PTAB

IPR2018-01777

Sprint Spectrum LP v. Intellectual Ventures II LLC

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Petition
petition

1. Case Identification

2. Patent Overview

  • Title: Paging in a Wireless Network
  • Brief Description: The ’330 patent discloses methods for paging User Equipment (UE) in a wireless network, such as a Long-Term Evolution (LTE) network. The technology focuses on a network-initiated connection procedure that uses paging indicators mapped to a control channel to alert a UE in an idle or dormant state, thereby speeding up the connection process and conserving UE battery power.

3. Grounds for Unpatentability

Ground 1: Obviousness over LG and Montojo - Claims 1-3, 7-10, 14, 17-20, 24-27, 31, and 34 are obvious over the LG Patent in view of the Montojo Patent.

  • Prior Art Relied Upon: LG (Patent 8,135,420), Montojo (Patent 8,914,048).
  • Core Argument for this Ground:
    • Prior Art Mapping: Petitioner argued that LG taught the fundamental framework for paging a UE in an idle state within an LTE network. LG disclosed sending a paging indicator on a control channel (e.g., a PICH or L1/2 control channel) to inform the UE about a forthcoming paging message on a separate shared data channel (e.g., DL-SCH). However, LG identified a significant technical hurdle: a long UE identifier (like an IMSI or a full 32-bit RNTI) is too large to be included in the bit-limited control channel, preventing the most efficient power-saving implementation. Petitioner asserted that Montojo directly addressed and solved this exact problem. Montojo taught a method for "enhanced paging" that uses a partial UE identifier—specifically, a predetermined number of least significant bits (LSBs) of the RNTI—in the paging indicator sent on a shared control channel. By combining these references, a Person of Ordinary Skill in the Art (POSITA) would arrive at the claimed invention: a network device (from LG) that sends a signal (paging indicator) on a control channel, where that signal is derived from a shortened RNTI (as taught by Montojo) and includes an indication of a shared channel for the UE to receive the full paging message (a concept present in both references).
    • Motivation to Combine: A POSITA reviewing LG’s disclosure would recognize the stated goal of improving UE battery life and the identified problem of fitting a long UE ID into a fast control channel. Petitioner contended this would directly motivate the POSITA to search for known techniques to shorten or truncate UE identifiers for this purpose. Montojo, which is in the same field of endeavor and addresses "Enhanced Paging," provided an explicit solution. The motivation was to combine LG's overall paging framework with Montojo's specific technique for shortening the UE ID to achieve the well-understood and commercially desirable goal of enhanced power savings and network efficiency. Montojo’s teaching of a hashing function to manage potential collisions from using partial IDs further supported the rationale for this combination.
    • Expectation of Success: Petitioner argued that a POSITA would have a reasonable expectation of success in combining the references. The proposed combination involved applying Montojo's specific identifier-shortening technique to LG's compatible paging system to solve a problem explicitly identified by LG. The result—sending a short paging indicator on a fast control channel to save power—was the predictable outcome of combining these teachings. Both references operate within the same 3GPP/LTE framework, ensuring technical compatibility.

4. Relief Requested

  • Petitioner requests institution of an inter partes review and cancellation of claims 1-3, 7-10, 14, 17-20, 24-27, 31, and 34 of the ’330 patent as unpatentable.