Tech - News
Why Samsung Is Being Sued Over A Fundamental Android Feature
By NADEEM SARWAR
Samsung is at the heart of a patent-related legal fiasco that covers an Android OS technology capable of predicting how long the battery will last before a device turns off. The lawsuit, filed by K. Mizra LLC, alleges that some Samsung products running "a younger version of the Android OS" infringe on its patent by using the technology to predict battery life.
The patent describes a battery-powered mobile terminal that is used for a wide range of activities where the energy consumption associated with each activity is recorded to calculate the rate of power consumption. The raw rate of energy uptake is compared against the available battery juice to offer a rough estimate of how long any given mobile device will last.
Given the widespread usage of Android's battery longevity system across a wide range of phones from different brands, it would be interesting to see if K. Mizra eventually targets other brands apart from Samsung. Despite their deep pockets and influence, tech giants are not bullet-proof when it comes to patent-related legal tussles.