Level One Communications, Inc. v. Seeq Technology, Inc.
Opinion
Opinion
Patel, J.
MEMORANDUM AND ORDER
On November 28, 1995, plaintiff Level One Communications, Inc., brought this action against defendant Seeq Corporation, Inc., alleging infringement of U.S. Patent No. 5,249,183 (“the ’183 patent”) and U.S. Patent No. 5,267,269 (“the ’269 patent”). Both patents pertain to the electronic circuitry used to transmit and receive information over different communications media and among different computers on a common network. Defendant timely answered, asserting numerous affirmative defenses, and counterclaimed seeking a declaratory judgment of patent invalidity and non-infringement. Now before the court are the parties’ memoranda regarding claim construction of the disputed patent terms.
Having considered the parties’ arguments and submissions, and for the reasons set forth below, the court enters the following memorandum and order.
BACKGROUND
The ‘183 Patent
Plaintiff Level One is the sole assignee of the ‘183 patent, which issued on September 28, 1993, and is entitled “Interfacing Unit for Local Area Networks.” The ‘183 patent concerns circuitry which allows a computer in a “local area network” (“LAN”) to communicate over two different kinds of media,…