Patents by Inventor Michael A. Francis

Michael A. Francis has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 10561168
    Abstract: The invention provides a tobacco composition for use in a smoking article or a smokeless tobacco composition that includes an additive derived from a flower of the Nicotiana species. The additive can be a flower isolate derived from a flower of the Nicotiana species. In certain embodiments, the flower isolate is in the form of an extract from a flower of the Nicotiana species or in the form of a chemically transformed flower isolate, the chemical transformation being selected from acid/base reaction, hydrolysis, thermal treatment, and enzymatic treatment, the chemical transformation releasing at least a portion of a glycosidically bound compound in the flower of the Nicotiana species. The invention also provides smoking articles and smokeless tobacco compositions that include the flower additives described herein, and methods for preparing an additive derived from a flower of the Nicotiana species for addition to a tobacco composition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
    Inventors: William Monroe Coleman, III, Michael Francis Dube, Darlene Madeline Lawson
  • Publication number: 20200045167
    Abstract: A method of providing blockchain wireless services in a controlled environment is provided. The method comprises a wireless communication device associated with an inmate of a controlled environment receiving one of a voice and video call from a device external to the controlled environment. The method further comprises the device placing the received call into a hold state and sending a request for validation of the call via a blockchain, the request identifying at least parties to the call. The method further comprises the device, upon receipt of validation, removing the call from the hold state; and enabling at least one of voice and video functionality for the parties. The method further comprises the wireless communication device sending the request for validation to a telecommunications server and the server conducting real time monitoring of the call. The method further comprises the device continuously recording the call.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2019
    Publication date: February 6, 2020
    Inventors: Michael Francis Byrne, Brian Francis Byrne
  • Publication number: 20200028352
    Abstract: Example DC-DC power distribution systems include electronic communication device(s), a circuit breaker DIN rail adapted to receive a circuit breaker for providing electrical protection to the one or more electronic communication devices, and a DC-DC converter including a housing having a DIN rail mount, a voltage input and a voltage output. The DC-DC converter includes a DC-DC voltage converter circuit coupled between the voltage input and the voltage output, and a controller electrically coupled with the DC-DC voltage converter circuit. The DC-DC converter is mounted on the circuit breaker DIN rail via the DIN rail mount of the DC-DC converter housing, and the controller is configured to control the DC-DC voltage converter circuit to convert a DC voltage at the voltage input to a different DC voltage at the voltage output to supply power to the one or more electronic communication devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2019
    Publication date: January 23, 2020
    Inventors: Timothy Brooklyn STROUSE, Michael Francis SMITH, Paul Brian HIIDEL
  • Publication number: 20200023631
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to an apparatus for manufacturing a metallic component, and corresponding methods. The apparatus may include a build plate with a build surface and an aperture. The apparatus may also include an actuator operable to translate a metallic component such that an end portion of the metallic component is positioned within the aperture of the build plate and below the build surface. The apparatus may further include a seal coupled within the aperture of the build plate and configured to engage the end portion of the metallic component. The aperture of the build plate, the seal, and the end portion of the metallic component may cooperate to form a powder bed to hold metallic powder therein. The apparatus may also include an external heat control mechanism operable to form a predetermined temperature profile of the end portion of the component to prevent cracking of the component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2019
    Publication date: January 23, 2020
    Inventors: William Thomas Carter, Mark Kevin Meyer, Andrew David Deal, Mark Allen Cheverton, Smara Jyoti Kalita, Michael Francis Xavier Gigliotti
  • Publication number: 20200024699
    Abstract: Methods of forming an intermediate alloy and a Ni-base super alloy are disclosed along with the intermediate alloy and the Ni-base super alloy formed by the method. The method includes at least partially melting and solidifying a powder including about 5 to 15 wt. % of Co, 10 to 20 wt. % of Cr, 3 to 6 wt. % of Mo, 3 to 6 wt. % of W, 2 to 4 wt. % of Al, 4.2 to 4.7 wt. % of Ti, 0.01 to 0.05 wt. % of Zr, 0.015 to 0.060 wt. % of C, 0.001 to 0.030 wt. % of B and balance substantially Ni to form an intermediate alloy including a dendrite structure that includes columnar regions and intercolumnar regions and a primary dendrite arm spacing less than about 3 micrometers. The intermediate alloy is heat-treated to form the texture-free Ni-base super alloy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2018
    Publication date: January 23, 2020
    Inventors: Laura Cerully Dial, Michael Francis Xavier Gigliotti, JR.
  • Patent number: 10525409
    Abstract: Processes for reducing the amount of a gaseous iodide-containing impurity present in a recycle gas stream used in the production of ethylene oxide, in particular a vinyl iodide impurity, are provided. Processes for producing ethylene oxide, ethylene carbonate and/or ethylene glycol, and associated reaction systems are similarly provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: SHELL OIL COMPANY
    Inventors: Michael Francis Lemanski, Wayne Errol Evans
  • Patent number: 10526300
    Abstract: Processes for reducing the amount of a gaseous iodide-containing impurity present in a recycle gas stream used in the production of ethylene oxide, in particular alkyl iodide and vinyl iodide impurities, are provided. Processes for producing ethylene oxide, ethylene carbonate and/or ethylene glycol, and associated reaction systems are similarly provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: SHELL OIL COMPANY
    Inventors: Wayne Errol Evans, Jesse Raymond Black, Michael Francis Lemanski
  • Publication number: 20200001483
    Abstract: A hair length mapping or cutting device uses multiple comb elements to capture bunches of hair as it is traversed across a scalp. The comb elements are traversed away from the scalp to individually measure or cut each bunch of hair to length. Hair may be cut to conform to a hair style mapped, for instance, from an earlier measurement of a hair style.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2018
    Publication date: January 2, 2020
    Inventor: Michael Francis WOFFINDIN
  • Patent number: 10499684
    Abstract: Methods of forming pyrazines from reactants derived from a plant of the Nicotiana species, including receiving an aqueous reactant solution including at least one tobacco-derived cellulosic sugar and at least one tobacco-derived amino acid, heating the reactant solution to a reactant temperature and holding the reactant solution at the reactant temperature for a reactant time to produce a reactant product including at least one tobacco-derived pyrazine, and isolating the at least one tobacco-derived pyrazine from the reactant product. Tobacco products incorporating the tobacco-derived pyrazines are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
    Inventors: Michael Francis Dube, William Monroe Coleman, III, Chelsea Allison Cooke, Courtney Guenther Culbert
  • Patent number: 10502367
    Abstract: Unit for storing gas by absorption or adsorption, comprising a chamber containing a storage element (702, 704) that stores gas by absorption or adsorption, characterized in that it further comprises a compressible element (712) also provided within the chamber and kept in contact with the storage element (702, 704) and designed to deform under the action of loads applied by the storage element (702, 704) upon variations in volume of the storage element (702, 704) during phases of storing gas and releasing gas from storage, so as to limit the loads applied to the chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: AAQIUS & AAQIUS SA
    Inventors: Jean-Baptiste Dementhon, Michael Francis Levy
  • Patent number: 10497006
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable media can access a set of identified illegitimate incidents intended to be automatically disabled. One or more rules for determining misidentified illegitimate incidents can be acquired. It can be determined, based on the one or more rules, that at least a subset, out of the set of identified illegitimate incidents, has at least a threshold likelihood of being misidentified. Further processing can be performed with respect to at least the subset to prevent at least the subset from being automatically disabled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael Francis Zolli
  • Patent number: 10484303
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes receiving from a host node comprising a tenant multicast application with a single tenant deployment, an encapsulated multicast packet over unicast at a virtual replicator, the encapsulated multicast packet comprising receiver information for the virtual replicator, replicating the encapsulated multicast packet at the virtual replicator, and transmitting the encapsulated multicast packet over unicast to a plurality of receiving nodes based on the receiver information. The receiving nodes comprise the tenant multicast application and the virtual replicator operates in a cloud without multicast capability. An apparatus is also disclosed herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: CISCO TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Gregory J. Shepherd, Ijsbrand Wijnands, Neale Ranns, David Ward, Michael Francis O'Gorman
  • Publication number: 20190335804
    Abstract: Apparatuses are provided for manufacturing a rod member for a cigarette filter element. Each rod member defines a longitudinal axis and includes a generally longitudinally-extending filter material and a plurality of objects disposed therein along the longitudinal axis. Such an apparatus comprises a rod-forming unit configured to form a continuous supply of a filter material into a continuous cylindrical rod member. An object insertion unit is configured to introduce a plurality of objects into engagement with the rod member. A rod-dividing unit is configured to divide the rod member into a plurality of rod portions such that each rod portion includes a plurality of the objects. Associated methods are also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2019
    Publication date: November 7, 2019
    Inventors: Cynthia Stewart Stokes, John Larkin Nelson, Vernon Brent Barnes, Michael Francis Dube
  • Patent number: 10468765
    Abstract: An antenna bracket for electronic devices includes a solid bracket having an aperture formed therethrough. The solid antenna bracket has side walls that are rounded to a predetermined radius, and at least one antenna pocket positioned on said side walls. The antenna pocket receives and secures at least one antenna. The antenna bracket has a polygon shape that follows the contours of the electronic device housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: INTERDIGITAL CE PATENT HOLDINGS
    Inventors: Mickey J. Hunt, Julianne Luna So, William P. Dernier, Randy Wayne Craig, Darin Bradley Ritter, Kevin M. Williams, Michael Francis Barry
  • Publication number: 20190331670
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to lateral flow methods and apparatuses for detecting one or more analytes. Certain embodiments provide a lateral flow device, kit and method of using the same, comprising: a flow path defined by a permeable sub-assembly of the lateral flow device, a release zone comprising a plurality of peptide-tagged agents, and a detection zone comprising a plurality of anti-peptide agents present in the flow path at a ratio of at least 100:1, on a weight:weight basis, relative to the plurality of peptide-tagged agents.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2017
    Publication date: October 31, 2019
    Applicant: TGR BioSciences Pty Limited
    Inventors: Antony James SHEEHAN, Michael Francis CROUCH
  • Publication number: 20190313690
    Abstract: The invention provides a tobacco composition for use in a smoking article or a smokeless tobacco composition that comprises a syrup derived from the stalk of a plant of the Nicotiana species. The invention also provides smoking articles and smokeless tobacco compositions that include the syrups described herein, and methods for preparing syrups derived from the stalk of a plant of the Nicotiana species for addition to a tobacco composition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2019
    Publication date: October 17, 2019
    Inventors: Michael Francis Dube, William Monroe Colemann, III, Anthony Richard Gerardi
  • Patent number: 10445815
    Abstract: A gift privacy module receives a request to display an order history associated with a user account. In response to the request, the gift privacy module displays the order history associated with the user account, while hiding at least a portion of order details associated with at least one entry identified as private in the order history.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: Amazon Technolgies, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Francis Rodaitis, Jonathan Blair Norwood, Brian Roderick Baker
  • Publication number: 20190303611
    Abstract: Data management is provided that enables at least identification and collection of a subset of data subject to special treatment. Attributes can be added to data that identify locations of the subset of data. Locations in one or more computer-accessible data repositories can be scanned by a computer processor for the subset of data based on at least the data attributes and other criteria. Located data can then be collected from the data repositories, presented, and filtered as desired prior to generation of a data package comprising the subset of data. Further, requests to edit or delete identified data can be processed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2018
    Publication date: October 3, 2019
    Inventors: Todd Randall Lefor, Michael Francis Falkner, Shivendushital Pyarelal Pandey, Matthew Daniel Leonard, Brian Jon Korbel
  • Publication number: 20190286653
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for generating and providing converted content.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2019
    Publication date: September 19, 2019
    Inventors: Eugenio Jorge Marchiori, Michael Francis Warriner
  • Patent number: 10383359
    Abstract: Apparatuses are provided for manufacturing a rod member for a cigarette filter element. Each rod member defines a longitudinal axis and includes a generally longitudinally-extending filter material and a plurality of objects disposed therein along the longitudinal axis. Such an apparatus comprises a rod-forming unit configured to form a continuous supply of a filter material into a continuous cylindrical rod member. An object insertion unit is configured to introduce a plurality of objects into engagement with the rod member. A rod-dividing unit is configured to divide the rod member into a plurality of rod portions such that each rod portion includes a plurality of the objects. Associated methods are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
    Inventors: Cynthia Stewart Stokes, John Larkin Nelson, Vernon Brent Barnes, Michael Francis Dube