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GEN-ERIC Patent News
Your Source for the Latest Patent Information
01/18/05
6,845,293 Method and apparatus for transporting passenger baggage
Issued: January 18, 2005
Filed: June 26, 2002
U.S. Class: 700/226
Abstract: This invention comprises a baggage transport system for handling passenger baggage for transport. In accordance with one or more embodiments of this invention, when a passenger makes a reservation to travel, a passenger identifier number, which may be a ticket or reservation number, is issued and placed in a data collection together with the passenger's transport number, date of travel, time of travel and method of carrier compensation. When the passenger obtains a ticket to a destination, the ticket identifies the passenger identifier, the transport number and date of departure. Rather than check baggage for carriage at the transport check-in counter, under one embodiment of this invention, baggage is checked for carriage to a destination before departure at a baggage collection facility that is separate from the departure and arrival facility. In the proposed system, passengers will obtain their ticket or passenger identifier at any time in advance of travel and leave off their baggage at a convenient baggage collection center, which may feature drive-in service. The baggage collection center will then accept the baggage for transport to the passengers' ultimate destinations, not merely to the destination transport arrival facilities, which may be airports. Passengers will be able to have their baggage delivered directly to their homes, hotels, offices or other location, rather than having to struggle with baggage at transport arrival facility baggage pickup carousels. Thus, passengers will be able to enter and leave transport arrival facilities quickly and conveniently.
Posted by GEN-ERIC at 12:27:29 pm into the following categories: Patents of the Day
01/18/05
6,844,492 Magnetically shielded conductor
Issued: January 18, 2005
Filed: September 13, 2002
U.S. Class: 174/36
Abstract: A magnetically shielded conductor assembly with a conductor device and a film of nanomagnetic material located above the conductor device. The conductor device has a resistivity of from about 1 to about 2,000 micro ohm-centimeters. The film of nanomagnetic material has a thickness of from about 100 nanometers to about 10 micrometers and a magnetic shielding factor of at least about 0.5. The nanomagnetic material has a mass density of at least about 0.01 grams per cubic centimeter, a saturation magnetization of from about 1 to about 36,000 Gauss, a coercive force of from about 0.01 to about 5,000 Oersteds, a relative magnetic permeability of from about 1 to about 500,000, and an average particle size of less than about 100 nanometers.
Posted by GEN-ERIC at 11:41:36 am into the following categories: Patents of the Day
01/18/05
6,843,158 Method and apparatus for detecting target objects
Issued: January 18, 2005
Filed: May 2, 2002
U.S. Class: 89/1.13
Abstract: The present invention relates generally to a method and devices for the detection of target objects, such as landmines, using the odor characteristics which may be associated with the target objects as a way of detecting their presence. The invention includes devices used to carry out a method of training live animals, such as rats, to seek out the target objects in the field, or to localize, unearth, and mark the location thereof.
Posted by GEN-ERIC at 11:38:39 am into the following categories: Patents of the Day
01/18/05
6,844,882 Variable dithering for GIF
Issued: January 18, 2005
Filed: December 13, 2000
U.S. Class: 345/596
Abstract: A method for generating a palette-based output image from a source image by variably dithering regions of the source image using an associated regional dithering mask. The palletized output image can be a GIF image or a PNG8 image. The dithering mask contains a plurality of dithering levels specifying the degree to which colors in corresponding regions of the source image can be dithered to paint the output image. The dithering mask stores dithering levels for the source image on a per pixel basis. The dithering mask is stored as an alpha channel of the source image. The palletized output file is generated from the source image on a per pixel basis. For each pixel, a target color is calculated by adding an accumulated error from neighboring pixels to the true color of a corresponding pixel in the source image. The output pixel is painted with the closest color to the target color that is available in the output file's color table. A color error is calculated by subtracting the output pixel's paint color from it's target color, and multiplying the difference by a dithering level obtained from a corresponding pixel in a dithering mask. The color error is diffused to neighboring pixels according to a dithering algorithm, such as the Floyd-Steinberg dithering algorithm.
Posted by GEN-ERIC at 11:37:34 am into the following categories: Patents of the Day
01/18/05
Posted by GEN-ERIC at 11:35:42 am into the following categories: OG Notice Links
01/18/05
Posted by GEN-ERIC at 11:34:45 am into the following categories: OG Notice Links
01/18/05
Edwards Lifesciences Corporation (NYSE: EW - News), the world leader in heart valve technologies, announced today that the company has entered into an agreement with St. Jude Medical, Inc., resolving patent infringement litigation initiated by Edwards in June 2000 related to certain Edwards patents in the areas of heart valve repair and replacement. The litigation, filed in the U.S. District Court in California and the Federal Court of Canada in Ontario, has been dismissed. Under terms of the settlement, Edwards will receive a one-time cash payment of $5.5 million and St. Jude will receive paid-up licenses for certain of its heart valve therapy products. Further details of the settlement were not disclosed. The settlement will not have a material financial impact to Edwards.
Posted by GEN-ERIC at 01:12:33 am into the following categories: In The News
01/18/05
Napster is once again the target of an intellectual-property lawsuit, this time on the receiving end of a patent infringement claim from a small company called SightSound Technologies. SightSound, which holds several patents related to selling and downloading music and video online, on Monday asked a court to block Napster from selling music online while the trial unfolds. Licensing discussions had broken down, leading to the suit, SightSound executives said. "This lawsuit is the regrettable outcome of a long process that could have been resolved amicably," Scott Sander, chief executive officer of SightSound, said in a statement. "It is surprising that Napster has taken this road given that it seems to have been working to restore its brand value."
Posted by GEN-ERIC at 01:10:50 am into the following categories: In The News
01/18/05
BlackBerry maker RIMM has requested a rehearing en banc at the Federal Circuit in an attempt to escape from the $53 million damage award and the expected injunction against its BlackBerry system for patent infringement. In a strong power play, the Government of Canada has filed an amicus brief, supporting the rehearing. As have the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and the Information Technology Association of Canada. These Canadian Briefs essentially ask the court for comity -- arguing that the holding in RIMM upsets the business and legal climate in Canada. (Other amicus briefs are expected to be filed within the next few days).
Posted by GEN-ERIC at 01:07:53 am into the following categories: In The News
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