Patents Examined by Ali Sharifzada
  • Patent number: 8678279
    Abstract: There is provided a communication device system and a card-type device, in which an attachable and detachable communication device can be attached later only when a control, maintenance or monitor function and an authentication function are required. A communication function, a function to convert an electric signal of a control object device into another communication protocol, and an encryption/decryption function are concentrated on one card, and this card is obtained only when necessary, and the control, maintenance or monitor can be performed remotely. The card is created by an appropriate certificate authority or a manufacture maker of the control object device, and necessary information can be set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventor: Michiyuki Sugiyama
  • Patent number: 8328103
    Abstract: A transponder circuit includes an antenna for receiving radio frequency signals and an extraction unit for extracting therefrom energy for the transponder circuit, a non volatile memory unit, a control logic unit that activates a received energy evaluation unit when a write operation is received. The evaluation unit is arranged directly at the antenna to provide the control logic unit with a signal representative of the status of energy available in the antenna indicating whether the available energy is greater than a minimum level for ensuring a proper write operation or not, wherein the control logic unit is arranged for performing, or not performing, the write operation. The evaluation unit includes a resistive divider including a set of resistors or a programmable current source and rectifier means on each connector of the antenna for simulating a write operation in the memory and energy recoverable by the power supply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: EM Microelectronic-Marin S.A.
    Inventor: Christian Lamothe
  • Patent number: 8297504
    Abstract: The system includes a first receiver that, when information has been printed on the medium using a printing apparatus, receives, from the printing apparatus, an electronic tag ID of an electronic tag in the printed medium and a plurality of recipient IDs specified by a user, a second receiver that, when the printed medium has been stored in a repository, receives, from the repository, an electronic tag ID of an electronic tag in the stored medium and an ID in association with the repository (hereinafter called the repository ID), and an associating unit that, when the electronic tag ID sent from the printing apparatus agrees with the electronic tag ID sent from the repository, associates a recipient ID corresponding to the repository ID sent from the repository, out of the plurality of recipient IDs sent from the printing apparatus, with the agreed electronic tag ID.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Masami Tada, Keiji Satoh
  • Patent number: 8286883
    Abstract: A storage device contains a smart-card device and a memory device, both connected to a controller. The storage device may be used in the same manner as a conventional smart-card device, or it may be used to store a relatively large amount of data in various partitions. One of these partitions may be a read-only partition that is normally accessible only for read accesses. However, it may sometimes be necessary to update or supplement the data stored in the read-only partition. This is accomplished by a host issuing an appropriate command to the storage device, which may be accompanied by an identifier for an appropriate level of authorization. The controller then changes the attribute of the read-only partition from “read-only” to “read/write” to allow data to be written to the partition. Upon completion, the controller changes the attribute of the partition back to read-only.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Medhi Asnaashari, Ruchirkumar D. Shah, Sylvain Prevost, Ksheerabdhi Krishna
  • Patent number: 8282010
    Abstract: A security element has a housing assembled from two housing members, and an IC card placed between the two housing members. The IC card is a detachable part of a larger base card within which it is disposed in a recess and to which it is connected via bars provided with a rated breaking point. The internal contour surrounding the recess in the base card encloses a surface area which is equal to or larger than the cross-sectional area of the housing at the level of the seat. The assembly of the security element can be so carried out that the IC card is broken out of the base card only after the housing members are joined to form the finished housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: Giesecke & Devrient GmbH
    Inventor: Hans Heusmann
  • Patent number: 8262000
    Abstract: Disclosed is a processing system and method, the system including a code physically associated with a source. The code includes one or more patterns including a guide pattern arranged in a mark, wherein each pattern includes one or more pattern elements arranged in pattern element zones. Each of the respective pattern has a pattern signature based on a predetermined physical attribute corresponding to the one or more pattern elements within the respective pattern. The system further includes a detection device configured to capture the mark, and a controller coupled to the detection device configured to generate physical attribute data associated with the captured mark, receive the physical attribute data, and determine the pattern signatures by performing an arithmetic calculation on the physical attribute data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: SD-X Interactive
    Inventor: William B. Denniston, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8256666
    Abstract: Each portable payment device associated with a single account within a payment processing system is distinguished using track data. The track data from the portable payment device is read at each of a plurality of merchant point of sale terminals (POS). Rather than relying on the PAN alone, a merchant may utilizes the track data, or a proxy thereof, as the unique identifier for the portable payment device. The merchant may then process transactions involving the portable payment device based on the unique identifier. For example, in the transit environment the transit fare for each rider with different portable payment devices but the same account can be calculated using the unique identifier, such as the full track data read from both tracks of the corresponding portable payment devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Inventors: Phil Dixon, Ayman A. Hammad, Khalid El-Awady
  • Patent number: 8245909
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, the present invention relates to a method and a system for implementing a card product or access mechanism with multiple relationships with an issuing entity (e.g., bank, etc.) where each relationship may be defined by one or more sets of rules that are customized for a particular customer. A computer implemented method and system for implementing a mechanism with multiple customized relationships may involve identifying one or more customized rules for an access mechanism associated with a customer; establishing a plurality of accounts for the customer wherein the plurality of accounts comprise different accounts with different account characteristics; and invoking one of the plurality of accounts for a transaction through the access mechanism, based at least in part on the one or more customized rules; wherein the plurality of accounts share at least one funding account.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: JPMorgan Chase Bank, NA
    Inventors: Tracy M. Pletz, Howard C. Seidel, Joseph Rochford
  • Patent number: 8240563
    Abstract: A self-check-out stand has a flat belt on which items that have been scanned can be placed. This belt abuts a declining belt, with both belts preferably having abutting ends with upper corners in which a fixed non-rotating nose rod is located with the rod extending across the width of the belt, the rods hold the abutting ends tightly together with only a small crack between the belts. The check-out stand has two sets of unpowered transition rollers to turn the items at an obtuse angle to the conveyer belts. The stand has a declining set of rollers to bring the items to the proper height for the customer to bag. The accumulation area rises from front to back to slow the items being conveyed. A scanner module with a monitor and pay station can be placed at the front end of the stand.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Royston, LLC.
    Inventors: Eric Kaplan, Michael S. Notheis, John Troeleman
  • Patent number: 8231060
    Abstract: An RFID device for tires includes first and second sheets non-conducting insulation material having positioned therebetween a semi-conductor chip and a wireless antenna formed of electrically conducting ink printed on one of said sheets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Assignee: Cooper Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventor: Randall L. Tucker
  • Patent number: 8225997
    Abstract: A mobile device is provided. The mobile device comprises a near field communication transceiver, a memory that contains a secure element, and an application that can pay multiple transit fares. The near field communication transceiver is used to complete fare payment transactions with a fare gate, based on a transit funds balance. The secure element in the memory stores the transit funds balance. The application, when executed on the mobile device, pays a plurality of fares corresponding to a plurality of passengers entering a public transportation system via the fare gate at substantially the same time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: Sprint Communications Company L.P.
    Inventors: Christopher J. Bierbaum, Robin D. Katzer, Todd N. Koellner, Kevin K. Zhu
  • Patent number: 8225998
    Abstract: A secure ballot box includes a main compartment for receiving ballots, a case including a base and a cover supported by the main compartment, and a scanner supported within the base. The cover is coupled with the base and is moveable between a closed position enclosing the scanner and an open position exposing at least a portion of the scanner. The case and scanner are removable from the main compartment for easy transport. A sensor, operable to detect the height of the ballots collected within the main compartment, is coupled with the scanner to switch the scanner to an off mode such that additional ballots will not be accepted when the height of ballots within the main compartment reaches a predetermined threshold level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: ES&S Innovations LLC
    Inventor: Steve Bolton
  • Patent number: 8215548
    Abstract: A method and system including a plurality of multifunctional devices being operatively associated with at least one controller and each having a preset amount of preloaded consumables at a time of initial use; and a software application for enabling at least one user to access the plurality of multifunctional devices, the software application being configured to receive information from a prepaid card, the information including a financial value relating to usage of some of the preset amount of preloaded consumables in the plurality of multifunctional devices; wherein the financial value of the prepaid card is applied by the at least one user across the plurality of multifunctional devices in any desired uniform or non-uniform financial proportions in accordance with usage determinations; and wherein the at least one user is enabled to pay for access to the plurality of multifunctional devices in time staggered installments without pre-established contractual obligations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Shanmuga-nathan Gnanasambandam, Warren Kleiman, Jack Douglas Jenkins, Jr., Dennis C. DeYoung, Russell Neville, Ashok Murthy
  • Patent number: 8210439
    Abstract: A merchandise security tag device for use in a merchandise monitoring system is provided. The merchandise security tag device may be configured to display at least one predetermined optical validation image in response to a signal received from a validation scanning process of the merchandise monitoring system. The validation scanning process may verify that the article of merchandise has been paid for by the customer. The optical validation image may be within the visible spectrum and may be verified by a store employee.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: P. Daniel Kangas, Jeff David Thomas
  • Patent number: 8205801
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a memory portion, a logic portion, and a plurality of signal lines for electrically connecting the memory portion and the logic portion. In the case where a transfer rate between the semiconductor device and a communication device is ? [bps], a first clock frequency generated in the logic portion is K? [Hz] (K is an integer of 1 or more), the number of reading signal lines of the plurality of signal lines is n (n is an integer of 2 or more), and a second clock frequency generated in the logic portion is L?/n [Hz] (L is any integer satisfying L/n<K), data stored in the memory portion is read to the logic portion through the n reading signal lines with use of the second clock frequency L?/n [Hz].
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hidetomo Kobayashi, Tomoaki Atsumi, Seiichi Yoneda, Yasuyuki Takahashi, Kiyoshi Kato
  • Patent number: 8196820
    Abstract: A self-service terminal comprising a plurality of devices is described. The devices comprise: a racking handle for moving that device from an operational position to a maintenance position; a primary visual identifier (such as a bright color) associated with the racking handle, where the primary visual identifier is common for all of the racking handles and is not used for any part of the device except a racking handle; and a secondary visual identifier associated with any other parts of the device that may be safely touched, where the secondary visual identifier is visually distinct (for example, by using a different color) from the primary visual identifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: NCR Corporation
    Inventors: Lynne M. Coventry, Philip N. Day, Stephen Swaine
  • Patent number: 8196823
    Abstract: In one embodiment, the optical lock system may include an electronic control unit, a lock housing including a lock chamber, and an optical key including a multilayer photonic structure. The multilayer photonic structure may produce a unique intensity profile and includes a plurality of coating layers of high index dielectric material and a plurality of coating layers of low index dielectric. A light source may transmit a reference light to the multilayer photonic structure when the optical key is disposed within the lock chamber. A photo detector may receive an interaction light from the multilayer photonic structure and may transmit the unique intensity profile to the electronic control unit which may execute machine readable instructions to: compare the unique intensity profile to an electronic master; and cause the lock actuator to transition from a first state to a second state when the unique intensity profile corresponds to the electronic master.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Benjamin Alan Grayson, Debasish Benerjee, Minjuan Zhang, Yasuo Uehara, Masahiko Ishii
  • Patent number: 8191786
    Abstract: An immovable price checker (1) with an angle-adjustable scanner is installed on a wall for scanning barcodes of an article and includes a base (10), a scanner (20), a processor (30), a displayer (40) and a pivoting means (50). The base (10) is fixed to the wall. The scanner (20) is connected to the base (10) for scanning the barcodes of the article. The processor (30) is electrically connected to the scanner (20). The displayer (40) is fixed to the base (10) and electrically connected to the processor (30). The displayer (40) is configured to display data processed by the processor (30). The pivoting means (50) is connected between the base (10) and the scanner (20). The scanner (20) is rotatable with respect to the base (10) by using the pivoting means (50) as a center of rotation to thereby adjust the angle of the scanner (20). Thus, the convenience and practicability of the present invention are improved greatly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: Champtek Incorporated
    Inventors: Shu-Ying Huang, Nico Van Dalen
  • Patent number: 8191765
    Abstract: The present invention provides an image processor capable of preventing illegal copying of a document. The image processor first extracts information from a barcode in a first region of document image data. Then, the image processor extracts information from a barcode in a second region of the document image data if the information is extracted from the barcode in the first region. On the other hand, if the information is not extracted from the barcode in the first region, the image processor does not extract the information from the barcode in the second region of the document image data. This enables a copying operation for a document consisting of a plurality of pages to be efficiently controlled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Akari Matsumura
  • Patent number: 8186594
    Abstract: The characteristic variations of a printer largely influence the recognition precision of code information, and the recognition precision of code information appended to printed matter cannot often be guaranteed depending on printers. To solve this problem, a printer forms a predetermined chart, and the image forming characteristics of the printer are detected from the code information recorded on the chart. A generation method of generating code information obtained by encoding information to a regular sequence of a pixel cluster is controlled in accordance with the image forming characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Mitsuru Uzawa, Sanae Ikeda, Jun Nagai, Junya Arakawa