Google and IBM over the last 12 months have dealt with each other on numerous occasions in regards Google bolstering it’s patent portfolio. The “patent wars” if you like have taken a big hit on Google and Android in 2011 and Google seem to have struck a good relationship with IBM in continually acquiring patents to bulk up the war chest so to speak.
Google over the last week have been shown to do more business in getting hold of 188 granted patents and 29 pending patents from IBM. Apparently some of the patents show things like blade servers, data caching, server load balancing, instant messaging applications, video conferencing, and much more.
Google have been busy over the last year building up there IP portfolio, bolstering the war chest, and getting ready for lawsuits that seemingly are imminently coming their way. With the past years IBM acquisitions (including these), Motorola Mobility’s big portfolio and other sources, i think we could see a charge towards Google trying to protect themselves a little more than it first was naive to when they started out in the smartphone rat race.
Although financial details are not disclosed in this deal (neither have the other IBM deals), it’s not important and it seems IBM have seen Google and Android as the ideal platform to pass these patents over to after all the years of holding them.
With the various patents in the 217 collective lot that has been acquired in the last couple of weeks it has a varied assortment covering a broad range, but there’s one that stands out more than the rest. Right, ready? the patent is interesting as it comes by the name of “Computer Phone”.
Yes, “Computer Phone”, the name that we all associate with essentially what we use really. I hear you say it’s a Smartphone, but for years it was called a “Computer Phone”, It’s a pocket pc, a computer in a phone… a “Computer Phone”.
Here’s what the it says in the patent filed that you can find here – U.S. Patent Document 7,499,726.
A computer integrated cordless phone. The phone can include a cordless handset transceiver configured for coupling to an antenna shared with a wireless network adapter through a multiplexer/demultiplexer so that both of the cordless handset transceiver and the wireless network adapter transmit and receive data within a common wireless frequency spectrum. In a preferred embodiment, the cordless handset transceiver can include a further configuration for coupling to a central processing unit, audio processing circuitry and power supply within a computing device shared with the wireless network adapter. Notably, the common wireless frequency spectrum can include the ISM frequency band.
Although a lot of patents are baseless and insignificant when it comes to the crunch, this could be a big weapon or it could be a big dud, either way Google in principle are now firmly on the mission to build up a defence against the looming fight they have ahead in the “Patent Wars” ahead.
2012 is a big year ahead in the courts for many companies, with Google and it’s OEM manufacturers more than most. Google now with the Motorola Mobility deal, continued IBM acquisitions, and push towards sourcing important tools in building a good IP Portfolio will be in a much better position in hopefully protecting Android.
Source: SlashGear
