FedInvent™ Patents

New Taxpayer Funded Patents for Tuesday, January 30, 2007 

This page was updated on Sunday, March 26, 2023 at 08:40 PM GMT

FedInvent analyzed 82 taxpayer-funded patents this week.

On Tuesday, January 30, 2007, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) granted 82 taxpayer-funded patents; including 72 patents containing government interest statements and 17 patents where federal government agencies were an assignee or applicant. Together, 82 patents granted this week are the result of US government-funded research & development.

Learn More About Taxpayer Funded Patents Here

The List of This Week's Patents

Just a list — patent number with a link and the title, for those patentistas who like to browse.

About The Icons On the List Below

  • The icon takes you to the full text version of the patent at USPTO;
  • The icon takes you to the PDF version of the patent at USPTO; and
  • The icon takes you to the details about the patent on the FedInvent Details page.
  • When you use the icon the patent you are interested appears at the top of the list on the details page.
Patent Title
001 07168292
 
Apparatus for particulate matter analysis 
002 07168294
 
Embedded piezoelectric microcantilever sensors 
003 07168298
 
Mass-sensitive chemical preconcentrator 
004 07168368
 
Apparatus for expelling a payload from a warhead 
005 07168411
 
Closed loop engine control for regulating NOx emissions, using a two-dimensional fuel-air curve 
006 07168480
 
Off-axis cooling of rotating devices using a crank-shaped heat pipe 
007 07168508
 
Logging-while-coring method and apparatus 
008 07168748
 
Intelligent, self-contained robotic hand 
009 07168822
 
Reconfigurable linescan illumination 
010 07168935
 
Solid freeform fabrication apparatus and methods 
011 07168949
 
Stagnation point reverse flow combustor for a combustion system 
012 07168953
 
Trainable videorealistic speech animation 
013 07169112
 
Non-contact respiration monitor 
014 07169197
 
Pyrolysis processing for solid waste resource recovery 
015 07169207
 
Device and method for treatment of gases 
016 07169285
 
Low temperature refining and formation of refractory metals 
017 07169290
 
Biosensor for metal analysis and speciation 
018 07169314
 
Microfabricated elastomeric valve and pump systems 
019 07169329
 
Carbon nanotube adducts and methods of making the same 
020 07169358
 
Electrochemical detection of nucleic acid sequences 
021 07169374
 
Templated growth of carbon nanotubes 
022 07169396
 
Reference clones and sequences for non-subtype B isolates of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 
023 07169411
 
Composition for delivery of biological agents and methods for the preparation thereof 
024 07169437
 
Method of coating an anode/collector with carbon nanotubes 
025 07169467
 
Structural foam composite having nano-particle reinforcement and method of making the same 
026 07169556
 
Nanoparticles having oligonucleotides attached thereto and uses therefor 
027 07169568
 
Method for screening molecules that exert a neurotrophic effect through activation of neurotrophin receptors 
028 07169570
 
Method to identify regulators of cellular activation using Bcl10 
029 07169582
 
Multifunctional recombinant phycobiliprotein-based fluorescent constructs and phycobilisome display 
030 07169594
 
Diagnosis and treatment of diseases arising from defects in the tuberous sclerosis pathway 
031 07169601
 
Microfabricated reactor 
032 07169604
 
Method for PR-39 peptide mediated selective inhibition of IκBα degradation 
033 07169606
 
Lyophilization of human platelets 
034 07169608
 
Bone marrow cell differentiation 
035 07169611
 
Programmable genotoxic agents and uses therefor 
036 07169696
 
Method for making a system for selecting one wire from a plurality of wires 
037 07169764
 
Promoter for smooth muscle cell expression 
038 07169814
 
Guanidinium transport reagents and conjugates 
039 07169815
 
3-methoxybenzyl thiourea derivatives and improved lipid compositions containing same 
040 07169818
 
Lysophosphatidic acid receptor agonists and antagonists 
041 07169853
 
Polyamide graft copolymers 
042 07169883
 
Polymers 
043 07169930
 
Analogs of epothilone 
044 07169953
 
P-chiral phospholanes and phosphocyclic compounds and their use in asymmetric catalytic reactions 
045 07169963
 
Mammals expressing IGF-1 and alpha-lactalbumin in their milk 
046 07169964
 
Genetic control of organ abscission 
047 07169966
 
Salicylic acid-binding protein encoding nucleic acid, SABP2, and methods of use thereof 
048 07169972
 
Methods and compositions to modulate ethylene sensitivity 
049 07170001
 
Fabrication of back-contacted silicon solar cells using thermomigration to create conductive vias 
050 07170028
 
Continuous metal matrix composite consolidation 
051 07170041
 
Pixel circuitry for imaging system 
052 07170053
 
Method and apparatus for ion mobility spectrometry with alignment of dipole direction (IMS-ADD) 
053 07170055
 
Nanotube arrangements and methods therefor 
054 07170093
 
Dielectric materials for electronic devices 
055 07170095
 
Semi-insulating GaN and method of making the same 
056 07170096
 
Antimonide-based optical devices 
057 07170121
 
Computer system architecture using a proximity I/O switch 
058 07170123
 
Antiferromagnetically stabilized pseudo spin valve for memory applications 
059 07170141
 
Method for monolithically integrating silicon carbide microelectromechanical devices with electronic circuitry 
060 07170147
 
Dissipative isolation frames for active microelectronic devices, and methods of making such dissipative isolation frames 
061 07170418
 
Probabilistic neural network for multi-criteria event detector 
062 07170442
 
Video rate passive millimeter wave imaging system 
063 07170481
 
Single substrate liquid crystal display 
064 07170483
 
Active matrix liquid crystal image generator 
065 07170517
 
Curved-slab maximum intensity projections 
066 07170549
 
Auto focus and zoom controller for controlling multiple cameras 
067 07170589
 
Apparatus to vary dimensions of a substrate during nano-scale manufacturing 
068 07170611
 
Methods and apparatus for splitting, imaging, and measuring wavefronts in interferometry 
069 07170778
 
High speed low power magnetic devices based on current induced spin-momentum transfer 
070 07170821
 
Displacement current method and apparatus for remote powering of a sensor grid 
071 07170916
 
Selectively etchable heterogeneous composite distributed Bragg reflector 
072 07171030
 
Systems for analyzing microtissue arrays 
073 07171033
 
System and method for identifying defects in a composite structure 
074 07171046
 
Method and apparatus for portably recognizing text in an image sequence of scene imagery 
075 07171049
 
Method and apparatus for alphanumeric recognition 
076 07171064
 
Thermo-optic switch having fast rise-time 
077 07171080
 
Coupling grating for focusing light within a waveguide for heat assisted magnetic recording 
078 07171091
 
Tuned cladding fiber amplifier and laser 
079 07171328
 
Method for measuring thermal properties using a long-wavelength infrared thermal image 
080 07171449
 
Friend-to-friend mail systems and methods 
081 07171561
 
Method and apparatus for detecting and extracting fileprints 
082 07171654
 
System specification language for resource management architecture and corresponding programs therefore 

Up to Start Of Table

Patent Count By Department

This is the count of taxpayer-funded patents granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) this week. These patents contain a Government Interest Statement in the body of the patent document or are patents where the government is an assignee. Agency numbers are aggregated by the agency named in the Government Interests Statement and the contract number cited in the government interest section of the patent.

Department This Week This Year
Department of Defense (DOD) 28 128
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) 17 99
National Science Foundation (NSF) 15 44
Department of Energy (DOE) 14 67
Department of Commerce (DOC) 6 14
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) 6 15
Department of Agriculture (USDA) 2 11
United States Postal Service (USPS) 2 6
Government Rights Acknowledged 2 9

Patents By Funding Agency

FedInvent Patents are patents funded by US taxpayers. Taxpayer-funded patents have Government Interest Statements in the body of the patent or are patents where an agency of the US federal government has retained the title to the patent and is listed as an assignee. The presence of a government interest statement, as required by the Bayh-Dole Act, indicates the holder of a federal contract, grant, or cooperative research agreement has elected to retain the title of inventions conceived and reduced to practice during that contract.

About The Icons On the List Below

  • The icon takes you to the full text version of the patent at USPTO;
  • The icon takes you to the PDF version of the patent at USPTO; and
  • The icon takes you to the details about the patent on the FedInvent Details page.
  • When you use the icon the patent you are interested appears at the top of the list on the details page.

Click the Panel to See The Patents for Each Agency

Take Me To The Details

Department of Defense (DOD) Agencies

Patent Title
001 07169358
 
Electrochemical detection of nucleic acid sequences 
002 07170121
 
Computer system architecture using a proximity I/O switch 
003 07170442
 
Video rate passive millimeter wave imaging system 
004 07170481
 
Single substrate liquid crystal display 
005 07170778
 
High speed low power magnetic devices based on current induced spin-momentum transfer 

Department of the ARMY (DOA)

Patent Title
001 07169112
 
Non-contact respiration monitor 
002 07169556
 
Nanoparticles having oligonucleotides attached thereto and uses therefor 
003 07171064
 
Thermo-optic switch having fast rise-time 

Department of the Navy (DON) | United States Marine Corps (USMC)

Patent Title
001 07168368
 
Apparatus for expelling a payload from a warhead 
002 07169285
 
Low temperature refining and formation of refractory metals 
003 07169606
 
Lyophilization of human platelets 
004 07170095
 
Semi-insulating GaN and method of making the same 
005 07170418
 
Probabilistic neural network for multi-criteria event detector 
006 07170549
 
Auto focus and zoom controller for controlling multiple cameras 
007 07170589
 
Apparatus to vary dimensions of a substrate during nano-scale manufacturing 
008 07170778
 
High speed low power magnetic devices based on current induced spin-momentum transfer 
009 07170821
 
Displacement current method and apparatus for remote powering of a sensor grid 
010 07171654
 
System specification language for resource management architecture and corresponding programs therefore 

Department of the Air Force (DAF)| United States Space Force (USSF)

Patent Title
001 07169437
 
Method of coating an anode/collector with carbon nanotubes 
002 07170028
 
Continuous metal matrix composite consolidation 
003 07170055
 
Nanotube arrangements and methods therefor 
004 07171033
 
System and method for identifying defects in a composite structure 
005 07171091
 
Tuned cladding fiber amplifier and laser 
006 07171561
 
Method and apparatus for detecting and extracting fileprints 

Up to Start Of Table

Emerging Technology

Emerging Climate Change Technologies

Patents containing 'Y" CPC symbols indicate emerging climate change and clean technology inventions.

About The Icons On the List Below

  • The icon takes you to the full text version of the patent at USPTO;
  • The icon takes you to the PDF version of the patent at USPTO; and
  • The icon takes you to the details about the patent on the FedInvent Details page.
  • When you use the icon the patent you are interested appears at the top of the list on the details page.
Class

About Y Emerging Technology Symbols

Patent documents that contain a Y02 or Y04 CPC symbol are already classified elsewhere. USPTO adds the Y symbols to the classification data to monitor new technological developments covering clean technology and inventions impacting climate change, important American science and technology interests.

Y02 — Green House Gas Mitigation

Y02 covers selected technologies, that control, reduce, or prevent anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG), in the framework of the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement, and technologies that allow adapting to the adverse effects of climate change. Y02A covers technologies for adaptation to climate change, — technologies that allow adapting to the adverse effects of climate change in human, industrial (including agriculture and livestock), and economic activities. Y02P covers climate change mitigation technologies in any kind of industrial processing or production activity, including the agroalimentary industry (relating to agriculture and food), agriculture, fishing, ranching and the like.

Y04 — Enabling Technologies

Y04 is focused on the information and communications inventions that facilitate climate change technology. Y04S covers systems integrating technologies related to power network operation, communication, or information technologies for improving electrical power generation, transmission, distribution, management, or usage. Examples of the art covered here are technologies related to smart grids, home appliances, and systems supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles.

The Health Complex

This section contains the count of patents funded by The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) organized by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) institute; and HHS subagencies including the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Center for Disease Control (CDC), and others. These agencies together are called the Health Complex.

Department | Agency This Week This Year
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)1799
National Institutes of Health (NIH)1691
National Library of Medicine (NLM)11
U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS)14

Up to Start Of Table

Higher Education Research and Development (HERD)

FedInvent follows the HERD the Higher Education Research and Development institutions — the colleges and universities; research institutions, and medical schools that benefit from federal funding and rely on it to make important discoveries that drive American innovation. Taxpayer-funded patents coming from American and sometimes foreign universities are an important indicia of the vitality of the American innovation ecosphere.

MEMBERS OF THE HERD

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Higher Education Research and Development (HERD) Survey is the primary source of information on R&D expenditures at 916 US colleges and universities that expended at least $150,000 in separately accounted for R&D in the fiscal year. We use the NSF list to keep track of which colleges and universities are receiving taxpayer-funded patents and filing patent applications.

WATCH This SPACE

We're working on our data analytics and will be reporting taxpayer-funded patents and patent applications shortly. In the meantime, FedInvent will post interesting information about the HERD Innovation Ecosphere here.

Top Ten Universities By R&D Expenditures
  1. Johns Hopkins University
  2. University of Michigan
  3. University of Washington
  4. University of California, San Diego
  5. University of California, San Francisco
  6. Columbia University in the City of New York
  7. Stanford University
  8. University Pittsburgh
  9. University Pennsylvania
  10. Duke University

Count By Tech Center

Patents organized by count and Technology Center where the patent was examined.

Tech Center Count
1600 Biotechnology and Organic Chemistry 24
2800 Semiconductors, Electrical and Optical Systems and Components 23
1700 Chemical and Materials Engineering 13
2600 Communications 8
3600 Transportation, Electronic Commerce, Construction, Agriculture, Licensing and Review 5
3700 Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing, Gaming and Medical Devices/Processes 5
2100 Computer Architecture Software and Information Security 4

For more information on the types of inventions examined in each Technology Center, see the About Tech Centers section of this page.

Patents By Scientific Domain.

This section contains the number of patents by high level scientific and technical domain. The data is arranged by the first Cooperative Patent Classification System (CPC) patent symbol assigned to the patent. This indicates the scope and nature of the invention for a patent or a patent application.

Global patent offices use patent classification as their lingua franca — the common language — for exchanging information about inventions and what scientific and technical art a patent contains. The classifications assigned to a patent are used by patent examiners to find prior art and to determine if a particular patent's claims are novel. Patent classifications are also used for global enforcement of patent rights, treaties, and agreements.

Class Class Definition First
(Original)
Inventive
(CrossRef)
USPC 435 Chemistry: Molecular biology and microbiology 10 0
USPC 257 Active solid-state devices 7 0
USPC 382 Image analysis 4 0
USPC 514 Drug, bio-affecting and body treating compositions 4 0
USPC 800 Multicellular living organisms and unmodified parts thereof and related processes 4 0
USPC 073 Measuring and testing 3 0
USPC 250 Radiant energy 3 0
USPC 345 Computer graphics processing and selective visual display systems 3 0
USPC 385 Optical waveguides 3 0
USPC 205 Electrolysis: Processes, compositions used therein, and methods of preparing the compositions 2 0
USPC 424 Drug, bio-affecting and body treating compositions 2 0
USPC 048 Gas: Heating and illuminating 1 0
USPC 075 Specialized metallurgical processes, compositions for use therein, consolidated metal powder compositions, and loose metal particulate mixtures 1 0
USPC 102 Ammunition and explosives 1 0
USPC 123 Internal-combustion engines 1 0
USPC 136 Batteries: Thermoelectric and photoelectric 1 0
USPC 165 Heat exchange 1 0
USPC 175 Boring or penetrating the earth 1 0
USPC 216 Etching a substrate: Processes 1 0
USPC 219 Electric heating 1 0
USPC 252 Compositions 1 0
USPC 294 Handling: Hand and hoist-line implements 1 0
USPC 340 Communications: Electrical 1 0
USPC 342 Communications: Directive radio wave systems and devices 1 0
USPC 348 Television 1 0
USPC 355 Photocopying 1 0
USPC 356 Optics: Measuring and testing 1 0
USPC 362 Illumination 1 0
USPC 365 Static information storage and retrieval 1 0
USPC 367 Communications, electrical: Acoustic wave systems and devices 1 0
USPC 372 Coherent light generators 1 0
USPC 422 Chemical apparatus and process disinfecting, deodorizing, preserving, or sterilizing 1 0
USPC 423 Chemistry of inorganic compounds 1 0
USPC 425 Plastic article or earthenware shaping or treating: Apparatus 1 0
USPC 427 Coating processes 1 0
USPC 428 Stock material or miscellaneous articles 1 0
USPC 431 Combustion 1 0
USPC 434 Education and demonstration 1 0
USPC 438 Semiconductor device manufacturing: Process 1 0
USPC 525 Synthetic resins or natural rubbers 1 0
USPC 528 Synthetic resins or natural rubbers 1 0
USPC 548 Organic compounds 1 0
USPC 568 Organic compounds 1 0
USPC 600 Surgery 1 0
USPC 702 Data processing: Measuring, calibrating, or testing 1 0
USPC 709 Electrical computers and digital processing systems: Multicomputer data transferring 1 0
USPC 713 Electrical computers and digital processing systems: Support 1 0
USPC 717 Data processing: Software development, installation, and management 1 0

Up to Start Of Table

Count of Inventors by Country and U.S. State

Patent count by country and state based on the location information of first named inventors and of all inventors on the patent.

Country First Named Inventors All Inventors
United States of America 79 229
Canada 2 7
Norway 1 2
Switzerland 0 1
Denmark 0 1
Israel 0 1
Russian Federation 0 1
U.S. State First Named Inventors All Inventors
California 16 48
New York 7 20
New Mexico 6 17
Virginia 6 14
Massachusetts 5 17
Texas 3 12
North Carolina 3 11
Maryland 3 7
Pennsylvania 3 6
Washington 3 6
Ohio 2 10
Florida 2 6
New Jersey 2 5
Michigan 2 4
Minnesota 2 4
Illinois 1 6
Connecticut 1 5
Colorado 1 4
Wisconsin 1 4
Alabama 1 3
Georgia 1 3
Missouri 1 3
West Virginia 1 3
Rhode Island 1 2
Arizona 1 1
District of Columbia 1 1
Delaware 1 1
Nebraska 1 1
Tennessee 1 1
Idaho 0 3
Indiana 0 1

Up to Start Of Table

Count of Assignees and Applicants by Country and U.S. State

Patent count by country and state based on location information of Assignees and Applicants.

Country Assignees Applicants
United States of America 820
Canada 10
Norway 10
Russian Federation 10
U.S. State Assignees Applicants
California 180
District of Columbia 150
New York 60
Connecticut 40
Illinois 40
Massachusetts 40
New Mexico 40
Colorado 20
Florida 20
Idaho 20
Michigan 20
New Jersey 20
Pennsylvania 20
Texas 20
Washington 20
Alabama 10
Arizona 10
Delaware 10
Georgia 10
Minnesota 10
Nebraska 10
North Carolina 10
Ohio 10
Virginia 10
West Virginia 10
Wisconsin 10

Up to Start Of Table

Technology Center Explainer

How Tech Centers and Art Units Are Organized And Why It Matters

Patents travel from Technology Center to Art Unit to Group Art Unit to Patent Examiner.

The USPTO's patent corps is organized into Technology Centers (TCs), groups of patent examiners with specific scientific and technical domain expertise. Technology Centers are further divided into Art Units (AUs) organized by major types of inventive art within a scientific or technical domain. Art Units are organized into Group Art Units, even more specialized and granular teams of examiners.

Group Art Units (GAUs) are where patent examiners prosecute patent applications. Patent applications are docketed to examiners based on specific subject matter classifications of a particular GAU.

Understanding Technology Centers, Art Units, and Group Art Units helps you understand what type of inventions are being prosecuted within each scientific and technical domain, how long it takes from the date a patent application is filed to the time a final decision on the patentability of the invention is made.

Technology Centers and Art Units

Click or touch the accordion panel to open it and see the way different types of inventions are grouped together within Art Units.

Patents examined here cover:

Art Unit Technical & Scientific Domains
1610 Organic Compounds: Bio-affecting, Body Treating, Drug Delivery, Steroids, Herbicides, Pesticides, Cosmetics, and Drugs
1620 Organic Chemistry
1630 Molecular Biology, Bioinformatics, Nucleic Acids, Recombinant DNA and RNA, Gene Regulation, Nucleic Acid Amplification, Animals and Plants, Combinatorial/ Computational Chemistry
1640 Immunology, Receptor/Ligands, Cytokines Recombinant Hormones, and Molecular Biology
1650 Fermentation, Microbiology, Isolated and Recombinant Proteins/Enzyme
1660 Plants

About Plant Patents

Plant Patents are granted to an inventor who has invented, or discovered and asexually reproduced a distinct and new variety of plant, other than a tuber propagated plant or a plant found in an uncultivated state. If you've ever eaten a pluot, you've enjoyed the fruit of a plant patent.

Plant patent numbers begin with a "PP" followed by a five digit number. The first Plant Patent was issued in 1931. Plant patents are valid for 20 years from the filing date.

Patents examined here cover:

Art Unit Technical & Scientific Domains
1710 Coating, Etching, Cleaning, Single Crystal Growth
1720 Fuel Cells, Batteries, Solar Cells, Liquid Crystal Composition
1730 Metallurgy, Metal Working, Inorganic Chemistry, Catalysts, Electrophotography, Photolithography
1740 Tires, Adhesive Bonding, Glass/Paper making, Plastics Shaping & Molding
1760 Organic Chemistry, Polymers, Compositions
1770 Chemical Apparatus, Separation and Purification, Liquid and Gas Contact Apparatus
1780 Miscellaneous Articles, Stock Material, Adhesive Composition, Fabrics
1790 Food, Analytical Chemistry, Sterilization, Biochemistry, Electrochemistry

Patents examined here cover:

Art Unit Technical & Scientific Domains
2110 Coating, Etching, Cleaning, Single Crystal Growth
2120 Miscellaneous Articles, Stock Material, Adhesive Composition, Fabrics
2130 Fuel Cells, Batteries, Solar Cells, Liquid Crystal Composition
2140/2170 Metallurgy, Metal Working, Inorganic Chemistry, Catalysts, Electrophotography, Photolithography
2150/2160 Tires, Adhesive Bonding, Glass/Paper making, Plastics Shaping & Molding
2180 Organic Chemistry, Polymers, Compositions
2190 Chemical Apparatus, Separation and Purification, Liquid and Gas Contact Apparatus

Patents examined here cover:

Art Unit Technical & Scientific Domains
2410/2460/2470 Multiplex, VoIP
2420 Cable and Television
2430/2490 Cryptography and Security
2440/2450 Computer Networks
2480 Recording and Compression

Patents examined here cover:

Art Unit Technical & Scientific Domains
2610 Computer Graphic Processing, 3D Animation, Display Color Attribute, Object Processing, Hardware and Memory
2620 Selective Visual Display Systems
2630 Digital and Optical Communications
2640 Telecommunications: Analog Radio Telephone; Satellite and Power Control; Transceivers, Measuring and Testing; Bluetooth; Receivers and Transmitters; Equipment Details
2650 Videophones and Telephonic Communications; Audio Signals; Digital Audio Data Processing; Linguistics, Speech Processing and Audio Compression
2660 Digital Cameras; Image Analysis; Applications; pattern Recognition; Color and Compression; Enhancement and Transformation
2670 Facsimile; Printer; Color; halftone; Scanner; Computer Graphic Processing; 3-D Animation; Display Color; Attributes; Object Processing; Hardware and Memory
2680 Telemetry and Code Generation; Vehicles and System Alarms; Selective Communication; Dynamic Storage Systems; Mechanical parts of Disk Drives; Signal Processing and Control Processing in Disk Drives
2690 Selective Visual Display Systems

More broadly TC 2800 Art Units cover Semiconductors/Memory, Circuits/Measuring and Testing, Optics/Photocopying, Printing/Measuring and Testing.

Patents examined here cover:

Art Unit Technical & Scientific Domains
2810/2820/2890 Semiconductors/Memory
2830/2840 Electrical Circuits and Systems
2850/2860 Printing/Measuring and Testing
2870/2880 Optics

About Design Patents

The design FOR an article. Not to the design OF an article.

Patents examined here cover Design patents cover the appearance of an article. The design for an article consists of the visual characteristics embodied in or applied to an article. Since a design is manifested in appearance, the subject matter of a design patent application may relate to the configuration or shape of an article, to the surface ornamentation applied to an article, or to the combination of configuration and surface ornamentation.

Design is inseparable from the article to which it is applied and cannot exist alone merely as a scheme of surface ornamentation. It must be a definite, preconceived thing, capable of reproduction and not merely the chance result of a method.

Design patent numbers begin with a "D" followed by a six digit number. The first Design Patent was issued in 1843. The term of a design patent is 15 years measured from the date of grant, if the design application was filed on or after May 13, 2015 (or 14 years if filed before May 13, 2015).

Patents examined here cover:

Art Unit Technical & Scientific Domains
3610 Surface Transportation
3620 Business Methods — Incentive Programs, Coupons; Operations Research; Electronic Shopping; Health Care; Point of Sale, Inventory, Accounting; Cost/Price, Reservations, Shipping and Transportation; Business Processing
3630 Static Structures, Supports and Furniture
3640 Aeronautics, Agriculture, Fishing, Trapping, Vermin Destroying, Plant and Animal Husbandry, Weaponry, Nuclear Systems, and License and Review
3650 Material and Article Handling
3660 Computerized Vehicle Controls and Navigation, Radio Wave, Optical and Acoustic Wave Communication, Robotics, and Nuclear Systems
3670 Wells, Earth Boring/Moving/Working, Excavating, Mining, Harvesters, Bridges, Roads, Petroleum, Closures, Connections, and Hardware
3680 Business Methods — Incentive Programs, Coupons; Electronic Shopping; Business Cryptography, Voting; Health Care; Point of Sale, Inventory, Accounting; Business Processing, Electronic Negotiation
3690 Business Methods — Finance/Banking/ Insurance

Patents examined here cover:

Art Unit Technical & Scientific Domains
3710 Amusement and Education Devices
3720 Manufacturing Devices and Processes, Machine Tools and Hand Tools
3730 Sheet Container Making, Package Making, Receptacles, Shoes, Apparel, and Tool Driving or Impacting
3740 Thermal and Combustion Technology, Motive and Fluid Power Systems
3750 Fluid Handling and Dispensing
3760 Refrigeration, Vaporization, Ventilation, and Combustion
3770 Medical & Surgical Instruments, Treatment Devices, Surgery and Surgical Supplies
3780 Body Treatment, Kinestherapy, and Exercising

Patents examined here cover:

Art Unit Technical & Scientific Domains
3970 Express Abandonments
3990 Central Reexamination Unit

FedInvent Patents

Each week FedInvent analyzes newly granted patents and published patent applications whose origins lead back to funding from the US federal government. We assemble a weekly patent catalog and analyze the inventions, the inventors, and the entities who received the patents. We map the patents back to the agency that funded the R&D that led to the new invention. FedInvent uses the funding opportunity descriptions, the grants, and the contracts that define the research areas of interest, and the R&D policies and priorities of that drove and are driving the funding to organize each week's patents.

ABOUT OUR DATA

The weekly patent catalog includes patents with government interest statements indicating federal funding; and patents where the assignee, the owner of the invention, is the federal government. This includes work on federal grants, work on federal contracts, innovation by Federal Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs) funded by Federal Departments and University Affiliated Research Centers funded by DoD.

Not every inventor is a government contractor. There are many inventions conceived and patented by scientists and engineers working for the federal government or serving in the military.

THE NUMBERS MAY NOT MATCH THE NUMBER OF PATENTS WE ANALYZE EACH WEEK

The numbers in the tables presented on this page will not add up to the number of patents granted each week because patents are counted by each agency that funded the creation of the invention. Patents and funding have a many-to-many relationship. One patent may have more than one funding grant or contract associated with it. A grant or contract may lead to more than one patent. More than one agency may have funded the inventors or the contract. More than one university or business may have worked together on an invention. When we report the numbers here, we associate a patent with all of the entities and funding that are reflected on the patent and report them to you. This approach presents a more complete picture of what's going on in the federal innovation ecosphere. Put another way, the numbers in the tables presented on this page may not always add up to the number of patents each week because patents are counted by each agency that funded the creation of the invention.

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