Recently Issued Patents

4.1.22

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. 11,289,179 entitled “Automated Medication Compliance Assurance System” issued March 29, 2022 to Compliance strategies, LLC of Nashville, Tennessee. Invented by Steven Brown and Steven Dickerson also of Nashville, Tennessee. Abstract: Provided is a system providing a solution for improving prescription drug compliance monitoring and compliance. Prescription drug compliance monitoring may be achieved by using patient’s electronic device to initiate secure digital imaging. Medications may be dispensed in containers with pre-printed encoded unique identifiers and markings. The patient may use the digital camera in their smart phone to take a picture of the dispensed blister pack which may be processed and analyzed. Analysis may include assessment of the number of pills taken from and remaining in the uniquely identified blister pack. Package identification and consumption information may then be linked with other prescription information to determine if the observed rate of use is compliant with the legal prescription and to document that the imaged medication package is the same as the dispensed medication package. Data may also be linked with pharmacologic and clinical data to categorize risk and urgency of misuse.

U.S. Patent No. 11,286,627 entitled “Self-Propelled Ground Milling Machine and Method for Working on a Traffic Surface” issued March 29, 2022 to Writgen GmbH of Windhagen, Germany. Invented by Christian Berning of Zuplich, Germany; Philip Verhaelen of Cologne, Germany and Cyrus Barimani of Konigswinter, Germany. Abstract: The invention relates to a self-propelled ground milling machine, in particular a road milling machine or road recycler, having a machine frame supported by running gears and a working roller arranged on the machine frame in a roller housing, a hold-down device which is height-adjustable with respect to the traffic surface being arranged upstream of the working roller in the working direction. The invention further relates to a method for working on a traffic surface using a self-propelled ground milling machine. The ground milling machine comprises a detection unit which is formed in such a way that a physical variable characteristic of an undesirable state of the operating process is determined, in which state fragments are broken off from the traffic surface during work on the traffic surface using the working roller, apply a compressive force to the hold-down device and can press the hold-down device into a raised position with respect to the traffic surface. In the ground milling machine according to the invention, the device for height-adjusting the hold-down device is formed in such a way that a contact pressure, directed counter to the compressive force applied by the fragments, is applied to the hold-down device when the detection unit detects the undesirable state of the operating process. By applying a sufficient contact pressure, the hold-down device can be effectively prevented from rising from the traffic surface, in such a way that during the milling process it is at least made more difficult for fragments to break off undesirably from the traffic surface.

U.S. Patent No. 11,286,628 entitled “Earth Working Machine Having a Dust Extraction System and Rotatable Filter Cartridges” issued March 29, 2022 to Writgen GmbH of Windhagen, Germany. Invented by Stephan Drumm of Vettelscho, Germany. Abstract: A mobile earth working machine (10), for example a road milling machine, recycler, or surface miner, includes: a working apparatus (12) for material-removing working of a region of a substrate (U); and an extraction device (40) that is embodied to extract dust-laden air from at least one machine region at at least one extraction location (46), and to exhaust extracted air at a discharge location (50) different from the extraction location (46), the extraction device (40) comprising a filter apparatus (42) arranged along an operational flow path from the at least one extraction location (46) to the discharge location (50), the filter apparatus (42) encompassing: a filter housing (54); a filter element (52) received in the filter housing (54), the filter element (52) being embodied to remove dust particles from the air flowing through the filter apparatus (42); and a cleaning apparatus (76) that is embodied to remove from the filter element (52) dust particles that accumulate on the filter element (52) during filtering operation. Provision is made that the filter element (52) is received in the filter housing (54) rotatably around a rotation axis (D), the filter apparatus (42) comprising a rotary drive system (70) that is embodied to impart rotation to the filter element (50).