Patents by Inventor John B. French

John B. French 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: 20150373459
    Abstract: This invention relates to acoustic drivers with stationary and moving coils. Time varying signals are applied to the moving and stationary coils to control the movement of a diaphragm, which produces audible sound. The time varying signals correspond to an input audio signal such that the sound corresponds to the input audio signal. Some of the described embodiments include multiple moving coils, multiple stationary coils or both. Some embodiments include feedback for adjusting one or more of the signals based on a characteristic of the acoustic driver. Various compensation and other features of the invention are also described in relation to various embodiments.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2012
    Publication date: December 24, 2015
    Applicant: SENTIENT MAGNETICS, INC.
    Inventors: John B. French, Andrew Mason
  • Publication number: 20150335989
    Abstract: A read and write playing card system and method are described. The playing card includes a unique card identification that uniquely identifies the playing card from other cards in the deck of playing cards. Additionally, the read and write playing card includes at least one playing card electronic component that receives data regarding game play. Furthermore, the read and write playing card includes at least one of the playing card electronic components that stores data regarding game play. Further still, the read and write playing card includes at least one of the playing card electronic components that transmits the unique card identification data, when activated by the electronic system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2015
    Publication date: November 26, 2015
    Inventor: John B. French
  • Publication number: 20150188497
    Abstract: The embodiments described herein relate to amplifier circuits with power rails. The power rails are generated in response to an input signal, which will typically be an audio signal, and with a sufficient magnitude to power the amplifier and to generate an output signal corresponding to the input signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2015
    Publication date: July 2, 2015
    Inventors: John B. French, Andrew Mason
  • Patent number: 9071891
    Abstract: This invention relates to acoustic drivers with stationary and moving coils. Time varying signals are applied to the moving and stationary coils to control the movement of a diaphragm, which produces audible sound. The time varying signals correspond to an input audio signal such that the sound corresponds to the input audio signal. Some of the described embodiments include multiple moving coils, multiple stationary coils or both. Some embodiments include feedback for adjusting one or more of the signals based on a characteristic of the acoustic driver. Various compensation and other features of the invention are also described in relation to various embodiments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2015
    Assignee: Harman Becker Gepkocsirendszer Gyarto Korlatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag
    Inventors: John B. French, Andrew Mason
  • Patent number: 9061197
    Abstract: A read and write playing card system and method are described. The playing card includes a unique card identification that uniquely identifies the playing card from other cards in the deck of playing cards. Additionally, the read and write playing card includes at least one playing card electronic component that receives data regarding game play. Furthermore, the read and write playing card includes at least one of the playing card electronic components that stores data regarding game play. Further still, the read and write playing card includes at least one of the playing card electronic components that transmits the unique card identification data, when activated by the electronic system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Inventor: John B. French
  • Patent number: 8995691
    Abstract: The embodiments described herein relate to amplifier circuits with power rails. The power rails are generated in response to an input signal, which will typically be an audio signal, and with a sufficient magnitude to power the amplifier and to generate an output signal corresponding to the input signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Audera Acoustics Inc.
    Inventors: John B. French, Andrew Mason
  • Publication number: 20150010198
    Abstract: This invention relates to acoustic transducers with stationary and moving coils, and methods for operating the acoustic transducers. Time varying signals are applied to the moving and stationary coils to control the movement of a diaphragm, which produces sound. The time varying signal applied to the moving coil corresponds to at least a processed version of an input audio signal and is updated based on, at least, a version of the time varying signal applied to the stationary coil. Some embodiments include updating the processed version of the input audio signal in response to a magnetic flux value corresponding to the time-varying signal applied to the stationary coil. Some embodiments include updating the time-varying signal applied to the moving coil in response to a feedback signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2014
    Publication date: January 8, 2015
    Inventors: John B. French, David Russell
  • Publication number: 20140254860
    Abstract: Driver for an acoustic transducer having a moving coil of substantially equal length to the air gap. The air gap may itself be extended in length using an upper or lower lip, or both. A stationary coil is also provided. The moving and stationary coils can be controlled by suitable control blocks to form an electromagnet-based transducer with reduced distortion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2014
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Applicant: Sentient Magnetics, Inc.
    Inventor: John B. French
  • Publication number: 20140254859
    Abstract: Driver for an acoustic transducer having a moving coil of substantially equal length to the air gap. The air gap may itself be extended in length using an upper or lower lip, or both. A stationary coil is also provided. The moving and stationary coils can be controlled by suitable control blocks to form an electromagnet-based transducer with reduced distortion. The acoustic transducer may be a hybrid acoustic transducer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2014
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Applicant: Sentient Magnetics, Inc.
    Inventor: John B. French
  • Publication number: 20140153770
    Abstract: This invention relates to acoustic transducers with stationary and moving coils, and methods for operating the acoustic transducers. Time varying signals are applied to the moving and stationary coils to control the movement of a diaphragm, which produces sound. The time varying signal applied to the moving coil corresponds to at least a processed version of an input audio signal and is updated based on, at least, a version of the time varying signal applied to the stationary coil. Some embodiments include updating the processed version of the input audio signal in response to a magnetic flux value corresponding to the time-varying signal applied to the stationary coil. Some embodiments include updating the time-varying signal applied to the moving coil in response to a feedback signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2013
    Publication date: June 5, 2014
    Inventors: John B. French, David Russell
  • Publication number: 20140066212
    Abstract: A read and write playing card system and method are described. The playing card includes a unique card identification that uniquely identifies the playing card from other cards in the deck of playing cards. Additionally, the read and write playing card includes at least one playing card electronic component that receives data regarding game play. Furthermore, the read and write playing card includes at least one of the playing card electronic components that stores data regarding game play. Further still, the read and write playing card includes at least one of the playing card electronic components that transmits the unique card identification data, when activated by the electronic system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2013
    Publication date: March 6, 2014
    Inventor: John B. French
  • Publication number: 20140010402
    Abstract: Driver for an acoustic transducer having a moving coil of substantially equal length to the air gap. The air gap may itself be extended in length using an upper or lower lip, or both. A stationary coil is also provided. The moving and stationary coils can be controlled by suitable control blocks to form an electromagnet-based transducer with reduced distortion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2013
    Publication date: January 9, 2014
    Applicant: SENTIENT MAGNETICS, INC.
    Inventor: John B. French
  • Patent number: 8577061
    Abstract: A power supply for limited power sources and an audio amplifier using the power supply comprising power sources to provide an output power signal that can be used by load with a high peak to average power requirement ratio. When such power sources are used to power devices that have a high peak to average power consumption, the average power output of the device is severely limited if the peak power is kept below the power supply limits of the limited power source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: Audera Acoustics Inc.
    Inventors: John B. French, Andrew John Mason
  • Patent number: 8535136
    Abstract: A read and write playing card is described. The playing card includes a unique card identification that uniquely identifies the playing card from other cards in the deck of playing cards. Additionally, the read and write playing card includes at least one playing card electronic component that receives data regarding game play. Furthermore, the read and write playing card includes at least one of the playing card electronic component stores data regarding game play. Further still, the read and write playing card includes at least one of the playing card electronic components transmits the unique card identification data, when activated by the electronic system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Inventor: John B. French
  • Publication number: 20130163788
    Abstract: Several amplifier power circuits and methods for powering an audio amplifier are described. An AC line voltage is rectified and selectively coupled to a filter capacitor in response to a switch control signal. The filter capacitor is charged to generate an amplifier supply voltage signal, which is used to power the audio amplifier. A controller generates the switch control signal in accordance with a leading control approach or a lagging control approach.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2012
    Publication date: June 27, 2013
    Inventors: John B. French, Farhad Gholami, Andrew J. Mason, Douglas W. Hansen, Gennady H. Kalyta, Xue Jun Liu
  • Publication number: 20130072273
    Abstract: A read and write gaming card is described. The gaming card includes a body and at least one component able to have data stored thereon. When activated by an electronic system, one of the components is configured to receive and store data regarding game play during game play. The components are also configured to have data read there from during game play, when activated by the electronic system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2012
    Publication date: March 21, 2013
    Inventor: John B. French
  • Publication number: 20120257782
    Abstract: This invention relates to acoustic drivers with stationary and moving coils. Time varying signals are applied to the moving and stationary coils to control the movement of a diaphragm, which produces audible sound. The time varying signals correspond to an input audio signal such that the sound corresponds to the input audio signal. Some of the described embodiments include multiple moving coils, multiple stationary coils or both. Some embodiments include feedback for adjusting one or more of the signals based on a characteristic of the acoustic driver. Various compensation and other features of the invention are also described in relation to various embodiments.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2012
    Publication date: October 11, 2012
    Applicant: SENTIENT MAGNETICS, INC.
    Inventors: John B. French, Andrew Mason
  • Publication number: 20120238337
    Abstract: Methods and systems for intelligent tracking and/or play and/or management of card gaming use an intelligent card distribution or holding device with detectors for determining the value and unique identity of individual cards and for recording card play. Playing cards are equipped with a read/write data storage connected to a transponder and/or incorporated into electromagnetic writable particles or smart particles (smart dust). A system of the invention records various game play events on the playing cards themselves during game play and optionally also in a database on the system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2012
    Publication date: September 20, 2012
    Inventor: John B. French
  • Patent number: 8221244
    Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed for intelligent tracking and/or play and/or management of card gaming use an intelligent card distribution or holding device with detectors for determining the value and unique identity of individual cards and for recording card play. Playing cards are equipped with a read/write data storage connected to a transponder and/or incorporated into electromagnetic writable particles or smart particles (smart dust). A system of the invention records various game play events on the playing cards themselves during game play and optionally also in a database on the system. In specific embodiments, the principal scanning and writing elements and electronic and optical interfaces are embodied into a hand-held card holder (HHCH). The system can scan playing cards, scan gaming chips, indicate a player's win/loss/draw, increase or decrease player betting positions, and compute awards to players based on their playing activity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Inventor: John B. French
  • Patent number: 8143949
    Abstract: Several push-pull linear hybrid class H amplifiers are disclosed. A split power rail provides a positive supply rail and a negative supply rail in response to a power supply control voltage. A push-pull amplifier stage is powered by the positive and negative supply rails. The amplifier stage receives an input signal and provides a corresponding amplified output signal. A power supply control circuit provides the power supply control voltage in response to the smaller of the positive and negative supply rails, and the input signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: Audera Acoustics Inc.
    Inventors: John B. French, Andrew J. Mason