HTC, Huawei, ZTE did not violate FlashPoint patents

HTC Corp and others did not violate digital camera patents owned by Apple Inc spinoff FlashPoint Technology to make their smartphones, the U.S. International Trade Commission said on Friday.

FlashPoint Technology, which filed the complaint in 2012, had originally accused Taiwan-based HTC,  China's Huawei Technologies Co Ltd and ZTE Corp of infringing four patents for smartphone cameras. One of the patents was dropped as the case proceeded.

An administrative law judge found in a preliminary decision on September 30, 2013, that two HTC smartphones - the HTC Vivid and HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE - infringed upon one FlashPoint patent, while Huawei and ZTE were cleared.

The commission, which reviewed the judge's ruling, said in a final decision on Friday that none of the accused companies infringed the patents and it terminated the investigation.

If the companies had been found guilty of violating the patents, the smartphones could have been banned from the United States market.

The ITC is a popular venue for patent lawsuits because it can ban infringing products from the United States more easily than district courts.

The ITC will rule that a patent has been violated if the accused company infringes the patent and if the patent owner uses the patent in the United States.

(Reporting by Diane Bartz, editing by G Crosse)

Samsung debuts wearables and latest Galaxy smartphone

Samsung Electronics unveiled a new smartwatch and fitness band along with the latest version of its Galaxy smartphone on Monday, demonstrating how the battleground for innovation is shifting from the hand to the wrist.

The world's biggest smartphone maker set a trend less than six months ago for wearable devices that link to mobile handsets with its Galaxy Gear watch, which has seen rivals like Sony and Huawei follow in its wake.

 Samsung is taking a less glitzy marketing approach to control costs. It has also performed a U-turn, abandoning its previous heavy focus on sweeping hardware improvements to highlight more subtle features in its devices and accessories in a bid to appeal to a wider audience.

"With the Galaxy S5, Samsung is going back to basics," JK Shin, co-chief executive and president of Samsung's mobile business, told an audience of Samsung employees, partners and media at the annual Mobile World Congress technology trade show in Barcelona. Samsung will roll out the S5 globally on April 11, with pricing details yet to be disclosed.

"Our consumers do not want eye-popping technology or the most complex technology," he said. Instead, they want beautiful design, a better camera, faster connectivity and technology that would help them keep fit, Shin said.

Market expectations for the new S5, one of Samsung's marquee product launches this year, remain subdued given its comparative lack of innovation.

"The Galaxy S5 has great features and will probably sell well due to massive marketing support," Forrester Research analyst Thomas Husson said. "But is the total product experience it offers differentiated enough to continue the sales success story? Is it enough to bet on fitness and fingerprint sensors to beat Apple - rooting the experience in people's daily lives? I don't think so."

The Galaxy S5, which will be available in April, has a slightly bigger screen than its predecessor, at 5.1 inches compared with 5 inches, improved camera technology and better protection against water and dust, Samsung said.

It also has a fingerprint scanner on the home button, which rival Apple introduced in the iPhone 5S last year. The function can be used to protect data and provide security credentials in a swipe.

At a relatively low-key launch event in Barcelona, Samsung also unveiled the Gear 2 smartwatch, which runs on the Tizen operating system rather than Google's Android software, and a stripped-down version called Gear 2 Neo, which doesn't have a camera.

The devices can monitor the wearer's heart rate, a function used in increasingly popular health and fitness apps, or individual programs.

The Samsung Gear Fit, also targeting the fitness sector, has a heart rate monitor, too, as does the Samsung Galaxy S5 itself, a first for a smartphone, Samsung said.

The Gear Fit has a curved touch-sensitive screen and its features include a pedometer, Samsung said.

Source Reuters