Patents by Inventor Thomas Eaton

Thomas Eaton 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: 11926304
    Abstract: A vehicle control system for controlling braking in a vehicle may include a braking system operably coupled to one or more wheels of the vehicle to provide brake inputs to the one or more wheels responsive to a torque request generated based on pedal position. The system may further include a pedal position sensor operably coupled to a brake pedal to determine the pedal position responsive to actuation of the brake pedal by a driver of the vehicle, a pedal feel simulator operably coupled to the brake pedal to provide tactile feedback to the driver via a pedal force applied to the brake pedal, an accelerometer for determining a rate of velocity reduction of the vehicle during the actuation of the brake pedal, and a feedback augmenter operably coupled to the pedal feel simulator to provide a pedal force offset to increase the pedal force provided to the brake pedal based on the rate of velocity reduction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Inventors: David S. Patterson, Thomas Svensson, Rob Eaton
  • Patent number: 11636714
    Abstract: A computerized system for managing a parking lot includes: a beacon in one-way, or location sensor in two-way, communication with a smart device for locating the smart device without it having to determine its own location, a vehicle sensor for sensing the presence of a vehicle, and a computer-implemented server operable to determine from the beacon's identification or receive from the location sensor the location of the smart device. The server authorizes entry or exit of the vehicle when a smart device status indicates acceptance, and the smart device and the vehicle are both at a same appropriate location. The server updates the smart device status after a payment transaction. Entry or exit may be authorized by opening a barrier, displaying an authorization message, communicating a message to the smart device, and/or not issuing a non-authorization alert. The server may receive reservations, and may communicate lot occupancy to third-party systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: REEF GLOBAL IP LLC
    Inventors: Milan Zivkovic, Charles Arendt, Peter Poon, Michael Heyd, Zachary Taylor, Thomas Eaton, Danielle Leighton, Christoph Jan Sepp
  • Publication number: 20200175776
    Abstract: A computerized system for managing a parking lot includes: a beacon in one-way, or location sensor in two-way, communication with a smart device for locating the smart device without it having to determine its own location, a vehicle sensor for sensing the presence of a vehicle, and a computer-implemented server operable to determine from the beacon's identification or receive from the location sensor the location of the smart device. The server authorizes entry or exit of the vehicle when a smart device status indicates acceptance, and the smart device and the vehicle are both at a same appropriate location. The server updates the smart device status after a payment transaction. Entry or exit may be authorized by opening a barrier, displaying an authorization message, communicating a message to the smart device, and/or not issuing a non-authorization alert. The server may receive reservations, and may communicate lot occupancy to third-party systems.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2020
    Publication date: June 4, 2020
    Inventors: MILAN ZIVKOVIC, CHARLES ARENDT, PETER POON, MICHAEL HEYD, ZACHARY TAYLOR, THOMAS EATON, DANIELLE LEIGHTON, Christoph Jan SEPP
  • Patent number: 9679132
    Abstract: A system receives a request to filter access by a client device to content over a network and causes access to network content by said client device to be filtered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: HEWLETT PACKARD ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT LP
    Inventors: Thomas Eaton Conklin, Vinay Saxena, Patrick Charles McGeer
  • Publication number: 20170109942
    Abstract: A computerized system for managing a parking lot includes: a beacon in one-way, or location sensor in two-way, communication with a smart device for locating the smart device without it having to determine its own location, a vehicle sensor for sensing the presence of a vehicle, and a computer-implemented server operable to determine from the beacon's identification or receive from the location sensor the location of the smart device. The server authorizes entry or exit of the vehicle when a smart device status indicates acceptance, and the smart device and the vehicle are both at a same appropriate location. The server updates the smart device status after a payment transaction. Entry or exit may be authorized by opening a barrier, displaying an authorization message, communicating a message to the smart device, and/or not issuing a non-authorization alert. The server may receive reservations, and may communicate lot occupancy to third-party systems.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2016
    Publication date: April 20, 2017
    Inventors: MILAN ZIVKOVIC, CHARLES ARENDT, PETER POON, MICHAEL HEYD, ZACHARY TAYLOR, THOMAS EATON, DANIELLE LEIGHTON, Christoph Jan SEPP
  • Patent number: 9602645
    Abstract: NFC-enabled systems and devices 110, 120, 950, and related methods 1400, for determining the orientation of an NFC-enabled mobile device within a covering 10. The orientation determination may include determining which way each face of an NFC-enabled mobile device 110, 120 is facing in the covering 10, and which end of the NFC-enable device is oriented in which way in the covering, through the use of particular arrangements of at least one NFC device attached to the covering and at least one NFC antenna of the NFC-enabled mobile device. By determining the orientation of the NFC-enabled device within the covering, the NFC-enabled device may then be configured for executing a particular command, such as to optimize some aspect of the NFC-enabled device based on the device orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Eric Thomas Eaton, David Jeffery Hayes
  • Patent number: 9479550
    Abstract: A communication system (10) comprises a plurality of clients (12) including a first client (18) and a second client (20). Within the communication system (10), continuity of one or more of a plurality of broadcast events (14) is provided between the plurality of clients (12). The first client (18) monitors a broadcast event (34). Thereafter, the second client (20) launches monitoring of the broadcast event (34) in response to an occurrence associated with the broadcast event (34).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: GOOGLE TECHNOLOGY HOLDINGS LLC
    Inventors: David Jeffery Hayes, Eric Thomas Eaton, Von Alan Mock
  • Patent number: 9419444
    Abstract: A power source device and a power charge device interoperate according to a wireless charging protocol. The power source device inductively wirelessly transmits charging energy signal via an inductive wireless power transmitting circuit. The power charge device wirelessly receives the inductively wirelessly transmitted charging energy signal via an inductive wireless power receiving circuit. The power charge device transfers wirelessly received charging energy signal to a re-chargeable battery of the power charge device. In response to determining that the power source device and the power charge device are in a charging arrangement, the power source device controls user access to a lockable user interface based on receiving information from the power charge device and can display messages received by the power charge device from a wireless communication network. The power source device can include a personal computing system and the power charge device can include a mobile phone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventor: Eric Thomas Eaton
  • Publication number: 20160226585
    Abstract: In one aspect, described herein is a computing device comprising a light emitting unit; and a controller communicatively coupled to the light emitting unit, the controller being configured to: apply an encoding to data, using at least one device identifier; generate a plurality of color identifiers by applying a color mapping to the data, wherein each color identifier is associated with one of a plurality of color values; and transmit, via the light emitting unit of the computing device, at least one light signal based on the plurality of color identifiers. In one embodiment, the at least one device identifier comprises at least one of the following: at least one identifier of the computing device that is unique to the computing device, or at least one identifier of a recipient device that is unique to the recipient device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2015
    Publication date: August 4, 2016
    Inventors: Salvador SIBECAS, Eric Thomas EATON, Dalier RAMIREZ, Jon Stacey MILLER, Jaime DIAZ
  • Patent number: 9319855
    Abstract: A personal computing system and a mobile phone interoperate according to a wireless charging protocol while in a charging arrangement. The personal computing system can wirelessly charge a power source of the mobile phone. The personal computing system and the mobile phone are in a communication system. A server communicatively coupled to a first network and a wireless communication network can inhibit in the wireless communication network transmission of messages destined for reception by one of the personal computing system and the mobile phone, in response to determining that the personal computing system and the mobile phone are in a charging arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventor: Eric Thomas Eaton
  • Publication number: 20150058844
    Abstract: According to an example, a method for virtual computing resource orchestration includes receiving environmental data related to an operational characteristic of a compute resource for hosting a virtual machine (VM), receiving VM data related to an operational characteristic of the VM, and determining if the environmental data or the VM data violate predetermined threshold values respectively related to the environmental data and the VM data. The method further includes generating an event based on violation of one of the threshold values by the environmental data or the VM data, evaluating, by a processor, a rule to determine an action based on the violation of one of the threshold values, and executing the action to modify the operational characteristic of the compute resource or the operational characteristic of the VM.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2012
    Publication date: February 26, 2015
    Applicant: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPEMENT COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventors: Thomas Eaton Conklin, Vinay Saxena
  • Publication number: 20150046507
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are a system, non-transitofy computer readable medium, and method to secure network data. It is determined whether an application can execute in a first network based on information associated with the first network. The application is transferred to a second network, if it is determined that the application cannot execute in the first network. A secure connection is established between the application transferred to the second network and the data residing in the first network.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2012
    Publication date: February 12, 2015
    Applicant: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventors: Vinay Saxena, Thomas Eaton Conklin
  • Publication number: 20140342663
    Abstract: NFC-enabled systems and devices 110, 120, 950, and related methods 1400, for determining the orientation of an NFC-enabled mobile device within a covering 10. The orientation determination may include determining which way each face of an NFC-enabled mobile device 110, 120 is facing in the covering 10, and which end of the NFC-enable device is oriented in which way in the covering, through the use of particular arrangements of at least one NFC device attached to the covering and at least one NFC antenna of the NFC-enabled mobile device. By determining the orientation of the NFC-enabled device within the covering, the NFC-enabled device may then be configured for executing a particular command, such as to optimize some aspect of the NFC-enabled device based on the device orientation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2013
    Publication date: November 20, 2014
    Applicant: RESEARCH IN MOTION LIMITED
    Inventors: Eric Thomas EATON, David Jeffery HAYES
  • Patent number: 8829847
    Abstract: A power management method with a portable electronic device (100) includes identifying, with a controller (202) of the portable electronic device, a power consumption event in the portable electronic device, the power consumption event having a power consumption requirement. The method further includes selecting (818), in response to the identifying, one of a collection of energy storage devices (304, 306, 308, 320) in an energy storage device farm (218) for the portable electronic device, the selecting being based at least on the power consumption requirement of the power consumption event and on one or more characteristics of the one of the plurality of energy storage devices. The portable electronic device executes the power consumption event using energy stored in the selected one of the plurality of energy storage devices. The portable electronic device (100) may be a mobile phone or other wireless communication device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Eric Thomas Eaton, Dusan Veselic, Jeffrey Charles Bos
  • Publication number: 20140156772
    Abstract: A personal computing system and a mobile phone interoperate according to a wireless charging protocol while in a charging arrangement. The personal computing system can wirelessly charge a power source of the mobile phone. The personal computing system and the mobile phone are in a communication system. A server communicatively coupled to a first network and a wireless communication network can inhibit in the wireless communication network transmission of messages destined for reception by one of the personal computing system and the mobile phone, in response to determining that the personal computing system and the mobile phone are in a charging arrangement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2013
    Publication date: June 5, 2014
    Applicant: BLACKBERRY LIMITED
    Inventor: Eric Thomas EATON
  • Patent number: 8645481
    Abstract: A personal computing system and a mobile phone interoperate according to a wireless charging protocol while in a charging arrangement. The personal computing system can wirelessly charge a power source of the mobile phone. The personal computing system and the mobile phone are in a communication system. A server communicatively coupled to a first network and a wireless communication network can inhibit in the wireless communication network transmission of messages destined for reception by one of the personal computing system and the mobile phone, in response to determining that the personal computing system and the mobile phone are in a charging arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2014
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventor: Eric Thomas Eaton
  • Publication number: 20130276135
    Abstract: A system receives a request to filter access by a client device to content over a network and causes access to network content by said client device to be filtered.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2012
    Publication date: October 17, 2013
    Applicant: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventors: Thomas Eaton Conklin, Vinay Saxena, Patrick McGeer
  • Publication number: 20130235245
    Abstract: What is disclosed is a novel device and method to manage displays in a device with a camera. In one example, a first display is on a first side of the wireless device and a second display along with a camera is on the second side of the device. A facial detector detects a presence of a human face in an image captured by the camera. A power control circuit turns on the first display and/or second display in response to receiving a signal from the facial detector that a human face is detected. In a further example, a matching algorithm is used to determine if the human face in front of the camera matches a previously stored human face. In response to a match being found, an image associated with the previous stored human face is presented on the second display.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2012
    Publication date: September 12, 2013
    Applicant: RESEARCH IN MOTION CORPORATION
    Inventors: Eric Thomas EATON, David Jeffrey HAYES, Martin Earl HOLMAN, IV
  • Patent number: 8509861
    Abstract: A power management method with a portable electronic device (100) includes identifying, with a controller (202) of the portable electronic device, a power consumption event in the portable electronic device, the power consumption event having a power consumption requirement. The method further includes selecting (818), in response to the identifying, one of a collection of energy storage devices (304, 306, 308, 320) in an energy storage device farm (218) for the portable electronic device, the selecting being based at least on the power consumption requirement of the power consumption event and on one or more characteristics of the one of the plurality of energy storage devices. The portable electronic device executes the power consumption event using energy stored in the selected one of the plurality of energy storage devices. The portable electronic device (100) may be a mobile phone or other wireless communication device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Eric Thomas Eaton, Dusan Veselic, Jeffrey Charles Bos
  • Publication number: 20130201305
    Abstract: The described examples provide a method and system to divide a main screen on a wireless device into two or more logical screens or regions. Each region is capable of presenting its own multimedia data or content without user intervention. In one example, the audio signal for a desired multimedia data is sent via wireless connections, such as Bluetooth® or other wireless personal area networks (WPAN), to each user. The described examples enable multiple content viewing on a single wireless device. Also described are eyeglasses capable of selecting which audio stream to receive based on a user's gaze position to the display that has been divided into multiple regions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2012
    Publication date: August 8, 2013
    Applicant: RESEARCH IN MOTION CORPORATION
    Inventors: Salvador SIBECAS, Eric Thomas EATON