--Seeks
Declaratory Judgment that New MREL Mobile
Location System Does Not Infringe
on Patent--
HICKORY, NC, September 9,
2009—Andrew LLC, a subsidiary of CommScope, Inc., has filed a
complaint in the US District Court in Delaware seeking a declaratory judgment
that its new multiple range estimation location (MREL) system for locating
mobile devices does not infringe an existing US patent held by TruePosition,
Inc.
The
same patent was the subject of previous litigation between the two companies,
including a judgment now under appeal by Andrew, the CommScope division that is
a world leader in wireless communications systems and
products.
“As
communications carriers seek to stay ahead of customer demand for location
applications, Andrew plans to address these needs with solutions that include
MREL,” said Eddie Edwards, executive vice president and general manager,
Wireless Network Solutions, Andrew. “We want to do so free of possible patent
issues, clearing the way for customers to enjoy the additional benefits that
MREL brings to Andrew’s GeoLENs™ portfolio of caller location solutions for
communications networks.”
Andrew’s new, innovative MREL location system that uses
time of arrival (TOA) range ring technology was developed to meet or exceed
performance metrics offered by other high-accuracy technologies, such as uplink
time difference of arrival (U-TDOA), in most environments. The TruePosition
patent in question, US Pat. No. 5,327,144, is limited to certain U-TDOA
applications.
“We
strongly believe MREL does not infringe on any existing TruePosition patents,
and we filed this complaint after making a good faith effort to work with them
to gain their acknowledgement of this position,” Edwards said. “We want the
marketplace to be free of the threat of future legal actions and allegations,
and want customers to able to choose for themselves which location systems are
best for their network needs.”
GeoLENs and
MREL
Since
its first installations in 2001 for E911 mobile caller location, Andrew has been
a leader in providing innovative, reliable caller location solutions for
wireless networks. Today, Andrew’s GeoLENs (GeoLocation-Enabled Network
solutions) is a complete portfolio focused on location-enabling public wireless,
wired broadband, internet service provider, and enterprise and government IP
networks, placing the capability of locating devices into the network. With
GeoLENs, Andrew offers a complete hybrid platform for integrating location
technologies and techniques for both wireless and wireline networks.
The
patent-pending MREL, part of the GeoLENs portfolio introduced in July, will be
ideal for mobile operators that are supporting FCC E911 Phase II requirements,
commercial location-based services (LBS) and security applications. Unlike
U-TDOA, MREL does not rely on time differences of signal arrival at multiple
sensor sites. In certain environments, it is able to generate accurate location
information with just two sensor sites using absolute times of signal
transmission and arrival. U-TDOA alone cannot generate accurate location
information with anything less than three sensor
sites.
Testing
shows that in a comprehensive set of environments, MREL offers a high accuracy
location capability in areas where A-GPS and U-TDOA may fail. MREL coupled with
the other location technologies available in GeoLENs provides the most
comprehensive and competitive location solution on the market today, both for
LBS and E911 applications.
About
CommScope
CommScope,
Inc. (NYSE: CTV – www.commscope.com) is a world
leader in infrastructure solutions for communication networks. Through its
Andrew
Solutions™ brand, it is a global leader in radio frequency subsystem solutions
for wireless networks. Through its SYSTIMAX®
and Uniprise®
brands, CommScope is a world leader in network infrastructure solutions,
delivering a complete end-to-end physical layer solution, including cables and
connectivity, enclosures, intelligent software and network design services, for
business enterprise applications. CommScope also is the premier manufacturer of
coaxial cable for broadband
cable television networks and one of the leading North
American providers of environmentally secure cabinets
for DSL and FTTN applications. Backed by strong research and development,
CommScope combines technical expertise and proprietary technology with global
manufacturing capability to provide customers with infrastructure solutions for
evolving global communications networks in more than 130 countries around the
world.
News Media
Contact:
Rick
Aspan, CommScope +1
708-236-6568 or publicrelations@andrew.com
Investor
Contact: Phil
Armstrong, CommScope +1
828-323-4848
This press
release includes forward-looking statements that are based on information
currently available to management, management’s beliefs, as well as on a number
of assumptions concerning future events. Forward-looking statements are not a
guarantee of performance and are subject to a number of uncertainties and other
factors, which could cause the actual results to differ materially from those
currently expected. For a more detailed description of
the factors that could cause such a difference, please see CommScope’s filings
with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In providing forward-looking
statements, the company does not intend, and is not undertaking any obligation
or duty, to update these statements as a result of new information, future
events or otherwise.
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