Corning Optical Commc'ns Wireless, Ltd. v. Solid Inc., Case No. 5:14-cv-03750-PSG

CORNING OPTICAL COMMUNICATIONS WIRELESS, LTD., Plaintiff,
v.
SOLID INC., et. al., Defendants.

Case No. 5:14-cv-03750-PSG

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA SAN JOSE DIVISION

August 19, 2015

CLAIM CONSTRUCTION ORDER

(Re: Docket No. 176)

In this patent infringement suit, Plaintiff Corning Optical Communications Wireless, Ltd. alleges that Defendants SOLiD Inc. and Reach Holdings, LLC (collectively, "SOLiD") infringe U.S. Patent Nos. 5,969,837 and 7,483,504. The parties submitted 14 claim construction disputes for resolution by the court.¹ On April 22, 2015, the court held a claim construction hearing and the same day issued a summary construction order.² At that time, the court explained that a more complete order would follow providing the court's reasoning.³ The court now does just that.

I.

This case is about distributed antenna system networks that improve wireless coverage in

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buildings and other large structures.

The '837 patent was filed on July 1, 1997 and issued on October 19, 1999.⁴ The '837 patent describes a DAS system which uses a single optical fiber "simultaneously for a number of wireless communications systems."⁵ Figure 1 of the '837 patent depicts a "typical system [in which] a plurality of wireless network services, such as PCS, GSM and other wireless telephone and radio services as well as paging services, each communicate via an appropriate antenna (not shown) with one or more multi-system stations:"⁶

Image materials not available for display.

Figure 1 shows a base unit (10) "which communicates with each of the required wireless network services" via "fiberoptic cables 16 to a plurality of remote units 20."⁷ The base station combines the wireless signals into a multiplexed RF, converts the RF signal to an optical signal, and sends to optical signal to the remote unit.⁸ Each remote unit receives the optical signal

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transmitted via the fiberoptic cable, converts the optical signal to RF, splits the RF signal, and then transmits the signal through "individual antennas, such as antennas 30, 28 and 26 for PCS, GSM and paging networks respectively."⁹

Claim 1 of the '837 patent requires:

1. A communications station comprising:

a base unit comprising:

a communications interface for communicating with plural wireless communications networks;

wherein the plural wireless communications networks comprise at least two communications networks selected from the group consisting of cellular telephone networks cordless telephones, wide area data networks wireless local area networks, personal communications systems, personal communications networks, paging/messaging networks and satellite mobile systems;

a received communications combiner for combining received analog communications signals received from said plural wireless communications networks into a single radio frequency analog output;

a transmit communications splitter for splitting previously combined transmit analog communications signals to be transmitted to said plural wireless communications networks into plural radio frequency analog outputs;

at least one fiberoptic transmitter receiving said single radio frequency analog output and providing a corresponding optical output; and

at least one fiberoptic receiver receiving an optical input and providing an RF analog output containing previously combined transmit analog communications signals;

a plurality of remote units, each comprising:

plural antennas for communicating with communicators along plural wireless communications networks;

a received communications splitter for splitting previously combined received analog communications signals from said base unit and supplying them to said plural antennas;

a transmit communications combiner for combining transmit analog communications signals from said plural antennas into a combined radio

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frequency analog output;

a fiberoptic transmitter receiving said combined radio frequency analog output and providing a corresponding optical output; and

a fiberoptic receiver receiving an optical input and providing an RF analog output to said received communications splitter containing previously received transmit analog communications signals;

a first optical fiber connecting each fiberoptic transmitter of said base unit with a corresponding fiberoptic receiver in a corresponding remote unit; and

a second optical fiber connecting each fiberoptic transmitter of a remote unit with a corresponding fiberoptic receiver in said base unit; and

wherein a low frequency control signal is multiplexed by said communications interface onto said optical fiber for providing loop back alarm status of each remote unit and for providing control signals thereto, which control amplifier gain and balance thereof.¹⁰

The '504 patent was filed on February 6, 2008 and issued on January 27, 2009.¹¹ The '504 patent discloses "methods and systems for carrying different signals required for MIMO [multiple input multiple output] communication using a single coaxial cable between two endpoints of a DAS, e.g. between a distribution point and each of the antenna locations."¹² Figure 2 of the '504 patent is a schematic representation of a DAS system using a single coaxial cable:

Image materials not available for display.

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Figure 2 shows three services (Service A, Service B, and Service C) distributed from service combiner (210) to antenna arrays (208) in N remote locations.¹³ A remote unit (206) with antenna array (208) serves each remote location.¹⁴ "All signals of the three antennas, of all services, in both directions (Forward and Reverse) between a Master unit 202 and Remote unit 206, are transferred ('propagated') via a single coaxial cable 204."¹⁵

Claim 1 of the '504 patent requires:

1. A method for propagating multiple input multiple output (MIMO) over a distributed antenna system (DAS) network, comprising the steps of:

a) providing a plurality n of original MIMO signals;

b) at a first endpoint of the DAS network, frequency shifting n-1 of the MIMO signals into signals with n-1 separate frequencies, with one MIMO signal left un-shifted in frequency;

c) propagating the n-1 frequency shifted signals and the un-shifted frequency signal together over a single coaxial cable extending for at least part of a path from the first endpoint to a second endpoint of the DAS network; and

d) at the second endpoint, reconstructing the original MIMO signals.¹⁶

Following the Markman hearing held in this case, the court construed the disputed claim terms as follows:¹⁷

PATENT NO.	CLAIM TERM/PHRASE	CONSTRUCTION
'837	"[remote unit comprising] plural antennas for communicating with communicators along plural wireless communications networks"	"two or more antennas for sending and/or receiving wireless signals to/from communications devices over the plural wireless communications networks"

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'837	"wherein a low frequency control signal is multiplexed by said communications interface onto said optical fiber"	"a low frequency control signal is a signal used to convey control information and having a lower frequency than the analog communications signals; the communications interface includes the device(s) and/or circuitry that multiplex(es) the low frequency control signal with another signal to be transmitted on the optical fiber"
'837	"wherein a low frequency data signal is multiplexed by said communications interface to a microprocessor"	"a low frequency data signal is a signal used to convey data and having a lower frequency than the analog communications signals; the communications interface includes the device(s) and/or circuitry that multiplex(es) the low frequency data signal with another signal to be transmitted to a microprocessor"
'837	"fiberoptic transmitter receiving said [single/combined] radio frequency analog output and providing a corresponding optical output"	Plain and ordinary meaning
'837	"fiberoptic receiver receiving an optical input and providing an RF analog output"	Plain and ordinary

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