The R&D Dept.: Local patent roundup for 1.15.25

Aerosol Generating Device With Multiple Heaters
Patent No. 12194234
An electrically heated aerosol-generating device includes a storage portion configured to contain an aerosol-forming substrate and having a fluid permeable internal surface surrounding an open-ended passage extending through the cartridge. The device includes a housing having a cavity for receiving the cartridge, and a heater assembly positioned in the cavity. The heater assembly includes an elongate support member connected to the housing and arranged to extend into the open-ended passage of a cartridge inserted in the cavity. The heater assembly also includes a plurality of electric heaters fixed to and spaced along the length of the elongate support member.
Inventors: Rui Nuno Batista (Morges, Switzerland); Laurent Manca (Sullens, Switzerland)
Assignee: Altria Client Services (Richmond)
Jan. 14, 2025

Product Portion Enrobing Machines And Methods
Patent No. 12193473
An apparatus for enrobing a product portion can include at least one polymer spray head adapted to create at least one flow of polymeric fibers to produce at least one polymer enrobing zone and a conveyor system adapted to move at least one product portion from at least one position below at least one polymer enrobing zone and to at least one position above at least one polymer enrobing zone to drop each product portion through one or more polymer enrobing zones a plurality times at different orientations to enrobe each product portion with polymeric fibers.
Inventors: Andrew Nathan Carroll (Chester, Va.); Shannon Maxwell Black (Richmond); Yan Helen Sun (Midlothian, Va.); William J. Burke (Nashville, Tenn.); Robert Smith (Glen Allen, Va.)
Assignee: Altria Client Services (Richmond)
Jan. 14, 2025

Multi-component Aerosol-generating Device With Impact Absorbing Part
Patent No. 12200832
An aerosol-generating system includes a main body, a cartridge, and a connecting component. The main body includes a main body housing enclosing a power supply. The cartridge includes a cartridge housing enclosing a reservoir of liquid aerosol-forming substrate. The cartridge is releasably connectable to the main body by the connecting component. The connecting component is fixed to the main body housing and is less stiff in at least one direction than the main body housing. The connecting component that is less stiff the main body housing and the cartridge housing can act as a shock absorber when the aerosol-generating system experiences a significant impact, such as when dropped on a surface. This reduces damage to other components of the system and, in particular, may prevent leaks of liquid resulting from damage to the liquid reservoir.
Inventors: Keethan Dasvavis Fernando (Neuchatel, Switzerland); Guillaume Frederick (Les-Geneveys-sur-Coffrane, Switzerland); Alasdair David MacBean (Cambridge, Great Britain); Khai Shin Chong (Singapore)
Assignee: Altria Client Services (Richmond)
Jan. 14, 2025

Container With Primary And Secondary Storage Area
Patent No. 12193482
The container includes a main sidewall, a first end-wall connected to a first end of the main sidewall, and a first structure, a first side of the first structure being connected to a second end of the main sidewall, the main sidewall, the first end-wall and the first structure at least partially defining a primary storage area, the first structure including a secondary sidewall extending from a second side of the first structure, and a including a protrusion extending from a first side of the cover, the protrusion being inserted within the secondary sidewall to be releasably mated with the secondary sidewall, a first central portion of the cover and a second central portion of the first structure at least partially defining a secondary storage area, a first peripheral portion of the cover and a second peripheral portion of the first structure at least partially defining a peripheral cavity.
Inventor: William J. Bogdziewicz (Richmond)
Assignee: Altria Client Services (Richmond)
Jan. 14, 2025

Cartridge For An Aerosol-generating System With Heater Protection
Patent No. 12193512
A cartridge for an aerosol-generating system includes a storage container containing a supply of an aerosol-forming substrate, a fluid permeable heating element positioned across an opening in the storage container, a protective cover coupled to the storage container and covering the fluid permeable heating element, at least one air inlet, at least one air outlet, and an airflow path from the at least one air inlet to the at least one air outlet. The protective cover is configured such that a portion of the airflow path is between the protective cover and the fluid permeable heating element.
Inventors: Patrick Charles Silvestrini (Neuchatel, Switzerland); Ihar Nikolaevich Zinovik (Peseux, Switzerland); Keethan Dasnavis Fernando (Neuchatel, Switzerland)
Assignee: Altria Client Services (Richmond)
Jan. 14, 2025

Smoking Article With Reduced Tobacco
Patent No. 12193476
An exemplary smoking article includes a smoking rod filled with a combination including tobacco filler material and cellulose filler material. The tobacco filler material and cellulose filler material can be arranged such that the constituent material particles are generally distributed throughout the smoking rod, the tobacco filler material at least partially surrounds the cellulose filler material along a length of the smoking rod, and/or the cellulose filler material particles have a higher concentration along a central axis of the smoking rod than the tobacco filler material particles.
Inventors: Munmaya K. Mishra (Manakin Sabot, Va.); Shaoyong Yu (Glen Allen, Va.); Bernard S. Appleton (Chesterfield, Va.); Weiling Li (Moseley, Va.)
Assignee: Altria Client Services (Richmond)
Jan. 14, 2025

Child-resistant Container
Patent No. 12195247
At least one example embodiment relates to a container. The container includes a base, a canister configured to engage a portion of the base, and a lid configured to be removably coupled to the canister such that the lid is moveable between a locked position and an unlocked position. The base includes a bottom wall having a central portion, a peripheral portion, and an angle portion between the central portion and the peripheral portion. The base includes a first sidewall extending from a periphery of the peripheral portion and about a periphery of the bottom wall and a second sidewall extending from an end of the peripheral portion opposite the first sidewall. The first sidewall and the second sidewall extend perpendicular to the peripheral portion such that the peripheral portion, first sidewall, and second sidewall define a first gap.
Inventors: Brian M. Casey (Richmond); James David Evans (Chesterfield, Va.); David Dawson (Asheboro, N.C.)
Assignee: Altria Client Services (Richmond)
Jan. 14, 2025

Nicotine Electronic Vaping Device
Patent No. 12193519
A saturation sensor measures at least one electrical characteristic of the wick between the heating element and the probe wire at a first time and a second time, wherein the at least one electrical characteristic includes a resistance, a capacitance, or both a resistance and a capacitance. Control circuitry is configured to cause the nicotine e-vaping device to: calculate a refill rate at which the nicotine pre-vapor formulation flows onto the wick based on the at least one electrical characteristic at the first time and the at least one electrical characteristic at the second time; determine that the refill rate is less than a threshold refill rate; and output a low nicotine pre-vapor formulation alert in response to determining that the refill rate is less than the threshold refill rate.
Inventors: Robert C. Lacovara (Richmond); Phillip Diana (Richmond); Nam Tran (Chesterfield, Va.)
Assignee: Altria Client Services (Richmond)
Jan. 14, 2025

Aerosol-generating System Having Variable Airflow
Patent No. 12194233
An aerosol-generating system may include a cartridge, a vaporiser section configured to receive the cartridge, and a power supply section configured to supply electrical power to the vaporiser section. The cartridge may include a cartridge housing containing a solid aerosol-forming substrate and defining a cartridge air inlet that extends through a wall portion of the cartridge housing. The vaporiser section may include a vaporiser housing containing an electric heater and a liquid aerosol-forming substrate and defining a vaporiser air outlet that extends through a wall portion of the vaporiser housing. The cartridge wall portion is configured to abut the vaporiser wall portion when the cartridge is received within the vaporiser section. The cartridge configured to be rotatable with respect to the vaporiser section to vary the amount of overlap between the cartridge air inlet and the vaporiser air outlet.
Inventor: Tony Reevell (London, Great Britain)
Assignee: Altria Client Services (Richmond)
Jan. 14, 2025

Bead Feed Unit And Method
Patent No. 12193479
A bead delivery disk, system and method of delivering flavor beads to a tobacco rod or tow including a bead source, a bead delivery disk in communication with the bead source, including a central disk portion having front and back sides and a first central thickness, an inner annular rim around the central disk portion, the inner annular rim having a second thickness less than said first thickness, a series of pockets spaced around the inner annular rim and multiple vacuum transmission apertures located on one side of the disk, each aperture communicating with at least one of the pockets.
Inventors: Dwight David Williams (Powhatan, Va.); Charles David Howe (Crewe, Va.)
Assignee: Altria Client Services (Richmond)
Jan. 14, 2025

Capsules Including Embedded Corrugated Heater, Heat-not-burn (HNB) Aerosol-generating Devices, And Methods Of Generating An Aerosol
Patent No. 12193502
A capsule for an aerosol-generating device includes an inner frame defining an opening and a corrugated heater. The corrugated heater is supported by the inner frame and extends across at least a portion of the opening defined by the inner frame. An aerosol-forming substrate is at least partially disposed within the opening, such that the aerosol-forming substrate is on each side of the corrugated heater.
Inventor: Zack Blackmon (Williamsburg, Va.)
Assignee: Altria Client Services (Richmond)
Jan. 14, 2025

Method Of Configuring Aerosol-generating Device To Receive And Identify Consumable
Patent No. 12193518
The method includes first arranging pairs of conductors on an aerosol-generating device, and second arranging conductive portions in a physical pattern on a consumable, the physical pattern being configured to electrically connect to at least one first subset of the pairs of conductors to complete at least one first circuit, of a plurality of circuits, that identifies the consumable, the plurality of circuits including the conductive portions and the pairs of conductors.
Inventor: Stephane Bilat (Areuse, Switzerland)
Assignee: Altria Client Services (Richmond)
Jan. 14, 2025

Capsules, Heat-not-burn (HNB) Aerosol-generating Devices, And Methods Of Generating An Aerosol
Patent No. 12194226
A capsule for a heat-not-burn (HNB) aerosol-generating device may include a first frame, a second frame, a first heater, a second heater, and/or an aerosol-forming substrate. The first frame has a first interior face and a first exterior face. In addition, the first frame defines a first opening. The first heater may be secured to the first frame so as to cover the first opening. The second frame is connected to the first frame. The second frame has a second interior face and a second exterior face. Furthermore, the second frame defines a second opening. The second heater may be secured to the second frame so as to cover the second opening. The aerosol-forming substrate may be between the first heater and the second heater.
Inventors: Gregory Griscik (Midlothian, Va.); Thien Nguyen (Richmond); Carl Kite (Midlothian, Va.); David Alvarez (Richmond); Terrance Bache (Richmond); Zack Blackmon (Midlothian, Va.); Patrick Good (Richmond); Raymond Lau (Richmond); Eric Hawes (Midlothian, Va.); Cristian Popa (Hertfordshire, Great Britain); James Yorkshades (Gamlingay, Great Britain); Adam Parrott (Richmond)
Assignee: Altria Client Services (Richmond)
Jan. 14, 2025

Electronic Vaping Device
Patent No. 12193514
An electronic smoking article, a method of manufacturing an electronic smoking article, and a method of achieving a smoking experience without combusting tobacco are disclosed. The electronic smoking article includes an authenticated first section, which includes an aerosol generation unit having at least one heater; an authenticated second section, which includes a power supply operable to apply voltage to the at least one heater for heating a liquid in at least a portion of the aerosol generation unit to form an aerosol; and a conductive ink circuit embedded within the first and second sections, and wherein the power supply and the aerosol generation unit are electrically connected upon joining the first and second sections, and wherein each of the first and second sections has a portion of the conductive ink circuit.
Inventor: Eric Hawes (Glen Allen, Va.)
Assignee: Altria Client Services (Richmond)
Jan. 14, 2025

Cleaner Assemblies, Apparatuses Including A Cleaner Assembly, Methods Of Making The Same, And/or Methods Of Operating The Same
Patent No. 12195221
A cleaner assembly for an apparatus for making pouch products includes a cleaner roller and a poker roller. The cleaner roller may counter rotate with a rotatable drum of the apparatus, in contact with an upper surface of a first elastic layer on the rotatable drum, and at a greater tangential speed than at least one surface of an outer circumferential surface of the rotatable drum or an upper surface of the first elastic layer. The poker roller includes projections that are each configured to extend into one or more divots of the rotatable drum. The poker roller may counter rotate with the rotatable drum and at a same tangential speed as the at least one surface such that the projections extend into and out of separate, respective divots of the rotatable drum based on the counter rotation of the poker roller and the rotatable drum.
Inventors: Jarrod W. Chalkley (Mechanicsville, Va.); Robert Powell (Midlothian, Va.); Christopher R. Newcomb (Powhatan, Va.); Jeremy Straight (Midlothian, Va.); Isaac J. McGill (Richmond); James David Evans (Chesterfield, Va.); Patrick McElhinney (Chesterfield, Va.)
Assignee: Altria Client Services (Richmond)
Jan. 14, 2025

Consensus Key Locking With Fast Local Storage For Idempotent Transactions
Patent No. 12198141
Aspects described herein may relate to a transaction exchange platform using a streaming data platform (SDP) and microservices to process transactions according to review and approval workflows. The transaction exchange platform may receive transactions from origination sources, which may be added to the SDP as transaction objects. As the transactions are processed, the transactions may require access to a resource (e.g., a key value in a database). A microservice processing the transaction may request, from a locking microservice, a lock for the resource. The locking microservice may query a local cache to determine whether a lock exists for the resource. If the local cache determines that no lock exists for resource, the locking mechanism may employ a consensus protocol to obtain a lock for the resource from a plurality of clusters. If consensus is reached, a lock for the resource may be granted to the requesting microservice.
Inventors: Brian T. Burnett (Mechanicsville, Va.); Shane Champion (Richmond); John Beach (Richmond); Jordan May (Richmond); Earle Michael Lee (Midlothian, Va.); Logan Donovan (Cincinnati, Ohio); Leonard Ports (Midlothian, Va.); Dustin Deal (Washington, D.C.); David Smit (Richmond)
Assignee: Capital One Services (McLean, Va.)
Jan. 14, 2025

Watchdog Microservice To Resolve Locks When Processing Fails On A Transaction Exchange Platform
Patent No. 12198142
Aspects described herein may relate to a transaction exchange platform using a streaming data platform (SDP) and microservices to process transactions according to review and approval workflows. The transaction exchange platform may receive transactions from origination sources, which may be added to the SDP as transaction objects. As the transactions are processed, the transactions may require access to a resource (e.g., a key value in a database). A microservice processing the transaction may request, from a locking microservice, a lock for the resource. The locking microservice may query a local cache to determine whether a lock exists for the resource. If the local cache determines that no lock exists for resource, the locking mechanism may employ a consensus protocol to obtain a lock for the resource from a plurality of clusters. If consensus is reached, a lock for the resource may be granted to the requesting microservice.
Inventors: Brian T. Burnett (Mechanicsville, Va.); Shane Champion (Richmond); John Beach (Richmond); Jordan May (Richmond); Earle Michael Lee (Midlothian, Va.); Logan Donovan (Cincinnati, Ohio); Leonard Ports (Midlothian, Va.); Dustin Deal (Washington, D.C.); David Smit (Richmond)
Assignee: Capital One Services (McLean, Va.)
Jan. 14, 2025

Regenerating Transaction Objects When Processing Fails On A Transaction Exchange Platform
Patent No. 12198143
Aspects described herein may relate to a transaction exchange platform using a streaming data platform (SDP) and microservices to process transactions according to review and approval workflows. The transaction exchange platform may receive transactions from origination sources, which may be added to the SDP as transaction objects. As the transactions are processed, the transactions may require access to a resource (e.g., a key value in a database). A microservice processing the transaction may request, from a locking microservice, a lock for the resource. The locking microservice may query a local cache to determine whether a lock exists for the resource. If the local cache determines that no lock exists for resource, the locking mechanism may employ a consensus protocol to obtain a lock for the resource from a plurality of clusters. If consensus is reached, a lock for the resource may be granted to the requesting microservice.
Inventors: Brian T. Burnett (Mechanicsville, Va.); Shane Champion (Richmond); John Beach (Richmond); Jordan May (Richmond); Earle Michael Lee (Midlothian, Va.); Logan Donovan (Cincinnati, Ohio); Leonard Ports (Midlothian, Va.); Dustin Deal (Washington, D.C.); David Smit (Richmond)
Assignee: Capital One Services (McLean, Va.)
Jan. 14, 2025

Insert With Base And Upper Brim
Patent No. 12195236
The insert includes a base with an upper brim, the base including a first depression extending from a first flat major surface of the upper brim, the first depression including a floor with walls that define a first cavity, the walls including a first pair of opposing walls and a second pair of opposing walls, the first pair of opposing walls taper towards each other along a longitudinal length of the first depression from a first end to a second end of the first depression, and a lid connected to the upper brim, the lid covering the first cavity.
Inventors: Andrew T. Peeler (Richmond); William J. Bogdziewicz (Richmond); Christopher Simpson (Richmond)
Assignee: Altria Client Services (Richmond)
Jan. 14, 2025

Methods And Devices For Cartridge Authentication
Patent No. 12193480
A device comprises a sensor and processing circuitry coupled to the sensor. The sensor is configured to obtain authentication information from an identification label of a cartridge of an electronic vaping device. The processing circuitry is configured to perform authentication of the cartridge based on the authentication information; and determine whether to unlock a battery section of the electronic vaping device to power the cartridge based on a result of the authentication of the cartridge.
Inventors: Arie Holtz (Jerusalem, Israel); Bernard Juster (Netanya, Israel); Shmuel Gavrielov, Shmuel (Beit Shemesh, Israel)
Assignee: Altria Client Services (Richmond)
Jan. 14, 2025

Tamp-and-stir Apparatus And Process Therefor
Patent No. 12193475
A machine and method for packaging tobacco sachets, comprising a plurality of linearly arranged, multi-functional, vertically moveable chambers having fluid sealing means on lower portions thereof, conveyor means disposed below the plurality of multi-functional, vertically moveable chambers, and a lidding apparatus disposed downstream of and in communication with the plurality of vertically moveable chambers through the conveyor means.
Inventors: James D. Evans (Chesterfield, Va.); Travis M. Garthaffner (Midlothian, Va.); Herbert Cary Longest (Midlothian, Va.)
Assignee: Altria Client Services
Jan. 14, 2025

Apparatus And Method Of Packaging Loose Product
Patent No. 12195218
An apparatus for packaging of loose product includes a loading station, a box forming station and an uploading station. The loading station includes moveable chutes in spaced apart relation. Each chute has an open top, an open upstream end, and an open downstream end. The open top is configured to receive loose product while moving along a first feed path. The box forming station is operable to partially erect boxes in spaced apart relation with first and second open sides and align the first open side of each box with the downstream end of a corresponding chute while moving along a second feed path. The unloading station includes a stationary vacuum head in communication with the second open side of each box. The vacuum head provides a continuous vacuum source along the second feed path operable to move loose product from the chute into the boxes.
Inventors: Barry S. Smith (Hopewell, Va.); Steven R. Rinehart (Chesterfield, Va.); Danielle R. Crawford (Chester, Va.)
Assignee: Altria Client Services (Richmond)
Jan. 14, 2025

Electronic Vaping Device And Cartridge For Electronic Vaping Device
Patent No. 12193481
A cartridge includes an air flow passageway defining a first airflow direction, a heating element having a longitudinal axis, the longitudinal axis perpendicular to the first airflow direction, and a jacket at least partially surrounding the heating element along the longitudinal axis of the heating element and defining a second airflow direction perpendicular to the first airflow direction.
Inventors: San Li (Midlothian, Va.); Barry S. Smith (Hopewell, Va.); Christopher S. Tucker (Midlothian, Va.)
Assignee: Altria Client Services (Richmond)
Jan. 14, 2025

Non-nicotine Electronic Vaping Devices Having Non-nicotine Pre-vapor Formulation Level Detection And Auto Shutdown
Patent No. 12193517
A device assembly includes a controller, which is configured to control the non-nicotine electronic vaping device to output an indication of a current level of the non-nicotine pre-vapor formulation in the non-nicotine reservoir of a non-nicotine pod assembly in response to determining that an aggregate amount of non-nicotine pre-vapor formulation drawn from the non-nicotine reservoir or an aggregate amount of vaporized non-nicotine pre-vapor formulation is greater than or equal to the at least one non-nicotine pre-vapor formulation level threshold.
Inventors: Niall Gallagher (Richmond); Terrance Theodore Bache (Richmond); Rangaraj S. Sundar (Richmond); Jarrett Keen (Richmond); Raymond W. Lau (Richmond); Eric Hawes (Midlothian, Va.)
Assignee: Altria Client Services (Richmond)
Jan. 14, 2025

Electronic Smoking Article
Patent No. 12193508
An electronic smoking article includes a heater in communication with a liquid supply reservoir including liquid material and operable to heat the liquid material to a temperature sufficient to volatilize the liquid material contained therein and form an aerosol. The volatilized material flows through a sheath flow and aerosol promoter insert that is operable to cool the aerosol, reduce the particle size of the aerosol and increase the delivery rate of the aerosol.
Inventors: David B. Kane (Richmond); David R. Schiff (Highland Park, Va.); Chris Carrick (Newark, Del.); Chris Phelan (Richmond); Christopher S. Tucker (Midlothian, Va.);
Assignee: Altria Client Services (Richmond)
Jan. 14, 2025

Liquid Aerosol Formulation Of An Electronic Smoking Article
Patent No. 12193472
A liquid aerosol formulation for an electronic smoking article includes an aerosol former, water, nicotine, and an acid including tartaric acid. The acid is included in an amount sufficient to provide the liquid aerosol formulation with a pH ranging from about 4 to about 8.
Inventors: Peter Lipowicz (Midlothian, Va.); Pauline Marcq (Richmond); Gerd Kobal (Sandy Hook, Va.); Munmaya K. Mishra (Richmond); Georgios D. Karles (Richmond); San Li (Midlothian, Va.)
Assignee: Altria Client Services (Richmond)
Jan. 14, 2025

Stabilization Methods For Tobacco And Tobacco Products
Patent No. 12193474
A stabilizing process for tobacco and tobacco products includes sterilizing the tobacco by applying an electron beam treatment to the tobacco. The process may also include treating the tobacco. The treating the tobacco includes pre-conditioning the tobacco, pasteurizing the tobacco, curing the tobacco, fermenting the tobacco, or combinations thereof. The method may also include forming a smokeless tobacco product containing the tobacco.
Inventors: Yahya Karga (Richmond); James Powell (Richmond); Dongmei Xu (Glen Allen, Va.); James A. Strickland (Richmond); Ujwala Warek (Richmond)
Assignee: Altria Client Services (Richmond)
Jan. 14, 2025

Oral Tobacco Product
Patent No. 12193470
An oral tobacco product includes a body that is wholly receivable in an oral cavity. The body includes a mouth-stable polymer matrix and tobacco fibers embedded in the mouth-stable polymer matrix. The oral tobacco product can be formed by extruding a mixture of mouth-stable polymer and tobacco fibers.
Inventors: Feng Gao (Midlothian, Va.); Frank Scott Atchley (Midlothian, Va.); Gregory James Griscik (Midlothian, Va.); Christopher Joseph Dinovi (Ruther Glen, Va.); Phillip M. Hulan (Midlothian, Va.); Diane L. Gee (Chesterfield, Va.); Munmaya K. Mishra (Manakin Sabot, Va.); James Arthur Strickland (Richmond)
Assignee: Altria Client Services (Richmond)
Jan. 14, 2025

E-vaping Device
Patent No. 12193511
Some example embodiments include a reservoir assembly for an e-vaping device that may include a reservoir, a first bayonet connector assembly, and a conduit extending from a vaporizer assembly and into a space defined by the first bayonet connector assembly. The first bayonet connector assembly may detachably couple with a second bayonet connector assembly of an outlet assembly to establish a bayonet interface connection between the reservoir and the outlet assembly, such that the conduit is in fluid communication with the exterior of the reservoir assembly through an interior of the outlet assembly.
Inventors: Eric Hawes (Midlothian, Va.); Raymond W. Lau (Glen Allen, Va.); Mik Dahl (Lapu-Lapu, Philippines); Jon Jarantilla (Lapu-Lapu, Philippines); Galen Salvador (Lapu-Lapu, Philippines); Jose Jesus Paolo Montalvan (Mandaue, Philippines); Jeroen Kok (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
Assignee: Altria Client Services (Richmond)
Jan. 14, 2025

Method Of Forming Connector With Flange And Shaft
Patent No. 12196249
The method includes first defining a longitudinal channel in a major body, the major body including a first portion, a second portion and a flange, the flange being located between the first portion and the second portion, the longitudinal channel traversing through a longitudinal length of the major body from the first portion through the second portion, the first portion including a shaft, and second defining a first side end of the flange, the first side end at least partially defining a first segment of at least one first airflow inlet, the first segment being in communication with the longitudinal channel.
Inventors: Robert Levitz (North Miami Beach, Fla.); Shmuel Gavrielov (Beit Shemesh, Israel)
Assignee: Altria Client Services (Richmond)
Jan. 14, 2025

Cartridge And E-vaping Device With Serpentine Heater
Patent No. 12193487
A cartridge of an e-vaping device includes a housing extending in a longitudinal direction, a reservoir in the housing, a heater in the housing, and an absorbent material at least partially surrounding the sinusoidal shaped member. The reservoir is configured to store a pre-vapor formulation. The heater has a sinusoidal shaped member translating about an elliptical shape to define a channel there through. The absorbent material is in fluid communication with the reservoir.
Inventors: Shmuel Gavrielov (Beit Shemesh, Israel); Yuval Malka (Richmond); Rangaraj Sundar (Midlothian, Va.); Isaac Weigensberg (Richmond); David Rubli (Revava, Israel); Moshe Eliyahu (Beit Shemesh, Israel); Arye Weigensberg (Richmond); Scott A. Fath (Henrico, Va.); Christopher S. Tucker (Midlothian, Va.); William J. Bogdziewicz (Richmond)
Assignee: Altria Client Services (Richmond)
Jan. 14, 2025

Cartridge And E-vaping Device
Patent No. 12200828
A cartridge of an e-vaping device includes a housing extending in a longitudinal direction, a reservoir in the housing, a heater in the housing, and an absorbent material at least partially surrounding the sinusoidal shaped member. The reservoir is configured to store a pre-vapor formulation. The heater has a sinusoidal shaped member translating about an elliptical shape to define a channel there through. The absorbent material is in fluid communication with the reservoir.
Inventors: Shmuel Gavrielov (Beit Shemesh, Israel); Yuval Malka (Richmond); Rangaraj Sundar (Midlothian, Va.); Isaac Weigensberg (Richmond); David Rubli (Revava, Israel); Moshe Eliyahu (Beit Shemesh, Israel); Arye Weigensberg (Richmond); Christopher S. Tucker (Midlothian, Va.)
Assignee: Altria Client Services (Richmond)
Jan. 14, 2025

Aerosol-generating System With Fluid Sensor
Patent No. 12194231
A vapor-generating system includes a pump having an inlet and an outlet, the inlet configured to be connected to a liquid storage portion. The system includes a fluid channel fluidly connected to the pump and a fluid sensor. The fluid sensor is configured to determine a presence of liquid vapor-forming substrate in the fluid channel based on measuring an electrical property of the fluid in the fluid channel.
Inventor: Ben Mazur (Bristol, Great Britain)
Assignee: Altria Client Services (Richmond)
Jan. 14, 2025

Method Of Making Aerosol-generating System
Patent No. 12200821
The method includes electrically connecting a first line and a second line to a first terminal and a second terminal, the first line and the second line being in parallel, first configuring an aerosol-generator and a first barrier element within the first line, and second configuring an identifying element and a second barrier element within the second line. The first barrier element and the second barrier element each have an asymmetric electrical conductance. The first and second configuring configures the aerosol-generating system so that a first electrical current applied through the first and second terminal in a first direction allows the first electrical current to pass through the identifying element without activating the aerosol-generator, and a second electrical current applied through the first and second terminal in a second direction allows the second electrical current to activate the aerosol-generator without the second electrical current passing through the identifying element.
Inventor: Tony Reevell (London, Great Britain)
Assignee: Altria Client Services (Richmond)
Jan. 14, 2025

Method Of Making Vapor-generating Article Including Retention Medium And Frangible Capsule
Patent No. 12193489
The method includes defining a cavity within a housing of a vapor-generating article, the vapor-generating article having a first end, a second end and a middle section, first inserting at least one portion of a retention medium within the housing between the first end and the middle section, and second inserting a first frangible capsule to be near or at least partially within the retention medium, the first frangible capsule including a first volatile substrate.
Inventor: Michel Thorens (Moudon, Switzerland)
Assignee: Altria Client Services (Richmond)
Jan. 14, 2025

Lubricating Oil Compositions For Improving Low-speed Pre-ignition
Patent No. 12195695
The present disclosure relates to lubricating compositions and methods of lubricating a spark-ignition engine effective to improve low-speed pre-ignition (LSPI) through selection of lubricant elemental relationships rather than through the addition of supplemental fluid additives with the added benefit that the relationships herein, in some circumstances, improve the low-speed pre-ignition independent of the underlying base oil quality. The lubricating compositions herein include one or more base oils of lubricating viscosity, one or more phosphorus-containing additives providing low levels of phosphorus, a detergent system providing calcium and/or magnesium with certain relationships of the calcium sulfated ash content to the low phosphorus content.
Inventors: Kongsheng Yang (Glen Allen, Va.); Brent Calcut (Detroit, Mich.); Amy M. James (Richmond); Kristi Engelman (Richmond)
Assignee: Afton Chemical Corp. (Richmond)
Jan. 14, 2025

Cartridge For Use With Aerosol Generating Device
Patent No. 12193492
A cartridge for use with an aerosol generating device includes a housing defining a closed end, an open end, and an aperture between the closed end and the open end. The cartridge further includes a composition including nicotine in the housing in proximity to the closed end. The cartridge also includes a flow control apparatus in the housing. The flow control apparatus includes a proximal end, a distal end, and an internal airflow passageway between the distal end and the proximal end. A seal is formed between an exterior of the flow control apparatus and an interior of the housing. The seal is between the open end of the housing and the aperture of the housing. A channel is at least partially defined by the interior of the housing. The channel is in communication with the aperture and directs air from the aperture towards the composition including nicotine.
Inventors: Onur Dayloglu (Neuchatel, Switzerland); Jean-Yves Vollmer (Neuchatel, Switzerland); Gerard Zuber (Neuchatel, Switzerland)
Assignee: Altria Client Services (Richmond)
Jan. 14, 2025

Location-based Messaging
Patent No. 12192848
In some implementations, a system may receive exchange data that includes a credential for an exchange and an indication of an entity associated with the exchange. The system may determine that an entity location is within a threshold distance of a target location included in a set of target locations. The system may determine a baseline location associated with a user. The system may determine that the baseline location is outside of a threshold proximity of all target locations included in the set of target locations. The system may transmit, to a mobile device associated with the user, a message that includes an indication of the target location based on determining that the entity location is within the threshold distance of the target location and based on determining that the baseline location is outside of the threshold proximity of all target locations included in the set of target locations.
Inventor: Kevin M. Lowe (Richmond)
Assignee: Capital One Services (McLean, Va.)
Jan. 7, 2025

Techniques For Multi-voice Speech Recognition Commands
Patent No. 12189744
Various embodiments are generally directed to techniques for multi-voice speech recognition commands, such as based on monitoring a telecommunications channel between first and second devices, for instance. Some embodiments are particularly directed to prompting initiation of a transaction between a first entity associated with a first device and a second entity associated with a second device based on detection of an audible request corresponding to the second entity and an audible response corresponding to the first entity.
Inventors: Paul Hurlocker (Richmond); Austin Grant Walters (Savoy, Ill.); Jeremy Edward Goodsitt (Champaign, Ill.)
Assignee: Capital One Services (McLean, Va.)
Jan. 7, 2025

Systems And Methods For Providing A Separate Interest Rate For An Individual Transaction
Patent No. 12190372
Systems and methods for providing a separate interest rate for an individual transaction are disclosed. A system may provide a service associated with a account having an account balance and an associated first interest rate. The system may include a service device having one or more memory devices storing instructions and one or more processors configured to execute the instructions to perform a separate interest rate service process. The process may include providing a separate interest rate service offer to a client device and receiving a separate interest rate selection from the client device. The process may also include determining a selected portion of the account balance corresponding to an amount to which a second interest rate, different from the first interest rate, is to be applied based on the separate interest rate selection.
Inventors: Marcie Apelt (Richmond); Megan Edds (Glen Allen, Va.); Keith Barron (Henrico, Va.); Ashley Gibbs (Richmond); Matthew Vischulis (Vienna, Va.); Carl Ashby (Montpelier, Va.); Baining Hu (Vienna, Va.); Yi Liu (Oakton, Va.); David Schardt (Henrico, Va.)
Assignee: Capital One Services (McLean, Va.)
Jan. 7, 2025

Systems And Methods For Control System Security
Patent No. 12189778
A resilient security agent determines a cyber and/or physical health of a control system by, inter alia, communicating cyber-physical key data through cyber-physical control paths of the system, and determining error introduced by the communication. The resilient security agent may be further configured to verify the integrity of acquired cyber-physical state information. The cyber health of the control system may be evaluated by comparing the acquired cyber state information to one or more cyber state profiles. The physical health of the control system may be evaluated by comparing the acquired physical state information to one or more physical state profiles.
Inventors: Craig G. Rieger (Pocatello, Idaho); Timonthy R. McJunkin (Idaho Falls, Idaho); Milos Manic (Henrico, Va.); Kasun Amarasinghe (Richmond)
Assignee: Battelle Energy Alliance (Idaho Falls, Idaho)
Jan. 7, 2025

Carton And Blank Therefor
Patent No. 12187516
Aspects of the disclosure relate to a carrier (90) for packaging one or more articles (B). The carrier comprises a main panel (12) having first (A1) and second (A2) adjacent apertures, arranged side by side, each for receiving a portion of an article. The main panel further comprises an annular series of tabs (16,18,20) formed around each of the first and second apertures. The tabs of each annular series are hingedly connected to the main panel such that at least some of the tabs yield out of the plane of the main panel when an article is received in the respective aperture so as to bear against the article. The main panel comprising a first layer (CL) comprising a paperboard substrate and a second layer (PL) providing a tear resistant layer wherein the tear resistant layer is disposed above the paperboard substrate.
Inventors: Stephen G. Simmons (Chesterfield, Va.); Casey P. Grey (Richmond); Bradford Walling (Chesterfield, Va.); Matthew E. Zacherle (Chesterfield, Va.); Eric D. Linvill (Alvsjo, Sweden); Linn L. Kooc (Richmond)
Assignee: WestRock Packaging Systems (Atlanta, Ga.)
Jan. 7, 2025

Package With Opposing Locking Mechanisms
Patent No. 12187507
The container includes a base and a lid pivotally coupled to the base. The base includes a bottom wall and a peripheral wall, where a plurality of receptacles are defined in the peripheral wall. The peripheral wall is configured to be moved from a relaxed position to a flexed position by applying a first force to a first portion of the peripheral wall in a first direction and a second force to a second portion of the peripheral wall in a second direction. The lid includes a top wall and a plurality of projections. In the relaxed position, the lid is configured to engage the receptacles so as to retain the lid in a closed configuration. The container is configured to be moved from the closed configuration to an open configuration by moving the lid in a third direction while the peripheral wall is in the flexed position.
Inventors: Christopher J. Hession (Mechanicsville, Va.); Travis Martin Garthaffner (Midlothian, Va.); William J. Bogdziewicz (Richmond)
Assignee: Altria Client Services (Richmond)\
Jan. 7, 2025

Laser Capture Microdissection Visualization Chemistry
Patent No. 12188852
A liquid including an organic component, a stabilization component, and a preservation component is provided. The organic component, the stabilization component, and the preservation component are different components. The organic component present in the liquid includes a volatile organic solution with a refractive index of 1.5 or below. Further, the liquid is a visualization solution that provides a resolving power of a lens by 1/1.5.
Inventors: Lance A. Liotta (Bethesda, Md.); Alessandra Luchini Kunkel (Burke, Va.); Marissa Ashton Howard (Richmond); Amanda Haymond Still (Manassas, Va.); Amanda Lynn Still (Herndon, Va.); Virginia Espina (Fairfax, Va.)
Assignee: George Mason Research Foundation (Fairfax, Va.)
Jan. 7, 2025

Acyl Nornicotines Reduce Sensory Irritation In Tobacco And Nicotine Products
Patent No. 12185750
A smokeless tobacco product or medicinal nicotine product including nicotine and acyl nornicotine. Preferably, the acyl nornicotine is selected from the group consisting of N-Pentanoylnornicotine, N-Hexanoylnornicotine, N-Heptanolynornicotine, N-Octanoylnornicotine, N-Nonanoylnornicotine, N-Decanoylnornicotine, N-Undecanoylnornicotine, and N-Dedecanoylnornicotine. Also disclosed are methods of making such products.
Inventors: Gerd Kobal (Sandy Hook, Va.); Douglas R. Oliveri (Powhatan, Va.); Peter Reeh (Erlangen, Germany); Tatiana Kichko (Erlangen, Germany)
Assignee: Altria Client Services (Richmond)
Jan. 7, 2025

Cartridge For An Aerosol-generating System
Patent No. 12185758
A cartridge for an aerosol-generating system may comprise a liquid storage portion, which includes a housing holding a liquid aerosol-forming substrate. The housing has a first and a second opening. The cartridge may further comprise a first and a second permeable planar heater assembly, wherein the first permeable planar heater assembly is fixed to the housing and extends across the first opening of the housing, and the second permeable planar heater assembly is fixed to the housing and extends across the second opening of the housing. The first and second permeable planar heater assemblies are arranged opposite each other such that they face each other and form an airflow channel in between.
Inventors: Patrick Charles Silvestrini (Neuchatel, Switzerland); Ihar Nikolaevich Zinovik (Peseux, Switzerland)
Assignee: Altria Client Services (Richmond)
Jan. 7, 2025

Method Of Making E-vaping Device With Ejectors To Eject Droplets
Patent No. 12185761
The e-vaping method includes providing a reservoir within a housing, the reservoir being configured to contain a pre-vapor formulation, first configuring ejectors to eject droplets of the pre-vapor formulation towards a vaporizing heater, the ejectors being in fluid communication with the reservoir, and second configuring a vaporizing heater to vaporize at least some of the droplets.
Inventors: Raymond Lau (Richmond); Eric Hawes (Midlothian, Va.); Terry Bache (Richmond); Ryan Newcomb (Powhatan, Va.); John Glenn Edelen (Richmond); James D. Anderson Jr. (Richmond); Byron Bell (Richmond)
Assignee: Altria Client Services (Richmond)
Jan. 7, 2025

Aerosol Generating System With Self-activated Electric Heater
Patent No. 12185764
An electronic vaping device includes a liquid storage portion, an electric heater and electronic circuitry. The liquid storage portion is configured to store liquid vapor-forming substrate. The electric heater includes at least one heating element, the at least one heating element configured to heat the liquid vapor-forming substrate. The electronic circuitry is configured to self-activate the electric heater for a first time interval during a period of inactivity of the electric heater to determine depletion of the liquid vapor-forming substrate based on a relationship between a power applied to the at least one heating element and a resulting temperature change of the at least one heating element.
Inventor: Tony Reevell (London, Great Britain)
Assignee: Altria Client Services (Richmond)
Jan. 7, 2025

Cloud Based Platform To Efficiently Manage Firewall Rules And Data Traffic
Patent No. 12192176
Various embodiments described herein relate to a virtual network with a cloud-based server, cloud-based firewall and a cloud-based service. The cloud-based server is in communication with a client installed on a gateway to receive an encapsulated IP data packet from one or more applications installed on the gateway. The cloud-based configured to decapsulate the encapsulated IP data packet verify a security certificate based on a first information and configure a cloud-based firewall based on a second information. The cloud-based server is configured to route the one or more IP data packets to the cloud-based firewall for processing each IP data packet based on the second information. In response to the one or more IP data packets being compliant with the first information provided to authenticate the gateway and the second information provided to configure the cloud-based firewall, routing the one or more IP data packets to the cloud-based service.
Inventors: Ajay Verma (Cumming, Ga.); Amod Kamat (Glen Allen, Va.); William Smith (Chesterfield, Va.); Daniel P. Giorgis (Glen Allen, Va.); Hugh Eaves (Richmond); Michael Smith (Henrico, Va.); Patrick Sager (Midlothian, Va.); Upender Paravastu (Bangalore, India)
Assignee: Honeywell International (Charlotte, N.C.)
Jan. 7, 2025

Multiple Dispersion Generator E-vaping Device
Patent No. 12178256
A base for an e-vaping device is configured to couple with multiple cartridges configured to generate separate, respective dispersions. The cartridges may include one or more atomizer assemblies or vaporizer assemblies. The base may include multiple connectors electrically coupled to the power supply. The connectors may be configured to couple multiple dispersion generators to a power supply of the base. The base may include control circuitry configured to independently control dispersion generation by dispersion generators coupled to the base. The control circuitry may independently control dispersion generation by the first and second cartridges based on cartridge information accessed through at least one of the first and second connectors. The control circuitry may control dispersion generation by controlling power supplied to the dispersion generators.
Inventors: Ali A. Rostami (Richmond); Gerd Kobal (Sandy Hook, Va.); Yezdi Pithawalla (Richmond); David Kane (Richmond); Christopher S. Tucker (Midlothian, Va.); Peter Lipowicz (Midlothian, Va.); Jason Flora (Richmond); Gerogios Karles (Richmond); Munmaya K. Mishra (Manakin Sabot, Va.); Catherine Barnes (Richmond); Richard Arena (Richmond)
Assignee: Altria Client Services (Richmond)
Dec. 31, 2024

Methods To Add Menthol, Botanic Materials, And/or Non-botanic Materials To A Cartridge, And/or An Electronic Vaping Device Including The Cartridge
Patent No. 12178234
A cartridge may include a housing, a liquid supply reservoir in the housing and configured to store a pre-vapor formulation, a vaporizer, and a porous plug. The vaporizer may be in liquid communication with the liquid supply reservoir. The vaporizer may be configured to generate a vapor from heating a portion of the pre-vapor formulation. The porous plug may be connected to the housing and separated from the liquid supply reservoir. The porous plug may be permeable to the vapor. The porous plug may enclose a flavoring additive contacting a storage material. The flavoring additive may be configured to at least partially elute from the storage material or at least partially volatilize from the storage material if the vapor flows through the porous plug. An e-vaping device may include the cartridge.
Inventors: Gerd Kobal (Sandy Hook, Va.); San Li (Midlothian, Va.); Peter Lipowicz (Midlothian, Va.)
Assignee: Altria Client Services (Richmond)
Dec. 31, 2025

3D Printed Magnetocaloric Devices With Controlled Microchannels And Magnetic Anisotropy And Methods Of Making The Same
Patent No. 12179266
A polymer-assisted 3D printing method and ink compositions are used to manufacture magnetocaloric devices having many applications including in heat pumps, refrigerators, etc. The ink compositions and printing methods can produce compositionally graded, anisotropically aligned magnetocaloric architectures with designed pores and channels, to bring forth significant improvement in heat exchange efficiency.
Inventors: Hong Zhao (Glen Allen, Va.); Radhika Barua (Glen Allen, Va.); Ravi L. Hadimani (Glen Allen, Va.); Lilly Balderson (Aylett, Va.)
Assignee: Virginia Commonwealth University (Richmond)
Dec. 31, 2024

Smoking Device
Patent No. 12178245
Apparatus and methods are described for use with a portion of plant material that includes at least one active ingredient. A vaporizing unit includes a heating element configured to heat the plant material, and a sensor configured to detect an indication of airflow rate through the vaporizing unit. Control circuitry is configured to receive an indication of the airflow rate through the vaporizing unit, and, in response thereto, to determine a smoking profile that is desired by the user. The control circuitry drives the heating element to vaporize the active ingredient of the plant material by heating the plant material according to the determined smoking profile. The control circuitry dynamically updates the smoking profile in response to changes in airflow rate over the course of a smoking session. Other applications are also described.
Inventor: Yossef Raichman (Herzliya, Israel)
Assignee: Altria Client Services (Richmond)
Dec. 31, 2024

Inheriting Digital Whiteboard Roles Based On Video Conference Roles
Patent No. 12184707
Whiteboard roles controlling levels of access to functionality of a digital whiteboard shared to a video conference for participants of the video conference are inherited based on conference roles of those participants within the video conference. Based on a request to share a digital whiteboard to a video conference, a whiteboard role is determined for each participant of the video conference based on a conference role of the participant within the video conference. For each participant during the video conference, access to functionality of the digital whiteboard corresponding to the whiteboard role determined for the participant is enabled, in which different functionality of the digital whiteboard is enabled for different whiteboard roles.
Inventors: Palmer Harold Batt (Seattle, Wash.); Raghavendra Bhagavatha (San Jose, Calif.); Alicia Anne-Kepner Brekke (Richmond); Minshan Cui (Houston, Texas); Jeffrey William Smith (Layton, Utah); Jiabin Xiang (San Jose, Calif.)
Assignee: Zoom Video Communications (San Jose, Calif.)
Dec. 31, 2024

Aerosol-generating System With Pump
Patent No. 12178959
An aerosol-generating system may include a liquid storage portion configured to hold liquid aerosol-forming substrate, a vaporizer including a heating element with an internal passage at least partially defined by a surface of the heating element, and a micro pump configured to deliver liquid aerosol-forming substrate from the liquid storage portion to the internal passage of the heating element, such that the vaporizer is configured to heat the delivered liquid aerosol-forming substrate at the internal passage to a temperature sufficient to volatilize at least a part of the delivered liquid aerosol-forming substrate. The micro pump may be configured to deliver a particular amount of liquid aerosol-forming substrate to the internal passage based on the micro pump performing an individual pump cycle.
Inventors: Shaun Phillips (Peterborough, Great Britain); Bruce Renfrew (Hilltop, Great Britain); Ben Mazur (Bristol, Great Britain); Ben Bright (Gloucestershire, Great Britain); Rui Nuno Batista (Morges, Switzerland)
Assignee: Altria Client Services (Richmond)
Dec. 31, 2024

Non-combustible Smoking Device And Elements Thereof
Patent No. 12178243
At least one example embodiment discloses a pre-vapor formulation reservoir configured to contain a pre-vapor formulation material, a heating element coupled to the pre-vapor formulation reservoir and configured to heat at least a portion of the pre-vapor formulation material into a generated vapor and provide the generated vapor to a first portion of a channel, a tobacco housing at a second portion of the channel and positioned to receive the generated vapor, the tobacco housing including tobacco and at least one air flow element in the tobacco housing to direct at least a first portion of the generated vapor towards an end of the non-combustible smoking element.
Inventors: Buket Sahin (Richmond); San Li (Midlothian, Va.)
Assignee: Altria Client Services (Richmond)
Dec. 31, 2024

Article Carrier And Blank Therefor
Patent No. 12179983
Aspects of the disclosure relate to a top engaging article carrier for packaging one or more articles and a blank for forming the carrier. The article carrier comprises an engaging panel (12A, 12B) having at least one ply and comprising; a first side edge (E1), a first end edge (E2) and a corner (BC) defined by the first side and end edges (E1, E2). The engaging panel (12A, 12B) comprises a corner area (18) extending between the corner (BC) and an article-receiving aperture (A1, A2) in the engaging panel (12A, 12B). The aperture (A1, A2) comprises a first engaging edge (E4) at a position across the corner area (18) from the corner (BC). The first engaging edge (E4) is curved. The first engaging edge (E4) has a radius of curvature (r3) greater than the radius (r1) of the corner aperture (A1, A2).
Inventors: Matthew E. Zacherle (Moseley, Va.)
Assignee: WestRock Packaging (Atlanta, Ga.)
Dec. 31, 2024

System And Method Of Obtaining Smoking Topography Data
Patent No. 12178257
An exemplary smoking topography circuit of an electronic aerosol smoking article, includes at least one sensor configured to measure user interaction with the smoking article, a processor, and memory. The processor is configured to detect a smoking event based an output of the at least one sensor, collect data associated with the smoking event, and arrange the data in a pattern that associates the smoking event to shifts in battery voltage. The memory is configured to store the data pattern in a structured multi-byte format.
Inventors: Barry S. Smith (Hopewell, Va.); Douglas A. Burton (Glen Allen, Va.)
Assignee: Altria Client Services (Richmond)
Dec. 31, 2024

Convertible Transfer Switch
Patent No. 12184077
A system and a method for connecting electrical load(s) to a first power source and a second power source including a switching device and a controller. The switching device includes a first semiconductor device pair and a second semiconductor device pair. The controller configured to receive a first set of electronic signals corresponding to a condition of the first power source and the second power source, isolate the first power source or the second power source from the one or more loads by transmitting a first set of control signals to the switching device, receive a second set of electronic signals corresponding to the condition of the first power source and the second power source, and connect the first power source or the second power source to the one or more loads by transmitting a second set of control signals to the switching device.
Inventors: Veerakumar Bose (Richmond); Thomas Anthony Kendzia III (Richmond)
Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG (Baden, Germany)
Dec. 31, 2024

Combined Cartridge For Electronic Vaping Device
Patent No. 12171262
A cartridge for an e-vaping device enables simultaneous vaporization of different pre-vapor formulations to form a vapor for vaping by an adult vaper. The cartridge includes a dispensing interface coupled to a plurality of reservoirs and a heater coupled to the dispensing interface in a housing. The dispensing interface may include a trunk and separate roots extending into separate reservoirs, such that the dispensing interface draws different pre-vapor formulations from the reservoirs to the trunk via the separate roots. The heater is coupled to the trunk, such that the heater is operable to simultaneously vaporize the different pre-vapor formulations drawn into the trunk.
Inventors: Ali Rostami (Glen Allen, Va.); Christopher S. Tucker (Midlothian, Va.); David Kane (Richmond); Peter Lipowicz (Midlothian, Va.); Georgios Karles (Richmond); Gerd Kobal (Sandy Hook, Va.); Yezdi Pithawalla (Midlothian, Va.)
Assignee: Altria Client Services (Richmond)
Dec. 24, 2024

Mobile Tobacco Receiving Station
Patent No. 12175509
A system, method, computer program product, and mobile receiving station for receiving and processing leaf tobacco at a location of a tobacco farmer, including processing the tobacco leaf at the location, including means for weighing and grading of the received tobacco leaf and, optionally, determining moisture content and transmitting information relating to the optionally determined moisture content, the weight, and the grade of the received tobacco leaf to a tobacco product manufacturing facility over a communications link.
Inventors: Hal L. Teegarden (Chesterfield, Va.); David Scott Ray (Chesterfield, Va.); John Stewart Livesay (Chesterfield, Va.); Isidro Gomez (Midlothian, Va.)
Assignee: Altria Client Services (Richmond)
Dec. 24, 2024

Method Of Making Tobacco Rod Using Tongue Of Compression Box
Patent No. 12171256
The method includes transporting tobacco into and through a shaft of a tongue of a compression box, and compressing the tobacco into a tobacco rod as the tobacco is transported through the compression box, the compression box including a first plate, a first portion of the first plate being formed over an upper portion of the shaft, the first portion running along a majority of a longitudinal length of the shaft.
Inventors: Dwight D. Williams (Richmond); Charles David Howe (Crewe, Va.)
Assignee: Altria Client Services (Richmond)
Dec. 24, 2024

Electrical Grid Control Systems And Methods Using Dynamically Mapped Effective Impedance
Patent No. 12176708
An electric power control system and methods are described herein in which a determined effective impedance between a first sensor and a second sensor is determined and instructions to an adjusting device based on the determined effective impedance are provided. In one example a controller is configured to determine at least one component of the supplied electric power at the plurality of sensors based on a determined effective impedance. In another example, a controller is configured to determine at least one estimated component of the supplied electric power based on the determined effective impedance. In another example, a controller is configured to compare one or more comparison variables from a first time period to one or more comparison variables of a second time period.
Inventors: Abhineet H. Parchure (Richmond); Stephen J. Tyler (Henrico, Va.)
Assignee: Dominion Energy (Richmond)
Dec. 24, 2024

Electrospun Dextran Fibers And Devices Formed Therefrom
Patent No. 12171888
The invention generally relates to dextran fibers which are preferably electrospun and devices formed from such fibers. In particular, such devices may include substances of interest (such as therapeutic substances) associated with the electrospun fibers. Upon exposure to a liquid the electrospun fibers dissolve immediately and the substances of interest are released into the liquid. Exemplary devices include bandages formed from electrospun dextran fibers and associated agents that promote hemostasis, such as thrombin and fibrinogen.
Inventors: Gary Bowlin (Mechanicsville, Va.); David Simpson (Mechanicsville, Va.); James Bowman (Richmond); Stephen Rothwell (Richmond)
Assignee: Virginia Commonwealth University (Richmond)
Dec. 24, 2024

Ground Fault Protection In A High Resistance Grounding System
Patent No. 12176701
A ground fault protection system includes a power switch including a source-side and a load-side. The power switch is structured to receive a load current from a power source at the source-side and selectively output the load current from the load-side to a load. A first voltage measuring device is structured to measure a first voltage of the source-side while the power switch is not conducting the load current. A second voltage measuring device is structured to measure a second voltage of the load-side while the power switch is not conducting the load current. A controller is structured to determine a source-side-to-ground voltage based on the first voltage, determine a load-side-to-ground voltage based on the second voltage, determine a ground fault is occurring, and determine a direction of the ground fault relative to the power switch.
Inventors: Thomas Anthony Kendzia III (Richmond); Veerakumar Bose (Richmond); Liju Kallrackal (Richmond)
Assignee: ABB Schweiz Ag (Baden, Germany)
Dec. 24, 2024

Automatic Updates To Instruction Documents Using Crowdsourcing
Patent No. 12174900
In some implementations, an instruction management system may receive, from a plurality of user devices, a set of feedback associated with the instruction document. The instruction management system may identify a compliance activity associated with the instruction document and identify at least one location in the instruction document based on the set of feedback. The instruction management system may trigger an instruction to a tracking system to open a ticket associated with the compliance activity and the at least one location.
Inventors: Grant Michael Iwan (Montpelier, Va.); Mohamed Seck (Aubrey, Texas); Shannon Reid (Richmond)
Assignee: Capital One Services (McLean, Va.)
Dec. 24, 2024

Methods Of Reducing Adverse Effects Of Non-thermal Ablation
Patent No. 12173280
The present invention provides systems, methods, and devices for electroporation-based therapies (EBTs). Embodiments provide patient-specific treatment protocols derived by the numerical modeling of 3D reconstructions of target tissue from images taken of the tissue, and optionally accounting for one or more of physical constraints or dynamic tissue properties. The present invention further relates to systems, methods, and devices for delivering bipolar electric pulses for irreversible electroporation exhibiting reduced or no damage to tissue typically associated with an EBT-induced excessive charge delivered to the tissue.
Inventors: Robert E. Neal II (Richmond); Paulo A. Garcia (Cambridge, Mass.); Rafael V. Davalos (Blacksburg, Va.); John H. Rossmeisi (Blacksburg, Va.); John L. Robertson (Floyd, Va.)
Assignee: Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties (Blacksburg, Va.)
Dec. 24, 2024

Enabling Temporary Access To A Digital Whiteboard During A Conference
Patent No. 12177271
Temporary access to a digital whiteboard is enabled for conference participants during a conference (e.g., a video conference). Based on a request to share a digital whiteboard with conference participants during a conference, ones of the conference participants to which to grant temporary access permissions for the digital whiteboard are determined. The temporary access permissions are granted to enable the ones of the conference participants to access the digital whiteboard during the conference. Based on an event occurrence, which may, for example, correspond to a termination of the conference or a disconnection of an owner of the digital whiteboard from the conference, the temporary access permissions are revoked to restrict further access to the digital whiteboard by the ones of the conference participants.
Inventors: Palmer Harold Batt (Seattle, Wash.); Alicia Anne-Kepner Brekke (Richmond); Jianzhong Ding (Saratoga, Calif.); Seokbin Kang (Santa Clara, Calif.); Stephen George Newton (San Jose, Calif.); Jeffrey William Smith (Layton, Utah); Jiabin Xiang (San Jose, Calif.)
Assignee: Zoom Video Communications (San Jose, Calif.)
Dec. 24, 2024

Managing Overlapping Data Requests
Patent No. 12197446
A method, apparatus, and computer-readable medium are described that reduce overlapping portions of data object instances. The data object instances may include requests for identifying locations of stored documents. By comparing a second data object instance to one or more first data object instances, one or more overlapping portions may be removed from the second data object instance. Once the second data object instance is returned with locations of newly identified locations of documents, the removed portions of the second data object instance may be added back with previously identified locations of the documents.
Inventors: Kyle Benedict (Chesterfield, Va.); Sally Schmidt (Powhatan, Va.)
Assignee: Capital One Services (McLean, Va.)
Jan. 14, 2025

Methods And Systems For Connecting Data With Non-standardized Schemas In Connected Graph Data Exchanges
Patent No. 12189602
Methods and systems for connecting data with non-standardized schemas in connected graph data exchanges. For example, the system generates a custom data structure corresponding to a user identifier for a user profile that includes pointers between user profile attributes (e.g., individual fields/categories within the user profile) and existing assets in a connected graph (e.g., an existing application, software profile for an application, data set, connections, etc.). The system then connects the custom data structure corresponding to the user identifier to the existing assets in the connected graph.
Inventors: Gaurav Singh (Glen Allen, Va.); Richard Ferrara (Chesterfield, Va.); Pankaj Singh (Glen Allen, Va.); Christopher Wilcoxen (Henrico, Va.); Felix Hidalgo (Henrico, Va.); Rangarajan Lakshminarayanachar (Glen Allen, Va.)
Assignee: Capital One Services (McLean, Va.)
Jan. 7, 2024

Systems And Methods For Holographically Presenting Items Based On Item Compatibility With Account Features
Patent No. 12200588
In some embodiments, holographically displaying items based on item compatibility with user account features may be facilitated. In some embodiments, first and second mobile devices may be detected as being within a proximity threshold of a holographic display device, where the first mobile device is associated with a first user account and the second mobile device is associated with a second user account. Based on the detection, (i) navigation information of the first and second mobile devices, (ii) return value information indicating respective return values associated with candidate items, and (iii) account feature compatibility information may be obtained and inputted into a machine learning model. Despite a first candidate item being incompatible with a second account feature set for the second mobile device, a first holographic representation of the first candidate item may be displayed.
Inventors: Milan Mehta (Glen Allen, Va); Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (Walnut Creek, Calif.); Benjamin Polk (Arlington, Va.); Lee Adcock (Midlothian, Va.)
Assignee: Capital One Services (McLean, Va.)
Jan. 14, 2025

Compositions And Uses Thereof
Patent No. 12187687
The disclosure is directed to compounds of the formula (1A), (I)—(V) and others disclosed herein and uses of such compounds.
Inventors: Ku-Lung Hsu (Charlottesville, Va.); Caroline Elise Franks (Charlottesville, Va.); Heung Sik Hahm (Charlottesville, Va.); Jeffrey W. Brulet (Glen Allen, Va.); Tao Huang (Charlottesville, Va.)
Assignee: University of Virginia Patent Foundation (Charlottesville, Va.)
Jan. 7, 2025

Methods And Systems For Generating Recommendations In Cloud-based Data Warehousing System
Patent No. 12189645
Methods, systems, devices, and computer-readable media used by a cloud data management system for collecting data from accounts hosted by a cloud-based data warehousing system on different cloud platforms or in different cloud regions of a cloud platform. Collection of data in the multi-cloud platform and/or multi-cloud region environments may be facilitated by the on-demand creation of one or more data collection accounts. Based on the collected data, one or more recommendations, notifications, or alerts associated with usage of the data warehousing system may be generated.
Inventors: Hiren Shah (Stafford, Calif.); Ganesh Bharathan (Henrico, Va.); Sridhar Maramreddy (Glen Allen, Va.); Naga Venkata Sriram Vadakattu (Frisco, Texas); Nicole Ann Luo (Frisco, Texas); Naveen Kumar Kilaru (Little Elm, Texas); David Ellis (San Diego, Calif.); Felix Li (Pittsburgh, Penn.); Yudish Batra (Glen Allen, Va.); Kishore Kolanu (Glen Allen, Va.); Fnu Syed Siraj Mehmood (Aldie, Va.)
Assignee: Capital One Services (McLean, Va.)
Jan. 7, 2025

Anomaly Detection In A Split Timeseries Dataset
Patent No. 12189589
Methods and systems are described herein for improving anomaly detection in timeseries datasets. Different machine learning models may be trained to process specific types of timeseries data efficiently and accurately. Thus, selecting a proper machine learning model for identifying anomalies in a specific set of timeseries data may greatly improve accuracy and efficiency of anomaly detection. Another way to improve anomaly detection is to process a multitude of timeseries datasets for a time period (e.g., 90 days) to detect anomalies from those timeseries datasets and then correlate those detected anomalies by generating an anomaly timeseries dataset and identifying anomalies within the anomaly timeseries dataset. Yet another way to improve anomaly detection is to divide a dataset into multiple datasets based on a type of anomaly detection requested.
Inventors: Vannia Gonzalez Macias (Glen Allen, Va.); Scott Garcia (Washington, D.C.); Peter Terrana (Mechanicsville, Va.)
Assignee: Capital One Services (McLean, Va.)
Jan. 7, 2025

Instrument Conveyance Using A Shuttle
Patent No. 12187544
A system for instrument conveyance may include a shuttle device including an internal compartment for containing instruments; at least one handling unit configured to dispense instruments, where the handling unit includes: an opening mechanism configured to open the shuttle device to expose the internal compartment of the shuttle device, and a loading mechanism configured to load instruments into the internal compartment of the shuttle device; at least one head unit configured to obtain input from a user in connection with a transaction involving instruments; and a transportation system disposed between the at least one handling unit and the at least one head unit, where the transportation system is configured to transport the shuttle device between the at least one handling unit and the at least one head unit.
Inventors: Steve Faletti (Brooklyn, N.Y.); David Kelly Wurmfed (Fairfax, Va.); Scott R. Neilson (Glen Allen, Va.)
Assignee: Capital One Services (McLean, Va.)
Jan. 7, 2025

Methods And Systems For Generating Recommendations In Cloud-based Data Warehousing System
Patent No. 12189645
Methods, systems, devices, and computer-readable media used by a cloud data management system for collecting data from accounts hosted by a cloud-based data warehousing system on different cloud platforms or in different cloud regions of a cloud platform. Collection of data in the multi-cloud platform and/or multi-cloud region environments may be facilitated by the on-demand creation of one or more data collection accounts. Based on the collected data, one or more recommendations, notifications, or alerts associated with usage of the data warehousing system may be generated.
Inventors: Hiren Shah (Stafford, Calif.); Ganesh Bharathan (Henrico, Va.); Sridhar Maramreddy (Glen Allen, Va.); Naga Venkata Sriram Vadakattu (Frisco, Texas); Naveen Kumar Kilaru (Little Elm, Texas); Nicole Ann Luo (Frisco, Texas); David Ellis (San Diego, Calif.); Felix Li (Pittsburgh, Penn.); Yudhish Batra (Glen Allen, Va.); Kishore Kolanu (Glen Allen, Va.); Fnu Syed Siraj Mehmood (Aldie, Va.)
Assignee: Capital One Services (McLean, Va.)
Jan. 7, 2025

Anomaly Detection In A Split Timeseries Dataset
Patent No. 12189589
Methods and systems are described herein for improving anomaly detection in timeseries datasets. Different machine learning models may be trained to process specific types of timeseries data efficiently and accurately. Thus, selecting a proper machine learning model for identifying anomalies in a specific set of timeseries data may greatly improve accuracy and efficiency of anomaly detection. Another way to improve anomaly detection is to process a multitude of timeseries datasets for a time period (e.g., 90 days) to detect anomalies from those timeseries datasets and then correlate those detected anomalies by generating an anomaly timeseries dataset and identifying anomalies within the anomaly timeseries dataset. Yet another way to improve anomaly detection is to divide a dataset into multiple datasets based on a type of anomaly detection requested.
Inventors: Vannia Gonzalez Macias (Glen Allen, Va.); Scott Garcia (Washington, D.C.); Peter Terrana (Mechanicsville, Va.)
Assignee: Capital One Services (McLean, Va.)
Jan. 7, 2025

Instrument Conveyance Using A Shuttle
Patent No. 12187544
A system for instrument conveyance may include a shuttle device including an internal compartment for containing instruments; at least one handling unit configured to dispense instruments, where the handling unit includes: an opening mechanism configured to open the shuttle device to expose the internal compartment of the shuttle device, and a loading mechanism configured to load instruments into the internal compartment of the shuttle device; at least one head unit configured to obtain input from a user in connection with a transaction involving instruments; and a transportation system disposed between the at least one handling unit and the at least one head unit, where the transportation system is configured to transport the shuttle device between the at least one handling unit and the at least one head unit.
Inventors: Steve Faletti (Brooklyn, N.Y.); David Kelly Wurmfeld (Fairfax, Va.); Scott R. Neilson (Glen Allen, Va.)
Assignee: Capital One Services (McLean, Va.)
Jan. 7, 2025

Methods And Systems For Association Rule Mining
Patent No. 12190269
Provided are methods, systems, and apparatuses for improving supply chain management interfaces and functionality. A frequency of occurrence for each unique combination of a use attribute and a product attribute for various supplies may be determined. A frequency table containing each unique combination may be generated as well as one or more association rules. A level of confidence and a level of lift may be determined for each of the one or more association rules, both of which may be used to generate a score for each unique combination that may be used to rank each unique combination. The ranked unique combinations may then be provided to a supply chain management interface and a database.
Inventors: Anshul Kumar (Glen Allen, Va.); Jacob Hookom (Chaska, Minn.); Duy Tran (St. Paul, Minn.)
Assignee: McKesson Corp. (Irving, Texas)
Jan. 7, 2025

Automatic Failover Of A Non-relational Database
Patent No. 12189503
Disclosed embodiments pertain to automatic failover for non-relational databases. A machine learning model can be generated and trained with historical failover data. The historical failover data can be related to previous primary node failures or previous region failures of a plurality of non-relational databases. A non-relational database may be monitored for real-time or near-real-time data. The data can be input into the machine learning model to predict the likelihood that a primary region is in a failure state. A new primary node can be designated automatically when the likelihood satisfies a predetermined threshold. Data services are thus automatically transferred from a primary node in the failing region to a new primary node in a non-failing region.
Inventors: Maqbool A. Khatri (Glen Allen, Va.); Guganathan Sellamuthu (Glen Allen, Va.)
Assignee: Capital One Services (McLean, Va.)
Jan. 7, 2025