Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Thorpe North and Western
  • Patent number: 8326462
    Abstract: A tactile contact and impact display system comprises a receiver, operable to receive therein a user's digit while leaving a target area of skin of the user's digit at least partially exposed. A contact pad is operable to engage the target area of the user's skin. An actuation system is actuatably coupled to the contact pad and is operable to move the contact pad relative to the target area of skin. A distance sensor is coupled to the contact pad, the distance sensor being operable to sense a separation distance between the contact pad and the target area of the user's digit. A restraining system is operable to substantially restrain the contact pad from moving in at least one degree of freedom relative to the receiver while allowing the contact pad to move in at least one degree of freedom relative to the receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: University of Utah Research Foundation
    Inventor: William R. Provancher
  • Patent number: 8324175
    Abstract: The present invention discloses anti-cancer compositions, and associated methods, including an anti-cancer composition comprising: a cellular energy inhibitor having the structure according to formula I wherein X is selected from the group consisting of: a nitro, an imidazole, a halide, sulfonate, a carboxylate, an alkoxide, and amine oxide; and R is selected from the group consisting of: OR?, N(R?)2, C(O)R??, C1-C6 alkyl, C6-C12 aryl, C1-C6 heteroalkyl, a C6-C12 heteroaryl, H, and an alkali metal; where R? represents H, alkali metal, C1-C6 alkyl, C6-C12 aryl or C(O)R??, R? represents H, C1-C6 alkyl, or C6-C12 aryl, and R?? represents H, C1-C20 alkyl or C6-C12 aryl. The anti-cancer composition can additionally comprise at least one sugar, which stabilizes the cellular energy inhibitor by substantially preventing the inhibitor from hydrolyzing. Also, the anti-cancer composition can comprise a hexokinase inhibitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Inventor: Young Hee Ko
  • Patent number: 8317576
    Abstract: A desirably close clearance between outer edges of the flights of a conveying screw and the inside surface of a separator housing and screen can be obtained by offsetting the axis of the screw within the screen and by rotating the axis of the screw about the axis of the separator housing. Adjustments to the amount of such offset of the screw axis can be made in steps as the outer edges of the flights on the conveying screw wear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Inventor: A. Rae McFarland
  • Patent number: 8316605
    Abstract: An insulated roof deck or wall system which can be used in installing roofs and wall is set forth. The system includes a plurality of metal purlins (10), a plurality of outer panels (2), a plurality of thermal insulation blocks (4), cleats (14), fasteners (12), a first insulation layer (6) and a second insulation layer (7). The metal purlins (10) can form a parallel array of purlins. The outer panels (2) can be attached to the metal purlins (10) in the parallel array. The thermal insulation blocks (4) can be disposed between the metal purlin (10) and the outer panel (2). The cleat (14) can be disposed between the thermal insulation blocks (4) and the outer panel (2) and has a protrusion which is capable of securing the thermal insulation block (4) and inhibits lateral movement between the thermal insulation block (4) and the cleat (14). The first and second insulation layers can be placed on either side of the thermal insulation blocks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Inventor: Craig Oberg
  • Patent number: 8317269
    Abstract: A stackable chair has a seat and a backrest carried between opposite frame sides each with a backrest support, a front leg and a rear leg. One or both of the seat and the backrest have a continuous sheet of flexible and elastic mesh or patterned open texture plastic held across and substantially covering an opening in an all-plastic hoop fixed between the frame sides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Mity-Lite, Inc.
    Inventor: Richard D. Smith
  • Patent number: 8317555
    Abstract: An amphibious robotic crawler for traversing a body of water having two frame units coupled end-to-end or in tandem by an actuated linkage arm. Each frame unit includes a housing with a drivable continuous track rotatably supported thereon. The frame units are operable with a power supply, a drive mechanism and a control module. Each frame unit further includes a buoyancy control element for suspending the frame unit in the water, and for controlling the depth of the robotic crawler within the water. The control module coordinates the rotation of the continuous tracks, the position of the linkage arm and the buoyancy of the buoyancy control elements to control movement, direction and pose of the robotic crawler through the body of water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventors: Stephen C. Jacobsen, Fraser M. Smith, Marc X. Olivier
  • Patent number: 8317218
    Abstract: A multi-function binding system configured for use on a sliding board comprising: (a) a binding operable with a boot assembly, the binding comprising a support surface and toe and heel pieces extending therefrom; (b) a base assembly configured to be rotatably and removably secured to a deck of a sliding board and to releasably couple the binding during use of the sliding board, the base assembly comprising: (i) a support disc configured to be removably coupled to the deck of the sliding board and to secure the base assembly to the sliding board; (ii) a deck plate rotatable about the support disc and configured to be positioned adjacent the deck; (iii) a bonnet also rotatable about the support disc and configured to receive and engage the binding, the bonnet operable with the deck plate to support one or more components of the base assembly; (iv) adjustment means for facilitating the rotational adjustment of the bonnet and the deck plate about the support disc and with respect to the sliding board, thereby fac
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Miller Sports International, LLC
    Inventors: Douglas K. Furr, Brady S. Fox, Matthew E. Miller
  • Patent number: 8313716
    Abstract: A spinning fluids reactor, includes a reactor body (24) having a circular cross-section and a fluid contactor screen (26) within the reactor body (24). The fluid contactor screen (26) having a plurality of apertures and a circular cross-section concentric with the reactor body (24) for a length thus forming an inner volume (28) bound by the fluid contactor screen (26) and an outer volume (30) bound by the reactor body (24) and the fluid contactor screen (26). A primary inlet (20) can be operatively connected to the reactor body (24) and can be configured to produce flow-through first spinning flow of a first fluid within the inner volume (28). A secondary inlet (22) can similarly be operatively connected to the reactor body (24) and can be configured to produce a second flow of a second fluid within the outer volume (30) which is optionally spinning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: University Of Utah Research Foundation
    Inventors: Jan D. Miller, Jan Hupka, Robert Aranowski
  • Patent number: 8314814
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, an imaging system includes a processing system and a display generator. The processing system is operable to process a signal received from a camera to yield foveal data for a foveal display region and outer data for an outer display region. The outer data have a reduced pixel density with respect to the pixel density of the foveal data. The display generator is operable to generate the foveal display region from the foveal data according to a 1:n mapping ratio, and generate the outer display region from the outer data according to a 1:m mapping ratio, where m is greater than n.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventor: Robert C. Gibbons
  • Patent number: 8314468
    Abstract: A silicon drift detector (SDD) comprising electrically isolated rings. The rings can be individually biased doped rings. One embodiment includes an SDD with a single doped ring. Some of the doped rings may not require a bias voltage. Some of the rings can be field plate rings. The field plate rings may all use the same biasing voltage as a single outer doped ring. The ring widths can vary such that the outermost ring is widest and the ring widths decrease with each subsequent ring towards the anode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Moxtek, Inc.
    Inventors: Derek Hullinger, Hideharu Matsuura, Kazuo Taniguchi, Tadashi Utaka
  • Patent number: 8313600
    Abstract: A method and system for fabricating a geometrically versatile composite lattice support structure having a seamless three-dimensional configuration. The lattice support structure is created by forming two or more cross supports, such as helical, longitudinal, circumferential and/or lateral cross supports, which intersect to form a plurality of multi-layered nodes. The lattice support structure may be designed without any protrusions extending outward from the overall geometry, thus enabling efficient tooling, and thus enabling ease of mass production. The lattice support structure may comprise a completely circumferentially closed geometry, such as a cylinder, ellipse, airfoil, etc. The method for fabricating the lattice support structure comprises laying up a fiber material, in the presence of resin, within rigid channels of a rigid mold, thus creating a green, uncured three-dimensional geometry of unconsolidated cross supports and multi-layered nodes where these intersect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Sigma-Tek, LLC
    Inventors: Erich A. Wilson, Michael D. Kipp, Michael D. Ridges
  • Patent number: 8308801
    Abstract: Provided is an intervertebral disc prostheses for installation in a spinal column between superior and inferior vertebral bodies. A first intervertebral plate engages one or both of the inferior vertebral endplate and the inferior ring apophysis of the superior vertebral body. A second intervertebral plate engages one or both of the superior vertebral endplate and the superior ring apophysis of the inferior vertebral body. A biaxial rolling-contact core is located between the intervertebral plates. The core includes a convex upper surface and a convex lower surface. The upper surface is curved around a first axis and the lower surface is curved around a second axis that is rotated relative to the first axis. The core is capable of rolling translation relative to the first intervertebral plate along the upper surface and in a first direction, and rolling translation relative to the second intervertebral plate along the lower surface and in a second direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Brigham Young University
    Inventors: Peter Halverson, Larry L. Howell, Spencer P. Magleby, Anton E. Bowden
  • Patent number: 8307769
    Abstract: A light-weight, folding table has a plurality of folding legs coupled to a table top. The table top includes a laminate with a plastic sheet bonded to a plywood layer. A perimeter edge channel encloses a perimeter edge of the laminate along the sides without enclosing corners of the laminate. Corner caps cover the corners of the laminate. The corner caps overlap ends of the edge channel at the corner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Mity-Lite, Inc.
    Inventor: Lane Wescott
  • Patent number: 8307651
    Abstract: The invention relates to an arrangement for exhaust gas heat utilization comprising a steam generator arrangement (20) to which exhaust gas is applied, in which heat contained in the exhaust gas can be transferred to a working medium for further utilization, characterized by a heat accumulator (38) to which the exhaust gas can be applied, and control means for controlling exhaust gas partial flows according to a value representing the available heat energy of the exhaust gas by the heat accumulator and the steam generator arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignees: AMOVIS GmbH, Voith Turbo GmbH & Co KG
    Inventors: Michael Hoetger, Jorg Collisi, Jurgen Berger, Stephan Bartosch
  • Patent number: 8309967
    Abstract: LED devices incorporating diamond materials and methods for making such devices are provided. One such method may include forming epitaxially a substantially single crystal SiC layer on a substantially single crystal Si wafer, forming epitaxially a substantially single crystal diamond layer on the SiC layer, doping the diamond layer to form a conductive diamond layer, removing the Si wafer to expose the SiC layer opposite to the conductive diamond layer, forming epitaxially a plurality of semiconductor layers on the SiC layer such that at least one of the semiconductive layers contacts the SiC layer, and coupling an n-type electrode to at least one of the semiconductor layers such that the plurality of semiconductor layers is functionally located between the conductive diamond layer and the n-type electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Inventor: Chien-Min Sung
  • Patent number: 8309225
    Abstract: A heat dissipative composite material including a carbon fiber lay-up having a resin pyrolized to form a graphitic carbon laminate structure. A structural resin fills voids in the graphitic carbon laminate structure and provides strength to the graphitic carbon laminate structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: ITT Manufacturing Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventor: Steven R. Rodgers
  • Patent number: 8310682
    Abstract: A testing and analysis system for a pressure-sensitive device (42) that includes a testing stage (10) comprising a platform having a groove situated on an upper surface, an endless support gasket located in the endless groove, a pressure port located on the upper surface and interior to the endless groove, and a means for securing a substrate above the upper surface. The substrate (40) supports a pressure-sensitive device (42) to form a pressure chamber between the substrate (40) and the upper surface. A pressure source (32) is operatively connected to the pressure port to modify a pressure inside the pressure chamber and deflect the pressure-sensitive device (42). A surface profile measurement apparatus (104) is included for measuring a surface profile of the deflected pressure-sensitive device (42).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: University of Utah Research Foundation
    Inventors: Michael Orthner, Florian Solzbacher, Loren Rieth
  • Patent number: 8309389
    Abstract: Photovoltaic semiconductor devices and associated methods are provided. In one aspect, for example, a method of making a photovoltaic semiconductor device having enhanced electromagnetic radiation absorption can include applying a damage removal etch (DRE) to a semiconductor material to an RMS surface roughness of from about 0.5 nm to about 50 nm and texturing a single side of the semiconductor material. The texturing further includes irradiating a target region of the semiconductor material with laser radiation to create features having a size of from about 50 nm to about 10 microns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: SiOnyx, Inc.
    Inventors: Susan Alie, Stephen D. Saylor, Christopher J. Vineis
  • Patent number: 8304248
    Abstract: The present invention provides methods for separating proteins from a protein mixture. In one aspect, a method for separating a high concentration protein mixture into a bound protein fraction and a flow-through protein fraction can include delivering a protein mixture through an ion exchange column at a fixed pH and a fixed salt concentration. The fixed pH and the fixed salt concentration have been preselected to cause separation of the protein mixture into a bound protein fraction and a flow-through protein fraction. In this case, the bound protein fraction binds to the ion exchange column and the flow-through protein fraction flows though the ion exchange column. The method can further include receiving the flow-through protein fraction from the ion exchange column separate from the bound protein fraction, wherein either the bound protein fraction or the flow-through fraction contains a protein of interest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Inventor: Anthony R. Torres
  • Patent number: D670911
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Bollinger Sports L.L.C.
    Inventors: Branson Bollinger, Brendon Bollinger