Patent troll hits Apple w/ three lawsuits over AirPlay, autodial, and battery technologies

Apple is no stranger to lawsuits from patent trolls, having been a target numerous times in the past. Now, the company has been hit with a trio of patent infringement lawsuits from Uniloc, a non-practicing entity who has filed the suits in the patent troll-friendly Eastern Texas District Court. Uniloc alleges that Apple infringes upon its patents with AirPlay, autodial, and battery charging…

As detailed by AppleInsider, the first lawsuit cites U.S. Patent No. 6,661,203, which is for a “battery charging and discharging system optimized for high temperature environments.” This technology, first created by HP and filed for in 2001, covers using a sensor to monitor battery heat while the battery is charging and/or discharging, thus preventing overheating.

In other words, it’s pretty much how batteries work in a lot of things.

The next lawsuit goes after Apple’s AirPlay streaming technology, which falls under U.S. Patent No. 6,580,422. This patent covers “remote computer display using graphics primitives sent over a wireless link” and again, was first filed for in 1995 by HP. AirPlay of course is the standard Apple uses for wirelessly transmitting content, audio and video, between its devices.

Rounding out the trio of frivolous lawsuits is one that centers around autodial as it relates to patent No.7,092,671: “Method and system for wirelessly autodialing a telephone number from a record stored on a personal information device.” Essentially, this patent covers the idea of autodialing a phone number by tapping on the number or a contact name, hence why Uniloc targets Apple’s Contacts app in this suit.

Apple is no stranger to Uniloc lawsuits. Last month, Uniloc hit Apple will three lawsuits over patents relating to Apple Maps, Apple ID, and software updates. Prior to that, Uniloc alleged that Messages infringed on its patents relating to VoIP protocols.

It very much seems like Uniloc is following the ‘throw everything and see what sticks’ strategy when it comes to lawsuits. Apple has voiced its displeasure with patent trolls in the past, saying that it is the subject of more patent-related lawsuits than any other company.

As for what Uniloc hopes to gain, the company is seeking damages, legal fee reimbursement, and anything else the court decides to be warranted.

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