KSR International Co. v. Teleflex, Inc. (KyleR)
From Bill Goodwine's Wiki
Overview of Trial
- decided by U.S. Supreme Court in 2007
- Teleflex is suing KSR for patent infringement
- District Court - patent ruled invalid (obvious)
- Court of Appeals - patent ruled valid
- uses a TSM test: a patent is only obvious if "'some motivation or suggestion to combine the prior art teachings' can be found in the prior art, the nature of the problem, or the knowledge of a person having ordinary skill on the art."
- Supreme Court - patent ruled invalid (obvious)
- the TSM test for obviousness does not follow precedent
Overview of the patent
- patent no. 6,237,565 B1
- "Adjustable Pedal Assembly With Electronic Throttle Control"
- "the Engelgau patent"; patentee is Steven J. Engelgau
- combines an electronic sensor with an adjustable automobile pedal
- the pedal's location at the driver's feet can be adjusted to accommodate people of different heights
Prior Art
- Asano - one of the pedal's pivot points stays fixed even while the pedal location is being adjusted
- Redding - the pedal and its pivot point are both adjusted
- '936 - preferable for electronic sensor to sense pedal position in the pedal assembly, not the engine
- Smith - preferable to put the sensor on a fixed part of the pedal assembly rather than on the footpad to prevent wire damage
- '068 - modular sensor that is designed independent of a given pedal and can be used with any pedal in a computer-controlled car
- Rixon - placement of sensors on adjustable pedals
Back to Course Notes (KyleR)
