Principal Biography
Ari S. Tolila
US
Patent Bar Registration no. 52614


Ari Tolila is the founder and Principal of Bay Area Intellectual Property Group (Bay Area
IP). His practice includes Patent Prosecution and intellectual property (IP) matters with a significant emphasis on emerging technologies and companies. His extensive experience includes client counseling on intellectual property matters; the preparation and prosecution of patent applications, as well as client counseling and opinions pertaining to patent associated rights. He also has substantial experience in intellectual property audits and due diligence reviews.
Beyond his extensive Patent Prosecution and IP practice, he has substantial business acumen in the areas of business deal negotiations and strategy; brokering venture/product
funding, business model development and analysis, and strategic marketing and
competitive analytics. A very special aspect of his practice, and in many ways what helps distinguish Bay Area IP from its peers, is his strong ability to merge and synergize the diverse and complex aspects of IP protection and business needs, especially in the context of a unified business/IP strategy that achieves the most competitive advantage customized for each companies very unique needs and resources.
Mr. Tolila is a member of the U.S. Patent Bar, admitted to practice before
the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in all matters related to
patents. For well over 10 years he has worked with patents in patent firm and
in-house organizations.
Representative technologies handled by Mr. Tolila include algorithms, advanced modeling/simulation, artificial/machine intelligence, pattern recognition, data mining, robotics, sensors, analog/digital electronics, power management, software systems/programming, embedded real-time applications, signal processing, battery technology, semiconductor processing and packaging, wireless systems, Business Methods, Internet e-commerce applications and implementation, digital signal processing, computer software, integrated circuit design (both analog and digital), semiconductor technologies; medical devices; networking technologies; mechanical equipment; and telecommunications.
In industry, Mr. Tolila acquired a technical background and knowledge base
that has significant breadth and depth. He possesses a particular in-depth knowledge of switching
regulator systems, robotics systems, and machine learning methods such as Fuzzy
Logic, Neural Networks, Hidden Markov Models, and Genetic Algorithms. Beyond
technology, Mr. Tolila has significant experience in invention,
entrepreneurship, business models, marketing, and finance.
Mr. Tolila earned a B.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering (thesis
option) from the University of Florida (U of F) where he graduated with High
Honors (cum laude, top 10%). At U of F he further earned a Masters of Science
(thesis option) in Electrical and Computer Engineering with research
specialization in advanced mobile Robotics and Artificial Intelligence (AI). His Thesis work at
the Machine Intelligence Lab focused on R&D in advanced algorithms, platforms,
and sensors that lead to intelligent mobile robot behavior. Over all, his
discretionary course work emphasized computer science, AI, mathematics, pattern
recognition, signal processing, analog design, and business development.
Prior to founding Bay Area IP, Mr. Tolila worked at Beyer
Weaver & Thomas, LLP (BW&T), a top Silicon Valley intellectual property (IP) law
firm, where he, along with other members of the firm, prepared and/or prosecuted
patent applications in a wide variety of technical areas including digital
systems, software, mechanical, semiconductor, data mining, and eCommerce areas.
In addition to patent prosecution, Mr. Tolila has, in coordination with various legal teams, been a significant contributor to validity opinion,
infringement study, and licensing initiatives.
Before Mr. Tolila's extremely productive time at BW&T,
he enjoyed a wide variety of practical industry experience. His last post in
industry was as a Software Marketing and Corporate Intellectual Property Manager
for a Santa Clara pre-IPO startup corporation that provides embedded speech
recognition solutions. In marketing, he focused on developing new products,
market penetration strategies, and competition intelligence/analysis. As their
IP Manager, he, in coordination with others, drove patent strategy, prosecution,
and budgetary forecasts. He created a corporate action plan based on a complex
strategic marketing, IP analytics, and a competitive landscape synergistic
approach.
Previously, Mr. Tolila worked as an Artificial Intelligence Research
Scientist at a Fremont based, pre-IPO start-up corporation in the interactive TV,
targeted advertising space. He was the sole inventor in two key patents (US Pub. #'s: 8,046,797, and 20030101449) covering machine learning, data
mining, intelligent agents, and user preference modeling. These key patents were later purchased by Thomson Licensing, a fortune 500 French Media company. He was co-inventor in
many other patents / pending, including 8,495,679, 8,302,127, 20030097657, 20030093792,
and 20030067554, covering business methods, software, and metadata headers.
Integral with his scientific duties was a close working relationship with the
director of IP in drafting patent applications, and contributing to outside
council in IP acquisition/infringement studies.
Mr. Tolila gained solid technical expertise in mixed-signal semiconductor
technology as a Systems Research Engineer for Texas Instruments. His efforts
included work in cell-phone power management system-on-a-chip ASICs, behavioral
simulation methodologies, Li-Ion battery modeling, switching regulator designs,
and product specification definition. To solve critical "show-stopper" problems
in a $100M project he conceived of solutions that resulted in three patented
inventions (US patent nos. 6,285,173, 6,310,469, and 6,492,793) that he
initially drafted for TI's in-house legal department. Mr. Tolila also was a
contributor in a select marketing team charged to map out next generation DSP
features, which among other things resulted in the decision to acquire Unitrode,
Inc.
Other past technical positions include Research Electronics Engineer at
Southwest Research Institute (SRI) and the National Institute of Standards and
Technology (NIST). At SRI, Mr. Tolila worked in the Automation and Data
Systems Division, where he was the lead designer of a fuzzy logic tactile robot
arm controller, and made key contributions in applied sensor fusion research. At
NIST, he was under the Intelligent Systems Division, Robot Systems Integration
Group. Among many mobile robot endeavors, Mr. Tolila developed for the US
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) sensors and systems that
enabled bomb disposal, mobile robots to convoy.
Prior to Mr. Tolila's technical and intellectual property career tracks, he
honed his entrepreneurial, business, marketing, and sales skills through various
inside/outside sales and small business endeavors.
Mr. Tolila's practice directly renders patent and trademark related services to the San Francisco Bay Area, which includes
Silicon Valley, and the greater cities of Berkeley, Oakland, San Mateo, Menlo
Park, Mountain View, Palo Alto, San Jose, Santa Clara, Milpitas, Sunnyvale,
Fremont and all the smaller cities in between. His practice also serves clients
nationwide and worldwide by way of the Internet, telephone, and when necessary
on-site travel.