Automotive Electronics Expert Witness
Ralph V. Wilhelm, Jr. Ph.D.
16002 Colleton Court, Carmel, Indiana 46033
317-508-6866
More Background
Traditional Consulting & Expert Witness
Currently, 85% Expert Witness/ 15% traditional automotive consulting
Experience: Automotive Industry
Vehicle Manufacturers
Small to Large Electronic Suppliers
Design Experience & Product Leadership
Infotainment to Active Safety Systems
Three US Patents granted; used by General Motors
Experience: Expert Witness Litigation
Mix: Defendants & Plaintiffs
IPRs, PGRs,
and District Court
Declarations, Reports, Testimony, Depositions
Direct Work Product in Litigation
Expert Witness Declarations/Reports
Claim Construction
Testimony, Markman Hearing
Depositions
Prior Art Searches
Additional Detail of Direct Experience
o Instrument Clusters
o Automotive primary and secondary displays; flat panel displays
o Center Stack Displays and subassemblies
o Human Factor Design and guidelines
o Automotive User Interfaces, wired and wireless communication to handheld devices
o Automotive sensors & transducers; electro-mechanical systems
o Vehicle Telematics
o Infotainment systems, head units, navigation & GPS Systems
o Software architecture and microprocessors
o On-board & Off-Board diagnostics and prognostics
o Complex safety systems
o Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) leading to Autonomous Vehicles
o Automotive Cameras & multi-camera vision systems
o Closed loop feedback control systems with appropriate sensors, actuators, & algorithms
o Automotive application of remote & wireless control devices
o Engine Control w/appropriate inputs, outputs, and software
Representative Cases (Page 1 of 3)
Client: Kutak Rock LLP (representing plaintiff Arctic Cat, Inc.)
- Case: Arctic Cat Inc v Polaris ( IPR2016-01388, IPR2016-01713)
- Topic: Electrical componentry & modules
- Role: Non-infringement expert, IPR declarations, deposition
Clients: Hartline Dacus Barger Dreyer LLP & Janik Vinnakota LLP (representing defendant Nissan NA)
- Case: Blitzsafe Texas, LLC v Nissan North America, Inc. ((2:15-CV-1274-JRG-RSP)
- Topic: Vehicle audio, infotainment, streaming audio
- Role: Invalidity expert, non-infringement expert, reports
Client: Fitzpatrick, Cella, Harper & Scinto (representing defendant LexisNexis Risk Solutions, Inc.
- Case: Root Four Imagination, Inc. et al v LexisNexis Risk Solutions, Inc. (1:16-cv-01349-PAE)
- Topic: Telematics devices, features & OBD2 Technology
- Role: Invalidity expert, non-infringement expert
Clients: Prebeg, Faucett & Abbott PLLC & Howison & Arnott, LLP (rep plaintiff Johnson Safety, Inc.)
- Case: Johnson Safety, Inc. v VOXX International Corporation (IPR2016-01070, IPR2016-01074)
- Topic: Vehicle display device, rear seat entertainment, wireless transmission of audio
- Role: invalidity expert, IPR declarations
Client: Finnegan LLP (representing plaintiffs UUSI, LLC & Oldnar Corp)
- Case: UUSI, LLC and Oldnar Corp. v The United States & AM General, LLC (12-216 C)
- Topic: Engine Control, glow plugs, multiple sensors, actuators, control electronics
- Role: Invalidity expert, report supporting indefiniteness, claim construction & Markman Hearing, deposition
Clients: Hogan Lovells LLC & Venable LLP (representing defendants Mercedes-Benz USA & FCA US LLC)
- Case: Velocity Patent LLC v Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC and FCA US LLC (1:13-cv-08413, 1:13-cv-08419)
- Topic: optimization of vehicle operation, engine control, multiple sensors, actuators, control electronics
- Role: invalidity expert, reports & deposition in support of claim construction & motion for Summary Judgment
Representative Cases (Page 2 of 3)
Client: Fish & Richardson P.C. (representing defendant Koito Manufacturing, Co. Ltd.)
- Case: Adaptive Headlamp Technologies, Inc. v Koito Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (IPR2016-00079)
- Topic: closed loop feedback control, automotive electronic systems, various sensors, data processing, & actuators
- Role: Invalidity expert, IPR declaration
Client: Venable LLP (representing defendant Fiat Chrysler America (FCA) US LLC)
- Case: Joao Control & Monitoring Systems, LLC v FCA US LLC (4:13-cv-13957-MAG)
- Topic: infotainment systems, telematics systems, remote & wireless devices, communication protocols, satellite audio, BlueTooth
- Role: Invalidity expert, non-infringement expert, declarations and deposition in support of summary judgement
Client: Bryan Cave LLP (representing defendant Laird Technologies, Inc.)
- Case: M/A-COM Technologies Solutions Holdings, Inc. v Laird Technologies, Inc. (14-181-LPS)
- Topic: Electronic design of critical GPS electronic subsubsystem for automotive infotainment & telematics systems
- Role: invalidity expert, Expert report and deposition. Testimony during Markman Hearing.
Clients: Osha Liang LLP & Kirkland & Ellis LLP (representing defendant Valeo, Inc.)
- Case: Magna Electronics Inc. v Valeo, Inc. (IPR2015-00250, IPR2015-00251, IPR2015-00252, IPR2015-00253, IPR2015-01410, IPR2015-01413, IPR2015-01414, IPR2015-01415)
- Topic: Automotive cameras, multi-camera vision, reconfigurable displays
- Role: invalidity expert, analysis of prior art, multiple declarations in support of IPR filings
Client: Erise IP, P.A. (representing defendant Ford Motor Company)
- Case: Vehicle Interface Technologies, LLC v Ford Motor Company (1:12-cv-01284-RGA)
- Topic: Automotive user interface issues, touch/appearance/ lighting/control (TALC) technologies
- Role: Invalidity expert, non-infringement expert, expert reports and depositions, support for Summary Judgment
Clients: Erise IP, P.A., Finnegan LLP, Steptoe & Johnson LLP, Jenner & Block LLP
- Law Firms representing defendants: Ford Motor Company, American Honda Motor, Co. Inc., BMW of NA LLC, & Nissan NA Inc.
- Cases: Vehicle Operation Technologies, LLC v Ford Motor, American Honda, BMW NA, and Nissan NA (IPR2014-00594, IPR2014-00600, IPR2014-00601, IPR2014-00602, IPR2014-00603)
- Topic: automotive sensors and instrumentation
- Role: invalidity expert, declarations in support of 5 IPR petitions, Depositions.
Representative Cases (Page 3 of 3)
Client: Kenyon & Kenyon LLP (representing defendant Toyota Motor Corp.)
- Case: American Vehicular Sciences LLC v Toyota Motor Corp. (IPR2013-00414, IPR2013-00415, IPR2013-00417)
- Topic: Vehicle telematics, automotive sensors, on-board & off-board diagnostics, prognostics, displays and instrumentation
- Role: invalidity expert, declarations in support of 3 IPRs, Deposition.
Client: Frommer Lawrence & Haug LLP (representing defendant Porsche Cars North America, Inc.)
- Case: Vehicle Interface Technologies, LLC v Porsche Cars North America (IPR2014-00014)
- Topic: automotive user interface issues , touch/appearance/lighting/control (TALC) techologies
- Role: invalidity expert, declaration in support of IPR petition
Client: Brooks Kushman P.C. (representing plaintiff OnStar, Corp., subsidiary of General Motors)
- Case: OnStar Corp. v Micral, Inc et al. (1:08-cv-02047)
- Topic: automotive telematics features and functions
- Role: invalidity expert, expert report.
Client: Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox, PLLC and Patterson IP Law (representing Wirtgen America)
- Case: Wirtgen America, Inc. v Caterpillar, Inc. (IPR2018-01091)
- Topic: Vehicular Control Systems as used a Road Milling Machine
- Role: Invalidity expert, declarations in support of IPR, Deposition
Client: Patterson Intellectual Property Law (representing Procon Analytics, LLC)
- Case: Procon Analytics, LLC v Spireon, Inc. (PGR2019-00051)
- Topic: Vehicular Telematics Functionality and Systems
- Role: Invalidity expert, declaration in support of Post Grant Review
Law Firms Supported
- Alston & Bird (Andrew J. Tuck)
- Barnes & Thornburg (T. Joseph Wendt)
- Brooks Kushman P.C. (Matt Jakubowski)
- Bryan Cave LLP (Daniel Crowe)
- Erise IP, P.A. (Jason Mudd)
- Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner, LLP (Lionel Lavenue, Susan Tully, R. Benjamin Cassady)
- Fish & Richardson P.C. (Michael Autuoro)
- Fitzpatrick, Cella, Harper, & Scinto (John Kirkland)
- Greenberg Traurig, LLP (Andrew Sommer)
- Hartline Dacus Barger Dreyer LLP (Jeff Patterson)
- Haug Partners LLP (Chris Gosselin)
- Hogan Lovells LLC (Joseph Raffetto)
- Howison & Arnott LLP (Greg Howison)
- Janik Vinnakota LLP (Kumar Vinnakota, Sean Hsu)
- Jenner & Block LLP (Chad Ray)
- Kenyon & Kenyon LLP (John Flock)
- Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP (Matias Ferrario)
- King & Spalding LLP (Lori Gordon, Patrick Lafferty, Bob Neufeld)
- Kirkland & Ellis LLP (Michael Liu)
- Kutak Rock LLP (Jason Jackson)
- Oblon, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt, LLP (Michael R. Casey)
- Osha Liang LLP (Tammy Terry Dunn)
- Patterson Intellectual Law Group (Montle, Ogden)
- Prebeg, Faucett & Abbott PLLC (Matthew Compton)
- Stanley Law Group (Martin Woodward)
- Steptoe & Johnson LLP (Steph Roberts)
- Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein, & Fox, PLLC (Rich Coller)
- Susman Godfrey LLP (Eric Mayer)
- Venable (Jeff Kaminsk)