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| (Source: Qualcomm) |
The Patent Trial and Appeal Board has refused to institute inter partes review proceedings sought by Samsung Electronics and its U.S. affiliate against three wireless networking patents owned by Secure Wi-Fi LLC, handing an early procedural win to the Texas-based patent owner.
In a decision dated March 24, 2025, the PTAB declined to institute IPR challenges filed by Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. and Samsung Electronics America Inc. in September 2024. The denied petitions targeted U.S. Patent Nos. 10,694,384; 9,961,552; and 9,717,005, each titled "Schemes for Connecting to Wireless Network." As a result of the board's refusal, the patents remain in force.
The denial comes amid ongoing district court litigation. In January 2024, Secure Wi-Fi filed a patent infringement lawsuit in the Eastern District of Texas, accusing Samsung of infringing the same three patents. The complaint alleged that various Galaxy smartphone models, including those running Android 10 or later, unlawfully utilize the patented MAC address randomization features to connect to Wi-Fi networks.
According to the asserted patents, the technology enables a device to generate randomized MAC addresses to enhance privacy and security during Wi-Fi connections. The invention also facilitates access point recognition based on prior connections and supports persistent randomization, where the device retains a consistent MAC address for the same network.
Secure Wi-Fi alleges that Samsung's Galaxy smartphones incorporate these features through the Qualcomm FastConnect Wi-Fi module and the Android operating system, thereby directly and indirectly infringing the patents. The litigation remains pending in the Eastern District of Texas.
By PatenTrip
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