Patents Issued the Week of February 5-9

2.9.24

Patent Protection & Registration

Patents grant property rights on new and useful inventions, allowing the patent holder to prevent others from using, making, or selling that invention without permission for a limited time. U.S. patents are permitted by the U.S. Constitution and are designed to promote scientific progress and invention. By allowing inventors to profit from licensing or selling their patent rights, inventors can recoup their research and development costs and benefit financially from their inventing efforts. There are three main types of patents utility, plant, and design. Utility and plant patents can last up to 20 years, while design patents can last up to 15 years. When a patent expires, the patented material enters the public domain, making it free to use by anyone without a license. U.S. patents are issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

U.S. Patent No. 11,890,953 entitled “Electric Accessory Interface for Work Vehicle” issued February 6, 2024 to Deere & Company of Moline, Illinois. Invented by  Skyler S. Hagen of Platteville, Wisconsin and Eric Vilar of Asbury, Iowa. Abstract: An electrically powered work vehicle includes a work vehicle frame and a plurality of ground engaging units for supporting the work vehicle frame from a ground surface, at least one of the ground engaging units being powered by an electric drive motor to drive the vehicle. An electrical power storage system is carried by the work vehicle frame and connected to the electric drive motor to provide electrical power to the electric drive motor. A work tool coupler is carried by the work vehicle and configured to selectively interconnect the work vehicle with a coupler receiver of a selected one of a plurality of different work tools. A vehicle side electrical connector is carried by the work tool coupler and configured to transfer electrical power to the electrical power storage system to charge the electrical power storage system. Such a work vehicle may be used in combination with an external charging station. The external charging station may include an electrical power source, a coupler receiver configured to mechanically interconnect with the work tool coupler, and a charging station side electrical connector configured to electrically interconnect with the vehicle side electrical connector when the work tool coupler is mechanically interconnected with the coupler receiver. The charging side electrical connector is configured to connect the electrical power source to the vehicle side electrical connector.

U.S. Patent No. 11,892,837 entitled “Telematics System and Method for Conditional Remote Starting of Self-propelled Work Vehicles” issued February 6, 2024 to Deere & Company of Moline, Illinois. Invented by Kirti Pandita of Pune, India and Lance R. Sherlock of Asbury, Iowa. Abstract: A remote starting system and method are provided for self-propelled work vehicles having work attachments supported from a main frame thereof. Cameras are arranged with respective fields of vision proximate to the work vehicle, and a communications unit is configured to exchange messages with a user device via a communications network. A local or remote controller is configured to receive first user input comprising a remote startup request for the work vehicle from the user device, and to automatically detect parameters respectively associated with predetermined remote startup conditions, at least one of the parameters comprising images obtained from the cameras. The images are transmitted to the user device, responsive to which second user input is received comprising remote startup confirmation from the user device via the communications network. Responsive to at least the second user input, engine startup is automatically controlled for the work vehicle.