Patents by Inventor Thomas Hofmann

Thomas Hofmann 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: 8024333
    Abstract: A system and method for information navigation and filtration is provided. One or more query terms are received from a user. A preliminary relevance of one or more objects associated with an enterprise system is determined based on the query terms. The preliminary relevance may be propagated between objects. At least one rating is assigned to the one or more objects based on the preliminary relevance. An overall relevance of the one or more objects is established based on the at least one rating. The one or more objects are ranked according to the overall relevance. Data is provided as search results comprised of the one or more objects according to the ranking to the user. The search results may then be filtered based on at least one selected, dynamically generated filter. The filtered search results may be dynamically generated and provided to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: Recommind, Inc.
    Inventors: Jan Puzicha, Thomas Hofmann
  • Patent number: 8003150
    Abstract: The present invention relates to flavonoid sugar addition products and a method for making the same. It also relates to the use of these addition products for modifying the taste of food products.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: Kraft Foods R & D, Inc.
    Inventors: Andreas Degenhardt, Frank Ullrich, Thomas Hofmann, Timo Stark
  • Patent number: 8003081
    Abstract: A method for improvement of tolerance for therapeutically effective agents delivered by inhalation comprising a pretreatment of a patient with a nebulized lidocaine or a lidocaine-like compound administered immediately or up to about thirty minutes before administration of the primary therapeutically effective agent. The pretreatment of the patient with the nebulized lidocaine or a lidocaine-like compound improves airway tolerance and deposition of the agent in the lungs and makes such deposition more safe, efficacious, controllable and predictable. The method of the invention is especially useful for enhancement of deposition of immunosuppressive agents in the lung(s) of transplant patients, improved tolerance of the drugs by reducing cough, and improving pulmonary drug deposition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: Gilead Sciences, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas Hofmann, Alan Bruce Montgomery, Kevin Stapleton, William R. Baker
  • Patent number: 7998463
    Abstract: An anti-tussive nebulized solution for targeted delivery of lidocaine into conducting and central airways. A method for treatment of cough and tussive attacks or episodes using said lidocaine solution. A nebulized lidocaine solution administered in daily dose from about 10 mg to 80 mg of lidocaine dissolved in a saline and nebulized into an aerosol having a mass median aerodynamic diameter 3 ?m to 10 ?m and a geometric standard deviation less than 1.7 using an electronic nebulizer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: Gilead Sciences, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas Hofmann, Alan Bruce Montgomery, Kevin Stapleton
  • Publication number: 20110177085
    Abstract: The present invention relates to bitter-taste receptors and their role in bitter taste transduction. The invention also relates to assays for screening molecules that modulate, e.g. suppress or block, bitter taste transduction, or enhance bitter taste response.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2011
    Publication date: July 21, 2011
    Inventors: Bernd Bufe, Thomas Hofmann, Dietmar Krautwurst, Christina Kuhn, Wolfgang Meyerhof
  • Publication number: 20110132329
    Abstract: A fuel injection valve for arrangement in a combustion chamber (40) of an internal combustion engine has a nozzle support with a nozzle body (30) disposed thereon in fixed fashion by way of a nozzle clamping nut (20), the nozzle body designed to protrude into the combustion chamber (40) and being provided for holding a nozzle needle, and at least one annular combustion chamber sealing element (50) with an upper support surface (60) facing the nozzle clamping nut (20) and a lower support surface (70) facing the combustion chamber (40), the lower surface surrounding the nozzle body (30) and being provided for sealing the nozzle support off from the combustion chamber (40). At least one additional sealing element (80) is provided for sealing the nozzle body (30) in the area of the nozzle clamping nut (20).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2009
    Publication date: June 9, 2011
    Inventors: Thomas Hofmann, Michael Härtel, Uwe Leuteritz, Ferdinand Löbbering
  • Patent number: 7955808
    Abstract: The present invention relates to bitter-taste receptors and their role in bitter taste transduction. The invention also relates to assays for screening molecules that modulate, e.g. suppress or block, bitter taste transduction, or enhance bitter taste response.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: Deutsches Institut für Ernährungsorschung, Stiftung des öffentlichen Rechts, Vertreten durch den Stiftungsvorstand
    Inventors: Bernd Bufe, Thomas Hofmann, Dietmar Krautwurst, Christina Kuhn, Wolfgang Meyerhof
  • Publication number: 20110120244
    Abstract: A two-shaft shift gearbox is provided for a motor vehicle. The two-shaft shift gearbox has a drive shaft and an output shaft. Driving gearwheels are arranged on the drive shaft and output gearwheels are arranged on the output shaft. Switching elements bring the driving gearwheels in pairs in engagement with output gearwheels via gear synchronizers. Here, the driving gearwheel of the lowest gear with the smallest ring gear diameter is arranged on a first end section and the driving gearwheel of the highest gear with the largest ring gear diameter is arranged on a second end section of the drive shaft lying opposite the first end section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2010
    Publication date: May 26, 2011
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Axel GEIBERGER, Markus ROCKENBACH, Thomas HOFMANN
  • Publication number: 20110120671
    Abstract: A heat exchanger includes a plurality of tubes, a collection tank having an inlet port and an internal chamber in fluid communication with the plurality of tubes, a header coupled to the collection tank and having a plurality of apertures each dimensioned to receive a corresponding tube, a gasket separating the header from the collection tank and sealing a gap between the header and the collection tank, and a reinforcement retaining the gasket in position between the header and the collection tank. The reinforcement includes a first web extending across the internal chamber and a second web spaced apart from the first web and extending across the internal chamber. The heat exchanger also includes a baffle coupled to and extending between the first web and the second web. The baffle extends across at least a portion of the internal chamber between the inlet port and the plurality of tubes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2010
    Publication date: May 26, 2011
    Inventors: Thomas Bräuning, Jorg Soldner, Thomas Hofmann, Brian Merklein, Gregg D. Olson, Mark Kazikowski, Roy J. Ingold, Jochen Orso, Jorg-Olaf Wille, Joachim Wollmershäuser
  • Publication number: 20110042264
    Abstract: An align fixture for aligning an electronic component having a receptacle adapted to receive the electronic component, the receptacle having a first abutting section and a second abutting section, the align fixture further having an elastic unit, one of the first abutting section and the second abutting section is flexibly mounted via the elastic unit, and the other one of the first abutting section and the second abutting section is fixedly mounted; the first abutting section and the second abutting section each form a stiff member and are adapted to engage the electronic component, the elastic unit is adapted to exert two force components on one of the first abutting section and the second abutting section, the force components being angled relatively to one another.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2010
    Publication date: February 24, 2011
    Inventors: Thomas Hofmann, Johann Poetzinger, Necati Efe Varol
  • Publication number: 20110042265
    Abstract: A carrier adapted to receive and align multiple electronic components, the carrier having receptacles each being adapted to receive an assigned one of the multiple electronic components, a first plate comprising a plurality of first abutting sections, the first abutting sections form one of boundaries of the respective assigned receptacles, a second plate comprising a plurality of second abutting sections, the second abutting sections form another of the boundaries of the respective assigned receptacles, and the first plate and the second plate are arranged slidably relative to each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2010
    Publication date: February 24, 2011
    Inventors: Thomas Hofmann, Johann Poetzinger
  • Publication number: 20110043231
    Abstract: A method of post-processing a plurality of electronic components in a post-processing machine after fabrication of the electronic components including providing a carrier with align fixtures, which align fixtures have a clamping mechanism, actuating the clamping mechanism to enlarge a size of receptacles, each of the receptacles is assigned to one of the align fixtures and the enlarged receptacles are larger than the electronic components to be received, positioning the electronic components in the receptacles of the align fixtures, actuating the clamping mechanism to reduce a size of the receptacles so that the electronic components are aligned within the receptacles of the carrier, placing the carrier in the post processing machine, and subjecting the electronic components to operations of the post-processing machine while the electronic components maintain in aligned positions in the receptacles of the carrier.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2010
    Publication date: February 24, 2011
    Inventors: Reinhart Richter, Andreas Nagy, Bernhard Lorenz, Max Schaule, Stefan Kurz, Thomas Hofmann, Helmut Scheibenzuber
  • Publication number: 20110041311
    Abstract: An align fixture for aligning an electronic component having a receptacle adapted to receive the electronic component and having a first abutting section and a second abutting section, the align fixture further having a first elastic unit and a second elastic unit, the first abutting section is flexibly mounted via the first elastic unit, and the second abutting section is flexibly mounted via the second elastic unit, and the first abutting section and the second abutting section are together adapted to floatingly engage the electronic component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2010
    Publication date: February 24, 2011
    Inventors: Thomas Hofmann, Helmut Scheibenzuber
  • Publication number: 20110041312
    Abstract: An align fixture for aligning an electronic component having an elastic unit plate having an elastic unit receiving section, a receptacle adapted to receive the electronic component and having a first abutting section and a second abutting section, and an elastic unit, the first abutting section being flexibly mounted via the elastic unit, the elastic unit is adapted to exert a force to align the electronic component to the second abutting section, and the elastic unit is a separate elastic member adapted to be mounted at the elastic unit receiving section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2010
    Publication date: February 24, 2011
    Inventor: Thomas Hofmann
  • Publication number: 20110006183
    Abstract: In a device and a method for aligning and holding a plurality of singulated semi-conductor components in receiving pockets of a terminal carrier that are separated from each other, the terminal carrier has spring elements, which are part of a spring plate. The spring plate has a plurality of recesses disposed next to each other for forming a corresponding plurality of receiving pockets for the semi-conductor components, wherein the spring elements are formed from the spring plate in one piece.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2010
    Publication date: January 13, 2011
    Inventors: Thomas Hofmann, Max Schaule
  • Publication number: 20100331349
    Abstract: The use of ?-aminobutyric acid or a physiologically acceptable salt of ?-aminobutyric acid to mask or reduce the unpleasant flavour impression of an unpleasantly tasting substance is described. The food, beverage or oral care preparations or oral pharmaceutical preparations comprising at least one unpleasantly tasting substance and ?-aminobutyric acid are also described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2005
    Publication date: December 30, 2010
    Inventors: Jakob Ley, Gunter Kindel, Gerhard Krammer, Thomas Hofmann, Nina Rotzoll
  • Publication number: 20100206768
    Abstract: In a device and a method for aligning and holding a plurality of singulated semi-conductor components in receiving pockets of a terminal carrier (5) that are separated from each other, the terminal carrier (5) has spring elements (12a, 12b), which are part of a spring plate (2). The spring plate (2) has a plurality of recesses (11) disposed next to each other for forming a corresponding plurality of receiving pockets (6) for the semi-conductor components, wherein the spring elements (12a, 12b) are formed from the spring plate (2) in one piece.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2009
    Publication date: August 19, 2010
    Applicant: MULTITEST ELEKTRONISCHE SYSTEME GMBH
    Inventors: Thomas Hofmann, Max Schaule
  • Publication number: 20100196483
    Abstract: A method for treatment of severe and uncontrollable asthma by providing means for delivery of high doses of a suitable inhalable corticosteroid directly to the small airways of the lower lungs with substantial decrease in need for simultaneous administration of oral corticosteroids and with a significant reduction in undesirable secondary side effects in an oropharyngeal area. The method utilizes devices allowing individualization of treatment parameters in asthmatic patients having compromised breathing pattern due to severe and uncontrollable asthma.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2009
    Publication date: August 5, 2010
    Applicant: ACTIVAERO GMBH RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
    Inventors: BERNHARD MUELLINGER, GERHARD SCHEUCH, THOMAS HOFMANN, PHILIPP KRONEBERG
  • Patent number: 7747631
    Abstract: A system, method, and computer program for establishing relevance of objects in an enterprise system is provided. One or more objects are assigned to content associated with an enterprise system. One or more query terms are received from a user. A preliminary relevance of the one or more objects is determined based on the query terms. Ratings are assigned to the one or more objects based on the preliminary relevance. An overall relevance of the one or more objects is established based on the ratings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2010
    Assignee: Recommind, Inc.
    Inventors: Jan Puzicha, Thomas Hofmann
  • Publication number: 20100092397
    Abstract: A method for treatment of patients with pulmonary diseases by providing an aerosolized combination of a methylxanthine and a topical steroid administered into a patient's conducting and central airways. The method utilizes a specific treatment protocol and a nebulizing system providing an aerosol having particles of a predetermined mass medial aerodynamic diameter (MMAD) delivered to the conducting and central lungs with overpressure and under controlled conditions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2009
    Publication date: April 15, 2010
    Applicant: Activaero GmbH
    Inventor: Thomas Hofmann