Patents Issued the Week of March 2-6

3.9.26

Patent Protection & Registration

Patents grant property rights on new and useful inventions, allowing the patent holder to prevent others from using, making, or selling that invention without permission for a limited time. U.S. patents are permitted by the U.S. Constitution and are designed to promote scientific progress and invention. By allowing inventors to profit from licensing or selling their patent rights, inventors can recoup their research and development costs and benefit financially from their inventing efforts. There are three main types of patents utility, plant, and design. Utility and plant patents can last up to 20 years, while design patents can last up to 15 years. When a patent expires, the patented material enters the public domain, making it free to use by anyone without a license. U.S. patents are issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)

U.S. Patent No. 12,564,972 entitled “Sliding Guide Block for Robot End Effector” issued March 3, 2026 to MSS, Inc. of Nashville, Tennessee. Invented by Arthur G. Doak also of Nashville, Tennessee and Caleb H. Blackwell of Goodlettsville, Tennessee. Abstract: A robotic end effector includes a mounting block, a shaft, an end effector, and a plurality of spring biased mounting fasteners. The shaft extends from the mounting block and has a longitudinal axis. The end effector is mounted on an end of the shaft for engaging an article to be grasped. The plurality of spring biased mounting fasteners may be configured to connect the mounting block to a movable mounting frame of a robot such that in the absence of a lateral deflecting force being applied to the end effector the mounting block is held resiliently against the movable mounting frame of the robot with the longitudinal axis in a first orientation, and further such that when a lateral deflecting force is applied to the end effector the end of the shaft can deflect laterally such that the longitudinal axis is skewed from the first orientation.

U.S. Patent No. 12,567,250 entitled “System and Method for Producing High-Resolution Image Data Using Low-Resolution Imaging Systems” issued March 3, 2026 to Deere & Company of Moline, Illinois. Invented by Steven Rees of Queensland, Australia. Abstract: A system and a method determine physical characteristics of plants positioned beneath respective spray units. The physical characteristics are determined by analyzing respective images of each plant using imaging devices. A first image of each plant is obtained using a respective low-spectral-resolution camera. A second image of at least one plant is obtained using a higher-spectral-resolution camera. A correlation coefficient or correlatable features are generated based on the spectral characteristics of the elements of the first image and the spectral characteristics of the elements of second image of the at least one plant. The correlation coefficient or correlatable features are applied to the elements of each first image of the other plants to produce a respective higher-spectral-resolution second image of each of the other plants. The spectral characteristics of the second images are analyzed to determine physical characteristics of the at least one plant and the other plants.