Building an invalidity case for a smartphone power management patent

Prior art across four countries helped a global electronics company weigh the risk of an NPE's mobile patent claim.

The Challenge

Context-aware display power management

We were approached by the IP team of a global consumer electronics company to search prior art relating to a telecommunications patent asserted by a well-known non-practicing entity (NPE). Despite the demanding timeline, our work supported the client’s assessment of the patent’s validity.

The asserted patent covered proximity sensors to implement context-aware display power management. By automatically reducing or disabling display power when the device detects that it is close to an object, such as a user’s ear, the system minimizes unnecessary energy consumption and extends battery life without affecting normal device operation.

The client needed to know whether these concepts already existed in earlier mobile phone technology, predating the patent’s priority date.

The Solution

An invalidity search across borders and languages

We conducted an extensive invalidity search across worldwide patent literature, technical publications, product documentation, standards-related materials, and foreign-language references, evaluating more than 160 references against the asserted claim limitations.

Our approach included:

160+ references evaluated

Reviewed patent and non-patent references spanning mobile handset design, wireless communications, battery management, and proximity sensing.

Global, multilingual coverage

Searched foreign-language references (German, Korean, Japanese, Chinese) and standards-related materials alongside worldwide patent literature.

Precise claim-limitation focus

Focused on disclosures combining proximity sensing with display power management during calls.

Our impact

Cross-border prior art disclosing the exact concept

Our research identified numerous highly relevant references from multiple jurisdictions, including early Japanese, Korean, European, and U.S. disclosures describing mobile devices that detected user proximity and reduced display power to conserve battery life.

Multi-jurisdiction disclosures found

Uncovered early Japanese, Korean, European, and U.S. references describing the same proximity-and-power-saving concept.

Core claim limitations directly addressed

Several references addressed the patent’s core claim limitations head-on.

Substantial body of art for strategic response

Delivered a substantial body of prior art to inform the client’s invalidity arguments and overall response strategy.

Navigating an NPE assertion?

Assessing litigation risk often requires identifying relevant prior art within tight deadlines. We help clients deliver thorough, defensible research that supports informed litigation decisions.

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The challenge

A global electronics company needed to assess the risk of an NPE’s patent claim on smartphone power-saving technology.

Why it worked

Global, multilingual invalidity search

Reviewing 160+ references across four jurisdictions surfaced prior art disclosing the exact patented concept.

The outcome