Systems and methods for communicating with a unique identifier
Patent No. 10,271,188
A system for device communication is disclosed. The system may include one or more memory devices storing instructions and one or more processors configured to execute the instructions to transmit a first unique identifier to a wave device, and receive a second unique identifier from the wave device. Further, the first unique identifier may exclusively identify a person, and the second unique identifier may exclusively identify a first wave receiver associated with a person, an entity, a place, or an object. In addition, at least the first unique identifier may be transmitted to the wave device based on an indication of a proximity between the first person and the first wave receiver.
Inventors: Eric K. Barnum (Midlothian, Va.), Anthony Reynolds (Richmond)
Assignee: Capital One Services (McLean, Va.)
April 23, 2019
Light apparatus having controlled sequenced light patterns
Patent No. 10,267,484
A light apparatus that includes a light assembly having a control module to control an operating mode of light sources in a light array, including control a sequence of light and an intensity of light emitted from each light source in the array. A housing assembly for the light assembly includes an inner housing having a first material layer defining a first faceted member to receive the light assembly and permit emission of light from the light sources therethrough, and an outer housing having a second material layer defining a second faceted member to receive the inner housing to refract and project the light emitted through the inner housing in a predetermined or random direction and predetermined or random pattern. The predetermined or random pattern includes a patterned shadow formed from an internal refraction of light in different directions as light passes through the second material layer, thereby creating a visual appearance of dynamic movement of the predetermined or random pattern relative to a surface to be illuminated or an area in three-dimensional space to be illuminated.
Inventors: Fei Qiu (Richmond), Lin hui Sun (Ningbo, China), Brittany Toler (Midlothian,Va.)
Assignee: Evergreen Enterprises of Virginia (Richmond)
April 23, 2019
Lyme disease vaccine
Patent No. 10,266,571
Antigenic polypeptides comprising linear immunodominant epitopes of Borrelia outer surface protein A (OspA) or Borrelia outer surface protein C (OspC) are useful as vaccines against Lyme disease, and as diagnostics for detecting Borrelia infections. The OspA and OspC antigenic polypeptides typically comprise a plurality of peptides representing epitope containing regions from multiple distinct phyletic groups. The antigenic polypeptides may also include epitopes from both Borrelia OspA and Borrelia OspC.
Inventors: Christopher G. Earnhart (Williamsburg, Va.), Richard T. Marconi (Richmond)
Assignee: Virginia Commonwealth University (Richmond)
April 23, 2019
Biopolymer foams as filters for smoking articles
Patent No. 10,264,815
A process for preparing a filter plug for a smoking article, such as a cigarette, includes: (a) freeze-drying a solution of a biopolymer to form a structure; and (b) cutting the structure to a predetermined dimension, to thereby prepare a filter plug for a smoking article. Another process for preparing a filter plug for a smoking article, such as a cigarette, includes: (a) extruding a mixture of a foaming agent and a biopolymer comprising a protein to form a structure; and (b) cutting the structure to a predetermined dimension, to thereby form a filter plug for a smoking article.
Inventors: Munmaya K. Mishra (Manakin Sabot, Va.), Shengsheng Liu (Richmond), William R. Sweeney (Richmond), Peter J. Lipowicz (Midlothian, Va.)
Assignee: Philip Morris USA Inc. (Richmond)
April 23, 2019
Separator having adhesive layer, manufacturing method of the same, and electrochemical device having the same
Patent No. 10,270,075
A heat-resistant separator contains a porous film, a polymeric fibrous layer adhesively bonded to the surface of the porous film, and an adhesive binder layer located between the porous film and the fibrous layer and covering at least a portion of the surface of the porous film. The fibrous layer contains fibers manufactured of a polyimide wherein the fibers of a form of polyimide comprise fibers with a majority of fibers having diameters in the range of 1-3000 nm. In one of the embodiment the binder layer contains sodium carboxymethylcellulose, and the amount of adhesive present between the porous film and the fibrous web in the final product is within the range of 0.30 grams per square meter of covered surface of porous film to 0.90 grams per square meter of covered surface of porous film.
Inventors: Pankaj Arora (Chesterfield, Va.), Jacob L. Jones (North Chesterfield, Va.)
Assignee: E I Du Pont De Nemours and Co. (Wilmington, DE)
April 23, 2019
Activating an emergency mode associated with a user device
Patent No. 10,271,196
A device may detect an indication to activate an emergency mode associated with the user device. The emergency mode may be associated with gathering data related to an emergency. The device may determine a manner in which to configure a set of components or a set of actions to perform. The set of components may be associated with gathering the data. The device may activate the emergency mode. The emergency mode may be activated by at least one of: configuring the set of components, or performing the set of actions. The device may gather the data utilizing the set of components. The device may dynamically: store the data utilizing one or more memory resources of the user device after gathering the data, or provide the data to another device. The device may determine to terminate the emergency mode.
Inventors: Rajesh Yanamandra (Glen Allen, Va.)
Assignee: Capital One Services (McLean, Va.)
April 23, 2019
Tobacco nicotine demethylase genomic clone and uses thereof
Patent No. 10,266,836
The present invention features tobacco nicotine demethylase nucleic acid and amino acid sequences, tobacco plants and plant components containing such sequences, including tobacco plants and plant components having reduced expression or altered enzymatic activity of nicotine demethylase, methods of use of nicotine demethylase sequences to create plants having altered levels of nornicotine or N’-nitrosonornicotine (“NNN”) or both relative to a control plant, as well as tobacco articles having reduced levels of nornicotine or NNN.
Inventors: Dongmei Xu (Glen Allen, Va.)
Assignee: U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Co. (Richmond)
April 23, 2019
Electronic vaping device
Patent No. 10,264,821
An electronic vaping device includes a housing, a planar heater, a heater support, a tank, and a wick. The housing extends in a longitudinal direction and has a tip end and a mouth-end. The tip end is closed and the mouth-end has an opening therein. The heater support supports the planar heater. The tank contains a pre-vapor formulation and is configured to slide into and out of the opening of the mouth-end of the housing. The wick extends from the tank and is configured to be in contact with the planar heater when the tank is inserted in the housing.
Inventors: Peter Lipowicz (Midlothian, Va.)
Assignee: Altria Client Services (Richmond)
April 23, 2019
Electronic smoking article
Patent No. 10,264,819
An electronic smoking article includes a first section containing a liquid supply reservoir 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 operable to deliver the liquid material to the heater, and a second section containing a power supply. The first section is connected to the second section with a connection including a first connector piece and a second connector piece.
Inventors: Barry S. Smith (Hopewell, Va.), Eric Hawes (Midlothian, Va.), David Schiff (Highland Park, N.J.), Chris Carrick (Newark, Del.), Tony Gatta (Philadelphia, Pa.), Jonathan D. Albert (Philadelphia, Pa.)
Assignee: Altria Client Services (Richmond)
April 23, 2019
Dry fractionation for plant based protein extraction
Patent No. 10,264,805
A dry fractionation method and system provides for generating a protein concentrate product therefrom. The method and system includes milling a plant-based flour to generate milled flour and generating a first protein concentrate from the milled flour using an air classifier. The method and system includes processing the first protein concentrate to generate a protein rich curd and generating a neutral hydrolyzed protein slurry by mixing the protein curd with a base, water and enzymatic cocktail. The method and system includes generating a homogenized protein slurry from the protein slurry and generating a cooled protein slurry by pasteurizing the homogenized protein slurry. Therein, the method and system provides for extracting the protein concentrate product from the cooled protein slurry.
Inventors: Michael A. Spinelli (Moseley, Va.), Krisan Singh (Midlothian, Va.), Reinhold Brand (Henrico, Va.)
Assignee: Nutriati Inc. (Richmond)
April 23, 2019
System for and method for comprehensive sales and service metric reporting
Patent No. 10,275,835
A system and method in accordance with example embodiments for comprehensive sales and service data reporting. Sales and service events that take place at a front end branch of an enterprise may be input into a front end system and transmitted to a backend system where various modules then use the front end system data to generate various data and reports to display various data, such as, for example, sales incentive metrics and key performance indicators.
Inventors: Kenneth A. Windbeck (Reston, Va.), Emil W. Phillips (Richmond), Corey J. Barrett (Henrico, Va.), Jason R. Kary (Center Moriches, N.Y.), Sean J. White (Arlington, Va.), Paula Edwards-Seal (Silver Spring, Md.), Elizabeth Hoffman (Vienna, Va.)
Assignee: Capital One Services (McLean, Va.)
April 30, 2019
Maximizing of energy delivery system compatibility with voltage optimization
Patent No. 10,274,985
A method, apparatus, system and computer program is provided for controlling an electric power system, including implementation of a voltage control and conservation (VCC) system used to optimally control the independent voltage and capacitor banks using a linear optimization methodology to minimize the losses in the EEDCS and the EUS. An energy validation process system (EVP) is provided which is used to document the savings of the VCC and an EPP is used to optimize improvements to the EEDCS for continuously improving the energy losses in the EEDS. The EVP system measures the improvement in the EEDS a result of operating the VCC system in the “ON” state determining the level of energy conservation achieved by the VCC system. In addition the VCC system monitors pattern recognition events and compares them to the report-by-exception data to detect HVL events. If one is detected the VCC optimizes the capacity of the EEDS to respond to the HVL events by centering the piecewise linear solution maximizing the ability of the EDDS to absorb the HVL event.
Inventors: Phillip W. Powell (Chesterfield County, Va.), Stephen J. Tyler (Henrico County, Va.), Melissa A. Peskin (Richmond)
Assignee: Dominion Energy Inc. (Richmond)
April 30, 2019
Polyol carrier fluids and fuel compositions including polyol carrier fluids
Patent No. 10,273,425
A carrier fluid or fluidizer for use in fuel performance additives or fuels including such additives is described herein. The novel carrier fluids include a unique blend of alkoxylated alcohols or polyols providing unexpected performance improvements to fuel performance additives and fuels incorporating the additives. The carrier fluids, when combined with at least a detergent, provide desired valve stick performance and unexpectedly improve the intake valve deposit performance at the same time.
Inventors: Makaye Tabibi (Richmond), Scott D. Schwab (Richmond), Charles S. Shanahan (Richmond), William J. Colucci (Glen Allen, Va.)
Assignee: Afton Chemical Corp. (Richmond)
April 30, 2019
Blister packaging
Patent No. 10,273,069
A blister package including an outer sleeve and a blister receptacle has a supporting mechanism proximate an end of the blister receptacle to support the blister package in the outer sleeve when the blister package is almost completely withdrawn from the outer sleeve and may include one or more locking mechanisms to prevent unwanted opening of the blister package or disengagement of the blister package from the outer sleeve.
Inventors: Ryan A. Bailey (Richmond)
Assignee: Silgan Dispensing Systems Corp. (Grandview, Mo.)
April 30, 2019
Low porosity high strength UHMWPE fabrics
Patent No. 10,272,640
Low porosity fibrous materials, articles formed therefrom and processes for their formation. Multiple plies of high tenacity, multifilament elongate bodies are optionally stitched together and pressed as a set without being laminated, adhered or thermally fused to each other. Pressing spreads the component filaments of the elongate bodies, forcing the filaments to occupy spaces between adjacent fibers and thereby reducing porosity of the complete multi-ply material.
Inventors: Ashok Bhatnagar (Richmond), Huy Xuan Nguyen (Midlothian, Va.), Lori L. Wagner (Richmond)
Assignee: Honeywell International Inc. (Morris Plains, N.J.)
April 30, 2019
Uses of oxygenated cholesterol sulfates (OCS)
Patent No. 10,272,097
Methods of preventing and/or treating ischemia, organ dysfunction and/or organ failure, including multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS), and necrosis and apoptosis associated with organ dysfunction/failure, are provided. For instance, the methods involve contacting organ(s) with an oxygenated cholesterol sulfate (OCS), e.g. 5-cholesten-3,25-diol, 3-sulfate (25HC3S). The organ(s) may be in vivo (e.g. in a patient that is treated with the OCS) or ex vivo (e.g. an organ that has been harvested from a donor and is to be transplanted).
Inventors: Shunlin Ren (Richmond), Felix Theeuwes (Los Altos Hills, Calif.), James E. Brown (Los Gatos, Calif.), WeiQi Lin (Emerald Hills, Calif.)
Assignee: Virginia Commonwealth University (Richmond) & Durect Corp. (Cupertino, Calif.)
April 30, 2019
Smokeless tobacco article
Patent No. 10,271,572
A method for making a smokeless tobacco article can include combining thermoplastic polymer particles with tobacco particles to form a mixture of particles, compressing the mixture of particles within a pressing apparatus to form the mixture into a predetermined shape, separating the mixture from the pressing apparatus such that it retains the predetermined shape, and heating the mixture outside of the pressing apparatus to at least partially melt at least some of the thermoplastic polymer particles and form a matrix of polymer and tobacco particles.
Inventors: Gregory James Griscik (Midlothian), Carl Gregory Miller (Richmond)
Assignee: Altria Client Services (Richmond)
April 30, 2019
Systems and methods for building generic CI/CD pipelines
Patent No. 10,275,231
At least one application may include instructions comprising application instructions and a plurality of separate pipeline definition instructions. The application instructions may be within a virtual container including at least one program that is generically executable in a plurality of different continuous integration and delivery (CI/CD) environments. Each of the plurality of separate pipeline definition instructions may be configured for each of the plurality of different CI/CD environments such that each pipeline definition may operate only in the CI/CD environment for which it is created. Each pipeline definition may be configured to cause the CI/CD environment for which it is created to execute the at least one program.
Inventors: Brandon Atkinson (North Chesterfield, Va.), Christopher Bowers (Midlothian, Va.), Dallas Edwards (Midlothian, Va.)
Assignee: Capital One Services (McLean, Va.)
April 30, 2019
Systems, methods and computer readable medium for wireless solicitations
Patent No. 10,275,787
Product offering systems are provided. Product offering systems may include sending an offer to a customer that possesses a mobile computing device and has agreed to receive offers for products via the mobile computing device. Agreeing to receive offers would result in the unique data about the customer being available to offer provider. Unique customer data may include data related to the customers wireless service provider or from a financial account in a financial institution, and collecting customer data about the customer, wherein the customer data comprises financial data and personal data. Product offering systems may further include registering a wireless computing device of the customer to able the device to receive the offer, and determining opportunities to send the offer to the customer by monitoring the customer and the customer data. Product offering systems may also include sending the offer to the customer’s registered device based on the determination of opportunities.
Inventors: Richard Comerford (Glen Allen, Va.), Jospeh M. DeFilippo (Glen Allen, Va.)
Assignee: Capital One Services (Mclean, Va.)
April 30, 2019
Emulsion and suspension polymerization processes, and improved electrochemical performance for carbon derived from same
Patent No. 10,273,328
The present application is directed to methods for preparation of polymer particles in gel form and carbon materials made therefrom. The carbon materials comprise enhanced electrochemical properties and find utility in any number of electrical devices, for example, as electrode material in ultracapacitors or batteries. The methods herein can also be employed generally to improve emulsion and/or suspension polymerization processes by improved control of diffusion of acidic and basic species between the polymer and secondary phases.
Inventors: Benjamin E. Kron (Seattle, Wash.), Katharine Geramita (Seattle, Wash.), Henry R. Costantino (Woodinville, Wash.), Joseph Frank Ludvik (Midlothian, Va.), Xing Dong (Decatur, Ga.), Shahid P. Qureshi (Duluth, Ga.), Gerald A. Knazek (Alpharetta, Ga.)
Assignee: Georgia-Pacific Chemicals (Atlanta, Ga.) and Energ2 Technologies Inc. (Seattle, Wash.)
April 30, 2019
Techniques and system for optimization driven by dynamic resilience
Patent No. 10,275,331
Disclosed are hardware and techniques for testing computer processes in a network system by simulating computer process faults and identifying risk associated with correcting the simulated fault and identifying computer processes that may depend on the corrected computer process. The interdependent computer processes in a network may be determined by evaluating a risk matrix having a risk score and non-functional requirement scores. An analysis of the risk score and non-functional requirement score accounts for interdependencies between computer processes and identified corrective actions that may be used to determine an optimal network environment. The optimal network environment may be updated dynamically based on changing computer process interdependencies and the determined risk and robustness scores.
Inventors: Bhavik Gudka (Glen Allen, Va.), Eric Barnum (Midlothian, Va.)
Assignee: Capital One Services (McLean, Va.)
April 30, 2019
Apparatus and methods for product orientation and hole healing applications
Patent No. 10,273,092
Articles are transferred from an article supply conveyor to an article receiving conveyor while the transferring articles are selectively reoriented. When the conveyors are in parallel, a travelling article reorienting turret seeks articles following an article absence or hole on the supply conveyor and transfers the following article to a next-in-line position on the receiving conveyor to cure or avoid holes of articles on the receiving conveyor.
Inventors: Robert M. Kalany (Florence, Ky.), Anthony B. Salvato (Cincinnati, Ohio), Mark Roland Gordon (Midlothian, Va.), Michael Andre Lemay (Midlothian, Va.), Aleksandr Shneyder (Midlothian, Va.)
Assignee: R.A Jones & Co. (Covington, Ky.)
April 30, 2019
Liquid tobacco composition
Patent No. 10,271,574
A liquid tobacco composition comprises tobacco dissolved in an ionic liquid. Removal of selected tobacco constituents is aided by dissolving the tobacco in the ionic liquid. The tobacco, having selected constituents removed, may be regenerated from the liquid tobacco composition by separating the tobacco from the ionic liquid.
Inventors: Firooz Rasouli (Midlothian, Va.), Gianluca Sechi (Colombier, Switzerland), Irfan Gunduz (Lemont-sur-lausanne, Switzerland)
Assignee: Philip Morris Products S.A. (Neuchatel, Switzerland)
April 30, 2019
Tobacco with an increased level of natural tar diluents
Patent No. 10,271,573
Disclosed are methods and compositions for preparing tobacco such that components of tobacco tar are reduced, while maintaining the total tar delivery of a composition or device containing tobacco treated with one or more natural tar diluents. Artificial tar diluents can also be used in combination with one more natural tar diluents. The tobacco compositions have decreased levels of tobacco specific nitrosamines and/or other components found in tar when the composition is smoked, while maintaining the total tar delivery of the smoking article, such as a cigarette, when using a tar diluent at a level sufficient to achieve desired taste qualities.
Inventors: Peter John Lipowicz (Midlothian, Va.)
Assignee: Philip Morris USA Inc. (Richmond)
April 30, 2019
Preclean and deposition methodology for superconductor interconnects
Patent No. 10,276,504
A method is provided of forming a superconductor interconnect structure. The method comprises forming a dielectric layer overlying a substrate, forming an interconnect opening in the dielectric layer, and moving the substrate to a deposition chamber. The method further comprises performing a cleaning process on the top surface of the dielectric layer and in the interconnect opening while in the deposition chamber, and depositing a superconducting metal in the interconnect opening while in the deposition chamber to form a superconducting element in the superconductor interconnect structure.
Inventors: Vivien Luu (Linthicum, Md.), Christopher F. Kirby (Gambrills, Md.), Brian Wagner (Baltimore, Md.), Michael Rennie (Ashland, Va.)
Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corp. (Falls Church, Va.)
April 30, 2019
Blockchain systems and methods for user authentication
Patent No. 10,277,398
Computer-implemented methods and systems are provided for blockchain-mediated user authentication. Consistent with disclosed embodiments, authentication may comprise operations including receiving, from a user system, an authentication request for a user. The operations may also include determining a root system for the user using a blockchain, and redirecting the user system to the root system. The operations may include receiving, following redirection, a verification message indicating that the root system successfully authenticated the user, and including an authorization code for receiving, from the root system, a root system secret. The operations may include receiving from a database, identification data using the root system secret. Determining the root system may comprise identifying, using the authentication request and index information stored in the blockchain, a block of the blockchain storing root system information for the user. Receiving the identification data may comprise retrieving identification data from the database.
Inventors: Jonathan Weimer (Henrico, Va.), Ryan Fox (Alexandria, Va.)
Assignee: Capital One Services (McLean, Va.)
April 30, 2019
Systems and methods for communicating with a unique identifier
Patent No. 10,271,188
A system for device communication is disclosed. The system may include one or more memory devices storing instructions and one or more processors configured to execute the instructions to transmit a first unique identifier to a wave device, and receive a second unique identifier from the wave device. Further, the first unique identifier may exclusively identify a person, and the second unique identifier may exclusively identify a first wave receiver associated with a person, an entity, a place, or an object. In addition, at least the first unique identifier may be transmitted to the wave device based on an indication of a proximity between the first person and the first wave receiver.
Inventors: Eric K. Barnum (Midlothian, Va.), Anthony Reynolds (Richmond)
Assignee: Capital One Services (McLean, Va.)
April 23, 2019
Light apparatus having controlled sequenced light patterns
Patent No. 10,267,484
A light apparatus that includes a light assembly having a control module to control an operating mode of light sources in a light array, including control a sequence of light and an intensity of light emitted from each light source in the array. A housing assembly for the light assembly includes an inner housing having a first material layer defining a first faceted member to receive the light assembly and permit emission of light from the light sources therethrough, and an outer housing having a second material layer defining a second faceted member to receive the inner housing to refract and project the light emitted through the inner housing in a predetermined or random direction and predetermined or random pattern. The predetermined or random pattern includes a patterned shadow formed from an internal refraction of light in different directions as light passes through the second material layer, thereby creating a visual appearance of dynamic movement of the predetermined or random pattern relative to a surface to be illuminated or an area in three-dimensional space to be illuminated.
Inventors: Fei Qiu (Richmond), Lin hui Sun (Ningbo, China), Brittany Toler (Midlothian,Va.)
Assignee: Evergreen Enterprises of Virginia (Richmond)
April 23, 2019
Lyme disease vaccine
Patent No. 10,266,571
Antigenic polypeptides comprising linear immunodominant epitopes of Borrelia outer surface protein A (OspA) or Borrelia outer surface protein C (OspC) are useful as vaccines against Lyme disease, and as diagnostics for detecting Borrelia infections. The OspA and OspC antigenic polypeptides typically comprise a plurality of peptides representing epitope containing regions from multiple distinct phyletic groups. The antigenic polypeptides may also include epitopes from both Borrelia OspA and Borrelia OspC.
Inventors: Christopher G. Earnhart (Williamsburg, Va.), Richard T. Marconi (Richmond)
Assignee: Virginia Commonwealth University (Richmond)
April 23, 2019
Biopolymer foams as filters for smoking articles
Patent No. 10,264,815
A process for preparing a filter plug for a smoking article, such as a cigarette, includes: (a) freeze-drying a solution of a biopolymer to form a structure; and (b) cutting the structure to a predetermined dimension, to thereby prepare a filter plug for a smoking article. Another process for preparing a filter plug for a smoking article, such as a cigarette, includes: (a) extruding a mixture of a foaming agent and a biopolymer comprising a protein to form a structure; and (b) cutting the structure to a predetermined dimension, to thereby form a filter plug for a smoking article.
Inventors: Munmaya K. Mishra (Manakin Sabot, Va.), Shengsheng Liu (Richmond), William R. Sweeney (Richmond), Peter J. Lipowicz (Midlothian, Va.)
Assignee: Philip Morris USA Inc. (Richmond)
April 23, 2019
Separator having adhesive layer, manufacturing method of the same, and electrochemical device having the same
Patent No. 10,270,075
A heat-resistant separator contains a porous film, a polymeric fibrous layer adhesively bonded to the surface of the porous film, and an adhesive binder layer located between the porous film and the fibrous layer and covering at least a portion of the surface of the porous film. The fibrous layer contains fibers manufactured of a polyimide wherein the fibers of a form of polyimide comprise fibers with a majority of fibers having diameters in the range of 1-3000 nm. In one of the embodiment the binder layer contains sodium carboxymethylcellulose, and the amount of adhesive present between the porous film and the fibrous web in the final product is within the range of 0.30 grams per square meter of covered surface of porous film to 0.90 grams per square meter of covered surface of porous film.
Inventors: Pankaj Arora (Chesterfield, Va.), Jacob L. Jones (North Chesterfield, Va.)
Assignee: E I Du Pont De Nemours and Co. (Wilmington, DE)
April 23, 2019
Activating an emergency mode associated with a user device
Patent No. 10,271,196
A device may detect an indication to activate an emergency mode associated with the user device. The emergency mode may be associated with gathering data related to an emergency. The device may determine a manner in which to configure a set of components or a set of actions to perform. The set of components may be associated with gathering the data. The device may activate the emergency mode. The emergency mode may be activated by at least one of: configuring the set of components, or performing the set of actions. The device may gather the data utilizing the set of components. The device may dynamically: store the data utilizing one or more memory resources of the user device after gathering the data, or provide the data to another device. The device may determine to terminate the emergency mode.
Inventors: Rajesh Yanamandra (Glen Allen, Va.)
Assignee: Capital One Services (McLean, Va.)
April 23, 2019
Tobacco nicotine demethylase genomic clone and uses thereof
Patent No. 10,266,836
The present invention features tobacco nicotine demethylase nucleic acid and amino acid sequences, tobacco plants and plant components containing such sequences, including tobacco plants and plant components having reduced expression or altered enzymatic activity of nicotine demethylase, methods of use of nicotine demethylase sequences to create plants having altered levels of nornicotine or N’-nitrosonornicotine (“NNN”) or both relative to a control plant, as well as tobacco articles having reduced levels of nornicotine or NNN.
Inventors: Dongmei Xu (Glen Allen, Va.)
Assignee: U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Co. (Richmond)
April 23, 2019
Electronic vaping device
Patent No. 10,264,821
An electronic vaping device includes a housing, a planar heater, a heater support, a tank, and a wick. The housing extends in a longitudinal direction and has a tip end and a mouth-end. The tip end is closed and the mouth-end has an opening therein. The heater support supports the planar heater. The tank contains a pre-vapor formulation and is configured to slide into and out of the opening of the mouth-end of the housing. The wick extends from the tank and is configured to be in contact with the planar heater when the tank is inserted in the housing.
Inventors: Peter Lipowicz (Midlothian, Va.)
Assignee: Altria Client Services (Richmond)
April 23, 2019
Electronic smoking article
Patent No. 10,264,819
An electronic smoking article includes a first section containing a liquid supply reservoir 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 operable to deliver the liquid material to the heater, and a second section containing a power supply. The first section is connected to the second section with a connection including a first connector piece and a second connector piece.
Inventors: Barry S. Smith (Hopewell, Va.), Eric Hawes (Midlothian, Va.), David Schiff (Highland Park, N.J.), Chris Carrick (Newark, Del.), Tony Gatta (Philadelphia, Pa.), Jonathan D. Albert (Philadelphia, Pa.)
Assignee: Altria Client Services (Richmond)
April 23, 2019
Dry fractionation for plant based protein extraction
Patent No. 10,264,805
A dry fractionation method and system provides for generating a protein concentrate product therefrom. The method and system includes milling a plant-based flour to generate milled flour and generating a first protein concentrate from the milled flour using an air classifier. The method and system includes processing the first protein concentrate to generate a protein rich curd and generating a neutral hydrolyzed protein slurry by mixing the protein curd with a base, water and enzymatic cocktail. The method and system includes generating a homogenized protein slurry from the protein slurry and generating a cooled protein slurry by pasteurizing the homogenized protein slurry. Therein, the method and system provides for extracting the protein concentrate product from the cooled protein slurry.
Inventors: Michael A. Spinelli (Moseley, Va.), Krisan Singh (Midlothian, Va.), Reinhold Brand (Henrico, Va.)
Assignee: Nutriati Inc. (Richmond)
April 23, 2019
System for and method for comprehensive sales and service metric reporting
Patent No. 10,275,835
A system and method in accordance with example embodiments for comprehensive sales and service data reporting. Sales and service events that take place at a front end branch of an enterprise may be input into a front end system and transmitted to a backend system where various modules then use the front end system data to generate various data and reports to display various data, such as, for example, sales incentive metrics and key performance indicators.
Inventors: Kenneth A. Windbeck (Reston, Va.), Emil W. Phillips (Richmond), Corey J. Barrett (Henrico, Va.), Jason R. Kary (Center Moriches, N.Y.), Sean J. White (Arlington, Va.), Paula Edwards-Seal (Silver Spring, Md.), Elizabeth Hoffman (Vienna, Va.)
Assignee: Capital One Services (McLean, Va.)
April 30, 2019
Maximizing of energy delivery system compatibility with voltage optimization
Patent No. 10,274,985
A method, apparatus, system and computer program is provided for controlling an electric power system, including implementation of a voltage control and conservation (VCC) system used to optimally control the independent voltage and capacitor banks using a linear optimization methodology to minimize the losses in the EEDCS and the EUS. An energy validation process system (EVP) is provided which is used to document the savings of the VCC and an EPP is used to optimize improvements to the EEDCS for continuously improving the energy losses in the EEDS. The EVP system measures the improvement in the EEDS a result of operating the VCC system in the “ON” state determining the level of energy conservation achieved by the VCC system. In addition the VCC system monitors pattern recognition events and compares them to the report-by-exception data to detect HVL events. If one is detected the VCC optimizes the capacity of the EEDS to respond to the HVL events by centering the piecewise linear solution maximizing the ability of the EDDS to absorb the HVL event.
Inventors: Phillip W. Powell (Chesterfield County, Va.), Stephen J. Tyler (Henrico County, Va.), Melissa A. Peskin (Richmond)
Assignee: Dominion Energy Inc. (Richmond)
April 30, 2019
Polyol carrier fluids and fuel compositions including polyol carrier fluids
Patent No. 10,273,425
A carrier fluid or fluidizer for use in fuel performance additives or fuels including such additives is described herein. The novel carrier fluids include a unique blend of alkoxylated alcohols or polyols providing unexpected performance improvements to fuel performance additives and fuels incorporating the additives. The carrier fluids, when combined with at least a detergent, provide desired valve stick performance and unexpectedly improve the intake valve deposit performance at the same time.
Inventors: Makaye Tabibi (Richmond), Scott D. Schwab (Richmond), Charles S. Shanahan (Richmond), William J. Colucci (Glen Allen, Va.)
Assignee: Afton Chemical Corp. (Richmond)
April 30, 2019
Blister packaging
Patent No. 10,273,069
A blister package including an outer sleeve and a blister receptacle has a supporting mechanism proximate an end of the blister receptacle to support the blister package in the outer sleeve when the blister package is almost completely withdrawn from the outer sleeve and may include one or more locking mechanisms to prevent unwanted opening of the blister package or disengagement of the blister package from the outer sleeve.
Inventors: Ryan A. Bailey (Richmond)
Assignee: Silgan Dispensing Systems Corp. (Grandview, Mo.)
April 30, 2019
Low porosity high strength UHMWPE fabrics
Patent No. 10,272,640
Low porosity fibrous materials, articles formed therefrom and processes for their formation. Multiple plies of high tenacity, multifilament elongate bodies are optionally stitched together and pressed as a set without being laminated, adhered or thermally fused to each other. Pressing spreads the component filaments of the elongate bodies, forcing the filaments to occupy spaces between adjacent fibers and thereby reducing porosity of the complete multi-ply material.
Inventors: Ashok Bhatnagar (Richmond), Huy Xuan Nguyen (Midlothian, Va.), Lori L. Wagner (Richmond)
Assignee: Honeywell International Inc. (Morris Plains, N.J.)
April 30, 2019
Uses of oxygenated cholesterol sulfates (OCS)
Patent No. 10,272,097
Methods of preventing and/or treating ischemia, organ dysfunction and/or organ failure, including multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS), and necrosis and apoptosis associated with organ dysfunction/failure, are provided. For instance, the methods involve contacting organ(s) with an oxygenated cholesterol sulfate (OCS), e.g. 5-cholesten-3,25-diol, 3-sulfate (25HC3S). The organ(s) may be in vivo (e.g. in a patient that is treated with the OCS) or ex vivo (e.g. an organ that has been harvested from a donor and is to be transplanted).
Inventors: Shunlin Ren (Richmond), Felix Theeuwes (Los Altos Hills, Calif.), James E. Brown (Los Gatos, Calif.), WeiQi Lin (Emerald Hills, Calif.)
Assignee: Virginia Commonwealth University (Richmond) & Durect Corp. (Cupertino, Calif.)
April 30, 2019
Smokeless tobacco article
Patent No. 10,271,572
A method for making a smokeless tobacco article can include combining thermoplastic polymer particles with tobacco particles to form a mixture of particles, compressing the mixture of particles within a pressing apparatus to form the mixture into a predetermined shape, separating the mixture from the pressing apparatus such that it retains the predetermined shape, and heating the mixture outside of the pressing apparatus to at least partially melt at least some of the thermoplastic polymer particles and form a matrix of polymer and tobacco particles.
Inventors: Gregory James Griscik (Midlothian), Carl Gregory Miller (Richmond)
Assignee: Altria Client Services (Richmond)
April 30, 2019
Systems and methods for building generic CI/CD pipelines
Patent No. 10,275,231
At least one application may include instructions comprising application instructions and a plurality of separate pipeline definition instructions. The application instructions may be within a virtual container including at least one program that is generically executable in a plurality of different continuous integration and delivery (CI/CD) environments. Each of the plurality of separate pipeline definition instructions may be configured for each of the plurality of different CI/CD environments such that each pipeline definition may operate only in the CI/CD environment for which it is created. Each pipeline definition may be configured to cause the CI/CD environment for which it is created to execute the at least one program.
Inventors: Brandon Atkinson (North Chesterfield, Va.), Christopher Bowers (Midlothian, Va.), Dallas Edwards (Midlothian, Va.)
Assignee: Capital One Services (McLean, Va.)
April 30, 2019
Systems, methods and computer readable medium for wireless solicitations
Patent No. 10,275,787
Product offering systems are provided. Product offering systems may include sending an offer to a customer that possesses a mobile computing device and has agreed to receive offers for products via the mobile computing device. Agreeing to receive offers would result in the unique data about the customer being available to offer provider. Unique customer data may include data related to the customers wireless service provider or from a financial account in a financial institution, and collecting customer data about the customer, wherein the customer data comprises financial data and personal data. Product offering systems may further include registering a wireless computing device of the customer to able the device to receive the offer, and determining opportunities to send the offer to the customer by monitoring the customer and the customer data. Product offering systems may also include sending the offer to the customer’s registered device based on the determination of opportunities.
Inventors: Richard Comerford (Glen Allen, Va.), Jospeh M. DeFilippo (Glen Allen, Va.)
Assignee: Capital One Services (Mclean, Va.)
April 30, 2019
Emulsion and suspension polymerization processes, and improved electrochemical performance for carbon derived from same
Patent No. 10,273,328
The present application is directed to methods for preparation of polymer particles in gel form and carbon materials made therefrom. The carbon materials comprise enhanced electrochemical properties and find utility in any number of electrical devices, for example, as electrode material in ultracapacitors or batteries. The methods herein can also be employed generally to improve emulsion and/or suspension polymerization processes by improved control of diffusion of acidic and basic species between the polymer and secondary phases.
Inventors: Benjamin E. Kron (Seattle, Wash.), Katharine Geramita (Seattle, Wash.), Henry R. Costantino (Woodinville, Wash.), Joseph Frank Ludvik (Midlothian, Va.), Xing Dong (Decatur, Ga.), Shahid P. Qureshi (Duluth, Ga.), Gerald A. Knazek (Alpharetta, Ga.)
Assignee: Georgia-Pacific Chemicals (Atlanta, Ga.) and Energ2 Technologies Inc. (Seattle, Wash.)
April 30, 2019
Techniques and system for optimization driven by dynamic resilience
Patent No. 10,275,331
Disclosed are hardware and techniques for testing computer processes in a network system by simulating computer process faults and identifying risk associated with correcting the simulated fault and identifying computer processes that may depend on the corrected computer process. The interdependent computer processes in a network may be determined by evaluating a risk matrix having a risk score and non-functional requirement scores. An analysis of the risk score and non-functional requirement score accounts for interdependencies between computer processes and identified corrective actions that may be used to determine an optimal network environment. The optimal network environment may be updated dynamically based on changing computer process interdependencies and the determined risk and robustness scores.
Inventors: Bhavik Gudka (Glen Allen, Va.), Eric Barnum (Midlothian, Va.)
Assignee: Capital One Services (McLean, Va.)
April 30, 2019
Apparatus and methods for product orientation and hole healing applications
Patent No. 10,273,092
Articles are transferred from an article supply conveyor to an article receiving conveyor while the transferring articles are selectively reoriented. When the conveyors are in parallel, a travelling article reorienting turret seeks articles following an article absence or hole on the supply conveyor and transfers the following article to a next-in-line position on the receiving conveyor to cure or avoid holes of articles on the receiving conveyor.
Inventors: Robert M. Kalany (Florence, Ky.), Anthony B. Salvato (Cincinnati, Ohio), Mark Roland Gordon (Midlothian, Va.), Michael Andre Lemay (Midlothian, Va.), Aleksandr Shneyder (Midlothian, Va.)
Assignee: R.A Jones & Co. (Covington, Ky.)
April 30, 2019
Liquid tobacco composition
Patent No. 10,271,574
A liquid tobacco composition comprises tobacco dissolved in an ionic liquid. Removal of selected tobacco constituents is aided by dissolving the tobacco in the ionic liquid. The tobacco, having selected constituents removed, may be regenerated from the liquid tobacco composition by separating the tobacco from the ionic liquid.
Inventors: Firooz Rasouli (Midlothian, Va.), Gianluca Sechi (Colombier, Switzerland), Irfan Gunduz (Lemont-sur-lausanne, Switzerland)
Assignee: Philip Morris Products S.A. (Neuchatel, Switzerland)
April 30, 2019
Tobacco with an increased level of natural tar diluents
Patent No. 10,271,573
Disclosed are methods and compositions for preparing tobacco such that components of tobacco tar are reduced, while maintaining the total tar delivery of a composition or device containing tobacco treated with one or more natural tar diluents. Artificial tar diluents can also be used in combination with one more natural tar diluents. The tobacco compositions have decreased levels of tobacco specific nitrosamines and/or other components found in tar when the composition is smoked, while maintaining the total tar delivery of the smoking article, such as a cigarette, when using a tar diluent at a level sufficient to achieve desired taste qualities.
Inventors: Peter John Lipowicz (Midlothian, Va.)
Assignee: Philip Morris USA Inc. (Richmond)
April 30, 2019
Preclean and deposition methodology for superconductor interconnects
Patent No. 10,276,504
A method is provided of forming a superconductor interconnect structure. The method comprises forming a dielectric layer overlying a substrate, forming an interconnect opening in the dielectric layer, and moving the substrate to a deposition chamber. The method further comprises performing a cleaning process on the top surface of the dielectric layer and in the interconnect opening while in the deposition chamber, and depositing a superconducting metal in the interconnect opening while in the deposition chamber to form a superconducting element in the superconductor interconnect structure.
Inventors: Vivien Luu (Linthicum, Md.), Christopher F. Kirby (Gambrills, Md.), Brian Wagner (Baltimore, Md.), Michael Rennie (Ashland, Va.)
Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corp. (Falls Church, Va.)
April 30, 2019
Blockchain systems and methods for user authentication
Patent No. 10,277,398
Computer-implemented methods and systems are provided for blockchain-mediated user authentication. Consistent with disclosed embodiments, authentication may comprise operations including receiving, from a user system, an authentication request for a user. The operations may also include determining a root system for the user using a blockchain, and redirecting the user system to the root system. The operations may include receiving, following redirection, a verification message indicating that the root system successfully authenticated the user, and including an authorization code for receiving, from the root system, a root system secret. The operations may include receiving from a database, identification data using the root system secret. Determining the root system may comprise identifying, using the authentication request and index information stored in the blockchain, a block of the blockchain storing root system information for the user. Receiving the identification data may comprise retrieving identification data from the database.
Inventors: Jonathan Weimer (Henrico, Va.), Ryan Fox (Alexandria, Va.)
Assignee: Capital One Services (McLean, Va.)
April 30, 2019