IP Assets
RAST’s business development strategy is to license its intellectual property for OEM integration by wireless and handheld communications and computing device manufacturers, and for attachable accessory aftermarket manufacturers, and to offer its mechanical, electrical and fabric engineering design, and rapid prototyping capabilities to customize and help develop, cost, and otherwise actively participate in the formulation of manufacturing and assembly processes to meet specific customer product configuration requirements. Through this business model, RAST will complement and support product development efforts of its licensees and minimize time to market.
Since its founding, RAST has invented, and filed patent applications covering a range of mechanical and electrical means of implementation to cover a multiplicity of form factors for embedded and stand-alone expandable elasticized keyboards and keypads, and for expandable keytops. RAST has also created the first mechanically functioning breadboard model to demonstrate VARIO technologies in expanded and contracted modes. This model demonstrates the capability of a practical expansion keyboard for OEM integration as an embedded mechanism, or for a manufacturer to license to offer an aftermarket attachment accessory.
Working with Kenyon and Kenyon of New York City, RAST has broadly protected the product and its mechanisms to legally prevent competitors from duplicating or cloning its designs. The foundation of RAST’s IP Protection is the one hundred and three claim Patent No. 6,739,774 dated May 25, 2004 for "EXPANDABLE AND CONTRACTIBLE KEYBOARD WITH ADJUSTABLE KEY SIZES" granted by the U.S. Patent Office, and international protectionof this application, which has been granted or pending, legally protecting virtually all variations of expandable elasticized keyboard designs. Also granted by the U.S. Patent Office is the sixteen claim Patent No. 6,830,397, dated December 14, 2004, for "EXPANDABLE AND CONTRACTIBLE KEYBOARD WITH ADJUSTABLE KEY SIZES" covering “Force Vector Systems” for controlling the means of directing the switch closing force behavior of adjustable keytop sizes. U.S. Patent No. 6,810,119for "EXPANDABLE AND CONTRACTIBLE KEYBOARD WITH ADJUSTABLE KEY SIZES" was issued to RAST on October 26, 2004, and contains 5 claims protecting variations in keytop designs in multiple configurations of expandable keyboard systems.
The U.S. Patent Office has also notified RAST of two allowances for additional patent applications which are in the process of being issued. Several additional U.S. and foreign applications have been filed and are still pending. This patent protection is augmented by trade secret IP Protection for design engineering and proprietary material know-how developed.
The unique and leverageable assets which RAST owns are (1) comprehensive proprietary technology encompassing the ability to easily increase the size of any keyboard or keypad, and keytops, and then return them to their original size, using any material with elasticized properties, (2) fabrication and design know-how for mass production of the VARIO keyboard and keypads in different mechanical, fabric and electrical configurations, and (3) developed keyboard “breadboard” models demonstrating this proprietary technology which may be implemented in embedded form in a full range of existing and future host mobile communications and computing devices, or as a separate aftermarket accessory product, interfaced to a host by wire or wireless connectivity means.
This business model of intellectual property licensing arrangements has become increasingly popular for mobile and handheld device components and accessories:
- Research In Motion Ltd. has licensed its popular Blackberry keyboard designs to Palm, Handspring, and Nokia.
- Think Outside has licensed its Stowaway collapsible accessory for handheld devices to both Targus and Palm.
RAST has engaged in preliminary discussions with several smartphone and mobile phone manufacturers to obtain early design feedback and to gauge interest in their manufacturing and marketing products with licensed VARIO technology. Similarly, software providers and telecommunications carriers have expressed strong support, especially because they see VARIO as a crucial enabler for mobile data products and services growth.
In general, the business development effort focuses on mobile device manufacturers that have made significant investments towards developing data-friendly products:
- $100M or more in annual revenue from mobile devices
- History of licensing or outsourcing designs from external firms
- Established distribution channels in the US, Europe, and Asia
- Extensive manufacturing and marketing capabilities to ramp up quickly
- Challenger market position that is seeking killer applications for mobile business, office, information management and messaging applications.
RAST is targeting these leading consumer electronics companies in each market segment in separate, but concurrent phases. The following diagram outlines RAST’s path to leverage its intellectual property patent, trade secret and knowledge assets to different market and product segments through designs of expandable keyboards and keypads for OEM embedded and attachable product configurations.
Leveraging RAST’s Intellectual Property To VARIO Markets
In conjunction with the licensing arrangements, and in order to potentially accelerate time-to-market, RAST will offer a wide range of flexible business arrangements for development support tailored to the specific needs of each licensee. RAST offers co-development or strategic alliance arrangements with a licensee to allow for maximum flexibility for RAST’s development team to participate with the licensee’s design and development personnel or staff. As one example, RAST will enter into a development contract customized to provide design and prototype deliverables that meet the specifications of a prospect’s particular configuration and operational needs, as the first stage of the RAST licensing agreement. In instances where the licensee’s preferred business arrangement is to solely control the development of the design and formulation of their devices, RAST’s development team would be available on a consulting basis to make available all relevant know-how, and outside sources to support, in all ways possible, the licensee’s self controlled and directed development activities applying RAST’s proprietary technology.
RAST will communicate with prospective OEM device manufacturers over the next several months and present RAST’s design model and engineering data for expandable embedded QWERTY full size and thumb keyboards as well as implementations for an attachable aftermarket keyboard and micro-size cell phone keypad.
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