Patents by Inventor Michael Brent Kitchen

Michael Brent Kitchen 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: 8359890
    Abstract: A light fence represented by aligned apertures in a plurality of wheels permits the passage of a light beam to a sensor to activate an electro-mechanical control for a lock. Such an arrangement avoids the sound-producing mechanical action of the typical tumbler lock and safeguards discovery of the opening combination. Rather than the typical case of a numerical sequencing combination, a novel approach is taken by using visual pattern recognition to align the apertures. The electro-mechanical control of the present invention additionally features optimized energy use, customizable settings, precision positioning, and an expansion of possible combination permutations by including direction of rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Inventor: Michael Brent Kitchen
  • Publication number: 20120146764
    Abstract: The present invention presents a novel security access device, wherein finger movements define a validation code to unlock entryway access in a system comprising an electronic controller directing a servomechanism. Security is enhanced by the finger movements, which are rendered virtually undetectable to an observer, and by the mathematical augmentation of the number of choices for code selection. Alternative embodiments present both a novel system and a novel method for validating access.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2010
    Publication date: June 14, 2012
    Inventors: Michael Brent Kitchen, Peter Michael Johnston
  • Publication number: 20100206024
    Abstract: A light fence represented by aligned apertures in a plurality of wheels permits the passage of a light beam to a sensor to activate an electro-mechanical control for a lock. Such an arrangement avoids the sound-producing mechanical action of the typical tumbler lock and safeguards discovery of the opening combination. Rather than the typical case of a numerical sequencing combination, a novel approach is taken by using visual pattern recognition to align the apertures. The electro-mechanical control of the present invention additionally features optimized energy use, customizable settings, precision positioning, and an expansion of possible combination permutations by including direction of rotation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2009
    Publication date: August 19, 2010
    Inventor: Michael Brent Kitchen