GBT is targeting Samsung, ZTE, Sony, HP, RIM, LG, HTC, Pantech, Dell, Huawei, Sierra Wireless, as well as Motorola, alleging infringement of its 6,574,267 and 7,359,427 patents, both entitled "Rach ramp-up acknowledgement." The patents, which have gone through an extensive revision period over the past few years, were filed in 1999 and 2003, respectively, and granted in 2003 and 2008, respectively. the documents describe a CDMA system using spread-spectrum modulation that achieves "reliable high data throughput and low delay."
This specific system consists of an approach of:
"receiving at a first RS (remote station)-spread-spectrum receiver the broadcast common-synchronization channel, and determining frame timing from the frame-timing signal, and transmitting from a first RS-spread-spectrum transmitter an access-burst signal.
The access-burst signal has a plurality of segments, which have a plurality of power levels. At the BS (base station)-spread-spectrum receiver the access-burst signal is received at a detected-power level. In response to receiving the access-burst signal, the BS-spread-spectrum transmitter transmits to the first RS-spread-spectrum receiver an acknowledgment signal.
The first RS-spread-spectrum receiver receives the acknowledgment signal, and in response to receiving the acknowledgment signal, the first RS-spread-spectrum transmitter transmits to the BS-spread-spectrum receiver, a spread-spectrum signal having data."
GBT alleges that, in total, more than 200 3G and 4G LTE cell phones and tablets offered by the lawsuit targets are infringing on its patent. The company asks for triple damages for "willful" past and present patent infringement. There is no request to halt any product shipments and sales.
GBT, based in Long Branch, New Jersey is a relatively old IP company by today's standards. The firm owns 50 patents in the CDMA space and was formed in 1995 "by a consortium of telecommunication technology investors, scientists and intellectual property attorneys." Its primary business is "the creation, licensing and enforcement of Wideband CDMA technology and intellectual property," but it does not actively manufacture any products.
