e.Digital vs. Apple Inc. - US Patent: 5,742,737

e.Digital vs. Apple Inc. - US Patent: 5,742,737 - “Method For Recording Voice Messages On Flash Memory In A Hand Held Recorder,”

Accused Products and Summary of Complaint for US Patent: 5,742,737:

The accused products for purposes of the ‘737 patent include but are not limited to the Apple iPhone, iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, and iPhone 5 mobile devices; the Apple iPad series of tablets (excluding the first generation); the Apple iPad Mini series of tablets; the Apple iPod Nano series of devices (excluding the first generation); the Apple iPod Touch series of devices (excluding the first generation); the MacBook Pro series of computers; and the MacBook Air series of computers.

The accused products, alone or in combination with other products, practice each of the limitations of independent claim 1 and dependent claim 3 of the ‘737 patent; and independent claim 4 of the ‘737 patent.

The MacBook accused products, with a slot for a flash memory module, alone or in combination with other product also infringe each and every element of independent claims 9 and 13 and dependent claims 6 and 7 of the ‘737 patent.

US Patent: 5,742,737

Claims:

1. A device for enabling immediate recording of a new message on a partially recorded flash memory digital recording medium without a delay caused by searching for blank memory available for recording on the flash memory digital recording medium, said device comprising:

a solid state digital hand held recording device having a multifunctional switch assembly and a separate record switch assembly, a flash memory digital recording medium including a region forming a continuity of pre-recorded messages, a printed circuit board including a microcontroller electrically coupled to the switch assemblies and operable to control the processing of sound into electrical signals, and store said electrical signals on the flash memory digital recording medium;

recording means coupled to the circuit board and activated by the record switch assembly and including means for (i) searching for an end of a last recorded message, (ii) identifying a point after the end of the last recorded message where the new message may begin, and (iii) beginning recording of the new message at the identified point;

sequencing playback means for playing the new message from the identified point defining the beginning of said new message with no manual involvement of the user other than activating the multifunctional switch means.

3. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein the microcontroller includes a read-only memory for storage of microcontroller instructions for executing the function of message recording.

4. A method for recording a new message on a hand held recording device without disturbing the physical continuity of existing messages and without manually searching for a blank segment of memory on the flash memory digital recording medium, said method comprising the steps of:

a) placing the recording device in an idle mode where all recorder functions are inactive; and

b) activating a record switch causing the recording device to:

i) search for an end of a last recorded message on the recording medium,

ii) identify a segment of flash memory past the end of a last recorded message as a beginning point where the new message may be recorded, and

iii) begin recording a new message at the beginning point.

6. A method as defined in claim 5, wherein the memory integrity test of step b) further comprises the steps of:

a) testing memory segments of the flash memory to determine whether said segments can record and play a voice message, or are defective; and

b) marking defective memory segments so that the recording device will not record to said segments.

7. A method as defined in claim 5, further providing a method for verifying the integrity of memory on a removable flash memory recording medium chip, said method comprising the steps of:

a) providing a removable flash memory recording chip and a hand held recording device with a plug assembly for electrically coupling the flash memory and the recording device; and

b) activating a memory integrity test of said flash memory by manually inserting batteries into the recording device that is electrically coupled to the flash memory.

9. A device for enabling the testing of memory integrity in a removable flash memory recording medium and the marking of defective memory such that voice messages are only recorded to segments of flash memory capable of storing electrical signals, said device comprising:

a solid state digital hand held recording device having a multifunctional switch assembly and a record switch assembly, the flash memory digital recording medium including a region forming a continuity of pre-recorded messages, a printed circuit board including a microcontroller electrically coupled to the switch assemblies and operable to (1) control the processing of sound into electrical signals, (2) store said electrical signals on the recording medium, and (3) play said sounds stored in the flash memory digital recording medium; and

memory integrity verification means for ascertaining whether the flash memory digital recording medium can record voice messages to said memory with no manual involvement of the user other than inserting the removable flash memory digital recording medium into a plug assembly in said recording device.

13. A method for verifying the integrity of memory on a removable flash memory recording medium chip for use within a hand held recording device, such that the flash memory is suitable for recording voice messages, said method comprising the steps of:

a) providing a removable flash memory recording chip and a hand held recording device with a plug assembly for electrically coupling the flash memory and the recording device; and

b) activating a memory media integrity test by manually inserting the flash memory chip into the plug assembly of said recording device to electrically couple the flash memory to the recording device.]