Systems and methods for generating distractors in language learning
Patent No. 9,875,669
Disclosed are systems, methods, and products for language learning software that automatically extracts text from resources using various natural-language processing features, which can be combined with custom-designed learning activities to offer a needs-based, adaptive learning methodology. The system may receive a text, extract keywords pedagogically valuable to non-native language learning, assign a difficulty score to the text using various linguistic attributes of the text, generate a list of potential distractors for each keyword related to a resource to implement in learning activities. Distractors may be of various types, which are dynamically selected from a distractor store depending on a learning activity chosen to meet a learner’s needs. Distractors may vary in difficulty, and may be dynamically selected based on a learner’s overall proficiency or based on a learner’s abilities in specific language skills.
Inventors: Katharine Nielson (Richmond), Kasey Kirkham (New York, N.Y.), Na’im Tyson (Mount Vernon, N.Y.), Andrew Breen (New York, N.Y.)
Assignee: Voxy Inc. (New York, N.Y.)
Jan. 23, 2018
Dialkyaminoalkanol friction modifiers for fuels and lubricants
Patent No. 9,873,849
A fuel composition, a lubricant composition, and methods for reducing friction or wear of moving parts. The fuel composition includes gasoline and from about 10 to about 500 ppm by weight of a dialkylaminoalkanol of the formula R.sup.1(R.sup.2)NCH.sub.2CH(R.sup.3)R.sup.4. The lubricant composition includes base oil of lubricating viscosity and from about 0.05 to about 5.0 weight percent of a dialkylaminoalkanol of the formula R.sup.1(R.sup.2)NCH.sub.2CH(R.sup.3)R.sup.4. In the above formulas wherein R.sup.1 is an alkyl group or a hydroxyalkyl group containing from 8 to 50 carbon atoms; R.sup.2 is an alkyl group containing from 1 to 4 carbon atoms; R.sup.3 is selected from H and OH; and R.sup.4 is selected from H, an alkyl group containing from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, and CH.sub.2OH and wherein at least one of R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 contains a hydroxyl group and provided that when R.sup.1 is a hydroxyalkyl group, R.sup.3 is OH and R.sup.4 is CH.sub.2OH.
Inventors: Scott A. Culley (Midlothian, Va.), Xinggao Fang (Midlothian, Va.), Scott D. Schwab (Richmond)
Assignee: Afton Chemical Corporation (Richmond, VA)
Jan. 23, 2018
Fuel additives for treating internal deposits of fuel injectors
Patent No. 9,873,848
Methods for improving the injector performance, unsticking fuel injectors, and reducing an amount of alkali metal carboxylate deposits on internal components of fuel injectors. The method includes operating the diesel engine on a fuel composition comprising a major amount of diesel fuel and from about 45 to about 550 ppm by weight based on a total weight of fuel composition of a fuel additive consisting essentially of a compound of the formula ##STR00001## wherein R is an alkyl or alkenyl group containing from 20 to 170 carbon atoms. The additive has a total acid number (TAN) ranging from about 50 to about 290 mg KOH/g. Fuel injectors of the fuel injected diesel engine have an average injector hole diameter of less than 160 .mu.m and an average smallest clearance between injector needle and injector barrel/casing of less than about 10 .mu.m.
Inventors: Xinggao Fang (Midlothian, Va.), Scott D. Schwab (Richmond)
Assignee: Afton Chemical Corp. (Richmond)
Jan. 23, 2018
Tobacco smoke filter
Patent No. 9,872,517
A tip for a smoking article such as a cigar is disclosed. The tip comprises a longitudinally extending element comprising a plurality of bicomponent fibers which define at least one channel extending longitudinally of the element.
Inventors: James D. Reed (Newcastle, Great Britain), Bennett C. Ward (Richmond)
Assignee: Essentra Filter Products Development Co. Pte. Ltd. (Singapore)
Jan. 23, 2018
Oral product
Patent No. 9,872,516
An oral product includes a body that is wholly receivable in an oral cavity. The body includes a mouth-stable polymer matrix, cellulosic fibers embedded in the mouth-stable polymer matrix, and nicotine or a derivative thereof dispersed in the mouth-stable polymer matrix. The oral product is adapted to release the nicotine or derivative thereof from the body when the body is received within the oral cavity and exposed to saliva.
Inventors: Feng Gao (Midlothian, Va.), Frank Scott Atchley (Tarpon Springs, Fla.), Gregory James Griscik (Midlothian, Va.), Christopher Joseph DiNovi (Ruther Glen, Va.), Phillip M. Hulan (Midlothian, Va.), Diane L. Gee (Chesterfield, Va.), Jason Flora (Richmond), Shuzhong Zhuang (Glen Allen, Va.)
Assignee: Altria Client Services (Richmond)
Jan. 23, 2018
Arrangement for efficient search and retrieval of indexes used to locate captured packets
Patent No. 9,876,701
An indexing arrangement enables efficient search and retrieval of indexes persistently stored in a metadata repository and used to locate packets captured from a network and persistently stored in a data repository. The packets are captured at a packet capture and retrieval system having persistent storage devices organized as files of the metadata and data repositories. Search and retrieval of the indexes within the files of the metadata repository occur at substantially a same time as one or more other captured packets is written to one or more files of the data repository to realize a substantially high sustained packet transfer rate of the network.
Inventors: Randy I. Caldejon (Crozet, Va.), Dennis Lee Edwards (Crozet, Va.), Christopher Hayes Fauerbach (Midlothian, Va.)
Assignee: FireEye Inc. (Milpitas, Calif.)
Jan. 23, 2018
System for coupling package displays to remote power source
Patent No. 9,881,327
A merchandising system having a power distribution device associated with a package support system, and a package having a sensory output such as an image display capable of using power, data and/or signals provided from the power distribution device to produce a desired output when the package is associated with the package support system. Packaging materials of the package form the coupling medium for contactless coupling such as capacitive coupling of a controlled signal provided to the package support system to a display on the package.
Inventors: William R. Sweeney (Richmond), Kristen M. Totty (Richmond), Robert J. Maher (Midlothian, Va.)
Assignee: Philip Morris USA Inc. (Richmond)
Jan. 30, 2018
Rigid structural and low back face signature ballistic UD/articles and method of making
Patent No. 9,880,080
Fabrication of ballistic resistant fibrous composites having improved ballistic resistance properties. More particularly, ballistic resistant fibrous composites having enhanced a dynamic storage modulus, which correlates to low composite backface signature.
Inventors: Thomas Yiu-Tai Tam (Chesterfield, Va.), John Armstrong Young (Midlothian, Va.), Ronnie Moore (Midlothian, Va.), David A. Hurst (Richmond)
Assignee: Honeywell International Inc. (Morris Plains, N.J.)
Jan. 30, 2018
Catalyst material extraction from polycrystalline diamond tables
Patent No. 9,878,957
Catalyst extraction from polycrystalline diamond table may be achieved by treating with a halogen (in the gas phase or dissolved in a nonpolar organic solvent) to convert the catalyzing material to a salt. Then, polar organic solvents may optionally be used to leach the salt from the polycrystalline diamond table. The polycrystalline diamond (with the salt of the catalyzing material present or at least partially leached therefrom) may be brazed to a hard composite substrate to produce a cutter suitable for use in a matrix drill bit.
Inventors: Enrique Antonio Reyes (Tomball, Texas), Tiffany Anne Pinder (Houston, Texas), Qi Liang (Richmond), Gagan Saini (Conroe, Texas), Brian Atkins (Houston, Texas)
Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Inc. (Houston, Texas)
Jan. 30, 2018
Electronic smoking article
Patent No. 9,877,511
An electronic smoking article includes a liquid aerosol formulation, a heater operable to at least partially volatilize the liquid aerosol formulation and form an aerosol and a tubular filter segment downstream of the heater. The tubular filter segment is operable to selectively filter aerosol particles and vapors from the aerosol.
Inventors: San Li (Midlothian, Va.), Georgios D. Karles (Richmond), Richard Jupe (Richmond), Gerd Kobal (Sandy Hook, Va.), Munmaya K. Mishra (Manakin Sabot, Va.)
Assignee: Altria Client Services (Richmond)
Jan. 30, 2018
Micro-vaporizer heating element and method of vaporization
Patent No. 9,877,509
A heating element for a micro-vaporizer including a heating element, and a wetted surface or a fluid storing membrane that fit snuggly onto an outer surface of the heating element. Vaporization is achieved by applying a current through the heating element that is higher than an inherent power rating of the heating element to generate heat that vaporizes fluids supplied to the wetted surface or stored in the fluid storing membrane.
Inventors: Wei Dai (Shanghai, China), Yongjie James Xu (Richmond)
Assignee: Westfield Ltd. (Hong Kong, China)
Jan. 30, 2018
Electronic cigarette
Patent No. 9,877,508
A cartomizer for an electronic smoking article, an electronic smoking article capable of providing a smoking experience without combusting tobacco, and a method of achieving a smoking experience without combusting tobacco are disclosed. The cartomizer can include an annular fluid reservoir having an air flow channel therein; a liquid material within the fluid reservoir; and a heater, which surrounds the fluid reservoir and is operable to heat the fluid reservoir to a temperature sufficient to at least initially volatilize the liquid material contained within the fluid reservoir to form a saturated vapor within the air flow channel.
Inventors: David B. Kane (Richmond)
Assignee: Altria Client Services (Richmond)
Jan. 30, 2018
Detection of potential need to use a larger data format in performing floating point operations
Patent No. 9,880,840
Detection of whether a result of a floating point operation is safe. Characteristics of the result are examined to determine whether the result is safe or potentially unsafe, as defined by the user. An instruction is provided to facilitate detection of safe or potentially unsafe results.
Inventors: Michael F. Cowlishaw (Coventry, Great Britain), Shawn D. Lundvall (Midlothian, Va.), Ronald M. Smith Sr. (Wappingers Falls, N.Y.), Yeh; Phil C. Yeh (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.)
Assignee: International Business Machines Corp. (Armonk, N.Y.)
Jan. 30, 2018
Electronic smoking article and improved heater element
Patent No. 9,877,516
An electronic cigarette includes a liquid supply including liquid material, a heater operable to heat the liquid material to a temperature sufficient to vaporize the liquid material and form an aerosol, and a wick in communication with the liquid material and in communication with the heater such that the wick delivers the liquid material to the heater. The heater is formed of a mesh material.
Inventors: Christopher S. Tucker (Midlothian, Va.), Geoffrey Brandon Jordan (Midlothian, Va.)
Assignee: Altria Client Services (Richmond)
Jan. 30, 2018
Electrical mullion receptacle
Patent No. 9,879,470
A door mullion receptacle box assembly includes a toe plate, a channel box and block components. When a mullion is removed from a building/room opening, the toe plate may be fixed in the mullion receptacle box thus creating a uniform threshold across the width of the door openings. Using the assembly described herein, however, there are no large diameter holes in the top of the toe plate and no projections into the opening that could be a trip hazard. The present assembly replaces traditional fixed sill blocks mounted to the floor, or to the top of a threshold to anchor the bottom of conventional mullions. A typical mullion is locked in place with a lock at the top of the mullion. When installed, this mullion is placed over the sill block at the sill and tilted into place and locked into a header block at the top of the mullion. However because the components of the conventional sill blocks project up into the mullion from the thresholds, they become a trip hazard and a liability when the mullion is temporarily removed.
Inventors: James Thomas Clarke Jr. (Henrico, Va.), Kenneth Russell Snow (Clear Brook, Va.)
Assignee: Frame & Mullions (Henrico, Va.)
Jan. 30, 2018
Systems and methods for generating distractors in language learning
Patent No. 9,875,669
Disclosed are systems, methods, and products for language learning software that automatically extracts text from resources using various natural-language processing features, which can be combined with custom-designed learning activities to offer a needs-based, adaptive learning methodology. The system may receive a text, extract keywords pedagogically valuable to non-native language learning, assign a difficulty score to the text using various linguistic attributes of the text, generate a list of potential distractors for each keyword related to a resource to implement in learning activities. Distractors may be of various types, which are dynamically selected from a distractor store depending on a learning activity chosen to meet a learner’s needs. Distractors may vary in difficulty, and may be dynamically selected based on a learner’s overall proficiency or based on a learner’s abilities in specific language skills.
Inventors: Katharine Nielson (Richmond), Kasey Kirkham (New York, N.Y.), Na’im Tyson (Mount Vernon, N.Y.), Andrew Breen (New York, N.Y.)
Assignee: Voxy Inc. (New York, N.Y.)
Jan. 23, 2018
Dialkyaminoalkanol friction modifiers for fuels and lubricants
Patent No. 9,873,849
A fuel composition, a lubricant composition, and methods for reducing friction or wear of moving parts. The fuel composition includes gasoline and from about 10 to about 500 ppm by weight of a dialkylaminoalkanol of the formula R.sup.1(R.sup.2)NCH.sub.2CH(R.sup.3)R.sup.4. The lubricant composition includes base oil of lubricating viscosity and from about 0.05 to about 5.0 weight percent of a dialkylaminoalkanol of the formula R.sup.1(R.sup.2)NCH.sub.2CH(R.sup.3)R.sup.4. In the above formulas wherein R.sup.1 is an alkyl group or a hydroxyalkyl group containing from 8 to 50 carbon atoms; R.sup.2 is an alkyl group containing from 1 to 4 carbon atoms; R.sup.3 is selected from H and OH; and R.sup.4 is selected from H, an alkyl group containing from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, and CH.sub.2OH and wherein at least one of R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 contains a hydroxyl group and provided that when R.sup.1 is a hydroxyalkyl group, R.sup.3 is OH and R.sup.4 is CH.sub.2OH.
Inventors: Scott A. Culley (Midlothian, Va.), Xinggao Fang (Midlothian, Va.), Scott D. Schwab (Richmond)
Assignee: Afton Chemical Corporation (Richmond, VA)
Jan. 23, 2018
Fuel additives for treating internal deposits of fuel injectors
Patent No. 9,873,848
Methods for improving the injector performance, unsticking fuel injectors, and reducing an amount of alkali metal carboxylate deposits on internal components of fuel injectors. The method includes operating the diesel engine on a fuel composition comprising a major amount of diesel fuel and from about 45 to about 550 ppm by weight based on a total weight of fuel composition of a fuel additive consisting essentially of a compound of the formula ##STR00001## wherein R is an alkyl or alkenyl group containing from 20 to 170 carbon atoms. The additive has a total acid number (TAN) ranging from about 50 to about 290 mg KOH/g. Fuel injectors of the fuel injected diesel engine have an average injector hole diameter of less than 160 .mu.m and an average smallest clearance between injector needle and injector barrel/casing of less than about 10 .mu.m.
Inventors: Xinggao Fang (Midlothian, Va.), Scott D. Schwab (Richmond)
Assignee: Afton Chemical Corp. (Richmond)
Jan. 23, 2018
Tobacco smoke filter
Patent No. 9,872,517
A tip for a smoking article such as a cigar is disclosed. The tip comprises a longitudinally extending element comprising a plurality of bicomponent fibers which define at least one channel extending longitudinally of the element.
Inventors: James D. Reed (Newcastle, Great Britain), Bennett C. Ward (Richmond)
Assignee: Essentra Filter Products Development Co. Pte. Ltd. (Singapore)
Jan. 23, 2018
Oral product
Patent No. 9,872,516
An oral product includes a body that is wholly receivable in an oral cavity. The body includes a mouth-stable polymer matrix, cellulosic fibers embedded in the mouth-stable polymer matrix, and nicotine or a derivative thereof dispersed in the mouth-stable polymer matrix. The oral product is adapted to release the nicotine or derivative thereof from the body when the body is received within the oral cavity and exposed to saliva.
Inventors: Feng Gao (Midlothian, Va.), Frank Scott Atchley (Tarpon Springs, Fla.), Gregory James Griscik (Midlothian, Va.), Christopher Joseph DiNovi (Ruther Glen, Va.), Phillip M. Hulan (Midlothian, Va.), Diane L. Gee (Chesterfield, Va.), Jason Flora (Richmond), Shuzhong Zhuang (Glen Allen, Va.)
Assignee: Altria Client Services (Richmond)
Jan. 23, 2018
Arrangement for efficient search and retrieval of indexes used to locate captured packets
Patent No. 9,876,701
An indexing arrangement enables efficient search and retrieval of indexes persistently stored in a metadata repository and used to locate packets captured from a network and persistently stored in a data repository. The packets are captured at a packet capture and retrieval system having persistent storage devices organized as files of the metadata and data repositories. Search and retrieval of the indexes within the files of the metadata repository occur at substantially a same time as one or more other captured packets is written to one or more files of the data repository to realize a substantially high sustained packet transfer rate of the network.
Inventors: Randy I. Caldejon (Crozet, Va.), Dennis Lee Edwards (Crozet, Va.), Christopher Hayes Fauerbach (Midlothian, Va.)
Assignee: FireEye Inc. (Milpitas, Calif.)
Jan. 23, 2018
System for coupling package displays to remote power source
Patent No. 9,881,327
A merchandising system having a power distribution device associated with a package support system, and a package having a sensory output such as an image display capable of using power, data and/or signals provided from the power distribution device to produce a desired output when the package is associated with the package support system. Packaging materials of the package form the coupling medium for contactless coupling such as capacitive coupling of a controlled signal provided to the package support system to a display on the package.
Inventors: William R. Sweeney (Richmond), Kristen M. Totty (Richmond), Robert J. Maher (Midlothian, Va.)
Assignee: Philip Morris USA Inc. (Richmond)
Jan. 30, 2018
Rigid structural and low back face signature ballistic UD/articles and method of making
Patent No. 9,880,080
Fabrication of ballistic resistant fibrous composites having improved ballistic resistance properties. More particularly, ballistic resistant fibrous composites having enhanced a dynamic storage modulus, which correlates to low composite backface signature.
Inventors: Thomas Yiu-Tai Tam (Chesterfield, Va.), John Armstrong Young (Midlothian, Va.), Ronnie Moore (Midlothian, Va.), David A. Hurst (Richmond)
Assignee: Honeywell International Inc. (Morris Plains, N.J.)
Jan. 30, 2018
Catalyst material extraction from polycrystalline diamond tables
Patent No. 9,878,957
Catalyst extraction from polycrystalline diamond table may be achieved by treating with a halogen (in the gas phase or dissolved in a nonpolar organic solvent) to convert the catalyzing material to a salt. Then, polar organic solvents may optionally be used to leach the salt from the polycrystalline diamond table. The polycrystalline diamond (with the salt of the catalyzing material present or at least partially leached therefrom) may be brazed to a hard composite substrate to produce a cutter suitable for use in a matrix drill bit.
Inventors: Enrique Antonio Reyes (Tomball, Texas), Tiffany Anne Pinder (Houston, Texas), Qi Liang (Richmond), Gagan Saini (Conroe, Texas), Brian Atkins (Houston, Texas)
Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Inc. (Houston, Texas)
Jan. 30, 2018
Electronic smoking article
Patent No. 9,877,511
An electronic smoking article includes a liquid aerosol formulation, a heater operable to at least partially volatilize the liquid aerosol formulation and form an aerosol and a tubular filter segment downstream of the heater. The tubular filter segment is operable to selectively filter aerosol particles and vapors from the aerosol.
Inventors: San Li (Midlothian, Va.), Georgios D. Karles (Richmond), Richard Jupe (Richmond), Gerd Kobal (Sandy Hook, Va.), Munmaya K. Mishra (Manakin Sabot, Va.)
Assignee: Altria Client Services (Richmond)
Jan. 30, 2018
Micro-vaporizer heating element and method of vaporization
Patent No. 9,877,509
A heating element for a micro-vaporizer including a heating element, and a wetted surface or a fluid storing membrane that fit snuggly onto an outer surface of the heating element. Vaporization is achieved by applying a current through the heating element that is higher than an inherent power rating of the heating element to generate heat that vaporizes fluids supplied to the wetted surface or stored in the fluid storing membrane.
Inventors: Wei Dai (Shanghai, China), Yongjie James Xu (Richmond)
Assignee: Westfield Ltd. (Hong Kong, China)
Jan. 30, 2018
Electronic cigarette
Patent No. 9,877,508
A cartomizer for an electronic smoking article, an electronic smoking article capable of providing a smoking experience without combusting tobacco, and a method of achieving a smoking experience without combusting tobacco are disclosed. The cartomizer can include an annular fluid reservoir having an air flow channel therein; a liquid material within the fluid reservoir; and a heater, which surrounds the fluid reservoir and is operable to heat the fluid reservoir to a temperature sufficient to at least initially volatilize the liquid material contained within the fluid reservoir to form a saturated vapor within the air flow channel.
Inventors: David B. Kane (Richmond)
Assignee: Altria Client Services (Richmond)
Jan. 30, 2018
Detection of potential need to use a larger data format in performing floating point operations
Patent No. 9,880,840
Detection of whether a result of a floating point operation is safe. Characteristics of the result are examined to determine whether the result is safe or potentially unsafe, as defined by the user. An instruction is provided to facilitate detection of safe or potentially unsafe results.
Inventors: Michael F. Cowlishaw (Coventry, Great Britain), Shawn D. Lundvall (Midlothian, Va.), Ronald M. Smith Sr. (Wappingers Falls, N.Y.), Yeh; Phil C. Yeh (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.)
Assignee: International Business Machines Corp. (Armonk, N.Y.)
Jan. 30, 2018
Electronic smoking article and improved heater element
Patent No. 9,877,516
An electronic cigarette includes a liquid supply including liquid material, a heater operable to heat the liquid material to a temperature sufficient to vaporize the liquid material and form an aerosol, and a wick in communication with the liquid material and in communication with the heater such that the wick delivers the liquid material to the heater. The heater is formed of a mesh material.
Inventors: Christopher S. Tucker (Midlothian, Va.), Geoffrey Brandon Jordan (Midlothian, Va.)
Assignee: Altria Client Services (Richmond)
Jan. 30, 2018
Electrical mullion receptacle
Patent No. 9,879,470
A door mullion receptacle box assembly includes a toe plate, a channel box and block components. When a mullion is removed from a building/room opening, the toe plate may be fixed in the mullion receptacle box thus creating a uniform threshold across the width of the door openings. Using the assembly described herein, however, there are no large diameter holes in the top of the toe plate and no projections into the opening that could be a trip hazard. The present assembly replaces traditional fixed sill blocks mounted to the floor, or to the top of a threshold to anchor the bottom of conventional mullions. A typical mullion is locked in place with a lock at the top of the mullion. When installed, this mullion is placed over the sill block at the sill and tilted into place and locked into a header block at the top of the mullion. However because the components of the conventional sill blocks project up into the mullion from the thresholds, they become a trip hazard and a liability when the mullion is temporarily removed.
Inventors: James Thomas Clarke Jr. (Henrico, Va.), Kenneth Russell Snow (Clear Brook, Va.)
Assignee: Frame & Mullions (Henrico, Va.)
Jan. 30, 2018