Patents by Inventor David A. Spear
David A. Spear 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: 11914774Abstract: Techniques are described for dynamically determining the flow of screens to be presented in a user interface (UI) of an application executing on a computing device, based at least partly on a detected presence of a user device (e.g., a portable computing device) in a particular geographic area. Area designation data is transmitted to, and stored on, a user device. The area designation data can describe a geofenced area and/or beacon signals. In response to determining that the user device is in the geographic area indicated by the area designation data, the user device may transmit an alert signal that causes an interface flow to be dynamically determined and executed for an application executing on the computing device that is separate from the user device.Type: GrantFiled: February 22, 2022Date of Patent: February 27, 2024Assignee: United Services Automobile Association (USAA)Inventors: James Malcolm Spears, John David Clark, Lisa Horgan, John David Windham
-
Patent number: 8309771Abstract: A two-stage, gas phase process for manufacturing alkylene glycol (e.g., ethylene glycol) from an alkene (e.g., ethylene), oxygen and water, the process comprising the steps of: (A) Contacting under gas phase, oxidation conditions gaseous alkene and oxygen over a heterogeneous oxidation catalyst to produce a gaseous oxidation product comprising alkylene oxide, water and unreacted alkene; (B) Contacting under gas phase, hydrolysis conditions the gaseous oxidation product of (A) with added water over a heterogeneous hydrolysis catalyst to produce a gaseous alkylene glycol and unreacted alkene; and (C) Recycling the unreacted alkene of (B) to (A). The hydrolysis catalyst is selected from the group consisting of hydrotalcites, metal-loaded zeolites, phosphates, and metal-loaded ion-exchanged molecular sieves.Type: GrantFiled: July 31, 2009Date of Patent: November 13, 2012Assignee: Dow Technology Investments LLCInventors: Joseph C. Noronha, Elbert J. Campbell, Brian T. Keen, Dick A. Nagaki, Hwaili Soo, David A. Spears, John F. Szul
-
Publication number: 20100036176Abstract: A two-stage, gas phase process for manufacturing alkylene glycol (e.g., ethylene glycol) from an alkene (e.g., ethylene), oxygen and water, the process comprising the steps of: (A) Contacting under gas phase, oxidation conditions gaseous alkene and oxygen over a heterogeneous oxidation catalyst to produce a gaseous oxidation product comprising alkylene oxide, water and unreacted alkene; (B) Contacting under gas phase, hydrolysis conditions the gaseous oxidation product of (A) with added water over a heterogeneous hydrolysis catalyst to produce a gaseous alkylene glycol and unreacted alkene; and (C) Recycling the unreacted alkene of (B) to (A). The hydrolysis catalyst is selected from the group consisting of hydrotalcites, metal-loaded zeolites, phosphates, and metal-loaded ion-exchanged molecular sieves.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 31, 2009Publication date: February 11, 2010Inventors: Joseph C. Noronha, Elbert J. Campbell, Brian T. Keen, Dick A. Nagaki, Hwaili Soo, David A. Spears, John F. Szul
-
Publication number: 20060124664Abstract: An apparatus for distributing a beverage includes a dispenser configured to be mounted to a shaft. The shaft is surrounded on a lower portion by a base. The dispenser is arranged having a number of discharge ports mounted in a 360-degree orientation. The discharge port arrangement allows a number of operators to distribute beverage without interfering with each other.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 12, 2005Publication date: June 15, 2006Inventor: David Spears
-
Publication number: 20050160008Abstract: A system and method are described for increasing advance orders for goods or services. In one embodiment, the method comprises receiving advance orders for a product with a specified release date from a plurality of buyers and moving up the release date if a goal is met, wherein the goal is based at least in part on the number of advance orders received.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 15, 2004Publication date: July 21, 2005Inventors: David Spears, Jitahadi Smith
-
Patent number: 6139744Abstract: A waste treatment device for treating waste having both liquids and solids therein includes a primary waste reservoir which receives influent waste and includes biological decomposing enhancing media for enhancingly biodegrading the waste rendering a first phase separation of solids and liquids and a secondary waste reservoir operably connected to the primary waste reservoir to receive substantially liquid waste having suspended solids therein and includes biological decomposing enhancing media for biodegrading the received waste rendering a second phase separation of solids and liquids.Type: GrantFiled: August 6, 1999Date of Patent: October 31, 2000Assignee: Microseptec, Inc.Inventors: David Spears, R. C. Shades, Christina Edvardsson, D. Glen Raiger
-
Patent number: 6048452Abstract: A waste treatment device for treating waste having both liquids and solids therein includes a primary waste reservoir, a solids processor operably connected to the primary waste reservoir to receive waste therefrom in a manner to permit combustion of a substantial part the solids and generate a resultant waste, ash and gas, a secondary waste reservoir operably connected to the solids processor to receive the resultant waste, and a liquid processor operably connected to the secondary waste reservoir to receive the resultant waste in a manner to separate at least a part of the resultant waste into an environmentally safe water and resultant waste concentrate.Type: GrantFiled: January 15, 1998Date of Patent: April 11, 2000Inventors: R. C. Shades, Judie Forbes, Jack Slovak, Robert Slovak, David Spears, Christina Edvardsson, Sung Chiu
-
Patent number: 5880461Abstract: A novel optical position sensor is described that uses two component photodiodes electrically connected in parallel, with opposing polarities. A lens provides optical gain and restricts the acceptance angle of the detector. The response of the device to displacements of an optical spot is similar to that of a conventional bi-cell type position sensitive detector. However, the component photodiode design enables simpler electronic amplification with inherently less electrical noise than the bi-cell. Measurements by the sensor of the pointing noise of a focused helium-neon laser as a function of frequency demonstrate high sensitivity and suitability for optical probe beam deflection experiments.Type: GrantFiled: November 22, 1996Date of Patent: March 9, 1999Assignee: The Regents of The University of CaliforniaInventor: Jonathan David Spear
-
Patent number: 5642985Abstract: A swept turbomachinery blade for use in a cascade of such blades is disclosed. The blade (12) has an airfoil (22) uniquely swept so that an endwall shock (64) of limited radial extent and a passage shock (66) are coincident and a working medium (48) flowing through interblade passages (50) is subjected to a single coincident shock rather than the individual shocks. In one embodiment of the invention the forwardmost extremity of the airfoil defines an inner transition point (40) located at an inner transition radius r.sub.t -inner. The sweep angle of the airfoil is nondecreasing with increasing radius from the inner transition radius to an outer transition radius r.sub.t-outer, radially inward of the airfoil tip (26), and is nonincreasing with increasing radius between the outer transition radius and the airfoil tip.Type: GrantFiled: November 17, 1995Date of Patent: July 1, 1997Assignee: United Technologies CorporationInventors: David A. Spear, Bruce P. Biederman, John A. Orosa
-
Patent number: 5460488Abstract: A compressor or fan blade (112) for a gas turbine engine includes a suction surface midspan shroud (122) which is cambered so that the shroud trailing edge (132) is substantially aligned with the direction of the air flow in the vicinity of the shroud trailing edge (132). The cambered portion originates at the chordwise location where a shock wave (60) attached to the leading edge of the neighboring blade crosses the shroud (136). The cambered portion gradually transitions to an uncambered profile at a circumferential location intermediate the suction surface (110) of the blade (112) and the pressure surface shroud of the neighboring blade.Type: GrantFiled: June 14, 1994Date of Patent: October 24, 1995Assignee: United Technologies CorporationInventors: David A. Spear, Bruce P. Biederman
-
Patent number: 5397215Abstract: A flow directing assembly 24, 24a for a rotary machine 10 is disclosed. Various construction details are developed to decrease aerodynamic losses and promote the ease of design. In one particular embodiment, a concave region 58 of an end wall is employed to create convex wall regions 54, 56 upstream and downstream of the concave region.Type: GrantFiled: June 14, 1993Date of Patent: March 14, 1995Assignee: United Technologies CorporationInventors: David A. Spear, Bruce P. Biederman
-
Patent number: RE38040Abstract: A swept turbomachinery blade for use in a cascade of such blades is disclosed. The blade (12) has an airfoil (22) uniquely swept so that an endwall shock (64) of limited radial extent and a passage shock (66) are coincident and a working medium (48) flowing through interblade passages (50) is subjected to a single coincident shock rather than the individual shocks. In one embodiment of the invention the forwardmost extremity of the airfoil defines an inner transition point (40) located at an inner transition radius rt-inner. The sweep angle of the airfoil is nondecreasing with increasing radius from the inner transition radius to an outer transition radius rt-outer, radially inward of the airfoil tip (26), and is nonincreasing with increasing radius between the outer transition radius and the airfoil tip.Type: GrantFiled: June 30, 1999Date of Patent: March 18, 2003Assignee: United Technologies CorporationInventors: David A. Spear, Bruce P. Biederman, John A. Orosa
-
Patent number: RE43710Abstract: A swept turbomachinery blade for use in a cascade of such blades is disclosed. The blade (12) has an airfoil (22) uniquely swept so that an endwall shock (64) of limited radial extent and a passage shock (66) are coincident and a working medium (48) flowing through interblade passages (50) is subjected to a single coincident shock rather than the individual shocks. In one embodiment of the invention the forwardmost extremity of the airfoil defines an inner transition point (40) located at an inner transition radius rt-inner. The sweep angle of the airfoil is nondecreasing with increasing radius from the inner transition radius to an outer transition radius rt-outer, radially inward of the airfoil tip (26), and is nonincreasing with increasing radius between the outer transition radius and the airfoil tip.Type: GrantFiled: June 5, 2001Date of Patent: October 2, 2012Assignee: United Technologies Corp.Inventors: David A. Spear, Dennis N. Kantor, legal representative, Bruce P. Biederman, John A. Orosa
-
Patent number: RE45689Abstract: A swept turbomachinery blade for use in a cascade of such blades is disclosed. The blade (12) has an airfoil (22) uniquely swept so that an endwall shock (64) of limited radial extent and a passage shock (66) are coincident and a working medium (48) flowing through interblade passages (50) is subjected to a single coincident shock rather than the individual shocks. In one embodiment of the invention the forwardmost extremity of the airfoil defines an inner transition point (40) located at an inner transition radius rt-inner. The sweep angle of the airfoil is nondecreasing with increasing radius from the inner transition radius to an outer transition radius rt-outer, radially inward of the airfoil tip (26), and is nonincreasing with increasing radius between the outer transition radius and the airfoil tip.Type: GrantFiled: May 21, 2010Date of Patent: September 29, 2015Assignee: United Technologies CorporationInventors: David A. Spear, Dennis N. Kantor, Bruce P. Biederman, John A. Orosa