Patents by Inventor Kenneth J. Smith

Kenneth J. Smith 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: 11953706
    Abstract: Wavelength-selective films are visibly apparent under the selective wavelength. Wavelength-selective films typically reflect off axis the selected wavelength and therefore can provide high-contrast against a background when applied in a pattern on a substrate. However, it is difficult to apply unique patterned embedded images from film. Disclosed is a cost-effective method and construction of a patterned wavelength-selective image to a substrate. In the disclosed wavelength-selective image, wavelength-selective film particles are applied to an adhesive pattern to create the wavelength-selective image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY
    Inventors: Kui Chen-Ho, Kenneth L. Smith, Douglas S. Dunn, Tien Yi T. H. Whiting, John A. Wheatley, Bryan T. Whiting, Taylor J. Kobe, Anthony F. Schultz, Duane D. Fansler, Jonah Shaver
  • Publication number: 20240108311
    Abstract: A Multiple Aperture Ultrasound Imaging (MAUI) probe or transducer is uniquely capable of simultaneous imaging of a region of interest from separate apertures of ultrasound arrays. Some embodiments provide systems and methods for designing, building and using ultrasound probes having continuous arrays of ultrasound transducers which may have a substantially continuous concave curved shape in two or three dimensions (i.e., concave relative to an object to be imaged). Other embodiments herein provide systems and methods for designing, building and using ultrasound imaging probes having other unique configurations, such as adjustable probes and probes with variable configurations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2023
    Publication date: April 4, 2024
    Inventors: David M. SMITH, Donald F. SPECHT, Linda V. CABRERA, Kenneth D. BREWER, David J. SPECHT
  • Publication number: 20240094233
    Abstract: The present invention relates to methods, devices and systems for associating consumable data with an assay consumable used in a biological assay. Provided are assay systems and associated consumables, wherein the assay system adjusts one or more steps of an assay protocol based on consumable data specific for that consumable. Various types of consumable data are described, as well as methods of using such data in the conduct of an assay by an assay system. The present invention also relates to consumables (e.g., kits and reagent containers), software, data deployable bundles, computer-readable media, loading carts, instruments, systems, and methods, for performing automated biological assays.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2023
    Publication date: March 21, 2024
    Inventors: Jacob N. WOHLSTADTER, Manish KOCHAR, Peter J. BOSCO, Ian D. CHAMBERLIN, Bandele JEFFREY-COKER, Eric M. JONES, Gary I. KRIVOY, Don E. KRUEGER, Aaron H. LEIMKUEHLER, Pei-Ming WU, Kim-Xuan NGUYEN, Pankaj OBEROI, Louis W. PANG, Jennifer PARKER, Victor PELLICIER, Nicholas SAMMONS, George SIGAL, Michael L. VOCK, Stanley T. SMITH, Carl C. STEVENS, Rodger D. OSBORNE, Kenneth E. PAGE, Michael T. WADE, Jon WILLOUGHBY, Lei WANG, Xinri CONG, Kin NG
  • Patent number: 11931312
    Abstract: A therapy system includes a patient support apparatus and a pneumatic therapy device that is coupleable to the patient support apparatus. The therapy device may receive power and air flow from the patient support apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Hill-Rom Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric D. Benz, John G. Byers, Scott M. Corbin, Richard H. Heimbrock, Michael A. Knecht, Bradley T. Smith, Lori Ann Zapfe, Robert M. Zerhusen, Kenneth L. Lilly, Jonathan D. Turner, James L. Walke, Joseph T. Canter, Richard J. Schuman, Sr., John V. Harmeyer
  • Publication number: 20240083007
    Abstract: A sander includes a housing defining a front end and a rear end relative to a direction of travel of the sander on a work surface, an actuator, and a battery platform. The housing supports a motor and has a grip disposed over the motor adjacent the front end and a handle positioned at or adjacent the rear end. The housing further supports a belt drive assembly configured to rotatably support a belt and having a belt plate extending a long a first plane. The actuator is supported by the handle. The battery platform is at least partially supported by and located above the handle. The battery platform defines a battery pack receptacle configured to support a battery pack. The battery platform is oriented along a second plane orientated at an acute angle relative to the first plane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2022
    Publication date: March 14, 2024
    Inventors: Nicholas S. Norton, Jesse J. Jerabek, Kenneth M. Brazell, Garrett Long, Jacob S. Watrous, Mason A. Matlock, Isiah Daniel Smith
  • Patent number: 11415977
    Abstract: A maintenance control program for use in maintaining mechanical and electro-mechanical equipment is provided. The maintenance control program includes a completed survey of the mechanical and electro-mechanical equipment. The completed survey is configured to document the physical characteristics of the mechanical and electro-mechanical equipment and an assessment of a plurality of metrics concerning the mechanical and electro-mechanical equipment. An algorithm is configured to apply values to the assessment of the plurality of metrics. A schedule of code required maintenance tasks is developed for the mechanical and electro-mechanical equipment, wherein an interval of the required maintenance tasks is determined by the algorithm based on the values applied to the assessment of the plurality of metrics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: eMCP, LLC
    Inventors: John W. Koshak, Daniel C. Swett, Kenneth J. Smith
  • Publication number: 20200057434
    Abstract: A maintenance control program for use in maintaining mechanical and electro-mechanical equipment is provided. The maintenance control program includes a completed survey of the mechanical and electro-mechanical equipment. The completed survey is configured to document the physical characteristics of the mechanical and electro-mechanical equipment and an assessment of a plurality of metrics concerning the mechanical and electro-mechanical equipment. An algorithm is configured to apply values to the assessment of the plurality of metrics. A schedule of code required maintenance tasks is developed for the mechanical and electro-mechanical equipment, wherein an interval of the required maintenance tasks is determined by the algorithm based on the values applied to the assessment of the plurality of metrics.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2017
    Publication date: February 20, 2020
    Applicant: EMCP1, LLC
    Inventors: John W. Koshak, Daniel C. Swett, Kenneth J. Smith
  • Patent number: 8780478
    Abstract: Grease wear leveling in a disk drive including an actuator for moving a head over a disk as part of a seek operation. A count of seek operations is maintained and when the count of seek operations exceeds a first threshold number, one or more full stroke seek (FSS) operations are performed until a count of the FSS operations performed reaches a predetermined number. The FSS operation includes moving the head through a substantially wide range of motion. For each of the one or more FSS operations performed, the count of FSS operations performed is adjusted based on whether the most recent FSS operation was performed within a time window. The time window is based at least on a number of interval seek operations performed since a previously performed FSS operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Sang Huynh, Kenneth J. Smith, Johnathan C. Lloyd, Chun Sei Tsai
  • Patent number: 8694841
    Abstract: A method to enable defect margining of a disk drive may comprise executing a data access command on a target sector on the disk drive. Upon encountering a data access error at the target sector, an address of the target sector may be added to an error list. The address of the target sector in the error list may then be converted to a physical location on the disk drive. A thermal asperity scan may be performed at and around the physical location and, upon detecting a thermal asperity, and at least sectors around the detected thermal asperity may be margined, and the data stored within the margined sectors may be relocated. Instead of sectors, entire tracks may be margined and the data stored therein relocated to a spare or reserve location, one track at a time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Heon Ho Chung, Chun Sei Tsai, Carl E. Barlow, Kenneth J. Smith
  • Patent number: 8320067
    Abstract: Systems and methods for performing refresh operations using write/read commands are provided. In one embodiment, a disk drive comprises a disk partitioned into a plurality of refresh zones, a head configured to write data to and read data from the disk, and a controller. The controller is configured to receive an access command, to read data from at least one of the refresh zones using the head in response to the access command, to check a condition of the read data, and to determine whether to refresh the at least one refresh zone based on the condition of the read data, wherein the read data includes data from a portion of the at least one refresh zone not being accessed by the access command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Chun Sei Tsai, Sang Huynh, Kenneth J. Smith, Carl E. Barlow
  • Patent number: 8004785
    Abstract: A disk drive is disclosed comprising a disk having a plurality of data sectors, wherein a physical block address (PBA) is associated with each data sector. When a write command is received from a host to write user data to the disk, and the write command comprises an unformatted logical block address (LBA), the user data is written to a first data sector, and the first data sector is write verified. A second data sector is defect scanned, and after the second data sector passes the defect scan, the user data is migrated from the first data sector to the second data sector and the LBA is formatted to the second data sector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Chun Sei Tsai, William B. Boyle, Carl E. Barlow, Kenneth J. Smith
  • Patent number: 7725584
    Abstract: The present invention may be regarded as a method of operating a mobile terminal during a synchronization session. A plurality of data types, including a first data type and a second data type, are identified to synchronize with the mobile terminal. A rule base is applied to assign the first data type to a first communication channel and the second data type to a second communication channel. Synchronization data of the first data type is exchanged over the first communication channel, and synchronization data of the second data type is exchanged over the second communication channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2010
    Assignee: Western Digital Ventures, Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan Lee Hanmann, Anil Sareen, Kenneth J. Smith
  • Patent number: 7614368
    Abstract: To avoid engine idling to support cabin heating, an auxiliary coolant heater can heat engine coolant and pump it through compartment heaters or the engine cooling system. The coolant flow control system provides great flexibility in selectively distributing heated coolant for heating and engine preheating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2009
    Assignee: International Truck Intellectual Property Company, LLC
    Inventors: Michelle R. Gehres, Kenneth J. Smith, Joaquin J. Hernandez
  • Publication number: 20090139472
    Abstract: To avoid engine idling to support cabin heating, an auxiliary coolant heater can heat engine coolant and pump it through compartment heaters or the engine cooling system. The coolant flow control system provides great flexibility in selectively distributing heated coolant for heating and engine preheating.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2007
    Publication date: June 4, 2009
    Applicant: International Truck Intellectual Property Company, LLC
    Inventors: Michelle R. Gehres, Kenneth J. Smith, Joaquin J. Hernandez
  • Publication number: 20080298033
    Abstract: An electric power supply platform (1) made up of an upper conductive layer (2), a lower conductive layer (3), and a non-conductive insulating layer (4) sandwiched between the conductive layers (2), (3). Specially designed light emitting diodes (LEDs) (9) and a variety of other electronic components, each having one short lead (11) and one upper insulated long lead (10), may be removably attached to, displayed, and powered by the power platform (1) simply by inserting leads into the display surface (5) of the power platform (1). The leads of the LEDs (9) and other electronic components are different lengths so that the short lead (11) only comes into contact with the upper conductive layer (2) and the long lead (10) only comes into contact with the lower conductive layer (3) ensuring proper polarity. The leads (10), (11) of the LEDs (9) and/or other electronic components may be inserted into the display surface (5) at any location allowing the user to make any design he/she desires.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2008
    Publication date: December 4, 2008
    Inventors: Roy A. Smith, Kenneth J. Smith
  • Patent number: 7275116
    Abstract: A method of operating a mobile terminal comprising a local memory and a screen is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of receiving a first component of a document over a first communication channel, receiving a second component of the document over a second communication channel, and combining the first and second components of the document at the mobile terminal. In an alternative embodiment, the first component of the document is received during a first synchronization session, and the second component of the document is received during a second synchronization session.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2007
    Assignee: Western Digital Ventures, Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan Lee Hanmann, Anil Sareen, Kenneth J. Smith
  • Patent number: 7024491
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for remotely synchronizing a mobile terminal to a target computer is disclosed. A user's operation of the mobile terminal is monitored and a computer program is executed for adapting ordering and filtering synchronization rules in response to the user's operation of the mobile terminal to generate a modified set of synchronization rules. Synchronization data is exchanged between the target computer and the mobile terminal using the modified set of synchronization rules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2006
    Assignee: Western Digital Ventures, Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan Lee Hanmann, Anil Sareen, Kenneth J. Smith
  • Patent number: 6962195
    Abstract: A heating, ventilation and air conditioning system for a vehicle is constructed from two modules, one for the engine compartment and a second for the passenger compartment. The engine compartment module has a base formed for positioning on at least two locations on a dash panel, a outside air inlet, a secondary air inlet for communication with the passenger compartment, an air outlet and defining a air transport conduit connecting the outside air inlet or the secondary air inlet with the air outlet. Downstream from the engine compartment is a passenger compartment module having a slide slot for a heater core, an inlet for communication with the air outlet from the engine compartment module, an air manifold, a panel exhaust from the air manifold, a defrost exhaust from the air manifold, a compartment door providing access to the slide in friction slot, and an air channel from the inlet to the air manifold. The heater core is positioned in the slide in slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2005
    Assignee: International Truck Intellectual Property Company, LLC
    Inventors: Kenneth J. Smith, Carl B. Dalkert, Michelle R. Gehres, Gregory J. Kolodziej
  • Patent number: 6931439
    Abstract: A method of operating a mobile terminal comprising a local memory and a screen is disclosed. Web pages are received by the mobile terminal and stored in the local memory. A cache status of each web page identified by each link is determined, wherein the cache status is evaluated to control the display of the links of a web page on the screen of the mobile terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2005
    Assignee: Western Digital Ventures, Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan Lee Hanmann, Anil Sareen, Kenneth J. Smith
  • Patent number: 6896609
    Abstract: Heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems for busses having air distribution at the front of the bus through a distribution system integrated with the dashboard and outlet vents shaped and oriented to provide clearing of mist and frost from vehicle windows, particularly those in and around an entry to the vehicle. A dedicated blower for an entry way door is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2005
    Assignee: International Truck Intellectual Property Company, LLC
    Inventors: Aaron D. Lindsey, Kenneth J. Smith