Sharp filed the lawsuit in a US District Court in California yesterday, but says it tried to settle the issue through negotiations with one of the other companies named, Xianyang CaiHong Optoelectronics Technology Co (CHOT). Sharp holds over 10,000 display patents in China, Japan and the US, and the company says those patents cover most core display technologies.

It's hard to say what this means for Vizio. It's a bit unusual, in that Sharp seems to be specifically concerned about one of Vizio's 70-inch displays. That's a pretty good sign that Sharp isn't patent trolling here, and it could be relatively easy for Vizio to address, since it's not an issue with all of its displays.

Engadget has reached out to Vizio for comment.