數位電視機上盒系統侵權 Veveo控告Comcast

2013年8月7日，一家營業總部設在美國麻薩諸塞州(Massachusetts)、以開發各種電子裝置(智慧型手機、數位電視等)智慧型人機介面的軟體技術開發公司Veveo, Inc.(下稱Veveo)，向美國麻薩諸塞州聯邦地院提起民事訴訟，控告營業總部設在賓州費城之美國最大有線電視系統業者Comcast Corporation等(下稱Comcast)，其所提供之數位有線電視服務XFINITY TV以及數位電視機上盒系統X1 Platform，直接侵害或間接誘使其消費者侵害Veveo所擁有之4項專利權利，並涉及不法利用Veveo的營業秘密技術資訊。

Veveo在訴狀中指出，從2005年底開始，Veveo與Comcast計畫就提升Comcast數位有線電視系統之操作平台的搜尋檢索能力進行共同開發，雙方並於2005年12月簽署保密協議(Mutual Confidentiality and Nondisclosure Agreement, NDA)。而Comcast在2005年6月左右，併購StreamSage, Inc.(StreamSage，亦列為本案共同被告之一)，它是一家提供數位影音內容搜尋與檢索技術支援服務的公司。2006年底Comcast中止合作協商，但在2008年末，雙方再啟協商，嘗試將Veveo之技術導入Comcast的系統中，並在2009年2月簽署第二份NDA。Veveo主張，其之後在雙方NDA適用範圍內，提供多項具備營業秘密性質的技術文件給Comcast，並在2010年6月，與同為本案共同被告之Comcast子公司Comcast Cable Communications Management, LLC簽署並執行軟體授權協議，授權Comcast使用Veveo之搜尋軟體來提供其服務。

2011年4月，Comcast開始提供使用Veveo搜尋軟體技術的機上盒給其客戶使用，而Veveo主張，此時Comcast讓其內部技術團隊StreamSage，利用Veveo的專利技術與營業秘密技術資訊，開發具備同樣功能的軟體。2013年4月30日，Comcast告知Veveo，將終止雙方間的軟體授權協議，並持續提供X1 Platform系統給使用其XFINITY TV服務的客戶；因此Veveo主張，Comcast不法使用Veveo之專利技術與營業秘密技術know-how來開發相關軟體並提供服務，是構成侵害Veveo專利權利、違反雙方NDA之契約義務、侵害Veveo營業秘密等行為。

本案4項系爭專利內容如下：

美國專利編號US 7,895,218，名稱為「使用縮減文本輸入來從事電視內容搜尋的方法與系統(Method and system for performing searches for television content using reduced text input)」，於2011年2月22日核發；

美國專利編號US 7,779,011與US 7,937,394，名稱均為「動態處理多義而縮減之文本搜尋查詢並標記其結果的方法與系統(Method and system for dynamically processing ambiguous, reduced text search queries and highlighting results thereof)」，分別於2010年8月17日與2011年5月3日核發；

美國專利編號US 8,433,696，名稱為「處理多義而多語詞之搜尋查詢的方法與系統(Method and system for processing ambiguous, multiterm search queries)」，於2013年4月30日核發。(1187字；表2)

表一、系爭專利之請求項解析

US 7,895,218請求項1	US 7,779,011請求項1
1. A method of incrementally identifying and selecting a television content item to be presented from a relatively large set of selectable television content items, the television content items being associated with descriptive terms that characterize the selectable television content items, the method comprising: 一項從可選擇電視內容項目之相對大量集合中、遞增式地指明並選擇出被呈現之一個電視內容項目的方法，前述電視內容項目附有描述可選擇電視節目項目特徵的描述語，該方法包括	1. A method of processing unresolved keystroke entries by a user from a keypad with overloaded keys (Fig.1 - 10) in which a given key is in fixed association with a number and at least one alphabetic character (Fig.1 - 12), said unresolved keystroke entries being directed at identifying an item from a set of items, each of said items being associated with information describing the item comprising one or more words, said method comprising: 一項處理使用者在一鍵多義的鍵盤上輸入未受分辨鍵擊輸入的方法，鍵盤上一既有按鍵是與一數字和至少一字母字元存在固定關聯，前述未分辨鍵擊輸入是用來從項目集合中指明一項目，每個前述項目是與描述該項目、由一或多個字詞所構成之資訊相關聯，前述方法包括
using an ordering criteria to rank and associate subsets of television content items with corresponding strings of one or more descriptor prefix strings, each descriptor prefix string being a variable length string containing a subset of the characters of the descriptive terms that characterize the selectable television content items, wherein each descriptor prefix string contains less than all characters of the descriptive terms; 使用一定序標準來排序並將電視內容項目之子集合與一或多個描述符前綴字串中相對應者產生關聯，每個描述符前綴字串為一長度不一的字串，其包括描述語之一部分字元，且每個描述符前綴字串所包含字元，少於描述語之全部字元	indexing said items by associating subsets of said items with corresponding strings of one or more unresolved keystrokes for overloaded keys so that the subsets of items are directly mapped to the corresponding strings of unresolved keystrokes for various search query prefix substrings; 透過將前述項目子集合與一或多次未受分辨鍵擊一鍵多義按鍵所得相對應字串產生關聯來索引前述項目，讓前述項目子集合直接對應到、做為各種檢索查詢前綴次字串的未受分辨鍵擊相對應字串
subsequent to ranking and associating the television content items with strings of one or more descriptor prefix strings, receiving incremental text input entered by a user (Fig.4 - 401), the incremental text input including a first descriptor prefix of a word entered by the user for incrementally identifying at least one desired television content item of the relatively large set of television content items, wherein the first descriptor prefix contains less than all characters of the word the user is using to incrementally identify the at least one desired television content item; 在排序與將電視內容項目之子集合與一或多個描述符前綴字串產生關聯後，接收使用者所輸入的遞增式文本輸入，遞增式文本輸入包括使用者輸入語彙的第一描述符前綴，其用來遞增式地指明電視內容項目之相對大量集合中至少一個被需求的電視內容項目，其中第一描述符前綴所包含字元，少於使用者用來遞增式指明至少一個被需求電視內容項目之語彙的所有字元	for at least one subset of items, which determining letters and numbers present in the information associated with and describing the indexed items of said subset caused said items to be associated with the strings of one or more unresolved keystrokes that are directly mapped to said subset; 就至少一個項目子集合，決定在與前述子集合中被索引項目相關聯且描述該項目之資訊中出現的字母與數字，讓前述項目與直接對應前述子集合之一或多次未受分辨鍵擊字串產生關聯
	subsequent to said indexing, receiving from a user a search query for desired items composed of unresolved keystrokes (Fig.4 - 402), said search query comprising a prefix substring for at least one word in information associated with the desired item; 在前述索引動作之後，從一使用者接收對其所需求項目、由未受分辨鍵擊所構成之搜尋查詢，前述搜尋查詢包含在所需求項目相關聯資訊中至少一字詞的前綴次字串
selecting and presenting on a display device the subset of television content items that is associated with the first descriptor prefix string (Fig.4 - 402); 選擇並在顯示裝置上呈現與前述第一描述符前綴字串相關聯的電視內容項目子集合	in response to each unresolved keystroke, identifying and displaying the subsets of items (Fig.4 - 404), and information associated therewith, that are associated with the strings of one or more unresolved keystrokes received from the user based on the direct mapping of strings of unresolved keystrokes to subsets of items; 回應每次未受分辨鍵擊，指明並顯示項目子集合及其相關聯的資訊，其是透過從使用者所接收一或多次未受分辨鍵擊之字串、基於未受分辨鍵擊字串與項目子集合之直接對應來產生關聯
subsequent to receiving the first descriptor prefix, receiving subsequent incremental text input entered by the user, the subsequent incremental text input including a second descriptor prefix of a word entered by the user for incrementally identifying the at least one desired television content item and forming a string of prefixes including the first descriptor prefix and the second descriptor prefix in the order received, wherein the second descriptor prefix contains less than all characters of the word the user is using to incrementally identify the at least one desired television content item; and 在接收第一描述符前綴後，接收使用者後續輸入之遞增式文本輸入，後續遞增式文本輸入包括使用者輸入語彙的第二描述符前綴，其用來遞增式地指明至少一個被需求的電視內容項目並以接收順序組成包含第一描述符前綴與第二描述符前綴的前綴字串，其中第二描述符前綴所包含字元，少於使用者用來遞增式指明至少一個被需求電視內容項目之語彙的所有字元
	in response to each unresolved keystroke, as the identified items are displayed, highlighting the letters and numbers present in the one or more words in said information describing the identified items that were determined to have caused the displayed items to be associated with the strings of unresolved keystrokes that are directly mapped to said items received so as to illustrate to the user how the unresolved keystrokes entered match the information associated with the displayed items (Fig.4 - 404); and 回應每次未受分辨鍵擊，當被指明項目被顯示時，標記出在描述被指明項目之前述資訊中一或多個字詞裡出現的字母與數字，其是被決定來讓被指明項目與所接收之直接對應到前述項目的未受分辨鍵擊字串產生關聯，藉以對使用者說明其所輸入未受分辨鍵擊如何符合與被顯示項目相關聯的資訊
selecting and presenting on the display device the subset of television content items that is associated with the string of prefixes received. 選擇並在顯示裝置上呈現與前述前綴字串相關聯的電視內容項目子集合
	ordering the displayed items in accordance with one or more given criteria. 依據一或多個既定標準來定序被顯示之項目
US 7,937,394請求項1	US 8,433,696請求項1
1. A method of processing unresolved keystroke entries by a user from a keypad with overloaded keys in which a given key is in fixed association with a number and at least one alphabetic character, the unresolved keystroke entries being directed at identifying an item from a set of items, each of the items being associated with information describing the item comprising one or more words, the method comprising: 一項處理使用者在一鍵多義的鍵盤上輸入未受分辨鍵擊輸入的方法，鍵盤上一既有按鍵是與一數字和至少一字母字元存在固定關聯，前述未分辨鍵擊輸入是用來從項目集合中指明一項目，每個前述項目是與描述該項目、由一或多個字詞所構成之資訊相關聯，前述方法包括	1. A method, comprising: 一項方法包括
providing access to an index of the items, the index having an association between subsets of the items and corresponding strings of one or more unresolved keystrokes for overloaded keys so that the subsets of items are directly mapped to the corresponding strings of unresolved keystrokes for various search query prefix substrings; 提供項目索引之存取，前述索引具備項目子集合與一或多次未受分辨鍵擊一鍵多義按鍵所得對應字串的關聯，藉以讓項目子集合被直接對應到、做為各種檢索查詢前綴次字串的未受分辨鍵擊相對應字串	associating subsets of content items with corresponding strings of one or more overloaded keys of a keypad so that the subsets of content items are directly mapped to the corresponding strings of one or more overloaded keys by a direct mapping, wherein at least one overloaded key of the one or more overloaded keys is associated with a plurality of alphabetical and/or numerical symbols; 讓內容項目子集合與一鍵盤上一鍵多義之對應字串產生關聯，藉以讓內容項目子集合透過直接對應被直接對應到一或多個一鍵多義按鍵的相應字串上，其中一或多個一鍵多義按鍵中至少一個一鍵多義按鍵是與複數字母以及/或數字符號相關聯
for at least one subset of items, determining which letters and numbers present in the information associated with and describing the indexed items of the subset caused the items to be associated with the strings of one or more unresolved keystrokes that directly mapped to the subset; 就至少一個項目子集合，決定在與前述子集合中被索引項目相關聯且描述該項目之資訊中出現的字母與數字，讓前述項目與直接對應前述子集合之一或多次未受分辨鍵擊字串產生關聯	ranking content items within at least one of the subsets of content items according to one or more ordering criteria; 依據一或多個定序標準在至少一個內容項目子集合中排序內容項目
receiving from a user a search query for desired items composed of unresolved keystrokes (Fig.4 - 402), the search query comprising a prefix substring for at least one word in information associated with the desired item; 從一使用者接收對其所需求項目、由未受分辨鍵擊所構成之搜尋查詢，前述搜尋查詢包含在所需求項目相關聯資訊中至少一字詞的前綴次字串	subsequent to the associating and ranking, receiving entry of a first overloaded key (Fig.8A - 802); 在關聯與排序後，接收第一一鍵多義按鍵之輸入
in response to each unresolved keystroke, identifying and displaying the subsets of items, and information associated therewith (Fig.4 - 404), that are associated with the strings of one or more unresolved keystrokes received from the user based on the direct mapping of strings of unresolved keystrokes to subsets of items; and 回應每次未受分辨鍵擊，指明並顯示項目子集合及其相關聯的資訊，其是透過從使用者所接收一或多次未受分辨鍵擊之字串、基於未受分辨鍵擊字串與項目子集合之直接對應來產生關聯	selecting and presenting a first of the subsets of content items that is associated with the first overloaded key based on the direct mapping; 選擇並呈現內容項目子集合中第一項目，其依據前述直接對應而與第一一鍵多義按鍵相關聯
in response to each unresolved keystroke, as the identified items are displayed, highlighting the letters and numbers present in the one or more words in the information describing the identified items that were determined to have caused the displayed items to be associated with the strings of unresolved keystrokes that are directly mapped to the items so as to illustrate to the user how the unresolved keystrokes entered match the information associated with the displayed items (Fig.4 - 404). 回應每次未受分辨鍵擊，當被指明項目被顯示時，標記出在描述被指明項目之前述資訊中一或多個字詞裡出現的字母與數字，其是被決定來讓被指明項目與所接收之直接對應到前述項目的未受分辨鍵擊字串產生關聯，藉以對使用者說明其所輸入未受分辨鍵擊如何符合與被顯示項目相關聯的資訊	subsequent to receiving entry of the first overloaded key, receiving entry of a second overloaded key the same as or different than the first overloaded key, the second overloaded key forming a string with the first overloaded key (Fig.8B - 804); and 在接收第一一鍵多義按鍵的輸入後，接收與第一一鍵多義按鍵相同或不同的第二一鍵多義按鍵，第二一鍵多義按鍵與第一一鍵多義按鍵組成一字串
	selecting and presenting a second of the subsets of content items that is associated with the string of overloaded keys formed by the first overloaded key and the second overloaded key based on the direct mapping (Fig.8C - 806). 選擇並呈現內容項目子集合之第二項目，其依據直接對應與第一一鍵多義按鍵與第二一鍵多義按鍵所組成之一鍵多義字串相關聯

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：Veveo控告Comcast

訴訟名稱	Veveo, Incorporated v. Comcast Corporation et al
提告日期	2013年8月7日
原告	Veveo, Incorporated
被告	Comcast Corporation Comcast Cable Communications, LLC Comcast Cable Communications Management, LLC Streamsage, Inc
案號	1:13-cv-11885-GAO
訴訟法院	the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts
系爭專利	US 7,895,218 US 7,779,011 US 7,937,394 US 8,433,696
系爭產品	Combast的有線電視服務XFINITYR TV， http://www.comcast.com/Corporate/Learn/DigitalCable/digitalcable.html (最後瀏覽日：2013/08/15)； Combast的數位電視機上盒X1 Platform， http://www.comcast.com/x1?cid=x1 (最後瀏覽日：2013/08/15)
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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