Samsung Sued over Chip Patents

According to Southeast Texas Record, BTG International Inc, a unit of U.K. medical licensing and innovations company BTG PLC, brought an infringement suit against Samsung Electronics Co. and several affiliates on December 29, 2008 in the U. S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas for alleged infringement of several patents pertaining to flash memory chips. The patents-in-suit, U.S. Patent Nos. 5,764,571; 5,872,735; 6,104,640; and 6,118,692, relate to electronically alterable non-volatile memory cell chips used in consumer electronics products. The chips are reportedly used in Samsung’s consumer electronics products, such as MP3 players, digital camcorders, and cell phones. BTG reportedly alleges that the defendants infringe the patents by the unauthorized production, use, sale, and importation of products containing Samsung’s flash memory chips, and that this causes BTG irreparable harm. BTG, asserting that the defendants knowingly and willfully engaged in the infringing activities, reportedly seeks an award of treble damages in addition to a permanent injunction.

fwiw....I'm sure no one will review them.

http://www.google.com/patents/about?id=_OcfAAAAEBAJ&dq=5,764,571

http://www.google.com/patents/about?id=EuwAAAAAEBAJ&dq=5,872,735

http://www.google.com/patents/about?id=FE4EAAAAEBAJ&dq=6,104,640

http://www.google.com/patents/about?id=C24GAAAAEBAJ&dq=6,118,692

They all deal basically with ideas of varying electrical references....in setting the state of a multi-bit memory cell, allowing more than two states of a bit...where normally two states is all you get for a bit.....on or off. With this method and utilizing varying electrical reference voltages they can, say, set a bit of a cell at half on, or a 3rd on or a 1/4 on.....etc

physical and electrical charastics

doni