Patents by Inventor Christopher James Kirk
Christopher James Kirk 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).
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Publication number: 20240089523Abstract: The disclosed computer-implemented methods and systems provide solutions for mitigating misdetection of display devices in connection with a subscription service. In some examples, the described methods and systems receive a content request from a display device, where the content request is correlated with a particular subscription service account. In some examples, the systems and methods further determine that the display device is not associated with the particular subscription service account. To verify the display device, the systems and methods utilize display timings and scan timings associated with a verification token to prove that the display device is validly located and can therefore be trusted in connection with the subscription service account. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 12, 2023Publication date: March 14, 2024Inventors: Ethan Venitz, Eric James Crabb, Geoffrey Mason House, AJ Venturella, Anthony DeVere Edwards, Christopher Bradley Kirk, Praveen Ramachandra
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Patent number: 10374436Abstract: A charging device is configured to deliver power to a portable, power-consuming device, having a profile sensor which can detect information relating to the identity of power-consuming device to which the charging device is connected and may also have a communication channel configured to transmit said information to a remote server. In use, data can be collected or aggregated relating to power-consuming devices by connecting the charging device to the portable power-consuming device; sensing, by a profile sensor in the charging device, information relating to the identity of the power-consuming device; and transmitting the information to a remote server over a communication channel. Collected data may, for example, be used to identify when fuel for a charging device may need replenishment.Type: GrantFiled: May 6, 2016Date of Patent: August 6, 2019Assignee: Intelligent Energy LimitedInventors: Henri Winand, John Joseph Murray, III, Christopher William Bishop, Graham Kirsopp, Marco Mathar, Andrew Kelly, Zachary Elliot, Christopher James Kirk
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Patent number: 10290879Abstract: A microvalve assembly (30) is integrated into a printed circuit board (PCB) substrate (31). An aperture (32) in the PCB substrate includes a closure member (33) extending into the aperture. A flexible fluid pipe (38) is disposed between the closure member and a closure edge (37) of the aperture. A displacement member (34) is coupled to the PCB and is configured for thermal actuation to displace the closure member so as to vary the cross-sectional profile of the flexible fluid pipe. The closure member may be a cantilever section of the PCB substrate. Displacement of the closure member to vary the cross-sectional profile of the flexible fluid pipe can occur entirely within the plane of the PCB substrate and movement of the displacement member to displace the closure member can also occur entirely within the plane of the PCB substrate, providing a very low profile of microvalve particularly suited for integration into a fuel cell stack (1).Type: GrantFiled: December 4, 2013Date of Patent: May 14, 2019Assignee: Intelligent Energy LimitedInventors: Hossein Ostadi, Paul Leonard Adcock, Christopher James Kirk, Zachary Elliott
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Patent number: 9985301Abstract: The invention relates to fuel cell assemblies, and in particular to improvements relating to sealing of such assemblies, embodiments of which include a fuel cell assembly (200) comprising a membrane electrode assembly (104), a cathode separator plate (208) having a series of corrugations extending, and providing air flow paths, between first and second opposing edges of the plate, a gasket (105) providing a fluid seal around a peripheral edge of the membrane electrode assembly (104) between the separator plate (208) and the membrane electrode assembly (104) and a metal shim (107) disposed between the gasket (105) and the separator plate (208) over the peripheral edge of the membrane electrode assembly (104).Type: GrantFiled: September 20, 2012Date of Patent: May 29, 2018Assignee: Intelligent Energy LimitedInventors: Jonathan Cole, Christopher James Kirk, Christopher Conlon, Peter David Hood
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Patent number: 9726635Abstract: A pair of fuel cells are configured as a hydrogen purity monitor. A first cell, acting as a reference cell, is configured to generate electrical current from the electrochemical reaction of hydrogen and oxidant and has a first fuel inlet configured to receive hydrogen from a first hydrogen source. A second fuel cell, acting as a test cell, is configured to generate electrical current from the electrochemical reaction of hydrogen and oxidant and has a second fuel inlet configured to receive hydrogen from a second hydrogen source. A control system is configured to apply an electrical load to each fuel cell and determine an electrical output of each fuel cell. The control system has a comparator for comparing the electrical outputs of the first and second fuel cells and a purity monitor output configured to give an indication of hydrogen purity based on an output of the comparator.Type: GrantFiled: December 19, 2012Date of Patent: August 8, 2017Assignee: Intelligent Energy LimitedInventors: Christopher James Kirk, Simon Edward Foster
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Patent number: 9496571Abstract: A fuel cell (FC) system operating as its own hydrogen leak detector. The system including at least one cathode and cathode conduit for passage of oxidant to the cathode and a housing containing one or more FCs and defining a plenum around the FC. A ventilation system forces air from the plenum into the cathode conduit and a control system monitors the FC voltage and detects a drop in voltage attributable to hydrogen in the cathode conduit. A control system may include actual cell voltage monitoring of the FC or of one or more cells in the FC stack and a processor for receiving inputs indicative of the operation of the FC or FC stack and/or to determine an expected voltage of FC(s) being monitored and whether the difference between the actual and expected voltage(s) exceeds a predetermined threshold indicative of a predetermined level of hydrogen in the cathode conduit.Type: GrantFiled: September 21, 2012Date of Patent: November 15, 2016Assignee: Intelligent Energy LimitedInventors: Simon Edward Foster, Peter David Hood, Christopher James Kirk
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Publication number: 20160322832Abstract: A charging device is configured to deliver power to a portable, power-consuming device, having a profile sensor which can detect information relating to the identity of power-consuming device to which the charging device is connected and may also have a communication channel configured to transmit said information to a remote server. In use, data can be collected or aggregated relating to power-consuming devices by connecting the charging device to the portable power-consuming device; sensing, by a profile sensor in the charging device, information relating to the identity of the power-consuming device; and transmitting the information to a remote server over a communication channel. Collected data may, for example, be used to identify when fuel for a charging device may need replenishment.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 6, 2016Publication date: November 3, 2016Applicant: Intelligent Energy LimitedInventors: Henri Winand, John Joseph Murray, III, Christopher William Bishop, Graham Kirsopp, Marco Mathar, Andrew Kelly, Zachary Elliot, Christopher James Kirk
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Publication number: 20160064750Abstract: A microvalve assembly (30) is integrated into a printed circuit board (PCB) substrate (31). An aperture (32) in the PCB substrate includes a closure member (33) extending into the aperture. A flexible fluid pipe (38) is disposed between the closure member and a closure edge (37) of the aperture. A displacement member (34) is coupled to the PCB and is configured for thermal actuation to displace the closure member so as to vary the cross-sectional profile of the flexible fluid pipe. The closure member may be a cantilever section of the PCB substrate. Displacement of the closure member to vary the cross-sectional profile of the flexible fluid pipe can occur entirely within the plane of the PCB substrate and movement of the displacement member to displace the closure member can also occur entirely within the plane of the PCB substrate, providing a very low profile of microvalve particularly suited for integration into a fuel cell stack (1).Type: ApplicationFiled: December 4, 2013Publication date: March 3, 2016Inventors: Hossein OSTADI, Paul Leonard ADCOCK, Christopher James KIRK, Zachary ELLIOTT
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Publication number: 20150346140Abstract: A pair of fuel cells are configured as a hydrogen purity monitor. A first cell, acting as a reference cell, is configured to generate electrical current from the electrochemical reaction of hydrogen and oxidant and has a first fuel inlet configured to receive hydrogen from a first hydrogen source. A second fuel cell, acting as a test cell, is configured to generate electrical current from the electrochemical reaction of hydrogen and oxidant and has a second fuel inlet configured to receive hydrogen from a second hydrogen source. A control system is configured to apply an electrical load to each fuel cell and determine an electrical output of each fuel cell. The control system has a comparator for comparing the electrical outputs of the first and second fuel cells and a purity monitor output configured to give an indication of hydrogen purity based on an output of the comparator.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 19, 2012Publication date: December 3, 2015Applicant: Intelligent Energy LimitedInventors: Christopher James KIRK, Simon Edward FOSTER
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Publication number: 20140220466Abstract: A fuel cell (FC) system operating as its own hydrogen leak detector. The system including at least one cathode and cathode conduit for passage of oxidant to to the cathode and a housing containing one or more FCs and defining a plenum around the FC. A ventilation system forces air from the plenum into the cathode conduit and a control system monitors the FC voltage and detects a drop in voltage attributable to hydrogen in the cathode conduit. A control system may include actual cell voltage monitoring of the FC or of one or more cells in the FC stack and a processor for receiving inputs indicative of the operation of the FC or FC stack and/or to determine an expected voltage of FC(s) being monitored and whether the difference between the actual and expected voltage(s) exceeds a predetermined threshold indicative of a predetermined level of hydrogen in the cathode conduit.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 21, 2012Publication date: August 7, 2014Applicant: INTELLIGENT ENERGY LIMITEDInventors: Simon Edward Foster, Peter David Hood, Christopher James Kirk
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Publication number: 20140220473Abstract: The invention relates to fuel cell assemblies, and in particular to improvements relating to sealing of such assemblies, embodiments of which include a fuel cell assembly (200) comprising a membrane electrode assembly (104), a cathode separator plate (208) having a series of corrugations extending, and providing air flow paths, between first and second opposing edges of the plate, a gasket (105) providing a fluid seal around a peripheral edge of the membrane electrode assembly (104) between the separator plate (208) and the membrane electrode assembly (104) and a metal shim (107) disposed between the gasket (105) and the separator plate (208) over the peripheral edge of the membrane electrode assembly (104).Type: ApplicationFiled: September 20, 2012Publication date: August 7, 2014Applicant: Intelligent Energy LimitedInventors: Jonathan Cole, Christopher James Kirk, Christopher Conlon, Peter David Hood