Huawei is now facing a new patent infringement case in the US that’s centered around the imaging technology in its products. The case, brought before the Eastern District of Texas by Cedar Lane Technologies, isn’t limited to smartphones either. Instead, it reportedly covers a wealth of Huawei-branded devices. Including Huawei smartphones or tablets such as Huawei Mate X, Xs, 20, and 20 Pro. Or the MediaPad M5, M6, and T5.
Products released under Huawei-subsidiary Honor branding are also up for question in the suit. That includes devices such as the Honor View 10 and Honor 8.
Cedar Lane Technologies claims that Huawei not only infringes on the patents by releasing those devices and others for sale. It also claims Huawei was knowledgable about the patent in question. And that it had its employees “internally test and use” the products associated with the patent.
The plaintiff, in this case, is seeking compensation for damages as well as an award in terms of costs and fees.
How this imaging patent infringement suit will play out is very much up in the air
Now, this new case against already-embattled Huawei is likely a fairly daunting proposition. The company has been facing an increasing number of difficulties globally as a result of US sanctions. It has also been subject to increased scrutiny elsewhere on the legal front. That’s largely been the result of an ongoing trade war between China and the US.
That has essentially ballooned into a full-on war between Washington and the Chinese tech giant.
Conversely, the patent — as described in reports — appears to be relatively vague. The technology in question is a “method for interfacing analog/digital converting means and JPEG compression” methods. That’s compression on a device with built-in memory and following a specific sequence. First, the patent describes the method as “sequentially reading a predetermined number of image lines from the image data output.”
That description appears not to be too different, at least on the surface, from how essentially all digital cameras process and compress imaging data. And that can impact the outcome of these types of cases. So it will remain with the courts to determine whether Huawei can make its case or is forced to shell out compensation.
Huawei has not responded to the claims yet
In at least a couple of cases, the company’s defenses and attempts to explain itself in the US have also been brushed aside outright. So it would make sense for the company to have some reservations here. And, at least for the time being, Huawei hasn’t responded to the claims leveled against it with regard to this imaging patent infringement case.