Patents Represented by Attorney Sutherland
  • Patent number: 8244556
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for generating payor sheets associated with payors for healthcare transactions. Information associated with one or more healthcare transactions that have been processed by a payor may be obtained. A plurality of data fields included in the one or more healthcare transactions may be identified, and a respective usage of each of the identified data fields within the one or more healthcare transactions may be calculated. Based upon the calculated usages, one or more of the plurality of data fields may be identified as required fields. A required field may be a field required by the payor during the submission of a healthcare transaction. Based at least in part upon the identified one or more required fields, a payor sheet associated with the payor may be generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: McKesson Financial Holdings Limited
    Inventor: James Morgan Ringold
  • Patent number: 8244646
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention may provide systems and methods for determining estimated lead times based on delivery history information to a same or similar geographical area. According to one example embodiment, a method is provided. The method can include identifying a payee and determining that the payee is associated with a geographical area for mailpiece delivery. The method can further include identifying multiple delivery methods for mailpiece delivery to the geographical area, wherein each of delivery methods is associated with (a) a distribution center, (b) a delivery agent, and (c) an estimated lead time determined at least in part by analyzing the delivery history information associated with multiple mailpieces mailed from the respective distribution center to the geographical area via the respective delivery agent. The method can further include selecting one of the delivery methods for mailpiece delivery to the payee and associating the selected delivery method with the payee.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Fiserv, Inc.
    Inventors: Ann Marie Johnston, Robert Charles Esque, Justin Jackson, Brian Richard Seemann, Roy Alan Southard
  • Patent number: 8243623
    Abstract: A tunneled direct link set-up (TDLS) capable wireless network may comprise a router such as an access point (AP) and a plurality of stations (STA) including service consumer and service provider station. A service consumer station may generate and send a layer-2 query frame to the plurality of stations. A service provider station may generate a layer-2 service frame in response to receiving the layer-2 query frame. The service consumer station may discover the service provider station and the services offered by the service provider station based on the layer-2 service frame. Also, the service consumer may discover the service provider station using layer-2 query frame and may discover the services offered by the service provider station using higher layer service discovery procedure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Xiaohong Gong, Victor B. Lortz, Tsung-Yuan Charles Tai
  • Patent number: 8237051
    Abstract: A flat wire extension cord includes an elongated cord, a first connected attached to a first end of the elongated cord, and a second connected attached to an opposite end of the elongated cord. The elongated cord includes at least one electrifiable conductor for delivering electrical power, first and second insulating layers formed on opposing sides of the at least one electrifiable conductor, and first and second return conductors formed on the first and second insulating layers, respectively, such that said at least one electrifiable conductor is at least substantially entrapped by said first and second return conductors. The first connector is operable to connect the conductors of the elongated cord to a line side input, and the second connector is operable to connect the conductors of the elongated cord to a load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignees: Newire, Inc., Southwire Company
    Inventors: Robert Jay Sexton, Fred Lane Martin, Charles Alexander Garris, III, Stuart Wallace Thorn
  • Patent number: 8234809
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention can include systems and methods for installing a hand guard on a firearm. In embodiments, a method of installing a hand guard on a firearm can be provided. The firearm includes a barrel, a barrel nut, and a delta ring. The delta ring is retracted away from the barrel nut. A number of hand guard members are positioned about the barrel. An annular groove associated with each hand guard member is mated with a portion of a flange of the barrel nut. The flange is secured within the annular groove of at least one hand guard member. The delta ring is advanced over a portion of some or all the hand guard members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Daniel Defense, Inc.
    Inventor: Marvin C. Daniel
  • Patent number: 8235132
    Abstract: Plows and methods of fabricating plows are provided. The plow includes an elongated frame. One or more shear assemblies are affixed to the frame in a spaced relationship along a length of the frame, wherein each of the one or more shear assemblies includes a shearing blade disposed at a distal end of the shear assembly and configured to operate below the surface of the soil to sever the roots of planted vegetation as the plow is pulled through a field. One or more cylinder assemblies are rotatably affixed to the frame and positioned parallel to the one or more shear assemblies and configured to rotate as the plow is pulled through a field. The one or more cylinder assemblies include a plurality of radially extending cylinder blades configured to mulch the soil and press the severed vegetation into the soil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Mod-Track Corporation
    Inventor: Tommy H. Condrey
  • Patent number: 8236196
    Abstract: Some or all of the needs above can be addressed by embodiments of the invention. According to embodiments of the invention, systems and methods for facilitating hydrogen storage using naturally occurring nanostructure assemblies can be implemented. In one embodiment, a method for storing hydrogen can be provided. The method can include providing diatoms comprising diatomaceous earth or diatoms from a predefined culture. In addition, the method can include heating the diatoms in a sealed environment in the presence of at least one of titanium, a transition metal, or a noble metal to provide a porous hydrogen storage medium. Furthermore, the method can include exposing the porous hydrogen storage medium to hydrogen. In addition, the method can include storing at least a portion of the hydrogen in the porous hydrogen storage medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Microbes Unlimited, LLC
    Inventor: Carl B. Fliermans
  • Patent number: 8238279
    Abstract: When there are no network devices currently associated with a wireless network controller, the network controller may reduce power consumption by placing itself in a standby mode. In the standby mode, the network controller may place some of its components into a non-operational low power state, while keeping enough components in an operational state to receive and decode received communications requests from devices that may wish to become associated with it. This may involve placing the transmit chain, and in some cases the applications processor, into the low power state. When a communications request is detected, the network controller may restore the transmit chain and if necessary the applications processor to an operational state, and transmit a response to the communications request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventor: Michael Stahl
  • Patent number: 8232681
    Abstract: Certain embodiments of the invention may include systems and methods for providing a hybrid wind-solar inverter. According to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, a method for directing power from alternative power sources to an electrical grid is provided. The method can include: receiving at least two input DC power signals from a plurality of power sources; receiving one or more control signals from the electrical grid; directing, based at least in part on the one or more control signals, at least some of the input DC power signals to an output DC power signal; and, transforming the output DC power signal to an output AC power signal for transmission via the electrical grid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Miguel Bartolome Lopez
  • Patent number: 8231921
    Abstract: The invention relates to high performance gellan gum compositions having a 0.1% curdmeter gel strength of at least about 117 g/cm2, i.e. from about 117 g/cm2 to about 400 g/cm2. The high performance gellan gums have a low acyl content but an increased molecular weight. One embodiment of the invention also relates to processes for producing high performance gellan gums having high clarity. The invention further relates to food and non-food industrial products comprising high performance gellan gums.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Inventors: Ralph B. Bezanson, William C. Baldwin, Daniel E. Jackson, Bradley S. Dominik, Don Dimasi, C. Ronnie Yuan, Andrew J. Grazela
  • Patent number: 8232763
    Abstract: Electrical vehicle profiles for power grid operation. Embodiments of the invention can provide systems and methods for collecting and storing electrical vehicle usage and charging information, which may enable the generation of usage and charging profiles. Additionally, these usage and charging profiles may be usable to operate electricity grids in areas where electrical vehicles are prevalent. Grid maintenance, as well as power allocation, may be controlled based at least in part on the usage and charging profiles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: John Christopher Boot
  • Patent number: 8225507
    Abstract: A hybrid rocket motor is manufactured by photopolymerizing the solid fuel grain in a stereolithography method, wherein fuel grains in a plastic matrix are deposited in layers for building a solid fuel rocket body in three dimensions for improved performance and for a compact design.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: The Aerospace Corporation
    Inventor: Jerome K. Fuller
  • Patent number: 8227029
    Abstract: Method for depositing a vapour deposition material on a base material, in particular for doping a semiconductor material, in which a vapour deposition batch, in which the vapour deposition material is enclosed in an air-tight manner by a shell, is introduced into a vapour deposition chamber and the shell is opened in the vapour deposition chamber, so that the vapour deposition material in the vapour deposition chamber then evaporates and is deposited on the base material, wherein the shell is opened by at least partially melting by heating a meltable shell material which at least partially forms the shell at a melting temperature which is lower than an evaporation temperature of the vapour deposition material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: Novaled AG
    Inventors: Jan Birnstock, Ansgar Werner, Micheal Hofmann
  • Patent number: 8228071
    Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods for monitoring an electrical wire. An appropriate safety device is utilized to monitor the electrical 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 wire connection configured to connect to an electrical wire. The safety device further includes at least one relay or other suitable disconnection component configured to control the communication of the electrical power signal onto the electrical wire. The safety device also includes a control unit configured to test the electrical 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: March 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: Newire, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Jay Sexton, Fred Lane Martin
  • Patent number: 8229566
    Abstract: Methods and devices are provided such that electrical stimulation can be delivered to a patient's skeletal muscles in response to certain respiratory signals, such as when voluntary breathing is detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Inventor: Sheng Li
  • Patent number: 8228645
    Abstract: Systems and methods for protecting a series capacitor bank are provided. According to one exemplary embodiment of the invention, there is disclosed a capacitor protection circuit. The capacitor protection circuit may include a capacitor bank, a pilot circuit and a main commutation gap. The pilot circuit and the main commutation gap may be provided in parallel electrical communication with the capacitor bank. Additionally, one or more plasma injectors may be provided in series electrical communication with the pilot circuit. The plasma injectors may be operable to provide partially or completely ionized plasma across the main commutation gap to make conductive the main commutation gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Bruce Edward English, Christopher William Hart, Paul Joseph Datka, David Scott Birrell, David Martins, Robert Frank Willard, Jr., Kenneth Alan Powers, Richard Robert Young
  • Patent number: 8228697
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention can provide systems, methods, and apparatus for operating a power converter. According to one embodiment, a system for operating a power converter can be provided. The system can include a direct current (DC) power source with an output electrically coupled to an input of the power converter. The system can also include a controller operable to modify the performance of the DC power source through the power converter. As part of this modification, the controller can determine whether a low voltage ride (LVRT) event exists in a load and can adjust the DC power source when a LVRT event occurs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Robert Gregory Wagoner
  • Patent number: 8226368
    Abstract: Airfoils are provided for a wind turbine blade that is associated with a wind turbine hub. Each airfoil includes a blunt trailing edge, a substantially oval shaped suction side, and a substantially S-shaped pressure side. The airfoils decrease in cross-sectional area along the turbine blade in a direction extending away from the wind turbine hub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Kevin Standish, Stefan Herr
  • Patent number: 8229850
    Abstract: A system receives account access information from a user. The account is then accessed using the received access information. Data is harvested from a web page associated with the account or received from another financial data source. The user's ability to access the account is authenticated based on the obtained information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: CashEdge, Inc.
    Inventors: Venkatachari Dilip, Sanjeev Dheer, Amir Sunderji, Param Singh
  • Patent number: D664874
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Fire Fighting Enterprises Limited
    Inventors: Daniel W. Carter, Gareth M Dibden, Jonathan K. Ben, Janusz L. Holland, Tracy S. Kirk