Patents Examined by Carlos E Garcia
  • Patent number: 9711040
    Abstract: In a wireless control terminal configured to control a control target connected to a control apparatus by working in cooperation with a wireless assistant terminal capable of transmitting a predetermined control instruction for controlling the control target to the control apparatus by using a predetermined control wireless scheme with supply of power from a battery included in the wireless assistant terminal, a wireless control terminal-side battery is provided within the wireless control terminal so as to supply driving power required for control regarding emergency stop of the control target performed with a predetermined wireless scheme of the wireless control terminal. At least remaining storage power information regarding a remaining amount of storage power in the wireless control terminal-side battery is output to a notification apparatus provided in the wireless control terminal or the wireless assistant terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: OMRON Corporation
    Inventors: Keisuke Saito, Hajime Umeki, Daichi Ueki, Tetsuji Yamato
  • Patent number: 9705570
    Abstract: Embodiments relate generally to methods and systems for configuring a gas detector using near-field communication (NFC). A gas detector may be equipped with an NFC reader that will allow the gas detector to scan and read NFC tags. Compatible NFC tags may be acquired and programmed with the configuration settings information. The NFC tag may then be attached to a poster with instructions that show where to place the detector in order to confirm their device's configuration. When the detector is placed in the appropriate location near the tag on the poster, the detector may receive information from the NFC tag, implement the configuration settings, and possibly display a confirmation message to the user. The NFC tag may also be attached to a card carried by a monitor for that work area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen Mroszczak, Kirk William Johnson, Kelly Englot, Mahdi Javer
  • Patent number: 9703386
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method for controlling a terminal device by using a headset wire connected to the terminal device. The method includes: recognizing a user's gesture based on a current detected in a specific region of the headset wire; acquiring control instruction corresponding to the user's gesture; and executing the control instruction. According to the present disclosure, when a current is detected in the specific region of the headset wire, a user's gesture is recognized based on the current, control instruction corresponding to the user's gesture is acquired, and the control instruction is executed to control the terminal. In the whole procedure, the user only needs to touch the specific region of the headset wire without using pressure button to produce current signal, thereby the operation of controlling the terminal device is convenient and fast.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: XIAOMI INC.
    Inventors: Bing Xu, Zhijie Li, Kai Xiao
  • Patent number: 9698777
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a keyboard and circuitry. The keyboard includes at least an interface line and a key. The key is configured to connect the interface line to first and second different capacitances when positioned in first and second positions, respectively. The circuitry is connected to the interface line and is configured to detect whether the key is in the first position or in the second position, by sensing electrical current flowing on the interface line in response to a stimulation waveform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: NUVOTON TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Moshe Alon
  • Patent number: 9698637
    Abstract: A rotating portion of a motor includes a magnet, a yoke, and a hub. An upper portion of the yoke is fixed to the hub. The yoke includes a first inner circumferential surface radially opposite to an outer circumferential surface of the magnet with a first gap intervening therebetween, and a second inner circumferential surface radially opposite to the outer circumferential surface of the magnet with a second gap intervening therebetween below the first inner circumferential surface. The second inner circumferential surface is parallel or substantially parallel to the outer circumferential surface of the magnet, and is located radially outward of the first inner circumferential surface. An adhesive is provided in at least a portion of the first gap. No adhesive is provided in at least a lower axial end portion of the second gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: NIDEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shunichi Ochitani, Wataru Yamauchi, Masayuki Maeda
  • Patent number: 9688247
    Abstract: A system includes a processor configured to receive vehicle borrower contact information input from a vehicle lender. The processor is also configured to send a digital invitation to use a vehicle using the borrower contact information responsive to the input, and to receive digital confirmation responsive to the electronic invitation. The processor is also configured to establish a digital key responsive to the confirmation and wirelessly send the established digital key to the borrower and the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Vijayababu Jayaraman, Ali Mohamad Suleiman, Karl Nathan Clark, Mohamad Nasser, John Naum Vangelov
  • Patent number: 9681542
    Abstract: A head assembly for a magnetic tape storage device includes a head and a flexible circuit connected to the head. The flexible circuit includes a gripping portion, an end including electrical contacts for the head, conductors extending from the electrical contacts, and ink patterned onto the electrical contacts and gripping portion to form electrical paths therebetween. The ink conducts electrostatic charge from the electrical contacts and conductors to a grounded user in response to skin of the user contacting the ink.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: Oracle International Corporation
    Inventors: Karl Ziegler, Kevin D. McKinstry
  • Patent number: 9672675
    Abstract: A lock-unlock system for a vehicle includes a mobile terminal and an in-vehicle device. The mobile terminal includes a unit to return a first response signal responding to a first request signal, and a unit to return a second response signal responding to a second request signal in response to receiving power supplied by electromagnetic induction induced by the second request signal. The in-vehicle device includes a unit to transmit the first request signal, to execute first verification control for verifying an identification code in the first response signal; a unit to transmit the second request signal, to execute second verification control for verifying an identification code in the second response signal; and a unit to indicate switching from the first verification control to the second verification control if a condition for the switching is satisfied after the first verification control has been started, to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shigeki Nishiyama, Tomoyuki Funayama
  • Patent number: 9652909
    Abstract: An identification device includes a radio-frequency identification (RFID) card, a base member, and a front panel. The RFID card is configured to transmit an identification number. The front panel includes a laser-markable layer. The base member has a back panel and a perimeter wall extending transverse from the back panel. The base member forms a recess accommodating the front panel. The base member and the front panel are joined to form an assembly in which the RFID card is enclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Giles David Matthew McWilliam, Steven Craig DiNoto, Michael David Morris Sniderman, Jesse Scott Knutson
  • Patent number: 9640207
    Abstract: In order to prevent leaking of lubricant, the bearing device includes a rolling bearing having an outer ring and an inner ring, a shaft fixed to the inner ring, and a sleeve fixed to the outer ring. A flange part is formed on at least one end part of the shaft. The flange part includes a disk part extending from the shaft toward an outside in a radial direction and a cylindrical part extending from the disk part along an axial direction. The cylindrical part is disposed at an outside of the outer ring, and a labyrinth gap which bends at two places is formed by gaps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: MINEBEA CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kunihiro Tsuchiya
  • Patent number: 9626990
    Abstract: A perpendicular magnetic recording writer with an all wrap around (AWA) shield design wherein one or more of the leading shield, trailing shield, and side shields comprises a magnetic hot seed layer made of a >19 kG to 24 kG material that adjoins a gap layer, and a side of the hot seed layer opposite the gap layer adjoins a high damping magnetic layer made of a 10-16 kG material (or a 16-19 kG material in the trailing shield) having a Gilbert damping parameter a >0.04. In one embodiment, the high damping magnetic layer is FeNiRe with a Re content of 3 to 15 atomic %. The main pole leading and trailing sides may be tapered. Side shields may have a single taper or dual taper structure. Higher writer speed with greater areal density capability is achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: Headway Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Yuhui Tang, Yaguang Wei, Jiun-Ting Lee
  • Patent number: 9607192
    Abstract: In an NFC mobile communication device (3) an operating system, such as a JAVA operating system (J2ME), is able to start software applications (6) identifiable by application identifications (AID). The mobile communication device (3) is equipped with a secure memory device (2), e.g. configured as a SmartMX card, which comprises a first memory portion (2a) configured as a MIFARE memory. The mobile communication device (3) comprises NFC means (5) adapted to trigger a hardware interruption (INT), when the first memory portion (2a) has been accessed by an external RFID reader (1). The hardware interruption (INT) is detected by the operating system (J2ME) and causes it to access a pre-defined sector (S) of the first memory portion (2a), to read information from said sector (S) which is representative for an application identification (AID) and to start the software applications (6) associated to it.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventor: Alexandre Corda
  • Patent number: 9601136
    Abstract: A data storage device employing a data writer may configure the data writer with at least a write pole that is separated from a front shield on an air bearing surface. The front shield can be arranged to continuously extend from the air bearing surface a first throat height distal the write pole and a second throat height proximal the write pole with the first and second throat heights being different.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Muhammad Asif Bashir, JianHua Xue, Beverley R. McConnell, Shengzhou Liao, Wei Tian, Prim Gangmei, Swaraj Basu, Mark A. Gubbins
  • Patent number: 9601155
    Abstract: One or more processors determine wear for a robotic device. The one or more processors divide a direction of travel of a robotic device into zones. Each zone has an associated counter that counts how many times the robotic device has entered a given zone. The one or more processors update a count for a zone in response to the robotic device entering that zone. The one or more processors determine a level of wear for a component associated with the robotic device. The level of wear is based, at least in part, on a total of counts for the zones.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Shawn M. Nave, Anh T. Nguyen
  • Patent number: 9576600
    Abstract: A tail pad portion is provided in a flexure tail including a metal base and a conductive circuit portion. Tail terminals are arranged in the tail pad portion. The metal base is made of stainless steel, and includes a frame structure having a first frame and a second frame. An opening is formed between the first and second frames. The tail terminals are arranged parallel to each other between the first and second frames. A bridge portion is provided between the first and second frames. The bridge portion is constituted of at least one conductive bridge member, and arranged at a position which does not overlap the tail terminals. One end of the bridge member is connected to the first frame, and the other end of the bridge member is connected to the second frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hajime Arai, Futa Sasaki
  • Patent number: 9569904
    Abstract: An intelligent entrance guard unlocking method includes: transmitting electric energy of an intelligent entrance guard by wireless electromagnetic radiation via a transmit coil; receiving the electric energy via a receive coil of a powerless smart key; scanning an eye of a user to recognize an iris image of the user and storing the iris image in a second storage unit of the powerless smart key; controlling a wireless transmit unit of the powerless smart key to transmit a wireless signal containing the iris image to the intelligent entrance guard; obtaining a predefined iris image from a first storage unit of the intelligent entrance guard and comparing the iris image with the predefined iris image; unlocking the intelligent entrance guard when the iris image matches with the predefined iris image and not unlocking the intelligent entrance guard when the iris image does not match with the predefined iris image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Wen-Kuei Chou, Hsin-Nan Chen, Chia-Wei Chang, Kuang-Yao Liao, Chih-Chung Weng
  • Patent number: 9563800
    Abstract: An intelligent entrance guard unlocking method includes: transmitting electric energy of a power unit of a intelligent entrance guard in a wireless electromagnetic radiation via a transmit coil; receiving the electric energy via a receiver coil of a powerless smart key; capturing a fingerprint image of an user and storing the fingerprint image in a second storage unit of the powerless smart key; controlling a wireless transmit unit of the powerless smart key to transmit a wireless signal containing the fingerprint image to the intelligent entrance guard; obtaining a predefined fingerprint image from a first storage unit of the intelligent entrance guard and comparing the fingerprint image with the predefined fingerprint image; unlocking the intelligent entrance guard when the fingerprint image matches with the predefined fingerprint image and not unlocking the intelligent entrance guard when the fingerprint image does not match with the predefined fingerprint image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hsin-Nan Chen, Chia-Wei Chang, Wen-Kuei Chou, Kuang-Yao Liao, Chih-Chung Weng
  • Patent number: 9558774
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a slider of a magnetic recording transducer comprising a plurality of electrical bond pads. A component is coupled to a pair of the electrical bond pads. A sensor is coupled to the pair of the electrical bond pads in parallel with the component. The sensor is configured to sense for one or more of thermal asperities of a magnetic recording medium, voids of the medium, spacing changes between the slider and the medium, and contact between the slider and the medium. The sensor is configured to be rendered non-functional in response to the sensor receiving a predetermined signal. The component is configured to remain operable after the sensor is rendered non-functional.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: SEAGATE TECHNOLOGY LLC
    Inventor: Declan Macken
  • Patent number: 9558773
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a slider body of a disk drive. The slider body is electrically coupled to a plurality of end bond pads. A voltage applied to one more of the end bond pads sets a surface potential of the slider body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: SEAGATE TECHNOLOGY LLC
    Inventors: Daniel W. Olson, Declan Macken, Timothy William Stoebe
  • Patent number: 9558766
    Abstract: While a heat-assisted, magnetic recording medium is being read from, power is applied to a write coil of a read/write head to control a spacing between a read transducer and the recording medium via thermal expansion induced by a write pole magnetically coupled to the write coil. A coefficient of thermal expansion proximate the read transducer is higher than a coefficient of thermal expansion proximate the write pole to increase a deformation at the read transducer relative to the write pole. Optionally, a media-facing surface of the read/write head may include a recess encompassing at least the write pole to prevent contact between the write pole and the recording medium while controlling the spacing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: SEAGATE TECHNOLOGY LLC
    Inventors: Xiong Liu, Lihong Zhang