Maxim Integrated Products has filed a patent infringement complaint against Taiwan-based Anpec Electronics in the US District Court for the Northern District of California.
In its complaint, Maxim asserts that several of Anpec's audio-related products infringe on US Patent No. 7,061,327, which covers Maxim's DirectDrive technology.
"Maxim's DirectDrive technology covered by the patent is an important component of the company's focus on innovative electronics that interact with people, the physical world, power sources, and other digital systems. We intend to protect and enforce this patent vigorously," said Vijay Ullal, group president at Maxim.
The complaint seeks immediate termination of the shipment of offending products, unspecified damages, and a court-ordered injunction against future infringement by Anpec Electronics.
A key feature of the DirectDrive technology is that it can eliminate the need for large and often expensive DC-blocking capacitors at the output of headphone/headset amplifiers.
According to the company, with proliferation of music capabilities in mobile devices, it is believed that the headphone amplifier market represents one billion units.