Patents by Inventor Thomas H. Walters

Thomas H. Walters 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: 5995970
    Abstract: The storage space required for representing geographic features is reduced by determining an optimum number of bits that can be used to store coordinate data along each separate axis. Any coordinate change that cannot directly fit within the optimum bit size is subjected to an escape sequence made up of one or more special values and a normal value that fits in the optimum bit size. The special values are obtained by a predetermined calculation for each bit size. If all changes for one axis are in the same direction and special values are not needed, a global sign can be used to further enhance use of the available space on the storage medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 30, 1999
    Assignee: Garmin Corporation
    Inventors: Stephen C. Robinson, Darin J. Beesley, Thomas H. Walters
  • Patent number: 4610358
    Abstract: An assembly of disposable biodegradable containers has smaller containers of the assembly telescopingly housed within next larger containers of the assembly where each container includes a body and a closeable reopenable closure at an end of the body including a cap joined to the body where the cap extends longitudinally from the body to an aperture, where the cap includes a pair of longitudinally extending opposite V-shaped flexible folding hinge portions whereby when the longitudinally extending exterior surfaces of the cap which are subtended by the V-shaped hinge portions are urged towards one another, interior surfaces of the cap bounded by edges of aperture contact thereby closing the aperture and including a contact adhesive for releasably maintaining the cap closed by securing contacting interior surfaces of the cap and including a deformable strip for retaining the container closed upon wrapping strip end portions about the cap has been folded about the strip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 1984
    Date of Patent: September 9, 1986
    Inventor: Thomas H. Walter