DCT

1:17-cv-01183

Pilot Inc v. Winplus North America Inc

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Key Events
Complaint

I. Executive Summary and Procedural Information

  • Parties & Counsel:
  • Case Identification: 1:17-cv-01183, D. Colo., 05/12/2017
  • Venue Allegations: Venue is alleged to be proper in the District of Colorado because Defendant WinPlus allegedly conducts business and has committed acts of infringement in the district.
  • Core Dispute: Plaintiff alleges that Defendant’s portable automobile jump starter infringes a patent related to safety circuitry for preventing dangerous electrical discharges.
  • Technical Context: The technology concerns safety systems in portable, lithium-battery-based automobile jump starters, a consumer electronics category where safety and ease of use are significant market differentiators.
  • Key Procedural History: The complaint notes that the asserted patent claims priority from a Chinese application. Plaintiff also alleges that its own commercial product, the "LIGHTNING Power Jump Starter," embodies the patented technology and was a commercial success, suggesting a potential basis for lost profits damages.

Case Timeline

Date Event
2014-04-28 Priority Date for ’297 Patent (based on Chinese Application)
2014-09-01 Plaintiff Pilot begins delivery of its "LIGHTNING" product
2016-12-20 U.S. Patent No. 9,525,297 Issues
2016-12-20 Alleged Start Date of Defendant's Infringement
2017-05-12 Complaint Filed

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

U.S. Patent No. 9,525,297 - “Automobile Charger”

  • Patent Identification: U.S. Patent No. 9,525,297, “Automobile Charger,” issued December 20, 2016.

The Invention Explained

  • Problem Addressed: The patent addresses safety risks associated with portable automobile chargers, such as the inability to automatically detect whether a load is properly connected, whether the electrodes are connected with reverse polarity, or whether the vehicle’s battery has a dangerous reverse current (’297 Patent, col. 4:18-25). The complaint characterizes the problem as preventing "unwanted or dangerous discharges when the mobile battery charging unit is stored" (Compl. ¶7).
  • The Patented Solution: The invention is a safety circuit for a portable jump starter. It uses a microcontroller to coordinate several distinct modules: a DC-to-DC converter, a battery voltage detection module, a load detection module, and an automobile start control module (’297 Patent, Fig. 1). This configuration ensures that the device will not supply power unless it detects that it is correctly connected to a vehicle's battery, thereby preventing short circuits, reverse polarity damage, or other hazardous conditions (Compl. ¶7, ¶9; ’297 Patent, col. 4:30-36). The complaint includes a block diagram from the patent illustrating the interconnectedness of these modules (Compl. p. 3).
  • Technical Importance: This approach provided a comprehensive safety system that could automatically verify connection conditions before delivering a high-current charge, which the complaint alleges was "essential to the success" of such products (Compl. ¶15).

Key Claims at a Glance

  • The complaint asserts infringement of Independent Claim 1 (Compl. ¶20, ¶31).
  • The essential elements of Independent Claim 1 include:
    • A direct current power supply.
    • A positive pole of the power supply connected "simultaneously" to a first lead of a DC-to-DC module, a first lead of a battery voltage detection module, and a first lead of a load module.
    • A negative pole of the power supply connected "simultaneously" to a second lead of the DC-to-DC module, a first lead of a microcontroller, a first lead of an automobile start control module, and a second lead of the battery voltage detection module.
    • A specific interconnection scheme between the microcontroller and the other modules.
    • A "load module" that is defined as including an "automobile storage battery and an automobile engine."
  • The complaint does not explicitly reserve the right to assert other claims, but it accuses the product of infringing the '297 patent generally (Compl. ¶33).

III. The Accused Instrumentality

Product Identification

  • The "WinPlus Car Jump Start and Portable Power Bank" (Compl. ¶17).

Functionality and Market Context

  • The accused product is a portable lithium battery system designed to jump-start a car and serve as a power bank for other electronics (Compl. ¶17). A photograph of the accused product is provided in the complaint (Compl. p. 6).
  • The complaint alleges that the accused product incorporates a "safety switch" on its jumper cables that contains the infringing circuitry (Compl. ¶18). It further alleges that, based on an "evaluation of the printed circuit board and the product specification sheets," WinPlus "adopted the same electrical configuration" as patented by the inventor (Compl. ¶18). The complaint claims the accused product's safety switch is a "copy of the electrical configuration patented" (Compl. ¶19).
  • The product is allegedly sold through major third-party retailers such as Walmart, Target, and Amazon (Compl. ¶17).

IV. Analysis of Infringement Allegations

’297 Patent Infringement Allegations

| Claim Element (from Independent Claim 1) | Alleged Infringing Functionality | Complaint Citation | Patent Citation |
|:---------------------------------------------|:-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------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|
| A novel automobile charger which comprises a direct current power supply | The accused product is a novel automobile charger with a direct current power supply. | ¶30(a) | col. 5:2-3 |
| a positive pole of the direct current voltage connected with a first lead of a DC to DC module, a first lead of a battery voltage detection module, and a first lead of a load module simultaneously | The accused product's power supply has a positive pole that allegedly connects to the specified module leads simultaneously. | ¶30(b) | col. 5:4-7 |
| a negative pole of the direct current power supply connected with a second lead of the DC to DC module, a first lead microcontroller, a first lead of an automobile start control module and a second lead of the battery voltage detection module simultaneously | The accused product's power supply has a negative pole that allegedly connects to the specified module and microcontroller leads simultaneously. | ¶30(c)-(e) | col. 5:8-12 |
| a third lead of the DC to DC module connected with a second lead of the microcontroller, and three additional leads of the microcontroller connected with a third lead of the battery voltage detection module, a second lead of the automobile start control module and a first lead of a load detection module respectively | The accused product's safety switch allegedly contains the same electrical configuration, including the specific connections between the DC to DC module, microcontroller, and other modules. | ¶18, ¶30(f)-(g) | col. 5:13-19 |
| wherein a second lead of the load detection module is connected with a third lead of the automobile start control module and a second lead of the load module simultaneously | The accused product allegedly features the claimed simultaneous connection between the load detection module and the automobile start control module. | ¶30(h) | col. 5:20-23 |
| the load module including an automobile storage battery and an automobile engine is located on one end of an automobile | The accused product is used with an automobile engine and storage battery, which the complaint alleges fulfills this limitation. The complaint shows an image of the jumper cables connecting to the portable power pack, which are then connected to the car battery (Compl. p. 5). | ¶29, ¶30(i) | col. 5:24-26 |

  • Identified Points of Contention:
    • Scope Questions: A central question will be the construction of "load module," which Claim 1 defines as "including an automobile storage battery and an automobile engine." The court will need to determine how a limitation that recites components external to the accused device (the portable charger itself) affects the infringement analysis.
    • Technical Questions: The complaint's theory hinges on the allegation that the WinPlus product has the "same electrical configuration" as claimed (Compl. ¶18). The infringement analysis will depend on whether the accused device's circuitry, upon technical inspection, actually implements the specific, multi-point "simultaneously" connected architecture recited in Claim 1. The defense may argue that its product uses a different circuit topology that does not meet these specific connection requirements.

V. Key Claim Terms for Construction

  • The Term: "simultaneously"

  • Context and Importance: This term appears four times in Claim 1, describing the electrical connections between the power supply poles and various module leads. Practitioners may focus on this term because the infringement case depends on whether the accused product's circuit architecture has the exact topology required. The definition of "simultaneously"—whether it requires a single electrical node or a more functional/temporal equivalence—will be critical.

  • Intrinsic Evidence for Interpretation:

    • Evidence for a Broader Interpretation: The patent's summary describes the modules being connected in a particular arrangement but does not repeatedly use the word "simultaneously," potentially suggesting a focus on the overall functional relationship rather than a single physical node (’297 Patent, col. 4:39-57).
    • Evidence for a Narrower Interpretation: The claim language itself is highly specific, listing multiple leads connected to a single pole "simultaneously." This suggests a specific physical wiring configuration. The detailed circuit diagram in Figure 2 shows specific connections that could be argued to define the "simultaneous" connections as being tied to a common bus or node (’297 Patent, Fig. 2).

  • The Term: "load module including an automobile storage battery and an automobile engine"

  • Context and Importance: This term defines a key element of the claim as something external to the physical product being sold. Practitioners may focus on this term because it raises a question of divided infringement and whether the claim is properly directed to the charger itself or to a system that only exists when the charger is connected to a car.

  • Intrinsic Evidence for Interpretation:

    • Evidence for a Broader Interpretation: The patent consistently describes the invention as an "automobile charger" intended for use with a vehicle, suggesting that the "load module" is properly understood as the external environment in which the device is designed to operate (’297 Patent, Title, Abstract).
    • Evidence for a Narrower Interpretation: The claim uses the structural term "comprising" and explicitly lists the "load module" as an element of the claimed "charger." This could be construed to mean the claim is directed to a combination of the charger and the car, potentially creating issues for proving direct infringement by the Defendant, who only sells the charger.

VI. Other Allegations

  • Indirect Infringement: The complaint alleges that WinPlus induces infringement by providing an "instruction manual, videos, packaging and other promotional materials" that instruct users to connect and use the accused product with automobile engines in an infringing manner (Compl. ¶29, ¶34).
  • Willful Infringement: Willfulness is alleged for any infringement occurring after WinPlus received the complaint, which would establish knowledge of the patent (Compl. ¶35).

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

  • A core issue will be one of definitional scope: can the "automobile charger" of Claim 1 be found to infringe when one of its key limitations, the "load module," is defined as including the car battery and engine—components that the defendant does not make, use, or sell? The construction of this term may determine whether the claim is validly asserted against the portable charger alone.
  • A key evidentiary question will be one of technical identity: the complaint alleges the accused product is a "copy" with the "same electrical configuration." The case will likely turn on whether discovery and expert analysis of the accused device's printed circuit board confirms that its circuitry maps precisely onto the specific, multi-lead "simultaneously" connected architecture required by Claim 1, or if it achieves a similar safety function through a technically distinct design.