Methods and systems for data analysis and feature recognition including detection of avian influenza

US Patent 7,844,088
November 30, 2010
Systems and methods for automated pattern recognition and detection of avian influenza virus in a data set corresponding to an aspect of a biological sample. The method includes receiving a first data set corresponding to a first aspect of a first biological sample, analyzing the first data set using results of a first series of algorithms processed on a second data set corresponding to an aspect of a second biological sample known to contain avian influenza virus, generating an algorithm value cache for the first data set by running a second series of algorithms on the first data set, generating a match result by comparing the algorithm value cache with the results of the first series of algorithms, and performing a processing action based on the generated match result.

Marine radar system with three-dimensional memory

US Patent 7,840,075
November 23, 2010
A radar system includes a memory device operable to store radar-return data characterizing at least one geographic region, a database including a set of chart data representing fixed landmarks associated with the at least one geographic region, and a processor coupled to the memory device. The processor is configured to obtain from the memory device multiple sets of the radar-return data corresponding to successive scans of the at least one geographic region, perform correlation processing among the multiple data sets to yield a first correlated data set, perform correlation processing between the first correlated data set and fixed-landmark chart data associated with the at least one geographic region to yield a second correlated data set, and process the second correlated data set to remove said fixed-landmark chart data therefrom and yield a third data set representing scanned objects that are not fixed landmarks.

Method of manufacturing vibrating micromechanical structures

US Patent 7,836,574
November 23, 2010
A method for fabrication of single crystal silicon micromechanical resonators using a two-wafer process, including either a Silicon-on-insulator (SOI) or insulating base and resonator wafers, wherein resonator anchors, a capacitive air gap, isolation trenches, and alignment marks are micromachined in an active layer of the base wafer; the active layer of the resonator wafer is bonded directly to the active layer of the base wafer; the handle and dielectric layers of the resonator wafer are removed; viewing windows are opened in the active layer of the resonator wafer; masking the single crystal silicon semiconductor material active layer of the resonator wafer with photoresist material; a single crystal silicon resonator is machined in the active layer of the resonator wafer using silicon dry etch micromachining technology; and the photoresist material is subsequently dry stripped.

Board game

US Patent 7,832,730
November 16, 2010
The present invention provides a board game. The board game includes a spinning device and an inner and outer ring of characters. The characters include at least one of a plurality of numbers or a plurality of letters located in one or more rings. Each player activates the spinning device. After the spinning device has stopped a master scorecard and the scorecard associated with the player who performed the activation of the spinning device are marked to identify what letter or number the spinning device is pointing to. The players rotate spinning of the spinning device until the master scorecard indicates that the game is over.

MEMS devices and methods of assembling micro electromechanical systems (MEMS)

US Patent 7,833,829
November 16, 2010
A Micro ElectroMechanical Systems device according to an embodiment of the present invention is formed by dicing a MEMS wafer and attaching individual MEMS dies to a substrate. The MEMS die includes a MEMS component attached to a glass layer, which is attached to a patterned metallic layer, which in turn is attached to a number of bumps. Specifically, the MEMS component on the glass layer is aligned to one or more bumps using windows that are selectively created or formed in the metallic layer. One or more reference features are located on or in the glass layer and are optically detectable. The reference features may be seen from the front surface of the glass layer and used to align the MEMS components and may be seen through the windows and used to align the bumps. As an end result, the MEMS component may be precisely aligned with the bumps via optical detection of the reference features in the glass layer.

Multi-use carrier

US Patent 7,832,554
November 16, 2010
A single unit cardboard carrier is transformed from a collapsed state into an expanded multi-use carrier with a minimum of assembly actions. A preferred embodiment of the multi-use carrier has a central chamber, a plurality of vessel apertures located around the centered chamber, and has a handle spanning across the chamber.

Mechanical isolation for MEMS devices

US Patent 7,830,003
November 9, 2010
A device according to the present invention includes a MEMS device supported on a first side of a die. A first side of an isolator is attached to the first side of the die. A package is attached to the first side of the isolator, with at least one electrically conductive attachment device attaching the die to the isolator and attaching the isolator to the package. The isolator may include isolation structures and a receptacle.

Supreme Court to Review Induced Infringement

November 2, 2010 | Intellectual Property News
After many years of confusion, the Supreme Court has agreed to review a lawsuit addressing the standard of intent required for inducement of infringement. This pivotal case may resolve once and for all whether a party must intend to infringe a patent in order to be liable, or whether it is sufficient to be aware of the possibility of infringement by third parties. Under Section 271 of the patent statutes, one who “actively induces” infringement by others is liable for infringement. Most commonly, this statute is asserted when a patent requires a product to be used in a particular way. In that situation, the manufacturer may not be liable for direct infringement because the manufacturer does not use the product at all. If the packaging describes a particular way of using the product, or perhaps if there is really only one principal way of using it, then the manufacturer or seller may be liable for inducing infringement once the customers buy the product and use it as directed. According to court decisions to date, the party accused of inducing infringement must either have knowledge of the patent or the specific intent to induce infringement. These are certainly two very different standards. If knowledge of the patent is sufficient then the seller may be liable for infringement even if there is no actual knowledge that anyone actually used the product in an infringing manner, and perhaps without the intent that any buyers would actually use the product in an infringing way. Under the second standard, by contrast, the seller would escape liability even if it knew about the patent as long as it did not specifically intend to encourage infringement by others. The specific case under review is SEB S.A. v. Montgomery Ward & Co., Inc., 594 F.3d 1360 (Fed. Cir. 2010). In this case, Pentalpha reverse-engineered SEB’s patented cooker and began selling a competing product. Pentalpha obtained an opinion from its attorneys who believed that the product did not infringe any patents, but Pentalpha did not tell its attorneys that the product copied another product already on the market. The opinion was therefore considered to be suspect because the attorneys did not look for patents belonging to the company that manufactured the copied product. The Federal Circuit Court of Appeals believed that Pentalpha deliberately ignored the possibility that SEB had a patent covering its product. The language of the decision makes it unclear whether such “deliberate indifference” is sufficient for inducement or whether “specific intent” is required. The Supreme Court agreed to review the case in order to specifically address whether deliberate indifference of a known risk is sufficient or whether inducement of infringement requires purposeful, culpable expression and conduct to encourage the infringement by others.

System and method for water restoration

US Patent 7,824,555
November 2, 2010
System and method for water restoration to a water pool or to water regions associated with freshwater or saltwater marinas. Embodiments include a positive water flow device that works in unison with a negative water flow device, wherein the positive and negative flow devices are separated from each other in the water pool or water regions. The positive flow device, for example, a water jet, directs a stream of water beneath the water surface of the water pool or water regions, and causes a water surface to move towards the negative flow device by a hydraulic pushing action. The negative flow device includes a water pump and receiving port, augments the hydraulic pushing action by providing a complementary pulling action by applying a vacuum or negative pressure to a water receiving port, or scoop. Water laden, oily surface contaminants are then removed in the scoop as a water oil mixture that is subsequently separated to form an oil mixture for subsequent recycling and a clean water source that is restored for delivery back into the water pool or water regions.

Locking differential having a split-center driver

US Patent 7,824,296
November 2, 2010
A locking differential includes a housing with an interior chamber in which a two-piece split-center driver is located. The split-center driver is positioned on opposite sides of a cross-pin assembly. A pair of axially spaced output shafts extend from the interior chamber and are coupled to a pair of side gears. The split-center driver gear and a centered cam member are arranged co-axially about the adjacent ends of the output shafts, and annular clutch members are operable to disconnect an overrunning output shaft.