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商用軟體方法專利侵權,Acacia子公司Data Engine控告SAP

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科技產業資訊室 (iKnow) - SYL 發表於 2013年8月12日
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2013年8月5日,美國知名專利不實施實體(non-practicing entity, NPE)Acacia Research Corporation(下稱Acacia)的子公司Data Engine Technologies LLC(下稱Data Engine),向美國德州東區聯邦地院提起專利侵權告訴,控告總部位於德國Walldorf的歐洲最大軟體企業SAP AG以及其美國分公司SAP America, Inc. (下稱SAP),其在美國境內進行之製造、使用、授權、販售、進口多項商用應用軟體產品等行為,就Data Engine所擁有之4項專利權利中方法發明請求項構成直接或間接侵權。

本案4項系爭專利原始權利人為Borland Software Corporation (或其前身Borland International, Inc.,1983年創立於加州,為以提供軟體開發生命周期所需之各種工具而聞名於世的軟體公司,並於2000年為Micro Focus International plc所併購),各項專利內容如下:

美國專利編號US 6,247,020專利,名稱為「具備應用程式瀏覽器之使用者介面的開發系統(Development system with application browser user interface)」,於2001年6月12日核發。Data Engine在其訴狀中主張,SAP的軟體應用程式產品NetWeaver Cloud SDK(現已被整合入SAP的HANA Cloud SDK中),就本項系爭專利之一或數項方法發明請求項構成侵權;

美國專利編號US 6,237,135專利,名稱為「具備用來建立並維護Java Beans組件之視覺設計工具的開發系統(Development system with visual design tools for creating and maintaining Java Beans components)」,於2001年5月22日核發。Data Engine指出,SAP所擁有、在2012年10月2日所核發之US 8,281,283專利,其在審查過程中審查官有指出本項專利為先前技術文獻,所以SAP在當時應已知悉本項專利。Data Engine主張,SAP的NetWeaver Cloud SDK侵害本項專利之方法請求項;

美國專利編號US 5,603,025專利,名稱為「在關聯式資料庫管理系統中提供超文件報表的方法(Methods for hypertext reporting in a relational database management system)」,於1997年2月11日核發。Data Engine指出,SAP所擁有、在2002年10月1日所核發之US 6,460,031專利,其中有引用本項系爭專利為先前技術文獻,所以在當時SAP便應實際知悉本項專利。Data Engine主張,SAP的軟體應用程式產品Business Objects Web Intelligence,就本項專利之一或數項方法發明請求項構成侵權;

美國專利編號US 5,461,708專利,名稱為「用來自動圖像化試算表資訊的系統與方法(Systems and methods for automated graphing of spreadsheet information)」,於1995年10月24日核發。Data Engine指出,SAP透過其收購子公司Business Objects Software, Ltd.而取得、在2011年9月20日所核發之US 8,024,666專利,在其審查過程中審查官有指出本項系爭專利為先前技術文獻,所以在當時SAP應已知悉本項專利之存在。Data Engine主張,SAP的軟體應用程式產品BusinessObjects Explorer以及Sapphire Analyze,侵害本項專利之方法請求項。(1266字;表2)

表一、系爭專利之請求項解析

US 6,247,020 請求項1 US 6,237,135 請求項1
1. In a development system for creating computer programs, a method for assisting a user with development of a program, said program being developed from a project comprising at least a plurality of files employed for developing the program, the method comprising:
在建立電腦程式的開發系統中,一項用來協助使用者開發程式的方法,前述程式是從由用於開發該程式之至少複數檔案所構成的專案所開發出來,前述方法包括
1. In a system for developing computer programs, said programs being created, at least in part, from software components, a method for assisting a user with creation of components, the method comprising:
在開發電腦程式的系統中,前述電腦程式至少部分是從軟體組件所建立,一項用來協助使用者建立組件的方法,前述方法包括
displaying a graphical user interface window having a navigation pane, said navigation pane for displaying a hierarchical view of said project comprising a tree having a plurality of nodes of files employed for developing said program of said project (Fig. 8A - 803), said nodes being displayed in collapsible outline format, so that the user can navigate to a particular file of the project by selecting one of the nodes;
顯示一具備瀏覽窗格之圖像式使用者介面視窗,前述瀏覽窗格用來顯示前述專案的階層性檢視,其由具備用於開發前述專案之前述程式之複數程式節點的樹狀圖所構成,前述節點以可折疊之外觀格式被顯示,讓使用者可以透過選擇其中一個節點來瀏覽到專案之特定檔案
providing design patterns specifying how components created in the system must appear when in source code form;
提供設計型樣,其說明在系統中所建立的組件應如何以原始碼形式呈現
receiving user input for creating a particular component of interest, said user input specifying at least one property to be created for the component, including specifying whether said at least one property should have associated functions for setting and getting values for the property;
接收使用者建立特定軟件之需求輸入,前述使用者輸入說明所建立組件之至少一項特性,並包括說明是否前述至少一項特性應具備設定與賦予該特性數值之相關功能
simultaneously displaying in said graphical user interface window a content pane, said content pane for displaying contents of the particular file selected at the navigation pane (Fig. 8A - 807); and
同時在前述圖像式使用者介面視窗中顯示一內容窗格,前述內容窗格是用來顯示在瀏覽窗格中被選取特定檔案之內容
based on said design pattern and said user input, emitting source code suitable for creating the particular component (Fig. 2C - 270), said source code including functions for setting and getting values for at least one property;
依據前述設計型樣與前述使用者輸入,釋出適用於建立前述特定組件之原始碼,前述原始碼包括用來設定與賦予至少一項特性數值的功能
simultaneously displaying in said graphical user interface window a structure pane, said structure pane for displaying a hierarchical view of said particular file comprising a tree having a plurality of nodes (Fig. 8A - 809), so that the user can navigate to a particular object of the particular file by selecting one of the nodes;
同時在前述圖像式使用者介面視窗中顯示一結構窗格,前述結構窗格用來顯示前述特定檔案的階層式檢視,其由具備複數節點的樹狀圖所構成,讓使用者可以透過選擇其中一個節點來瀏覽到特定檔案之特定物件
receiving a request to add a new property to the particular component (Fig.4 - 431);
接收增加一新特性至前述特定組件的要求
in response to said request and in response to parsing said emitted source code, displaying a user interface dialog allowing the user to specify a name and type for the new property for the already-created particular component (Fig.5 – 511 & 513); and
回應前述要求並回應就前述釋出之原始碼的剖析,顯示一使用者介面對話框,讓使用者可以說明已建立特定組件之新特性的名稱與種類
wherein all said panes remain automatically synchronized by the system during system operation.
所有前述窗格在系統運作期間保持由系統自動同步之狀態
based on said name and type for the new property, emitting new source code suitable for creating the particular component, said new source code including source code for creating the new property for the particular component.
依據前述新特性的名稱與種類,釋出適用於建立特定組建的新原始碼,前述新原始碼包括用來為特定組件建立新特性的原始碼
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US 5,603,025 請求項1 US 5,461,708 請求項1
1. In a computer system, a method for generating a hypertext report, the method comprising:
在電腦系統中,一項用來產製超文件報表(Fig.1C - 156)之方法,前述方法包括
1. In a computer system, a method for assisting a user with graphing information, the method comprising the steps of:
在電腦系統中,一項用來透過圖像資訊協助使用者的方法,前述方法包括以下步驟
receiving input specifying a first report, said first report being based on information taken from a first subset of a set of relational database tables, said set of relational database tables including records that provide access to stored information; said first report being a design document separate from said set of relational database tables and specifying display of a plurality of information items associated with records in said first subset of tables, said information items being differentiated by being associated with records having different values of a particular field in said first subset of tables;
接收說明第一份報表的輸入,前述第一份報表是以取自一關聯式資料庫表單集合之第一組次集合的資訊為基礎,前述關聯式資料庫表單集合包括提供儲存資料存取之報表,前述第一項報表是獨立於前述關聯式資料庫表單集合的設計文件,其明確顯示有關於位在前述第一組表單次集合中之報表的複數資訊項目,前述資訊項目透過與具備前述第一組表單次集合中特定欄位之不同數值的報表產生關連而有所區別
(a) providing a plurality of different graph types for presenting data sets of varying layout and information content (Fig.1D - 135);
(a)提供複數不同圖像類別,用來呈現不同外觀與資訊內容的資料集
receiving input specifying a second report, said second report being based on information taken from a second subset of said set of relational database tables, said second report being a design document separate from said set of relational database tables and specifying display of information associated with records in said second subset of tables;
接收說明第二份報表的輸入,前述第二份報表是以取自前述關聯式資料庫表單集合之第二組次集合的資訊為基礎,前述第二份報表是獨立於前述關聯式資料庫表單集合的設計文件,其明確顯示有關於位在前述第二組表單次集合中之報表的資訊
(b) receiving as input one of said data sets, said data set including information desired by the user to be plotted as a graph;
(b)接收其中一個前述資料集之輸入,前述被輸入資料集包括使用者想要被圖像所描繪出之資訊
combing the information items from said first report and the information from said second report (Fig.1C – 161, 162 & 163) into the hypertext report; and
將來自前述第一份報表的資訊項目與來自第二份報表的資訊結合成超文件報表
(c) examining said data set by said computer system, for determining layout and information content for said data set;
(c)由前述電腦系統檢視前述資料集,決定前述資料集的外觀與資訊內容
if information in said first report is relatable to information in said second report by virtue of at least one of said second subset of tables having the particular field, generating at least one hypertext link and placing said at least one hypertext link in the hypertext report for cross-referencing relatable information in the two reports (Fig.7B - 750), the hypertext report, when displayed to a user, allowing the user to navigate between related information at different locations in the hypertext report by invoking said at least one hypertext link.
若前述第一份報表中資訊與前述第二份報表中資訊、透過前述具備特定欄位之第二組表單次集合中至少一個表單、而可以產生關聯,則產生至少一個超文件連結並放置前述至少一個超文件連結於超文件報表中,用來交互參照兩份報表中的可關聯資訊,而前述超文件報表,在顯示給使用者時,讓使用者可以透過利用前述至少一個超文件連結、瀏覽位在超文件報表中不同位置的關聯資訊
(d) automatically selecting a graph type by said computer system, based on said determined layout and information content for said data set; and
(d)由前述電腦系統、 依據前述位前述資料集所決定之外觀與資料內容、自動選擇一圖像類別
(e) plotting said graph with the information of said data set (Fig.1D - 136), said graph (Fig.6B - 613) having said selected graph type.
(e)以前述資料集之資訊描繪出前述圖像,前述圖像具備前述被選擇的圖像類別
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Source: 科技政策研究與資訊中心—科技產業資訊室整理,2013/08

表二、專利訴訟案件基本資料:Acacia子公司Data Engine控告歐洲軟體公司SAP

訴訟名稱 Data Engine Technologies LLC v. SAP America, Inc. et al
提告日期 2013年8月5日
原告 Data Engine Technologies LLC
被告 SAP America, Inc.
SAP AG
案號 6:13-cv-00580
訴訟法院 the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
系爭專利 US 6,247,020
US 6,237,135
US 5,603,025
US 5,461,708
系爭產品 SAP的商用應用軟體產品,例如:
NetWeaver Cloud SDK (現已被整合入HANA Cloud SDK中),
https://tools.hana.ondemand.com/#cloud (最後瀏覽日:2013/08/11);
Business Objects Web Intelligence,
http://www54.sap.com/pc/analytics/business-intelligence/software/web-intelligence/index.html (最後瀏覽日:2013/08/11);
BusinessObjects Explorer,
https://www54.sap.com/pc/analytics/business-intelligence/software/explorer/index.html (最後瀏覽日:2013/08/11)
訴狀下載 download.gif

Source: 科技政策研究與資訊中心—科技產業資訊室整理,2013/08


 
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