Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP
  • Patent number: 8311568
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to enhance uplink link budget in Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) communication systems are described. In one embodiment, a wireless device may increase its transmit power and/or perform subchannel repetition (e.g., in a WiMAX environment) based on at least one indication by an access point. Other embodiments are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Bong Youl Cho, Shailender B. Timiri
  • Patent number: 8308707
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for delivering drug to the eye. The method and system may include implanting into the eye a device which comprises two or more discrete reservoirs, each reservoir containing a drug; and directing focused light to the implanted device to open a first one of the reservoirs and thereby permit the drug to diffuse from the first reservoir to the patient's eye.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: MicroCHIPS, Inc.
    Inventors: John T. Santini, Jr., Michael J. Cima, Robert S. Langer, Dennis Ausiello, Norman F. Sheppard, Jr., Stephen J. Herman
  • Patent number: 8302399
    Abstract: The present application and the resultant patent provide a waste heat recovery system for recovering heat from a number of turbocharger stages. The waste heat recovery system may include a simple organic rankine cycle system and a number of charge air coolers in communication with the turbocharger stages and the simple organic rankine cycle system. The charge air coolers are positioned in a number of parallel branches of the simple organic rankine cycle system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Sebastian W. Freund, Gabor Ast, Pierre Huck, Sara Rocci Denis, Monika Muehlbauer, Albert Scharl, Wolfgang Madl
  • Patent number: 8306655
    Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods for configuring portion control for a dispenser apparatus. A plurality of beverage ingredients may be associated with the dispenser apparatus, and a plurality of selectable beverages may be formed from the plurality of beverage ingredients. Input for one or more preferences associated with portion control may be received. Stored information associated with at least one of the plurality of selectable beverages may be accessed. At least one portion control for at least one of the plurality of selectable beverages may be determined based at least in part on at least a portion of the received input and at least a portion of the accessed information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: The Coca-Cola Company
    Inventor: David Roy Newman
  • Patent number: 8300599
    Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus, comprising a wireless station (STA) operable to communicate with a first access point (AP) and roam to a next access point (AP), wherein said next AP pre-caches a number of IP addresses from a backend Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server; and wherein said wireless station (STA) gathers IP layer address and sub-network information from said next Access Point (AP) during roaming.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Kapil Sood, Jesse Walker, Emily H. Qi
  • Patent number: 8293285
    Abstract: A composition comprises an ion-exchanged carrageenan. The carrageenan may be a traditionally extracted or neutrally extracted iota or kappa carrageenan. The ion-exchanged carrageenan has reduced gelling cation contents, reduced gelling temperature, and reduced melting temperature, as compared to its non-ion-exchanged counterpart. The ion-exchanged carrageenan may be mixed with another carrageenan to form a carrageenan product having a unique gelling temperature and melting temperature. Also disclosed is a process for making an ion-exchanged carrageenan composition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: CP Kelco U.S., Inc.
    Inventor: Jens Eskil Trudsoe
  • Patent number: 8290835
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatus for establishing payees based on cleared items posted to a financial account are provided. Information associated with a cleared item posted to a financial account of a consumer may be obtained. Based at least in part on the obtained information, a payee associated with the cleared item may be identified. A form may be generated for activating, at a service provider, at least one of online payment functionality for payments made to the payee by the service provider on behalf of the consumer or electronic bill presentment of billing information of the payee to the consumer through the service provider. The form may be transmitted to a network entity for presentation to the consumer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: FISERV, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert T. Homer, Mary Elizabeth Lawson, Donald Kenneth Hobday, Jr., Hans Daniel Dreyer
  • Patent number: 8287270
    Abstract: Methods and systems for producing thermoformed articles from pre-cut thermoformable billets are provided. The system may include a heating apparatus for heating the billets, a billet thermoformer for thermoforming the billet into an article, a discharge system for evacuated the formed articles from the thermoformer, and an inspection system for inspecting each of the formed articles for the presence of a defect. Conveyors and billet carriers are provided for transporting the billets between the various components of the system, and loaders are provided for loading the billets onto the conveyor and/or billet carriers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Printpack Illinois Inc.
    Inventors: Richard Henry Lee, Jean-Marc Henri Kirouac, Matthew Neil Piercy
  • Patent number: 8281601
    Abstract: A system and method for reintroducing gas turbine combustion bypass flow. The system may include a combustor body, wherein the combustor body includes a reaction zone for primary combustion of fuel and air, and a casing enclosing the combustor body and defining an annular passageway for carrying compressor discharge air into the combustor body at one end. The system further may include a reintroduction manifold for receiving combustor bypass air extracted from the compressor discharge air in the annular passageway, and one or more reintroduction slots in communication with the reintroduction manifold for injecting the combustor bypass air into the combustor body downstream of the reaction zone. The method may include extracting combustor bypass air from the annular passageway, transporting the combustor bypass air to a reintroduction manifold, and reintroducing the combustor bypass air into the combustor body through one or more reintroduction slots in communication with the reintroduction manifold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Kevin Weston McMahan, Thomas Edward Johnson, Stanley Kevin Widener
  • Patent number: 8285387
    Abstract: An apparatus for providing transdermal wireless communication includes medical implant circuitry; a transceiver coupled to the medical implant circuitry; a first metal surface having an end portion and a base portion; a second metal surface parallel to the first metal surface and connected to the first metal surface by a conductor, the second metal surface being separated from the first metal surface by a dielectric layer; a first radiating element tuned to a first frequency and disposed within the dielectric layer between the first metal surface and second metal surface; and a feed structure in electrical communication with the transceiver and the first radiating strip. The first radiating element has a first reactive portion at a first end thereof, a second reactive portion at a second end thereof, and a first radiating strip extending between the first reactive portion and the second reactive portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: MicroCHIPS, Inc.
    Inventors: Vincent Utsi, Mark Norris, Jean-Daniel Richerd
  • Patent number: 8285653
    Abstract: Systems and methods may include identifying an input population of parent chromosome data structures, where each parent chromosome data structure provides a plurality of genes representative of variables in which associated values are permitted to evolve; selecting pairs of parent chromosome data structures from the input population of parent chromosome data structures; combining genes of each selected pair of parent chromosome data structures according to at least one evolutionary operator to generate a plurality of child chromosome data structures; evaluating the plurality of child chromosome data structures according to a plurality of constraint functions to generate a respective plurality of constraint function values for each child chromosome data structure, where the constraint functions define constraints on a feasible solution set; determining whether any of the plurality of child chromosome data structures are within the feasible solution set based upon the respective plurality of constraint violatio
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: The Aerospace Corporation
    Inventors: Matthew Phillip Ferringer, Timothy Guy Thompson
  • Patent number: 8281795
    Abstract: A retractable awning, comprising a screen which may be extended and retracted, wherein there is provided a first motor arranged to extend the screen, a second motor arranged to retract the screen, and a control unit arranged to control the first and second motors, wherein the first and second motors are synchronized so as to maintain tension in the screen within predetermined values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Inventor: Daniel Cutler
  • Patent number: 8285468
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention can provide systems and methods for using a combustion dynamics tuning algorithm with a multi-can combustor. According to one embodiment of the invention, a method for controlling a gas turbine engine with an engine model can be implemented for an engine comprising multiple cans. The method can include obtaining operating frequency information associated with multiple cans of the engine. In addition, the method can include determining variation between operating frequency information of at least two cans. Furthermore, the method can include determining a median value based at least in part on the variation. Moreover, the method can include determining whether the median value exceeds at least one operating threshold. The method can also include implementing at least one engine control action to modify at least one of the operating frequencies if at least one operating threshold is exceeded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Giovanni Tonno, Mariateresa Paci, Jesse Floyd Stewart, Antonio Asti
  • Patent number: 8285516
    Abstract: Certain embodiments of the invention may include systems, methods, and apparatus for determining steady state conditions in a gas turbine. According to an example embodiment of the invention, a method for determining stability in a gas turbine is provided. The method can include receiving a guide vane (VGV) command and a fuel stroke reference (FSR) command associated with a gas turbine control system, determining a filtered VGV change based at least in part on the received VGV command, determining a filtered FSR change based at least in part on the received FSR command, and outputting a unit stability signal after a pickup delay time when the filtered VGV change is less than a predetermined VGV stability threshold and the filtered FSR change is less than a predetermined FSR stability threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Justin V. John, Scott William Szepek
  • Patent number: 8278635
    Abstract: In a particle multi-beam structuring apparatus for forming a pattern on a target's surface using a beam of electrically charged particles, during exposure steps the particle beam is produced, directed through a pattern definition means producing a patterned particle beam composed of multiple beamlets, and projected by an optical column including a controllable deflection means onto the target surface to form, at a nominal location on the target, a beam image comprising the image of defining structures in the pattern definition means. The beam image's nominal location relative to the target is changed between exposure steps. The actual location of the beam image is varied within each exposure step around the nominal location, through a set of locations realizing a distribution of locations within the image plane around a mean location coinciding with the nominal location, thus introducing an additional blur which is homogenous over the entire beam image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: IMS Nanofabrication AG
    Inventors: Elmar Platzgummer, Heinrich Fragner, Stefan Cernusca
  • Patent number: 8278438
    Abstract: The production of a diutan polysaccharide exhibiting increased viscosity properties as compared with previously produced polysaccharide of the same type of repeating units. Such an improved diutan polysaccharide is produced through the generation of a derivative of Sphingomonas sp. ATCC 53159 that harbors a multicopy broad-host-range plasmid into which genes for biosynthesis of diutan polysaccharide have been cloned. The plasmid provides the capability within the host Sphingomonas strain to produce multiple copies of genes for such polysaccharide synthesis. In such a manner, a method of not just increased production of the target diutan polysaccharide, but also production of a diutan polysaccharide of improved physical properties (of the aforementioned higher viscosity) thereof is provided. Such a diutan polysaccharide has proven particularly useful as a possible viscosifier in oilfield applications and within cement materials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: CP Kelco U.S., Inc.
    Inventors: Nancy E. Harding, Yamini N. Patel, Russell Coleman, Steven Matzke
  • Patent number: 8278938
    Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods for monitoring an electrical flat wire. An appropriate safety device is utilized to monitor the electrical flat wire. The safety device includes a line side input configured to connect a line side power source and receive an electrical power signal from the line side power source. Additionally, the safety device includes a flat wire connection configured to connect to an electrical flat wire. The safety device further includes at least one relay configured to control the communication of the electrical power signal onto the electrical flat wire. The safety device also includes a control unit configured to test the electrical flat wire for at least one of miswires, wire faults, or abnormal conditions and, based at least in part on the results of the testing, to control the actuation of the at least one relay.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: Newire, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Jay Sexton, Fred Lane Martin, James Herman Pace
  • Patent number: 8276382
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention can provide systems and methods for pre-warming a heat recovery steam generator and associated steam lines. According to one embodiment, a method for pre-warming a heat recovery steam generator can be provided. The method can include providing heating steam from a steam source. The heating steam is directed from the steam source to a superheater so that at least a portion of the superheater can be warmed. Once exiting the superheater, the heating steam can be further directed from the superheater to at least one bypass line and maintained in the bypass line until the bypass line attains a predefined temperature or pressure. Furthermore, the method can include directing, after the bypass line attains a predefined temperature or pressure, at least a portion of the heating steam from the bypass line to a reheater so that the reheater can be warmed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Tailai Hu, Kelvin R. Estrada, Michael Joseph Alexander
  • Patent number: D668059
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: Cascades Canada ULC
    Inventors: Tammi Lee Boerschinger, Suzanne Blanchet, Pierre Hudon, Robert Bouchard
  • Patent number: D670673
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Cox Communications, Inc.
    Inventor: Pujan K. Roka