The CDMA Development Group signed a cooperation agreement with the TD-SCDMA Forum to develop joint market opportunities for CDMA2000 and TD-SCDMA technologies and work together on technical, regulatory and marketing activities. The CDG noted that key initiatives of the agreement include developing interoperability and roaming capability between the two technologies; developing a joint strategy for standards coordination; collaborating on the future evolution of wireless technologies; and promoting regulatory policies that enable rapid development of advanced wireless services.
Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd. and NTT DoCoMo Inc. said they have developed a prototype of a high-capacity micro fuel cell and an external recharger for FOMA handsets. The company said the concentration of methanol fuel used for the prototype design was raised from 30 percent in previous fuel cells to a concentration of more than 99 percent. This allows the prototype to charge up to three lithium-ion FOMA handset batteries with 18 cc of methanol.
The U.S. International Trade Commission has ended its investigation of Nortel Networks Ltd. for allegedly infringing on Ciena Corp.’s patents. The decision follows a recently issued preliminary injunction by the U.S. District Court in Marshall, Texas, prohibiting Ciena from participating in or pursuing the ITC action and requiring Ciena to seek termination of the investigation by the ITC. Nortel had denied the patent-infringement claims made by Ciena in the U.S. District Court in Marshall earlier this year. In March, in the same court, Nortel filed counterclaims against Ciena for allegedly infringing on 13 U.S. patents owned by Nortel. The trial is set for June 2006. Nortel is seeking damages and an injunction prohibiting Ciena from shipping products that infringe on Nortel’s patents. In January 2003, Ciena paid Nortel $25 million to settle a lawsuit filed by Nortel alleging that Ciena had infringed on patents and misappropriated trade secrets. In the settlement, Nortel granted Ciena a license under specific patents and the two agreed not to sue each other for patent infringement for two years, during which time the two sought to negotiate a cross-license deal.
