Patents by Inventor Geoffrey Paul Underwood

Geoffrey Paul Underwood 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).

  • Publication number: 20220171444
    Abstract: A connector outlet (1) for permitting control of a power supply for charging a user's portable electronic device, PED, such as a mobile telephone, portable computer or table, and providing passengers with the facility of a device charging service, and/or access to a data network through use of a credential provided from the PED to the outlet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2020
    Publication date: June 2, 2022
    Inventor: Geoffrey Paul UNDERWOOD
  • Patent number: 11223151
    Abstract: An electrical plug and socket having electrical contacts that are magnetically retained to the counterpart electrical contacts, where the electrical contacts may be optionally be mounted for translational movement, optionally including a sprung carrier arranged to provide a counter-force to at least one direction of translational movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2022
    Assignee: IFPL GROUP LIMITED
    Inventors: Geoffrey Paul Underwood, John Michael Wright, Mark Tyler Reed
  • Patent number: 10816943
    Abstract: A user control interface (1), the interface comprising a host module (2) and a first user module (3), the first user module arranged to provide to the user at least one input and/or output functionality in relation to equipment external to the interface, the host module and the first user module are operatively detachably connectable, and the first user module arranged to allow a second user module (4) to be operatively connected thereto, the first module arranged to provide signal communication between the host module and the second user module, and the host module arranged to provide a connection for enabling communication externally of the interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: IFPL Group Limited
    Inventor: Geoffrey Paul Underwood
  • Patent number: 10734771
    Abstract: A socket (2) for a headphone set, comprising: four terminals (5, 6, 7, 8), arranged to contact with terminal contacts (11a, 12a, 13, 14a) of a plug of a headphone set, the terminals longitudinally spaced within a plug-receiving space of the socket, wherein two of the adjacent terminals are electrically connected together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: IFPL Group Limited
    Inventor: Geoffrey Paul Underwood
  • Patent number: 10651610
    Abstract: An electrical connector assembly (1), comprising a housing (2) and an electrical connector receptacle (3) arranged to receive a complementary electrical connector, the housing arranged to be mounted to a support structure, the electrical connector receptacle arranged to be removably received within the housing, the electrical connector receptacle comprises a tongue (30) with a plurality of electrical contacts (31) arranged to connect with electrical contacts of the complementary electrical connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: IFPL GROUP LIMITED
    Inventors: John Michael Wright, Geoffrey Paul Underwood
  • Publication number: 20180115123
    Abstract: An electrical connector assembly (1), comprising a housing (2) and an electrical connector receptacle (3) arranged to receive a complementary electrical connector, the housing arranged to be mounted to a support structure, the electrical connector receptacle arranged to be removably received within the housing, the electrical connector receptacle comprises a tongue (30) with a plurality of electrical contacts (31) arranged to connect with electrical contacts of the complementary electrical connector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2017
    Publication date: April 26, 2018
    Inventors: John Michael WRIGHT, Geoffrey Paul UNDERWOOD
  • Publication number: 20170256886
    Abstract: A plug (1) for electrical equipment comprising a housing (9) and two electrical pins (4, 5) extending from the housing for receipt by a socket and for electrical connection therewith, and the plug further comprising an electrical contact (3) also arranged for electrical contact with the socket, wherein the pins are longer than the electrical contact, wherein the projections arranged to facilitate disengagement of the plug from a socket, and further wherein the electrical contact arranged to magnetically attract to the socket and thereby provide a magnetic retaining force between the plug and the socket.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2015
    Publication date: September 7, 2017
    Inventors: Geoffrey Paul UNDERWOOD, Mark Tyler REED
  • Publication number: 20170229801
    Abstract: An electrical plug and socket having electrical contacts that are magnetically retained to the counterpart electrical contacts, where the electrical contacts may be optionally be mounted for translational movement, optionally including a sprung carrier arranged to provide a counter-force to at least one direction of translational movement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2016
    Publication date: August 10, 2017
    Inventors: Geoffrey Paul UNDERWOOD, John Michael WRIGHT, Mark Tyler REED
  • Patent number: 9680258
    Abstract: A plug (1) for electrical equipment, the plug comprising a pin (2) and the pin comprising an electrical terminal contact, the plug further comprising a housing (3), the plug arranged to be received in a socket (10), wherein the pin and the housing configured to enable the pin to be pivoted out of the socket by way of a force applied to a cable entry region of the plug by a cable attached to the plug.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: IFPL GROUP LIMITED
    Inventor: Geoffrey Paul Underwood
  • Publication number: 20170063004
    Abstract: A socket (2) for a headphone set, comprising: four terminals (5, 6, 7, 8), arranged to contact with terminal contacts (11a, 12a, 13, 14a) of a plug of a headphone set, the terminals longitudinally spaced within a plug-receiving space of the socket, wherein two of the adjacent terminals are electrically connected together.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2015
    Publication date: March 2, 2017
    Inventor: Geoffrey Paul UNDERWOOD
  • Publication number: 20170062995
    Abstract: An electrical socket (1) comprising a carriage (4), the carriage comprising shutter portions, each shutter portion associated with a respective pin receiving opening (5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, 5e), and the socket comprising a retainer arrangement, and the shutter portions (4a, 4b), when in a closed condition are inhibited from moving to an open condition by the retainer arrangement, and wherein all the shutter portions are required to be in a released condition from the retainer arrangement in order to allow the shutter portions to be moved to an open condition to allow the plug pins to be inserted therein, and also wherein, if not all of the shutter portions are moved to a released condition, the shutter portions are inhibited from movement to the open condition by way of engagement with the retainer arrangement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2016
    Publication date: March 2, 2017
    Inventors: Geoffrey Paul Underwood, Mark Thompson
  • Patent number: 9570834
    Abstract: An electrical socket (1) comprising a carriage (4), the carriage comprising shutter portions, each shutter portion associated with a respective pin receiving opening (5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, 5e), and the socket comprising a retainer arrangement, and the shutter portions (4a, 4b), when in a closed condition are inhibited from moving to an open condition by the retainer arrangement, and wherein all the shutter portions are required to be in a released condition from the retainer arrangement in order to allow the shutter portions to be moved to an open condition to allow the plug pins to be inserted therein, and also wherein, if not all of the shutter portions are moved to a released condition, the shutter portions are inhibited from movement to the open condition by way of engagement with the retainer arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: WUNELLI LIMITED
    Inventors: Geoffrey Paul Underwood, Mark Thompson
  • Patent number: 9515425
    Abstract: An audio interface (1) comprising a socket (3) arranged to receive a plug (30), the socket arranged to transfer an audio signal to the plug when connected to the socket, the interface comprising a detector (10) to determine whether an audio signal is received at the socket, the detector arranged to cause generation of a test signal to indicate that an audio signal is received at the socket, at least when the plug is not connected to the socket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: IFPL GROUP LIMITED
    Inventor: Geoffrey Paul Underwood
  • Publication number: 20160224960
    Abstract: A payment and ordering device (10) for products and/or services for use by a customer, the device comprising a reader to contactlessly read a payment credential, a customer input arrangement (12) for receiving a customer's input as to a desired product or service, the device comprising a transmitter to transit the customer's product/service selection and payment credential data to a server.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2014
    Publication date: August 4, 2016
    Inventors: Geoffrey Paul UNDERWOOD, Mark Tyler REED, Neil Jonathon THOMAS
  • Patent number: 9300082
    Abstract: A plug (1) for electrical equipment comprising a housing and a plurality of projections (2, 4, 5) extending from the housing, wherein first and second projections are larger than a third projection, and the projections are arranged so as to facilitate disengagement of the plug from the socket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: IFPL GROUP LIMITED
    Inventor: Geoffrey Paul Underwood
  • Publication number: 20150288089
    Abstract: An electrical socket (1) comprising a carriage (4), the carriage comprising shutter portions, each shutter portion associated with a respective pin receiving opening (5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, 5e), and the socket comprising a retainer arrangement, and the shutter portions (4a, 4b), when in a closed condition are inhibited from moving to an open condition by the retainer arrangement, and wherein all the shutter portions are required to be in a released condition from the retainer arrangement in order to allow the shutter portions to be moved to an open condition to allow the plug pins to be inserted therein, and also wherein, if not all of the shutter portions are moved to a released condition, the shutter portions are inhibited from movement to the open condition by way of engagement with the retainer arrangement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2012
    Publication date: October 8, 2015
    Inventors: Geoffrey Paul Underwood, Mark Thompson
  • Publication number: 20150200498
    Abstract: An audio interface (1) comprising a socket (3) arranged to receive a plug (30), the socket arranged to transfer an audio signal to the plug when connected to the socket, the interface comprising a detector (10) to determine whether an audio signal is received at the socket, the detector arranged to cause generation of a test signal to indicate that an audio signal is received at the socket, at least when the plug is not connected to the socket.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2012
    Publication date: July 16, 2015
    Inventor: Geoffrey Paul Underwood
  • Publication number: 20150099401
    Abstract: A plug (1) for electrical equipment, the plug comprising a pin (2) and the pin comprising an electrical terminal contact, the plug further comprising a housing (3), the plug arranged to be received in a socket (10), wherein the pin and the housing configured to enable the pin to be pivoted out of the socket by way of a force applied to a cable entry region of the plug by a cable attached to the plug.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2012
    Publication date: April 9, 2015
    Inventor: Geoffrey Paul Underwood
  • Publication number: 20150093918
    Abstract: A plug (1) for electrical equipment comprising a housing and a plurality of projections (2, 4, 5) extending from the housing, wherein first and second projections are larger than a third projection, and the projections are arranged so as to facilitate disengagement of the plug from the socket.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2013
    Publication date: April 2, 2015
    Inventor: Geoffrey Paul UNDERWOOD
  • Publication number: 20140350701
    Abstract: A user control interface (1), the interface comprising a host module (2) and a first user module (3), the first user module arranged to provide to the user at least one input and/or output functionality in relation to equipment external to the interface, the host module and the first user module are operatively detachably connectable, and the first user module arranged to allow a second user module (4) to be operatively connected thereto, the first module arranged to provide signal communication between the host module and the second user module, and the host module arranged to provide a connection for enabling communication externally of the interface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2012
    Publication date: November 27, 2014
    Inventor: Geoffrey Paul Underwood