3M and 3M Innovative Properties have filed a patent infringement lawsuit in federal district court in Las Vegas, US against South Korea-based Tovis, its subsidiary Tovis North America and Scientific Games. The suit alleges that certain Tovis touch display products, which are used by Scientific Games in their gaming machines, infringe several of 3M’s US patents.
Metal mesh conductor technology is widely used in the construction of projected capacitive touch sensors for consumer and commercial applications — for example, in curved and flat sensors for casino slot machines and pen touch systems for consumer tablets and convertible devices. The technology is also used in large-format touch sensors for digital signage and interactive whiteboards and conferencing systems.
Earlier this year, 3M filed a similar patent infringement lawsuit against Elo Touch Solutions. VP and general manager, Makoto Ishii, commented:
“3M invests substantially in research and development to create innovative products for our customers. We will defend our intellectual property protecting those investments against unauthorized use and infringement by metal mesh manufacturers, original equipment manufacturers, and others making use of 3M’s intellectual property rights”.
