Patents by Inventor L. Robert Crouthamel

L. Robert Crouthamel 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: 11889385
    Abstract: Beacon systems include a beacon including a transmitter, a processor, and a sensor for collecting sensor data, wherein the beacon broadcasts a beacon message comprising informational data based on a value of the sensor data and data regarding a minimum received signal strength for the relevance of the beacon message. The beacon system may include a receiving device, wherein the receiving device comprises a processor and an alarm adapted to be triggered by the beacon message, wherein the processor determines a relevance of the beacon message by comparing the minimum received signal strength for the relevance of the beacon message to an actual received signal strength of the beacon message, wherein, if the actual received signal strength is greater than or equal to the minimum received signal strength, the receiving device is within a range of relevance and the alarm is triggered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Industrial Scientific Corporation
    Inventors: Raghu Arunachalam, L. Robert Crouthamel
  • Patent number: 11722949
    Abstract: A static memory device including an instrument, a wireless radio, a shared memory, an outgoing memory portion and an incoming memory portion. The instrument includes an environmental sensing device, a hazard detection device, and/or an industrial safety device. The wireless radio sends and receives information on a wireless mesh network. The shared memory is connected to the instrument and wireless radio and includes static message memory having static messages related to the instrument. The outgoing memory portion receives outgoing information from the instrument and transmits the outgoing information to the wireless radio for transmission on the wireless mesh network. The incoming memory portion receives incoming information from the wireless radio and transmits the incoming information to the instrument. The shared memory restricts the wireless radio and the instrument from both raising grant lines and granting data to either the incoming memory portion or the outgoing memory portion simultaneously.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: Industrial Scientific Corporation
    Inventors: L. Robert Crouthamel, Raghu Arunachalam, Benjamin Haas, Henry Xin, Lisa McCracken, Scott Jubeck
  • Patent number: 11589559
    Abstract: Methods to conserve a sensor's power include training a model to predict a condition of an animal with a training data set, wherein the training data set comprises known outcomes associated with behavioral data and health data for a plurality of animals; sensing, with a sensor worn by a monitored animal, behavioral data and health data of the monitored animal; inputting the behavioral data and health data of the monitored animal into the model; predicting a condition of the monitored animal with the model based on the inputted behavioral data and health data; and configuring a parameter of the sensor associated with the monitored animal based on the predicted condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: FARM JENNY LLC
    Inventors: L. Robert Crouthamel, Tammy L. Crouthamel, Nathanial R. Drake
  • Patent number: 11582681
    Abstract: Disclosed is a tangible article of manufacture having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause a machine to perform operations for tracking an operator and operator status using a safety device. The operations include programming a plurality of NFC tags with assignment information, wherein the assignment information is at least one of a location assignment for NFC tags being placed at particular locations and an instrument operator assignment for NFC tags distributed to multi-gas detection instrument operators. The instructions further include receiving temporary assignment information at the safety device when an NFC radio of the safety device is brought in proximity to at least one of the plurality of NFC tags; and tagging safety device data with the temporary assignment information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: INDUSTRIAL SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: L. Robert Crouthamel, Raghu Arunachalam, Benjamin Haas, Henry Xin, Lisa McCracken, Scott Jubeck
  • Publication number: 20220295231
    Abstract: Beacon systems include a beacon including a transmitter, a processor, and a sensor for collecting sensor data, wherein the beacon broadcasts a beacon message comprising informational data based on a value of the sensor data and data regarding a minimum received signal strength for the relevance of the beacon message. The beacon system may include a receiving device, wherein the receiving device comprises a processor and an alarm adapted to be triggered by the beacon message, wherein the processor determines a relevance of the beacon message by comparing the minimum received signal strength for the relevance of the beacon message to an actual received signal strength of the beacon message, wherein, if the actual received signal strength is greater than or equal to the minimum received signal strength, the receiving device is within a range of relevance and the alarm is triggered.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2022
    Publication date: September 15, 2022
    Inventors: Raghu Arunachalam, L. Robert Crouthamel
  • Patent number: 11412441
    Abstract: A system including a plurality of network devices including one or more worker monitoring devices and one or more area monitoring devices is provided. The plurality of network devices monitor at least one of a peer alarm, a worker biometric datum or an area environmental datum. The plurality of network devices are structured to communicate with one another in an ad-hoc wireless mesh network. A first network device of the plurality of network devices transmits the at least one peer alarm, worker biometric datum or area environmental datum for presentation on a second network device of the plurality of network devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: Industrial Scientific Corporation
    Inventors: L. Robert Crouthamel, Raghu Arunachalam, Benjamin Haas, Henry Xin, Lisa McCracken, Scott Jubeck
  • Patent number: 11356807
    Abstract: Beacon systems include a beacon including a transmitter, a processor, and a sensor for collecting sensor data, wherein the beacon broadcasts a beacon message comprising informational data based on a value of the sensor data and data regarding a minimum received signal strength for the relevance of the beacon message. The beacon system may include a receiving device, wherein the receiving device comprises a processor and an alarm adapted to be triggered by the beacon message, wherein the processor determines a relevance of the beacon message by comparing the minimum received signal strength for the relevance of the beacon message to an actual received signal strength of the beacon message, wherein, if the actual received signal strength is greater than or equal to the minimum received signal strength, the receiving device is within a range of relevance and the alarm is triggered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: Industrial Scientific Corporation
    Inventors: Raghu Arunachalam, L. Robert Crouthamel
  • Publication number: 20220132396
    Abstract: Mobile gateway devices for connecting to a wireless mesh network having a plurality of nodes include a wireless radio module structured to communicate with the plurality of nodes via the wireless mesh network, wherein the plurality of nodes includes at least one instrument to collect information; and a computer structured to: receive the information from the plurality of nodes via the wireless radio module; and transmit the information to a remote server via a satellite connection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2021
    Publication date: April 28, 2022
    Inventors: L. Robert Crouthamel, Raghu Arunachalam, Benjamin Haas, Henry Xin, Lisa McCracken, Scott Jubeck
  • Patent number: 11202247
    Abstract: A method of providing information about a leader node to a plurality of follower nodes in a wireless mesh communication network is provided. The method includes designating the leader node; designating the plurality of follower nodes; and designating one or more predetermined frequency ranges as a public channel. The method further includes from the leader node and during a plurality of network intervals having a predetermined length of time, transmitting a sync message at a beginning of each network interval to the plurality of follower nodes. The method further includes during each network interval in which a sync message is received by any one of the plurality of follower nodes, transmitting from any of the plurality of follower nodes receiving a sync message, on the public channel, a message advertising at least one property of the leader node after receipt of the sync message.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: Industrial Scientific Corporation
    Inventors: L. Robert Crouthamel, Raghu Arunachalam, Benjamin Haas, Henry Xin, Lisa McCracken, Scott Jubeck
  • Patent number: 11115906
    Abstract: A static memory device including an instrument, a wireless radio, a shared memory, an outgoing memory portion and an incoming memory portion. The instrument includes an environmental sensing device, a hazard detection device, and/or an industrial safety device. The wireless radio sends and receives information on a wireless mesh network. The shared memory is connected to the instrument and wireless radio and includes static message memory having static messages related to the instrument. The outgoing memory portion receives outgoing information from the instrument and transmits the outgoing information to the wireless radio for transmission on the wireless mesh network. The incoming memory portion receives incoming information from the wireless radio and transmits the incoming information to the instrument. The shared memory restricts the wireless radio and the instrument from both raising grant lines and granting data to either the incoming memory portion or the outgoing memory portion simultaneously.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: Industrial Scientific Corporation
    Inventors: L. Robert Crouthamel, Raghu Arunachalam, Benjamin Haas, Henry Xin, Lisa McCracken, Scott Jubeck
  • Patent number: 11096116
    Abstract: A wireless mesh network including a leader node and a plurality of follower nodes is provided. The leader node transmits a sync message to the plurality of follower nodes indicating a beginning of a network interval. The leader node and the plurality of follower nodes transmit information during a transmission period of the network interval and do not transmit information during a sleep period of the network interval. The leader node and the plurality of follower nodes use less power in the sleep period than in the transmission period; and the plurality of follower nodes each include a timer adapted to time the transmission period and the sleep period for each of a plurality of future network intervals in an absence of continued receipt of the sync message from the leader node during the plurality of future network intervals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: Industrial Scientific Corporation
    Inventors: L. Robert Crouthamel, Raghu Arunachalam, Benjamin Haas, Henry Xin, Lisa McCracken, Scott Jubeck
  • Patent number: 11096117
    Abstract: A network for connecting a plurality of network nodes including a leader node and a plurality of follower nodes is provided. The leader node transmits a sync message to the plurality of follower nodes indicating a beginning of a network interval. The sync message contains data indicating a number of network nodes in the network. The leader node and the plurality of follower nodes transmit information during a transmission period of the network interval and do not transmit information during a sleep period of the network interval. The network interval is of a fixed length of time, the transmission period is of a variable length of time based upon the number of network nodes in the network, and the sleep period includes remaining time of the network interval after the transmission period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: Industrial Scientific Corporation
    Inventors: L. Robert Crouthamel, Raghu Arunachalam, Benjamin Haas, Henry Xin, Lisa McCracken, Scott Jubeck
  • Publication number: 20210204195
    Abstract: A static memory device including an instrument, a wireless radio, a shared memory, an outgoing memory portion and an incoming memory portion. The instrument includes an environmental sensing device, a hazard detection device, and/or an industrial safety device. The wireless radio sends and receives information on a wireless mesh network. The shared memory is connected to the instrument and wireless radio and includes static message memory having static messages related to the instrument. The outgoing memory portion receives outgoing information from the instrument and transmits the outgoing information to the wireless radio for transmission on the wireless mesh network. The incoming memory portion receives incoming information from the wireless radio and transmits the incoming information to the instrument. The shared memory restricts the wireless radio and the instrument from both raising grant lines and granting data to either the incoming memory portion or the outgoing memory portion simultaneously.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2021
    Publication date: July 1, 2021
    Inventors: L. Robert Crouthamel, Raghu Arunachalam, Benjamin Haas, Henry Xin, Lisa McCracken, Scott Jubeck
  • Publication number: 20210114862
    Abstract: A headband comprising a fabric portion whose position is constrained at a trailing edge of a jaw of a horse by a nose strap resting on the face of the horse between the eyes and muzzle and a tag positioned by the headband on a head of the horse, avoiding a forelock and at least one ear of the horse, wherein a tension in a nosepiece portion of the headband is translated to a tension in a head portion of the headband which serves to pull the tag into contact with the head just behind a poll.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2020
    Publication date: April 22, 2021
    Inventors: L. Robert Crouthamel, Tammy L. Crouthamel, Jennifer Rocket
  • Publication number: 20210112781
    Abstract: Methods to conserve a sensor's power include training a model to predict a condition of an animal with a training data set, wherein the training data set comprises known outcomes associated with behavioral data and health data for a plurality of animals; sensing, with a sensor worn by a monitored animal, behavioral data and health data of the monitored animal; inputting the behavioral data and health data of the monitored animal into the model; predicting a condition of the monitored animal with the model based on the inputted behavioral data and health data; and configuring a parameter of the sensor associated with the monitored animal based on the predicted condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2020
    Publication date: April 22, 2021
    Inventors: L. Robert Crouthamel, Tammy L. Crouthamel, Nathanial R. Drake
  • Patent number: 10905105
    Abstract: A method of provisioning a sensor tag for monitoring or managing an animal includes providing a mount for the sensor tag, wherein the mount is adapted to be worn on a body part of an animal and comprises an RFID device and the sensor tag is releasably connectable to the mount. The method further includes exciting the RFID device, wherein the RFID device is programmed with data of an animal. Upon exciting the RFID device, configuring the sensor tag to be associated with the animal based on the data of the animal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: Farm Jenny LLC
    Inventors: L. Robert Crouthamel, Tammy L. Crouthamel, Nathanial R. Drake
  • Publication number: 20200260228
    Abstract: Beacon systems include a beacon including a transmitter, a processor, and a sensor for collecting sensor data, wherein the beacon broadcasts a beacon message comprising informational data based on a value of the sensor data and data regarding a minimum received signal strength for the relevance of the beacon message. The beacon system may include a receiving device, wherein the receiving device comprises a processor and an alarm adapted to be triggered by the beacon message, wherein the processor determines a relevance of the beacon message by comparing the minimum received signal strength for the relevance of the beacon message to an actual received signal strength of the beacon message, wherein, if the actual received signal strength is greater than or equal to the minimum received signal strength, the receiving device is within a range of relevance and the alarm is triggered.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2020
    Publication date: August 13, 2020
    Inventors: Raghu Arunachalam, L. Robert Crouthamel
  • Patent number: 10694336
    Abstract: A system for creating of list of active beacons includes at least one receiving device, comprising a receiver adapted to receive a beacon broadcast from one or more of a plurality of beacons, resulting in one or more received beacon broadcasts, a processor, a memory, and a smart beacon application. For each received beacon broadcast comprising informational data and data regarding a range of relevance for that beacon, the smart beacon application: 1) determines whether the beacon is relevant by comparing a strength of the received beacon broadcast to the range of relevance in the beacon broadcast, and 2) creates a list of relevant beacons.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: Industrial Scientific Corporation
    Inventors: Raghu Arunachalam, L. Robert Crouthamel
  • Patent number: 10674317
    Abstract: Systems for muster include an entrance receiving device in a location adapted to receive a plurality of beacon broadcasts from one or more of a plurality of mobile beacons, each associated with a worker and broadcasting an identification ID of the worker, to create an on-site record of workers entering or exiting the location. The system includes a muster site receiving device at a muster site to record an identification ID from beacon broadcasts of workers at the muster site. The on-site record is compared to the recorded muster site IDs to determine if all workers have mustered. Alarms may be triggered if not.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: Industrial Scientific Corporation
    Inventors: Raghu Arunachalam, L. Robert Crouthamel
  • Publication number: 20200169945
    Abstract: A system including a plurality of network devices including one or more worker monitoring devices and one or more area monitoring devices is provided. The plurality of network devices monitor at least one of a peer alarm, a worker biometric datum or an area environmental datum. The plurality of network devices are structured to communicate with one another in an ad-hoc wireless mesh network. A first network device of the plurality of network devices transmits the at least one peer alarm, worker biometric datum or area environmental datum for presentation on a second network device of the plurality of network devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2020
    Publication date: May 28, 2020
    Inventors: L. Robert Crouthamel, Raghu Arunachalam, Benjamin Haas, Henry Xin, Lisa McCracken, Scott Jubeck