Patents by Inventor Chris Wheaton

Chris Wheaton 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: 7190802
    Abstract: A microphone enclosure for reducing the intensity of sound waves that reach a microphone is presented. The enclosure may be a solid mass with a cavity, designed so that most of the microphone is surrounded by the solid mass when the microphone is inserted into the cavity. The solid mass is dense enough to reduce much of the sound waves that are first mechanically and then acoustically coupled with the microphone. The microphone may be inserted into the cavity so that a sound receiving section is exposed at the entrance of the cavity. Also, the microphone may not be inserted to the end of the cavity so that there is a space between the end of the cavity and the microphone. A hole may be located on the cavity sidewall so that sound can reach the microphone through this space. The sound receiving sections of the microphone are aligned with openings in the communications device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2007
    Assignee: Vocera Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: William A. Rains, Arun Mirchandani, Robert E. Shostak, Chris Wheaton
  • Patent number: 6169659
    Abstract: The present invention is drawn to a system and a method for attaching and tightening a mechanism onto an IC package such that a load-balanced thermal contact is formed securely between the mechanism and the IC package without risking damages to the IC package. The mechanism is then used to support a heat sink that utilizes the thermal contact formed for dissipating heat away from the IC package. Specifically, the mechanism is modified in stages. During the tightening stage, the mechanism is modified from a first configuration into a second configuration in order to trigger the process of tightening the mechanism securely onto the IC package. More specifically, in its first configuration during the attaching stage, the mechanism includes a spring compressed within a first spacing formed by a bearing plate and a compression screw.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2001
    Assignee: Silicon Graphics, Inc.
    Inventor: Chris Wheaton
  • Patent number: 5880930
    Abstract: A EMI shield which includes a heat sink and a compression coupling. A top housing formed of electrically conductive material is placed over a circuit board containing electronic devices and is electrically coupled to an electrical ground through contact along the length of a conductive strip which is connected to an electrical ground. A bottom housing formed of electrically conductive material is connected to an electrical ground through electrical contact along the length of a conductive strip located on the bottom of the circuit board so as to form a EMI shielding enclosure. The top housing is formed of thermally conductive material and includes extended surfaces for conducting heat away from the electronic devices contained below the top housing. In addition, the bottom housing is formed of thermally conductive material so as to form a thermally conductive enclosure which acts as a heat sink, effectively cooling the electronic devices contained therewithin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 9, 1999
    Assignee: Silicon Graphics, Inc.
    Inventor: Chris Wheaton
  • Patent number: D679673
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: Vocera Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Chris Wheaton, Debashis Pramanik, Ben Chia