Patents Represented by Attorney Whiteford, Taylor & Preston LLP
  • Patent number: 8342461
    Abstract: A portable trash container for holding a removable plastic bag for storing paper, bottles, cans, and like trash. The holder includes rectangular front and rear panels, each having a top, bottom and side edges, (b) two side panels, each having two rectangular, foldable parts with top, bottom and side edges, (c) side hinges which connect the adjoining side edges of said side panel folding parts so as to allow them to fold together along said hinges, (d) primary hinges which connect the side edges of said front and rear panels to the outer side edges of said side panel folding parts so as to allow the side panels to be folded so that the front and rear panels can be brought into close and overlapping proximity to one another, and (e) a top ring that is adapted to fit over the top edges of said panels so as to locate and hold open the opening of a throw-away, trash collection bag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Butler Concepts, LLC
    Inventor: David C. Sutphen
  • Patent number: 8330864
    Abstract: Disclosed is a system and method of blending multiple closed caption language streams into a single output for transmission using closed caption encoding devices. Closed caption signals are created by remote closed caption generating systems that are connected to an input device, such as a stenography keyboard or voice recognition system. The closed caption signals are generated at multiple remote closed caption generating systems and in different languages, and are then independently transmitted to a multiplexing system where they are properly identified and blended into a single output data stream. The single output data stream is then delivered to a closed caption encoding device via a connection such as an Ethernet or serial connection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Xorbit, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven G. Blumenschein, Joseph E. Van Riper
  • Patent number: 8311643
    Abstract: Disclosed is an implantable anchor for anchoring a catheter, including (by way of non-limiting example) an implantable lead, such as may be used for spinal cord stimulation, to the body of a patient, along with a method for its use. The anchor comprises an elongate body have a central lumen extending through the body from its proximal end to its distal end, which central lumen is configured to snugly receive the catheter body. In addition to the central lumen, a second lumen is provided in the proximal end of the anchor and is configured to receive an injector so that adhesive may be injected into the anchor surrounding at least a portion of the catheter body. In doing so, the anchor may be fixed to the catheter body, such that when the anchor is sutured in place within the patient's body, migration of the catheter may be avoided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Inventor: Richard B. North
  • Patent number: 8302470
    Abstract: A flow test device for diminishing and diverting the flow of a high pressure stream of water while testing a fire pump has a hollow diverter tank supported on a trailer for receiving a high pressure stream of water forced by the fire pump through one or more pipes and nozzle tips retained in a stable position adjacent the diverter tank. Diffusers within the tank divert the flow of water as it enters the tank with the water subsequently exiting through an open bottom of the diverter tank. One or more support panels maintain the pipes in a generally horizontal orientation in relation to the diverter tank. A valve and gauge board enables a user to control the testing and provides for easy positioning in the vicinity of the fire pump to be tested while avoiding splash and spray from the diverter tank discharge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Inventor: John R. Earle
  • Patent number: 8297982
    Abstract: A physical model representing an anatomic model of the abdominal wall that provides for the option of: tactile feedback, the option for photo realism, the inclusion of various pathologies (including, but not limited to, abdominal wall defects such as hernia), and the customizability to mount the model to various training boxes or frames. This medical/anatomic simulation model is composed of various material layers including, but not limited to, non-elastomeric and elastomeric materials such as papers, fabrics, metallic sheets, metallic meshes, rubber-like foams, and other materials. This is a physical/mechanical model that simulates skin, tissue, and organs associated with abdominal wall morphology and pathology.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: University of Maryland, Baltimore
    Inventors: Adrian E. Park, F. Jacob Seagull, Ivan M. George
  • Patent number: 8276785
    Abstract: A hydration system for providing fluid to a user. The system includes a bladder configured to hold a fluid, the bladder having a multilayer outer protective skin of a lightweight, durable thermoplastic laminate. A spout is connected to the bladder and in communication with the inside of the bladder and having a relatively large-diameter fill outlet for filling the bladder with fluid. A cap adapted to engage and close the fill port is included. A drinking tube in communication with the inside of the bladder extends from an exit port and includes a distal end upon which a mouthpiece may be mounted. The fill port includes a three-part closure fitting having a sealing base portion, a sealing closure portion, and a sealing cap portion. Each portion includes flanges having mating ridges and troughs to provide a leak proof seal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: D. Wheatley Enterprise, Inc.
    Inventors: David C. Wheatley, Patrick Hulbert
  • Patent number: 8131769
    Abstract: Computer-assisted methods and systems of processing a drug information source. Characterizing the drug by the set comprising: syntax-parsed drug rule elements, adverse event data, mapped terms, and metadata. A method includes: creating a drug rule syntax; extracting metadata from the drug information source; extracting verbatim adverse event data from the drug information source; identifying drug rule content from the drug information source; mapping terms from verbatim data to a reference source; and parsing drug rule elements from at least one identified instance of drug rule content into the drug rule syntax, retaining associations between those drug rule elements that form a drug rule.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Druglogic, Inc.
    Inventors: Victor V. Gogolak, Lara Gogolak
  • Patent number: 8093044
    Abstract: A system and method for identifying a botulinum neurotoxin inhibitor employing a botulinum neurotoxin substrate complex having a peptide substrate, preferably SNAP-25, a reporter domain on one side of said peptide substrate and an immobilization domain on the opposite side of said peptide substrate. The botulinum neurotoxin inhibitor is identified by its ability to decrease the relative amount of cleaved complex, detected through measuring a decrease in complex bound to a solid support. The method of the present invention also utilizes novel cells that express a botulinum neurotoxin substrate complex. The methods of the present invention are adapted for cell based screening to monitor the catalytic activity of a BoNT in living cells and to identify molecules that inhibit the catalytic activity of a BoNT in living cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Inventors: Randall Kincaid, George Oyler, Yien Che Tsai, Paul S. Fishman
  • Patent number: 8063295
    Abstract: An artificial intelligence video analysis recommendation system and method is provided that allows video viewers to discover new videos and video producers to evaluate the potential success of a new project as well as to understand the perceptual factors beneath audience ratings. The system and method accomplish these tasks by analyzing a database of video in order to identify key similarities between different pieces of video, and then recommends pieces of video to a user depending upon their video preferences. An embodiment enables a user to evaluate a new video's similarity to videos already established as commercially valuable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2011
    Assignee: Polyphonic Human Media Interface, S.L.
    Inventors: Antonio Trias Bonet, Jesús Sanz Marcos, Antonio Trias Llopis, María Gimena Llopis Rivas
  • Patent number: 8056468
    Abstract: The apparatus for producing a coffee beverage comprises an automatic coffee machine and a receptacle that can be docked with the beverage spigot of the machine in filling position, the receptacle having a mechanism that is detectable by a sensor mechanism in the machine when the receptacle attains the filling position, the sensor mechanism being in communication with the control unit of the coffee machine in such a way that, when it detects the detectable mechanism, it automatically sends the control unit a signal to switch the coffee machine to an operating mode that consecutively executes one or more operating cycles for filling of the receptacle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2011
    Assignee: De'Longhi S.p.A.
    Inventor: Giuseppe De'Longhi
  • Patent number: 8053659
    Abstract: An artificial intelligence song/music recommendation system and method is provided that allows music shoppers to discover new music. The system and method accomplish these tasks by analyzing a database of music in order to identify key similarities between different pieces of music, and then recommends pieces of music to a user depending upon their music preferences.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2011
    Assignee: Polyphonic Human Media Interface, S.L.
    Inventors: Vicenç Gaitan Alcalde, Julien Ricard, Antonio Trias Bonet, Antonio Trias Llopis, Jesús Sanz Marcos
  • Patent number: 8039138
    Abstract: Thermal batteries using molten nitrate electrolytes offer significantly higher cell voltages and improvements in energy and power density. A problem concerning gas-evolution reactions is solved by eliminating chloride ions, sodium ions, and moisture contaminants. One step is to avoid any chlorine-containing substances in any battery component. The decomposition of such substances into chloride ions results in passivating-film breakdown and gas-producing reactions with the electrolyte. Sodium ions also react with the anode and lead to decreased stability. Thus, the use of sodium ions in components of the battery is avoided. The effect of water in the melt relates to both the reactivity and out-gassing problem. Water in the melt will react with, and breach the insoluble and protective oxide film and can produce hydrogen gas. A method to measure water in the nitrate electrolyte melt via cyclic voltammetry, as well as means of eliminate water from the melt is presented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: Millennium Engineering and Integration Company
    Inventors: Melvin H. Miles, Adam A. Grumet, Kurt W. Solomon
  • Patent number: 8016107
    Abstract: A holder for portable electronic devices is provided. The holder seats the portable electronic device upon a tray, and secures the device in such position preferably via a compression fit where the walls of the tray engage against and hold the edges of the device. The holder further provides a user the ability to adaptably position the display of the device relative to vertical or horizontal surfaces through use of a mounting assembly and support assembly that are connected to the back side of the tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Inventor: Timothy Emsky
  • Patent number: 8016218
    Abstract: Disclosed is a linear shaker apparatus capable of effectively mixing a wide variety of large volume liquid samples that provides a near linear mixing motion so as to allow for the easy break up of solids suspended in the fluid sample. The longer shaking distances and slower operating speeds employed by the linear shaker described herein, which resembles the motion a scientist or lab technician might employ when shaking such a vial by hand, does not lend itself to the electromagnetic technique employed in various prior art shakers. The linear shaker described herein employs an electric motor and linkage that allows varying the speed and stroke of the mixing operation to accommodate different laboratory protocols.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Inventor: Mitchell Friedman
  • Patent number: 7987648
    Abstract: A decorative, modular wall panel system is disclosed that allows easy installation and that is adaptable to a variety of wall lengths by allowing the decorative panels to float on an easily installed frame assembly. A skeletal, hidden frame structure is attached to the preexisting wall over which the modular wall panel system is to be installed, and is configured to hold the decorative panel system in place without penetrating the decorative members with fasteners such as nails or screws, thus eliminating the need for wood fillers, plugs, caulking, paints, or stains and touch-up kits to fix blemishes on the decorative panels that would otherwise be caused by attaching them to a wall surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Inventor: Jeffrey Ryan
  • Patent number: 7981288
    Abstract: A fluid treatment device including a source of electrical voltage having a first and second terminal, a pulse generator connected to the first terminal and the second terminal and outputting a pulsed voltage wave signal between a third terminal and a fourth terminal, at least one coil positioned adjacent at least one fluid conduit, being electrically connected to the third and fourth terminals and at least one capacitor also being electrically connected to the third and fourth terminals to form a first circuit with an inductance L, a capacitance C and a resonant frequency. The pulse generator is arranged to generate a pulsed voltage wave with a frequency approximately equal to the resonant frequency. A further circuit element is arranged to cause the voltage pulse reaching the coil to repeatedly, alternate between a period of pulsed voltage at the frequency and a period of zero voltage, with each period extending for a time in a range of approximately 2 to 33 milliseconds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: Evapco, Inc.
    Inventors: Wilson E. Bradley, John W. Lane
  • Patent number: 7982117
    Abstract: An artificial intelligence song/music recommendation system and method is provided that allows music shoppers to discover new music. The system and method accomplish these tasks by analyzing a database of music in order to identify key similarities between different pieces of music, and then recommends pieces of music to a user depending upon their music preferences.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: Polyphonic Human Media Interface, S.L.
    Inventors: Vincenç Gaitan Alcalde, Julien Richard, Antonio Trias Bonet, Antonio Trias Llopis, Jesús Sanz Marcos
  • Patent number: 7979239
    Abstract: A system and method for monitoring and managing electrical power transmission and distribution networks through use of a deterministic, non-iterative method using an holomorphic embedding and algebraic approximants for determining the real-time load flow in a power generating system having an electrical grid. Such method may be employed for real-time or off-line applications for electric power systems reliability assessment, and is capable of determining whether or not a physical solution to the load flow problem exists, or if the system is in a state of voltage collapse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2011
    Assignee: Aplicaciones en Informatica Avanzada, S.A.
    Inventor: Antonio Trias
  • Patent number: 7979373
    Abstract: A system for analyzing the risks of adverse effect resulting from the use of a drug comprises a selector for identifying at least one drug, a profiler for selecting from multiple profiles related to the safety of the drug, using at least one filter; at least one data mining engine; and an output device for displaying the analytic results from the data mining engine. Preferably, the at least one data mining engine is selected from (1) a proportional analysis engine to assess deviations in a set of reactions to the drug; (2) a comparator to measure the reactions to the drug against a user-defined backdrop, and (3) a correlator to look for correlated signal characteristics in drug/reaction/demographic information; and an output device whereby a user can receive analytic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2011
    Assignee: DrugLogic, Inc.
    Inventor: Victor V. Gogolak
  • Patent number: D670344
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Volcani Wise Games, Ltd.
    Inventor: Ron Volcani