Patents Issued the Week of January 1-5

1.5.24

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. 11,861,696 entitled “Systems and Methods for Obtaining Accountant Prepared Financial Statement Confirmation” issued January 2, 2024 to Capital Confirmation, Inc. of Brentwood, Tennessee. Invented by Charles Brian Fox also of Brentwood, Tennessee. Abstract: A systems and method facilitates obtaining accountant prepared financial statements associated with a client. A financial statement user initiates the process such as when a client has requested a loan and the financial statement user initiates an underwriting process. An identity of an accountant or client is received at a confirmation system from the financial statement user via the communications network. The identified accountant or client identifies the other party to the confirmation system via the communications network. Financial statements associated with the client are received from the identified accountant via the communications network. The received financial statements include financial information associated with the client. Permissions associated with the financial statements are received from the client via the communications network. The financial statements are provided via the communications network to the financial statement user in accordance with the permissions provided by the client.

U.S. Patent No. 11,858,299 entitled “Effective Tire Pressure Sensing System and Method” issued January 2, 2024 to Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, LLC of Nashville, Tennessee. Invented by David O. Stalnaker of Brentwood, Tennessee; Robert Palmer of Murfreesboro, Tennessee; Kirk S. Rutherford of Hendersonville, Tennessee and Cameron C. Martinez of Nashville, Tennessee. Abstract: A real time tire pressure sensing system includes sensors to collectively generate signals corresponding to a contained tire air temperature, a contained inflation pressure, and an ambient temperature associated with a tire mounted on a vehicle. A processor determines an effective tire inflation pressure based on the generated signals and further at least on a calculated moving average of the ambient temperature (e.g., over a defined time period such as 24 hours) and generates real time notifications associated with the determined effective tire inflation pressure to specified user interfaces. At least one sensor may be an inflation pressure sensor configured to generate event-based signals corresponding to detected changes per unit pressure. The processor may further generate real time feedback control signals to an automatic tire inflation device, based on the determined effective tire inflation pressure, or enable and prompt manual control of the tire inflation device via the user interface.

U.S. Patent No. 11,857,752 entitled “High Flow, Needleless Connector” issued January 2, 2024 to RyMed Technologies, LLC of Austin, Texas. Invented by Dana Ryan of Mt. Juliet, Tennessee. Abstract: An intermittent, injection port assembly includes a flexible valve member of the type which is laterally deflected when moved from a closed position to an open position. A high flow non-tortuous flow passage is provided through the injection port assembly by a plurality of lateral passages bypassing a base which supports the flexible valve member.

U.S. Patent No. 11,857,700 entitled “Device with Microstructure Mediated Absorption Profile” issued January 2, 2024 to BVW Holding AG of Cham, China. Invented by Lukas Bluecher of Eurasburg, Germany; Kenneth Kleinhenz of Santee, California; Michael Milbocker of Holliston, Massachusetts. Abstract: Polymer devices are disclosed with microstructured surfaces that modify their absorption pathway. Polymers which generally degrade in water by fracturing into high surface energy fragments, are modified to degrade in vivo without the formation of sharp fragments. Devices are disclosed that possess improved handling characteristics and degrade in an aqueous environment in a uniform and continuous way that favors the formation of soluble monomers rather than solid particulate. Absorbable medical implants with the disclosed surface modifications are more biocompatible, with reduced foreign body response, and dissolution into metabolizable molecular species.

U.S. Patent No. 11,857,939 entitled “Predictive Systems and Methods for Proactive Intervention in Chemical Processes” issued January 2, 2024 to Buckman Laboratories International, Inc. of Memphis, Tennessee. Invented by Richard Lusk of Nesbit, Mississippi and Paul Quinn of Memphis, Tennessee. Abstract: Various embodiments of the present disclosure relate to proactive dosing optimization chemical feed units producing an output solution (such as an oxidizing biocide) therefrom. Online sensors generate signals corresponding to directly measured variables for respective process components. Information is selectively retrieved from models relating combinations of input variables to respective industrial process states, wherein various current process states may be indirectly determined based on directly measured variables for respective system components. An output feedback signal is automatically generated corresponding to a detected intervention event based on the indirectly determined process state. A controller may receive the signal and implement, e.g., regulation of oxidizing biocide feed for optimization of end products and/or performance metrics.

U.S. Patent No. D1,009,938 entitled “Elliptical Piston for a Rotary Steerable Tool” issued January 2, 2024 to Reme, LLC of Conroe, Texas. Invented by Richard Hutton of Bristol, Great Britain. Claims: What is claimed is the ornamental design for an elliptical piston for a rotary steerable tool, as shown and described.

U.S. Patent No. 11,859,717 entitled “Earth Working Machine having a Shiftable Transmission Between a Drive Motor and a Rotatable Working Apparatus” issued January 2, 2024 to Wirtgen GmbH of Windhagen, Germany. Invented by Christian Berning of Zülpich, Germany; Tobias Stinner of Weyerbusch, Germany; Cyrus Barimani of Königswinter, Germany and Hardy Wilhelmi of Dattenberg, Germany. Abstract: An earth working machine (10), encompassing a drive motor (42) and a working apparatus (22) drivable by the drive motor (42) so as to move rotationally, the drive motor (42) being connected to the working apparatus (22), for transfer of a torque, with interposition of a shiftable transmission (50; 150) comprising at least two gearing stages having different torque transfer ratios, is characterized in that by means of a first gearing stage of the shiftable transmission (50), an input shaft (48), coupled on the input side to the drive motor (42), of the shiftable transmission (50) is connectable in torque-transferring fashion directly to an output shaft (52), coupled on the output side to the working apparatus (22), of the shiftable transmission (50) so as to rotate together at the same rotation speed; and by means of a second gearing stage of the shiftable transmission (50), the input shaft (48) is connectable in torque-transferring fashion, with interposition of a transmission assemblage (64), to the output shaft (52) so as to rotate together at different rotation speeds.