Patents

Charles Herder (left) and Tina Srivastava (right), co-founders of California-based privacy company Badge Inc., are named on U.S. Patent No. 12,574,371 for a system that authenticates users by splitting biometric data into “shards” stored across multiple servers, so no single location holds the complete identifier. Both founders have innovation ties to Dallas. Pictured with them is Dan Kaufman (center), a cybersecurity veteran known as “DARPA Dan,” who joined Badge in 2024 as SVP of AI and cybersecurity. The company, which emerged from stealth in 2024, was named to TIME’s Best Inventions of the Year and Fast Company’s Innovation Team of the Year in 2025. [Photo: Badge Inc.]

A block diagram of Rivian's newly patented onboard charging system shows an electric vehicle connected to the power grid — simultaneously charging its battery while delivering a separate power signal to electrical accessories through a dedicated output port. Irving inventor Muhammad Mobeen Mahmood is among those named on the patent. [Composite illustration: Sources, U.S. Patent No. 12542447, Fig. 7; DI Studio]

USAA has received a newly granted patent for systems and methods that insure NFTs and other digital assets. Invented by Neetu Jain of Coppell, the approach outlines how a lost NFT could be recovered by locating a digital twin and minting a replacement, or—if recovery isn’t possible—by determining compensation for the owner. [Composite illustration: Sources, USPTO Patent #12511694; DI Studio; Vadim Sazhniev/istockphoto; Deagreez/istockphoto]