Patents by Inventor John Richard Porter

John Richard Porter 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: 10518371
    Abstract: A collar fastening system that includes a collar fastening tool, and a collar loading assembly coupled to the collar fastening tool. The collar loading assembly includes a loading arm that rotates into multiple positions and a holding member coupled to the loading arm. The loading arm positions the holding member between a loading position and an unloading position. The holding member includes an arcuate side wall and a vacuum opening defined in the arcuate side wall. The holding member receives a collar when at the loading position, and selectively holds the collar against the arcuate side wall with a retaining force provided by a vacuum applied via the vacuum opening. The loading arm provides the collar to the collar fastening tool when at the unloading position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Raymond Eng, John Richard Porter, Daniel Thomas Long
  • Patent number: 10463978
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes a refreshable braille display accessory for a game controller that includes a housing sized to be received by a handheld game controller, a braille display including a plurality of pins arranged in a plurality of braille cells, each of the plurality of braille cells to provide tactile feedback representative of individual braille characters, and a control circuit enclosed within the housing to control refreshable activation of at least a portion of the plurality of pins based at least in part on a translation of game text or game audio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: Jessica Julie Tran, Patrick Thomas Gaule, John Richard Porter, III, Catherine Marie Baker, Dillon Taylor Baker, Brannon James Zahand, Harrison Tu
  • Patent number: 10400303
    Abstract: An apparatus (102) for processing a metal ribbon (116) comprising a main portion (118) and a sacrificial portion (120) adjoining the main portion (118) of the metal ribbon (116), is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: John Richard Porter, Stephen Thomas Johnson, Mark Frederick Gabriel, Lisa Ann Cardon
  • Patent number: 10384137
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes a braille chording accessory for a game controller that includes a housing sized to be removably received by a handheld game controller, a plurality of paddles arranged as a braille cell on the housing, and a control circuit to translate a touch force applied to at least a portion of the plurality of paddles into individual braille characters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: Jessica Julie Tran, Patrick Thomas Gaule, John Richard Porter, III, Dillon Taylor Baker, Catherine Marie Baker, Harrison Tu
  • Patent number: 10322336
    Abstract: A game controller with haptic Braille chording capability. While a conventional game controller are geared to sighted players, the disclosed controller configurations include various adaptations that provide alternative input and outputs to facilitate game play by sight-impaired or blind users, as well as other users knowledgeable of Braille. A number of paddles may be arranged on a game controller housing so that a player may engage selected ones of the paddles to enable encoding braille characters using the paddles. This input may be used to control a game, enter text into a chat session or take any other action desired. The converse may also occur, where a combination of the paddles may provide haptic feedback detectable by a user holding a game controller so that the paddles encode braille output (or other data), allowing a user to receive output simply by contact with the paddles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2019
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: Jessica Julie Tran, John Richard Porter, III
  • Patent number: 10052770
    Abstract: In one aspect, a vacuum alignment tool for holding and aligning a first fastener with a second fastener is provided. The vacuum alignment tool includes a main body including an end wall having an aperture disposed therein configured to receive at least a portion of the first fastener. The vacuum alignment tool also includes a vacuum receiving portion coupled to the main body. The vacuum receiving portion including a vacuum bore disposed therein, wherein a vacuum channel extends within the main body and within the vacuum receiving portion between the aperture and the vacuum bore.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: John Richard Porter, Daniel Thomas Long, Raymond C. Eng, Bruce J. Hanninen, Kevin Michael Bell
  • Publication number: 20180214780
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes a braille chording accessory for a game controller that includes a housing sized to be removably received by a handheld game controller, a plurality of paddles arranged as a braille cell on the housing, and a control circuit to translate a touch force applied to at least a portion of the plurality of paddles into individual braille characters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2017
    Publication date: August 2, 2018
    Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Jessica Julie Tran, Patrick Thomas Gaule, John Richard Porter, III, Dillon Taylor Baker, Catherine Marie Baker, Harrison Tu
  • Publication number: 20180214779
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes a refreshable braille display accessory for a game controller that includes a housing sized to be received by a handheld game controller, a braille display including a plurality of pins arranged in a plurality of braille cells, each of the plurality of braille cells to provide tactile feedback representative of individual braille characters, and a control circuit enclosed within the housing to control refreshable activation of at least a portion of the plurality of pins based at least in part on a translation of game text or game audio.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2017
    Publication date: August 2, 2018
    Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Jessica Julie Tran, Patrick Thomas Gaule, John Richard Porter, III, Catherine Marie Baker, Dillon Taylor Baker, Brannon James Zahand, Harrison Tu
  • Publication number: 20180214771
    Abstract: A game controller with haptic Braille chording capability. While a conventional game controller are geared to sighted players, the disclosed controller configurations include various adaptations that provide alternative input and outputs to facilitate game play by sight-impaired or blind users, as well as other users knowledgeable of Braille. A number of paddles may be arranged on a game controller housing so that a player may engage selected ones of the paddles to enable encoding braille characters using the paddles. This input may be used to control a game, enter text into a chat session or take any other action desired. The converse may also occur, where a combination of the paddles may provide haptic feedback detectable by a user holding a game controller so that the paddles encode braille output (or other data), allowing a user to receive output simply by contact with the paddles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2017
    Publication date: August 2, 2018
    Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Jessica Julie TRAN, John Richard PORTER, III
  • Publication number: 20170368650
    Abstract: A collar fastening system that includes a collar fastening tool, and a collar loading assembly coupled to the collar fastening tool. The collar loading assembly includes a loading arm that rotates into multiple positions and a holding member coupled to the loading arm. The loading arm positions the holding member between a loading position and an unloading position. The holding member includes an arcuate side wall and a vacuum opening defined in the arcuate side wall. The holding member receives a collar when at the loading position, and selectively holds the collar against the arcuate side wall with a retaining force provided by a vacuum applied via the vacuum opening. The loading arm provides the collar to the collar fastening tool when at the unloading position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2016
    Publication date: December 28, 2017
    Inventors: Raymond Eng, John Richard Porter, Daniel Thomas Long
  • Patent number: 9708686
    Abstract: An apparatus (102) for processing a metal ribbon (116) comprising a main portion (118) and a sacrificial portion (120) adjoining the main portion (118) of the metal ribbon (116), is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: The Beoing Company
    Inventors: John Richard Porter, Stephen Thomas Johnson, Mark Frederick Gabriel, Lisa Ann Cardon
  • Publication number: 20170159152
    Abstract: An apparatus (102) for processing a metal ribbon (116) comprising a main portion (118) and a sacrificial portion (120) adjoining the main portion (118) of the metal ribbon (116), is disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2017
    Publication date: June 8, 2017
    Inventors: John Richard Porter, Stephen Thomas Johnson, Mark Frederick Gabriel, Lisa Ann Cardon
  • Publication number: 20170036350
    Abstract: In one aspect, a vacuum alignment tool for holding and aligning a first fastener with a second fastener is provided. The vacuum alignment tool includes a main body including an end wall having an aperture disposed therein configured to receive at least a portion of the first fastener. The vacuum alignment tool also includes a vacuum receiving portion coupled to the main body. The vacuum receiving portion including a vacuum bore disposed therein, wherein a vacuum channel extends within the main body and within the vacuum receiving portion between the aperture and the vacuum bore.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2015
    Publication date: February 9, 2017
    Inventors: John Richard Porter, Daniel Thomas Long, Raymond C. Eng, Bruce J. Hanninen, Kevin Michael Bell
  • Publication number: 20160194732
    Abstract: An apparatus (102) for processing a metal ribbon (116) comprising a main portion (118) and a sacrificial portion (120) adjoining the main portion (118) of the metal ribbon (116), is disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 2, 2015
    Publication date: July 7, 2016
    Inventors: John Richard Porter, Stephen Thomas Johnson, Mark Frederick Gabriel, Lisa Ann Cardon
  • Publication number: 20160067868
    Abstract: A system and method is disclosed of configuring a robotic end effector to prevent two or more axes of joints of a robotic arm from being in alignment. A connecting part is attached between a robotic arm and a tool in a pre-determined configuration chosen to prevent the two or more axes of joints of the robotic arm from being in alignment for a selected process involving the tool. Reconfigurable end plates may be disposed between the connecting part and the robotic arm, and between the connecting part and the tool to put the connecting part into the pre-determined configuration which prevents the two or more axes of the joints of the robotic arm from being in alignment for the selected process involving the tool.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2014
    Publication date: March 10, 2016
    Inventors: John Richard Porter, Kevin Michael Bell