[wpennington]

Given the work is being completed at SRI, I would assume the tech would be positioned in a patent or portfolio of some sort. However, this is purely speculation. Nevertheless, this suspicion is further supported by the fact the inventor has a history of patenting for commercialization. That's largely the SOP at SRI and central to their business model.

However, worth noting that just because a patent is filed doesn't mean it (or all of it) will be allowed. So, wrt your second inquiry -- assuming the tech was filed on -- whether or not it can be designed around will largely depend on 1) what was claimed in the patent (e.g., how broad and thorough the claims are) and 2) what is eventually allowed by the examiner. The latter is largely a product of the prior art in the space.