MARSHALL - The University of Connecticut along with two other academic research institutions have brought a lawsuit against Samsung Electronics, alleging the tech giant’s smartwatches infringe upon several patents.
The suit was filed April 3 in the U.S. District Court for Eastern Texas, Marshall Division. The other plaintiffs in the case include The Research Foundation for the State University of New York and the Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
According to the complaint, more than 200 million people wear smartwatches – a primary reason for which is the ability to obtain physiological information and health parameters from the watch.
From 2002 through 2010, Dr. Ki Chon worked as a faculty member at The State University of New York at Stony Brook in the Department of Biomedical Engineering. He and his research team developed and co-invented algorithms and devices for the detection of physiological functions. The patents are owned by the university.
From 2010 through 2014, Dr. Chon was a professor and, subsequently, the Department Head of Biomedical Engineering at WPI. During his time as a faculty member at WPI, Dr. Chon worked with members of his research team to develop and co-invent a multitude of algorithms and systems for the detection of physiological functions. Those patents are owned and co-owned by WPI.
Dr. Chon is currently a professor of biomedical engineering at UConn with previous appointments at SUNY and WPI.
“Dr. Chon’s and his team’s research produced technology that could detect atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, and atrial tachycardia in real time,” the suit states. “Among other things, Dr. Chon and his team were exploring whether the technology could be brought to the mass-consumer market through new devices and sensors such as smartwatches, mobile phones, and even clothing. After many years of work at Stony Brook University, WPI, and UConn, and with the help of public funding, the Universities filed for and obtained patents to protect Dr. Chon’s and his team’s proprietary developments.
“The Universities now commence this patent infringement action on the patents-in-suit to address Samsung’s infringement, to recognize Dr. Chon and his hard work and achievements, and to deter the future theft of publicly funded academic work for corporate profit.”
Case No. 2:23-cv-00141