Intergraph Sues TI
Intergraph is claiming that its PIC technology is an essential component in the TIs TMS320C6000 DSPs, including the C62x, C64x, and C67x families. These devices are used as high-performance embedded controllers in consumer products. Their applications include audio and video encoders and decoders, broadband solutions, optical networking, telephony, voice processing and wireless communications.
Intergraph claims three patents infringed concerning parallel instruction computing (PIC). These are No.5,560,028 for "Software Scheduled Superscalar Computer Architecture," No.5,794,003 for "Instruction Cache Associative Crossbar Switch System," and No.6,360,313 B1 for "Instruction Cache Associative Crossbar Switch".
These patents have already been found to be valid and enforceable by a Texas court and were licensed by Fujitsu in September 2002. The technology was developed in the early 1990s as part of Intergraphs C5 Clipper microprocessor. TIs TMS320C6000 family of products was introduced in 1997.
Intergraph has since exited the hardware design and manufacturing business. The company claims this is due to coercive behaviour by Intel. Among its complaints, Integraph says that Intel demanded broad license grants of Intergraph's patented Clipper cache technology before Intergraph would be allowed to participate in new Intel product development programmes.