Patents by Inventor John Vines

John Vines has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11992350
    Abstract: An x-ray computed laminography imaging system includes a transmission x-ray source configured to generate x-rays, at least some of the x-rays propagate along an x-ray propagation axis through a region of interest of an object. The system further includes a stage assembly configured to rotate the object about a rotation axis extending through the region of interest. The system further includes at least one x-ray detector configured to intercept at least some of the x-rays propagating along the x-ray propagation axis. The at least one x-ray detector includes a scintillator, at least one optical lens, and two-dimensional pixelated imaging circuitry. The scintillator has a thickness that is substantially parallel to the x-ray propagation axis and the at least one optical lens is configured to receive visible light from the scintillator and to focus the visible light into a two-dimensional image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2024
    Assignee: Sigray, Inc.
    Inventors: Wenbing Yun, David John Vine, Sylvia Jia Yun Lewis, Sheraz Gul, Janos Kirz
  • Publication number: 20240055683
    Abstract: A method for the recovery of metals from a feed stream (1) containing one or more value metals, the method comprising: (i) passing the feed stream (1) to an alkaline leach (20) to form a slurry (5) including a pregnant leach liquor of soluble metal salts and a solid residue; (ii) separating the pregnant leach liquor (8) and the solid residue (7) of step (i); (iii) passing the separated pregnant leach liquor (8) of step (ii) to a solvent extraction step (42), wherein a loaded extractant (9) containing copper and nickel, and a raffinate (19) containing cobalt and lithium, are produced; (iv) recovering cobalt (24) from the raffinate (19) of step (iii); and (v) recovering lithium (38), ammonia (28) and ammonium chloride (39) from the cobalt depleted liquor (21) of step (iv).
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2022
    Publication date: February 15, 2024
    Inventors: Mark Daniel Urbani, Gary Donald Johnson, Nicholas John Vines
  • Publication number: 20230365421
    Abstract: A process for the recovery of lithium carbonate from a solution (1) containing a mixture of lithium sulfate and lithium hydroxide, the process comprising the precipitation of lithium carbonate (3) from the solution (1) containing a mixture of lithium sulfate and lithium hydroxide through the addition of carbon dioxide (2).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2022
    Publication date: November 16, 2023
    Inventors: Mark Daniel URBANI, Gary Donald JOHNSON, Nicholas John VINES
  • Publication number: 20230293128
    Abstract: An x-ray computed laminography imaging system includes a transmission x-ray source configured to generate x-rays, at least some of the x-rays propagate along an x-ray propagation axis through a region of interest of an object. The system further includes a stage assembly configured to rotate the object about a rotation axis extending through the region of interest. The system further includes at least one x-ray detector configured to intercept at least some of the x-rays propagating along the x-ray propagation axis. The at least one x-ray detector includes a scintillator, at least one optical lens, and two-dimensional pixelated imaging circuitry. The scintillator has a thickness that is substantially parallel to the x-ray propagation axis and the at least one optical lens is configured to receive visible light from the scintillator and to focus the visible light into a two-dimensional image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2023
    Publication date: September 21, 2023
    Inventors: Wenbing Yun, David John Vine, Sylvia Jia Yun Lewis, Sheraz Gul, Janos Kirz
  • Publication number: 20220098049
    Abstract: A process for the recovery of lithium hydroxide from lithium sulfate containing solutions, the process characterised by the following method steps: precipitating ettringite from a lithium sulfate containing solution in a primary ettringite precipitation step (100); subsequent recovery of a liquor (7, 11) containing lithium hydroxide; and producing a lithium hydroxide monohydrate product (22) from the lithium hydroxide liquor (7, 11).
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2020
    Publication date: March 31, 2022
    Inventors: Mark Daniel Urbani, Nicholas John Vines, Gary Donald Johnson
  • Publication number: 20220056556
    Abstract: A method to produce a brine from mixed alum salts, the method comprising the steps of: (i) Dissolving or pulping alum salts (1) containing rubidium alum, cesium alum and/or potassium alum in water or a recycled liquor and adding a neutralising agent to precipitate (20) aluminium as aluminium hydroxide and some sulfate; (ii) Passing the product of step (i) to a solid liquid separation stage (21) to remove precipitated solids (5) from step (i); (iii) A decant or filtrate (6) from step (ii) is passed to a solvent extraction stage (24-27) whereby any contained cesium and rubidium is selectively extracted into the organic phase to form a loaded organic solution (16); (iv) Contacting the loaded organic solution (16) of step (iii) with a scrub solution (17), which is at a pH lower than the extraction pH, to effectively scrub co-loaded potassium from the organic phase; (v) Contacting the scrubbed organic (19) of step (iv) with formic acid (20) to strip cesium and rubidium from the organic, the stripped cesium and rub
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2019
    Publication date: February 24, 2022
    Applicant: LI-Technology Pty Ltd.
    Inventors: Gary Donald JOHNSON, Mark Daniel URBANI, Nicholas John VINES
  • Patent number: 11249974
    Abstract: A system assigns a byte value to document identifiers in a table. The table includes forward and secondary indexes referenced in key/value pairs of the table, and the keys of the key/value pairs each include a document identifier. The system defines byte ranges, and each of the byte ranges includes a byte value of one of the byte values assigned to the document identifiers. Document identifiers are located in the table using their associated byte values. Keys of the located document identifiers are modified to include a reference to a byte range that encompasses the byte value associated each of the identified document identifiers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Adam P. Fuchs, John Vines
  • Patent number: 10894997
    Abstract: A process for the recovery of lithium from minerals rich in lithium and phosphate, the process comprising passing an ore containing one or more minerals rich in lithium and phosphate to an acid leach step thereby producing a pregnant leach solution, subjecting the pregnant leach solution to a series of process steps by which one or more impurity elements are removed, and recovering lithium as a lithium containing salt product, wherein the series of process steps by which one or more impurity elements are removed includes a low pH impurity removal step conducted at an elevated temperature for the precipitation of one or more impurities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2021
    Assignee: LI-Technology Pty Ltd.
    Inventors: Gary Donald Johnson, Mark Daniel Urbani, Nicholas John Vines
  • Patent number: 10768974
    Abstract: A method of ordering multiple resources in a transaction includes receiving a transaction for a plurality of resources and determining, for each resource, the work embodied by the transaction. The work includes at least one identified parameter relating to an operation for the resource. The method further may include specifying an order of the resources according to the determination of the work, committing the transaction, and invoking the resources in the selected order. Specifying the order of the resources may include specifying the resource to be invoked last. Alternatively, or additionally, specifying the order of the resources also may include specifying that each resource carrying out read-only work be invoked first.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Andrew Wilkinson, David John Vines
  • Patent number: 10450630
    Abstract: A process for the recovery of lithium from lithium bearing mica rich minerals, the process comprising passing an ore containing one or more lithium bearing mica rich minerals to at least one pre-treatment step, passing the pre-treated ore to an acid leach step thereby producing a pregnant leach solution, subjecting the pregnant leach solution to a series of process steps in which one or more impurity metals are removed, and recovering lithium as a lithium containing salt product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: Li-Technology Pty Ltd.
    Inventors: Gary Donald Johnson, Mark Daniel Urbani, Nicholas John Vines
  • Publication number: 20190185963
    Abstract: A process for the recovery of lithium from minerals rich in lithium and phosphate, the process comprising passing an ore containing one or more minerals rich in lithium and phosphate to an acid leach step thereby producing a pregnant leach solution, subjecting the pregnant leach solution to a series of process steps by which one or more impurity elements are removed, and recovering lithium as a lithium containing salt product, wherein the series of process steps by which one or more impurity elements are removed includes a low pH impurity removal step conducted at an elevated temperature for the precipitation of one or more impurities.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2017
    Publication date: June 20, 2019
    Applicant: LI-Technology Pty Ltd.
    Inventors: Gary Donald JOHNSON, Mark Daniel URBANI, Nicholas John VINES
  • Publication number: 20180267828
    Abstract: A method of ordering multiple resources in a transaction includes receiving a transaction for a plurality of resources and determining, for each resource, the work embodied by the transaction. The work includes at least one identified parameter relating to an operation for the resource. The method further may include specifying an order of the resources according to the determination of the work, committing the transaction, and invoking the resources in the selected order. Specifying the order of the resources may include specifying the resource to be invoked last. Alternatively, or additionally, specifying the order of the resources also may include specifying that each resource carrying out read-only work be invoked first.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2018
    Publication date: September 20, 2018
    Inventors: Andrew Wilkinson, David John Vines
  • Patent number: 10007547
    Abstract: A method of ordering multiple resources in a transaction includes receiving a transaction for a plurality of resources and determining, for each resource, the work embodied by the transaction. The method further may include specifying an order of the resources according to the determination of the work, committing the transaction, and invoking the resources in the specified order. Specifying the order of the resources may include specifying the resource to be invoked last. Alternatively, or additionally, specifying the order of the resources also may include specifying that each resource carrying out read-only work be invoked first.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Andrew Wilkinson, David John Vines
  • Patent number: 9914646
    Abstract: A method for the processing of potassium containing materials comprises: (i) Separation of a potassium containing mineral from gangue minerals; (ii) Acid leaching whereby substantially all potassium, iron, aluminum and magnesium is solubilized and mixed potassium/iron double salt formed; (iii) Selectively crystallizing the mixed potassium/iron double salt formed in the leach step (ii); (iv) Second separation to separate the mixed potassium/iron double salt formed in step (iii); (v) Thermal decomposition to produce an iron oxide, a potassium salt and one or more phosphates; (vi) Leaching the product of the thermal decomposition; (vii) Third separation to separate the iron oxide and phosphate from the potassium salt; (viii) Recovering the potassium salt by crystallization; (ix) Separating the iron oxide and phosphate of step (vii) by leaching and subsequent solid liquid separation; and (x) Precipitating phosphate from liquor produced in step (ix) through the addition of a base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: K-Max Pty Ltd.
    Inventors: Gary Donald Johnson, Mark Daniel Urbani, Nicholas John Vines
  • Publication number: 20170320749
    Abstract: A method for the processing of potassium containing materials comprises: (i) Separation of a potassium containing mineral from gangue minerals; (ii) Acid leaching whereby substantially all potassium, iron, aluminium and magnesium is solubilised and mixed potassium/iron double salt formed; (iii) Selectively crystallising the mixed potassium/iron double salt formed in the leach step (ii); (iv) Second separation to separate the mixed potassium/iron double salt formed in step (iii); (v) Thermal decomposition to produce an iron oxide, a potassium salt and one or more phosphates; (vi) Leaching the product of the thermal decomposition; (vii) Third separation to separate the iron oxide and phosphate from the potassium salt; (viii) Recovering the potassium salt by crystallisation; (ix) Separating the iron oxide and phosphate of step (vii) by leaching and subsequent solid liquid separation; and (x) Precipitating phosphate from liquor produced in step (ix) through the addition of a base.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2015
    Publication date: November 9, 2017
    Applicant: K-Max Pty Ltd
    Inventors: Gary Donald JOHNSON, Mark Daniel URBANI, Nicholas John VINES
  • Publication number: 20170233848
    Abstract: A process for the recovery of lithium from lithium bearing mica rich minerals, the process comprising passing an ore containing one or more lithium bearing mica rich minerals to at least one pre-treatment step, passing the pre-treated ore to an acid leach step thereby producing a pregnant leach solution, subjecting the pregnant leach solution to a series of process steps in which one or more impurity metals are removed, and recovering lithium as a lithium containing salt product.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2015
    Publication date: August 17, 2017
    Applicant: Li-Technology Pty Ltd
    Inventors: Gary Donald JOHNSON, Mark Daniel URBANI, Nicholas John VINES
  • Patent number: 9448861
    Abstract: A method and system are provided for concurrent message processing. The system includes: an input queue capable of receiving multiple messages in a given order; an intermediary for processing the messages; and an output queue for releasing the messages from the intermediary. Means are provided for retrieving a message from an input queue for processing at the intermediary and starting a transaction under which the message is to be processed. The intermediate logic processes the transactions in parallel and a transaction management means ensures that the messages are released to the output queue in the order of the messages in the input queue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Alasdair Nottingham, Matthew Roberts, David John Vines
  • Publication number: 20150322938
    Abstract: A pump for one or more different process fluids is provided including a pumping chamber having a process fluid inlet and outlet coupled to a process fluid valve on each pumping chamber for selectively preventing and allowing flow of process fluid through the pumping chamber. An actuation mechanism for pumping actuating fluid to actuating fluid chambers is provided that is in communication with the actuating fluid chambers to permit flow into each actuating fluid chamber of incompressible actuating fluid. A diaphragm separates each pumping chamber from an associated actuating fluid chamber for separating process fluid from actuating fluid. The actuation mechanism is removable by a quick disconnect that provides for disconnection of the activation mechanism without affecting process fluid. Operation of the actuation mechanism to displace actuating fluid causes actuating fluid to flow only into each actuating fluid chamber having an opened process fluid valve, resulting in pumping.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2015
    Publication date: November 12, 2015
    Inventors: John Laessle, John Vines, Brian Kidd
  • Publication number: 20130309105
    Abstract: A pump for one or more different process fluids is provided including a pumping chamber having a process fluid inlet and outlet coupled to a process fluid valve on each pumping chamber for selectively preventing and allowing flow of process fluid through the pumping chamber. An actuation mechanism for pumping actuating fluid to actuating fluid chambers is provided that is in communication with the actuating fluid chambers to permit flow into each actuating fluid chamber of incompressible actuating fluid. A diaphragm separates each pumping chamber from an associated actuating fluid chamber for separating process fluid from actuating fluid. The actuation mechanism is removable by a quick disconnect that provides for disconnection of the activation mechanism without affecting process fluid. Operation of the actuation mechanism to displace actuating fluid causes actuating fluid to flow only into each actuating fluid chamber having an opened process fluid valve, resulting in pumping.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2013
    Publication date: November 21, 2013
    Applicant: Integrated Designs L.P.
    Inventors: John Laessle, John Vines, Brian Kidd
  • Patent number: 8535021
    Abstract: A pump for one or more different process fluids is provided including a pumping chamber having a process fluid inlet and outlet coupled to a process fluid valve on each pumping chamber for selectively preventing and allowing flow of process fluid through the pumping chamber. An actuation mechanism for pumping actuating fluid to actuating fluid chambers is provided that is in communication with the actuating fluid chambers to permit flow into each actuating fluid chamber of incompressible actuating fluid. A diaphragm separates each pumping chamber from an associated actuating fluid chamber for separating process fluid from actuating fluid. The actuation mechanism is removable by a quick disconnect that provides for disconnection of the activation mechanism without affecting process fluid. Operation of the actuation mechanism to displace actuating fluid causes actuating fluid to flow only into each actuating fluid chamber having an opened process fluid valve, resulting in pumping.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: Integrated Designs, L.P.
    Inventors: John Laessle, John Vines, Brian Kidd