Google has acquired more than 50 patents from New Jersey-based fabless semiconductor company Magnolia Broadband. These patents, says Magnolia, cover “methods for increasing spectrum utilization (network capacity), expanding coverage, improving uplink transmission speeds at the cell edge, and improving device battery life.” The terms of this transaction were not disclosed, but Magnolia’s chairman of the board Yaron Eitan notes that this deal “provides a return to our investors and funding for continued development of Magnolia’s MTD technology.”
It looks like Magnolia actively tried selling these patents, as today’s announcement notes that the company retained Invention Capital Partners to analyze its intellectual property assets and engage potential buyers.
Its technology, Magnolia says, helps enhance RF transmit signal levels, which “significantly enhances data device performance as well as overall network performance.” The company argues that its technology can increase network capacity by 40% and increase data throughput at the cell edge by 100%. It also promises a 10-15% increase in battery life.
Magnolia will continue to develop its software and will also continue to make it available to mobile device vendors and chipset makers.
With the acquisition of Motorola, Google of course acquired a large number of patents as well, so chances are Magnolia’s beam forming Mobile Transmit Diversity patent portfolio is meant to strengthen its existing patent stash (and keep it away from Google’s competitors, of course).