System and method for guaranteeing minimum periodic retirement income payments using an adjustment account
Patent No. 8,781,929
A system and method for providing a user with a plurality of guaranteed minimum retirement income payments is disclosed. The system comprises a variable immediate annuity module to receive an income generating payment and to output a guaranteed minimum retirement income payment amount wherein the periodic retirement income payment amount is greater than, equal to, or less than a guaranteed minimum periodic retirement income payment amount if the income generating payments received are received according to a predetermined payment schedule, and wherein the predetermined guaranteed minimum periodic retirement income payment amount is defined by the user. The system also includes an adjustment module for comparing the periodic retirement income payment amount and the guaranteed minimum periodic retirement income payment amount, and for outputting to the user at least the guaranteed minimum periodic retirement income payment amount, the adjustment module storing a balance in an adjustment account if the periodic retirement income payment amount is less than the guaranteed minimum periodic retirement income payment amount.
Inventors: Geoffrey Stiff (Richmond, Va.) Mary Fay (Richmond, Va.), Paul Haley (Glen Allen, Va.), Vickey Root (Richmond, Va.), Matthew Sharpe (Glen Allen, Va.)
Assignee: Genworth Holdings Inc. (Richmond, Va.)
July 15, 2014
Anti-scale composition and method of use for leach fields
Patent No. 8,778,049
Disclosed is a method for treating heap leach stacks by applying an insoluble polyimide composition, such as polysuccinimide, to the surface of an ore stack and/or incorporating the insoluble polyimide composition throughout the ore stack. The insoluble polyimide composition is then exposed to an aqueous solution to initiate hydrolysis and produce one or more water soluble products, such as hydrolyzed polyimides, polycarboxylates, polycarboxylic acids and mixtures thereof that will permeate the ore stack at a concentration sufficient to suppress scale formation within the leach stack. The water soluble products may also act to suppress scale formation in piping and channels peripheral to the leach stack, thereby reducing maintenance expenses.
Inventors: Kevin Gottschalk (Maidens, Va.), John Richardson (Hanover, Va.), Greg Rose (Richmond, Va.), Rob Bedinger (Richmond, Va.)
Assignee: Chemtreat Inc. (Glen Allen, Va.)
July 15, 2014
Nut shelling machine and method
Patent No. 8,776,677
A nut shelling apparatus and method for the shelling of nuts such as chinquapins and chestnuts without substantially damaging the meat of the nuts. The nut shelling machine utilizes a combination of the inertia of the nut and a planar rotating cutting disc, such as one with a layer of aluminum oxide abrasive material, to cut the shell of the nut in a series of small cuts. The rotating abrasive disc utilizes the resistive inertia of the nuts to launch the nut in an upward direction and causing the nuts to fall onto the abrasive surface to repeatedly cut the shells. The repeated cutting action results in removal of a substantial amount of the shell in a short period of time while at the same time minimizing damage to the meat of the nut.
Inventors: Auzville Jackson Jr. (Richmond, Va.), Gerald Whitmer (Shenandoah Junction, W. Va.)
July 15, 2014
Modular door system for refrigerated case
Patent No. 8,776,439
A modular door system is provided including at least one substantially transparent panel and a frame extending about a perimeter of the panel. The frame includes a pair of horizontal frame elements and a pair of vertical frame elements. One vertical frame element is configured to pivot about a pivot axis so that the other vertical frame element is movable between an open and a closed position. The modular door system further includes at least one receptacle disposed in the frame and a first cartridge removably receivable in the receptacle to facilitate pivoting the one vertical frame element about the pivot axis. The first cartridge is replaceable or interchangeable with at least a second cartridge. The cartridges may provide for the modular door system to be post-formation customized to change, add, or remove certain functionalities or features.
Inventors: Larry C. Howington (Chesterfield, Va.), Steven O. Stubblefield (Mechanicsville, Va.)
Assignee: Hill Phoenix Inc. (Conyers, Ga.)
July 15, 2014
Polyvalent chimeric OspC vaccinogen and diagnostic antigen
Patent No. 8,778,352
A chimeric polyvalent recombinant protein for use as a vaccine and diagnostic for Lyme disease is provided. The chimeric protein comprises epitopes of the loop 5 region and/or the alpha helix 5 region of outer surface protein C (OspC) types. The OspC types may be associated with mammalian Borrelia infections.
Inventors: Richard Thomas Marconi (Midlothian, Va.), Christopher Earnhart (Williamsburg, Va.)
Assignee: Virginia Commonwealth University (Richmond, Va.)
July 15, 2014
Litter disposal device
Patent No. 8,776,804
A handheld litter disposal device for temporarily storing and containing cigarette ash, butts, and other litter. The litter disposal device includes a cap, a storage system, a pivot system adapted to permit the cap to move between the closed and open positions, and an extinguishing system containable within the storage system and adapted to extinguish the lit end of a cigarette. In the open position, ashes, butts, and unused portions of cigarettes, cigars, and/or other similar products can be transported from the outside to the inside of the litter disposal device and vice versa. In the closed position, however, cigarette ash and butts cannot enter or exit the storage system of the litter disposal device. The storage system has a rounded bottom or outer surface to prevent the litter disposal device from maintaining an upright position.
Inventors: Eric L. Zeanah (Knoxville, Tenn.), Wilmer Odom (Midlothian, Va.)
Assignee: Philip Morris USA Inc. (Richmond, Va.)
July 15, 2014
Multi-sided media viewer and technique for media association
Patent No. 8,782,043
A system provides a multi-sided media viewer capable of displaying media assets from an electronic archival news and content database. Each side of the media player contains different information regarding the media asset. A primary side of the media asset may display a media asset related to an educational program, such as a course curriculum or the like. The secondary sides of the media viewer may contain additional information regarding that media asset, including personalized information generated by a system user as well as automatically populated information, such as information collected from other external news services or content providers. The system may further provide an educational game in which users are encouraged to find and draw connections between media assets to create an interconnection of related news items. The multi-sided media viewer may be a two-sided cue card, or a multidimensional news or content element having any number of sides depending on the additional information to be displayed with the media asset.
Inventors: Alexander S. Chisholm (West Roxbury, Mass.), Kathleen Abbott (Ashland, Va.), Jason Haas (Somerville, Mass.), Robert Stupay (Brooklyn, N.Y.)
Assignee: NBC Universal Inc. (New York, N.Y.)
July 15, 2014
Biodegradable fuel performance additives
Patent No. 8,778,034
There is disclosed a biodegradable fuel additive composition derived from at least one animal or plant source, and a fuel composition containing a biodegradable fuel additive composition derived from at least one animal or plant source useful for reducing the formation of engine deposits and for improving fuel economy of a vehicle combusting the fuel composition.
Inventors: Lawrence J. Cunningham (Mechanicsville, Va.)
Assignee: Afton Chemical Corp. (Richmond, Va.)
July 15, 2014
System and method for managing related accounts
Patent No. 8,788,413
The present application relates to a system and method for managing a plurality of accounts. A plurality of accounts is provided, with each account being associated with a customer. Account activity information associated with at least one action regarding one of the plurality of accounts is received at a first predetermined frequency. The received account activity information is analyzed, and at least one term of another account amongst the plurality of accounts is modified based upon a result of the analysis at a second predetermined frequency.
Inventors: Jeremy Keith Rabson (Newton, Mass.), Scott David Grimes (Richmond, Va.)
Assignee: Capital One Financial Corp. (McLean, Va.)
July 22
First aid pen having separate compartments
Patent No. 8,784,372
The first aid pen having separate compartments is comprised of a pressure cap that can retract to expose a hypodermic needle suspended under and in fluid communication with a mixing chamber. The first aid pen includes a first compartment and a second compartment. The second compartment includes a membrane upon a top surface, which is punctured upon pushing a slideable member of the first compartment downwardly. Once the membrane is broken, the contents of the first compartment descends into and mix with the contents of the second compartment, and prior to intravenous or intramuscular injection via the hypodermic needle. The first compartment includes the slideable member, which is pushed downwardly in order to puncture the membrane and mix the two components stored in the respective compartment. The second compartment forms the mixing chamber when the contents of the first compartment descend therein.
Inventors: Johnathan D. Hoggatt (Richmond, Va.)
July 22, 2014
Berm and method of construction thereof
Patent No. 8,784,008
Embodiments of the invention comprise berm to increase capacity of an existing landfill. The landfill comprises a waste-receiving recess having a surface and an outer perimeter, an edge surface peripherally adjacent at least a portion of the outer perimeter, and an existing accumulation of waste within the recess. The berm comprises a reinforced portion having opposing inner and outer surfaces and comprising fill material and a plurality of reinforcing members disposed therein, backfill material having an inner surface adjacent the inner surface of the reinforced portion, and an impermeable membrane encapsulating at least a portion of the backfill material, at least a portion of the fill material, and at least a portion of one or more of the reinforcing members.
Inventors: Carlton Dudding (Glen Allen, Va.)
Assignee: AWT IP LLC (Glen Allen, Va.)
July 22, 2014
Acquiring a storage system into copy services management software
Patent No. 8,788,877
In one embodiment, a computer program product includes a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, configured for: validating a replication of copy services between a first storage system and a second storage system, removing a plurality of existing copy relationships between the first storage system and a failed storage system, creating a plurality of copy relationships between the first storage system and the second storage system, and synchronizing a plurality of data between the first storage system and the second storage system. In more embodiments, a system includes logic for performing the above functionality, and a method includes steps for performing the above functionality.
Inventors: Amy N. Blea (Round Rock, Texas), David R. Blea (Tucson, Ariz.), William D. Olsen (Tucson, Ariz.), John J. Wolfgang (Midlothian, Va.)
Assignee: International Business Machines Corp. (Armonk, N.Y.)
July 22, 2014
System and method for guaranteeing minimum periodic retirement income payments using an adjustment account
Patent No. 8,781,929
A system and method for providing a user with a plurality of guaranteed minimum retirement income payments is disclosed. The system comprises a variable immediate annuity module to receive an income generating payment and to output a guaranteed minimum retirement income payment amount wherein the periodic retirement income payment amount is greater than, equal to, or less than a guaranteed minimum periodic retirement income payment amount if the income generating payments received are received according to a predetermined payment schedule, and wherein the predetermined guaranteed minimum periodic retirement income payment amount is defined by the user. The system also includes an adjustment module for comparing the periodic retirement income payment amount and the guaranteed minimum periodic retirement income payment amount, and for outputting to the user at least the guaranteed minimum periodic retirement income payment amount, the adjustment module storing a balance in an adjustment account if the periodic retirement income payment amount is less than the guaranteed minimum periodic retirement income payment amount.
Inventors: Geoffrey Stiff (Richmond, Va.) Mary Fay (Richmond, Va.), Paul Haley (Glen Allen, Va.), Vickey Root (Richmond, Va.), Matthew Sharpe (Glen Allen, Va.)
Assignee: Genworth Holdings Inc. (Richmond, Va.)
July 15, 2014
Anti-scale composition and method of use for leach fields
Patent No. 8,778,049
Disclosed is a method for treating heap leach stacks by applying an insoluble polyimide composition, such as polysuccinimide, to the surface of an ore stack and/or incorporating the insoluble polyimide composition throughout the ore stack. The insoluble polyimide composition is then exposed to an aqueous solution to initiate hydrolysis and produce one or more water soluble products, such as hydrolyzed polyimides, polycarboxylates, polycarboxylic acids and mixtures thereof that will permeate the ore stack at a concentration sufficient to suppress scale formation within the leach stack. The water soluble products may also act to suppress scale formation in piping and channels peripheral to the leach stack, thereby reducing maintenance expenses.
Inventors: Kevin Gottschalk (Maidens, Va.), John Richardson (Hanover, Va.), Greg Rose (Richmond, Va.), Rob Bedinger (Richmond, Va.)
Assignee: Chemtreat Inc. (Glen Allen, Va.)
July 15, 2014
Nut shelling machine and method
Patent No. 8,776,677
A nut shelling apparatus and method for the shelling of nuts such as chinquapins and chestnuts without substantially damaging the meat of the nuts. The nut shelling machine utilizes a combination of the inertia of the nut and a planar rotating cutting disc, such as one with a layer of aluminum oxide abrasive material, to cut the shell of the nut in a series of small cuts. The rotating abrasive disc utilizes the resistive inertia of the nuts to launch the nut in an upward direction and causing the nuts to fall onto the abrasive surface to repeatedly cut the shells. The repeated cutting action results in removal of a substantial amount of the shell in a short period of time while at the same time minimizing damage to the meat of the nut.
Inventors: Auzville Jackson Jr. (Richmond, Va.), Gerald Whitmer (Shenandoah Junction, W. Va.)
July 15, 2014
Modular door system for refrigerated case
Patent No. 8,776,439
A modular door system is provided including at least one substantially transparent panel and a frame extending about a perimeter of the panel. The frame includes a pair of horizontal frame elements and a pair of vertical frame elements. One vertical frame element is configured to pivot about a pivot axis so that the other vertical frame element is movable between an open and a closed position. The modular door system further includes at least one receptacle disposed in the frame and a first cartridge removably receivable in the receptacle to facilitate pivoting the one vertical frame element about the pivot axis. The first cartridge is replaceable or interchangeable with at least a second cartridge. The cartridges may provide for the modular door system to be post-formation customized to change, add, or remove certain functionalities or features.
Inventors: Larry C. Howington (Chesterfield, Va.), Steven O. Stubblefield (Mechanicsville, Va.)
Assignee: Hill Phoenix Inc. (Conyers, Ga.)
July 15, 2014
Polyvalent chimeric OspC vaccinogen and diagnostic antigen
Patent No. 8,778,352
A chimeric polyvalent recombinant protein for use as a vaccine and diagnostic for Lyme disease is provided. The chimeric protein comprises epitopes of the loop 5 region and/or the alpha helix 5 region of outer surface protein C (OspC) types. The OspC types may be associated with mammalian Borrelia infections.
Inventors: Richard Thomas Marconi (Midlothian, Va.), Christopher Earnhart (Williamsburg, Va.)
Assignee: Virginia Commonwealth University (Richmond, Va.)
July 15, 2014
Litter disposal device
Patent No. 8,776,804
A handheld litter disposal device for temporarily storing and containing cigarette ash, butts, and other litter. The litter disposal device includes a cap, a storage system, a pivot system adapted to permit the cap to move between the closed and open positions, and an extinguishing system containable within the storage system and adapted to extinguish the lit end of a cigarette. In the open position, ashes, butts, and unused portions of cigarettes, cigars, and/or other similar products can be transported from the outside to the inside of the litter disposal device and vice versa. In the closed position, however, cigarette ash and butts cannot enter or exit the storage system of the litter disposal device. The storage system has a rounded bottom or outer surface to prevent the litter disposal device from maintaining an upright position.
Inventors: Eric L. Zeanah (Knoxville, Tenn.), Wilmer Odom (Midlothian, Va.)
Assignee: Philip Morris USA Inc. (Richmond, Va.)
July 15, 2014
Multi-sided media viewer and technique for media association
Patent No. 8,782,043
A system provides a multi-sided media viewer capable of displaying media assets from an electronic archival news and content database. Each side of the media player contains different information regarding the media asset. A primary side of the media asset may display a media asset related to an educational program, such as a course curriculum or the like. The secondary sides of the media viewer may contain additional information regarding that media asset, including personalized information generated by a system user as well as automatically populated information, such as information collected from other external news services or content providers. The system may further provide an educational game in which users are encouraged to find and draw connections between media assets to create an interconnection of related news items. The multi-sided media viewer may be a two-sided cue card, or a multidimensional news or content element having any number of sides depending on the additional information to be displayed with the media asset.
Inventors: Alexander S. Chisholm (West Roxbury, Mass.), Kathleen Abbott (Ashland, Va.), Jason Haas (Somerville, Mass.), Robert Stupay (Brooklyn, N.Y.)
Assignee: NBC Universal Inc. (New York, N.Y.)
July 15, 2014
Biodegradable fuel performance additives
Patent No. 8,778,034
There is disclosed a biodegradable fuel additive composition derived from at least one animal or plant source, and a fuel composition containing a biodegradable fuel additive composition derived from at least one animal or plant source useful for reducing the formation of engine deposits and for improving fuel economy of a vehicle combusting the fuel composition.
Inventors: Lawrence J. Cunningham (Mechanicsville, Va.)
Assignee: Afton Chemical Corp. (Richmond, Va.)
July 15, 2014
System and method for managing related accounts
Patent No. 8,788,413
The present application relates to a system and method for managing a plurality of accounts. A plurality of accounts is provided, with each account being associated with a customer. Account activity information associated with at least one action regarding one of the plurality of accounts is received at a first predetermined frequency. The received account activity information is analyzed, and at least one term of another account amongst the plurality of accounts is modified based upon a result of the analysis at a second predetermined frequency.
Inventors: Jeremy Keith Rabson (Newton, Mass.), Scott David Grimes (Richmond, Va.)
Assignee: Capital One Financial Corp. (McLean, Va.)
July 22
First aid pen having separate compartments
Patent No. 8,784,372
The first aid pen having separate compartments is comprised of a pressure cap that can retract to expose a hypodermic needle suspended under and in fluid communication with a mixing chamber. The first aid pen includes a first compartment and a second compartment. The second compartment includes a membrane upon a top surface, which is punctured upon pushing a slideable member of the first compartment downwardly. Once the membrane is broken, the contents of the first compartment descends into and mix with the contents of the second compartment, and prior to intravenous or intramuscular injection via the hypodermic needle. The first compartment includes the slideable member, which is pushed downwardly in order to puncture the membrane and mix the two components stored in the respective compartment. The second compartment forms the mixing chamber when the contents of the first compartment descend therein.
Inventors: Johnathan D. Hoggatt (Richmond, Va.)
July 22, 2014
Berm and method of construction thereof
Patent No. 8,784,008
Embodiments of the invention comprise berm to increase capacity of an existing landfill. The landfill comprises a waste-receiving recess having a surface and an outer perimeter, an edge surface peripherally adjacent at least a portion of the outer perimeter, and an existing accumulation of waste within the recess. The berm comprises a reinforced portion having opposing inner and outer surfaces and comprising fill material and a plurality of reinforcing members disposed therein, backfill material having an inner surface adjacent the inner surface of the reinforced portion, and an impermeable membrane encapsulating at least a portion of the backfill material, at least a portion of the fill material, and at least a portion of one or more of the reinforcing members.
Inventors: Carlton Dudding (Glen Allen, Va.)
Assignee: AWT IP LLC (Glen Allen, Va.)
July 22, 2014
Acquiring a storage system into copy services management software
Patent No. 8,788,877
In one embodiment, a computer program product includes a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, configured for: validating a replication of copy services between a first storage system and a second storage system, removing a plurality of existing copy relationships between the first storage system and a failed storage system, creating a plurality of copy relationships between the first storage system and the second storage system, and synchronizing a plurality of data between the first storage system and the second storage system. In more embodiments, a system includes logic for performing the above functionality, and a method includes steps for performing the above functionality.
Inventors: Amy N. Blea (Round Rock, Texas), David R. Blea (Tucson, Ariz.), William D. Olsen (Tucson, Ariz.), John J. Wolfgang (Midlothian, Va.)
Assignee: International Business Machines Corp. (Armonk, N.Y.)
July 22, 2014