Wireless Devices Technology;Microsoft’s and Android’s Smartphone Patent War

Dr. Tal Lavianhttp://cs.berkeley.edu/~tlavian

tlavian@cs.berkeley.eduUC Berkeley Engineering, CET

Wireless Mobile Devices2

Market directions3

What is Wireless Communication?4

Any form of communication that does not require the transmitter and receiver to be in physical contact

Electromagnetic wave propagated through free-space Radar, RF, Microwave, IR, Optical

Electromagnetic Spectrum5

From: imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov.docs

109

1012

103.414

x105.7

14

x

1017

1019

Wireless Network Technology6

Bluetooth -

PAN

WLAN

WWAN

802.11b -

Cellular - range in kms

1 to 3 m

100 to 400 m

Technology

Geography

Off-campusopen areas

On-campus

office, home, school

Personal space

office, briefcase, person

Characteristics of Wireless Mobile Devices

7

Wireless Limited bandwidth, high latency Variable link quality (noise, disconnections, other

users) Heterogeneous air interfaces

Mobility: User and terminal location dynamically changes Speed of terminal mobility impacts wireless bandwidth

Portability Limited battery capacity, computing and storage Small dimensions

More Signal Processing

More Protocol Processing

Higher Energy Efficiency

Evolution of Cellular System8

First generation: Analog – Voice Analog modulation, cellular

phone (AMPS) with manual roaming

Second Generation: Digital Voice & Data Digital modulation Cellular and

PCS phones with seamless roaming, integrated paging

Third Generation (3G): Digital Multimedia Unified digital access, voice,

data, video music, gaming, m-commerce, sensor etc.http://blogsbits.com/what-is-difference-between-1g-2g-3g-4g-networ

ks.html#

9

Cellular Systems

BSC

BSC

MSC

MSC

VLR

HLR

PSTN

OMC

AuC

EIR

Smartphone patent war

Smartphone Technology Review – Android

Operating system distributed under the Apache license

Created by Android, Inc. as part of Google in 2005

Main competitor to iOS

Android – Architecture

Based on Linux kernelApplication framework

largely Java-basedDevelopment is open

source, meaning the source code is publicly available

Programmers welcome to contribute via the software development kit (SDK)

Android – Architecture (cont.)

Android - Devices

Android devices include: Phones Tablets Laptops Ebook readers Netbooks

And even TVs (planned for Google TV) Watches Headphones

Android – Supporters

In 2007, Open Handset Alliance revealed itself

84 members Includes a broad range of original equipment

manufacturers (OEM) in the hardware, software, and telecommunications industries, such as Sony Dell HTC Google Samsung LG

Android - Competitors

Competing operating systems include: iOS (Apple) Windows Phone (Microsoft) Symbian (Nokia) Blackberry OS (RIM) Bada (Samsung)

Android – Smartphone Market Share

Source: comScore MobiLens (Dec. 2011)

Android – Benefits

Google essentially manages the development and distribution of Android, provides to OEM for free

OEM like it because they don’t have to pay licensing fees for use of the OS*

Google likes this arrangement because It controls Android app marketplace Gets to aggregate users’ different accounts for

Google services, such as Gmail and Google+ Means more finely tuned data to target ads

*not exactly, as we will see with…

Smartphone Patent War – Microsoft

Microsoft has approached smartphone patents from a different angle than many others

Things to keep in mind: Microsoft has many software patents that courts

could potentially deem read upon by the Android OS

Suing for patent infringement is A) costly B) no way to make friends

Smartphone Patent War – Microsoft

Source: Microsoft on the Issues blog

Microsoft’s Approach (Contd.)24

Microsoft has chosen to pursue de facto licensing arrangements in lieu of litigation

Instead of suing manufacturersof Android devices for softwareinfringement, has agreed to notsue OEM so long as they pay royalties to Microsoft

Such deals exemplify yet another means companies have for making money from their IP

http://www.hnt-shop.com/2011/08/05/microsoft-earns-from-windows-more-android-phone/

Microsoft’s Approach (Contd.)25

Microsoft has litigated: Motorola

Software patents for email Barnes & Noble

Android OS on Nook ebook reader Foxconn

Android OS Inventec

Android OS

Microsoft hasn’t litigated nearly as

much as some other companies.Why might that

be?

Recent History of Corporate Patent Acquisition

Google purchased Motorola Mobility for $12.5B ( ~ 17,000 issued and pending)

Nortel’s patents purchased by Apple, MS, RIM, ++, for $4.5 B (~ 6,000) Google purchases around 1000 IBM patents for some undisclosed amount

(August, 2011) i4i v. Microsoft $240 M (up to SC) Alcatel/Lucent v. Microsoft. – (2007) – $1.5 Billion (settled for $511 M) NTP – Settled with RIM for $612M (plus $53M litigation plus verdict) Intergraph – over $880M in settlement from patent litigation with Intel, HP

and others Eolas v. Microsoft (2003). $506M Jury verdict Immersion v. Sony (2004). $82M jury verdict plus royalties

increased (2007) to $150M vibration game controller – Microsoft settlement on $26

Freedom Wireless v. BCGI (2005) $128 jury verdict Finisar v. DirectTV (2006). 103M (79+24)Jury verdict plus injunction Tivo v. EchoStar (2006). $74M jury verdict plus injunction Forgent – $100M in licensing revenue 2004-2006

Next week: GOOGLE