Patents by Inventor Michael Horton

Michael Horton 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: 20180083480
    Abstract: A sun visor assembly for a motorized vehicle includes first and second panels configured to be pivotally mounted to a sun visor support rod. The second panel includes a solar panel to generate power to charge a portable device. The sun visor assembly includes a solar panel voltage regulator configured to generate a regulated electric power from electric power generated by the solar panel. The solar panel voltage regulator is operatively coupled with a device charging output port to output the regulated electric power to charge the portable device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2016
    Publication date: March 22, 2018
    Inventors: Valencia Burton, Michael Horton
  • Patent number: 9443071
    Abstract: Devices, systems and methods are disclosed for additional security, functionality, and convenience in the operation of a wireless communication device with the use of a separate proximity security token in communication with the wireless communication device. In exemplary embodiments, the token is carried by the user while device logic is installed on the user's wireless communication device. The device logic along with transceivers allows the device to sense proximity of the token through wireless communication. Given a certain range of the proximity security token, as determined by the wireless signal strength, the device logic determines whether the device is in a locked or unlocked state. If the proximity security token is outside the range, then the device is locked. The proximity security token uses ultra low power communications for optimal battery life.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventor: Michael Horton
  • Patent number: 9217639
    Abstract: A true north heading is determined by using gyroscopes of differing accuracy and orienting a gyroscope of a higher accuracy to a direction that is more sensitive to azimuth change (e.g., an east/west direction). A gyroscope with a lower accuracy is placed perpendicular to the gyroscope with a higher accuracy and can be oriented towards a north or south direction. The gyroscopes may be placed on a rotatable platform to properly orient the gyroscopes. The higher-accuracy gyroscope may be implemented by using multiple gyroscopes oriented in the same direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: Moog Inc.
    Inventors: Qiyue Zhang, Michael A. Horton, Ralph M. Kling, Semen Shtigluz
  • Patent number: 8965736
    Abstract: Embodiments relate to a MEMS IMU having an automatic gain control. The dynamic measurement range of the MEMS IMU is controlled by controlling the gain of a signal amplifier before the analog to digital converter (ADC) to make full use of the ADC range. In one embodiment, two or more MEMS inertial sensor sets are installed in the IMU. One of the sensor sets is for high accuracy with low dynamic range, and the other set or sets is for higher dynamic range with less resolution or accuracy. In one implementation, a digital processor determines which of the sensor sets to be used according to the system dynamic estimation. In another implementation, the system weights the sensor outputs from the sensor sets according to the system dynamics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Moog Inc.
    Inventors: Michael A. Horton, Qiyue-John Zhang
  • Patent number: 8869106
    Abstract: A language service provider framework that generates an application context of a dynamic language program being authored. The application context includes a description of the dynamic language application being authored, one or more specific locations within the program, and runtime environment information. A language service provider port component holds one or more language service providers. Each language service provider may receive the application context and generate a set of available symbols corresponding to each of at least one of the identified one or more specific locations. A management component receives the application context from the application context generation component, provides the application context the language service provider, and correspondingly receives the available symbol set from the language service provider.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Charles P. Jazdzewski, Michael C. Fanning, Randy S. Kimmerly, A. Michael Horton
  • Patent number: 8825436
    Abstract: A spatially distributed MEMS inertial sensor array is designed to reduce or cancel measurement errors and to increase the signal detection accuracy. By combining the measurements from a pair of sensors having sensing axes in two different, non-orthogonal directions, the correlated error due to the environmental changes are cancelled or reduced and the uncorrelated random noise is also reduced by the square root of two. By sequentially sampling the sensor array in the time domain, the number of the ADC circuits can be largely reduced. A two dimensional signal processing method is used to process the sensor array output data, in order to further reduce the remaining errors. Namely, one dimension uses the outputs from multiple spatially distributed sensor sets and the other dimension is the time domain. The signal to noise ratio is increased by using the signal correlation in both the spatial domain and the time domain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Moog Inc.
    Inventors: Qiyue-John Zhang, Ralph M. Kling, Michael A. Horton, Martin A. Williams, David J. Zaziski
  • Publication number: 20140166474
    Abstract: A coating for a metal surface that provides excellent resistance to both electrochemical corrosion and mechanical insult is provided. The coating involves at least an inner coating that is a sacrificial anodic layer and an outer coating that is a protective dielectric material made of inorganic metal oxide. Some versions of the coating include an intermediate layer as well that serves to improve adhesion between the coatings and may provide additional galvanic protection. Although the coating can be made by a variety of methods, advanced methods of spray application are provided for making high-quality lightweight versions the coating.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2014
    Publication date: June 19, 2014
    Applicant: United States Pipe and Foundry Company, LLC
    Inventors: A. Michael HORTON, William H. Owen
  • Publication number: 20140134456
    Abstract: A coating for a metal surface that provides excellent resistance to both electrochemical corrosion and mechanical insult is provided. The coating involves at least an inner coating that is a sacrificial anodic layer and an outer coating that is a protective dielectric material made of inorganic metal oxide. Some versions of the coating include an intermediate layer as well that serves to improve adhesion between the coatings and may provide additional galvanic protection. Although the coating can be made by a variety of methods, advanced methods of spray application are provided for making high-quality lightweight versions the coating.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2014
    Publication date: May 15, 2014
    Applicant: United States Pipe and Foundry Company, LLC
    Inventors: A. Michael HORTON, William H. Owen
  • Publication number: 20140137235
    Abstract: Devices, systems and methods are disclosed for additional security, functionality, and convenience in the operation of a wireless communication device with the use of a separate proximity security token in communication with the wireless communication device. In exemplary embodiments, the token is carried by the user while device logic is installed on the user's wireless communication device. The device logic along with transceivers allows the device to sense proximity of the token through wireless communication. Given a certain range of the proximity security token, as determined by the wireless signal strength, the device logic determines whether the device is in a locked or unlocked state. If the proximity security token is outside the range, then the device is locked. The proximity security token uses ultra-low power communications for optimal battery life.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2014
    Publication date: May 15, 2014
    Applicant: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.
    Inventor: Michael Horton
  • Patent number: 8697251
    Abstract: A coating for a metal surface that provides excellent resistance to both electrochemical corrosion and mechanical insult is provided. The coating involves at least an inner coating that is a sacrificial anodic layer and an outer coating that is a protective dielectric material made of inorganic metal oxide. Some versions of the coating include an intermediate layer as well that serves to improve adhesion between the coatings and may provide additional galvanic protection. Although the coating can be made by a variety of methods, advanced methods of spray application are provided for making high-quality lightweight versions the coating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2014
    Assignee: United States Pipe and Foundry Company, LLC
    Inventors: A Michael Horton, William H Owen
  • Patent number: 8521428
    Abstract: A system and method for more accurately and robustly determining the heading of a vehicle by taking measurements of angle rates using rate sensors mounted on a movable mechanical assembly. In a quasi-static state of the vehicle, the mechanical assembly is rotated around axes perpendicular to the tangent plane of the Earth, and angle rates are measured by the rate sensors at different rotational angles of the mechanical assembly. The measurements of the angle rates are then computed to determine the initial heading of the vehicle relative to the true north of the Earth in the quasi-static state of the vehicle. After determining the initial heading, navigation state propagation is performed to determine the heading of the vehicle in non-quasi-static state of the vehicle. By taking measurements of the rate sensors at different rotation angles and performing computation, the heading of the vehicle relative to the Earth's true north can be determined using less accurate angle sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: Moog Inc.
    Inventors: Darren S. Liccardo, John J. James, Walter K. Stockwell, Michael A. Horton
  • Patent number: 8499304
    Abstract: In one or more embodiments, one or more methods and/or systems described can perform displaying, on a handheld device, multiple icons associated with multiple segments; receiving first user input indicating a first segment of the multiple segments; executing a first virtual machine associated with the first segment on the handheld device; executing a first application on the first virtual machine; receiving second user input indicating a second segment of the multiple segments; executing a second virtual machine associated with the second segment on the handheld device; and executing a second application on the second virtual machine. In one or more embodiments, one or more methods and/or systems described can further perform before executing the second virtual machine, receiving authentication information and determining that the user is authenticated. In one or more embodiments, the authentication information can include at least one of a user name, a password, and/or biometric information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2013
    Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC
    Inventors: Gustavo De Los Reyes, Michael Horton, Sanjay Macwan
  • Publication number: 20130159968
    Abstract: A language service provider framework that generates an application context of a dynamic language program being authored. The application context includes a description of the dynamic language application being authored, one or more specific locations within the program, and runtime environment information. A language service provider port component holds one or more language service providers. Each language service provider may receive the application context and generate a set of available symbols corresponding to each of at least one of the identified one or more specific locations. A management component receives the application context from the application context generation component, provides the application context the language service provider, and correspondingly receives the available symbol set from the language service provider.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2011
    Publication date: June 20, 2013
    Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Charles P. Jazdzewski, Michael C. Fanning, Randy S. Kimmerly, A. Michael Horton
  • Patent number: 8293378
    Abstract: A protective coating for a metal substrate is provided that is light, durable, galvanically protective, and easily applied at the site of manufacture. The coating has at least two layers, one of which is a galvanizing layer and one of which is a micro-composite of a galvanic metal and a non-conducting material, such as polymer. Such coatings are useful for example to protect pipes or other metal surfaces in corrosive environments. Methods of producing the coating are provided, including methods that use advanced spraying techniques to provide very thin but consistent layers. Using the advanced spraying methods the composite layer can be created by co-spraying the galvanic metal and the nonconductive material onto the surface of the galvanic coating. Optionally, an outer coat of insulating material can be applied to provide further protection to the surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: United States Pipe and Foundry Company LLC
    Inventors: William H. Owen, A. Michael Horton, James Weber
  • Publication number: 20120232832
    Abstract: A spatially distributed MEMS inertial sensor array is designed to reduce or cancel measurement errors and to increase the signal detection accuracy. By combining the measurements from a pair of sensors having sensing axes in two different, non-orthogonal directions, the correlated error due to the environmental changes are cancelled or reduced and the uncorrelated random noise is also reduced by the square root of two. By sequentially sampling the sensor array in the time domain, the number of the ADC circuits can be largely reduced. A two dimensional signal processing method is used to process the sensor array output data, in order to further reduce the remaining errors. Namely, one dimension uses the outputs from multiple spatially distributed sensor sets and the other dimension is the time domain. The signal to noise ratio is increased by using the signal correlation in both the spatial domain and the time domain.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2011
    Publication date: September 13, 2012
    Applicant: CROSSBOW TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Qiyue-John Zhang, Ralph M. Kling, Michael A. Horton, Martin A. Williams, David J. Zaziski
  • Publication number: 20120232847
    Abstract: Embodiments relate to a MEMS IMU having an automatic gain control. The dynamic measurement range of the MEMS IMU is controlled by controlling the gain of a signal amplifier before the analog to digital converter (ADC) to make full use of the ADC range. In one embodiment, two or more MEMS inertial sensor sets are installed in the IMU. One of the sensor sets is for high accuracy with low dynamic range, and the other set or sets is for higher dynamic range with less resolution or accuracy. In one implementation, a digital processor determines which of the sensor sets to be used according to the system dynamic estimation. In another implementation, the system weights the sensor outputs from the sensor sets according to the system dynamics.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2011
    Publication date: September 13, 2012
    Applicant: CROSSBOW TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Michael A. Horton, Qiyue-John Zhang
  • Publication number: 20110314539
    Abstract: Devices, systems and methods are disclosed for additional security, functionality, and convenience in the operation of a wireless communication device with the use of a separate proximity security token in communication with the wireless communication device. In exemplary embodiments, the token is carried by the user while device logic is installed on the user's wireless communication device. The device logic along with transceivers allows the device to sense proximity of the token through wireless communication. Given a certain range of the proximity security token, as determined by the wireless signal strength, the device logic determines whether the device is in a locked or unlocked state. If the proximity security token is outside the range, then the device is locked. The proximity security token uses ultra low power communications for optimal battery life.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2010
    Publication date: December 22, 2011
    Applicant: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.
    Inventor: Michael Horton
  • Publication number: 20110177358
    Abstract: A coating for a metal surface that provides excellent resistance to both electrochemical corrosion and mechanical insult is provided. The coating involves at least an inner coating that is a sacrificial anodic layer and an outer coating that is a protective dielectric material made of inorganic metal oxide. Some versions of the coating include an intermediate layer as well that serves to improve adhesion between the coatings and may provide additional galvanic protection. Although the coating can be made by a variety of methods, advanced methods of spray application are provided for making high-quality lightweight versions the coating.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2010
    Publication date: July 21, 2011
    Applicant: UNITED STATES PIPE AND FOUNDRY COMPANY, LLC
    Inventors: A Michael Horton, William H Owen
  • Patent number: 7978061
    Abstract: A plurality of modules interact to form an adaptive network in which each module transmits and receives data signals indicative of proximity of objects. A central computer accumulates the data produced or received and relayed by each module for analyzing proximity responses to transmit through the adaptive network control signals to a selectively-addressed module to respond to computer analyses of the data accumulated from modules forming the adaptive network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2011
    Assignee: Memsic Transducer Systems Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Alan S. Broad, Michael A. Horton
  • Publication number: 20110145833
    Abstract: In one or more embodiments, one or more methods and/or systems described can perform displaying, on a handheld device, multiple icons associated with multiple segments; receiving first user input indicating a first segment of the multiple segments; executing a first virtual machine associated with the first segment on the handheld device; executing a first application on the first virtual machine; receiving second user input indicating a second segment of the multiple segments; executing a second virtual machine associated with the second segment on the handheld device; and executing a second application on the second virtual machine. In one or more embodiments, one or more methods and/or systems described can further perform before executing the second virtual machine, receiving authentication information and determining that the user is authenticated. In one or more embodiments, the authentication information can include at least one of a user name, a password, and/or biometric information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2009
    Publication date: June 16, 2011
    Applicant: AT&T MOBILITY II LLC
    Inventors: Gustavo De Los Reyes, Michael Horton, Sanjay Macwan