Patents by Inventor Charles J. Thomas

Charles J. Thomas 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).

  • Patent number: 7664946
    Abstract: A system and method for permitting viewership behavior on a cable television system, or satellite system, to be analyzed while guaranteeing the anonymity of the individual viewers. Using this system and method, the content of the message initiated by a consumer device, that is configured to receive television programming content, cannot be known by the cable operator even though the cable operator can identify the source of the message; alternatively, the entity that analyzes viewership behavior cannot know the source of the message but can know the content of the message.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2010
    Assignee: QCOM TV Partners
    Inventors: Charles J. Thomas, Thomas A. Brown
  • Patent number: 4759301
    Abstract: A seed drill which will allow seed to be planted at a substantially constant depth regardless of contours and irregularities in the ground surface. The said drill has a tyne pivotally mounted on a frame for angular movement about a substantially horizontal axis transverse to the direction of travel. The lower end of the tyne being adapted to support a ground engaging tool with a seeding boot located rearwardly of the tool whereby the tool is arranged to form a furrow in the ground for seed discharging from the seeding boot. A spring biassing means acts between the tyne and frame for urging the tool into engagement with the ground. The spring biassing means is arranged to exert a biassing force on the tyne for counteracting the resistive force exerted on the tool as the tool traverses the soil whereby to maintain the tool at a substantially constant working depth in the soil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 1985
    Date of Patent: July 26, 1988
    Assignee: John David Thomas
    Inventor: Charles J. Thomas