(December 27, 2010 – Business Wire) — Analog Devices Inc . (NYSE: ADI), high-performance semiconductor maker for signal-processing applications, announced that the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) ruled decisively in favor of Analog Devices in its lawsuit against Knowles Electronics. Administrative Law Judge Robert K. Rogers, Jr. concluded that Knowles infringes valid claims from one of ADI’s Wafer Anti-Stiction Application (WASA) patents.
Specifically, Judge Rogers ruled that Knowles infringes claims 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8 from ADI’s U.S. Pat. No. 7,364,942. As a result, ADI expects the ITC to issue an exclusion order prohibiting Knowles and its U.S. distributor from importing or selling all infringing microphones in the United States. Additionally, ADI expects to recover damages on all past sales of Knowles’ microphones through its pending lawsuit against Knowles in Delaware.
"Analog Devices began investing in MEMS in 1989 and has developed an extensive and innovative MEMS IP portfolio," commented Mark Martin, VP, MEMS/Sensor Technology Group, Analog Devices. "We have leveraged this investment to create the highest performance MEMS microphones available. We are very pleased that Judge Rogers ruled in our favor confirming the strength of our MEMS IP portfolio."
This recent ruling follows ITC Judge Rogers’ ruling on November 22nd when he found Knowles Electronics’ MEMS microphone packaging patents were invalid, a ruling consistent with the position taken by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, where all of Knowles’ asserted claims were rejected in separate reexaminations.
ADI’s iMEMS are used in motion sensors and MEMS microphones. iMEMS microphones integrate a MEMS transducer with an audio ASIC. iMEMS microphones and their many performance advantages will differentiate and radically change acoustic input designs in future electronics devices. iMEMS is a registered trademark of Analog Devices Inc. For more information, visit www.analog.com/mic.
Analog Devices (ADI) manufactures high-performance integrated circuits used in analog and digital signal processing applications. Analog Devices’ common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker "ADI" and is included in the S&P 500 Index. Learn more at http://www.analog.com.
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