FedInvent™ Patents

New Taxpayer Funded Patents for Tuesday, August 18, 2009 

This page was updated on Monday, March 27, 2023 at 01:26 AM GMT

FedInvent analyzed 92 taxpayer-funded patents this week.

On Tuesday, August 18, 2009, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) granted 92 taxpayer-funded patents; including 87 patents containing government interest statements and 22 patents where federal government agencies were an assignee or applicant. Together, 92 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 07574816
 
Counter flow cooling drier with integrated heat recovery 
002 07574835
 
Composite-to-metal joint 
003 07574842
 
Apparatus for mounting photovoltaic power generating systems on buildings 
004 07574868
 
Mixture including hydrogen and hydrocarbon having pressure-temperature stability 
005 07574922
 
Test apparatus to determine the shear strength of a composite sandwich beam under a high hydrostatic load 
006 07574925
 
Metering and pumping devices 
007 07574947
 
Rotary fast tool servo system and methods 
008 07574960
 
Ignition element 
009 07574971
 
Torpedo mounted dispenser incorporating a shock mount bumper 
010 07575052
 
In situ conversion process utilizing a closed loop heating system 
011 07575053
 
Low temperature monitoring system for subsurface barriers 
012 07575192
 
Transmission system for use in microturbine-powered applications 
013 07575389
 
Magnetic coupling device 
014 07575614
 
Startup burner 
015 07575621
 
Separation of metal nanoparticles 
016 07575688
 
Apparatus and method for removing sulfur containing compounds from a post-refinery fuel stream 
017 07575707
 
Electrospinning of fine hollow fibers 
018 07575709
 
Tape-cast sensors and method of making 
019 07575722
 
Microfluidic device 
020 07575735
 
Metal oxide and metal fluoride nanostructures and methods of making same 
021 07575742
 
Method of treating autoimmune diseases with interferon-beta and IL-2R antagonist 
022 07575745
 
Ligand for herpes simplex virus entry mediator and methods of use 
023 07575751
 
Activin-A mutants 
024 07575752
 
Chimeric infectious DNA clones, chimeric porcine circoviruses and uses thereof 
025 07575758
 
Acaricidal compositions and methods of use thereof 
026 07575759
 
Tissue engineering scaffolds 
027 07575763
 
Membrane scaffold proteins and tethered membrane proteins 
028 07575815
 
Aluminide coatings 
029 07575824
 
Method of improving fuel cell performance by removing at least one metal oxide contaminant from a fuel cell electrode 
030 07575829
 
Battery having reduced weight 
031 07575856
 
Compositions and methods for the evaluation and resuscitation of cadaveric hearts for transplant 
032 07575869
 
Genome wide location and function of DNA binding proteins 
033 07575873
 
Reagents for diagnosing, imaging and treating atherosclerotic disease 
034 07575876
 
Biomarkers for neurodegenerative disorders 
035 07575881
 
Modulation of nitric oxide signaling through signaling through specific regulation by arginylation and the N-end rule pathway 
036 07575885
 
Tyrosylprotein sulfotransferases and methods of use thereof 
037 07575889
 
Compound combinations for inhibiting cell division and methods for their identification and use 
038 07575895
 
Compositions of orthogonal lysyl-tRNA and aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase pairs and uses thereof 
039 07575908
 
Immobilization method for producing active α1-acid glycoprotein 
040 07575926
 
Method of identification of compounds effective against suppressed cancer cells 
041 07576000
 
Molded dielectric layer in print-patterned electronic circuits 
042 07576037
 
Process and apparatus for combinatorial synthesis 
043 07576050
 
GLP-1 exendin-4 peptide analogs and uses thereof 
044 07576052
 
Methods and compositions for modulating adipocyte function 
045 07576058
 
Method for importing biologically active molecules into cells 
046 07576060
 
Inhibition of adhesion and migration of an endothelial cell to fibronectin by neutrophil alpha-defensins 
047 07576065
 
Enhancing neurotrophin-induced neurogenesis by endogenous neural progenitor cells by concurrent overexpression of brain derived neurotrophic factor and an inhibitor of a pro-gliogenic bone morphogenetic protein 
048 07576069
 
2-polycyclic propynyl adenosine analogs having A2A agonist activity 
049 07576116
 
PDK-1/Akt signaling inhibitors 
050 07576168
 
Thermoset material made from siloxane-acetylene polymer containing metal-acetylene complex 
051 07576175
 
Alpha-4 beta-1 integrin ligands for imaging and therapy 
052 07576183
 
Structure-based receptor MIMICS targeted against bacterial superantigen toxins 
053 07576191
 
Tumor suppressor Killin 
054 07576192
 
Rapid and sensitive assay for the detection and quantification of coregulators of nucleic acid binding factors 
055 07576245
 
Fluorous tagging and scavenging reactants and methods of synthesis and use thereof 
056 07576261
 
Nematode resistant transgenic plants 
057 07576296
 
Thermal synthesis apparatus 
058 07576308
 
Mosaic imager using wave front control 
059 07576323
 
Point-of-care mass spectrometer system 
060 07576324
 
Ion detection methods, mass spectrometry analysis methods, and mass spectrometry instrument circuitry 
061 07576334
 
Photoacoustic indicators 
062 07576353
 
Ballistic deflection transistor and logic circuits based on same 
063 07576409
 
Group III-V compound semiconductor based heterojuncton bipolar transistors with various collector profiles on a common wafer 
064 07576427
 
Cold weld hermetic MEMS package and method of manufacture 
065 07576499
 
Sequentially pulsed traveling wave accelerator 
066 07576535
 
Multi-compartment separation in magnetic resonance using transient steady-state free precession imaging 
067 07576538
 
Nuclear electric quadrupolar properties of hyperpolarized gases to probe surfaces and interfaces 
068 07576562
 
Diagnosable structured logic array 
069 07576569
 
Circuit for dynamic circuit timing synthesis and monitoring of critical paths and environmental conditions of an integrated circuit 
070 07576611
 
Systems and methods for high frequency electronic power conversion and amplification 
071 07576653
 
Secure panel with remotely controlled embedded devices 
072 07576682
 
Method and system for radar target detection and angle estimation in the presence of jamming 
073 07576696
 
Multi-band antenna 
074 07576701
 
Rotating screen dual reflector antenna 
075 07576738
 
Method for constructing surface parameterizations 
076 07576791
 
Method and apparatus for signature reduction using wavefront coding 
077 07576837
 
Micro-mirror optical tracking and ranging system 
078 07576865
 
Optical coherent tomographic (OCT) imaging apparatus and method using a fiber bundle 
079 07576907
 
Phase and amplitude light pulse shaping using a one-dimensional phase mask 
080 07576971
 
Asymmetric electrochemical supercapacitor and method of manufacture thereof 
081 07577107
 
Protocol specification for message-initiated constraint-based routing 
082 07577108
 
Learning-based strategies for message-initiated constraint-based routing 
083 07577110
 
Audio chat system based on peer-to-peer architecture 
084 07577169
 
Time stamping 
085 07577266
 
Systems and methods for interference suppression with directional sensing patterns 
086 07577307
 
Fast adaptive lifting lossless wavelet transform 
087 07577405
 
Disposable radio communication device 
088 07577472
 
MRI method for producing an index indicative of brain disorders 
089 07577482
 
System comprising interchangeable electronic controllers and corresponding methods 
090 07577534
 
Risk assessment of metal vapor arcing 
091 07577564
 
Method and apparatus for detecting illicit activity by classifying whispered speech and normally phonated speech according to the relative energy content of formants and fricatives 
092 07577663
 
Distributed database systems and methods 

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) 31 979
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) 30 779
Department of Energy (DOE) 18 396
National Science Foundation (NSF) 11 281
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) 5 119
Department of Agriculture (USDA) 2 48
Department of Commerce (DOC) 2 66
Small Business Administration (SBA) 2 36
Classified Government Agency 1 2
Department of Transportation (USDOT) 1 11
Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) 1 11
National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) 1 3

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 07575192
 
Transmission system for use in microturbine-powered applications 
002 07575889
 
Compound combinations for inhibiting cell division and methods for their identification and use 
003 07576037
 
Process and apparatus for combinatorial synthesis 
004 07576569
 
Circuit for dynamic circuit timing synthesis and monitoring of critical paths and environmental conditions of an integrated circuit 
005 07576611
 
Systems and methods for high frequency electronic power conversion and amplification 
006 07576682
 
Method and system for radar target detection and angle estimation in the presence of jamming 
007 07576865
 
Optical coherent tomographic (OCT) imaging apparatus and method using a fiber bundle 

Department of the ARMY (DOA)

Patent Title
001 07575192
 
Transmission system for use in microturbine-powered applications 
002 07575621
 
Separation of metal nanoparticles 
003 07576324
 
Ion detection methods, mass spectrometry analysis methods, and mass spectrometry instrument circuitry 
004 07576791
 
Method and apparatus for signature reduction using wavefront coding 
005 07576837
 
Micro-mirror optical tracking and ranging system 
006 07577663
 
Distributed database systems and methods 

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

Patent Title
001 07574835
 
Composite-to-metal joint 
002 07574922
 
Test apparatus to determine the shear strength of a composite sandwich beam under a high hydrostatic load 
003 07574925
 
Metering and pumping devices 
004 07574960
 
Ignition element 
005 07574971
 
Torpedo mounted dispenser incorporating a shock mount bumper 
006 07576168
 
Thermoset material made from siloxane-acetylene polymer containing metal-acetylene complex 
007 07576353
 
Ballistic deflection transistor and logic circuits based on same 
008 07576653
 
Secure panel with remotely controlled embedded devices 
009 07576696
 
Multi-band antenna 
010 07577169
 
Time stamping 
011 07577405
 
Disposable radio communication device 

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

Patent Title
001 07575707
 
Electrospinning of fine hollow fibers 
002 07576308
 
Mosaic imager using wave front control 
003 07576409
 
Group III-V compound semiconductor based heterojuncton bipolar transistors with various collector profiles on a common wafer 
004 07576611
 
Systems and methods for high frequency electronic power conversion and amplification 
005 07576653
 
Secure panel with remotely controlled embedded devices 
006 07577107
 
Protocol specification for message-initiated constraint-based routing 
007 07577108
 
Learning-based strategies for message-initiated constraint-based routing 
008 07577307
 
Fast adaptive lifting lossless wavelet transform 
009 07577564
 
Method and apparatus for detecting illicit activity by classifying whispered speech and normally phonated speech according to the relative energy content of formants and fricatives 

Up to Start Of Table

Take Me To The Details
Patent Title
001 07575742
 
Method of treating autoimmune diseases with interferon-beta and IL-2R antagonist 
002 07575745
 
Ligand for herpes simplex virus entry mediator and methods of use 
003 07575751
 
Activin-A mutants 
004 07575759
 
Tissue engineering scaffolds 
005 07575763
 
Membrane scaffold proteins and tethered membrane proteins 
006 07575869
 
Genome wide location and function of DNA binding proteins 
007 07575873
 
Reagents for diagnosing, imaging and treating atherosclerotic disease 
008 07575876
 
Biomarkers for neurodegenerative disorders 
009 07575881
 
Modulation of nitric oxide signaling through signaling through specific regulation by arginylation and the N-end rule pathway 
010 07575885
 
Tyrosylprotein sulfotransferases and methods of use thereof 
011 07575895
 
Compositions of orthogonal lysyl-tRNA and aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase pairs and uses thereof 
012 07575908
 
Immobilization method for producing active α1-acid glycoprotein 
013 07575926
 
Method of identification of compounds effective against suppressed cancer cells 
014 07576037
 
Process and apparatus for combinatorial synthesis 
015 07576050
 
GLP-1 exendin-4 peptide analogs and uses thereof 
016 07576052
 
Methods and compositions for modulating adipocyte function 
017 07576058
 
Method for importing biologically active molecules into cells 
018 07576060
 
Inhibition of adhesion and migration of an endothelial cell to fibronectin by neutrophil alpha-defensins 
019 07576065
 
Enhancing neurotrophin-induced neurogenesis by endogenous neural progenitor cells by concurrent overexpression of brain derived neurotrophic factor and an inhibitor of a pro-gliogenic bone morphogenetic protein 
020 07576069
 
2-polycyclic propynyl adenosine analogs having A2A agonist activity 
021 07576116
 
PDK-1/Akt signaling inhibitors 
022 07576175
 
Alpha-4 beta-1 integrin ligands for imaging and therapy 
023 07576191
 
Tumor suppressor Killin 
024 07576192
 
Rapid and sensitive assay for the detection and quantification of coregulators of nucleic acid binding factors 
025 07576245
 
Fluorous tagging and scavenging reactants and methods of synthesis and use thereof 
026 07576323
 
Point-of-care mass spectrometer system 
027 07576334
 
Photoacoustic indicators 
028 07576535
 
Multi-compartment separation in magnetic resonance using transient steady-state free precession imaging 
029 07576865
 
Optical coherent tomographic (OCT) imaging apparatus and method using a fiber bundle 
030 07577472
 
MRI method for producing an index indicative of brain disorders 

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)30779
National Institutes of Health (NIH)28699
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)220
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)228
National Cancer Institute (NCI)298
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)120
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)17
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)17
National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB)112
National Institute on Aging (NIA)16

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 31
2800 Semiconductors, Electrical and Optical Systems and Components 22
1700 Chemical and Materials Engineering 11
3600 Transportation, Electronic Commerce, Construction, Agriculture, Licensing and Review 10
2600 Communications 8
3700 Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing, Gaming and Medical Devices/Processes 5
2400 Computer Networks, Multiplex, Cable and Cryptography/Security 3
2100 Computer Architecture Software and Information Security 2

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 424 Drug, bio-affecting and body treating compositions 7 0
USPC 514 Drug, bio-affecting and body treating compositions 7 0
USPC 250 Radiant energy 4 0
USPC 370 Multiplex communications 4 0
USPC 257 Active solid-state devices 3 0
USPC 052 Static structures 2 0
USPC 073 Measuring and testing 2 0
USPC 166 Wells 2 0
USPC 264 Plastic and nonmetallic article shaping or treating: Processes 2 0
USPC 324 Electricity: Measuring and testing 2 0
USPC 343 Communications: Radio wave antennas 2 0
USPC 356 Optics: Measuring and testing 2 0
USPC 429 Chemistry: Electrical current producing apparatus, product, and process 2 0
USPC 530 Chemistry: Natural resins or derivatives; peptides or proteins; lignins or reaction products thereof 2 0
USPC 536 Organic compounds 2 0
USPC 034 Drying and gas or vapor contact with solids 1 0
USPC 048 Gas: Heating and illuminating 1 0
USPC 062 Refrigeration 1 0
USPC 075 Specialized metallurgical processes, compositions for use therein, consolidated metal powder compositions, and loose metal particulate mixtures 1 0
USPC 082 Turning 1 0
USPC 102 Ammunition and explosives 1 0
USPC 114 Ships 1 0
USPC 210 Liquid purification or separation 1 0
USPC 219 Electric heating 1 0
USPC 244 Aeronautics and astronautics 1 0
USPC 315 Electric lamp and discharge devices: Systems 1 0
USPC 326 Electronic digital logic circuitry 1 0
USPC 327 Miscellaneous active electrical nonlinear devices, circuits, and systems 1 0
USPC 330 Amplifiers 1 0
USPC 340 Communications: Electrical 1 0
USPC 342 Communications: Directive radio wave systems and devices 1 0
USPC 345 Computer graphics processing and selective visual display systems 1 0
USPC 348 Television 1 0
USPC 359 Optical: Systems and elements 1 0
USPC 361 Electricity: Electrical systems and devices 1 0
USPC 381 Electrical audio signal processing systems and devices 1 0
USPC 382 Image analysis 1 0
USPC 403 Joints and connections 1 0
USPC 422 Chemical apparatus and process disinfecting, deodorizing, preserving, or sterilizing 1 0
USPC 423 Chemistry of inorganic compounds 1 0
USPC 428 Stock material or miscellaneous articles 1 0
USPC 438 Semiconductor device manufacturing: Process 1 0
USPC 455 Telecommunications 1 0
USPC 506 Combinatorial chemistry technology: Method, library, apparatus 1 0
USPC 528 Synthetic resins or natural rubbers 1 0
USPC 585 Chemistry of hydrocarbon compounds 1 0
USPC 600 Surgery 1 0
USPC 700 Data processing: Generic control systems or specific applications 1 0
USPC 702 Data processing: Measuring, calibrating, or testing 1 0
USPC 704 Data processing: Speech signal processing, linguistics, language translation, and audio compression/decompression 1 0
USPC 707 Data processing: Database and file management or data structures 1 0
USPC 800 Multicellular living organisms and unmodified parts thereof and related processes 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 92 258
Germany 0 2
Australia 0 1
India 0 1
U.S. State First Named Inventors All Inventors
California 22 53
Texas 7 22
New Mexico 6 26
Massachusetts 6 21
New York 6 9
Maryland 5 19
Washington 4 11
Virginia 4 10
Illinois 3 10
Colorado 2 7
Ohio 2 6
Rhode Island 2 6
Connecticut 2 5
Missouri 2 5
Pennsylvania 2 5
Oklahoma 2 4
Tennessee 2 4
Maine 2 2
Michigan 1 6
Idaho 1 4
Wisconsin 1 4
New Jersey 1 3
District of Columbia 1 2
Georgia 1 2
Iowa 1 2
Indiana 1 2
Nebraska 1 2
Kentucky 1 1
South Carolina 1 1
Arizona 0 2
Arkansas 0 1
New Hampshire 0 1

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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 970
U.S. State Assignees Applicants
California 170
District of Columbia 160
Massachusetts 110
New York 60
Illinois 50
Texas 50
Maryland 30
New Mexico 30
Washington 30
Colorado 20
Connecticut 20
Michigan 20
Ohio 20
Oklahoma 20
Pennsylvania 20
Tennessee 20
Virginia 20
Florida 10
Georgia 10
Idaho 10
Indiana 10
Iowa 10
Maine 10
Missouri 10
Nebraska 10
Nevada 10
New Jersey 10
South Carolina 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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