Systems and methods for alerting to traffic proximity in the airport environment
US Patent 8,040,259
October 18, 2011
Systems and methods for alerting to traffic proximity in the airport environment. Knowledge of the geographic position, speed, rate of change of speed, heading (or track-angle) and/or altitude of own-aircraft (or vehicle) and another, potentially conflicting aircraft (or vehicle) are used to calculate a predicted distance between the two aircraft (or vehicles) at given point of time in the future. If separation distance is predicted to be less than a predetermined acceptable value, then an alert message (aural, visual or both) is issued to the pilot or operator of the vehicle.
Systems and methods for reduced stress anchors
US Patent 8,039,912
October 18, 2011
Anchor systems and methods anchor components of a Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) device to a substrate. An exemplary embodiment has a trace anchor bonded to a substrate, a device anchor bonded to the substrate, and an anchor flexure configured flexibly couple the trace anchor and the device anchor to substantially prevent transmission of a stress induced in the trace anchor from being transmitted to the device anchor.
Office communication system
US Patent 8,035,519
October 11, 2011
An office communication system provides intra-office communication within a medical or dental office, for example. The system includes a door or wall unit, a table or desk unit, and a wearable or portable unit. The door and desk units are configured to transmit and receive both infrared and radio frequency type wireless signals. The portable unit may include an infrared light transmitter configured to transmit infrared light encoded with a unique address or identifier. The system operates to non-obtrusively notify office personnel whether a practitioner has entered or is presently within a particular exam room of the office, even if a door of the exam room is closed.
3D ultrasound-based instrument for non-invasive measurement of amniotic fluid volume
US Patent D646,592
October 11, 2011
The ornamental design for the snap-fit measuring cup, as shown and described.
Burger press
US Patent 8,029,265
October 4, 2011
A burger press includes a base having upward extending sidewalls, a lifter sized and shaped to fit within the base, and a plunger having a handle attached to a first side of a generally planar plate that is sized and shaped to fit within the base. At least one of a second side of the plunger plate and the lifter are shaped to include a surface feature selected from a plurality of ribs and a raised portion, the plurality of ribs and the raised portion being structured to press into a burger as the burger is formed in the burger press by compressing the burger between the plunger and the lifter.
Auto update utility for digital address books
US Patent 8,032,549
October 4, 2011
An Internet-based system capable of automatically maintaining contact-related information in any computer software application or digital device which stores or manages contact-related information. More particularly, the system allows users to automatically enter and maintain contact-related information in a digital address book or similar application or device (such as a wireless phone or PDA) with minimal or no manual entry of the contact-related information by the user. The system also allows contacts of the user (i.e. people who’s contact information or partial contact information is present in the user’s address book application) to make corrections to their contact-related information contained in the user’s address book, request reciprocal contact information from the user, deny the user access to additional or corrected contact-related information and take other actions relative to managing the contact-related information which others (users) have about them.
Opening and closing system for a drawer
US Patent 8,029,080
October 4, 2011
An opening and closing system permits a drawer to be operated by pressing on a front panel of the drawer (e.g., in a hands-free manner). By way of example, the system includes a first sub-assembly coupled to the drawer and a second sub-assembly coupled to a drawer frame. A linear spring provides a tensioning force for operation of the drawer. The first sub-assembly includes a first pivot biasly coupled to the drawer, a fixed-length arm having a first end fixed to the first pivot and a second end coupled to a roller. The second sub-assembly includes first and second guide arms coupled to a second pivot, the first guide arm having an upper surface for engaging the roller when the drawer is being closed, the second guide arm having an arcuate-shaped region sized to receive at least a portion of the roller after the drawer is closed.
Method and system for messaging across cellular networks and a public data network
US Patent 8,027,694
September 27, 2011
A computer program product for instant message communication in a wireless and non-wireless environment. A message is sent from a mobile unit device over a wireless communication network. The message includes a destination address, information associated with the mobile unit device’s user, message content and message address. If, according to information previously stored for the mobile unit device’s user at the instant message system, the destination address is associated with an instant message function, the associated instant message function is executed at the instant message system using the information contained in the message content, if required as determined by the associated instant message function. If, according to information previously stored for the mobile unit device’s user, the destination address is associated with an instant message user name, an instant message is created according to the message content and is sent to the user with the associated instant message user name.
Systems and methods for using nexrad information to verify weather radar information
US Patent 8,022,859
September 20, 2011
Systems and methods distinguish weather radar returns from terrain radar returns. An exemplary embodiment receives a radar return from a weather radar system on board an installation vehicle, receives ground-based weather radar information, compares a location of the radar return received from the onboard weather radar system with a corresponding location in the received ground-based, and determines that the radar return received from the onboard weather radar system is a weather radar return when a location in the received ground-based weather radar information indicates a presence of weather at the location of the radar return.
America Invents Act Signed by Obama
September 16, 2011
| Intellectual Property News
The key features of the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act (H.R. 1249) are summarized below. Note that the law is very detailed and technical, with a variety of exceptions and specific dates of implementation. The application of the following rules to any particular situation may vary. Likewise, the bill is unusually lengthy and therefore the summary below hits only the high points. In many cases the new provisions below do not take effect until a year after the law is signed.
First to File. After decades of debate, the law finally changes the U.S. patent priority system from one based on “first to invent” to one based on “first to file.” Prior to the new law, if two applicants sought patents for the same invention the patent would be awarded to the inventor who could prove to be the first to have invented it. Under the new law, the patent is awarded to the inventor who files the application first, regardless of whether another person invented it earlier. This change brings with it a modification in the way prior art is applied. Currently an inventor is allowed to “swear behind” certain prior art by establishing a date of invention earlier than the date of the prior art reference. Under the new version of the law, all publications and events occurring before the filing date is prior art. The sole exception is for the inventor’s own disclosures (or those derived from the inventor) that occurred less than one year from the filing date. This provision applies to applications filed eighteen months after enactment of the law.
Defense based on prior commercial use. Under prior law, it was a defense to a business method patent to assert prior use of the patented method. The new law extends this defense to all patents, such that proof that a patented method was in use before the filing date of the patent application will constitute a defense to a charge of infringement. This provision applies to any patent issued on or after the date of enactment of the law.
Reexamination. The law retains inter partes and ex parte reexamination procedures while adding mechanisms for preissuance submissions by third parties.
Fees. The USPTO is given authority to adjust its fees, and the result is that fees will go up. One fee increase takes effect quickly: within ten days of passage, the law imposes a 15 percent surcharge on most patent application fees. This rule takes effect within ten days of enactment.
Marking. Patent marking may be made “virtually” by providing a citation to a website on which patent information can be found. False marking litigation should substantially end as it is limited to complaints by those who can demonstrate a competitive injury as a result of the violation. No longer will lawyers be able to file a random lawsuit complaining about errors and other minor marking problems. This provision is effective upon enactment.
Advice of counsel. The failure of an infringer to obtain advice of counsel may not be used to prove that an accused infringer willfully infringed a patent. This applies in all lawsuits filed on or after the date of enactment.
Multiple defendant litigation. Plaintiffs will not be allowed to file a lawsuit against multiple unrelated defendants claiming patent infringement. Multiple defendants will only be allowed in a single lawsuit if they acted together to commit a common act of infringement.
Inventor declarations. New provisions make it easier for a company to file an application on its own behalf and to proceed with an application when the individual inventor is uncooperative or cannot be reached to sign the declaration.
Read the full text of the law here: http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h112-1249
