Judge Profile

Stephen E. Belisle

86 IP cases indexed. Covers patent matters.

Cases Presided Over

86 cases indexed | Page 2 of 3

patent instituted

Google LLC et al. v.Headwater Research LLC

· IPR2024-00942

Google LLC et al. successfully secured institution in an IPR against Headwater Research LLC's '541 patent regarding device-assisted services for network capacity control. The Board found sufficient evidence that the remaining claims are unpatentable under 35 U.S.C. §§ 102 and 103, based on prior art including Rao.

patent denied

Google LLC et al. v.Headwater Research LLC

· IPR2024-00944

Google's IPR challenge against Headwater Research failed at the institution stage, with the PTAB denying the petition. The Board found that Google did not demonstrate a reasonable likelihood of prevailing on unpatentability over prior art Rao and 6 US 8,028,060 B1 for claims 79 and 83.

patent denied

Google LLC et al. v.Headwater Research LLC

· IPR2024-00945

Google's attempt to invalidate a wireless traffic control patent was denied by the PTAB, as the petitioner failed to meet the 'reasonable likelihood' standard for obviousness. The Board found that the prior art did not sufficiently teach or suggest the specific differential traffic policies claimed in the patent.

patent instituted

Cellco Partnership d/b/a Verizon Wireless et al. v.Headwater Research LLC

· IPR2024-01042

Cellco Partnership d/b/a Verizon Wireless et al. successfully challenged Headwater Research LLC's patent (8924543) on grounds of obviousness, leading to the institution of the IPR proceeding. The petitioner argued that combining prior art references Poh and Maes rendered the claimed network service provisioning system obvious.

patent instituted

Cellco Partnership d/b/a Verizon Wireless et al. v.Headwater Research LLC

· IPR2024-01041

The PTAB instituted an IPR challenge against a wireless communications patent covering network service plan provisioning. The Petitioner, Cellco/Verizon Wireless et al., successfully demonstrated a reasonable likelihood of prevailing on its grounds of unpatentability under 35 U.S.C. §§ 102 and 103. This sets the stage for a full trial proceeding on all 42 challenged claims.

patent instituted

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. et al. v.Headwater Research LLC

· IPR2024-01051

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. successfully petitioned to institute IPR against Headwater Research LLC's patent (8639811) regarding wireless device provisioning and access control. The Board found reasonable likelihood that dependent claim 4 would be obvious over the combination of prior art references Rao and Jones.

patent denied

Lenovo (United States) Inc. et al. v.Headwater Research LLC

· IPR2024-01180

The PTAB denied institution of an IPR petition filed by Lenovo and Motorola against Headwater Research, finding that the petitioner failed to demonstrate a reasonable likelihood of prevailing on its obviousness grounds.

patent instituted

Lenovo (United States) Inc. et al. v.Headwater Research LLC

· IPR2024-01181

Lenovo and Motorola successfully instituted an IPR against Headwater Research, challenging the obviousness of claims related to network capacity management over prior art references. The Board found sufficient evidence that combining Rao and Scahill would render at least claim 1 unpatentable as obvious under § 103.

patent instituted

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. et al. v.Headwater Research LLC

· IPR2024-01396

The PTAB granted institution of IPR for Samsung against Headwater, finding a reasonable likelihood that the challenged wireless device claims are unpatentable over Bennett and Vadde.

patent denied

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. et al. v.Headwater Research LLC

· IPR2024-01397

The PTAB denied Samsung's request to institute an IPR against Headwater Research's patent (9647918), citing procedural redundancy with a previously filed, higher-ranked petition.

patent instituted

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. et al. v.Headwater Research LLC

· IPR2024-01407

Samsung challenged Headwater's patent (9179359) in an IPR proceeding focused on network traffic control claims. The PTAB granted institution, allowing Samsung to proceed with its § 103 obviousness challenge against Claim 26 using Shell and Cole prior art.

patent instituted

Kangxi Communication Technologies (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. v.SKYWORKS SOLUTIONS, INC.

· IPR2024-01456

Kangxi Communication Technologies successfully petitioned to institute IPR proceedings against Skyworks Solutions, Inc., asserting that several claims related to RF switches and semiconductor devices are unpatentable. The Board found a reasonable likelihood of prevailing on the grounds of obviousness (103) over prior art references Huang and Seshimo.

patent instituted

Kangxi Communication Technologies (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. v.SKYWORKS SOLUTIONS, INC.

· IPR2024-01457

Kangxi Communication Technologies challenged SKYWORKS SOLUTIONS' RF switch system patent (9148194) at the PTAB, arguing obviousness over prior art references Huang and Seshimo. The Board granted institution because the petitioner showed a reasonable likelihood of prevailing on claims 1-11 based on the Huang reference. This moves the dispute into the trial phase.

patent instituted

Ericsson Inc et al. v.Headwater Partners II LLC

· IPR2024-01468

Ericsson Inc et al. successfully petitioned to institute IPR against Headwater Partners II LLC's patent (9094868), challenging claims 11-15 on obviousness grounds. The PTAB found a reasonable likelihood that the claimed link quality estimation would have been obvious over Jarvinen and Fox.

patent instituted

Ericsson Inc et al. v.HEADWATER PARTNERS II LLC

· IPR2025-00404

Ericsson Inc. successfully petitioned to invalidate key claims of Headwater Partners II LLC's patent related to wireless backhaul systems. The PTAB found a reasonable likelihood that the claims are unpatentable based on obviousness and anticipation over prior art (Ishii and Sfar).

patent denied

American Airlines, Inc. et al. v.Intellectual Ventures II LLC

· IPR2025-00931

American Airlines and Southwest Airlines failed to convince the PTAB that Intellectual Ventures' claims regarding distributed OS image management were unpatentable. The Board denied institution, finding the petitioner did not meet the reasonable likelihood standard against combinations of prior art references.

patent denied

American Airlines, Inc. et al. v.Intellectual Ventures I LLC

· IPR2025-01055

American Airlines and Southwest Airlines failed to institute their IPR against Intellectual Ventures' patent, as the Board found they could not meet the burden of proof regarding claim construction and obviousness. The denial hinged on the Petitioner’s failure to clearly articulate how it would construe key indefinite terms in its petition.

patent terminated or settled

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. et al. v.Redstone Logics LLC

· IPR2024-00974

Samsung Electronics and Redstone Logics settled their IPR dispute over Patent 9,253,925 before a trial was instituted. The Board terminated the proceeding and ordered the settlement agreement to be kept confidential.

patent terminated or settled

Cellco Partnership d/b/a Verizon Wireless et al. v.Headwater Research LLC

· IPR2024-01042

The IPRs concerning Patent 8,924,543 were terminated after Verizon Wireless and other carriers reached a settlement with Headwater Research. The Board granted the joint motion to end the proceedings under 35 U.S.C. § 317.

patent terminated or settled

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. et al. v.Headwater Research LLC

· IPR2024-01051

Samsung and Headwater Research settled their dispute, leading the PTAB to terminate the inter partes review of patent 8,639,811. The settlement agreement was ordered to be kept confidential.

patent terminated or settled

Lenovo (United States) Inc. et al. v.Headwater Research LLC

· IPR2024-01181

Lenovo and Motorola Mobility settled their IPR challenge to Headwater Research’s patent 10,749,700, leading the PTAB to terminate the proceeding and keep the settlement confidential.

patent terminated or settled

Roku, Inc. v.VideoLabs, Inc.

· IPR2025-00071

Roku and VideoLabs settled their inter partes review dispute over U.S. Patent 7,440,559, leading the PTAB to terminate the proceeding before any claims were instituted.

patent terminated or settled

Ericsson Inc. et al. v.Pegasus Wireless Innovation LLC

· IPR2025-00083

Ericsson, KT and Pegasus entered a settlement that led the PTAB to terminate the inter partes review as to Ericsson. The Board treated the settlement as confidential and left the proceeding open for the remaining petitioners.

patent terminated or settled

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd et al. v.HEADWATER PARTNERS II LLC

· IPR2025-00426

Samsung and several major carriers settled their inter partes review of Headwater’s wireless patent, leading the PTAB to terminate the proceeding and keep the settlement terms confidential.

patent denied

American Airlines, Inc. et al. v.Intellectual Ventures II LLC

· IPR2026-00043

The PTAB denied American Airlines and Southwest Airlines’ petition to institute an IPR against Intellectual Ventures’ ’326 patent covering high‑data‑rate multi‑channel WLAN. The Board found no reasonable likelihood of success on any of the 18 challenged claims.

patent denied

Apple Inc. v.HBCU Messaging US LP

· IPR2026-00104

The PTAB denied Apple’s inter partes review petition against a load‑balancing patent, finding the obviousness arguments over Chow, Reiffin, and Kurowski insufficiently particularized. No claims were instituted or found unpatentable.

patent all challenged claims unpatentable

Meta Platforms, Inc. v.SitNet, LLC

· IPR2026-00100

Meta Platforms successfully challenged SitNet’s ’932 patent covering targeted advertising in situational networks. The PTAB found all ten claims (12‑21) unpatentable as obvious over Amidon, Walsh, Shahine, and Jones. The decision clears Meta’s path for its ad‑tech offerings.

patent all challenged claims unpatentable

Target Corporation v.HEADWATER RESEARCH LLC

· IPR2026-00153

The PTAB issued a Final Written Decision finding all of the challenged claims of Headwater’s ’541 patent unpatentable. Google and its wireless partners successfully argued anticipation and obviousness over the Rao reference and related prior art.

patent terminated or settled

BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd. v.Paneltouch Technologies LLC

· IPR2025-01245

BOE Technology and Paneltouch Technologies settled their dispute over three patents, leading the PTAB to terminate the related IPRs. The settlement agreement is treated as confidential business information.

patent terminated or settled

BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd. v.Paneltouch Technologies LLC

· IPR2025-01246

BOE Technology Group and Paneltouch Technologies settled their IPR dispute over U.S. Patent 8,803,836. The Board granted a joint motion to terminate the three inter partes review proceedings and kept the settlement agreement confidential.

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