網路電話訴訟BroadSoft對CallWave提起專利確認之訴

2013年4月23日，營業處所設於美國馬里蘭州的網路電話（Voice over IP, VoIP）軟體供應商BroadSoft, Inc（下稱BroadSoft），向美國德拉瓦州聯邦地院提起請求確認之訴，請求法院確認營業處所設於麻薩諸塞州、所擁有專利組合主要涉及網路技術、電話通訊與電子商務的專利授權公司CallWave Communications, LLC（下稱CallWave），其在2013年1月11日向本案相同法院所提起、控告雲端服務供應商Telovations, Inc.（下稱Telovations）之行動辦公室電話轉接服務軟體產品Mobility構成專利侵權訴訟案件中所主張的4項專利權利，未受到被控侵權產品之侵害，以及系爭專利為無效。

前述CallWave控告Telovations的案件名稱為CallWave Communications LLC v. Telovations Inc., et al.，案號為1:13-cv-00074-RGA，原本被告僅有Telovations，但在2013年2月25日CallWave提出第一修正訴狀（First Amended Complaint），將甫於2012年底收購Televations之美國第六大有線電視系統業者Bright House Networks, LLC增列為共同被告。

BroadSoft在2007年8月31日與Telovations簽訂技術授權協議，將BroadSoft的特定軟體產品授權給Telovations，而CallWave指控構成專利侵權的Telovations產品，便是Telovations將從BroadSoft處基於前述協議取得授權之軟體產品、加上品牌後行銷販售的軟體產品。因此Telovations等被告向BroadSoft依據授權協議尋求保護，而BroadSoft便提起本案確認之訴。

本案系爭專利中的US 8,351,591（’591專利）與US 7,822,188（’188專利），為CallWave在訴狀與第一修正訴狀中已主張權利之專利，而US 7,636,428（’428專利）與US 8,064,588（’588專利）是CallWave在其向Telovations等被告，所揭示的第二修正訴狀稿（draft Second Amended Complaint）中，表明將主張權利之專利。

本案4項系爭專利內容如下：
’188專利與’591專利，名稱均為「用來提供延展電信服務之方法與裝置(Methods and apparatus for providing expanded telecommunications service)」，分別於2010年10月26日與2013年1月8日核發；
’428專利與’588專利，名稱均為「用來進行電話呼叫篩選的系統與方法(Systems and methods for call screening)」，分別於2009年12月22日與2011年11月22日核發。

本案4項系爭專利中除最近期核發之’591專利外，其他三項之原始權利人均為CallWave, Inc.是提供免費文字簡訊服務及虛擬語音信箱服務的供應商，於1998年成立，在2009年更名為FuzeBox, Inc.。CallWave, Inc.共同創辦人中的David Trandel與David F. Hoffstatter亦是系爭專利的共同發明人，而本案原告CallWave的執行長Rich Sanders則曾任職於CallWave, Inc.與FuzeBox, Inc.並擔任總裁與法務長的職位。(1098字；表2)

表一、系爭專利之請求項解析

US 7,636,428 請求項1	US 7,822,188 請求項1
1. A method of providing a called party the ability to screen calls, the method comprising: 一項用來提供一被呼叫方篩選呼叫能力的方法，該方法包括	1. A method of processing calls, the method comprising: 一項處理電話呼叫之方法，該方法包括
receiving at a call processing system (Fig.1 - 124) a first call from a caller intended for a called party, wherein the first call includes signaling information having a phone number of the caller; 在一呼叫處理系統上接收來自呼叫方、意圖接通被呼叫方之第一通呼叫，其中該第一通呼叫包括含有呼叫方電話號碼的發信號資訊	storing in computer readable memory associated with a call processing system (Fig.1 - 27) a phone address associated with a first subscriber; 在與一呼叫處理系統相聯之電腦可讀取記憶體中儲存與一第一用戶有關之電話位址
opening a communication channel over the Internet (Fig.1 - 106) with a networked computer associated with the called party; 以一與前述被呼叫方有關之連網電腦，透過網際網路開起一通訊通道	storing in computer readable memory a plurality of phone addresses for the subscriber associated with at least one network selected from the group including a wireline network, a wireless network, and/or an Internet network; 為前述用戶，其與一有線網路、一無線網路以及/或一網際網路至少其中之一個網路相聯，在電腦可讀取記憶體中儲存複數電話位址
transmitting, while the first call is in progress, a call alert message, including at least a portion of the signaling information, to a terminal (Fig.1 - 110) associated with the called party; 在前述第一通呼叫在進行中時，傳送一呼叫警示訊息，其中包括至少部分之前述發信號資訊，到與前述被呼叫方相關之終端上	participating at the call processing system in a first call with the subscriber, wherein the first call is associated with a second phone address; 在呼叫處理系統上讓前述用戶參與第一通呼叫，其中第一通呼叫與一第二電話位址相關聯
recording speech from the caller and transmitting the speech to the terminal in substantially real time, wherein the speech is intended to be played to the called party via the terminal; 紀錄來自前述呼叫方之語音並以實際上即時的方式傳送前述語音到前述終端上，其中前述語音被意圖用來透過前述終端播放給前述被呼叫方	placing a first outcall from a call processing system to the first called party, wherein the call processing system inserts the first phone address in a callerID field associated with signaling information associated with the first outcall, wherein the first phone address is different than the second phone address; 從呼叫處理系統撥出第一通撥出呼叫到第一被呼叫方，其中前述呼叫處理系統在與前述第一通撥出呼叫關聯之發信號資訊相關的呼叫方身分區域中插入前述第一電話位址，而第一電話位址與前述第二電話位址並不相同
receiving a connection instruction via the terminal, and causing the caller to be connected to at least one of a plurality of potential destinations associated with the called party; 透過前述終端接收一連接指令，並讓前述呼叫方可以被連接上、與前述被呼叫方有關之複數可能目的端的至少其中一個	bridging the first call and the first outcall; 橋接第一通呼叫與第一通撥出呼叫
placing an outcall from the call processing system to at least one destination, wherein the at least one destination is a phone; 撥出一來自前述呼叫處理系統的撥出呼叫到至少一個目的端，其中前述至少一個目的端為一電話機	participating at the call processing system in a second call with the subscriber, wherein the second call is conducted via a subscriber communication device associated with a third phone address; 在前述呼叫處理系統上讓前述用戶參與第二通呼叫，其中第二通呼叫是透過一與第三電話位址相關聯之用戶通訊裝置來傳導
bridging the first call and the outcall; and 橋接前述第一通呼叫與前述播出呼叫	placing a second outcall from a call processing system to the second called party, wherein the call processing system inserts the first phone address in a callerID field associated with signaling information associated with the second outcall, wherein the first phone address is different than the third phone address; and 從呼叫處理系統撥出第二通撥出呼叫到第二被呼叫方，其中前述呼叫處理系統在與前述第二通撥出呼叫關聯之發信號資訊相關的呼叫方身分區域中插入前述第一電話位址，而第一電話位址與前述第三電話位址並不相同
transmitting status information related to the bridged first call and outcall to the terminal. 傳送與被橋接之第一通呼叫與播出呼叫的狀態資訊到前述終端上	bridging the second call and the second outcall. 橋接第二通呼叫與第二通撥出呼叫
US 8,064,588 請求項1	US 8,351,591 請求項1
1. A method of processing calls, comprising: 一項處理電話呼叫之方法，包括	1. A method of processing calls, the method comprising: 一項處理電話呼叫之方法，該方法包括
receiving over a network at a call processing system (Fig.1 – 124) a first call from a caller (Fig.1 - 102) intended for a called party, wherein the first call includes signaling information having a phone number of the caller and a personal number assigned to the called party; 透過一網路在一呼叫處理系統上接收來自一呼叫方、意圖接通一被呼叫方的第一通呼叫，其中前述第一通呼叫包括含有呼叫方電話號碼與被分配給被呼叫方之個人號碼的發信號資訊	storing in computer readable memory associated with a call processing system (Fig.1 - 27) a first phone address associated with a first subscriber; 在與一呼叫處理系統相聯之電腦可讀取記憶體中儲存與一第一用戶有關之電話位址
placing a new call from the call processing system to a telephonic destination associated with the called party, the new call including signaling information having at least a selected portion of the phone number of the caller so that the called party can determine the identity of the caller of the first call; 從前述呼叫處理系統撥出一通新呼叫到與被呼叫方有關的電話目的端，前述新呼叫包括含有至少部分被選取之呼叫方電話號碼的發信號資訊，藉以讓被呼叫方可以決定前述第一通呼叫之呼叫方的身分	storing in computer readable memory a plurality of phone addresses for the first subscriber; 為前述第一用戶，在電腦可讀取記憶體中儲存複數電話位址
connecting the new call with the first call; 連接前述新呼叫與前述第一通呼叫	participating at the call processing system in a first call associated with the first subscriber, the first call associated with a second phone address different than the first phone address; 在呼叫處理系統上讓前述第一用戶參與第一通呼叫，其中第一通呼叫與不同於第一電話位址之第二電話位址相關聯
receiving a call redirection instruction; 接收一呼叫重新導向指令	placing a first outcall from the call processing system to a first called party, wherein the call processing system inserts at least a portion of the first phone address in a callerlD field associated with signaling information associated with the first outcall; 從呼叫處理系統撥出第一通撥出呼叫到第一被呼叫方，其中前述呼叫處理系統在與前述第一通撥出呼叫關聯之發信號資訊相關的呼叫方身分區域中插入至少部分第一電話位址
placing a third call from the call processing system; and 從前述呼叫系統撥出第三通呼叫	causing the first call and the first outcall to be bridged; 讓第一通呼叫與第一通撥出呼叫被橋接
connecting the first call and third call. 連接前述第一通與第三通呼叫	participating at the call processing system in a second call associated with the first subscriber, the second call involving a subscriber communication device associated with a third phone address different than the first phone address; 在前述呼叫處理系統上讓前述第一用戶參與第二通呼叫，其中第二通呼叫涉及一與第一電話位址不同之第三電話位址相關聯的用戶通訊裝置
	placing a second outcall from the call processing system to a second called party, wherein the call processing system inserts at least a portion of the first phone address in a callerlD field associated with signaling information associated with the second outcall; and 從呼叫處理系統撥出第二通撥出呼叫到第二被呼叫方，其中前述呼叫處理系統在與前述第二通撥出呼叫關聯之發信號資訊相關的呼叫方身分區域中插入至少部分第一電話位址
	causing the second call and the second outcall to be bridged. 讓第二通呼叫與第二通撥出呼叫被橋接

Source: 科技政策研究與資訊中心—科技產業資訊室整理，2013/04

表二、專利訴訟案件基本資料：BroadSoft提起請求確認CallWave專利無效與未侵權之訴

訴訟名稱	Broadsoft Inc. v. CallWave Communications LLC
提告日期	2013年4月23日
原告	Broadsoft Inc.
被告	CallWave Communications LLC
案號	1:13-cv-00711-UNA
訴訟法院	the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware
系爭專利	US 7,636,428 US 7,822,188 US 8,064,588 US 8,351,591
系爭產品	Telovations的行動辦公室電話轉接服務產品Mobility， http://www.telovations.com/index.php/homepage/mobility (最後瀏覽日：2013/04/29)
訴狀下載

Source: 科技政策研究與資訊中心—科技產業資訊室整理，2013/04