Patents Examined by Stephen Burgdorf
  • Patent number: 9955903
    Abstract: A monitoring system and method for monitoring and/or predicting drowsiness of a driver of a vehicle or a machinery operator are provided. A set of infrared, IR, or near infrared, NIR, light sources, is arranged such that an amount of the light emitted from the light source incidents on an eye of the driver or operator. The light that impinges on the eye of the driver or operator forms a virtual image of the signal sources on the eye including the sclera and/or cornea. An image sensor obtains consecutive images capturing the reflected light, wherein each image will contain glints from at least a subset or all of the light sources. A drowsiness index can be determined based on the extracted information of the glints of the sequence of images, wherein the drowsiness index indicates a degree of drowsiness of the driver or operator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: Tobii AB
    Inventors: Miroslav Kobetski, Johnny Holmberg, Peter Blixt, John Mikael Elvesjö
  • Patent number: 9947207
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for detecting an obstructed surface are provided. The apparatus includes: at least one memory comprising computer executable instructions; and at least one processor configured to read and execute the computer executable instructions. The computer executable instructions cause the at least one processor to: detect a current draw from a generator; determine that a surface including a conductive coating is obstructed in response to the current draw being greater than a predetermined threshold; and output a signal to perform a function in response to determining that the surface is obstructed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Michael D. Alarcon, Christian Kuss, Tomer Noyhouzer, Janine Mauzeroll
  • Patent number: 9947184
    Abstract: A user device may detect a connect event associated with a sensor device. The user device may be associated with a first sensor, and the sensor device may be associated with a second sensor. The user device may identify the second sensor based on detecting the connect event associated with the sensor device. The user device may replace the first sensor with the second sensor based on identifying the second sensor associated with the sensor device. The user device may provide data associated with the second sensor for use by an application of the user device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing, Inc.
    Inventors: Quentin N. Robinson, Shamik Basu, Layton R. Diament, Desirae Dolphin
  • Patent number: 9934670
    Abstract: An infrastructure monitoring system includes: a first monitoring device configured to detect and monitor a first condition of a first aspect of the infrastructure and transmit a data signal including data relating to the first condition; a second monitoring device configured to detect and monitor a second condition of a second aspect of the infrastructure and transmit a data signal including data relating to the second condition; a third monitoring device configured to detect and monitor a third condition of a third aspect of the infrastructure and transmit a data signal including data relating to the third condition; and an operations center communicatively coupled to each monitoring device, the operations center configured to receive the data signal from each monitoring device and determine whether the data included in the data signal received from any one of the monitoring devices indicates a problem within the infrastructure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: Mueller International, LLC
    Inventors: Gregory E. Hyland, Robert Paul Keefe, Marietta Edmonds Zakas, Clayton Robert Barker, III
  • Patent number: 9931981
    Abstract: A system and method are provided and include a rotatable blind spot sensor that monitors a blind spot detection area of a subject vehicle. The rotatable blind spot sensor generates first object data while positioned at a first angle and second object data while positioned at a second angle. A controller receives the first object data and the second object data and determines whether the object is a secondary vehicle located within a blind spot detection area of the subject vehicle. A driver alert system generates an alert in response to the controller determining that the object is the secondary vehicle located within the blind spot detection area of the subject vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignees: DENSO International America, Inc., DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ting-Yu Lai, Miki Sato, Bo Sun
  • Patent number: 9915145
    Abstract: A downhole system usable with a well string is provided that can include a first resonator positioned on the well string. The system can also include a second resonator positioned to couple with the first resonator by an evanescent field. The second resonator can include a load. Further, the system can include a metamaterial positioned between the first resonator and the second resonator for amplifying or extending a range of the evanescent field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: HALLIBURTON ENERGY SERVICES, INC.
    Inventors: Neal Gregory Skinner, Etienne Samson
  • Patent number: 9892631
    Abstract: An audio and ultrasound signal processing circuit (412), comprising: an audio input terminal (414) for receiving an input signal comprising an audio input signal; an amplitude detector (430), configured to determine an amplitude of the input signal and provide an amplitude level signal (432); a gain calculator (434) configured to determine an ultrasound amplification factor (436) in accordance with the amplitude level signal (432) and a target amplitude signal (418); a variable ultrasound amplifier (438) configured to receive an ultrasound input signal and modulate an amplitude of the ultrasound input signal in accordance with the ultrasound amplification factor (436) in order to provide an amplified ultrasound signal; and an output terminal (416) for providing an enhanced output signal comprising frequency components that correspond to the audio input signal and frequency components that correspond to the amplified ultrasound signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventor: Christophe Marc Macours
  • Patent number: 9875626
    Abstract: Systems and methods of securing chattels are provided. Motion of a first container can be measured by a sensor over an interval of time and compared to motion of a second container. A relative difference between the motion of the first container and the motion of the second container over the interval of time can be calculated by a data processing circuit. A determination can be made by the data processing circuit that the relative difference in motion of the containers exceeds a predetermined threshold. An alert that the threshold has been exceeded can be transmitted by a transmitting circuit to a remote server. A SIM card and a modem can be associated with a container. Information corresponding to the location and identification of the SIM card can be received by the modem. The location and identification information can be transmitted by the modem to a remote server.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: eProvenance, LLC
    Inventor: Eric Vogt
  • Patent number: 9858787
    Abstract: A portable device is equipped with a signaling circuit that responds to a searching signal (e.g., hand clap, light flash, RF signal, infrared light) generated to locate the portable device when it is misplaced or lost. The device generates a location signal to enable the user to find the device. The location signal may be an audible, light, vibration, or other signal that calls attention to the device to enable the user to find it. The device may also sense events which cause it to disable the sensor, render it less sensitive, or suppress the generation of the location signal. The sensed event is any event, e.g., heat, motion, which indicates that the device is not, in fact, lost.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Inventor: Gary Stephen Shuster
  • Patent number: 9824245
    Abstract: Methods, systems and devices for providing an interrogation signal from a handheld deactivation device for identifying a security tag. Identifying the security tag includes initiating an interrogation signal, wherein the interrogation signal includes plurality of transmission bursts and a plurality of random time periods to wait between transmission bursts such that a unique time period elapses between each of the plurality of transmission bursts. The interrogation signal is then transmitted by transmitting each of the plurality of transmission bursts for a portion of a duty cycle and interrupting transmission between each of the plurality of transmission bursts for one of the plurality of random time periods such that a unique and random time period elapses between each of the plurality of transmission bursts. The period transmission of the interrogation signal provides for improved battery life of a handheld scanning and deactivation device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: Tyco Fire & Security GmbH
    Inventor: Ronald B. Easter
  • Patent number: 9819638
    Abstract: Methods and systems for transferring alarm information by sending an alarm message containing information about an alarm. The alarm message includes an alarm counter indicator that indicates whether an alarm status has changed from a previous alarm message. The alarm message also includes one or more indications of alarm conditions indicating an alarm state or an alarm source. Furthermore, the alarm message includes an alarm length that indicates a number of alarm conditions included in the alarm message.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Szewczyk, Jay D. Logue
  • Patent number: 9805226
    Abstract: A method for starting up electric or electronic devices, in particular devices in or for an aircraft or spacecraft, including: supplying at least one location identification which contains at least one piece of information about the location of a respective device; detecting a supplied location identification for one device in each case; transmitting the detected location identification to the respective device; and parameterizing the respective device by means of the transmitted location identification. The present invention also provides a start-up apparatus, a server system and a system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH
    Inventors: Heiko Trusch, Tim Fuss
  • Patent number: 9802447
    Abstract: A tire pressure monitoring system includes a tire valve stem mounted tire pressure gauge and an externally powerable remote display unit. The pressure gauge includes a pressure sensor, a wake circuit, a processor, and a first radio frequency (RF) module. The remote display unit includes a second RF module and a display. The wake circuit is adapted to activate the processor periodically at a predetermined interval of time and causes the processor to receive an output signal from the pressure sensor. The output of the pressure sensor is indicative of a tire pressure detected by the pressure sensor. The remote display unit is adapted to display the measured tire pressure value without any user input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: MEASUREMENT LTD.
    Inventor: Steven Petrucelli
  • Patent number: 9801113
    Abstract: A mobile interrogator can be used in a system for hybrid employment of fixed network and mobile network communications. The system includes communication nodes. At least some of the communication nodes operate in a fixed network mode using one or more fixed wireless network communication protocols. At least some other of the communication nodes operate in a mobile mode in which they transmit meter data to a mobile device using one or more mobile communication protocols. The mobile device is configured to communicate with the mobile mode communication nodes using the one or more mobile communication protocols and to communicate with the fixed network mode communication nodes using the one or more fixed wireless network communication protocols. As a result, the performance of both fixed and mobile networks can be improved. A hybrid system can be realized that provides a utility company with advantages of both fixed and mobile networks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: Elster Solutions, LLC
    Inventors: Marvin C. Baker, Stephen S. Makgill, Jr., D. Mark Holman, Roberta Yee, Peter J. Higgins
  • Patent number: 9799205
    Abstract: A method includes receiving, by a user device, information regarding a sensed condition in a structure. The sensed condition is sensed by a sensory node. The method also includes providing, by the user device, a notification identifying the sensed condition to a user of the user device, and receiving, by the user device, information regarding navigable pathways of the structure. The method further includes determining, by the user device, a location of the user device, and identifying, by the user device, a first evacuation route based at least in part on the information regarding the sensed condition, the information regarding navigable pathways of the structure, and the location of the user device. The method also includes displaying, by the user device, the first evacuation route.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: ONEEVENT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Kurt J. Wedig, Daniel Ralph Parent
  • Patent number: 9799204
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed herein for an infrastructure monitoring system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: Mueller International, LLC
    Inventors: Gregory E. Hyland, Robert Paul Keefe, Marietta Edmunds Zakas, Clayton Robert Barker
  • Patent number: 9792795
    Abstract: Various apparatus and methods for smoke detection are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method of training a classifier for a smoke detector comprises inputting sensor data from a plurality of tests into a processor. The sensor data is processed to generate derived signal data corresponding to the test data for respective tests. The derived signal data is assigned into categories comprising at least one fire group and at least one non-fire group. Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) training is performed by the processor. The derived signal data and the assigned categories for the derived signal data are inputs to the LDA training. The output of the LDA training is stored in a computer readable medium, such as in a smoke detector that uses LDA to determine, based on the training, whether present conditions indicate the existence of a fire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: UT-Battelle, LLC
    Inventors: Robert J. Bruce Warmack, Dennis A. Wolf, Steven Shane Frank
  • Patent number: 9779613
    Abstract: Embodiments are provided for displaying on a network device graphical display, an indication of an alarm, a media playback system playback zone associated with the alarm, and a control element for deactivating the alarm. The indication may be displayed in response to the network device receiving data indicating that the alarm is going off or is about to go off in the playback zone. A selection of the control element for deactivating the alarm may prompt a controller interface of the media playback system to be displayed on the graphical display, and the alarm may be deactivated via the controller interface. Alternatively, the selection of the control element may cause the alarm to be deactivated without displaying the controller interface. To deactivate the alarm, the network device may send to one or more playback devices in the playback zone, a transmission indicating that the alarm is to be deactivated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
    Inventor: Paul Andrew Bates
  • Patent number: 9761128
    Abstract: Remote controls including a first button, a second button, transmission means, associated with the housing, for transmitting a signal to the ambulatory infusion device, and a controller associated with the housing and adapted to prevent signal transmission by the transmission means unless the second button has been actuated, to allow signal transmission by the transmission means in response to actuation of the second button, and to control the transmission means to transmit a signal in response to the first button being pressed concurrently with actuation of the second button or during a predetermined period after actuation of the second button.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: Medallion Therapeutics, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen D. Das, Jose P. Bernardo, Daniel H. Villegas, Scott R. Gibson, Timothy John Payne, Scott LaVoy Conway, Joseph Wayne Vandegriff
  • Patent number: 9751462
    Abstract: A vehicle is provided. The vehicle includes a door and a controller. The door is configured to transition to a partially opened position between a fully opened position and a closed position. The controller is programmed to issue an insufficient door clearance notification in response to an object being detected within a swing radius of the door between the closed position and the partially opened position. The controller may be further programmed to issue the insufficient door clearance notification in response to an object being detected within an egress path from the partially opened position of the door.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Grant A. Compton