It is reported that in the lawsuit filed by Omni MedSci in the East Texas District Court, the company mainly mentioned four patents related to optical technology in wearable devices, which can help devices measure and monitor the physiological characteristics of users.
Specifically, these patents describe methods of measuring different components and parameters of a user's blood using LED-based sensor technology. Each patent description covers a wearable device that can measure a user's blood in a non-invasive way by using a specific light source and receiver module, such as an infrared LED array. At the same time, Apple's Apple Watch also uses similar technology to obtain user heart rate data.
These technologies were first invented by Islam, and the patent ownership belongs to Omni MedSci Company, with the registered patent numbers of 965 1533 and 9757040 respectively.
In this regard, Islam asked Apple to compensate for infringement and litigation costs, and sought a preliminary or permanent ban on the sale of products infringing patent rights, namely Apple Watch in this case.
According to the contents of the litigation documents, Islam met with Dr. Michael O'Relly, a medical technology expert who joined Apple earlier in the same year, and MichaelHillman, Apple's hardware manager, as early as June 20 14, and discussed related patent applications.
Three months later, Apple released the Apple Watch in September of 20 14. Subsequently, Hillman invited Islam to visit another team of Apple in February 20 15, less than two months before the AppleWatch was opened for booking. Two weeks after this visit, Islam revised his patent application still pending and added words such as wearable device and LED optical sensor.
The lawsuit further pointed out that Greg Joswiak, Apple's vice president of product marketing, invited Islam to discuss this patented technology with the Apple team in an email sent on July 16, 2006. At the meeting held in July 18, Islam shared these patents with Apple employees. Moreover, Islam continued to discuss his patent application status with unnamed Apple personnel after the meeting.
In June 5438+February last year, Islam sent an email to Apple executive Rowley, asking him to "identify" patents 965 1533 and 9757040, and wanted to clarify whether these patented technologies had been adopted by Apple Watch.
Later, Rowley replied to Islam's email: "We (Apple) don't want to receive any information about your intellectual property."
However, the timeline given by Islam in the lawsuit is problematic. Because before the first meeting with Apple executives in 20 14, Apple had already completed the research and development of the heart rate sensor of Apple Watch, and introduced the working mode of this sensor in detail at the unveiling conference of Apple Watch. Therefore, it is doubtful that Apple relies on OmniMedSci patent. On the contrary, Islam's modification of intellectual property rights after meeting with the Apple team seems more suspicious.
Although Apple has not commented on this matter, the fact that the company is willing to meet with the founder of this startup shows that Apple will further study more advanced sensor technology. As Islam described in all his patents, laser will collect blood signals more effectively than traditional LED.
It should be pointed out that this is not the first time that Apple has been sued by a startup for patent issues. At the end of last year, Israeli startup Corephotonics sued Apple for using its patents related to dual camera technology of smartphones in iPhone 7 Plus and iPhone 8 Plus, and hired Quinne Manuel Urquhart &；; Sullivan came to sue Apple.
So far, there is no more news about this patent lawsuit.
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