DCT

3:18-cv-01396

Crandall Tech LLC v. GreatCall Inc

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Key Events
Amended Complaint

I. Executive Summary and Procedural Information

  • Parties & Counsel:
  • Case Identification: 3:18-cv-01396, S.D. Cal., 03/04/2019
  • Venue Allegations: Plaintiff alleges venue is proper in the Southern District of California because Defendant maintains its corporate headquarters and a regular and established place of business within the district, and because a substantial part of the events giving rise to the infringement claim occurred there.
  • Core Dispute: Plaintiff alleges that Defendant’s Lively-branded personal emergency response systems and associated services infringe a patent directed to a wearable self-defense system.
  • Technical Context: The technology operates within the personal emergency response system (PERS) market, which provides users, particularly seniors, with wearable devices to summon help in an emergency.
  • Key Procedural History: This First Amended Complaint follows an original complaint and an answer from the Defendant. The complaint notes that Defendant was acquired by Best Buy Co., Inc. after the lawsuit was initiated. Plaintiff also alleges it provided Defendant with pre-suit notice of the patent-in-suit via letter and email.

Case Timeline

Date Event
2011-07-12 ’789 Patent Priority Date
2012-10-31 Defendant launches Jitterbug Touch smartphone
2013-08-28 Defendant launches Jitterbug Touch 2 smartphone
2014-09-04 Defendant launches GreatCall Touch3 smartphone
2014-10-07 U.S. Patent 8,854,789 issues
2016-01-06 Defendant announces launch of Lively Wearable Device
2016-04-18 Defendant releases a version of the Lively Wearable Smartphone App
2016-09-01 Defendant releases another version of the Lively Wearable Smartphone App
2018-06-13 Plaintiff sends pre-suit notice letter to Defendant
2018-06-22 Plaintiff sends pre-suit notice email to Defendant
2018-08-30 Defendant launches Jitterbug Smart 2 smartphone
2019-03-04 First Amended Complaint filed

II. Technology and Patent(s)-in-Suit Analysis

U.S. Patent No. 8,854,789 - "SELF-DEFENSE SYSTEM,"

  • Patent Identification: U.S. Patent No. 8,854,789, "SELF-DEFENSE SYSTEM," issued October 7, 2014.

The Invention Explained

  • Problem Addressed: The patent describes a limitation of conventional self-defense devices, such as pepper spray, which often require a user to sacrifice a natural defensive posture to aim and operate the device, thereby exposing vital organs to harm (’789 Patent, col. 2:50-65).
  • The Patented Solution: The invention is a wearable system designed to be worn on an appendage like an arm or hand. It integrates a sensor (e.g., a pressure sensor) with a "defense unit" (e.g., a chemical projector or stun gun) (’789 Patent, Abstract; col. 5:1-21). This allows a user to initiate a "defense event" automatically or with minimal action—for instance, when an attacker grabs the user's arm or when the user assumes a defensive posture—without compromising that posture (’789 Patent, col. 5:1-14). Figure 34 depicts the system integrated into a glove-like material worn on a user's hand (’789 Patent, FIG. 34).
  • Technical Importance: The claimed invention aims to enhance user safety by allowing a defensive response to be activated while maintaining a protective stance, a tactical advantage in a physical confrontation (’789 Patent, col. 2:50-65).

Key Claims at a Glance

  • The complaint asserts independent claims 1 and 17, along with dependent claims 2-5, 8, 9, 12, and 15 (Compl. ¶¶96-171).
  • Independent Claim 1 recites a system comprising:
    • a material sized to conform to an appendage;
    • a pressure sensor unit with a wireless transmitter to generate a pressure input signal;
    • a defense unit coupled to the material, with a wireless receiver to receive the signal and initiate a defense event based on it.
  • Independent Claim 17 recites a similar system that adds:
    • a manual selector to generate a manual execution signal;
    • where the defense unit is configured to initiate a defense event in response to either the pressure input signal or the manual execution signal.
  • The complaint expressly reserves the right to assert additional claims at a later date (Compl. ¶¶197-198).

III. The Accused Instrumentality

Product Identification

  • The complaint collectively identifies the accused instrumentality as the combination of Defendant's "Lively Wearable Device," the required "Lively Wearable Smartphone Application," the "5Star Urgent Response Service," and compatible smartphones sold by the Defendant (e.g., the Jitterbug series) (Compl. ¶¶95, 98, 85).

Functionality and Market Context

  • The Lively Wearable is a small device with an "Urgent Response Button" that can be worn on a wristband or lanyard (Compl. ¶¶36, 41). When a user presses the button, the device uses a Bluetooth wireless protocol to transmit a signal to the user's nearby smartphone (Compl. ¶43). The smartphone, running the Lively app, then contacts Defendant's 5Star Urgent Response Center, initiating a two-way call with an agent and transmitting the user's GPS location (Compl. ¶61). The complaint alleges the Lively Wearable can also automatically detect falls and trigger an alert (Compl. ¶64). The complaint references a user guide for the Lively Wearable Device, which illustrates how the device is worn using a wristband or lanyard accessory (Compl. ¶36; Compl. Ex. R, p. 4).
  • The complaint alleges the accused products are a key part of Defendant's business, which it describes as a "leading provider of connected health and personal emergency response services" with over 900,000 paying subscribers, and notes that Best Buy valued the "developed technology" of the company at $52 million during its acquisition (Compl. ¶¶92, 93, 205).

IV. Analysis of Infringement Allegations

’789 Patent Infringement Allegations

| Claim Element (from Independent Claim 1) | Alleged Infringing Functionality | Complaint Citation | Patent Citation |
|:---------------------------------------------|:--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| a material sized to conform to an appendage | The housing of the user's smartphone, which is allegedly sized to fit within a user's hand (the "appendage"), or a smartphone armband shown in Defendant's instructional materials. | ¶101, ¶178 | col. 5:58-63 |
| a pressure sensor unit integrated with a wireless transmitter, said pressure sensor unit configured to generate a pressure input signal | The Lively Wearable Device itself, which contains an "Urgent Response Button" that a user physically presses, and an integrated Bluetooth transmitter. | ¶103 | col. 12:12-15 |
| and a defense unit coupled with said material, said defense unit integrated with a wireless receiver... | The user's smartphone running the Lively Wearable Smartphone Application. It is allegedly "coupled with" the smartphone housing ("the material") and contains a Bluetooth receiver. | ¶108, ¶109 | col. 5:12-14 |
| ...and said defense unit configured to initiate a defense event based on said pressure input signal. | Upon receiving the signal from the Lively Wearable Device, the smartphone and app initiate a call and send location data to the 5Star Urgent Response Center, which the complaint frames as the "defense event." | ¶106, ¶108 | col. 5:14-21 |

  • Identified Points of Contention:
    • Scope Questions: A primary dispute may arise from the differing purposes of the patented invention and the accused system. The ’789 patent is titled "SELF-DEFENSE SYSTEM" and its specification is exclusively focused on providing physical defense against an "attacker" using countermeasures like pepper spray or stun guns (’789 Patent, col. 2:42-53, col. 5:14-18). The accused product is a personal emergency response system (PERS) for summoning medical or other emergency help. The case raises the question of whether the term "defense event" can be construed broadly enough to cover a medical alert, or if it is limited by the specification to physical self-defense scenarios.
    • Technical Questions: The complaint's theory of infringement raises questions about the correspondence between claim elements and accused components. For instance, does a standard smartphone housing, which is held in the hand, meet the "material sized to conform to an appendage" limitation? The patent’s specification and figures consistently depict this element as a wearable item like a glove or wristband that "wraps around a person's arm or hand" (’789 Patent, col. 5:4-7; FIG. 34). The complaint supports its allegation with a screenshot from Defendant's materials showing a user with a smartphone in an armband (Compl. ¶51; Compl. Ex. S, p. 3).

V. Key Claim Terms for Construction

  • The Term: "self-defense system" / "defense event"

  • Context and Importance: The construction of these terms appears central to the dispute. The patent's explicit focus is on physical self-defense, while the accused product is a medical/emergency alert system. The viability of the infringement claim may depend on whether the scope of "defense" can extend beyond the patent's specific examples.

  • Intrinsic Evidence for Interpretation:

    • Evidence for a Broader Interpretation: The body of Claim 1 itself does not explicitly limit the "defense event" to physical countermeasures against an attacker. Plaintiff's argument appears to rely on this lack of explicit limitation, alleging the accused system functions to "protect the user or the user's interests" (Compl. ¶98).
    • Evidence for a Narrower Interpretation: The patent’s title, abstract, background, and detailed description consistently frame the invention in the context of physical confrontations. The specification describes fending off "attackers" and "an attacking dog" and lists exemplary defense events as "spraying a substance (e.g., a lachrymatory agent or pepper spray)" or "generating a voltage differential across two electrodes of a stun gun" (’789 Patent, col. 1:19; col. 2:42-53; col. 5:15-18). This intrinsic evidence may support a narrower construction limited to physical defense.

  • The Term: "material sized to conform to an appendage"

  • Context and Importance: Plaintiff alleges that a smartphone housing, a clothing pocket, or a smartphone armband meets this limitation. The construction of this term will determine whether these common ways of carrying a phone can satisfy the claim element. Practitioners may focus on this term because the patent's embodiments appear distinct from the primary accused component (a smartphone housing).

  • Intrinsic Evidence for Interpretation:

    • Evidence for a Broader Interpretation: The term "material" is generic. Plaintiff alleges the smartphone housing is "sized such that the Housing is able to fit within a user's hand" (Compl. ¶101), which could be argued to meet the plain meaning of "conform to an appendage."
    • Evidence for a Narrower Interpretation: The specification repeatedly describes the material as a wearable item that "wraps around a person's arm or hand" and provides illustrations of glove- and wristband-like embodiments (’789 Patent, col. 5:4-7; FIGS. 34, 35A). This may support an interpretation requiring a component specifically designed to be worn on an appendage, rather than simply held by it.

VI. Other Allegations

  • Indirect Infringement: The complaint alleges induced infringement, stating that Defendant instructs users, via user guides and other materials, to download the mandatory smartphone application and operate the Lively Wearable device in a manner that allegedly constitutes direct infringement (Compl. ¶¶181-183).
  • Willful Infringement: The complaint alleges willful infringement based on both pre-suit and post-suit conduct. It alleges Defendant had actual notice of the patent via a letter and email sent in June 2018, prior to the lawsuit's filing (Compl. ¶¶192-193). It further alleges that Defendant's continued advertisement of the accused product after being served with the complaint constitutes egregious conduct supporting willfulness (Compl. ¶¶194-195).

VII. Analyst’s Conclusion: Key Questions for the Case

  • A core issue will be one of definitional scope: can the terms "self-defense system" and "defense event," which are rooted in the patent’s explicit context of physical confrontation with an "attacker," be construed to cover a personal emergency response system designed to summon medical or general emergency assistance?
  • A key evidentiary question will be one of structural correspondence: does a standard smartphone housing, a clothing pocket, or an armband function as the "material sized to conform to an appendage" as required by the claims, or does the patent’s specification limit this term to integrated wearable items like the gloves and bands illustrated in the patent? The resolution of this will heavily influence the infringement analysis.