For those of you with PACER access, the dispute between Symbol and Intermec is in the Delaware Federal Court where it bears action no. 1:04-cv-00357-GMS. A Markman hearing is set for early September and a trial in May '06.
Here is Intermec's statement concerning the disputed patents.
STATEMENT OF FACTS
The four patents in this case are related to Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Technology. RFID is an identification technology used to identify without the necessity of having direct contact with, or visible access to, the Examples of the many uses of RFID include tags on windshields for entry to a
implantable chips for identification of pets and cattle, and tags on goods so they tracked through the supply chain. An RFID system typically consists of one or(also called transponders); one or more read/write devices (also called readers stations); and application software and a host computer system. RFID tagsserial number, configuration instructions, when the item traveled through a certain zone, even temperature and other data provided by sensors. Radio waves are used to transfer data between the RFID tag and the reader. The reader sends out a radio signal, which is received by any tags tuned to the reader’s frequency that are present in the RF field. The tags have antennas that receive the signal, and selected tags respond by reflecting the incoming radio signal modulated by the data stored on the tags. The process of the tag reflecting the incoming reader carrier signal modulated about that signals carrier frequency is called backscatter. The reader receives the modulated tag signal with its antenna, decodes it and transfers the data to the host computer system.
The tags at issue in this case are passive tags, which means the tags do not have batteries, but instead receive all of the power necessary for their operation from the incoming RF signal. Active tags, by contrast, are powered by a battery contained on the tag.
The four patents at issue in this case are directed at different aspects of the RFID system:
For the knowledgeable tech folks who might be reading this, the description comes from Document no.70 on the docket which is a brief filed by Intermec. It goes into considerably more detail than I can do so here. |
