Patents Examined by Rafferty Kelly
  • Patent number: 9542582
    Abstract: An optical code or data imaging system and method for forming image data from an item bearing an optical code present in a read volume, including an image splitter, such as a dichroic mirror, operative to transmit light of a first wavelength range from a first field of view of the item toward the imager and reflect light of a second wavelength range from a second field of view of the item toward the imager. The incoming images from both the first and second fields of view are focused, at least primarily, by the same focusing optics and are detected by the same detecting portions or preferably at least some overlapping portions of the imager.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: DATALOGIC ADC, INC.
    Inventor: Alexander M. McQueen
  • Patent number: 9529101
    Abstract: An instrument for detecting radiation is provided, which comprises an inner core housing a neutron detector, and an outer core comprising a neutron-moderating material, the instrument further including at least one elongate thermal neutron guide located within the outer core and having an inner end that terminates proximal to the neutron detector. In use, the elongate thermal neutron guide channels thermal neutrons towards the neutron detector. Also provided is a method for using said instrument.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: The Secretary of State for Health
    Inventors: Rick Tanner, Jonathan Eakins
  • Patent number: 9524486
    Abstract: A system to detect and maintain retail store promotional price tags (PPTs) includes a heuristic PPT description extractor module, a heuristic rule deriver module, a store shelf image acquisition system, a barcode locator and recognizer module, and a heuristic PPT classifier module. The heuristic PPT description extractor module extracts heuristic descriptions of PPTs. The heuristic rule deriver module derives a set of heuristic parameters for the PPTs. The barcode locator and recognizer module analyzes images acquired by the store shelf image acquisition system to localize and recognize barcodes. The heuristic PPT description classifier module extracts heuristic attributes from the images acquired by the store shelf image acquisition system using the set of PPT parameters supplied by the heuristic rule deriver module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2016
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Wencheng Wu, Dennis L. Venable, Thomas F. Wade, Peter Paul, Adrien P. Cote
  • Patent number: 9524411
    Abstract: A data capture terminal for, and a method of, processing a plurality of data and a symbol arranged at spaced-apart locations on a target, such as a parcel delivery label, employ a solid-state imager having an array of image sensors for capturing return light from the data and the symbol on the target over a field of view, an actuator for actuating the imager to capture the return light from the data and the symbol on the target in a single actuation, and a controller operatively connected to the actuator and the imager, for processing the return light captured by the imager from the plurality of data and the symbol. The terminal is customized by a user program that advises the controller of user-selected parameters and conditions under which the processing of the return light is to be performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2016
    Assignee: Symbol Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Duanfeng He
  • Patent number: 9507031
    Abstract: A radiation detector according to this invention has a first reflector frame and a second reflector frame. Each of scintillation counter crystals is inserted in a direction through the first reflector frame and the second reflector frame, whereby two or more scintillation counter crystals are arranged in a first direction and a second direction to form a scintillation counter crystal layer. A position of the first reflector frame provided, in the scintillation counter crystal layer differs from a position of the second reflector frame provided in the scintillation counter crystal layer. With such construction, the radiation detector may be provided of significantly suppressed manufacturing costs without reducing spatial resolution and detecting sensitivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: SHIMADZU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiromichi Tonami, Tomoaki Tsuda, Junichi Ohi
  • Patent number: 9501729
    Abstract: There is provided a stored value card comprising a physical accessory being a portion of the stored value card and being detachable from the stored value card, wherein the physical accessory is configured to be attached to a physical primary; and a unique identification code, wherein the unique identification code is associated with the stored value card, the physical accessory and a virtual accessory, and wherein a virtual primary and the virtual accessory are stored in a network server and correspond to the physical primary and the physical accessory, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: Disney Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventors: Chris Heatherly, Randal Ouye, Bobby Saygan, Natasha Berling
  • Patent number: 9501774
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for using at least a portion of a one-time password as a dynamic card verification value (CVV) are disclosed. A credit/debit card is able to generate a dynamic card verification value (CVV). Such a card may also include an indication that the dynamic CVV is to be used as a security code for purchasing or other transactions. A card-based financial transaction can be authorized in accordance with the use of a dynamic CVV by receiving a transaction authorization request for a specific credit/debit card, wherein the transaction authorization request includes a dynamic CVV. The dynamic CVV can be compared to at least a portion of a one-time password generated for the specific credit/debit card, and a transaction authorization can be sent to the merchant or vendor when the dynamic CVV matches all or a portion of the one-time password.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: BANK OF AMERICA CORPORATION
    Inventor: James M. Ashfield
  • Patent number: 9477919
    Abstract: The present invention is an apparatus and method for generating a barcode with a human readable interpretation (HRI). The method includes receiving a data set comprising an application identifier and a data portion. The data set further includes a first special character before the application identifier and a second special character after the application identifier and before the data portion. The application identifier and data in the data portion have a one to one correspondence with an HRI. The method further includes generating a barcode encoding data set based on the data set, including stripping the first special character and the second special character from the data set; generating an HRI data set based on the data set; and generating the barcode with the HRI based on the barcode encoding data set and the HRI data set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Teisuke Takei, Tomoaki Kimura
  • Patent number: 9477959
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for using at least a portion of a one-time password as a dynamic card verification value (CVV) are disclosed. A credit/debit card is able to generate a dynamic card verification value (CVV). Such a card may also include an indication that the dynamic CVV is to be used as a security code for purchasing or other transactions. A card-based financial transaction can be authorized in accordance with the use of a dynamic CVV by receiving a transaction authorization request for a specific credit/debit card, wherein the transaction authorization request includes a dynamic CVV. The dynamic CVV can be compared to at least a portion of a one-time password generated for the specific credit/debit card, and a transaction authorization can be sent to the merchant or vendor when the dynamic CVV matches all or a portion of the one-time password.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: BANK OF AMERICA CORPORATION
    Inventor: James M. Ashfield
  • Patent number: 9471915
    Abstract: A beverage holder apparatus includes a chip unit attached to a beverage holder and adapted to communicate with a chip unit reader to perform a payment transaction to purchase the beverage. The chip unit stores an account identifier associated with a financial account, and transmits the stored account identifier to the chip unit reader to perform the payment transaction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: VISA U.S.A., Inc.
    Inventors: Zack Fuerstenberg, Ayman Hammad, Brian Triplett, Christopher M. Renton, Michael Stephenson
  • Patent number: 9466061
    Abstract: A mobile computerized apparatus configured to provide membership status in a roadside assistance program after occurrence of a roadside event is disclosed. The apparatus executes instructions that cause/allow the apparatus to receive input related to an electronic membership card, retrieve from a data store membership information associated with the vehicle, and dynamically update the electronic membership card for display on the apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignee: Allstate Insurance Company
    Inventors: Tara Cavallaro Kozlowski, Ryan M. Briggs, Imran Iqbal
  • Patent number: 9460580
    Abstract: A gift card holder including a carrier panel for holding a removably attached gift card and a flap attached forward of the carrier panel to cover and obscure the gift card when the holder is presented for sale. The flap may include decorative elements or information and may include additional flaps or pages to form a greeting card or booklet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: Gift Card Impressions, LLC
    Inventors: Brett R. Glass, Nicole E. Glass
  • Patent number: 9449315
    Abstract: A transaction card processing and activation system comprising the identification of a unique identifier corresponding to an aggregate of transaction cards of affiliated or non-affiliated card issuers and the activation of each transaction card corresponding to the unique identifier of the aggregate irrespective of the number, types, or card issuers of the transaction cards. Additionally, the present invention allows a point of sale entity to initiate the activation of each of the multiple, disparate transaction cards in the aggregate by merely processing the unique identifier associated with the aggregate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: BLACKHAWK NETWORK, INC.
    Inventors: Lalit Singh, Sanjay Shirsekar
  • Patent number: 9450001
    Abstract: A light detection system which comprises an active region between a back contact layer and a front contact layer is disclosed. The active region comprises a quantum well structure having a quantum well between quantum barriers, wherein the quantum well comprises foreign atoms that induce an excited bound state at an energy level which is above an energy level characterizing the quantum barriers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: Technion Research & Development Foundation Limited
    Inventors: Asaf Albo, Gad Bahir, Dan Fekete
  • Patent number: 9443264
    Abstract: A shopper selects from gifts that are compatible with a recipient's devices. When the shopper wishes to purchase a gift, descriptions of gifts are compared to the recipient's devices. Compatible gifts may be recommended, while incompatible gifts may be rejected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.
    Inventor: M. Todd Mitchem
  • Patent number: 9442202
    Abstract: An instrument for detecting radiation is provided, which comprises an inner core housing a neutron detector, and another core comprising a neutron-moderating material, the instrument further including at least one elongate thermal neutron guide located within the outer core and having an inner end that terminates proximal to the neutron detector. In use, the elongate thermal neutron guide channels thermal neutrons towards the neutron detector. Also provided is a method for using said instrument.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: The Secretary of State for Health
    Inventors: Rick Tanner, Jonathan Eakins
  • Patent number: 9443183
    Abstract: An induction vehicle detection and identification system comprising electronic identification devices with electronic memory, mounted on vehicles, and a reader capable of reading and/or writing data obtained from devices in HF-band. Devices have a non-volatile memory and are integrated into the vehicle's license plate. The reader combined with a magnetic frame is in a dielectric casing, which is mounted under the roadway. It generates an alternating magnetic field, which determines the detection and identification range. Minimum time the reader requires to read discrete responses generated by electronic identification devices and to identify the vehicle is less than 25 ms. The identification devices and the reader exchange data at the rate of 1 Kbit/sec or higher, and provide data encoding and decoding, as well as data access restriction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Inventor: Igor Yurievich Matsur
  • Patent number: 9443187
    Abstract: An RFID tag includes an antenna, a first IC chip connected to the antenna, and a first fuse inserted between the antenna and the first IC chip, or inserted in series with the antenna. In the RFID tag, the first fuse becomes electrically conductive at a first temperature or above, and remains in an electrical conductive state after having become electrically conductive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventor: Noritsugu Ozaki
  • Patent number: 9436920
    Abstract: Various embodiments of the present disclosure include methods and apparatus for tracking and reporting the social impact of food products. In an example embodiment, an apparatus comprises a hand-held device including a display and one or more input devices to sense product identification indicia associated with a food product that is grown or raised in an agricultural operation. The hand-held device includes at least one processor to determine a machine-readable identification code from the product identification indicia; send the identification code to at least one remote server; receive, from the at least one remote server, information that is associated with the product, the information including social impact information that is associated with the production of the food product; and display at least some of the received social impact information on the display in human readable form.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: SureHarvest, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey W. Dlott, Harry W. Rosenberg, Clifford P. Ohmart, Rebecca Connolly
  • Patent number: 9430733
    Abstract: A security device for the identification or authentication of valuable goods is described, including a thin material layer (22, 26) presenting a stochastic pattern including micro/submicrostructures, where the latter are arranged in blobs (2) each of which presents a complexity factor Cx = L 2 4 ? ? · A , where L is the perimeter of the blob and A its area, and wherein blobs having a Cx value greater than or equal to 2 cover at least 5%, preferably at least 15%, of the device surface. According to a preferred embodiment, the material layer may include a film including at least a first and a second polymers arranged respectively within a first and a second phases defining the micro/submicrostructures. Preferred processes of fabrication are also disclosed, as well as a method for securing a valuable good based on such a security device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: CSEM CENTRE SUISSE D'ELECTRONIQUE ET DE MICROTECHNIQUE SA—RECHERCHE ET DEVELOPPEMENT
    Inventors: Nicolas Blondiaux, David Hasler, Raphael Pugin, Edoardo Franzi