The patent that was just granted to him earlier this month may have been the patent pending referenced in the 11/2009 press release announcing the sale of the intellectual property to the private company.
How many patents were included and how many applications were filed? Was it ever revealed? If the patent granted earlier this month was the "pending patent" mentioned, why not PR it? They would still be accurate by saying they were awarded the patent even if it was assigned to others.
Before the 2009 PR, "INC" held this patent....awarded June 24, 2008