Patents Examined by Phu Nguyen
  • Relating to smoking article filters
    Patent number: 8141559
    Abstract: The invention describes a filter (1) with a first filter portion (6) comprising an adsorbent, for example carbon, and/or a catalyst, capable of reducing various vapor phase constituents of cigarette smoke. The adsorbent/catalyst is separated from a second filter portion by means of a barrier (2) having pores therein of pore size less than 0.1 ?m. The invention also describes a smoking article in which a rod of smoking material, with or without encapsulated flavor, is attached to the above described filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: British American Tobacco (Investments) Limited
    Inventors: Peter James Branton, Philip Richard Hunt
  • Floating point execution unit for calculating a one minus dot product value in a single pass
    Patent number: 8139061
    Abstract: A floating point execution unit calculates a one minus dot product value in a single pass. As such, the dependency that otherwise would be required to perform the calculations is eliminated, resulting in a substantially faster performance of such calculations. The floating point execution unit may be used, for example, to accelerate pixel shading algorithms such as Fresnel and electron microscope effects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Adam James Muff, Matthew Ray Tubbs
  • Acquisition of surface normal maps from spherical gradient illumination
    Patent number: 8134555
    Abstract: An apparatus for generating a surface normal map of an object may include a plurality of light sources having intensities that are controllable so as to generate one or more gradient illumination patterns. The light sources are configured and arranged to illuminate the surface of the object with the gradient illumination patterns. A camera may receive light reflected from the illuminated surface of the object, and generate data representative of the reflected light. A processing system may process the data so as to estimate the surface normal map of the surface of the object. A specular normal map and a diffuse normal map of the surface of the object may be generated separately, by placing polarizers on the light sources and in front of the camera so as to illuminate the surface of the object with polarized spherical gradient illumination patterns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2012
    Assignee: University of Southern California
    Inventors: Paul E. Debevec, Wan-Chun Ma, Timothy Hawkins
  • Nebulizer method
    Patent number: 8127772
    Abstract: An artificial cigarette, inhaler or other nebulizer device may include a housing, an air passage into the housing, a fog generator chamber within the housing connected to the air passage, a liquid source connected to the fog generating chamber, and a fog generator within the fog generating chamber for receiving liquid from the liquid source and creating an aerosol. The fog generator may be an ultrasonic nebulizer and/or a pneumatic nebulizer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Inventor: Akbar Montaser
  • Machine for manufacturing pouches of cohesionless material
    Patent number: 8122893
    Abstract: Pouches (2) of a smokeless tobacco product are manufactured on a machine comprising an intermittently rotatable dispensing disc (3) with peripheral cavities (4), a station (5) at which each cavity (4) is filled with a given quantity of tobacco equivalent to a single portion, a push rod mechanism (12) by which the portions of tobacco are ejected from each cavity (4) of the disc (3) at a transfer station (6), and a connecting duct (8) through which the portion of tobacco ejected by the push rod from each cavity passes directly to a wrapping station (7) where the pouches (2) are formed, filled with the tobacco product and sealed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: Azionaria Costruzioni Macchine Automatiche A.C.M.A. S.p.A.
    Inventor: Fulvio Boldrini
  • Graphical user interface graphics-based interpolated animation performance
    Patent number: 8125482
    Abstract: An arrangement provides for displaying an object, such as a drawn object, or a database search result, based on a graphical user interface. A first display window is provided for specifying attributes of an object. A second window is provided for spatially inserting anchors for the object, where each anchor specifies a desired characteristic of the object, such as a pose of a face. A third window is provided for the desired object display. The anchors are placed in the second window with the aid of a controlled cursor. Placement of the cursor in the second window also controls the displayed object in the third window, which is developed based on the placement of the cursor in the second window relative to the anchors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II, L.P.
    Inventor: Robert E. Coyne
  • Constant buffering for a computational core of a programmable graphics processing unit
    Patent number: 8120608
    Abstract: Embodiments of systems and methods for managing a constant buffer with rendering context specific data in multithreaded parallel computational GPU core are disclosed. Briefly described, one method embodiment, among others, comprises responsive to a first shader operation, receiving at a constant buffer a first group of constants corresponding to a first rendering context, and responsive to a second shader operation, receiving at the constant buffer a second group of constants corresponding to a second context without flushing the first group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: Via Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Yang (Jeff) Jiao, Yijung Su, John Brothers
  • Supports catalyst for the combustion of carbon monoxide formed during smoking
    Patent number: 8118035
    Abstract: Supported catalyst particles, which can be incorporated in the tobacco cut filler, cigarette wrapper and/or cigarette filter of a cigarette, are useful for low-temperature and near-ambient temperature catalysis of carbon monoxide and/or nitric oxide. The supported catalyst comprises catalyst particles that are supported on particles of an electrically conductive support selected from the group consisting of graphitic carbon and a partially reduced oxide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: Philip Morris USA Inc.
    Inventors: Donald Miser, Diane Gee
  • Apparatus for conditioning of organic materials
    Patent number: 8113214
    Abstract: Apparatus for conditioning of organic materials including an inlet gate, an outlet gate, a conditioning chamber having a set of nozzles for supplying thermodynamic medium, and an immobilizing device. The set of nozzles and the immobilizing device are arranged in relation to each other such that thermodynamic medium flowing through the set of nozzles places organic material in the immobilizing means and flows over conditioned organic material placed in the immobilizing means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: International Tabacco Machinery Poland Ltd.
    Inventor: Marek Sieredzinski
  • Synthesis and incorporation of high-temperature ammonia-release agents in lit-end cigarettes
    Patent number: 8113216
    Abstract: A tobacco smoking mixture and/or a cigarette wrapper with high-temperature ammonia-release agents therein are provided, wherein the high-temperature ammonia-release agents are present in an amount effective to reduce the cytotoxicity of gas phase or particulate matter formed during smoking of the cigarette. The high-temperature ammonia-release agents are capable of reducing the cytotoxicity of gas phase or particulate matter by evolving ammonia at temperatures greater than about 200° C., wherein the ammonia can interact with the particulate matter. Additionally, the high-temperature ammonia-release agents can be formed by heating an aqueous mixture of an iron precursor compound, an ammonia source compound and an acid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: Philip Morris USA Inc.
    Inventors: Jay A Fournier, John B. Paine, Douglas A. Fernandez
  • Information processing program and information processing apparatus
    Patent number: 8111258
    Abstract: As a virtual plane used when converting a designation point, which is a touched position on a touch panel, into a control point, in a virtual three dimensional space, used for controlling a movement of an object, a first virtual plane is used when a ball is an object to be controlled; a second virtual plane is used when an object to be operated is a dog and an action mode thereof is an attention mode; a third virtual plane is used when the object to be operated is the dog and the action mode thereof is a lick mode; a fourth virtual plane is used when the object to be operated is the dog and the action mode thereof is a rope shake mode; and a fifth virtual plane is used when the object to be operated is the dog and the action mode thereof is a circle mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2012
    Assignee: Nintendo Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Ajioka, Yasushi Ebisawa, Kiyoshi Mizuki
  • Shader program generation system and method
    Patent number: 8106904
    Abstract: A method and computer program product are provided for generating a shader program. Included is a file associated with a graphics effect. In use, a shader program is generated based on processing of the file to apply the graphics effect to an object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventors: Douglas Sim Dietrich, Jr., Ashutosh G. Rege, Christopher T. Maughan
  • Hybrid rendering of image data utilizing streaming geometry frontend interconnected to physical rendering backend through dynamic accelerated data structure generator
    Patent number: 8102391
    Abstract: A circuit arrangement and method provide a hybrid rendering architecture capable of interfacing a streaming geometry frontend with a physical rendering backend using a dynamic accelerated data structure (ADS) generator. The dynamic ADS generator effectively parallelizes the generation of the ADS, such that an ADS may be built using a plurality of parallel threads of execution. By doing so, both the frontend and backend rendering processes are amendable to parallelization, and enabling if so desired real time rendering using physical rendering techniques such as ray tracing and photon mapping. Furthermore, streaming geometry frontends such as OpenGL and DirectX compatible frontends can readily be adapted for use with physical rendering backends, thereby enabling developers to continue to develop with raster-based API's, yet still obtain the benefits of physical rendering techniques.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Dave Fowler, Eric Oliver Mejdrich, Paul Emery Schardt, Robert Allen Shearer
  • Smart navigation for 3D maps
    Patent number: 8098245
    Abstract: An interest center-point and a start point are created in an image. A potential function is created where the potential function creates a potential field and guides traversal from the starting point to the interest center-point. The potential field is adjusted to include a sum of potential fields directed toward the center-point where each potential field corresponds to an image. Images are displayed in the potential field at intervals in the traversal from the start point toward the interest center point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Billy Chen, Eyal Ofek
  • Method and system for providing transparent access to hardware graphic layers
    Patent number: 8098246
    Abstract: The present invention relates generally to computer graphics, and more specifically to methods of, and systems for, configuring, controlling and accessing multiple hardware graphics layers that are used to compose a single video display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Assignee: QNX Software Systems Limited
    Inventors: Darrin Fry, Angela Lin, David Donohoe
  • Game apparatus, storage medium storing a game program, and game controlling method
    Patent number: 8094153
    Abstract: A game apparatus includes a first LCD and a second LCD, and on the first LCD, a two-dimensional game screen including objects positioned in a two-dimensional coordinate is displayed. When a two-dimensional coordinate of a specific object out of the objects positioned in the two-dimensional coordinate satisfies a predetermined condition, a three-dimensional coordinate of each of the objects is calculated on the basis of the two-dimensional coordinate of each of the objects. The object is modeled in the calculated three-dimensional coordinate, moved by a predetermined animation, and then shot by a virtual camera. Accordingly, a game screen of an image (animation) of the three-dimensional virtual space shot by the virtual camera is displayed on the second LCD.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: Nintendo Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinya Saito, Yasunari Watanabe, Kenichi Yokoo
  • Directing camera behavior in 3-D imaging system
    Patent number: 8089479
    Abstract: A method of associating a computer generated camera with an object in a three-dimensional computer generated space. The method receives a command to associate the camera with an object in the simulated space. Based on the command the method determines a path for moving the camera to a position near the object and aiming the camera at the object. The method creates a video from the simulated camera's perspective of the three-dimensional simulated space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Sidhartha Deb, Gregory Niles, Stephen Sheeler, Guido Hucking
  • Methods and systems of generating 3D user interface for physical environment
    Patent number: 8085265
    Abstract: One embodiment of the application provides a method of generating a 3D user interface (UI) in a controller for an appliance in a physical environment. The method includes: abstracting the appliance to obtain to a appliance functionality description having variables of the appliance, operations of the state variables, and relationship among the state variables; converting the state variables into corresponding 3D widgets in the controller, wherein the state variable are mapped respectively into the 3D widgets; laying out the 3D widgets to form the 3D UI in the controller; constructing communication objects in the controller from the state variables, the state variables being mapped into the communication objects; and providing interaction between the 3D UI and the appliance by a communication protocol integrated with the appliance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Henry Chen, Ji Gu, Cheng Jun Li, Yajun-Edwin Zhang, John R. Hajdukiewicz, Tom Plocher
  • Method for reconstructing three dimensional model
    Patent number: 8081183
    Abstract: A method for reconstructing a three dimensional (3D) model, suitable for reconstructing the 3D model of an object by using a voxel, is provided. After the voxel is cut to a plurality of sub-voxels, the sub-voxels of which a projection image is inside a silhouette image are reserved. It is determined whether to recut the sub-voxel corresponding to the projection image, which is on the edge of the silhouette. When it is determined to recut the sub-voxel, the above-mentioned steps are repeated until recut is not required, thereby reconstructing the 3D model according to the reserved sub-voxels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2011
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Wen-Chao Chen, De-Jin Shau, Zen Chen, Hong-Long Chou
  • Tobacco containing smoking article
    Patent number: 8079371
    Abstract: A smoking article may include a cigarette incorporated within an electrically powered aerosol generating device that acts as a holder for that cigarette. The smoking article possesses at least one form of tobacco. The smoking article also possesses a mouth-end piece that is used by the smoker to inhale components of tobacco that are generated by the action of heat upon components of the cigarette. A representative smoking article possesses an outer housing incorporating a source of electrical power (e.g., a battery), a sensing mechanism for powering the device at least during periods of draw, and a heating device (e.g., at least one electrical resistance heating element) for forming a thermally generated aerosol that incorporates components of tobacco. During use, the cigarette is positioned within the device, and after use, the used cigarette is removed from the device and replaced with another cigarette.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2011
    Assignee: R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
    Inventors: John Howard Robinson, David William Griffith, Jr., Billy Tyrone Conner, Evon Llewellyn Crooks, Dempsey Bailey Brewer, Jr.