Recently Issued Patents

3.11.22

Patent Protection & Registration

Patents grant property rights on new and useful inventions, allowing the patent holder to prevent others from using, making, or selling that invention without permission for a limited time. U.S. patents are permitted by the U.S. Constitution and are designed to promote scientific progress and invention. By allowing inventors to profit from licensing or selling their patent rights, inventors can recoup their research and development costs and benefit financially from their inventing efforts. There are three main types of patents utility, plant, and design. Utility and plant patents can last up to 20 years, while design patents can last up to 14 years. When a patent expires, the patented material enters the public domain, making it free to use by anyone without a license. U.S. patents are issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

U.S. Patent No. 11,270,239 entitled “Project Portfolio Management System Creating Virtual Relationships” issued March 8, 2022 to InVizion, LLC of Oakridge, Tennessee. Invented by Kristy Tan Neckowicz of Wynnewood, Pennsylvania; Philip Dale Ramsey of Oak Ridge, Tennessee; William R. Musick, Jr. of Knoxville, Tennessee; Matthew Cody Lambert of Lenoir City, Tennessee and Philip Tyson Ramsey of Knoxville, Tennessee. Abstract: A project portfolio management system creating virtual interrelationships between projects. Aspects of the system include creating virtual relationships at the Work Breakdown Structure (“WBS”) level with appropriate offsets using interpretations of logic relationships in detailed project schedules using various calculation approaches. The system models the linkages between detailed project schedules in a virtual relationship usable in alternate scenario planning analysis at a summary or working level. The virtual relationships are accurate enough for high level planning by users (e.g., program managers and analysts) with limited familiarity of project details (e.g., which non-workdays are in which project calendars) and reduce the computation times when altering a project planning scenario. Using the virtual relationships allows scenarios to be quickly evaluated to gauge the effects of changing constraints before committing to recalculating the detailed schedules of a project.

U.S. Patent No. 11,267,299 entitled “Hand-Held Device for Sealing a Tire to a Rim During Tire Changing” issued March 8, 2022 to Hennessy Industries, Inc. of LaVergne, Tennessee. Invented by Steven Davis of Woodbury, Tennessee; Layton Lee of Scottsdale, Arizona and Josh Sortor also of Scottsdale, Arizona. Abstract: A hand-held sealing device may be used for sealing a tubeless tire on a corresponding wheel rim. The wheel rim may have a valve stem hole to receive a valve stem. The hand-held sealing device may include a device body. The device body may include an air output nozzle, a directed air outlet defined in the air output nozzle, and an air inlet defined in the device body. The air inlet may be fluidly communicated with the directed air outlet. The hand-held sealing device may also include a valve assembly disposed between the directed air outlet and the air inlet. A cable may be slidably disposed in the air output nozzle. The cable may pass through the directed air outlet. A valve stem engagement member may be configured to removably attach to the valve stem. The valve stem engagement member may be connected to the cable.

U.S. Patent No. 11,268,382 entitled “Milling Pick” issued March 8, 2022 to Betek GmbH & Co. KG of Aichhalden, Germany. Invented by Heiko Friederichs also of Aichhalden, Germany and Ulrich Kramer of Wolfach, Germany. Abstract: The invention relates to a milling pick, in particular a round pick having a pick head (40), which has a pick tip (30) made of a hard material as a cutting element, wherein furthermore a pick shank (10) is provided, which is coupled directly or indirectly to the pick head (40), wherein a wear-protection disk (20) is provided, the cut-out of which, in particular a drilled hole, is pushed onto the pick shank (10), wherein the wear-protection disk (20) has, on its side facing the pick head (40), a counterface (23), which is designed to come into contact with a bearing surface (41) of the pick head (40), wherein the wear protection disk has, facing away from the counterface (23), an underside support surface (21), which is preferably parallel to the counterface (23), and wherein a disk thickness (d) is formed between the counterface (23) and the support surface (21), is characterized in that the ratio of the diameter of the pick shank (10) located in the area of the cut-out (25) to the thickness of the disk (d) being in the range from 1.5 to 3.75, preferably in the range from 2 to 3.