United States Patent Office Reaffirms the Validity of Important Qualcomm CDMA Patent
SAN DIEGO -- March 23, 1999 -- Qualcomm Incorporated (Nasdaq: QCOM) today announced that the validity of one of its key Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) patents has been reaffirmed. Qualcomm has received notice that the United States Patent and Trademark Office will issue a Reexamination Certificate confirming the patentability of all 49 claims of U.S. Patent 5,103,459 with minor amendments and allowing 19 additional claims. The patent, which was issued in April 1992, had been the subject of two requests for reexamination filed by anonymous requestors in 1996 and 1997. The requests for reexamination alleged that prior publications not originally considered by the Patent Office rendered the patent invalid. In total, more than 80 additional references were submitted to the Patent Office during the reexamination proceedings by the requestors and Qualcomm. The Patent Office, after carefully reviewing all the additional prior art, concluded that the patent was valid and that Qualcomm was also entitled to 19 new claims.
The '459 Patent, entitled "System and Method for Generating Signal Waveforms in a CDMA Cellular Telephone System," describes inventions for generating the basic CDMA waveforms used in CDMA wireless systems such as IS-95 and others. The same basic waveforms are also utilized in CDMA systems proposed for third-generation standards. The inventions of the '459 Patent enable multiple callers in a CDMA wireless telecommunications network to efficiently use the same frequency band without mutual interference, allowing for greater system capacity and better link performance.
Qualcomm's pioneering efforts in the development of CDMA cellular technology have yielded more than 200 issued U.S. patents relating to CDMA and hundreds of issued and pending CDMA patent applications around the world. While no single patent is critical to Qualcomm's coverage of second or third generation CDMA wireless standards because Qualcomm holds dozens of patents that are essential to the leading standards, the '459 Patent covers fundamental techniques for achieving high capacity in such CDMA systems. More than 60 major manufacturers of telecommunications equipment have taken royalty-bearing licenses under Qualcomm's patent portfolio.
Qualcomm Incorporated (Nasdaq: QCOM) is a leader in developing and delivering innovative digital wireless communications products and services based on the Company's CDMA digital technology. The Company's major business areas include CDMA phones; integrated CDMA chipsets and system software; wireless infrastructure; technology licensing; and satellite-based systems including OmniTRACS® and portions of the Globalstar™ system. Qualcomm is headquartered in San Diego, Calif. Qualcomm's fiscal 1998 revenues exceeded U.S. $3 billion. For more information, please visit the Company's web site at http://www.qualcomm.com.
Except for the historical information contained herein, this news release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties, including timely product development, the Company's ability to successfully manufacture significant quantities of CDMA or other equipment on a timely and profitable basis, and those related to performance guarantees, change in economic conditions of the various markets the Company serves, as well as the other risks detailed from time to time in the Company's SEC reports, including the report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 27, 1998, and most recent Form 10-Q.
Qualcomm and OmniTRACS are registered trademarks of Qualcomm Incorporated. Globalstar is a trademark of Loral Qualcomm Satellite Services, Incorporated.
