Patents by Inventor Michael A. Smith

Michael A. 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).

  • Publication number: 20240074079
    Abstract: An electrical assembly including a grounding mechanism and an electrical device, the grounding mechanism including a support longitudinal member and a switch contact member, the switch contact member arranged in or on the support longitudinal member, the switch contact member configured to be connected in use to ground, the electrical device including an electrical terminal, wherein the support longitudinal member is configured to be slidable between: a first position in which the switch contact member is separated from the electrical terminal so that the switch contact member is electrically disconnected from the electrical device and a second position in which the switch contact member is in contact with the electrical terminal so that the switch contact member is electrically connected to the electrical device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2022
    Publication date: February 29, 2024
    Inventors: Neil Stuart SPIBEY, Dario BERGAMO, Eros STELLA, Philip Stephen JONES, Michael EVANS, Ashley SMITH, Matthew Robert ORFORD
  • Publication number: 20240071349
    Abstract: A phased array ultrasonic testing device for positioning first and second phased array probes relative to a surface of a material to be tested. The testing device includes a first wedge configured to receive and orient the first phased array probe relative to the surface. A second wedge is configured to receive and orient the second phased array probe relative to the surface. A coupling structure is mounted to the first and second wedges and configured to selectively provide for the first and second wedges to move parallel to one another in a first direction and restrict relative movement of the first and second wedges in other directions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2021
    Publication date: February 29, 2024
    Inventors: Joseph Michael Shea, Jr., Alex McMullin, Rosemarie Kathleen Sanders, Gregory Allen Crum, Kevin Alan Maurigi, Jr., Maurice Kyle Smith
  • Publication number: 20240072057
    Abstract: Semiconductor devices including an adjusted bottom/deep well embedded in a semiconductor substrate. The adjusted bottom/deep well having one or more characteristics resulting from being formed using or through a temporary masked layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2022
    Publication date: February 29, 2024
    Inventor: Michael A. Smith
  • Patent number: 11913752
    Abstract: A crossbow de-cocking mechanism may include a trigger mechanism, a trigger latch mechanism and a winch assembly. A first rotational input to the winch may move a trigger latch to disengage the trigger mechanism. A second rotational input to the trigger latch, opposite to the first, may move the trigger mechanism to move a crossbow bowstring from a cocked position to an un-cocked position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Hunter's Manufacturing Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard Bednar, Michael Shaffer, Gary Smith, Jr., Eric Vankeulen
  • Patent number: 11912983
    Abstract: The present technology relates to a method of separating a sample comprising oligonucleotides. The method includes injecting a polyphosphonic acid at a concentration of between about 0.01 M to about 1 M into the sample comprising oligonucleotides. The method also includes flowing the sample and polyphosphonic acid through a liquid chromatography column and separating the oligonucleotides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Waters Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Donegan, Martin Gilar, Matthew Lauber, Scott Mccall, Pamela Iraneta, Kerri Smith
  • Patent number: 11911796
    Abstract: A package sort cell includes a robot with an end of arm tool for transporting packages from an in-feed conveyor to a selected one of a plurality of out-feed conveyors or bins, the robot receiving instruction from the package reader as to which of the plurality of conveyors or bins to hand-off the package. An end of arm tool may be in the configuration of a conveyor which may be aligned with the out-feed conveyor on a bottom up movement. The end of arm tool may also be in the configuration of a hanging carriage frame suspending a conveyor in a top down movement. A worker platform may be provided which may be movable between in-use and out-of-use positions whereby upon robot downtime, the platform may move into the in-use position for a worker to temporarily takeover the transfer functions of the robot. A plurality of sort cells may be arranged in side by side relation adjacent a like plurality of package delivery points (e.g.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: InTunes Products, LLC
    Inventors: Michael Marseglia, Michael Fisher, Scott Baube, Christopher Angevine, Greggory Bartoo, Dennis O'Neill, Austin Smith
  • Patent number: 11913763
    Abstract: An ammunition press for manufacturing or reloading ammunition cartridges. The ammunition press includes a slide bearing about which the ram of the ammunition press moves to provide smooth operation of the ammunition press. A configurable spent primer system is provided to enable a user to select how they want to collect spent primers or other debris from the ammunition press. According to a user's preference, the ammunition press can also be customized to provide a cam-over or non-cam-over sensation as the user operates the ammunition press. A light is integrated with the ammunition press for illuminating a shell holder that holds the ammunition shells (sometimes called cases). Components of the ammunition press and associated methods are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: AOB PRODUCTS COMPANY
    Inventors: Shane Ball, Justin Burke, Michael Lindsay, Jarrod Grove, Michael Cottrell, James Tayon, Curtis Smith
  • Publication number: 20240058851
    Abstract: A petroleum coke carbon capture and sequestration method is provided which includes processing the petroleum coke into a petroleum coke particulate, preparing a slurry including the petroleum coke particulate, and injecting the slurry into an underground area. The underground area could be a live crude oil extraction well, where it could displace crude oil, an underground storage facility, a salt formation, or the like.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 5, 2023
    Publication date: February 22, 2024
    Applicant: Confair Carbon Capture Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Robert Confair, Michael Smith
  • Patent number: 11901448
    Abstract: High voltage isolation devices for semiconductor devices and associated systems, are disclosed herein. The isolation device may support operations of a 3-dimensional NAND memory array of the semiconductor device. In some embodiments, during high voltage operations (e.g., erase operations), the isolation device may provide a high voltage to the memory array while isolating other circuitry supporting low voltage operations of the memory array from the high voltage. The isolation device may include a set of narrow active areas separating the low voltage circuitry from the high voltage and a gate over the narrow active areas. In a further embodiment, the isolation device includes interdigitated narrow active areas and a common gate over the interdigitated narrow active areas to reduce an area occupied by the isolation devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael A. Smith
  • Publication number: 20240038904
    Abstract: A semiconductor structure includes a capacitor structure comprising an active region comprising opposing field edges parallel to a first horizontal direction and a gate region comprising opposing gate edges parallel to a second horizontal direction transverse to the first horizontal direction. The semiconductor structure also comprises a first dielectric material adjacent at least one of the opposing field edges or the opposing gate edges and a second dielectric material adjacent the active area and abutting portions of the first dielectric material. A height of the second dielectric material in a vertical direction may be less than the height of the first dielectric material. Semiconductor devices and related methods are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2023
    Publication date: February 1, 2024
    Inventor: Michael A. Smith
  • Patent number: 11889687
    Abstract: Integrated circuit structures might include a semiconductor material, a first active area in the semiconductor material, a second active area in the semiconductor material, and an isolation structure comprising a dielectric material deposited in a trench formed in the semiconductor material between the first active area and the second active area. The isolation structure might further include a first edge portion extending below a surface of the semiconductor material to a first depth, a second edge portion extending below the surface of the semiconductor material to the first depth, and an interior portion between the first edge portion and the second edge portion, and extending below the surface of the semiconductor material to a second depth, less than the first depth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael A. Smith
  • Patent number: 11881528
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a substrate and a transistor disposed on the substrate. The transistor includes a source and a source contact disposed on the source. The transistor also includes a drain and a drain contact disposed on the drain. A gate is disposed between the source contact and the drain contact, and a screened region is disposed adjacent the source contact or the drain contact. The screened region corresponds to a lightly doped region. The screened region includes an implant screen configured to reduce an effective dose in the screened region so as to shift an acceptable dose range of the screened region to a higher dose range. The acceptable dose range corresponds to acceptable breakdown voltage values for the screened region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael A. Smith
  • Patent number: 11875782
    Abstract: An event sensing system includes one or more sensor assemblies, each sensor assembly including a housing, a microphone, and an audio signal processor. The audio signal processor is configured to generate one of an event classification, which is indicative of a type of event, and an event characteristic, which is indicative of a severity of an event, from the audio signal. The sensor assembly is configured to transmit event records that contain the generated event data to a cloud infrastructure component. The cloud infrastructure component is configured to calculate the probability of an event occurring at a plurality of locations in a region within a bounded time window based on the event records received from a plurality of sensor assemblies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: American Family Mutual Insurance Company, S.I.
    Inventors: Michael Smith, Ben Zimmerman, Sherry Eckholm, Peter Gunder
  • Publication number: 20240012822
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides various systems and methods for indexing digital (electronic) documents and providing various error reporting and identification functions. The systems and methods may utilize various software, hardware, and firmware modules to identify notations, such as sheet names, anchors, and anchor references on construction documents. Various algorithms and methods may be employed to identify errors, erroneous notations, missing sheets, missing details, and/or the like to aid in the correction of construction documents. Identified notations are indexed and used to create hyperlinked pages that are easily navigable. In some embodiments, the hyperlinked pages may include previous- and next-sheet hyperlinks that allow for direct navigation within a set of pages, according to an order provided in an index sheet (e.g., a table of contents sheet).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2023
    Publication date: January 11, 2024
    Inventors: Samuel Melvin Smith, Michael Smith
  • Patent number: 11868900
    Abstract: One embodiment includes a method for generating representations of inputs with missing values. The method includes steps for receiving an input includes a set of one or more values for several features, wherein the set of values for at least one of the several features includes values for each of several points in time, and for identifying a missingness pattern of the input, wherein the missingness pattern for the at least one feature indicates whether the set of values is missing a value for each of the several points in time. The method further includes steps for determining a set of one or more transformation weights based on the missingness pattern, and transforming the input based on the determined transformation weights.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: Unlearn.AI, Inc.
    Inventors: Aaron Michael Smith, Charles Kenneth Fisher, Franklin D. Fuller
  • Patent number: 11866669
    Abstract: A process of making a fuel product from a non-combustible high protein organic material such as a biological by-product or waste material. The moisture content of the high protein organic material is mechanically reduced and dried to reduce the moisture content to less than ten percent (10%). The high protein organic material is pulverized to a particle size of less than about 2 mm. The high protein organic waste material is fed into a combustion chamber and separated during combustion such as by spraying high protein organic waste material within the combustion chamber. Temperature and combustion reactions within the combustion chamber are controlled by controlling the moisture in the combustion atmosphere and energy injections at or downstream of the combustion chamber. The concentration of protein thermal decomposition by-products, temperature, and residence time and/or additions of energy plasma within the combustion chamber environment are controlled to degrade hazardous polyfluoro compounds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: AKBEV GROUP, LLC
    Inventors: Geoffrey L Larson, Curtis Holmes, Brandon Michael Smith, David D. Wilson
  • Patent number: 11867364
    Abstract: Light emitting diode (LED) light tubes having rotatable end cap assemblies are described. The LED light tubes include a hollow tube and a circuit board with LED chips thereon. The end cap assemblies are provided on either end of the tube. Each end cap assembly includes a socket cap, a plug having a plug body and at least one connector, and an end cap body, one end of which engages one of the ends of the hollow tube. A cam locking mount that is positioned within the plug body and on the opposite side has projections to be positioned in the bore of the end cap body. A rotation cam is seated in the cam locking mount and provides for controlled rotation of the LED tube relative to the end caps. Methods of installing the LED light tubes in new installations and retrofit installations and for use in sign assemblies are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: Keystone Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Joshua David Brown, Evan Michael Smith
  • Patent number: 11861860
    Abstract: Described are systems and methods to determine one or more body dimensions of a body based on a processing of one or more two-dimensional images that include a representation of the body. Body dimensions include any length, circumference, etc., of any part of a body, such as shoulder circumference, chest circumference, waist circumference, hip circumference, inseam length, bicep circumference, leg circumference, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Amit Kumar Agrawal, Siddharth Choudhary, Antonio Criminisi, Ganesh Subramanian Iyer, JinJin Li, Prakash Ramu, Brandon Michael Smith, Durga Venkata Kiran Yakkala
  • Patent number: 11863845
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus and systems for geometric matching of virtual reality (VR) or augmented reality (AR) output contemporaneously with video output formatted for display on a 2D screen include a determination of value sets that when used in image processing cause an off-screen angular field of view of the at least one of the AR output object or the VR output object to have a fixed relationship to at least one of the angular field of view of the onscreen object or of the 2D screen. The AR/VR output object is outputted to an AR/VR display device and the user experience is improved by the geometric matching between objects observed on the AR/VR display device and corresponding objects appearing on the 2D screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: WARNER BROS. ENTERTAINMENT INC.
    Inventors: Christopher DeFaria, Michael Smith
  • Patent number: 11857985
    Abstract: An airpot beverage dispenser having a body with a beverage cavity, a lid with lower and upper lid portions, a bellows within the upper lid portion, an actuator for compressing the bellows to increase the pressure of trapped air in the bellows, a duckbill valve, a skirt valve extending fully around the duckbill valve, and a spout. The skirt valve is movable into sealing engagement with a lid lower wall to define an air flow path from the bellows to the beverage cavity, and when the pressure of the trapped air in the bellows is sufficiently increased, the duckbill valve opens and passes the trapped air to the beverage cavity to force beverage out the spout. When the spout is moved to a stored position and the dispenser is in a locked state, the skirt valve serves as a relief valve to prevent over pressure in the beverage cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: Pacific Market International, LLC
    Inventors: Matthew Kenneth Dolph, Ryan Michael Smith, Stephen Lake, Andrew C. F. Wahl, Ping The Phan