Patents by Inventor J. Larrick
J. Larrick 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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Patent number: 9064268Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to gift card exchange kiosks and associated methods of use. In one embodiment, for example, a consumer operated kiosk can receive a gift card identifier associated with a gift card via a user interface and/or a card reader, verify the gift card's activation status and/or face value, and display exchange options for a consumer. The exchange options can include exchanging the gift card for cash or a redeemable cash voucher. The kiosk can also store exchanged gift cards for later sale at the kiosk or at a remote location.Type: GrantFiled: November 1, 2011Date of Patent: June 23, 2015Assignee: Outerwall Inc.Inventors: Elizabeth J. Larrick, Sarah C. Heffernan, Walter Paulsen
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Publication number: 20120109787Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to gift card exchange kiosks and associated methods of use. In one embodiment, for example, a consumer operated kiosk can receive a gift card identifier associated with a gift card via a user interface and/or a card reader, verify the gift card's activation status and/or face value, and display exchange options for a consumer. The exchange options can include exchanging the gift card for cash or a redeemable cash voucher. The kiosk can also store exchanged gift cards for later sale at the kiosk or at a remote location.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 1, 2011Publication date: May 3, 2012Inventors: Elizabeth J. Larrick, Sarah C. Heffernan, Walter Paulsen
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Patent number: 7920990Abstract: Apparatus and methods are provided to allow multiple, possibly overlapping, regions of interest within a frequency spectrum to be defined, and managed. Each of these regions of interest may be selected for further testing or identification. Unselected regions are allowed to collapse into narrow bars so as not to interfere with the selected region. Multiple rows are provided to allow for the definition and selection of overlapping regions of interest. Furthermore, in some embodiments aid is provided for identifying the signal type by providing a list of signal type candidates based upon such parameters as region of interest bandwidth, region of interest center frequency and geographic location.Type: GrantFiled: July 16, 2008Date of Patent: April 5, 2011Assignee: Tektronix, Inc.Inventors: Richard B. Nicholls, John F. Short, III, Walter R. Strand, Lynne A. Fitzsimmons, David W. Schmidt, Ronald J. Larrick
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Publication number: 20090209222Abstract: A method and apparatus for residual spur avoidance is disclosed. One embodiment comprises a method of generating a first local oscillator signal, mixing the first local oscillator signal with a radio frequency signal to generate an intermediate frequency signal, filtering the intermediate frequency signal at a band-pass frequency, mixing the filtered intermediate frequency signal with a second local oscillator signal having a first frequency offset from the band-pass frequency to generate an output intermediate frequency signal, and switching the second local oscillator signal to a second frequency offset to avoid a spur generated from the first frequency offset, wherein the second frequency offset is the opposite sign but same magnitude offset from the band-pass frequency.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 15, 2008Publication date: August 20, 2009Applicant: TEKTRONIX, INC.Inventors: Litong Li, Donald J. Dalebroux, Ronald J. Larrick
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Publication number: 20090125259Abstract: Apparatus and methods are provided to allow multiple, possibly overlapping, regions of interest within a frequency spectrum to be defined, and managed. Each of these regions of interest may be selected for further testing or identification. Unselected regions are allowed to collapse into narrow bars so as not to interfere with the selected region. Multiple rows are provided to allow for the definition and selection of overlapping regions of interest. Furthermore, in some embodiments aid is provided for identifying the signal type by providing a list of signal type candidates based upon such parameters as region of interest bandwidth, region of interest center frequency and geographic location.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 16, 2008Publication date: May 14, 2009Applicant: TEKTRONIX, INC.Inventors: RICHARD B. NICHOLLS, JOHN F. SHORT, III, WALTER R. STRAND, LYNNE A. FITZSIMMONS, DAVID W. SCHMIDT, RONALD J. LARRICK
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Publication number: 20060039449Abstract: A waveform-adaptive ultra-wideband (UWB) transmitter and noise-tracking UWB receiver for use in communications, object detection and radar applications. In one embodiment, the output of an oscillator is gated by a low-level impulse generator either directly or through an optional filter. In a special case of that embodiment wherein the oscillator is zero frequency and outputs a DC bias, a low-level impulse generator impulse-excites a bandpass filter to produce an UWB signal having an adjustable center frequency and desired bandwidth based on a characteristic of the filter. In another embodiment, the low-level impulse signal is approximated by a time-gated continuous-wave oscillator to produce an extremely wide bandwidth pulse with deterministic center frequency and bandwidth characteristics. The low-level impulse signal can be generated digitally. The UWB signal may be modulated to carry data, or may be used in object detection or ranging applications.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 13, 2005Publication date: February 23, 2006Inventors: Robert Fontana, J. Larrick
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Patent number: 6263047Abstract: An apparatus and method for characterizing a loading pattern of a twisted pair telecommunications transmission line includes a variable frequency signal generator and a measurement receiver connected to the twisted pair line. The signal generator applies a variable frequency signal to the twisted pair line and the measurement receiver acquires magnitude values representative of the impedance of the twisted pair line. A controller, operating under program control, models a plurality of baseline transmission line and twisted pair lines to generate magnitude values representative of the models. Error values are generated between the acquired magnitude values and the modeled magnitude values. The error values are compared to each other to determine the model with the minimum error value which is used as the model for charactering the twisted pair transmission line.Type: GrantFiled: September 7, 1999Date of Patent: July 17, 2001Assignee: Tempo Research CorporationInventors: William C. Randle, Ronald J. Larrick, Phillip F. Kochan
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Patent number: 6124717Abstract: An improved time domain reflectometer (TDR) includes a capacitor coupled in series between a transmission medium under test and the TDR receiver input. A switch, operating under microprocessor control, selectively couples and uncouples the capacitor to a voltage reference, such as ground. During the generation of interrogating pulses from the TDR and the acquisition of data from the transmission medium under test, the capacitor is uncoupled from the voltage reference and acts as a DC blocking capacitor. During periods of non-TDR activity, the capacitor is coupled to voltage reference and acts as a load for low frequency interference appearing on the transmission medium. The capacitor-switch operation blocks low frequency interference signals from the receiver input of the TDR.Type: GrantFiled: February 27, 1998Date of Patent: September 26, 2000Assignee: Tektronix, Inc.Inventors: Edgar T. Guenther, Jr., Ronald J. Larrick
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Patent number: 5410282Abstract: An error corrected wide dynamic range amplifier has a transimpedance amplifier where the input signal node is used as a monitoring point for providing an error correction voltage to a combining circuit that also receives the voltage on the output node of the transimpedance amplifier. The combining circuit subtracts the input signal node voltage from the output signal voltage to produce a resultant voltage substantially free of errors produced by non-ideal characteristics of the transimpedance amplifier. The combining circuit may be implemented using analog or digital circuity. The digital combining circuit may also add digital correction values representative of circuit component errors of the wide dynamic range amplifier. Such a wide dynamic range amplifier is usable in high sensitivity, wide dynamic range optical receivers, such as found in optical time domain reflectometers or other optical measurement instruments.Type: GrantFiled: March 14, 1994Date of Patent: April 25, 1995Assignee: Tektronix, Inc.Inventors: Ronald J. Larrick, Richard I. Lane