Patents Examined by Kenneth J Whittington
  • Patent number: RE46546
    Abstract: A system and method is provided for an enhanced and user friendly control circuit for an electric unlocking device, such as for example, an electric door strike or other unlocking devices utilizing actuating solenoids. The control circuit minimizes the potential for human error while also providing a small footprint, minimal DC in-rush current, over current protection, and minimized heat dissipation. Additionally, the present invention is directed to providing visual notification/diagnostics and improved field compatibility with existing electric unlocking devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: Hanchett Entry Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Edward Schoepke, Leland J. Hanchett, Jr.
  • Patent number: RE46567
    Abstract: Provided is an MRI apparatus. In the MRI apparatus, a data collection unit repetitively performs a tag mode of applying an RF wave to at least an upstream portion of an imaging area to perform fluid labeling of a fluid flown into the imaging area and, after a lapse of an inversion time from application of the RF wave, performing magnetic resonance data collection, while changing the inversion time. An image reconstruction unit reconstructs a plurality of tag images corresponding to a plurality of different inversion times based on the magnetic resonance data collected in the tag mode. A reference image generation unit generates a reference image based on the plurality of the tag images. A fluid image generation unit generates a subtraction image between each of the tag images and the reference image as a fluid image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation
    Inventor: Tokunori Kimura
  • Patent number: RE46622
    Abstract: A light source apparatus includes a light source unit that includes plural sets of a laser and a coupling lens corresponding to the laser, which are circumferentially provided to form a circle; and a reflecting unit placed within the circle and provided with plural reflecting surfaces corresponding to the lasers of the plural sets of the light source unit to be formed in a cone shape, the light irradiated from each of the lasers being injected into the corresponding reflecting surface via the corresponding coupling lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Ikuo Maeda
  • Patent number: RE46672
    Abstract: A LiDAR-based 3-D point cloud measuring pattern includes a base, a housing, a plurality of photon transmitters and photon detectors contained within the housing, a rotary motor that rotates the housing about the base, and a communication component that allows transmission of signals generated by the photon detectors to external components. In several versions of the invention, the system includes a vertically oriented motherboard, thin circuit boards such as ceramic hybrids for selectively mounting emitters and detectors, a conjoined D-shaped lens array, and preferred firing sequences.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: Velodyne Lidar, Inc.
    Inventor: David S. Hall
  • Patent number: RE46772
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a semiconductor integrated circuit, wherein a desired circuit is formed by combining and laying out a plurality of standard cells and connecting the cells together, of which the cell length, i.e., the gap between a pair of opposed sides, is standardized, the plurality of standard cells forming the desired circuit include complementary in-phase driven standard cells, each of which includes a plurality of complementary transistor pairs that are complementary in conductivity type to each other and have their gate electrodes connected together, and N (?2) pairs of all the complementary transistor pairs are driven in phase, and the size of the standardized cell length of the complementary in-phase driven standard cell is defined as an M-fold cell length which is M (N?M?2) times the basic cell length which is appropriate to the single complementary transistor pair.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Yoshinori Tanaka
  • Patent number: RE46773
    Abstract: A semiconductor device which eliminates the need for high fillability through a simple process and a method for manufacturing the same. A high breakdown voltage lateral MOS transistor including a source region and a drain region is completed on a surface of a semiconductor substrate. A trench which surrounds the transistor when seen in a plan view is made in the surface of the semiconductor substrate. An insulating film is formed over the transistor and in the trench so as to cover the transistor and form an air-gap space in the trench. Contact holes which reach the source region and drain region of the transistor respectively are made in an interlayer insulating film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: RENESAS ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuma Onishi, Yoshitaka Otsu, Hiroshi Kimura, Tetsuya Nitta, Shinichiro Yanagi, Katsumi Morii
  • Patent number: RE46793
    Abstract: Methods for preparing a wellbore casing for stimulation operations comprise the steps of cementing a wellbore casing in a wellbore, the wellbore casing having a downhole tool comprising a valve and an apparatus for restricting fluid flow through the valve, such as a ball seat, disposed above the valve. Actuation of the valve opens the valve to establish fluid communication between the wellbore casing and the formation. A plug element is disposed on a seat of the ball seat and a casing pressure test is performed. The plug element then dissolves or disintegrates over time increasing fluid communication between the wellbore casing and the formation, thereby preparing the wellbore casing for stimulation operations without additional wellbore intervention after the casing pressure test. In certain embodiments, during or after dissolution of the plug element, clean-out of the bore of the valve is performed by the plug element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: BAKER HUGHES, A GE COMPANY, LLC
    Inventors: Justin C. Kellner, Paul Madero, Charles C. Johnson
  • Patent number: RE46811
    Abstract: An audio system for a television using a pipe type passive directional acoustic device mounted in a television cabinet. The slotted pipe type passive directional acoustic device includes a first acoustic driver, acoustically coupled to a pipe to radiate acoustic energy into the pipe. The first pipe includes an elongated opening along at least a portion of the length of the pipe. Acoustically resistive material is in the opening. Pressure waves are radiated to the environment through the opening. The pressure waves are characterized by a volume velocity. The pipe, the opening, and the acoustically resistive material are configured so that the volume velocity is substantially constant along the length of the pipe. The passive directional acoustic devices directionally radiate sound waves laterally from the television cabinet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: Bose Corporation
    Inventors: Joseph Jankovsky, Eric S. Johanson, Richard Saffran
  • Patent number: RE46834
    Abstract: Subjects are detected in a captured image and a main subject is selected from the detected subjects. Focusing areas are set up that correspond to the detected subjects and focus detection is performed in the focusing areas that have been set up. When providing in-focus indication representing focus detection results, focus detection results associated with the particular focusing area among the focusing areas that corresponds to the main subject are displayed in a manner different from focus detection results associated with those focusing areas within the depth of field that correspond to subjects other than the main subject.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Nobukazu Yoshida, Akira Kubota
  • Patent number: RE46935
    Abstract: A design for an organic light-emitting display device that increases capacitor capacity and increases aperture ratio by forming an initializing voltage electrode on a different layer than an electrode of the capacitor and forming only one via hole for an entire set of three sub-pixels. One of the source electrodes and the drain electrodes of switching transistors for the three sub-pixels are formed in common, along with the gate electrodes of the switching transistors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: Samsung Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hye-Jin Shin, Won-Kyu Kwak
  • Patent number: RE46997
    Abstract: A semiconductor integrated circuit includes: a first voltage line on which a specific one of a power-supply voltage and a reference voltage appears; a second voltage line; a plurality of circuit cells each receiving power generated as a difference between a voltage appearing on the second voltage line and the other one of the power-supply voltage and the reference voltage; a plurality of switch transistors connected in parallel between the first and second voltage lines to serve as switch transistors including switch transistors each having different conducting-state resistances; and a switch conduction control section for controlling a transition of each of the switch transistors from a non-conducting state to a conducting state by turning on the switch transistors at separate points of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Masahiro Igarashi, Tetsuo Motomura, Ryuji Kaneko, Makoto Fujiwara, Yoshinori Tanaka, Hiromi Ogata
  • Patent number: RE47013
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for measuring a location of a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader by using beacons, and an RFID system for measuring a location of a moving RFID reader in an RFID system comprising: a plurality of beacon devices for emitting beacons; an RFID tag for transmitting pre-stored information by using radio frequency identification; and an RFID reader for calculating a current location using a plurality of at least three beacons wherein the RFID reader receives the plurality of beacons from the plurality of beacon devices while moving, and receiving the information from the RFID tag by using the radio frequency identification. According to the present invention, it is possible to increase the accuracy of the location measurement of a moving RFID reader in an RFID system because the location of the RFID reader is measured in consideration of propagation environments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignees: SK TELECOM CO., LTD., SK PLANET CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sangwoo Rhie, Sangmok Sohn, Soonjae Jeong, Jaesic Jeon, Youngshin Yoon, Youngil Kim, Sunshin An, Sungjun Kim, Youngmin Ji, Joosik Lee
  • Patent number: RE47085
    Abstract: The present invention provides for a mounting arm for receiving an electronic component, such as a DVD player that is quickly and easily strapped to the mounting arm and in turn, the mounting arm may be quickly and easily mounted to a support surface, such as a seat back of a vehicle via the mounting means provided by the mounting arm. Apertures may be provided in the mounting arm for receiving rods of a headrest of a vehicle seat for maintaining the mounting arm in a secured position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: Eureka Mobility Inc.
    Inventor: David L Newman
  • Patent number: RE47095
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a semiconductor integrated circuit, wherein a desired circuit is formed by combining and laying out a plurality of standard cells and connecting the cells together, of which the cell length, i.e., the gap between a pair of opposed sides, is standardized, the plurality of standard cells forming the desired circuit include complementary in-phase driven standard cells, each of which includes a plurality of complementary transistor pairs that are complementary in conductivity type to each other and have their gate electrodes connected together, and N (?2) pairs of all the complementary transistor pairs are driven in phase, and the size of the standardized cell length of the complementary in-phase driven standard cell is defined as an M-fold cell length which is M (N?M?2) times the basic cell length which is appropriate to the single complementary transistor pair.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Yoshinori Tanaka
  • Patent number: RE47105
    Abstract: A method of and system for directional drilling reduces the friction between the drill string and the well bore. A downhole drilling motor is connected to the surface by a drill string. The drilling motor is oriented at a selected tool face angle. The drill string is rotated at said surface location in a first direction until a first torque magnitude without changing the tool face angle. The drill string is then rotated in the opposite direction until a second torque magnitude is reached, again without changing the tool face angle. The drill string is rocked back and forth between the first and second torque magnitudes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Eric E. Maidla, Marc Haci
  • Patent number: RE47109
    Abstract: An adapter includes: a first mount section that is detachably attached to a camera body; a second mount section that is provided separately from the first mount section and is detachably attached to any one of a plurality of types of interchangeable lenses which are different from each other in a method of controlling a diaphragm; and an accessory control section that controls the diaphragm of the interchangeable lens in response to a common control command which is received from the camera body regardless of the type of the interchangeable lens mounted on the second mount section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masanori Hasuda, Masafumi Oikawa, Noriaki Nakajima, Shunji Nagaya
  • Patent number: RE47147
    Abstract: An ESD protection device is provided which experiences only small increases in discharge start voltage and discharge protection voltage and relatively free of scorching or peeling at the ends of the discharge electrodes thereof even if a discharge repeatedly occurs. The ESD protection device has an insulating substrate with a cavity, and in the cavity first and second discharge electrodes are so disposed that the ends thereof face each other with a gap therebetween. A first outer electrode is on the outer surface of the insulating substrate and electrically connected to the first discharge electrode, and a second outer electrode is on the outer surface of the insulating substrate and electrically connected to the second discharge electrode. The ends of the first and second discharge electrodes are thicker than any other portion of the first and second discharge electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignee: MURATA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yoshihito Otsubo
  • Patent number: RE47178
    Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging “MRI” method and apparatus for lengthening the usable echo-train duration and reducing the power deposition for imaging is provided. The method explicitly considers the t1 and t2 relaxation times for the tissues of interest, and permits the desired image contrast to be incorporated into the tissue signal evolutions corresponding to the long echo train. The method provides a means to shorten image acquisition times and/or increase spatial resolution for widely-used spin-echo train magnetic resonance techniques, and enables high-field imaging within the safety guidelines established by the Food and Drug Administration for power deposition in human MRI.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: University of Virginia Patent Foundation
    Inventors: John P. Mugler, III, James R. Brookeman
  • Patent number: RE47199
    Abstract: This non-contact charging module can be suitably used by suppressing a change of an L value of a coil that is provided in the non-contact charging module, and achieves size reduction, even in the cases where a magnet that is provided in the other non-contact charging module is used or not used. The module is characterized in that: the module is provided with a primary side coil (21a) wherein a conducting line is wound in a substantially rectangular shape, and a magnetic sheet (51) that is provided with a surface on which the primary side coil (21a) is placed; and that a substantially rectangular-shaped hollow portion of the primary side coil (21a) has the short side thereof shorter than the diameter of a circular magnet (30a), and the long side thereof longer than the diameter of the circular magnet (30a).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenichiro Tabata, Tokuji Nishino, Toshiaki Kikui, Tatsunori Tabata
  • Patent number: RE47211
    Abstract: An inertial sensor includes an oscillator, a drive unit for oscillating the oscillator, a sensor for sensing the amount of inertia applied to the oscillator, and a failure diagnosis unit disposed between the oscillator and the drive unit. The drive unit includes a reference potential supply unit for supplying a reference potential to the oscillator, and a drive signal supply unit for supplying a drive signal to the oscillator based on a monitor signal received from the oscillator. The failure diagnosis unit includes a diagnosis unit for diagnosing a failure based on the value of a current supplied by the reference potential supply unit to the oscillator. The inertial sensor having this structure can detect a failure in the drive unit or the oscillator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takeshi Uemura