Patents Issued the Week of August 7-11

9.14.26

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. 12,729,289 entitled “Self-Healing Rubber Comprising a Poly(Methacrylic) Oligomer” issued September 8, 2026 to Bridgestone Europe NV/SA [BE/BE] of Zaventem, Belgium. Invented by Raffaele Di Ronza of Roma, Italy, Yoshihiro Morishit of Tokyo, Japan and Alan Wemyss and Chaoying Wan both of Coventry, Great Britian. Abstract: The present invention relates to a rubber composition comprising a poly(methacrylic acid) oligomer, a process for preparing the rubber composition, a cured rubber composition, and a self-healing tire prepared by using the rubber composition. The invention further relates to an amphiphilic block copolymer, and a process for its preparation. The amphiphilic block copolymer can be used as compatibilizer in the preparation of the rubber composition.

U.S. Patent No. 12,729,509 entitled “Customized Work Planning for Automated Loading, Unloading, and Transport Operations by Scraper Systems” issued September 8, 2026 to Deere & Company of Moline, Illinois. Invented by John M. Hageman and Francois Stander both of Dubuque, Iowa and Joshua T. Lawson of Woodbury, Minnesota. Abstract: A system and method are provided for controlling operation of earth working machines, e.g., scraper units configured to load, transport, and unload material depending on the respective work state. A design plan (e.g., a cut-fill map) is obtained corresponding to a working area to which the earth working machines are assigned. For each of the machines, the method further includes generating and/or selectively retrieving performance optimization data sets comprising a loading capacity and loading rates correlated to combinations of input data for working parameters for the respective machine, generating a work plan comprising a route of advance and corresponding work state transitions of the machine with respect to the working area, wherein the work plan is generated based at least in part on the performance optimization data sets and the design plan, and automatically controlling working parameters for the machine in accordance with the generated work plan.

U.S. Patent No. 12,728,660 entitled “Book Binding Mismatch Detection System and Method” issued September 8, 2026 to Lightning Source, LLC of LaVergne, Tennessee. Invented by Zoran Belevski, Joshua Sanders, Danny Howell, John Kwiatkowski, Kenneth McDonald, Joel Brawner and Kevin Smith all of LaVergne, Tennessee. Abstract: A mismatch detection system comprising a book block assembly line, a plurality of book block sensors, a case cover assembly line, and an infeed sorter. The book block assembly line may be operable to output conforming book blocks and divert nonconforming book blocks. The plurality of book block sensors may be operable to detect a unique identifier (UID) of the nonconforming book blocks diverted by the book block assembly line. The case cover assembly line may be operable to output case covers. The infeed sorter may be operable to receive the conforming book blocks and the case covers, group one book block and once case cover into a pair, detect whether the conforming book block and case cover of the pair match, divert any of the case covers that do not match, and output a matching pair to a book binding device.