Patents Assigned to Service
  • Method and system for computer-assisted test construction performing specification matching during test item selection
    Patent number: 8027806
    Abstract: A method and system for constructing a test using a computer system that performs specification matching during the test creation process is disclosed. A test developer determines one or more test item databases from which to select test items. The test item databases are organized based on psychometric and/or content specifications. The developer can examine the textual passages, artwork or statistical information pertaining to a test item before selecting it by clicking on a designation of the test item in a database. The developer can then add the test item to a list of test items for the test. The test development system updates pre-designated psychometric and content specification information as the developer adds each test item to the test. The test developer can use the specification information to determine whether to add to, subtract from, or modify the list of test items selected for the test.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2011
    Assignee: Educational Testing Service
    Inventor: Len Swanson
  • Systems and methods for implementing protocol-aware network firewall
    Patent number: 8027251
    Abstract: A method may include receiving a first packet; determining, in a first processor, whether the first packet meets a criterion to be forwarded to a destination indicated in the first packet; receiving a second packet; determining whether the second packet is of a type for changing the criterion and sending the second packet to a second processor if the second packets is of the type for changing the criterion; receiving instructions, based on the second packet sent to the second processor, to change the criterion; and changing the criterion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2011
    Assignee: Verizon Services Corp.
    Inventors: Gaston S. Ormazabal, Henning G. Schulzrinne, Eilon Yardeni, Jonathan Lennox
  • Methods and systems for estimating throughput of a simultaneous multi-threading processor
    Patent number: 8027808
    Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed for determining a CPU usage adjustment factor and for automatically applying the CPU usage adjustment factor to provide a CPU usage estimate for an SMT processor. In one implementation, the methods and systems obtain samples of CPU usage reported by the operating system at a predefined sampling rate over a predefined sampling interval. Thread states for the threads substantially corresponding to the reported CPU usage are so obtained at the predefined sampling rate and over the predefined sampling interval. This sampling may be performed for servers running different applications and having diverse processing loads. An estimate of the distribution of the number of threads running for the CPU usages reported may then be determined from the sampled data. A CPU usage adjustment factor may then be derived, based on the distribution, and used to provide a CPU usage estimate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2011
    Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
    Inventor: Glen A. Becker
  • Cathodic protection apparatus and method
    Patent number: 8025778
    Abstract: In combination, a storage tank having a metal bottom, compacted electrolytic backfill below the tank bottom and a cathodic protection anode within the backfill below the tank bottom. The anode is in the form of a generally continuous ribbon that is shaped to follow a serpentine path corresponding generally in shape to the tank bottom. A feeding cable network is connected directly to the anode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2011
    Assignee: Corrosion Service Company Limited
    Inventors: Paul Bagatavicius, Sorin Segall
  • Property insurance risk assessment processing system and method
    Patent number: 8027850
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method of facilitating an insurance coverage determination for a property based on a plurality of characteristic elements relevant to the insurance coverage determination. The method includes receiving property data indicative of attributes of the property for the plurality of characteristic elements, determining a property risk score for the property based on the property data, and supporting the insurance coverage determination with the property risk score.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2011
    Assignee: Millennium Information Services
    Inventor: Steven J. Pietrzak
  • Method for determining evaporator airflow verification
    Patent number: 8024938
    Abstract: A method of providing a field test protocol for determining evaporator airflow verification for existing vapor compression cycle equipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2011
    Assignee: Field Diagnostic Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Todd M. Rossi, Keith A. Temple, Changlin Sun
  • Flow-through apparatus for testing particle laden fluids and methods of making and using same
    Patent number: 8024962
    Abstract: A method of determining one or more bulk rheological properties of a particle laden fluid comprising providing a system comprising a vessel, a pump coupled to the vessel, and a flow-through apparatus coupled to the pump and the vessel, wherein the flow-through apparatus comprises a flow chamber, a bob rotatably disposed within the chamber, wherein the bob comprises an outer geometry adapted for continuous laminar flow in an axial direction, and a gap between the chamber and the bob, pumping the particle laden fluid into the flow-through apparatus, shearing the particle laden fluid within the gap of the flow-through apparatus, and collecting data from the bob and observing the particle laden fluid to determine one or more bulk rheological properties of the particle laden fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2011
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Inc.
    Inventors: Narongsak Tonmukayakul, Jeff Morris, Jason Bryant, Malcolm Talbot, Roger Schultz, Robert Pipkin
  • Travel reward accrual
    Patent number: 8027873
    Abstract: The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, a method that includes receiving an indication that a passenger is boarding a carrier for a first segment of a travel itinerary, determining an amount of travel reward points to associate with the first segment, and outputting, at a time substantially concurrent with the boarding of the carrier for the first segment, the amount of the travel reward points to a travel reward system so that the travel reward points are available for redemption by the passenger on a second segment of the travel itinerary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2011
    Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited
    Inventors: Martin J. Drefs, David P. Evans
  • Technology portfolio health assessment system and method
    Patent number: 8027903
    Abstract: A system and method for producing infrastructure health assessments enabling enterprises to monitor the health of individual technology portfolios and plan accordingly is disclosed. The tool uses two primary assessments to determine: 1) an infrastructure score based the general health of asset components; and 2) adaptability score based on asset components ability to interact with other elements within the asset. To generate the assessment scores, the tool accepts inventory input specific to a portfolio's assets and components. A user interacting with the tool provides classification information relating to each asset and component. The tool then calculates health assessment scores for both individual portfolio assets and for the portfolio as a whole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2011
    Assignee: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Fred Bishop, Sherry McCullough Easterwood, Pradeep Varghese George, Robert Del Gilmore, James Walker Mathews, Lawrence J. Mitsch, James Robert Rottman, James Denis Thornton
  • Surface cleaning pad having zoned absorbency and method of making same
    Patent number: 8026408
    Abstract: A method of forming a surface cleaning pad body comprising a matrix web of binder fibers and superabsorbent polymer particles is provided. The method comprises the steps of depositing a mass of binder fibers onto a conveyor, shielding all but a selected area of the mass of binder fibers, depositing superabsorbent polymer particles onto the selected area of the mass of binder fibers so as to disburse superabsorbent polymer particles throughout a thickness of the mass of binder fibers, and bonding the mass of binder fibers to form a web structure and to substantially contain the superabsorbent polymer particles, thereby providing a cleaning pad body with superabsorbent polymer particles substantially contained in a zone of the mass of binder fibers that occupies at least a portion of the thickness of the mass of binder fibers and the selected area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2011
    Assignee: First Quality Retail Services, LLC
    Inventor: Frank S. Glaug
  • Water transfer system
    Patent number: 8025099
    Abstract: A method of treating a hydrocarbon reservoir that is penetrated by a well is disclosed, the method comprising injecting into the well a water transfer system comprising liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and an alcohol that is at least partially water and liquefied petroleum gas soluble. Further, a method of treating a hydrocarbon reservoir is disclosed, the method comprising introducing into the hydrocarbon reservoir a combination of LPG and a solvent system that is at least partially liquefied petroleum gas and water soluble.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2011
    Assignee: GasFrac Energy Services Inc.
    Inventor: Shaun T. Mesher
  • Tumor suppressor gene, p28ING5
    Patent number: 8026350
    Abstract: This disclosure provides a novel tumor suppressor, referred to as p28ING5, nucleic acid molecules encoding this protein, and methods of making and using these molecules. Also provided are methods of ameliorating, treating, detecting, prognosing, and diagnosing diseases and conditions associated with abnormal p28ING5 expression, such as neoplasia. Kits are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2011
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by theDepartment of Health and Human Services
    Inventors: Curtis C. Harris, Remy Pedeux, Makoto Nagashima, Masayuki Shiseki
  • System for monitoring caregivers and equipment at a patient location
    Patent number: 8026821
    Abstract: A hospital monitoring system for monitoring hospital personnel, a plurality of patient locations for patients, and associated devices is configured to control the associated devices based on the presence of hospital personnel or alarms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2011
    Assignee: Hill-Rom Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Ryan Anthony Reeder, Kenneth L. Kramer, William L. Jacques, II, Carl W. Riley, Richard J. Schuman
  • Automated classification algorithm comprising at least one input-invariant part
    Patent number: 8027941
    Abstract: A classification algorithm is separated into one or more input-invariant parts and one or more input-dependent classification parts. The input-invariant parts of the classification algorithm capture the underlying and unchanging relationships between the plurality of data elements being operated upon by the classification algorithm, whereas the one or more classification parts embody the probabilistic labeling of the data elements according to the various classifications. For any given iteration, a user's input is used to modify at least one classification part of the algorithm. Recalculated classification parts (i.e., updated classification results) are determined based on computationally simple combinations of the one or more modified classification parts and the one or more input-invariant parts. Preferably, a graphical user interface is used to solicit user input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2011
    Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited
    Inventors: Katharina Probst, Rayid Ghani
  • Avirulent, immunogenic flavivirus chimeras
    Patent number: 8025887
    Abstract: Chimeric flaviviruses that are avirulent and immunogenic are provided. The chimeric viruses are constructed to contain amino acid mutations in the nonstructural viral proteins of a flavivirus. Chimeric viruses containing the attenuation-mutated nonstructural genes of the virus are used as a backbone into which the structural genes of a second flavivirus strain are inserted. These chimeric viruses elicit pronounced immunogenicity yet lack the accompanying clinical symptoms of viral disease. The attenuated chimeric viruses are effective as immunogens or vaccines and may be combined in a pharmaceutical composition to confer simultaneous immunity against several strains of pathogenic flaviviruses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2011
    Assignees: The United States of America as represented by the Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Mahidol University
    Inventors: Richard M. Kinney, Claire Y. H. Kinney, Duane J. Gubler, Siritorn Butrapet, Natth Bhamarapravati
  • CENTRALIZED CHECK IMAGE STORAGE SYSTEM
    Publication number: 20110231295
    Abstract: Centralized check image storage system. The present invention provides for sharing check images stored in a substantially centralized storage system between and/or among banks in support of the check collection process. In some embodiments, check images are received from the capture bank via a landing zone at the centralized storage facility. These images and information supporting the check collection process can be in the form of load file. A cross-reference file including information supporting the check clearing process such as unique handles identifying the check images is received from a paying bank, possibly also via a landing zone. Check images can be identified based on these unique handles, so that the check images can be made accessible to both the capture bank and the paying bank from the substantially centralized storage system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2011
    Publication date: September 22, 2011
    Applicant: Viewpointe Archive Services, LLC
    Inventors: Patrick S. McMonagle, Douglas G. Smith, Richard L. Norman
  • AUTOMATIC TEST GENERATION FOR REFERENCE TESTING
    Publication number: 20110231825
    Abstract: A system for application reference testing (SMART) solves the technical problem of generating test data and test cases from graphical user interface applications (GAPs) to test web services, effectively and non-invasively. SMART allows organizations to easily and promptly identify and resolve software bugs, ensure higher quality software and development productivity, complete software projects faster, deliver software products to market quicker, and improve the return on investment for software development projects. SMART provides a user friendly visualization mechanism that interacts with an accessibility layer to enable organizations to economically and easily define user interactions with GAPs, by performing point-and-click, drag-and-drop operations on the GAPs, and generate reusable test data and test cases for web services.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2011
    Publication date: September 22, 2011
    Applicant: Accenture Global Services Limited
    Inventors: Mark Grechanik, Kevin Michael Conroy, Matthew Hellige, Edy S. Liongosari, Qing Xie
  • ACOUSTIC RADIAL PROFILING VIA FREQUENCY DOMAIN PROCESSING
    Publication number: 20110231097
    Abstract: A tool and processing system to provide an acoustic radial profile. A frequency semblance is performed on received time signals obtained from an array of acoustic receivers (FIG. 2, blocks 204, 206) so as to provide a set of frequency semblance values in frequency-slowness coordinate space. These frequency semblance values are transformed to a set of frequency semblance values in wavelength-slowness coordinate space (FIG. 2, block 208), from which a radial profile (FIG. 2, block 210) may be provided by utilizing a relationship between wavelength and radial depth.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2007
    Publication date: September 22, 2011
    Applicant: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventor: Jennifer A. Market
  • MATERIALS AND METHODS DIRECTED TO ASPARAGINE SYNTHETASE AND ASPARAGINASE THERAPIES
    Publication number: 20110229984
    Abstract: Materials and Methods for use in treating cell proliferative disorders related to asparagine metabolism are provided. Cell proliferative disorders include such cancers as forms of leukemia, ovarian cancers, melanomas, renal cancers, breast cancers, brain cancers, and other cancers. Methods include the use of RNA interference targeted at asparagine synthetase to enhance the efficacy of L-asparaginase therapies.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2011
    Publication date: September 22, 2011
    Applicant: The USA, as represented by the Secretary, Dep. of Health and Human Services
    Inventors: Philip L. Lorenzi, John N. Weinstein, Natasha J. Caplen
  • Wear-resistant, variable diameter expansion tool and expansion methods
    Patent number: RE42733
    Abstract: The inventions provide apparatus and methods for radially expanding a tubular deployed in a subterranean well by moving an expansion tool axially through the well. An expansion tool apparatus may have wear faces attached to at least a portion of the outer periphery of a mandrel for contacting the interior surface of the pipe, tube, or screen during expansion. According to another aspect of the invention, an expansion tool has a controlled egress seal between the outer surface of the tool and the inside surface of the expandable tubular. According to another aspect of the invention, an automatically variable diameter expansion tool is provided having a variable diameter cone, which expands, and contracts based on input from one or more sensors. According to another aspect of the invention, an apparatus and method for expanding a length of screen assembly in a subterranean wellbore is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2011
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: John C. Gano, Kenneth L. Schwendemann, Darrin N. Towers, Ralph Harvey Echols, Perry Carter Shy