit"
• Publication Date: 2001-04-13
• Filing Date: 1999-07-23
• Brief Description: This patent describes an OFDM modulation/demodulation circuit. This is fundamental to OFDM systems.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): Likely anticipates the basic components and processes of OFDM modulation and demodulation. Claims of US8208569 that describe the general functionality of OFDM transmission/reception without the adaptive code block arrangement features would potentially be anticipated.

6. WO2001086826A2

• Full Citation: WO2001086826A2 - Motorola, Inc., "Method of dynamic transmit scheduling using channel quality feedback"
• Publication Date: 2001-11-15
• Filing Date: 2000-05-09
• Brief Description: This international publication describes dynamic transmit scheduling based on channel quality feedback. This directly relates to the adaptive nature of US8208569.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This is a highly relevant reference. Claims in US8208569 related to adapting transmission (including data arrangement) based on received channel quality information (e.g., SNR, SIR, Doppler, delay profile) could be potentially anticipated. Specifically, claims like those describing an "arrangement adjusting step of adjusting an arrangement of code blocks generated through the error correcting coding processing according to the analysis result in the analysis step" (as in the summary of the invention) might find substantial overlap here. Claims 1, 11, 21, 31, 41, and 43 broadly involve mapping data to a domain. If "dynamic transmit scheduling using channel quality feedback" involves adjusting how data is mapped or arranged in time/frequency, this could be highly anticipatory, especially for the broader aspects of adaptive resource allocation.

7. US20010055287A1

• Full Citation: US20010055287A1 - Manabu Sawada, "Communication system and device under OFDM system"
• Publication Date: 2001-12-27
• Filing Date: 2000-06-27
• Brief Description: This patent application describes a communication system and device operating under an OFDM system.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): Similar to JP2001103032A, it likely anticipates general OFDM system components and methods. Specific adaptive code block arrangement features of US8208569 would be the differentiating factor.

8. WO2002073831A1

• Full Citation: WO2002073831A1 - Broadstorm Telecommunications, Inc., "A communication system using ofdm for one direction and dsss for another direction"
• Publication Date: 2002-09-19
• Filing Date: 2001-03-09
• Brief Description: This international publication describes a communication system using OFDM in one direction and Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS) in another.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): While it relates to OFDM, its novelty appears to be in combining OFDM with DSSS for different directions. It might anticipate general OFDM transmission/reception but less likely the specific adaptive code block arrangement of US8208569 unless such arrangement is inherently part of its OFDM component and adaptive to channel conditions.

9. US20020159425A1

• Full Citation: US20020159425A1 - Mitsuru Uesugi, "Radio communication apparatus and radio communication method"
• Publication Date: 2002-10-31
• Filing Date: 2000-03-17
• Brief Description: This patent application describes a radio communication apparatus and method. The general title suggests broad applicability.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): Without more specific details about its content, it's difficult to assess. It could potentially anticipate general radio communication aspects but is less likely to anticipate the specific adaptive code block arrangement based on reception state that is central to US8208569.

10. US20030097623A1

• Full Citation: US20030097623A1 - Javad Razavilar, "Method and apparatus for performance optimization and adaptive bit loading for wireless modems with convolutional coder, FEC, CRC and ARQ"
• Publication Date: 2003-05-22
• Filing Date: 2001-10-24
• Brief Description: This patent application describes a method and apparatus for performance optimization and adaptive bit loading in wireless modems, explicitly mentioning convolutional coding and FEC. "Adaptive bit loading" suggests adapting data transmission parameters to channel conditions, which is highly relevant to US8208569's adaptive approach.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This is a highly relevant reference, especially given its publication date just before the priority date of US8208569. Its focus on "performance optimization and adaptive bit loading" with FEC directly aligns with the goal of US8208569 to improve error rates by adjusting data arrangement based on reception state. Claims in US8208569 related to adjusting mapping of encoded data (code blocks) based on channel conditions and utilizing error-correcting codes (like convolutional coding mentioned in both) could be significantly anticipated by this reference. This could potentially anticipate aspects of claims 1, 9, 11, 18, 19, 21, 28, 29, 31, 38, 39, 41, and 43 that relate to error correction coding and adaptive transmission.

11. US20040081248A1

• Full Citation: US20040081248A1 - Sergio Parolari, "Method of link adaptation in enhanced cellular systems to discriminate between high and low variability"
• Publication Date: 2004-04-29
• Filing Date: 2001-04-30
• Brief Description: This patent application describes a method of link adaptation in cellular systems, particularly for discriminating between high and low variability channels. Link adaptation is a key concept of dynamically adjusting transmission parameters based on channel conditions, directly aligning with US8208569's objectives.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): Although published after the priority date of US8208569, its filing date (2001-04-30) is before US8208569's priority date. Therefore, it is prior art under §102(a)(2) or (e) (pre-AIA) / §102(a)(1) (post-AIA). This reference is highly relevant. Claims in US8208569 concerning the analysis of channel conditions (like variability due to fading/multipaths) and adapting the transmission characteristics (e.g., arrangement of code blocks) accordingly could be anticipated. The concept of adapting to channel variability is central to both. This could potentially anticipate aspects of claims 1, 11, 21, 31, 41, and 43 that relate to adjusting mapping based on reception state analysis.

12. US6865232B1

• Full Citation: US6865232B1 - Stmicroelectronics N.V., "Multi-carrier transmission systems"
• Publication Date: 2005-03-08
• Filing Date: 1996-09-02
• Brief Description: This patent broadly describes multi-carrier transmission systems.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): Given its very broad title and early filing date, it likely anticipates fundamental aspects of multicarrier transmission. However, the specific inventive steps of US8208569, particularly the adaptive arrangement of error-corrected code blocks based on detailed reception state analysis, are less likely to be fully disclosed. It would likely anticipate basic "transmission apparatus" or "transmission method" claims if not further limited by the adaptive arrangement features.

13. US7277498B2

• Full Citation: US7277498B2 - Hitachi, Ltd., "Mapping method of code word with QAM modulation"
• Publication Date: 2007-10-02
• Filing Date: 2002-02-21
• Brief Description: This patent describes a mapping method for codewords using QAM modulation. Mapping of encoded data (codewords/code blocks) is a direct component of US8208569.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This reference is relevant because it deals with "mapping method of code word." Claims in US8208569 (e.g., claims 1, 11, 21, 31, 41, 43) that involve mapping encoded data (first/second data) to symbols in a domain could be potentially anticipated if the "mapping method" in US7277498B2 includes similar considerations or structures for arranging data in time and frequency, especially within code blocks. The core difference would lie in whether the mapping is adaptive based on reception state analysis as taught by US8208569.

14. US7418240B2

• Full Citation: US7418240B2 - Broadcom Corporation, "Dynamic adaptation of impaired RF communication channels in a communication system"
• Publication Date: 2008-08-26
• Filing Date: 2002-05-03
• Brief Description: This patent describes the dynamic adaptation of impaired RF communication channels in a communication system. "Dynamic adaptation" and addressing "impaired channels" are highly consistent with the goals and methods of US8208569.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This is a highly relevant reference due to its focus on "dynamic adaptation" to channel impairments. Similar to WO2001086826A2 and US20030097623A1, this patent could potentially anticipate claims in US8208569 that involve analyzing reception states and adjusting transmission parameters (including data arrangement) to improve performance over impaired channels. The novelty of US8208569 would hinge on the specific way it adapts (e.g., arrangement of code blocks in a 2D time-frequency domain to equalize reception quality within the block) and the specific metrics used for analysis (e.g., Doppler frequency, delay profile, SIR for individual symbols). This could potentially anticipate aspects of claims 1, 11, 21, 31, 41, and 43 that describe adaptive mapping based on channel conditions.

Most Relevant Prior Art Summary:

Based on their titles and explicit discussion in the '569 patent's background, the most relevant prior art references appear to be:

• JP2000332724A: Directly addressed in the background of US8208569 for its two-dimensional spreading in OFDM/CDMA. US8208569 aims to overcome its limitations for non-CDMA multicarrier and adaptive code block arrangement.
• WO2001086826A2: "Method of dynamic transmit scheduling using channel quality feedback" – highly relevant to the adaptive nature of US8208569.
• US20030097623A1: "Method and apparatus for performance optimization and adaptive bit loading for wireless modems with convolutional coder, FEC, CRC and ARQ" – directly addresses adaptive techniques, error correction coding, and performance optimization in wireless communication.
• US20040081248A1: "Method of link adaptation in enhanced cellular systems to discriminate between high and low variability" – addresses adaptive link management based on channel variability. (Filed before US8208569 priority date).
• US7418240B2: "Dynamic adaptation of impaired RF communication channels in a communication system" – directly addresses dynamic adaptation to channel conditions. (Filed before US8208569 priority date).

These references broadly deal with adaptive communication techniques, channel quality feedback, and error correction in multicarrier or wireless systems, which are central themes of US8208569. The distinguishing features of US8208569 would lie in the specific analysis methods (Doppler, delay profile, SIR per symbol) and the adaptive arrangement of code blocks in the two-dimensional time-frequency domain to equalize reception quality within the same coding block.

Obviousness Analysis of US Patent 8,208,569

This analysis addresses the obviousness of US Patent 8,208,569 ("Method and apparatus for multicarrier communication") under 35 U.S.C. § 103, considering prior art references identified within the patent document itself. The patent, filed on October 8, 2010, claims priority to June 12, 2003.

I. Summary of the Invention

US 8,208,569 generally relates to multicarrier communication systems, particularly Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) systems. The core invention, as described in the specification, is to improve the error correction rate of multicarrier signals by adjusting the two-dimensional (time and frequency) arrangement of error-correcting code blocks based on an analysis of the actual reception state of the multicarrier signal [cite: "An essence of the present invention"]. This adjustment aims to equalize the reception quality (e.g., Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) or Signal-to-Interference power Ratio (SIR)) within the code blocks, thereby improving the performance of error correcting codes like turbo codes or convolutional codes [cite: "Generally, the error rate characteristic of an error correcting code...", "This embodiment analyzes SNR variation (reception state) of each symbol..."].

Independent claim 1, directed to a transmission apparatus, describes:
"1. A transmission apparatus comprising: a coding section configured to encode first data and second data; and a mapping section configured to map the encoded first data to symbols in a first part of a domain comprising a time index and a frequency index, and the encoded second data to groups of symbols in a second part of the domain, wherein: at least a part of the encoded first data is mapped to at least a part of the symbols in the first part of the domain in an increasing order according to the frequency index; at least a part of the encoded second data is mapped to at least a part of the groups of symbols in the second part of the domain and each group of the at least a part of the groups of symbols is aligned in an increasing order according to the time index; and each symbol within each of the groups of symbols is aligned along the frequency index."

Independent claim 41, also for a transmission apparatus, details a similar concept where first and second data are mapped to symbols in a time-frequency domain, with symbols mapped along frequency until a "predetermined number" is exceeded, then time index is incremented, and crucially, "the predetermined number of symbols for the encoded first data and the encoded second data is different."

II. Prior Art References

The patent's "BACKGROUND ART" section explicitly discusses "Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. 2000-332724" (hereafter "JP '724") [cite: "Conventionally, a technology for enhancing reception performance... in Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. 2000-332724."]. The "Citations" section of the patent lists numerous other prior art documents, including:

• JP2000332724A (Mitsubishi Electric Corp.): "Multi-carrier transmission system and multi-carrier modulation method". (Corresponds to JP '724 in background).
• WO2001086826A2 (Motorola, Inc.): "Method of dynamic transmit scheduling using channel quality feedback".
• US20030097623A1 (Razavilar): "Method and apparatus for performance optimization and adaptive bit loading for wireless modems with convolutional coder, FEC, CRC and ARQ".

III. Obviousness Analysis

A person having ordinary skill in the art (PHOSITA) in multicarrier communication systems at the time of the invention (priority date June 12, 2003) would have found the claimed inventions of US 8,208,569 obvious based on the combination of the identified prior art references and general knowledge in the field.

A. Combination of JP2000332724A, US20030097623A1, WO2001086826A2, and General Knowledge

1. JP2000332724A (JP '724): This reference discloses a technology for arranging spreading chips in an OFDM/CDMA system in a two-dimensional time-frequency domain to reduce inter-code interference [cite: "The technology described in this Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. 2000-332724 arranges spreading chips not only in the time axis direction but also in the frequency axis direction..."]. A PHOSITA would readily understand the general principle of two-dimensional (time-frequency) resource allocation in multicarrier systems and the use of different arrangement patterns (e.g., continuous in time vs. continuous in frequency) to mitigate channel impairments. While JP '724 focuses on spreading chips in CDMA, the fundamental concept of mapping communication units onto a 2D time-frequency grid to achieve specific performance characteristics in a multicarrier environment is clearly taught.

2. US20030097623A1 (Razavilar): This patent explicitly teaches methods and apparatus for "performance optimization and adaptive bit loading for wireless modems with convolutional coder, FEC, CRC and ARQ". Razavilar thus teaches the critical aspects of using Error Correcting Coding (FEC) and adaptively optimizing transmission parameters based on channel conditions. A PHOSITA would understand that optimizing FEC performance entails managing the quality of data within a code block to ensure effective decoding, and that adaptation is key to maintaining performance in varying wireless channels.

3. WO2001086826A2 (Motorola): This reference describes a "method of dynamic transmit scheduling using channel quality feedback". This directly teaches the motivation and mechanism for adaptively changing transmission parameters, including how data is scheduled or arranged, based on feedback regarding the actual reception state or channel quality.

4. General Knowledge: It was well-known in the art that the performance of error correcting codes (like those mentioned in US 8,208,569, e.g., turbo codes and convolutional codes [cite: "Normally in a multicarrier communication, multicarrier signal is subjected to error correcting coding processing such as turbo coding and convolutional coding..."]) is significantly affected by the variation in reception quality (e.g., SNR) within a code block. A larger variation typically leads to worse error rates, even if the average reception quality is the same [cite: "Generally, the error rate characteristic of an error correcting code... decreases as the variation of reception quality... decreases, while the error rate increases as the variation of quality increases..."]. Furthermore, different types of channel impairments (e.g., fast fading due to high mobility causing time-axis variation, or frequency-selective fading due to multipaths causing frequency-axis variation [cite: "A mobile communication system using OFDM signals is affected by the SNR variation in the time axis direction... and affected by the SNR variation in the frequency axis direction..."]) benefit from different diversity techniques (time diversity vs. frequency diversity), which are achieved through different data interleaving or mapping patterns across the time-frequency domain. The concept of encoding "first data" and "second data" (as in Claim 1 and 41) could represent different data streams for different users or different types of data with varying quality of service requirements, which are common scenarios in adaptive wireless communication.

B. Motivation for Combination

A PHOSITA would be motivated to combine the teachings of these prior art references to overcome known challenges in multicarrier communication, specifically the deterioration of FEC performance due to varying channel conditions.

1. Applying 2D Mapping to FEC Code Blocks: Recognizing the benefits of 2D data arrangement in multicarrier systems from JP '724 (e.g., for mitigating channel impairments), a PHOSITA would naturally extend this concept from CDMA spreading chips to error-corrected code blocks in general multicarrier systems. This is a logical design choice for enhancing the robustness of coded data.
2. Adaptive Optimization for FEC: Given Razavilar's teachings on optimizing FEC performance and using adaptive techniques in wireless modems, and the general understanding that FEC performance is sensitive to quality variations within a code block, a PHOSITA would be motivated to adaptively adjust the 2D mapping of these code blocks. The goal would be to minimize quality variations within blocks to maximize the error correction capability, directly addressing the problem US 8,208,569 purports to solve.
3. Utilizing Channel Feedback for Adaptation: Motorola's disclosure of "dynamic transmit scheduling using channel quality feedback" provides the explicit mechanism and motivation for how such adaptive adjustment would be implemented. A PHOSITA would find it obvious to use channel quality feedback (e.g., Doppler frequency, delay profile, SIR, as discussed in US 8,208,569 [cite: "In the analysis step, the reception state is analyzed based on Doppler frequency and delay profile...", "the reception state is preferably analyzed based on a ratio of signal power to interference power for each symbol..."]) to dynamically select appropriate 2D mapping patterns for FEC code blocks.
4. Selecting Specific Mapping Patterns: The specific mapping patterns described in Claim 1 and Claim 41 (e.g., mapping along frequency for first data, and time-grouped with frequency alignment within groups for second data; or using different "predetermined numbers" for frequency-axis mapping for different data) represent known and straightforward techniques for distributing symbols in a 2D time-frequency grid. A PHOSITA would routinely select and apply such patterns to achieve desired diversity gains (time, frequency, or a combination) depending on the assessed channel characteristics and the type of data being transmitted. For instance, arranging data primarily along the frequency axis might be favored when time variations are dominant, while distributing data across both axes in specific blocks could offer resilience against both time and frequency selective fading. The decision to use different patterns for "first data" and "second data" (as claimed) would be an obvious design choice to accommodate different link conditions, different users (as illustrated in Embodiment 4 of US 8,208,569), or different quality of service requirements.

Therefore, combining the general concept of 2D data arrangement in multicarrier systems (JP '724), the principle of adaptive FEC optimization (Razavilar), and the use of channel quality feedback for dynamic scheduling (Motorola), along with the PHOSITA's knowledge of error correction coding and common 2D mapping techniques, would have rendered the claimed subject matter of US 8,208,569 obvious. The claimed specific mapping patterns are merely implementations of well-known strategies for interleaving and resource allocation in a 2D time-frequency domain for improved communication performance.