Patents Issued the Week of August 31-September 4

9.3.26

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. 12,723,376 entitled “System and Method of Work Machine Implement Control for Subterranean Mapping Applications” issued September 1, 2026 to Deere & Company of Moline, Illinois. Invented by Colton K. Leal of Dubuque, Iowa and Peter E. Olsen also of Moline, Illinois. Abstract: A work machine comprises a machine frame and at least a first implement for working a terrain, a subterranean monitoring unit and a load sensor associated with the first implement, and position sensors respectively associated with the machine frame and the at least first implement. A corresponding method includes, during a subterranean monitoring operation independent of an earth working operation, automatically controlling at least one actuator associated with the first implement to maintain contact of at least one surface of the first implement with a ground surface, the automatic control based at least in part on input signals from the load sensor corresponding to a predetermined range of load values, and generating multidimensional parameters for an electronic worksite map associated with a current location of the work machine, the parameters generated via at least input signals from the subterranean monitoring unit further corresponding with input signals from the position sensors.

U.S. Patent No. 12,724,118 entitled “End-of-Season Stalk Nitrate Sensor” issued September 1, 2026 to Deere & Company of Moline, Illinois. Invented by Bradley W. Van De Woestyne of West Des Moines, Iowa and Timothy A. Wilcox of Cissna Park, Illinois. Abstract: An agricultural machine configured to harvest a crop having stalks includes a main frame and a plurality of wheels supporting the main frame from the ground. A crop header is mounted on the main frame and includes a header frame extending transversely to a forward direction and having a transverse width. The crop header is configured to cut stalks of the crop as the agricultural machine moves in the forward direction. At least one on-the-go nitrate sensor is mounted on the agricultural machine and oriented to collect electromagnetic energy reflected from or emitted by the stalks, the sensor being configured to generate a nitrate level signal representative of a nitrate level in the stalks.

U.S. Patent No. 12,723,992 entitled “Apparatus for Detecting Surface Defects in Objects” issued September 1, 2026 to UTPVISION S.R.L of Albano Sant’Alessandro, Italy. Invented by Roberto Finazzi of Bolgare, Italy and Sergio Sigala of Ospitaletto, Italy. Abstract: An apparatus for detecting surface defects in objects comprises one or more illuminating devices configured to emit at least a light radiation and illuminate an object to be inspected. The detection apparatus is further configured to measure the light radiation received by the object, and also comprises one or more image acquisition devices configured to acquire one or more images of the object, when illuminated by the illuminating device, and a data processor configured to process the images acquired by the image acquisition device and provide detection data indicative of the presence of surface defects on the object.