Case 8:18-cv-01302 Document 1 Filed 07/26/18 Page 1 of 22 Page ID #:1
1   Simon Franzini (Cal. Bar No. 287631)
 2   simon@dovel.com
     Gregory S. Dovel (Cal. Bar No. 135387)
 3   greg@dovel.com
 4   DOVEL & LUNER, LLP
     201 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 600
 5   Santa Monica, California 90401
 6   Telephone: (310) 656-7066
     Facsimile: (310) 656-7069
 7
 8   Attorneys for Plaintiff SpeakWare, Inc.
 9
10                        UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
11                       CENTRAL DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA
12    SPEAKWARE, INC.,                         Case No. 8:18-CV-01302
13    a California corporation,
                                               Patent Infringement Complaint
14                       Plaintiff,
15                                             Demand for Jury Trial
                         v.
16
17    APPLE INC.,
      a California corporation,
18
19                       Defendant.
20
21
                              Complaint for Patent Infringement
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
      Case 8:18-cv-01302 Document 1 Filed 07/26/18 Page 2 of 22 Page ID #:2
 1         Plaintiff SpeakWare, Inc. (“SpeakWare”) files this complaint against Defendant
 2   Apple Inc. (“Apple”), alleging direct and indirect infringement of U.S. Patent
 3   6,397,186. The accused products are Apple’s voice-activated systems for controlling
 4   appliances.
 5                       Plaintiff SpeakWare and the asserted patent.
 6         1.      Plaintiff SpeakWare, Inc. is a corporation organized and existing under
 7   the laws of the State of California. SpeakWare is managed by lead inventor of U.S.
 8   Patent 6,397,186, William Stuart Bush.
 9         2.      SpeakWare is the owner of U.S. Patent 6,397,186, entitled “Hands-Free,
10   Voice-Operated Remote Control Transmitter,” which issued on May 28, 2002. The
11   ’186 patent is well-known in the industry and has been cited in 163 issued patents.
12   Defendant Apple Inc. has known of the ’186 patent since at least March 10, 2014.
13   Apple has cited the ’186 patent during the prosecution of its own patents and patent
14   applications involving technology related to the accused products. The ’186 patent has
15   been cited as prior art in at least 46 Apple patents and patent applications, including
16   numerous patents related to core features of Apple’s accused products. A copy of the
17   ’186 patent is attached as Exhibit 1.
18                        Defendant Apple and the accused products.
19         3.      Defendant Apple Inc. is a California corporation with its principal place
20   of business in California and business offices in this district.
21         4.      Apple has developed, manufactured, imported, offered for sale, sold, and
22   used voice-activated systems for controlling appliances that infringe the ’186 patent.
23   These systems include Apple iPhones (6s or later), iPads (6th generation or later and
24   “Pro”), and HomePods, all of which use Apple’s voice-activated virtual assistant, Siri,
25   to control appliances. These systems can also include associated servers owned or
26   controlled by Apple that enable and work in connection with the accused devices to
27   control appliances. These systems can also include Apple TVs, which work in
28   connection with the accused devices to control appliances.
                                                1
      Case 8:18-cv-01302 Document 1 Filed 07/26/18 Page 3 of 22 Page ID #:3
 1                        Nature of the action, jurisdiction, and venue.
 2         5.     Plaintiff SpeakWare, Inc. asserts claims for patent infringement against
 3   Defendant Apple Inc. under the patent laws of the United States, including 35 U.S.C.
 4   §§ 271 and 281, et seq. The Court has original jurisdiction over SpeakWare’s patent
 5   infringement claims under 28 U.S.C. §§ 1331 and 1338(a).
 6         6.     The Court has personal jurisdiction over Apple. Apple has committed
 7   acts of infringement in this district, including selling infringing systems in this district
 8   and using infringing systems in this district.
 9         7.     Venue is proper in this district under 28 U.S.C. §1400(b). Apple has
10   committed acts of infringement in this district and has several established places of
11   business in this district. These include numerous Apple Store retail locations,
12   including at Apple Brea Mall, 1016C Brea Mall, Brea, CA 92821; Apple South Coast
13   Plaza, 333 Bear Street, Costa Mesa, CA 92626; Apple Irvine Spectrum Center, 763
14   Spectrum Center Drive, Irvine, CA 92618; Apple Fashion Island, 1113 Newport
15   Center Drive, Newport Beach, CA 92660; and Apple Los Cerritos, 242 Los Cerritos
16   Center, Cerritos, CA 90703.
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
                                       https://www.apple.com/retail/
27
28
                                                2
      Case 8:18-cv-01302 Document 1 Filed 07/26/18 Page 4 of 22 Page ID #:4
 1         8.     In addition, they include Apple offices, for example Apple’s offices at
 2   8600 Hayden Place, Culver City, California 90232.
 3         9.     These locations are regular and established places of business of Apple
 4   for purposes of §1400(b) because each (i) is a physical place in the Central District of
 5   California (each consisting of a building or a part of a building from which business is
 6   conducted); (ii) operates the business of Apple in a regular, steady, uniform, orderly,
 7   settled, fixed, and permanent manner; and (iii) is owned or leased by Apple, and has
 8   been ratified by Apple as a place of business. Moreover, these Apple Stores are
 9   represented by Apple as its places of business in the district and are listed and
10   advertised by Apple on its website.
11                                  Claim for patent infringement.
12         10.    SpeakWare incorporates by reference each of the allegations in
13   paragraphs 1-9 above and further alleges as follows:
14         11.    On May 28, 2002, the United States Patent and Trademark Office issued
15   U.S. Patent 6,397,186, entitled “Hands-Free, Voice-Operated Remote Control
16   Transmitter.” Ex. 1.
17         12.    SpeakWare is the owner of the ’186 patent with full rights to pursue
18   recovery of royalties for damages for infringement, including full rights to recover past
19   and future damages.
20         Validity of the ’186 patent.
21         13.    Each claim of the ’186 patent is valid and enforceable.
22         Patent eligibility of the ’186 patent.
23         14.    Each claim of the ’186 patent is patent eligible.
24         15.    Each claim is directed to a specific improvement in technology, and not
25   an abstract idea.
26         16.    The claims improve technology for remotely controlling electronic
27   appliances. Indeed, the specification explains that the patent involves technology “for
28   remotely controlling electronic equipment” and, more specifically, a “voice-activated
                                               3
      Case 8:18-cv-01302 Document 1 Filed 07/26/18 Page 5 of 22 Page ID #:5
 1   and voice-operated remote control system for controlling appliances.” ’186 patent,
 2   1:6-9.
 3            17.   The claims of the ’186 patent are directed to a specific improvement in
 4   voice-activated remote control technology.
 5            18.   Indeed, the claims are directed to improving existing technological
 6   solutions for remotely controlling electronic appliances.
 7            19.   The patent is entitled “hands-free, voice-operated remote control
 8   transmitter” and generally “relates to devices for remotely controlling electronic
 9   equipment, and more particularly, to a wireless, user-programmable, voice activated
10   and voice operated remote control system for controlling appliances.” ’186 patent,
11   1:6-9.
12            20.   The specification describes the conventional way of remotely controlling
13   electronic appliances:
14            “Historically, appliances, for example, electronic appliances, such as,
15            televisions, VCRs, digital satellite systems, audio systems, and related
16            accessories, have been remotely controlled by hand-held transmitters used to
17            generate signals to receivers incorporated into the electronics of the remotely
18            controlled appliances. Signals for such appliances correspond to control
19            commands, such as channel selection/tuning, power on/off, audio volume
20            adjustment, and muting controls, typically generated by the user by depressing
21            buttons on a remote control transmitter keypad. The basic composition and
22            operation of such remote control systems are well known in the art.”
23   ’186 patent, 1:11-22.
24            21.   The specification also explains that these conventional systems had
25   numerous drawbacks. For example:
26            “[T]he small size and mobility [of such systems] often contribute to
27            misplacement or loss of the transmitter. Also, for device operators with
28            restricted physical mobility or sight limitations, hand-held remote controls may
                                                4
      Case 8:18-cv-01302 Document 1 Filed 07/26/18 Page 6 of 22 Page ID #:6
 1         not provide sufficient access to the command controls of the remotely controlled
 2         appliances. Also, if an operator’s hands are engaged in an activity, an
 3         interruption in the activity may be required to operate the hand-held remote
 4         control, causing inconvenience to the operator and potentially having an adverse
 5         effect on productivity.”
 6   ’186 patent, 1:26-35.
 7         “As the number of separate remote control transmitters increases, locating,
 8         distinguishing, and locating the appropriate transmitters becomes increasingly
 9         difficult.”
10   ’186 patent, 1:37-41.
11         Such systems “require the user to establish physical contact, typically in the
12         form of manually depressing keypad buttons, to transmit a control command to
13         the remotely controlled appliance,” but “are often misplaced causing frustration
14         to the user.”
15   ’186 patent, 2:1-6.
16         22.    Although a handful of “voice-operated remote control systems have
17   recently been developed,” ’186 patent, 2:7-8, those newly developed systems also had
18   serious drawbacks.
19         23.    One such drawback was that “such systems are not truly hands-free,
20   requiring manual intervention by the user during use. In particular, such remote
21   control systems as disclosed in the above-mentioned patents, are all based upon the use
22   of a ‘talk switch’; which must be manually depressed to enter a voice command when
23   the transmission of a remote control signal is desired.” ’186 patent, 2:15-21. In
24   particular, with respect to one such system, the specification explains that “[t]he
25   transmitter operates depending on whether the talk switch has been depressed. If the
26   talk switch has been depressed, the transmitter is enabled to remote control signals.
27   Once the talk switch is released, the transmitter is kept in a low power consumption
28   mode, waiting for voice commands to be applied. As indicated above, the means for
                                               5
      Case 8:18-cv-01302 Document 1 Filed 07/26/18 Page 7 of 22 Page ID #:7
 1   generating and transmitting a remote control signal based on the recognized spoken
 2   voice command is not hands-free, requiring the manual intervention of pressing a talk
 3   switch to accomplish these functions.” Id. at 2:32-42.
 4         24.    Another such drawback was that certain systems required “physical
 5   interconnections between the control system and the appliance which makes it difficult
 6   for a user to add additional appliances or change controlled appliances.” ’186 patent,
 7   2:42-49.
 8         25.    The claims are directed to improving these existing technological
 9   solutions for remotely controlling electronic appliances. For example, claim 1 recites
10   an “audio signal activated control system for controlling appliances” that includes “a
11   microphone for receiving audio signals and converting said audio signals to electrical
12   signals,” “a speech recognition system for receiving said electrical signals,” and an
13   “appliance control circuit” that is configured to “transmit one or more application
14   control signals” to control appliances. ’186 patent, claim 1. The system has “a low
15   power sound activation mode” and a “speech recognition mode” and is “configured to
16   automatically switch from said sound activation mode to said speech recognition mode
17   as a function of the amplitude of said electrical signals.” Id.
18         26.    This system of claim 1 provides numerous improvements over existing
19   technological solutions for remotely controlling electronic appliances based on control
20   signals generated by the user by depressing buttons on a remote control transmitter
21   keypad. For example, it avoids the need for users to hold the remote control
22   transmitter, and thus avoids the need for locating such a transmitter (and the risk of
23   losing such transmitter in the first place). As a second example, it provides a device
24   operator with restricted physical mobility with greater access to (and better ability to
25   control) electronic appliances. As a third example, it allows the operator of an
26   electronic appliance to control that appliance without interrupting an activity in which
27   his or her hands are engaged. As a fourth example, it allows the operator to control
28
                                               6
      Case 8:18-cv-01302 Document 1 Filed 07/26/18 Page 8 of 22 Page ID #:8
 1   multiple appliances and therefore eliminates the need to locate and distinguish the
 2   appropriate transmitter for a particular appliance.
 3         27.     The system of claim 1 also provides numerous benefits over the newly
 4   developed voice-operated remote control systems that existed at the time (which were
 5   themselves unconventional). For example, it had two modes, one low power and one
 6   for speech recognition. As a second example, it avoided the need to have a “talk
 7   switch” by taking advantage of signal characteristics to switch from a low power sound
 8   activation mode to a speech recognition mode. This made it truly “hands free” and
 9   thus achieved all of the benefits identified above. See, e.g., ’186 patent, 7:12-16 (“An
10   important aspect of the invention relates to the ability of the system to switch from a
11   sleep mode to an active mode solely by voice commands, to provide true hands-free
12   remote operation.”). In addition, it allowed the system to limit power consumption and
13   preserve battery life by staying in a low power mode until the system determined that it
14   should switch modes. Furthermore, it made the system more reliable by ensuring that
15   it would not issue commands to appliances based on background noise.
16         28.     In addition, the claims do not merely recite a desired outcome, but instead
17   recite a specific technical improvement to achieve a desired outcome. For example,
18   the system of claim 1 is one particular way of designing a system for controlling
19   appliances and claim 1 recites the specific arrangement of specific components that
20   achieves the benefits identified above. There are many other ways of designing a
21   system for controlling appliances, including many other ways of designing a system
22   for controlling appliances based on audio signals, including the ones described in the
23   prior art patents described in the specification.
24         29.     In addition, the claims recite unconventional technical steps that improve
25   technology.
26         30.     Indeed, the claims recite a technical solution to a technical problem: an
27   audio signal activated control system for controlling appliances that solved technical
28   problems with existing systems for controlling appliances. For example, as explained
                                               7
      Case 8:18-cv-01302 Document 1 Filed 07/26/18 Page 9 of 22 Page ID #:9
 1   above, claim 1 did this using an “audio signal activated control system for controlling
 2   appliances” that includes “a microphone for receiving audio signals and converting
 3   said audio signals to electrical signals,” “a speech recognition system for receiving said
 4   electrical signals,” and an “appliance control circuit” that is configured to “transmit
 5   one or more application control signals” to control appliances. ’186 patent, claim 1.
 6   The system has “a low power sound activation mode” and “a speech recognition
 7   mode” and is “configured to automatically switch from said sound activation mode to
 8   said speech recognition mode as a function of the amplitude of said electrical signals.”
 9   Id.
10         31.    The particular combination of components and requirements was
11   unconventional, went against conventional wisdom, and, in fact, had never been done
12   before. Indeed, as explained above, at the time of the invention, it was conventional to
13   control appliances by using hand-held transmitters to generate signals to receivers
14   incorporated into the electronics of the remotely controlled appliances. Furthermore, it
15   was conventional for such signals to be generated by the user by depressing buttons on
16   a remote control transmitter keypad. And it was conventional to have multiple such
17   controllers for each appliance. Moreover, even the systems that used speech
18   recognition—which were themselves unconventional—made use of a “talk switch”
19   and did not rely on properties of electrical signals such as amplitude to switch to
20   speech recognition mode, much less from a low power mode.
21         32.    Each claim recites numerous additional unconventional technical steps,
22   each of which is independently sufficient to confer patent-eligibility.
23         Apple’s infringement of the ’186 patent.
24         33.    Apple has directly infringed and continues to directly infringe the claims
25   of the ’186 patent by making, using, offering to sell, selling, and importing the accused
26   products. Apple infringes numerous claims of the ’186 patent, including independent
27   claim 1. An example way that Apple’s accused products infringe claim 1 is provided
28   below for reference.
                                               8
     Case 8:18-cv-01302 Document 1 Filed 07/26/18 Page 10 of 22 Page ID #:10
 1   “An audio signal activated control system for controlling appliances comprising:”
 2      • Apple iPhones (6s and higher), iPads (6th generation and higher and “Pro”), and
 3         HomePods—alone and, alternatively, in combination with Apple servers and/or
 4         additional electronic equipment (including, for example, an Apple TV)—are an
 5         “audio signal activated control system for controlling appliances”: they consist
 6         of a system activated by audio signals (for example, signals representing audio
 7         such as spoken words) for controlling appliances (for example, appliances
 8         identified in the following section of Apple’s website,
 9         https://www.apple.com/ios/home/accessories/)
10   “a microphone for receiving audio signals and converting said audio signals to
11   electrical signals;”
12      • The “audio signal activated control system for controlling appliances” identified
13         above includes “a microphone for receiving audio signals and converting said
14         audio signals to electrical signals.” For example, the HomePod includes six
15         microphones:
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
                               https://www.apple.com/homepod/.
27
28
                                             9
     Case 8:18-cv-01302 Document 1 Filed 07/26/18 Page 11 of 22 Page ID #:11
 1         As a second example, the iPhone X includes a microphone:
 2
 3
 4
 5
 6
 7
 8
                            https://www.apple.com/iphone-x/specs/.
 9
     “a speech recognition system for receiving said electrical signals,”
10
        • The “audio signal activated control system for controlling appliances” identified
11
           above includes “a speech recognition system for receiving said electrical
12
           signals” (for example, components within iPhones, iPads, HomePods, and other
13
           Siri-enabled devices, and/or Apple servers) meeting each of the requirements of
14
           the claim as shown below.
15
     “said speech recognition system including a processor”
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
                                            10
     Case 8:18-cv-01302 Document 1 Filed 07/26/18 Page 12 of 22 Page ID #:12
 1      • The “speech recognition system” identified above includes one or more
 2         processors. For example, the HomePod includes an A8 processor:
 3
 4
 5
 6
 7
 8
 9
10
11
12
13
14
15                             https://www.apple.com/homepod/.
16         As a second example, the iPhone X includes an A11 Bionic processor:
17
18
19
20
21                              https://www.apple.com/iphone-x/.
22         As a third example, Apple servers include numerous processors.
23   “and having a low power sound activation mode for detecting the presence of said
24   electrical signals and a speech recognition mode for converting said electrical
25   signals to electrical representative signals, decoding said electrical representative
26   signals and generating control signals for controlling one or more appliances,
27
28
                                             11
     Case 8:18-cv-01302 Document 1 Filed 07/26/18 Page 13 of 22 Page ID #:13
 1   wherein in said speech recognition mode said processor decodes said electrical
 2   representative signals and wherein in said sound activation mode said processor is in
 3   a low power state,”
 4      • The “speech recognition system” identified above has “a low power sound
 5         activation mode for detecting the presence of said electrical signals” (for
 6         example, when the system detects the presence of electrical signals from the
 7         microphone, such as signals corresponding to the wake words “Hey Siri”) in
 8         which “said processor is in a low power state” (for example, a state in which the
 9         processor consumes less power, such as a “sleep” state).
10      • The “speech recognition system” identified above also has “a speech
11         recognition mode” (for example, a mode in which the system recognizes spoken
12         commands, for example the spoken commands given by a user to Apple’s
13         virtual assistant, Siri) “for converting said electrical signals to electrical
14         representative signals, decoding said electrical representative signals and
15         generating control signals for controlling one or more appliances,” (for
16         example, for converting the electrical signals from the microphone into
17         electrical representative signals, for example signals representing sound waves;
18         decoding those signals, for example to process them, to determine whether they
19         represent audio signals or contain spoken commands, or to determine the content
20         or meaning of those spoken commands; and generating control signals for
21         controlling one or more appliances, for example instructions for an appliance
22         identified above to perform one or more functions such as powering on) in
23         which “said processor decodes said electrical representative signal” (performs
24         the “decoding” identified above).
25   “said speech recognition system configured to automatically switch from said sound
26   activation mode to said speech recognition mode as a function of the amplitude of
27   said electrical signals”
28
                                               12
     Case 8:18-cv-01302 Document 1 Filed 07/26/18 Page 14 of 22 Page ID #:14
 1      • The “speech recognition system” identified above is “configured to
 2         automatically switch from said sound activation mode to said speech
 3         recognition mode as a function of the amplitude of said electrical signals”: it is
 4         configured to automatically switch from the “sound activation mode” identified
 5         above to the “speech recognition mode” identified above as a function of the
 6         amplitude of the “electrical signals” from the microphone, for example as a
 7         function of the amplitude of the electrical signals corresponding to the wake
 8         words “Hey Siri.”
 9   “an appliance control circuit which includes a transmitter, said appliance control
10   circuit configured to receive said control signals from said speech recognition system
11   and generate and automatically transmit one or more appliance control signals to
12   said one or more appliances.”
13      • The “audio signal activated control system for controlling appliances” includes
14         “an appliance control circuit” that includes a transmitter (for example a radio
15         transceiver) that is “configured to receive said control signals” (to receive the
16         control signals identified above) and “generate and automatically transmit one
17         or more appliance control signals to said one or more appliances” (for example,
18         generate and transmit appliance control signals such as Wi-Fi signals that
19         contain instructions to control one of the appliances identified above).
20         Indirect infringement.
21         34.      Apple has also indirectly infringed and continues to indirectly infringe the
22   ’186 patent.
23         35.      Apple has actively induced and continues to actively induce users of its
24   accused products to infringe the ’186 patent.
25
26
27
28
                                               13
     Case 8:18-cv-01302 Document 1 Filed 07/26/18 Page 15 of 22 Page ID #:15
 1         36.      Apple has offered and continues to offer its accused products for sale both
 2   at Apple Store retail locations and on its website. In addition, Apple has offered and
 3   continues to offer the “Home” app, including HomeKit, as part of iOS.
 4
 5
 6
 7
 8
 9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25                                https://www.apple.com/ios/home/
26         37.      By doing so, Apple encourages its customers to make and use systems
27   that infringe the ’186 patent as shown above, and to perform methods that infringe the
28   ’186 patent.
                                               14
     Case 8:18-cv-01302 Document 1 Filed 07/26/18 Page 16 of 22 Page ID #:16
 1         38.   In addition, Apple has instructed and continues to instruct its customers
 2   and developers to make and use systems that infringe the ’186 patent as shown above,
 3   and to perform methods that infringe the ’186 patent. For example, on its website,
 4   Apple provides instructions encouraging its customers to make and use systems that
 5   include accused products that infringe the system claims of the ’186 patent as shown
 6   above, and to use those systems to carry out methods that infringe the method claims
 7   of the ’186 patent. For example:
 8
 9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
                                  https://www.apple.com/ios/home/
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
                                            15
     Case 8:18-cv-01302 Document 1 Filed 07/26/18 Page 17 of 22 Page ID #:17
 1
 2
 3
 4
 5
 6
 7
 8                              https://www.apple.com/homepod/
 9         39.    As a second example, Apple’s employees encourage and instruct Apple’s
10   customers (resellers and end users) to make and use systems that include its accused
11   products that infringe the system claims of the ’186 patent as shown above, and
12   encourage and instruct Apple’s customers to use those systems to carry out methods
13   that infringe the method claims of the ’186 patent.
14         40.    Furthermore, Apple knew or was willfully blind to the fact that its
15   customers’ actions in response to such encouragement and instruction would infringe
16   the ’186 patent.
17         41.    Apple was aware of the ’186 patent since at least March 10, 2014 (and
18   likely earlier). In addition, Apple has been intimately familiar with the teachings and
19   claims of the ’186 patent for many years, has understood those teachings, has
20   understood what the ’186 patent claims, and has understood the relevance of those
21   teachings and those claims to its accused products.
22         42.    Indeed, the ’186 patent is well-known in the art and has been cited 163
23   times in subsequent issued patents. In addition, the ’186 patent has been cited in
24   numerous patents and patent applications in the field of voice-activated systems,
25   including in patents and patent applications assigned to Apple’s main competitors in
26   the field. In addition, on March 10, 2014, Apple cited the ’186 patent in an
27   information disclosure statement filed during the prosecution of one of its own patent
28   applications, U.S. Patent Application 13/053,144 (U.S. Patent 9,262,612). In addition,
                                             16
     Case 8:18-cv-01302 Document 1 Filed 07/26/18 Page 18 of 22 Page ID #:18
 1   on April 12, 2011, Apple cited to a foreign counterpart to the ’186 patent in an
 2   information disclosure statement submitted during the prosecution of U.S. Patent
 3   Application 12/686,774 (U.S. Patent 8,311,838). In addition, the ’186 patent was cited
 4   during the prosecution of at least 46 of Apple’s own patents and patent applications,
 5   including ones relating to key aspects of the accused products. Apple has discussed
 6   the teachings of the ’186 patent in depth in the course of such prosecutions. For
 7   example, Apple cited the ’186 patent on an information disclosure statement submitted
 8   on September 18, 2014, during the prosecution of U.S. Patent Application 14/175,864,
 9   entitled “voice trigger for a digital assistant.” The written description of that patent
10   application includes the following discussion:
11         “One technique for initiating a speech-based service with a voice trigger is to
12         have the speech-based service continuously listen for a predetermined trigger
13         word, phrase, or sound (any of which may be referred to herein as ‘the trigger
14         sound’). However, continuously operating the speech-based service (e.g., the
15         voice-based digital assistant) requires substantial audio processing and battery
16         power. In order to reduce the power consumed by providing voice trigger
17         functionality, several techniques may be employed. In some implementations,
18         the main processor of an electronic device (i.e., an ‘application processor’) is
19         kept in a low-power or un-powered state while one or more sound detectors that
20         use less power (e.g., because they do not rely on the application processor)
21         remain active. (When it is in a low-power or un-powered state, an application
22         processor or any other processor, program, or module may be described as
23         inactive or in a standby mode.) For example, a low-power sound detector is
24         used to monitor an audio channel for a trigger sound even when the application
25         processor is inactive. This sound detector is sometimes referred to herein as a
26         trigger sound detector. In some implementations, it is configured to detect
27         particular sounds, phonemes, and/or words. The trigger sound detector
28         (including hardware and/or software components) is designed to recognize
                                               17
     Case 8:18-cv-01302 Document 1 Filed 07/26/18 Page 19 of 22 Page ID #:19
 1         specific words, sound, or phrases, but is generally not capable of or optimized
 2         for providing full speech-to-text functionality, as such tasks require greater
 3         computational and power resources. Thus, in some implementations, the trigger
 4         sound detector recognizes whether a voice input includes a predefined pattern
 5         (e.g., a sonic pattern matching the words ‘Hey, SIRI’), but is not able to (or is
 6         not configured to) convert the voice input into text or recognize a significant
 7         amount of other words. Once the trigger sound has been detected, then, the
 8         digital assistant is brought out of a standby mode so that the user can provide a
 9         voice command.”
10         43.    During prosecution of U.S. Patent Application 14/175,864, the examiner
11   relied on the ’186 patent in rejecting certain pending claims. In doing so, the examiner
12   discussed the disclosures of the ’186 patent, asserting, among other things, that “Bush
13   [i.e., the ’186 patent], however, teaches providing a sound detection unit for detecting
14   a sound in a listening mode (see Fig.1 (40), Fig.5 (8501) and Col.18, Line 51-59) and a
15   speech recognition unit for detecting a speech command in speech recognition mode
16   (see Fig.1 (50), Fig.5 (8505, 8508) and Col.20, Line 53-65), wherein the sound
17   detection unit operating in listening mode consumes less power than the speech
18   recognition unit operating in speech recognition mode (see Col.18, Line 52-54 and
19   Col.24, Line 9-17).” (June 22, 2016 Non-Final Office Action, page 6). Following this
20   rejection, Apple discussed the substance of the ’186 patent with the examiner in an
21   interview conducted on October 26, 2016. (November 1, 2016 Applicant Initiated
22   Interview Summary). Apple also submitted Remarks confirming that it had discussed
23   the substance of the ’186 patent, as well as its relevance to its patent application
24   describing certain features of its accused products, with the examiner. (November 1,
25   2016 Applicant Remarks About Interview). Following that discussion, the examiner
26   once again cited the ’186 patent in rejecting certain pending claims (March 15, 2017
27   Non-Final Office Action) and a further discussion between the examiner and Apple
28   regarding the disclosures of the ’186 patent ensued (see November 16, 2017 Applicant
                                              18
     Case 8:18-cv-01302 Document 1 Filed 07/26/18 Page 20 of 22 Page ID #:20
 1   Initiated Interview Summary; November 16, 2017 Applicant Remarks About
 2   Interview).
 3         44.     Apple has cited the ’186 patent during the prosecution of numerous other
 4   patent applications related to its accused products, including U.S. Patent Application
 5   14/841,449, entitled “Virtual assistant activation” (which later issued as U.S. Patent
 6   9,886,953).
 7         45.     Furthermore, Apple has known and has understood how its own accused
 8   products worked, has known that the ’186 patent was relevant to its accused products,
 9   and has known or has been willfully blind to the fact that making and using systems
10   involving its accused products, including according to its instructions, would infringe
11   the ’186 patent.
12         46.     Based on the foregoing, Apple knew that its customers’ use of the accused
13   products would infringe the ’186 patent, or alternatively was aware that there was a
14   high probability that its customers’ use of the accused products would infringe and
15   took deliberate actions to avoid confirming this.
16         47.     As a result, Apple has indirectly infringed and continues to indirectly
17   infringe the ’186 patent by inducing its customers to use its accused products in an
18   infringing manner, and knowing or being willfully blind to the fact that such use would
19   infringe the ’186 patent.
20         Willful infringement.
21         48.     Apple’s infringement of the ’186 patent has been knowing, willful, and
22   egregious.
23         49.     For the reasons stated in paragraphs 40-46 above, Apple knew that its
24   accused products infringed and continue to infringe the ’186 patent, or alternatively
25   took deliberate steps to avoid confirming this and was therefore willfully blind to these
26   facts. SpeakWare incorporates by reference each of the allegations in these
27   paragraphs.
28
                                              19
     Case 8:18-cv-01302 Document 1 Filed 07/26/18 Page 21 of 22 Page ID #:21
 1         50.    SpeakWare has been damaged by Apple’s infringement of the ’186 patent
 2   and is entitled to reasonable royalty damages and enhanced damages due to Apple’s
 3   willful infringement.
 4                                        Jury demand.
 5         51.    SpeakWare demands trial by jury of all issues.
 6                                       Relief requested.
 7         SpeakWare prays for the following relief:
 8         A.     A judgment in favor of SpeakWare that Apple has infringed the asserted
 9   ’186 patent and that the patent is valid, enforceable, and patent-eligible;
10         B.     A judgment and order requiring Apple to pay SpeakWare compensatory
11   damages, costs, expenses, and pre- and post-judgment interest for its infringement of
12   the asserted patent, as provided under 35 U.S.C. §284;
13         C.     A judgment that Apple has willfully infringed the ’186 patent and that
14   SpeakWare is entitled to enhanced damages as a result of such willful infringement;
15         D.     A finding that this case is exceptional under 35 U.S.C. §285, at minimum
16   due to Apple’s willful infringement, and an award of SpeakWare’s reasonable
17   attorney’s fees and costs; and
18         E.     Any and all other relief to which SpeakWare may be entitled.
19
20   Dated: July 26, 2018                           Respectfully submitted,
21
22                                                  By: /s/ Simon Franzini
23                                                  DOVEL & LUNER, LLP
24                                                  Simon Franzini (Cal. Bar No. 287631)
                                                    simon@dovel.com
25                                                  Gregory S. Dovel (Cal. Bar No. 135387)
26                                                  greg@dovel.com
                                                    DOVEL & LUNER, LLP
27                                                  201 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 600
28                                                  Santa Monica, California 90401
                                                    Telephone: (310) 656-7066
                                              20
     Case 8:18-cv-01302 Document 1 Filed 07/26/18 Page 22 of 22 Page ID #:22
 1                                            Facsimile: (310) 656-7069
 2
                                              Attorneys for Plaintiff SpeakWare, Inc.
 3
 4
 5
 6
 7
 8
 9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
                                         21