Apple and Broadcom are facing a legal complaint filed by the California Institute of Technology over alleged infringement of a number of its Wi-Fi related patents. The two were jointly named as defendants in the complaint, filed last week.
Caltech’s patents, granted between 2006 and 2012, are highly technical and relate to IRA/LDPC codes that utilize simpler encoding and decoding circuitry for improved data transmission rates and performance. The technologies are implemented in both the 802.11n and 802.11ac Wi-Fi standards used by many Apple products.
Caltech’s filing with the U.S. District Court for Central California, accuses Apple of selling Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch models, as well as other products that use Wi-Fi technology, incorporating IRA/LDPC encoders and/or decoders and thereby infringing upon Caltech’s four asserted patents in question.
The patents in question include U.S. Patent No. 7,116,710, U.S. Patent No. 7,421,032, U.S. Patent No. 7,916,781, and U.S. Patent No. 8,284,833.
Apple manufactures, uses, imports, offers for sale, and/or sells Wi-Fi products that incorporate IRA/LDPC encoders and/or decoders and infringe the Asserted Patents. Apple products that incorporate IRA/LDPC encoders and/or decoders and infringe the Asserted Patents include, but are not limited to, the following: iPhone SE, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 5c, iPhone 5s, iPhone 5, iPad Air, iPad Air 2, iPad Pro, iPad Mini 4, iPad Mini 3, iPad Mini 2, MacBook Air [and] Apple Watch.
Broadcom, also named in the filing, is one of Apple’s main Wi-Fi chips suppliers. Apple uses chips from the company in its iOS devices, Macs, and Apple Watch devices.
Caltech is seeking a jury trial, as well as a preliminary and permanent sales injunction in the United States against all products listed in the filing. The university is also seeking damages that are “just and equitable,” but didn’t provide a specific amount for the damages.
