Patents Represented by Attorney Andrews Kurth LLP
  • Patent number: 7702521
    Abstract: Providing improvements in searching, identifying, and publishing information over computer networks, and on individual computers or other information access devices, by creating and sharing link relationships between documents distributed on the network, computers, or other devices. Further providing methods for billing for the use of link relationships to relate and search document objects. Methods for enabling users of a network to provide other users with access to link relationships between documents are described. In one example, this is accomplished by creating link directories for storing link relationships between documents and making the link relationships accessible to users. The users may populate the link directories with link relationships. Furthermore, the methods include a step of billing users based upon the link directories created and/or a step of billing users based upon the activity of users accessing the link directories.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2010
    Inventor: Thomas Layne Bascom
  • Patent number: 7694758
    Abstract: A vehicle with a omni-directional cab having a circular frame revolvably coupled to a chassis having an axle, wheels and passenger seats. Two independent drive wheels located on an axis through the center of the cab are mounted at the same distance from a central vertical axis through the cab. Each wheel is powered independently and can rotate at variable speeds in either direction. The cab is capable of movement in any direction by rotating the axis of the drive wheels to a position which is perpendicular to the desired direction of travel. The cab can spin about its vertical axis such that the axis of the drive wheels can be oriented at any direction without changing the original footprint of the space that the frame occupies over the ground. Thus, the combined cab/chassis assembly can rotate about the vertical midpoint of the chassis axle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2010
    Assignee: Hammonds Technical Services, Inc.
    Inventor: Carl L. Hammonds
  • Patent number: 7698738
    Abstract: A method, and a corresponding apparatus, provide for real-time network-based recovery from information warfare (IW) attacks on a network that includes subnets, with each subnet including one or more nodes. The method includes executing a pre-IW attack routine to identify IW attack recovery information, in response to an IW attack, executing an IW attack response routine, and executing a real-time network-based recovery routine. The pre-IW attack routine includes monitoring conditions on the network and at each of the subnets and nodes. When an IW attack occurs at an entity in the network, a condition flags are set to indicate the specific entity or entities being attacked. A condition flag set to 0 implies full operational capability of the entity, a condition flag set to 1 implies recent IW attack or IW attack in progress at the entity, and a condition flag set to 2 implies recovery of the entity from the IW attack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2010
    Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Dennis Hain McCallam, Ronald Kenneth Newland
  • Patent number: 7697737
    Abstract: A method and system use a biometric personal identity verification (BioPIV) system to provide a fingerprint enabled wireless add-on for personal identification number (PIN) accessible smartcards. The BioPIV system may function as a trusted biometric reader and a smartcard reader with full remote functionality for both logical and physical access.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2010
    Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Kenneth Wagner Aull, Erik J. Bowman
  • Patent number: 7693772
    Abstract: An investment structure including a fixed component and a contingent component for investing funds. The fixed component invests a portion of the funds in fixed income securities and generates principal plus fixed interest. The contingent component invests another portion of the funds in non-fixed income, securities and generates contingent interest. The fixed interest is selectively distributed or re-invested in the fixed component, and the contingent interest is re-invested in the contingent component in order to boost the trading pool for that component and potentially increase the return on investment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2010
    Assignee: Ssaris Advisors
    Inventor: Mark Rosenberg
  • Patent number: 7690473
    Abstract: A powered omni-directional security, patrol and surveillance vehicle that includes a circular frame and two drive wheels capable of independent powered forward and rearward rotation about a horizontal axis. The drive wheels are adapted to allow the vehicle to spin in place about a vertical axis which intersects the horizontal axis midway between the drive wheels and which is generally centered in the circular frame. An observation platform including an operators control station is mounted to the frame on a lift such that it is capable of selective elevation for superior vantage points. A cab preferably encloses the operator's station. A plurality of swivel casters disposed on distal ends of telescopic outrigger arms are circumpositioned about the circular frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2010
    Assignee: Hammonds Technical Services, Inc.
    Inventor: Carl L. Hammonds
  • Patent number: 7686862
    Abstract: A vane having a profile capable of formation by pultrusion is disclosed. The vane can be used for removing liquids entrained in a gas stream. The vane includes a main curved section oriented generally parallel to the gas stream and curved to reorient the gas stream, the main curved section causing a first and a second change of direction of the gas stream; a first air pocket formed on a first side of the main curved section, the first air pocket sized and oriented into the gas stream where the gas stream first changes direction; and a second air pocket formed on a second side of the main curved section, the second air pocket smaller than the first air pocket and sized and oriented into the gas stream where the gas stream makes the second direction change.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2010
    Assignee: Peerless Mfg. Co.
    Inventors: Mark Daniel, Dani Fadda
  • Patent number: 7689590
    Abstract: A computer-implemented yield management system and method for media advertising are provided. The system includes demand curve data associated with an availability of advertising time slots. The demand curve data is defined by a function PN=PL*PN and PN=PH*FN. The system also includes and inventory module to create advertising inventory for a plurality of media provides, the advertising inventory containing available advertising time slots, a yield management module to generate pricing information based on the demand curve data, a forecasting module to generate advertising time segments that meet specific criteria in the advertising inventory and a pricing module to create a pricing strategy using the demand curve data where the price of advertising varies for one ore more advertising time slots in the advertising inventory based on the available advertising inventory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2010
    Assignee: Clear Channel Management Services, Inc.
    Inventor: Billy Shane Fox
  • Patent number: 7685817
    Abstract: A system and method for providing a rotational output using a non-combustion heat source. The system may include a sealed chamber and a triggering element. The sealed chamber may contain a substance that expands when heated and contracts when cooled. The sealed chamber may include a displacer capable of moving within the sealed chamber, wherein the displacer moves when the substance is heated and a heat source situated within the sealed chamber. The heat source heats the substance when activated. The triggering element is coupled to the sealed chamber and activates the heat source. The system may include mechanisms for translating the displacer movement into a rotational output or other output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2010
    Assignee: Ceti, Inc.
    Inventor: David T. Carrott
  • Patent number: 7683400
    Abstract: A Si(1-x)MxC material for heterostructures on SiC can be grown by CVD, PVD and MOCVD. SIC doped with a metal such as Al modifies the bandgap and hence the heterostructure. Growth of SiC Si(1-x)MxC heterojunctions using SiC and metal sources permits the fabrication of improved HFMTs (high frequency mobility transistors), HBTs (heterojunction bipolar transistors), and HEMTs (high electron mobility transistors).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2010
    Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Narsingh B. Singh, Brian P. Wagner, David J. Knuteson, Michael E. Aumer, Andre Berghmans, Darren Thomson, David Kahler
  • Patent number: 7681512
    Abstract: A wind-powered, fluid cushioned platform adapted to float on a body of liquid. The platform includes a deck having upper and lower surfaces and a lower peripheral member extending around the outer perimeter of the deck. A pump having a pump outlet is supported by the deck. A fill pipe has a first end connected to the pump outlet and a second end in communication with the lower surface of the deck. The pump is adapted to pump a fluid through the fill pipe to a blow tank formed beneath the deck between the surface of the liquid and the deck within the area circumscribed by the lower peripheral member. A plurality of vanes and/or sails are preferably coupled to the deck to catch the wind and use the power of the wind to rotate the floating platform. In one embodiment, apparatus is provided for the purpose of generating electricity as the platform rotates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2010
    Inventor: James L. Dunn
  • Patent number: 7670836
    Abstract: The present invention provides an antimicrobial peptide, monodoncin, which is isolated and purified from Penaeus monodon and is capable of being mass produced by molecular cloning techniques in a heterologous expression system, such as yeast. Monodoncin demonstrates a wide-range of bacteriostatic and bactericidal effects on G(?) and G(+) bacteria as well as fungicidal activities, and can be used in combination with conventional antibiotics as “cocktail therapy” to improve the therapeutic effects of the conventional antibiotics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2010
    Assignee: Academia Sinica
    Inventors: Jenn-Kan Lu, Jen-Leih Wu, Tze-Ting Chiou
  • Patent number: 7672275
    Abstract: Packet routing via payload inspection at routers in a core of a distributed network. Packets include subjects and attributes in addition to routing information. The subjects correspond with particular types of content for subscriptions, and the attributes encapsulate the data or content. The routers store filters corresponding with subscriptions to content. Upon receiving a packet, a router inspects the payload section of the packet containing the attributes in order to retrieve the attributes and apply them to the filters for the subscriptions. If an attribute satisfies a filter, the packet is routed to the next link. If the attributes do not satisfy the filters, the router discards the packet. These routing decisions are distributed among routers in the network core. The router locally caches the data in the network core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2010
    Assignee: Precache, Inc.
    Inventors: Shalini Yajnik, Tsu-Wei Chen, Ping-Fai Yang, Radu Teodorescu
  • Patent number: 7669438
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for recovering and separating anesthetic gas components from waste anesthetic gases to be purged from a healthcare facility. Prior to a condensation step, a compressor is used to increase the waste anesthetic gas pressure in order to facilitate condensation of anesthetic gas components at higher temperatures and in greater amounts than through condensation at lower pressures. Condensing the anesthetic gas components from the compressed waste anesthetic gas stream is then achieved using conventional condensation systems, which remove anesthetic gases as either liquid condensates or solid frosts. A preferred embodiment of the invention may be used with existing high-flow scavenging or reclamation systems but is more preferably used with low-flow scavenging or reclamation systems, which employ intelligent waste anesthetic gas collection units to minimize the ingress of atmospheric gas when no waste anesthetic gas is to be purged from the healthcare facility.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2010
    Assignee: Anesthetic Gas Reclamation, LLC
    Inventors: James M. Berry, Steve Morris
  • Patent number: 7667201
    Abstract: A thermal radiation sensor is disclosed wherein a semiconductor thermocouple comprised of a pair of silicon diodes is connected in back-to-back relationship, with one of the diodes being located in a detector stage. The other diode is located in a heat bath stage together with a sensed temperature difference amplifier. The detector stage is thermally isolated from the heat bath stage by a low thermal conductivity link that includes electrical wires which connect the back-to-back diodes to the amplifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2010
    Assignee: Northrop Grumman Corporation
    Inventor: Nathan Bluzer
  • Patent number: 7667283
    Abstract: A coiled camera includes a coiling layer, a circuit device layer, active microelectronic circuitry fabricated on the circuit device layer, a semiconductor imaging device electronically coupled to the active microelectronic circuitry and a lens coupled to the semiconductor imaging device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2010
    Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Joseph T. Smith, Harvey C. Nathanson
  • Patent number: 7655805
    Abstract: A method for synthesizing benzotriazole comprises acts of: preparing a first solvent comprising 2-(2-hydroxy-5-methylphenyl) benzotriazole, a basic agent and molecular sieves and a second solvent comprising 3-chloro-2-alkyl propylene; mixing the solvents; and heating the solvents. This method requires only one reaction vessel and produces few by-products, therefore is simpler and cheaper to produce. Furthermore, the molecular sieves are cheaper than catalysts in conventional reactions and may be recycled, giving even greater economic benefits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2010
    Assignee: UFC Corporation
    Inventors: Ling Lu, Po-Hsuan Wei, Chung-Ning Fan, Yu-Cheng Lee, Hui-Ling Yang, Yu-Chin Lee
  • Patent number: 7657534
    Abstract: An order commitment method and system are described. The method includes the steps of identifying services and data capable of supporting an order commitment, and mapping the services to enable synchronized on-demand queries. The mapping step includes determining relationships among the services and the data and maintaining the relationships, wherein links are established to create fulfillment information. The method also includes using the fulfillment information to generate the order commitment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2010
    Inventor: Jon Kirkegaard
  • Patent number: 7650950
    Abstract: A closed-loop circulating system for drilling wells has control of the flow rates in and out of the wellbore. Kicks and fluid losses are quickly controlled by adjusting the backpressure. Kick tolerance and tripping margins are eliminated by real-time determination of pore and fracture pressure. The system can incorporate a rotating BOP and can be used with underbalanced drilling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2010
    Assignee: Secure Drilling International, L.P.
    Inventor: Christian Leuchtenberg
  • Patent number: 7649171
    Abstract: Analysis of biological small molecules such as toxins, spores or cells is achieved by miniature mass spectrometer apparatus and apparatus attached thereto for vaporizing and ionizing a liquid sample fed into an evacuated vaporization chamber as an electrospray. The mass spectrometer apparatus includes: a collimation chamber, a repeller assembly, an internal ionization chamber, a mass filter and ion separation chamber, a drift space region, and a multi-channel ion detection array so as to permit the collection and analysis of ions formed over a wide mass range simultaneously. The vaporization chamber includes an output port adjacent the input to the collimation chamber so as to maximize the amount of vaporized material being fed into the mass spectrometer apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2010
    Assignee: Northrop Grumman Corporation
    Inventor: Carl B. Freidhoff