Patents by Inventor Bobby Dale Gifford

Bobby Dale Gifford has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Deferred tuple space programming of expansion modules
    Patent number: 7162581
    Abstract: The present invention permits deferring the final provisioning of the Card Information Structure (CIS) in the attribute memory space of expansion cards (or modules) for portable hosts. This enables expansion cards to be distributed, sold, and installed by their end-users prior to the final provisioning, which is performed during their initial use. A temporary default CIS image is provided that permits baseline functionality of the expansion card with a host device. Providing the default CIS data enables provisional installation and operation of the card in the host, including accessing the card by way of default card services and socket software layers, as provided in the standard software environment of the host. The provisional operation enables higher level software to program the final CIS values in the peripheral controller internal CIS data-structure, EEPROM on the card, or any combination of the two.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2007
    Assignee: Socket Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas John Newman, Leonard Ott, Robert John Miller, Bobby Dale Gifford, Larry Lovercheck
  • Deferred tuple space programming of expansion modules
    Patent number: 7003627
    Abstract: The present invention permits deferring the final provisioning of the Card Information Structure (CIS) in the attribute memory space of expansion cards (or modules) for portable hosts. This enables expansion cards to be distributed, sold, and installed by their end-users prior to the final provisioning, which is performed during their initial use. A temporary default CIS image is provided that permits baseline functionality of the expansion card with a host device. Providing the default CIS data enables provisional installation and operation of the card in the host, including accessing the card by way of default card services and socket software layers, as provided in the standard software environment of the host. The provisional operation enables higher level software to program the final CIS values in the peripheral controller internal CIS data-structure, EEPROM on the card, or any combination of the two.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2006
    Assignee: Socket Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas Newman, Leonard Ott, Robert John Miller, Bobby Dale Gifford, Larry Lovercheck
  • Event sensing circuit and alert generator
    Patent number: 5767778
    Abstract: An event sensor circuit monitors power consumption patterns of a device to determine occurrence of particular operations by the device. In response to detection of one or more particular operations the event sensor signals an alert generator to generate an alert. The system may be implemented within a replaceable battery pack or in an add-on package to monitor power consumption of the device and generate an alert. The event sensor circuit and alert generator utilizes a microprocessor which can be programmed to accommodate pattern detection in a variety of devices. The event sensor circuit and alert generator can be used as an alternative or supplemental alert signal source for a device and can be user selectively enabled or disabled and user selectively set to provide a variety of alert signals. The alert generator can be user programmable to provide a fully customized alert.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 16, 1998
    Assignee: Aspire Corporation
    Inventors: Garrett B. Stone, Bobby Dale Gifford