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).

  • Publication number: 20180118595
    Abstract: Contaminating material is extracted from a body of water by providing a floating bed on which plants such as Cat Tails can be grown with their roots hanging into the body of water over an area where extraction of contaminating material from the body of water is required, growing the plants to take up the contaminating material from the body of water and harvesting the upstanding plant mass by moving the bed to a harvesting machine which cuts away the plant mass leaving at least part of the root mass to continue growing into a new season. The bed can be returned to a location for the next season.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2016
    Publication date: May 3, 2018
    Inventor: Michael Francis Curry
  • Publication number: 20180113125
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods and/or kits for detecting an analyte in a sample. Some embodiments provide a method for detecting a non-nucleic acid analyte in a sample using a solid substrate comprising a bound immobilisation agent and an antibody capture agent and a detectable agent, which can bind to the analyte. The antibody capture agent comprises, at a plurality of sites, a ligand for the immobilisation agent. A complex between the analyte, the antibody capture agent and a detectable agent is formed and immobilised on the solid substrate by binding between the immobilisation agent and the ligand. In some embodiments, the ligand and the immobilisation agent are a binding pair comprising a peptide tag and an anti-peptide tag antibody.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2017
    Publication date: April 26, 2018
    Inventors: Antony James Sheehan, Ronald Ian William Osmond, Michael Francis Crouch, Anthony Ross Dyer
  • Publication number: 20180086593
    Abstract: Disclosed is a tubular core on which sheets of metal or other material can be wound and supported, for shipment, handling and dispersal, and a method for forming the core. The core comprises a metal sheet or strip which has a rectangular-ribbed cross-sectional profile comprising rectangular, flat ribs, and which is wound spirally into a tubular configuration. The core is formed by passing the strip through a plurality of roll-forming stands, to progressively form sections of the ribs and progressively define the sections into the rectangular ribbed profile in which the flat ribs collectively form a support surface for the sheets which are to be wound on the core.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2016
    Publication date: March 29, 2018
    Applicant: Pacific Roller Die Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert F. Miller, Garrett Colin Gersten, Russell L. Hinckley, SR., Michael Francis Kraut
  • Publication number: 20180077013
    Abstract: A computer system establishes data communications for a virtual machine that is configured with an enhanced Media Access Control (MAC) address. A management computer instantiates the virtual machine responsive to the enhanced MAC address. The management computer automatically instantiates a virtual Local Area Network (vLAN) and a virtual Switch (vSW) on the vLAN to serve the virtual machine using the enhanced MAC address. The management computer allocates an Internet Protocol (IP) address to the virtual machine and automatically instantiates a virtual Router (vRTR) to serve the vSW using the IP address. A network computer executes the virtual machine, the vLAN, the vSW, and the vRTR to exchange user data between the virtual machine and a data communication network over the vSW, vLAN, and vRTR using the enhanced MAC address and the IP address.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2017
    Publication date: March 15, 2018
    Inventors: Seng Chai Gan, Aaron Paul Hinkle, Michael Francis Fiumano
  • Publication number: 20180071104
    Abstract: A glenoid implant is provided and may include a body portion and a stem portion. The stem portion may extend from the body portion along a longitudinal axis. The body portion may include an articular side and a bone-engaging side opposite the articular side. At least a portion of the bone-engaging side may be disposed at a non-parallel angle relative to at least a peripheral edge of the articulation side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2017
    Publication date: March 15, 2018
    Inventors: Michael Francis Kovacs, John M. McDaniel, Nathan A. Winslow, Thomas M. Vanasse, Michael A. Wack
  • Patent number: 9914172
    Abstract: A method of joining two components using additive manufacturing is provided. The method includes forming a first component made of a first material; forming an interlocking transition zone from the first material and a second material; and forming a second component made of the second material. The interlocking transition zone includes a plurality of projections alternately extending from the first component and the second component, respectively, to undetachably couple the first component and the second component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Herbert Chidsey Roberts, Richard William Albrecht, Jr., Michael John McCarren, Peter Andrew Flynn, Michael Francis Xavier Gigliotti, Jr., Eric Alan Estill
  • Patent number: 9910155
    Abstract: Embodiments herein provide for improved range response in lidar systems. In one embodiment, a lidar system includes a laser, and a detector. First optics direct light from the laser on a beam path along a first optical axis of the first optics. Second optics image the light from the beam path onto a second plane that is substantially normal to the first plane. The second optics have a second optical axis that differs from the first optical axis. The first and the second optical axes lie in a same first plane. A first line in the first plane intersects a second line in the second plane at an acute angle. The first line is perpendicular to the first optical axis. A spatial filter configured in or near the second plane filters the light from the second optics onto the detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: Areté Associates
    Inventors: Paul B. Lundquist, Gregory J. Fetzer, Richard Vercillo, Michael Francis Marnon, Thomas Laurence Kraus
  • Patent number: 9906072
    Abstract: A system includes a first power converter, a second power converter, a first battery having a time to end of discharge (EOD) and coupled to output a current to the first converter, a second battery having a time to EOD and coupled to output a current to the second converter, and a control circuit coupled to the first converter and the second converter. The control circuit is configured to monitor the times to EOD of the first battery and the second battery, and in response to the times to EOD of the first battery and the second battery not being substantially equal, control the first converter to adjust the current drawn from the first battery to change a rate of decrease of the time to EOD of the first battery. Other example systems and methods for substantially matching a time to EOD of a plurality of batteries are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: VERTIV ENERGY SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventor: Michael Francis Smith
  • Patent number: 9900124
    Abstract: Consistent with the present disclosure, data, in digital form, is received by a transmit node of an optical communication system, is processed and then output to drive a modulator. The modulator, in turn, modulates light at one of a plurality of wavelengths in accordance with the received data, forming a plurality of corresponding carriers. The plurality of wavelengths used for the plurality of carriers are spectrally spaced apart by a common, periodic fixed spacing. The plurality of carriers are optically combined with a fixed spacing combiner to form a superchannel. A plurality of superchannels are generated and then multiplexed together onto an optical communication path and transmitted to a receive node. Each superchannel includes a plurality of carriers, each spectrally separated by the same fixed spacing. The plurality of superchannels are spectrally separated by an amount corresponding to the fixed spacing of the plurality of carriers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: Infinera Corporation
    Inventors: John D. McNicol, Michael Francis Van Leeuwen
  • Patent number: 9892423
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and non-transitory computer readable media configured to receive an advertisement including an image. A fraud assessment value for the advertisement can be determined. An image assessment value for the image can be determined. The fraud assessment value and a threshold value for fraud assessment can be compared. The image assessment value and a threshold value for image assessment can be compared. Fraud associated with the advertisement can be determined based on comparison of the fraud assessment value and the threshold value for fraud assessment and comparison of the image assessment value and the threshold value for image assessment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Vivek Kaul, Tara Brittany Stewart, Utkarsh Lath, Michael Francis Zolli, Balamanohar Paluri, Nikhil Johri
  • Patent number: 9884393
    Abstract: Methods for repairing surface of a metal substrate are provided, which can include preparing the surface of the metal substrate for repair; melt attaching a base layer onto the surface of the metal substrate; fusing a plurality of first layers of a first material via additive manufacturing to the base coating; forming an interlocking transition zone via additive manufacturing from the first material and a second material; and fusing a plurality of second layers of the second material via additive manufacturing on the interlocking transition zone. The interlocking transition zone can have a plurality of projections alternately extending from the plurality of first layers and the plurality of second layers, respectively, to undetachably couple the plurality of first layers to the plurality of second layers. A repaired metal substrate is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Herbert Chidsey Roberts, Richard William Albrecht, Jr., Michael John McCarren, Peter Andrew Flynn, Michael Francis Xavier Gigliotti, Jr., Eric Alan Estill
  • Publication number: 20180027867
    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: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2017
    Publication date: February 1, 2018
    Inventors: William Monroe Coleman, III, Michael Francis Dube, Darlene Madeline Lawson
  • Patent number: 9878917
    Abstract: Ammonia storage structure, characterized in that it comprises an alternation:—of at least one ammonia storage layer, and—of at least one layer of a thermally conductive material of a thermal conductivity higher than that of the storage layer, the at least one layer of thermally conductive material being intended to increase heat transfers within the structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: AAQIUS & AAQIUS SA
    Inventors: Jean-Baptiste Dementhon, Michael Francis Levy
  • Patent number: 9876689
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and software for providing a virtualized communication networking environment are provided herein. In one example, a method includes identifying a media access control address for a network interface of a virtual machine, the media access control address comprising at least one communication network indicator associated with a virtualized local area network. If a virtual network element has not been generated for handling traffic associated with the network interface of the virtual machine, then generating the virtual network element and associating the virtual network element with the virtualized local area network based on the communication network indicator. When the virtual network element has been generated, then assigning the network interface of the virtual machine to the virtual network element associated with the virtualized local area network based on the communication network indicator of the media access control address.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: Sprint Communications Company L.P.
    Inventors: Seng Chai Gan, Aaron Paul Hinkle, Michael Francis Fiumano
  • Publication number: 20180008293
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides reaming apparatuses. The reaming apparatuses can comprise a base guide, a reamer, and a reamer driver. The base guide can define a base guide through bore and a base guide articulating surface. The base guide articulating surface can be oriented at an angle relative to the base guide through bore. The reamer can define a reamer articulating surface operable to allow rotation of the reamer on the base guide articulating surface. The reamer driver can operate with the reamer to cause rotation of the reamer when the reamer driver rotates.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2017
    Publication date: January 11, 2018
    Inventors: Michael Francis Kovacs, Nathan A. Winslow, Michael Dziekan, Donald W. Dye, Thomas Michael Vanasse, Robert J. Taylor, Lawrence Gulotta
  • Publication number: 20180006351
    Abstract: A transmission line transition that couples RF energy between a coaxial cable and an air dielectric microstrip is provided. In some embodiments, the transition can combine a thin printed circuit board substrate and an insulating surface to form an effective capacitive coupling transition that can couple RF energy from the center conductor of a coaxial cable to an air microstrip. In some embodiments, the transition can include an insulating system affixed to a metallic surface, and the insulating system can secure an airstrip conductor in close proximity to an inner conductor of a coaxial cable to capacitively couple the airstrip conductor to the inner conductor of the coaxial cable. In some embodiments, the transition can employ a metallic body coated with an insulating surface to capacitively couple RF energy from the center conductor of the coaxial cable to the air microstrip.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2017
    Publication date: January 4, 2018
    Inventor: Michael Francis Bonczyk
  • Patent number: 9860791
    Abstract: Examples disclosed herein provide systems, methods, and software to control wireless communication policies and rules based on congestion. In one example, a method of operating a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network includes, in a LTE base station, identifying congestion data for one or more communicating wireless communication devices, and identifying that the congestion data meets a congestion criteria. The method further includes, in the LTE base station and responsive to meeting the congestion criteria, setting an explicit congestion notification (ECN) flag for a wireless communication device communication, and transferring the ECN flag for delivery to a LTE gateway. The method further provides, in the LTE gateway, receiving the ECN flag, and identifying a congestion policy for at least one wireless communication device communicating with the LTE base station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Sprint Communications Company L.P.
    Inventors: Michael Francis Fiumano, Luis D. Glass
  • Patent number: 9860117
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and software for providing a virtualized communication networking environment are provided herein. In one example, a method includes identifying an Internet Protocol (IP) address for a network interface of a virtual machine based on at least a communication network indicator in a MAC address associated with the network interface of the virtual machine. If the virtual network element has not been generated for handling IP traffic associated with the network interface of the virtual machine, then generating the virtual network element and associating the virtual network element with the network interface of the virtual machine based on at least the communication network indicator in the MAC address. When the virtual network element has been generated, then configuring the virtual network element for the IP traffic associated with the network interface of the virtual machine based at least the communication network indicator in the MAC address.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Sprint Communications Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Seng Chai Gan, Aaron Paul Hinkle, Michael Francis Fiumano
  • Publication number: 20170368227
    Abstract: The invention relates to methods of preparing a bone matrix solution, a bone matrix implant, and variants thereof. The invention also relates to methods of cell culture using the same. The invention further relates to bone matrix scaffolds comprising one or more bone matrix nanofibers, methods of preparing, and methods of use thereof. The invention also relates to methods of culturing cells and promoting differentiation of stem cells using the same.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2017
    Publication date: December 28, 2017
    Inventors: Michael Francis, Roy Ogle
  • Publication number: 20170370925
    Abstract: Lateral flow methods and apparatuses for detecting one or more analytes are provided. 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: July 28, 2016
    Publication date: December 28, 2017
    Inventors: Antony James Sheehan, Michael Francis Crouch