Patents by Inventor Thomas Rand

Thomas Rand 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: 20080292071
    Abstract: A directory assistance service includes a database and an interface module. The database stores a set of audio advertisements, and the audio advertisements are priced based on a tiered pricing model. The interface module is in communication with the database and receives a directory assistance request from a caller, plays the caller one or more audio advertisements from the database, and charges an advertiser for playing the audio advertisements based on the tiered pricing model.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2007
    Publication date: November 27, 2008
    Applicant: AT&T KNOWLEDGE VENTURES, LP
    Inventors: Thomas A. Rand, Erik Trusler, Timothy Sheridan, Gary Alpert, Denise Archibald, Nelson Cain, Debra J. Wilke, Gary Hensley, Janie Mercado Braun, Denise Perry, Sidney A. Minnick Jr., Jeffrey C. Reid
  • Publication number: 20070166439
    Abstract: There is provided a process for the prevention and/or reduction of acrylamide formation and/or acrylamide precursor formation in a foodstuff comprising (i) a protein, a peptide or an amino acid and (ii) a first reducing sugar; the process comprising the steps of: (a) contacting the foodstuff with a first enzyme capable of converting the first reducing sugar into a second reducing sugar; and (b) contacting the foodstuff with a second enzyme capable of oxidising a reducing group of the second reducing sugar.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2006
    Publication date: July 19, 2007
    Inventors: Jorn Soe, Charlotte Poulsen, Thomas Rand
  • Publication number: 20060260353
    Abstract: A drawer refrigerator, including an evaporator, compressor and condenser, has a partitioned cabinet with two vertically stacked pull-out drawers having drawer bins. A single evaporator is located adjacent both drawer cavities and is partitioned to keep the temperature in both drawer bins approximately equal. The pull-out drawers can have a bottle bin with recesses holding the necks of wine, soda or like bottles. The bottle bin slides on the top edges of the drawer bin at its sides and can be moved front to back. The pull-out drawers can have an underside compartment opening at both sides of the drawer containing a removable storage bin. The pull-out drawers can also have an adjustable divider fence with pairs of lateral and transverse divider rods extending between the side walls and between the door panels and the rear walls of the drawer bins. The rods are coupled by a hub having a hand operated screw knob for locking the position of the fence.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2006
    Publication date: November 23, 2006
    Inventors: Philip Uihlein, Jennifer Straszewski, William Reed, Thomas Rand, Joseph Braun, Jack Vaughn, Andrew Doberstein, Ami Verhalen, Daniel Bullis
  • Patent number: 7119306
    Abstract: In one aspect, a food thawing cabinet includes at least one thawing chamber and one or more wall blowers and a heater for producing a controlled high volume of air flow over food product, with the heater controlled in a cyclic manner. In another aspect, various advanced control techniques for controlling heat input are provided in an effort to lower the time required to thaw frozen food products in a safe manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2006
    Assignee: Premark FEG L.L.C.
    Inventors: Walter J. Boryca, Jackson M. Miles, Jr., Thomas Rands
  • Publication number: 20060218958
    Abstract: A wine cooler unit has a refrigerated cabinet housing two pull-out assemblies, each having a door panel and one or more wine racks. One rack can be mounted to the door panel, and one or more follower racks can be extended and retracted by movement of the door panel mounted rack, or by independent manual movement thereof. Two or more racks can be pulled out from the cabinet in a staggered or cascading fashion in which an upper rack extends from the cabinet to a lesser extent than a next lower rack to provide access to the bottles on each rack. The door panels can be made of a glass thermopane allowing visual inspection of the contents inside the cabinet. The cabinet can be cooled by a refrigeration system having two evaporators, which provide two independent cooling zones, one for each pull-out assembly. A capacitance-operated control can be provided under the glass front of one door panel for controlling the temperature zones inside the cabinet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2005
    Publication date: October 5, 2006
    Inventors: Thomas Rand, Lawrence Moye, Andrew Doberstein, Jack Vaughn
  • Publication number: 20060191285
    Abstract: A drawer refrigeration unit provides two distinct zones of cooling in a single cabinet for two pull-out drawers. The refrigeration system includes an evaporator, a compressor and a condenser. The single evaporator system is aided by a damperless air circulation system to maintain the temperature zones at a temperature differential that is at least 10 degrees Fahrenheit. The present invention can thus be used as a combination refrigerator and freezer drawer unit using only one evaporator in a cross-ventilated cabinet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2005
    Publication date: August 31, 2006
    Inventors: Thomas Rand, Andrew Doberstein, Joseph Braun
  • Publication number: 20050202121
    Abstract: There is provided a process for the prevention and/or reduction of Maillard reaction in a foodstuff containing (i) a protein, a peptide or an amino acid and (ii) a reducing sugar, the process comprising contacting the foodstuff with an enzyme capable of oxidising a reducing group of the sugar.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2005
    Publication date: September 15, 2005
    Inventors: Jorn Soe, Lars Petersen, Charlotte Poulsen, Thomas Rand, Dana Boll
  • Publication number: 20050194875
    Abstract: A refrigeration unit with improved storage and accessibility features has a thermally insulated cabinet and door defining a storage space with a plurality of support elements. The support elements include easily removable door shelves and horizontal cabinet shelves that can be removed or repositioned without the door being fully opened due to dished regions adjacent the shelf supports that allow the shelves to be pivoted and removed rather than slid straight out of the cabinet. Indicia on one of the shelves follows the contour of one of the door shelves to indicate approximately the shelf space occupied by an adjacent door shelf and thus where items can be set without interfering with the closure of the door. The refrigeration unit also includes a cam assembly at the lower door hinge which biases the door closed when open approximately 35 degrees or less. The refrigeration unit also includes features for attaching an overlay panel to the door easily.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2005
    Publication date: September 8, 2005
    Inventors: William Reed, Thomas Rand, Joseph Braun, Andrew Doberstein, Lawrence Moye, Jack Vaughn, Jeffrey Ziminski
  • Publication number: 20050109056
    Abstract: A compact refrigerator has a split cabinet defining insulated refrigerator and clear ice maker sections. Its refrigeration system includes one external compressor and condenser and two evaporators, one for each section. The condenser is coupled to the inlet of the ice maker evaporator by a capillary tube and the evaporators are connected in series via a line having a refrigerator valve. The compressor receives return refrigerant from the outlet side of either the refrigerator evaporator or the ice maker evaporator depending on the state of a bypass valve, which is closed when the refrigerator valve is open, and vice versa. Refrigerant is thus routed to the ice maker evaporator to make ice and to both the ice maker and refrigerator evaporators when the refrigerator needs cooling. A hot gas bypass valve allows pre-condensed refrigerant exiting the compressor to bypass the condenser and be routed to the ice maker evaporator for harvesting the clear ice cubes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2003
    Publication date: May 26, 2005
    Inventors: Thomas Rand, Andrew Doberstein, Joseph Zyduck
  • Publication number: 20050061021
    Abstract: A drawer refrigerator, including an evaporator, compressor and condenser, has a partitioned cabinet with two vertically stacked pull-out drawers having drawer bins. A single evaporator is located adjacent both drawer cavities and is partitioned to keep the temperature in both drawer bins approximately equal. The pull-out drawers can have a bottle bin with recesses holding the necks of wine, soda or like bottles. The bottle bin slides on the top edges of the drawer bin at its sides and can be moved front to back. The pull-out drawers can have an underside compartment opening at both sides of the drawer containing a removable storage bin. The pull-out drawers can also have an adjustable divider fence with pairs of lateral and transverse divider rods extending between the side walls and between the door panels and the rear walls of the drawer bins. The rods are coupled by a hub having a hand operated screw knob for locking the position of the fence.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2003
    Publication date: March 24, 2005
    Inventors: Philip Uihlein, Jennifer Straszewski, William Reed, Thomas Rand, Joseph Braun, Jack Vaughn, Andrew Doberstein, Ami Verhalen, Daniel Bullis
  • Publication number: 20040226457
    Abstract: A dough proofing cabinet includes a chamber having one or more air ducts with a plurality of air duct openings distributed both vertically and horizontally thereon, and an outlet opening in an upper part of the chamber. Operation of a blower causes air flow from the chamber, through the outlet opening, past the heating element to the air duct or ducts and out through the air duct openings. In one example, the chamber includes air ducts extending downward on opposite side of the chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2004
    Publication date: November 18, 2004
    Inventors: Walter J. Boryca, Jackson M. Miles, Thomas Rands
  • Publication number: 20040139863
    Abstract: In one aspect, a food thawing cabinet includes at least one thawing chamber and one or more wall blowers and a heater for producing a controlled high volume of air flow over food product, with the heater controlled in a cyclic manner. In another aspect, various advanced control techniques for controlling heat input are provided in an effort to lower the time required to thaw frozen food products in a safe manner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 6, 2004
    Publication date: July 22, 2004
    Inventors: Walter J. Boryca, Jackson M. Miles, Thomas Rands