Oura Sues Ultrahuman Again Over Ring Pro Patents
Oura seeks damages and a U.S. sales ban for Ultrahuman’s redesigned smart ring, while Ultrahuman says the Ring Pro remains available.
Oura has filed a new patent lawsuit against smart-ring rival Ultrahuman, alleging that its redesigned Ring Pro infringes patents covering the device’s design and internal components. The complaint, filed in federal court in Texas, seeks monetary damages and a permanent order barring U.S. sales, according to TechCrunch. Ultrahuman disputes the allegations and says the Ring Pro remains on sale in the United States.
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What the new lawsuit alleges
Oura says the Ring Pro infringes two patents, D804,471 and 12,769,363. The second was issued on October 20, two days before Oura filed its complaint, TechCrunch reported. It covers a smart-ring design incorporating components including a curved battery, circuit board, magnets and sensors.
The lawsuit also names SVTronics, a Texas electronics manufacturer, as a defendant. According to TechCrunch, Oura’s complaint alleges that SVTronics makes the Ring Pro at a facility in Plano, Texas, under Ultrahuman’s direction. Oura accuses both companies of infringement connected to making, importing and selling the device in the United States. Those claims have not been decided in the new case.
Why the Ring Pro was redesigned
The dispute follows Oura’s earlier patent fight with Ultrahuman over the Ring Air. The U.S. International Trade Commission ruled against Ultrahuman last year, leading to a U.S. import ban on that model, according to TechCrunch. Ultrahuman subsequently introduced the redesigned Ring Pro, which received a favorable determination from U.S. Customs and Border Protection in March.
That Customs decision is now a point of contention. Ultrahuman told Engadget that the review found the Ring Pro did not infringe the Oura patent considered in the earlier proceeding. Oura argues that the review did not address the two different patents cited in its latest complaint.
Ultrahuman co-founder and CEO Mohit Kumar told TechCrunch that the company would contest the new allegations. He said no court order currently affects the Ring Pro and that U.S. customers can still buy it.
A broader smart-ring patent fight
The new case is part of a wider set of patent disputes involving Oura and competing smart-ring makers. TechCrunch reported that Oura has pursued claims against Samsung, RingConn, Circular and Zepp Health, and that RingConn and Circular agreed to licensing arrangements allowing them to continue selling their products.
For now, Oura’s requested sales ban is a potential outcome of the lawsuit, not a restriction already in force. The immediate question is whether its newly asserted patents cover the Ring Pro despite the earlier Customs determination on a different patent.
Sources
This story was compiled by AI from the reports below. Read the originals for the full details.