AliveCor has filed a complaint against Apple over alleged infringement of their low-energy Bluetooth patents. The company was accused of infringement of several claims of the two patents. According to the complaint, Apple’s M2 processor in its smartwatch allegedly infringes on the patents.
AliveCor filed a complaint with the ITC last year
AliveCor, a Mountain View, California-based medical device maker, has argued that Apple Watch infringes upon its patents. The company argues that Apple’s new ECG app on the Apple Watch Series 4 infringes on two of its patents related to the heart-rate monitor. In response, Apple countersued AliveCor in a federal court in San Francisco.
Since last year, AliveCor has alleged that Apple is taking advantage of its proprietary technology to lock up the US market for heart rate monitoring apps. It also claims that Apple is preventing its competitors from accessing the ECG feature on the Apple Watch, thus stifling competition. Earlier this month, the U.S. International Trade Commission ruled that Apple is infringing on AliveCor’s patents.
AliveCor’s patents cover the design of a wearable that can detect irregular heart rhythms. When an irregularity is detected, the KardiaBand device, which clips onto the Apple Watch, assesses the wearer’s physical activity and heart rate, and then performs an electrocardiogram (ECG) to determine the cause of the irregularity. This technology is similar to a single-lead echocardiogram. However, the AliveCor device’s algorithms are designed to identify a broader range of potential heart issues.
The company says that its breakthrough innovations include the first credit-card-sized personal ECG, the first FDA-cleared wireless six-lead ECG sensor, and the first ECG to detect six common arrhythmias. As a result of these innovations, the company is bringing game-changing advancements in AI-powered cardiac care to millions of users.
After a lengthy battle, Apple finally prevailed in its patent infringement lawsuit against AliveCor, announcing Tuesday that it had been unable to prove that the Apple Watch infringed on three of its patents. Although Apple said it “firmly disagrees” with the decision, the company is nevertheless pleased to have won the day.
In its lawsuit, AliveCor argued that Apple infringed on two of its patents, including one related to the design of its new ECG app on the Apple Watch Series 4. Apple argued that the design of the ECG function is too general to be patented. According to the ITC, Apple has infringed on the Tariff Act of 1930, which requires the patent holder to prove that the invention is not obvious.
But the ITC administrative judge sided with AliveCor, finding that Apple infringed on both of its patents. Furthermore, the ITC determined that Apple had violated the law by not disclosing information about its ECG app. To prevent consumers from buying Apple Watches with infringing features, the commission ordered a cease and desist order, as well as a $2-per-unit bond. If Apple is unable to pay the bonds, it will be banned from selling the infringing products in the United States.
On top of its appeal, AliveCor will continue to seek relief from Apple’s anticompetitive behavior. The company has filed an anticompetitive complaint with the ITC in April and an antitrust case against Apple in West Texas in 2020.
AliveCor proved infringement of multiple claims against two patents
The patent dispute between AliveCor and Apple has soared to the United States International Trade Commission (ITC). This is a huge victory for the California-based company and may have opened the door to an import ban on Apple Watches.
AliveCor is a medical software developer and a supplier of ECG hardware for consumer mobile devices. It has developed KardiaBand, a wrist-band ECG reader that can be connected to an Apple Watch. When it launched its product, it didn’t think it was in danger of being threatened by Apple.
The company has raised $154 million in funding to date. It has gained FDA clearance for a device that can be used on the Apple Watch, as well as approval to sell a two-electrode device that can be used to read ECGs. Earlier this year, AliveCor secured FDA clearance for a new set of algorithms that can be used to detect cardiac arrhythmia. Eventually, the company plans to release more products, which could compete with Apple’s offerings.
Apple, meanwhile, claims that it was the first company to develop heart-rate sensing technology. While the company’s claim that it patented the technology in 2008 is accurate, it also argues that its competitors adapted it. In addition, it alleges that AliveCor copied its tech and engaged in anti-competitive behavior.
In April, AliveCor filed a complaint with the ITC, claiming that Apple infringed on multiple patents. The company had originally filed a federal lawsuit against Apple in California, but the case was put on hold while the ITC’s investigation into AliveCor was underway.
Apple responded by filing a motion to dismiss, arguing that AliveCor failed to meet the requirements of the antitrust law. It also claimed that the two patents at issue are generic and therefore not eligible for protection. However, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) ruled that the patents are invalid. PTAB also found that 20 of the claims in the patent at issue are unpatentable.
After the PTAB’s ruling, Apple filed a countersuit against AliveCor in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. During the course of the trial, a federal judge advanced many of the claims in the lawsuit. But he dismissed most of AliveCor’s claims that Apple was maintaining an illegal monopoly.
The company subsequently filed a petition in the Northern District of California, requesting a trial by jury. AliveCor is seeking a cash settlement, in addition to other costs. AliveCor also requests that Apple be barred from importing any of its products that infringe on its patents.
The ITC will soon announce its final determination in the case, which may open the door to an import ban on Apple Watches. It is also expected that the Federal Trade Commission will review AliveCor’s underlying merits. Ultimately, a final decision is expected in October.
AliveCor’s latest low energy Bluetooth patent
AliveCor, Inc., a startup medical technology company that has been releasing game-changing innovations in AI-powered cardiac care, has just received a major victory in the form of a US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) ruling in its favor. The company’s recently filed lawsuit against Apple for infringement of three patents in particular, has garnered much attention in the medical technology community, where the legal proceedings have taken center stage. In a ruling issued today, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office formally found that the three AliveCor patents were unpatentable and averted a costly trial.
AliveCor is the maker of the first FDA cleared wireless six-lead ECG sensor and the first credit card sized personal ECG. Its latest breakthrough is a mobile telemetry solution that offers the ability to track the patient’s heart rate. Additionally, the company has introduced the world’s smallest six-lead ECG system and an FDA approved AI-powered algorithm that can detect and diagnose six common arrhythmias, resulting in a breakthrough in the area of personal electrocardiography. Moreover, the company has a total of 170 patents in the United States, spanning a wide range of medical devices.
Despite the ruling, AliveCor continues to pursue relief from Apple’s anticompetitive behavior. The company filed a patent-infringement lawsuit in Texas federal court and a counter-suit in California federal court. AliveCor argued that Apple’s implementation of the aforementioned small and medium sized ECG device in its Apple Watch series 4 products infringes on its patents. Specifically, Apple has claimed that its implementation is the only one on the market that uses an algorithm based on a proprietary software module that tracks the patient’s heart rate. While the company is likely to prevail in its legal battle, it will be up against a company that is no stranger to the legal system. Indeed, in September 2014, the U.S. Patent and Trademark office ruled that the Apple Watch model was infringing on two of the company’s patents.
On top of that, Apple also has a patent pending for a smartwatch that is designed to display a heart rate map. The company also boasts of a number of other technologies, including a Bluetooth LE/4.0 dongle and a wearable sensor called the Notch, which are both on the crowdfunding scene. Nevertheless, the company’s latest low energy Bluetooth patent may have the best claim to fame. Hopefully, a final decision on the matter will be reached by December 12, 2022, when the case is scheduled to be heard by a judge who will be guided by a 60-day review of the ITC’s findings by President Biden.
One of the most intriguing features of the new Bluetooth system is its low power consumption, allowing developers the freedom to develop a wide range of applications that aren’t tethered to a single wireless carrier. For example, the Bluetooth LE system can be used to build an indoor location service, which is a big improvement over the clunky Wi-Fi networks of old. Also, because the system operates at such a low power, it can be used to transmit data in dense environments, which is a step forward for wireless communication in the enterprise space.
