The R&D Dept.: Local patent roundup for 6.18.25

MDA-7/IL-24 Secretory Variants And Methods Of Use
Patent No. 12325863
In various aspects, the present disclosure provides polynucleotides encoding a fusion protein, as well as vectors, cells, and compositions comprising the same. In embodiments, the fusion protein includes an insulin signal peptide and an MDA-7/IL-24 protein. Methods of using the polynucleotides, vectors, cells, and compositions, such as in the treatment or prevention of cancer, are also provided.
Inventors: Paul B. Fisher (Henrico, Va.); Mitchell E. Menezes (Richmond); Praveen Bhoopathi (Richmond); Swadesh K. Das (Richmond); Luni Emdad (Richmond); Devanand Sarkar (Richmond); Anjan K. Pradhan (Richmond); Xiang-Yang Wang (Richmond)
Assignee: Virginia Commonwealth University (Richmond)
June 10, 2025

Metallic And Magnetic Carbon Material
Patent No. 12325635
A 3-dimensional crystalline carbon material that is magnetic and metallic under ambient conditions is provided. The material, denominated U-carbon, has been synthesized using the molecular precursor, 3, 3-dimethyl-1-butene (C.sub.6H.sub.12). Depending on the atomic connections made between the carbon atoms of the material, U-Carbon forms structures that exhibit semiconducting and nonmagnetic to metallic and ferromagnetic behaviors. The use of selected molecular precursors (such as 3, 3-dimethyl-1-butene C.sub.6H.sub.12) that support crystal growth based on clustered rather than individual atoms is a paradigm shift in materials development. Rationally designed metastable materials with desirable properties, including U-Carbon, can have many scientific and technological applications.
Inventors: Puru Jena (Richmond); Hong Fang (Camden, N.J.); Joel Therrien (Boston, Mass.)
Assignee: Virginia Commonwealth University (Richmond)
June 10, 2025

Training Machine Learning Model Based On User Actions And Responses
Patent No. 12327261
A computing system is configured to generate a predictive model during training of a machine learning program using a training data set including a personal data set of a plurality of first users. The predictive model is configured to generate predicted survey data with respect to a second user by correlating a personal data set of the second user to the personal data set of at least one of the first users. The predicted survey data includes data regarding the predicted responses of the second user to a survey from which the survey data of each first user is derived, as well as one or more assessment scores calculated from the survey. The computing system is configured to take an action with respect to a user device of the second user in reaction to the generating of the predicted survey data regarding the second user.
Inventors: Donta Lamar Wilson (Charlotte, N.C.); Jane Moury Kane (Winston-Salem, N.C.); Kenneth William Cluff (Powhatan, Va.); Peter Councill (Richmond); Qing Li (Cary, N.C.); James Xu (Raleigh, N.C.)
Assignee: Truist Bank (Charlotte, Va.)
June 10, 2025

Edge Controller For A Facility
Patent No. 12327149
An edge controller may be used for obtaining device data from one or more local devices at a local facility and to provide a representation of at least some of the device data to a remote server. The edge controller may include a network communication port, a cellular communication port and a device communication port. A controller is operatively coupled to the network communication port, the cellular communication port and the device communication port and is configured to receive configuration information and to install the received configuration information on the edge controller. The installed configuration information configures the controller to obtain the device data from the one or more local devices and to send a representation of at least some of the device data to the remote server.
Inventors: Joseph Majewski (Huntington, N.Y.); Ivan Rares (Charlotte, N.C.); Daniel Giorgis (Glen Allen, Va.); Robin Wilderson (Charlotte, N.C.); Rod Stein (Edmonton, Canada); Robert E. Flasher (Charlotte, N.C.); Srinivasa Rangan (Charlotte, N.C.); Raymond A. Richards (Charlotte, N.C.); Amod Kamat (Charlotte, N.C.); Upender Paravastu (Bangalore, India)
Assignee: Honeywell International (Charlotte, N.C.)
June 10, 2025

Apparatus, Systems, And Methods For Preventing Fluid From Entering An Interface
Patent No. 12324467
Apparatus, systems, and methods for preventing fluid from entering an interface are provided. For example, a strap is provided for preventing fluid from entering an interface. The strap comprises a first layer comprising an elastic material and a second layer comprising a superabsorbent material. The strap extends about or around a first material at a position at or near an interface between the first material and a second material. The interface may be an interface between a surgical gown and a surgical glove worn by a healthcare provider, and the strap may extend about the gown at a position at or near the glove. In some embodiments, the strap comprises an absorptive facing and an elastic laminate. The absorptive facing comprises a carded web containing superabsorbent fibers. Further, the absorptive facing and elastic laminate form a stretchable material having absorptive properties.
Inventor: Prasad S. Potnis (Johns Creek, Ga.)
Assignee: O&M Halyard (Mechanicsville, Va.)
June 10, 2025

System And Method Providing An Improved, Automated Procurement System Using Artificial Intelligence
Patent No. 12327222
A system and a computerized method are disclosed that each include or cause performance of various computerized operations. The computerized operations include receiving user input corresponding to product information corresponding to a retail item searched for via a network device, performing pre-processing operations on the product information, querying one or more data stores to obtain potential buying options corresponding to the searched-for retail item, wherein each of the one or more data stores house information corresponding to a preferred supplier, analyzing query results based on at least on proprietary, organization-specific procurement rules to determine at least one recommended buying option, and causing the rendering of at least a portion of a graphical user interface on the network device that displays the at least one recommended buying option. The user input may be received by a web browser plug-in processing on the network device.
Inventors: Manoj Puthenveetil (Trabuco Canyon, Calif.); Tracy K. Price (Dana Point, Calif.); Brett A. Knox (Dana Point, Calif.); Jeffrey R. Golden (Powhatan, Va.); Erik Florida (Huntington Beach, Calif.); Zachary Walls (Aliso Viejo, Calif.); Peter M. Lew IV (Laguna Hills, Calif.); Richard Han (Yorba Linda, Calif.); Matthew D. Desio (Yorba Linda, Calif.); Jacob A. Van Leuven (Irvine, Calif.)
Assignee: Raiven Inc (Irvine, Calif.)
June 10, 2025

Electronic Vaping Device
Patent No. 12334574
A power supply assembly for an e-vaping device may include a coupling interface configured to couple with a cartridge to configure the e-vaping device to generate a vapor, a light-emitting device, and a light tube structure extending from the light-emitting device and through the coupling interface. The light tube structure may channel light emitted by the light-emitting device to emit the light into a reservoir of the cartridge to cause at least one portion of the cartridge to emit at least a portion of the channeled light to an external environment.
Inventors: Sean Sundberg (Richmond); Ryan Alan Bailey (Richmond); Charles Dendy (Ruther Glen, Va.); Robert Arents (Richmond); Christopher S. Tucker (Midlothian, Va.); Nam Tran (Richmond)
Assignee: Altria Client Services (Richmond)
June 17, 2025

Sensor Receiver Having Rydberg Cell And RF Data Rate Greater Than Reciprocal Of Temporal Pulse Width And Associated Methods
Patent No. 12332372
A sensor receiver may include a Rydberg cell configured to be exposed to a radio frequency (RF) signal having an RF data rate, and a probe source configured to generate a plurality of spaced apart pulsed probe beams within the Rydberg cell. Each pulse may have a temporal pulse width so that the RF data rate is greater than the reciprocal of the temporal pulse width. At least one excitation source may be coupled to the Rydberg cell. A detector may be positioned downstream from the Rydberg cell. The sensor receiver may be used in a RADAR system.
Inventors: Victor G. Bucklew (Richmond); James Drakes (Occoquan, Va.); Samuel H. Knarr (Melbourne, Fla.); Donna M. Kocak (Satellite Beach, Fla.); Tachaka Ray (Melbourne, Fla.); Nicholas Alban (Palm Bay, Fla.); Kendra Kordack (Palm Bay, Fla.); Uma Shanker Jha (Indian Harbour Beach, Fla.)
Assignee: Eagle Technology (Melbourne, Fla.)
June 17, 2025

Hot Wire Anemometer Air Flow Measurement, Puff Detection And Ambient Temperature Tracking
Patent No. 12329208
A method of controlling a hot wire anemometer (HWA) of a non-nicotine e-vaping device includes controlling, by a first PID controller, a level of power applied by the non-nicotine e-vaping device to the HWA based on a temperature of a heated element of the HWA and a temperature setpoint; generating a puff detection signal indicating whether or not a puff is currently occurring with respect to the non-nicotine e-vaping device; and while the puff detection signal indicates that a puff is not currently occurring with respect to the non-nicotine e-vaping device, detecting, by a second PID controller, a change in an ambient temperature of the HWA, and controlling, by the second PID controller, the temperature setpoint such that the temperature setpoint changes in response to the detected change in the ambient temperature of the HWA.
Inventors: Adam Parrott (Richmond); Niall Gallagher (Cambridge, Great Britain); Raymond W. Lau (Richmond); Eric Hawes (Midlothian, Va.); Ryan Newcomb (Richmond); Terry Bache (Richmond); Rangaraj S. Sundar (Midlothian, Va.); Jarrett Keen (Richmond)
Assignee: Altria Client Services (Richmond)
June 17, 2025

Systems And Methods For Scalable Cryptographic Authentication Of Contactless Cards
Patent No. 12335412
Systems and methods for authentication may include an authentication server. The authentication server may include a processor and a memory. The processor may be configured to transmit an authentication request. The processor may be configured to receive a first response that is responsive to the authentication request, the first response comprising a first cryptogram. The processor may be configured to generate a first challenge based on the first response. The processor may be configured to encrypt the first challenge with a symmetric key. The processor may be configured to transmit the first challenge receive a second response that is responsive to the first challenge, the second response comprising a second cryptogram. The processor may be configured to authenticate the second response.
Inventors: Kevin Osborn (Newton Highlands, Mass.); Samuel Patrick Edwards (Richmond)
Assignee: Capital One Services (McLean, Va.)
June 17, 2025

Electronic Aerosol-generating Smoking Device
Patent No. 12329203
An electronic aerosol-generating smoking device includes a main body having a heating region for heating aerosol-forming substrate. The main body includes a front housing defining a cavity configured to receive an aerosol-forming substrate, and a heater in the main body and configured to heat the aerosol-forming substrate in the cavity. At least a portion of an internal surface of the main body is at least one of a hydrophobic and super-hydrophobic surface.
Inventors: Michel Bessant (Carouge, Switzerland); Fabien Duc (Neuchatel, Switzerland)
Assignee: Altria Client Services (Richmond)
June 17, 2025

Separator Media For Electrochemical Cells
Patent No. 12334585
A separator medium for electrochemical cells that contains at least one nonwoven sheet of polymeric fibers. The nonwoven sheet has a surface area of about 0.5 to about 1.5 m.sup.2/g and has a maximum pore size that is equal to or more than 2.5 times the mean flow pore size and more than 11 times the minimum pore size. The sheet may be sulfonated to a level of 0.67% and demonstrates superior tensile properties after sulfonation and relative to previously known separators.
Inventors: Hyun Sung Lim (Midlothian, Va.); Pankaj Arora (Chesterfield, Va.)
Assignee: Dupont Safety & Construction (Wilmington, Del.)
June 17, 2025

Method And System For Redirecting A Financial Transaction
Patent No. 12333597
A system and method for redirecting a financial transaction from one account held by a customer at a first issuer to a second account held by the customer at a second issuer comprising receiving a customer request for redirection, identifying the second account to which transactions should be redirected, providing redirection information to a transaction entity, receiving terms for a financial transaction, and performing the financial transaction with respect to the second account.
Inventors: Tad Czyzewski (Arlington, Va.); Jeffrey J. Wadlin (White Falls, Va.); Bill Biggins (Glen Allen, Va.); Christopher R. Burks (Midlothian, Va.); Vinod Shenai (Glen Allen, Va.)
Assignee: Capital One Services (McLean, Va.)
June 17, 2025

Nuclear Reactor System Based Indirect Heat Cycle Management
Patent No. 12331663
An integrated system for indirect cycle steam heating comprising a nuclear power module configured to output first steam; a turbine generator configured to receive the first steam and output second steam; a heat exchanger configured to receive water, receive at least one of first steam, second steam, and transfer heat from the at least one of first steam and second steam into the water to create third steam a peaking heater configured to receive the third steam, transfer augmenting heat into the third steam, and heat, based at least in part on the transfer, the third steam to have a temperature above a threshold temperature an auxiliary heater configured to receive the third steam; and a chemical processing plant configured to receive the third steam and transfer heat from the third steam into a chemical.
Inventors: Jose N. Reyes Jr. (Corvallis, Ore.); John Swanson (Glen Allen, Va.); Luis DePavia (Corvallis, Ore.); Francis Y. Tsang (Bellingham, Wash.); Zack Houghton (Salem, Ore.); Mustafa Aljabery (Eugene, Ore.)
Assignee: NuScale Power (Corvallis, Ore.)
June 17, 2025

Transaction Card Assembly
Patent No. 12333367
A modular transaction card assembly includes a card frame having the traditional dimensions of a credit card, and a transaction card that is smaller than a traditional card and that fits into a receptacle of the card frame. The card frame may include a window in which contact pads of the transaction card are positioned and flush with the surface of the card frame when the transaction card is secured in the receptacle. The card frame and transaction card assembled together may form a uniform assembly that appears and functions as a traditional transaction card (e.g., credit card).
Inventors: Phoebe Atkins (Midlothian, Va.); Michael Saia (Weehawken, N.J.); Vyjayanthi Vadrevu (Pflugerville, Texas)
Assignee: Capital One Services (McLean, Va.)
June 17, 2025

Security Vulnerability Communication And Remediation With Machine Learning
Patent No. 12333018
In some implementations, a remediation device may receive, from a database that stores information regarding security vulnerabilities, security vulnerability indicators associated with one or more cloud-based applications. The remediation device may cluster, using at least one machine learning model, the security vulnerability indicators into classes, and may determine, for each class, a corresponding remediation recommendation. The remediation device may transmit, based on a setting, a corresponding message for each class. The remediation device may receive input associated with at least one of the corresponding messages, and may trigger, for at least one of the classes of security vulnerability indicators and based on the input, an automated remediation script based on a corresponding one of the remediation recommendations. The automated remediation script causes a cloud environment to perform an action for a cloud-based application associated with the security vulnerability indicators in the class(es).
Inventors: Mohamed Seck (Aubrey, Texas); Krystan R. Franzen (Mechanicsville, Va.)
Assignee: Capital One Services (McLean, Va.)
June 17, 2025

System For Automatic Diagnostics And Monitoring Of Semiconductor Defect Die Screening Performance Through Overlay Of Defect And Electrical Test Data
Patent No. 12332182
Systems and methods for determining a diagnosis of a screening system are disclosed. Such systems and methods include identifying defect results based on inline characterization tool data, identifying electrical test results based on electrical test data, generating one or more correlation metrics based on the defect results and the electrical test results, and determining at least one diagnosis of the screening system based on the one or more correlation metrics, the diagnosis corresponding to a performance of the screening system.
Inventors: David W. Price (Austin, Texas); Robert J. Rathert (Mechanicsville, Va.); Chet V. Lenox (Lexington, Texas); Oreste Donzella (San Ramon, Calif.); Justin Lach (Portage, Mich.); John Robinson (Austin, Texas)
Assignee: KLA Corp. (Milpitas, Calif.)
June 17, 2025

Method For Manufacturing Bleached Pulp From A Feedstock Comprising Recycled Paper
Patent No. 12331462
A method for manufacturing bleached pulp from a feedstock that includes recycled paper. The method includes steps of: (1) impregnating the feedstock with cooking liquor to yield an impregnated material having a liquor-to-fiber mass ratio of at most about 4:1; (2) cooking the impregnated material to remove at least a portion of the lignin within the impregnated material, thereby yielding a cooked pulp; and (3) bleaching the cooked pulp.
Inventors: Peter W. Hart (Atlanta, Ga.); John D. Dejarnette (Henrico, Va.); Fitz G. Paulsen (Summerville, S.C.); Ashok K. Ghosh (Henrico, Va.)
Assignee: WestRock MWV (Atlanta, Ga.)
June 17, 2025

Laser Fabrication Of Lead Selenide Thin Film
Patent No. 12334360
A laser sintering deposition method is provided for disposing lead selenide onto a substrate. The method includes: wet-milling a lead selenide ingot mixed with methanol into a colloidal slurry containing nanocrystals; separating the colloidal slurry into nanocrystal particles and the methanol; depositing the nanocrystal particles to a substrate; and emitting coherent infrared light onto the nanocrystal particles for fusing into a lead selenide crystalline film. Afterwards, the lead selenide film can be exposed to oxygen to form a lead selenite layer, and subsequently to iodine gas to produce a lead iodide layer onto the lead selenite layer.
Inventors: Joel T. Harrison (Henrico, Va.); Mool C. Gupta (Keswick, Va.)
Assignee: United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy (Arlington, Va.)
June 17, 2025

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