Urban and Residential Living in a World with Climate Change
The theme for Earth Day 2015 revolves around climate change. Our lifestyles can have the effect of contributing to increased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide, a major symptom and causal effect of climate change. For example, urban areas account for two-thirds of driving-related greenhouse gases despite public transportation opportunities. There’s been some research lately into the effects of climate change on urban areas, such as those areas of California that have been slammed by drought conditions, and a growing population is an issue that has to be taken into account. With the environment on our mind, we thought a close look at climate-change tech would be appropriate. We focus on a couple of innovations that will keep our society running in the face of a warmer atmosphere and higher sea levels, assuming that sea levels do increase as we keep being told they will.
As our atmosphere warms, there will be more of our country’s population that lives in a hot-humid or hot-arid climate rather than a temperate climate. Keeping energy costs within the home to a minimum is the objective of the technology protected by U.S. Patent No. 8978342, which is titled Residential Radiant Barrier Assemblies. Issued to Auburn University in March, it claims a method of radiant heat rejection by providing a radiant barrier material in a roof of a building along a bottom edge of a rafter to separate an airspace while supporting convective airflow that removes heat from the radiant barrier material. This radiant barrier could be installed in homes and other buildings to reduce summer heat gain in warm climates.
A Greener Footprint with Carbon Capture and Next Generation Energy Production
On Wednesday, April 22, 2015, more than 22,000 partner organizations and more than one billion people in 192 different countries will honor the 45th annual Earth Day. According to organizers, this will be the world’s largest non-secular celebration. The theme of this year’s festivities is “It’s Our Turn to Lead,” sounding a call to action among anyone with an interest in environmental issues. With this in mind, we thought we would take a look at some intriguing, recently patented green innovation relating to carbon capture and energy production.
Our society is tied to our quick access to electricity throughout the home and across our communities. It’s hard to picture a consumer economy without the easy ability to obtain electrical energy from a wall outlet to power a variety of electronics. All of that electricity generation occurs at power plants which release a lot of carbon dioxide directly into the atmosphere. As a result, many have discussed the use of carbon capture and storage technologies as a way of counteracting some of the negative aspects of energy production.
04.21.15 | Patent Issues | Gene Quinn
Top 5 Patent Law Blog Posts of the Week
Today we continue our weekly installment highlighting the best of the patent blogosphere from the past week. If there are any patent blogs you think should be highlighted by our Top 5, please comment on this post and we’ll check them out.
1) Patently-O: Gene Patent Debate Returns to the Federal Circuit – This post reports on SCOTUS’ recently issued GVR order in Association for Molecular Pathology v. USPTO and Myriad Genetics (Fed. Cir. 2012). According to the post, “The Federal Circuit has now released a new briefing schedule — asking the parties to file supplemental briefs by June 15, 2012 addressing the issue: What is the applicability of the Supreme Court’s decision in Mayo to Myriad’s isolated DNA claims and to method claim 20 of the ’282 patent?”
2) Green Patent Blog: Clean Energy Patent Growth Index Shows Record High for 2011 – This post shares the findings of the Heslin Rothenberg firm’s Clean Energy Patent Growth Index (CEPGI) 2011 Year in Review, highlighting that granted green patents were at an all time high of 2331 for last year, a rise of 450 patents, or 24%, over 2010. (more…)
05.4.12 | CAFC, posts, Supreme Court Cases, USPTO | Mark Dighton
Top 5 Patent Law Blog Posts of the Week
Today we continue our weekly installment highlighting the best of the patent blogosphere from the past week. If there are any patent blogs you think should be highlighted by our Top 5, please comment on this post and we’ll check them out.
1) IP Watchdog: Making it Easier to Get a Patent – Guest author, Mark Nowotarski, shares the experience he has had in getting patent applications granted in this post. He notes that certain technology classes are harder to get a patent awarded in. As such, he explains how one can see if a technology class is getting easier or harder by plotting the patent filing dates in that class versus patent issue dates.
2) Patently-O: Kimberly-Clark v. Naty: Did Reexamination Clean the Diaper? – This post discusses how Kimberly-Clark has sued Naty Babycare for infringement of a diaper with an “elastomeric ear” having non-parallel edges. In 2010, an ex parte reexamination was begun and KC cancelled all 30 issued claims but then added an additional four claims. Unfortunately for Naty, the patent still has one year on its term. (more…)
03.16.12 | Patent Issues, Patent Policy, USPTO | Mark Dighton
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04.22.15 | Patent Issues | Gene Quinn