Patents by Inventor Norman A. Smith

Norman 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: 20060079757
    Abstract: An image processing system (1-5) is provided which obtains images of a patient (8) from multiple view points and which then generates positioning instructions for a mechanical couch (7) to vary the position of a patient. A number of techniques are disclosed in order to calibrate the image processing system so as to enable the image processing system to identify the iso centre of radiation beams generated by a treatment apparatus (6). Techniques for processing generated 3 dimensional models to monitor a patient's breathing are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2005
    Publication date: April 13, 2006
    Applicant: Vision RT Limited
    Inventors: Norman Smith, Ivan Meir
  • Publication number: 20060058720
    Abstract: A cervical traction device includes a base, a cervical force application member, and a motor operably attached to the cervical force application member. The motor preferably drives the cervical application member through a direct drive system in order to provide a force to a person's cervical vertebra. The cervical traction device may also include a linear actuator for elevating the person's head to direct the force applied to the cervical vertebra. When integrated on a vertebral distraction machine, the cervical traction device includes its own motor for applying force to the cervical vertebra.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2005
    Publication date: March 16, 2006
    Inventors: Carlos Becerra, Norman Smith, Markus Randel, Tony Copeland
  • Publication number: 20060036207
    Abstract: An integral conduit (407) in the formed of stepped tubing defines at least part of a drainage flow path (408/408?) that accommodates a flow rate of at least about 0.15 microliters/minute/mm2/mm-Hg out of the anterior chamber (284) of the eye (266). One or more flow modules (415) may be disposed within this drainage flow path (408/048?) and are located exteriorly of the eye (266). Each flow module (415) may be in the form of a filter or a pressure regulator. In one embodiment, one flow module (415) in the form of a filter is used in combination with another flow module (415) in the form of a pressure regulator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2005
    Publication date: February 16, 2006
    Inventors: James Koonmen, Norman Smith, Jeffry Sniegowski, Stephen Barnes, Paul McWhorter, M. Rodgers
  • Publication number: 20060015145
    Abstract: A spinal treatment apparatus for applying a force to a patient includes a base portion, a telescoping support, a spinal distraction device and an actuator. The telescoping support is mounted on the base portion and includes a bottom member and a top member. The top member is engaged with the bottom member so that the top member has a retracted position and an extended position. The telescoping support is capable of withstanding a force, corresponding to the spinal treatment force, imparted on the top member, while in both the retracted position and the extended position. The spinal distraction device is mounted on the top member and applies the spinal treatment force to the patient. The actuator moves the top member vertically relative to the bottom member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2005
    Publication date: January 19, 2006
    Inventors: Norman Smith, Carlos Becerra, Shelly Fleming
  • Publication number: 20060009626
    Abstract: Mono- and Bis-Azo/Hydrazone Pyrrole Pigments and Methods for preparing same.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2005
    Publication date: January 12, 2006
    Inventors: Terence Chamberlain, Norman Smith, Donald DeRussy
  • Patent number: 6984217
    Abstract: A cervical traction device includes a base, a cervical force application member, and a motor operably attached to the cervical force application member. The motor preferably drives the cervical application member through a direct drive system in order to provide a force to a person's cervical vertebra. The cervical traction device may also include a linear actuator for elevating the person's head to direct the force applied to the cervical vertebra. When integrated on a vertebral distraction machine, the cervical traction device includes its own motor for applying force to the cervical vertebra.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2006
    Assignee: North American Medical Corporation
    Inventors: Carlos Becerra, Norman A. Smith, Markus Randel, Tony Copeland
  • Publication number: 20050288494
    Abstract: Mono- and Bis-Azo/Hydrazone Pyrrole Pigments and Methods for preparing same.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2005
    Publication date: December 29, 2005
    Inventors: Terence Chamberlain, Norman Smith, Donald DeRussy
  • Publication number: 20050288496
    Abstract: Mono- and Bis-Azo/Hydrazone Pyrrole Pigments and Methods for preparing same.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2005
    Publication date: December 29, 2005
    Inventors: Terence Chamberlain, Norman Smith, Donald DeRussy
  • Publication number: 20050288495
    Abstract: Mono- and Bis-Azo/Hydrazone Pyrrole Pigments and Methods for preparing same.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2005
    Publication date: December 29, 2005
    Inventors: Terence Chamberlain, Norman Smith, Donald DeRussy
  • Publication number: 20050139127
    Abstract: A process for preparing transparent Pigment Yellow 138 by grinding Pigment Yellow 138 in the presence of a grinding agent, preparing an aqueous slurry of the ground particles, and filtering the slurry resulting in a filter cake containing particles of transparent Pigment Yellow 138. In addition, a process for improving color strength of an ink and/or plastic composition is also disclosed by adding transparent Pigment Yellow 138 to the composition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2003
    Publication date: June 30, 2005
    Inventors: Norman Smith, Russell Schwartz, Kimberly Clark, Terence Chamberlain
  • Publication number: 20050098346
    Abstract: A circuit board includes an assembly having first and second power reference plane layers, and an insulator layer between the first and second power reference plane layers. Discrete decoupling capacitors are further provided with the assembly. Additional layers are provided above and below the assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2004
    Publication date: May 12, 2005
    Inventors: Jun Fan, James Knighten, Arthur Alexander, Norman Smith
  • Publication number: 20050010152
    Abstract: A cervical traction device includes a base, a cervical force application member, and a motor operably attached to the cervical force application member. The motor preferably drives the cervical application member through a direct drive system in order to provide a force to a person's cervical vertebra. The cervical traction device may also include a linear actuator for elevating the person's head to direct the force applied to the cervical vertebra. When integrated on a vertebral distraction machine, the cervical traction device includes its own motor for applying force to the cervical vertebra.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2004
    Publication date: January 13, 2005
    Inventors: Carlos Becerra, Norman Smith, Markus Randel, Tony Copeland
  • Patent number: 6839462
    Abstract: A method of producing a simulated 3-dimensional image, the method comprising: assimilating 2-dimensional image data, e.g. from MR image slices; assigning a feature, e.g. gray scale value to each datum; reducing the resolution of each gray scale value of the data; generating a histogram of the reduced resolution gray scale data; performing a fast fuzzy c-means clustering on the histogram data. The resolution of each pixel object in the images may be reduced from 12 bit to 8 bit resolution, and the histogram may be generated from these. Subsequently a value may be assigned for each entry in the histogram, each entry value being equal to the number of objects of any given feature (e.g. gray scale) in the reduced resolution (8 bit) image. The image may be displayed using a novel color blending technique. A 3D image is produced quickly and without supervisory intervention and can be used in endoscopic surgery and in diagnostic methods as well as in understanding healthy anatomical features better.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2005
    Inventors: Richard I. Kitney, Norman Smith
  • Publication number: 20030023846
    Abstract: Provided is an architecture for a cryptography accelerator chip that allows significant performance improvements over previous prior art designs. In various embodiments, the architecture enables parallel processing of packets through a plurality of cryptography engines and includes a classification engine configured to efficiently process encryption/decryption of data packets. Cryptography acceleration chips in accordance may be incorporated on network line cards or service modules and used in applications as diverse as connecting a single computer to a WAN, to large corporate networks, to networks servicing wide geographic areas (e.g., cities). The present invention provides improved performance over the prior art designs, with much reduced local memory requirements, in some cases requiring no additional external memory. In some embodiments, the present invention enables sustained full duplex Gigabit rate security processing of IPSec protocol data packets.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2002
    Publication date: January 30, 2003
    Applicant: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Suresh Krishna, Christopher Owen, Derrick C. Lin, Joseph J. Tardo, Patrick Law, Phillip Norman Smith
  • Patent number: 6478031
    Abstract: This invention is concerned with improvements to a ledger for a rod-making machine of the type comprising a rod supporting part (14, 16) which is pivotally mounted on two linear motion devices (10; 12) each comprising a fixed gear (A), a first orbiting gear (B) which is preferably smaller than the fixed gear, and a pair of connected coaxial gears (C) and (D) of different diameter which also orbit about the axis of the fixed gear and which mesh respectively with the fixed gear and first orbiting gear (B), such that the effective gear ratio between the fixed gear (A) and the first orbiting gear (B) via the other two gears is 2:1, the rod supporting part being pivotally connected to the first orbiting gear (B) or to a crank connected thereto. According to the main improvement, an assembly including gears B, C and D and parts carrying them at appropriate positions is arranged to be readily replaceable to achieve a rod length change.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2002
    Assignee: Molins PLC
    Inventor: Michael Norman Smith
  • Patent number: 6450881
    Abstract: A room ventilation air inlet is mounted in a wall or ceiling to operate in conjunction with a central vacuum system as a suction source. Activation of a suction source connected by conduit to the inlet draws air from the room, removing odor and moisture. The air inlet has a valve to seal and open the air inlet. A single lever actuates both the valve and the central vacuum system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2002
    Inventor: James Norman Smith
  • Publication number: 20010013141
    Abstract: A room ventilation air inlet is mounted in a wall or ceiling to operate in conjunction with a central vacuum system as a suction source. Activation of a suction source connected by conduit to the inlet draws air from the room, removing odor and moisture. The air inlet has a valve to seal and open the air inlet. A single lever actuates both the valve and the central vacuum system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2000
    Publication date: August 16, 2001
    Inventor: James Norman Smith
  • Patent number: 6242902
    Abstract: A measuring configuration for transforming an electric variable on a high-voltage line into a measurable variable. An electrically conductive hollow body that can be connected to a ground potential is connected to a hollow insulating body so as to produce in the interior a cavity through which an electric conductor is guided. In this case, a section of the insulating body at an end of the hollow body side is walled around externally with an electrode body. An electric transformer externally surrounds the hollow body. The measuring configuration is explosion-proof and can be produced in a comparatively cost-effective fashion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2001
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Norman A. Smith
  • Patent number: 6174594
    Abstract: Duplex layers of carbon fiber each comprising a lower portion of uni-directional filaments and an upper staple fiber portion are laid one on top of the other in an annular form. Needles are reciprocated through the layers to cause the staple fiber to be pushed downwardly to interconnect the layers. The base supporting the layers being assembled is gradually lowered until there comes a time when the bottom of the needle stroke no longer passes through all of the layers. At that time additional layers comprising staple fiber only are added and needled down into the stack to enrich the lower layers. After that enrichment the stack is then built up by adding further duplex layers. When all of the duplex layers have been added, further staple fibers may be added to the stop of the stack and needled in order to enrich the upper layers with interconnecting staple fibers, which upper layers would otherwise be deficient in interconnecting staple fiber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 1995
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2001
    Assignee: Aerospace Preforms Limited
    Inventors: Norman Smith, Peter Geoffrey Lawton
  • Patent number: 6167575
    Abstract: A bathroom ventilation air inlet is mounted in conjunction with a toilet paper dispenser. Activation of a suction source connected by conduit to the inlet draws air from the bathroom, removing odour and moisture. The system also operates using a central vacuum system as a suction source. In such case the air inlet has a valve to seal and open the air inlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2001
    Inventor: James Norman Smith