Patents Issued the Week of May 22-26

5.30.23

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. 11,658,489 entitled “Method and System for Forming, Managing, and Coordinating a Network of Power Generators” issued May 23, 2023 to Marici Holdings The Netherlands B.V. of Rotterdam, Netherlands. Invented by Andrea Botarelli of S. Mama, Italy; Luigi Lamoglie of Terranuova Bracciolini, Italy; Tiberio Bucci of Terranuova Bracciolini, Italy; Alessandro Faggiani of Terranuova Bracciolini, Italy and Cosimo Falaschi of Terranuova Bracciolini, Italy. Abstract: A method for managing an energy generation system is disclosed. The system includes a cluster of power generators connected by a connectivity network. Each power generator includes an inverter having a respective controller, and at least a data set available to the controller for controlling the respective power generator. Each inverter transmits through said connectivity network, to the other inverters of the cluster, information concerning said data set available to it, said information being sufficient to check whether the data sets available to each inverter are aligned. Each inverter receives, through said connectivity network, information concerning the data set available to other inverters of the cluster and checks whether the data set available to it is aligned with the data sets available to the other inverters of the cluster.

U.S. Patent No. 11,654,646 entitled “Apparatus and Method for Automatic Tire Ply Stitching” issued May 23, 2023 to Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, LLC of Nashville, Tennessee. Invented by Phillip T. Brasher of Nashville, Tennessee; Chad P. Wright of McMinnville, Tennessee; Wesley R. Minton of McMinnville, Tennessee and Angel M. Carvajal of Mount Juliet, Tennessee. Abstract: An automatic splicing apparatus and methods thereof are provided herein for splicing together two ends of a sheet of tire material on a tire building drum. The apparatus comprises a frame, a splicer foot assembly, and a splicer roller assembly. The frame is configured to support the apparatus relative to the drum. The splicer foot assembly and the splicer roller assembly are independently longitudinally translatable relative to the frame. The splicer foot assembly includes a splicer foot having forward lower preparation rollers and rearward lower splicer rollers, and upper preparation rollers configured to operate in coordination with the forward lower preparation rollers to pull the two ends of the sheet of tire material together over the splicer foot. The splicer roller assembly includes upper splicer rollers configured to act in coordination with the rearward lower splicer rollers to splice the two ends together.

U.S. Patent No. 11,653,587 entitled “System and Method for Presenting the Surroundings of an Agricultural Implement” issued May 23, 2023 to Deere & Company of Moline, Iowa. Invented by Timothy J. Kraus of Blakesburg, Iowa. Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed herein for displaying images of certain surroundings of an agricultural implement, for example one including a frame extending between opposing distal ends of a length transverse to a working direction of the agricultural implement. Individual image regions of the surroundings of the agricultural implement are captured using cameras arranged on the agricultural implement and directed toward a working area in the working direction, wherein a corresponding display is generated on a user interface. One or more traveling conditions (e.g., an edge of the working area and/or an edge of the frame, respectively corresponding to a first end and/or second end of the frame) may be automatically projected in the working direction, wherein respective indicia corresponding to the projected traveling conditions are superimposed on the generated display. The indicia may optionally be modified dynamically based on determined changes in a projected course of the working direction.

U.S. Patent No. 11,654,910 entitled “Wheel Lean Automation System and Method for Self-Propelled Work Vehicles” issued May 23, 2023 to Deere & Company of Moline, Iowa. Invented by Sambhav Sahoo of Rourkela, India; Vishal Chaubey of New Delhi, India and Craig Christofferson of Dubuque, Iowa. Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed herein for automatically controlling wheel lean in a work vehicle (e.g., a motor grader) comprising a front portion with an axle and a plurality of traction wheels configured to lean at a wheel-lean angle relative thereto. Based on output signals from one or more sensors mounted on the work vehicle, work conditions are detected comprising an actual wheel-lean angle of at least one wheel relative to the axle, an oscillation angle of the axle, and a slope of the terrain. In automatic control operations, wheel lean is automatically directed to a predetermined orientation (e.g., corresponding to a direction of gravity), based at least on detected work conditions. Wheel lean may further be automatically directed based on detected steering inputs for positioning of the traction wheels and a detected articulation angle for positioning of the front portion of the work vehicle relative to the rear portion.

U.S. Patent No. 11,655,134 entitled “Modular Beverage Dispenser and Methods of Use” issued May 23, 2023 to Jay Perkins of Jackson Beach, Florida. Also invented by Jay Perkins. Abstract: A modular beverage dispenser and method of use to provide an all in one solution to dispense beer, wine, liquor, mixers, cocktails and other alcoholic and non-alcoholic ingredients in a controlled, safe, and measured manner. The machines are manufactured to be modular and scalable to allow for any combination of beverage q ingredients; a machine can have any single ingredient or all of them included at once. They are designed to give customers the ability to select functions that they desire to configure a system that meets their needs and specifications.

U.S. Patent No. 11,655,598 entitled “Earth Working Machine having a Positive Connection Between the Rotating Working Assembly and its Rotary Bearing” issued May 23, 2023 to Wirtgen GmbH of Windhagen, Germany. Invented by Hardy Wilhelmi of Dattenberg, Germany; Karsten Buhr of Willroth, Germany; Andreas Salz of Neustadt, Germany and Sascha Spöth of Heistenbach, Germany. Abstract: An earth working machine includes a support structure and a working assembly mounted on the support structure so as to be rotatable about a drive axis. An assembly-side bearing configuration is connected to the working assembly and a structure-side bearing configuration is connected to the support structure. The assembly-side bearing configuration includes a driver configuration having a driver surface facing in a first circumferential direction and the structure-side bearing configuration includes a driver counterpart configuration having a driver counterpart surface facing in a second circumferential direction opposite to the first, the movement spaces of the driver surface and of the driver counterpart surface about the drive axis overlapping one another.

U.S. Patent No. 11,655,599 entitled “Road Milling Machine and Method for Measuring the Milling Depth” issued May 23, 2023 of Wirtgen America, Inc. of Antioch, Tennessee. Invented by Christian Berning of Zulpich, Germany and Dieter Simons of Buchholz, Germany. Abstract: A method for measuring the milling depth of a road milling machine, the machine being operative to mill a ground surface with a milling roller lowered to a milling depth to create a milling track, the machine including at least one side plate located to at least one side of the milling roller to engage an untreated ground surface, and the machine including a stripping plate operative to be lowered onto the milling track generated by the milling roller. The method includes measuring the milling depth of the milling track, the measuring including detecting a measurement value of a ground engaging sensor engaging the milling track.