Patents by Inventor Tom Bass

Tom Bass 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: 20240157689
    Abstract: Described is a method of making a densified fiber batt that includes the steps of: a) providing a fiber batt comprising a first plurality of fibers having a first melting point and a second plurality of fibers having a second melting point different from the first melting point; b) subjecting the fiber batt to heat, thereby producing a heated fiber batt; and c) after step b) subjecting the heated fiber batt to pressure in a static press, thereby forming a densified fiber batt having a first surface and an opposed second surface, wherein the densified fiber batt comprises at least 30% by weight of the first plurality of fibers being a plurality of multi-component fibers. Also disclosed is a layered composite article comprising such a fiber batt.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2024
    Publication date: May 16, 2024
    Inventors: James Burns, Tom Odum, Jay Vecsey, Jean Briere, Derek Bass
  • Patent number: 11919278
    Abstract: Described is a method of making a densified fiber batt that includes the steps of: a) providing a fiber batt with a first plurality of fibers having a first melting point and a second plurality of fibers having a second melting point different from the first melting point; and b) subjecting the fiber batt to heat and pressure in a static press, thereby forming a densified fiber batt having a first surface and an opposed second surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: COLUMBIA INSURANCE COMPANY
    Inventors: James Burns, Tom Odum, Jay Vecsey, Jean Briere, Derek Bass
  • Patent number: 11338923
    Abstract: Disclosed is a technique for landing a drone using a parachute. The technique includes a parachute deployment system (PDS) that can deploy a parachute installed in a drone and land the drone safely. The parachute may be deployed automatically, e.g., in response to a variety of failures such as a free fall, or manually from a base unit operated by a remote user. For example, the PDS can determine the failure of the drone based on data obtained from an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a magnetometer and a barometer of the drone and automatically deploy the parachute if any failure is determined. In another example, the remote user can “kill” the drone, that is, cut off the power supply to the drone and deploy the parachute by activating an onboard “kill” switch from the base unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: Flirtey Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew Sweeny, Michel Fathallah, Tom Bass, Kranthi Baddam, John R. Foggia
  • Publication number: 20200331618
    Abstract: Disclosed is a technique for landing a drone using a parachute. The technique includes a parachute deployment system (PDS) that can deploy a parachute installed in a drone and land the drone safely. The parachute may be deployed automatically, e.g., in response to a variety of failures such as a free fall, or manually from a base unit operated by a remote user. For example, the PDS can determine the failure of the drone based on data obtained from an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a magnetometer and a barometer of the drone and automatically deploy the parachute if any failure is determined. In another example, the remote user can “kill” the drone, that is, cut off the power supply to the drone and deploy the parachute by activating an onboard “kill” switch from the base unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 25, 2019
    Publication date: October 22, 2020
    Inventors: Matthew SWEENY, Michel FATHALLAH, Tom BASS, Kranthi BADDAM, John R. FOGGIA
  • Patent number: 10703494
    Abstract: Disclosed is a technique for landing a drone using a parachute. The technique includes a parachute deployment system (PDS) that can deploy a parachute installed in a drone and land the drone safely. The parachute may be deployed automatically, e.g., in response to a variety of failures such as a free fall, or manually from a base unit operated by a remote user. For example, the PDS can determine the failure of the drone based on data obtained from an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a magnetometer and a barometer of the drone and automatically deploy the parachute if any failure is determined. In another example, the remote user can “kill” the drone, that is, cut off the power supply to the drone and deploy the parachute by activating an onboard “kill” switch from the base unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: Flirtey Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew Sweeny, Michel Fathallah, Tom Bass, Kranthi Baddam, John R. Foggia
  • Patent number: 10618655
    Abstract: A package delivery mechanism (PDM) of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is described. The PDM includes a gravity activated locking mechanism to lock and unlock a package attached to the UAV based on the weight of the package. When the package is attached to a suspension member of the UAV, the locking mechanism automatically engages with the package and keeps the package locked to the suspension member, due to the weight of the package. When the package is lowered and reaches the ground, the weight of the package is offloaded from the suspension member, which enables the locking mechanism to be disengaged, thereby releasing the package.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: Flirtey Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph Rinaldi, Matthew Sweeny, Tom Bass, Jess Hayden, David Hobby, Christopher Galassini, John Johnson, Henri Spaile, Seaton Mckeon, Justin Wagemakers
  • Patent number: 10112721
    Abstract: Disclosed is a technique for landing a drone using a parachute. The technique includes a parachute deployment system (PDS) that can deploy a parachute installed in a drone and land the drone safely. The parachute may be deployed automatically, e.g., in response to a variety of failures such as a free fall, or manually from a base unit operated by a remote user. For example, the PDS can determine the failure of the drone based on data obtained from an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a magnetometer and a barometer of the drone and automatically deploy the parachute if any failure is determined. In another example, the remote user can “kill” the drone, that is, cut off the power supply to the drone and deploy the parachute by activating an onboard “kill” switch from the base unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignee: Flirtey Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew Sweeny, Michel Fathallah, Tom Bass, Kranthi Baddam, John R. Foggia
  • Publication number: 20170267347
    Abstract: Disclosed is a package delivery mechanism (PDM) of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The PDM includes a gravity activated locking mechanism to lock and unlock a package attached to the UAV based on the weight of the package. When the package is attached to suspension means of the UAV that lowers the package to the ground from the UAV, the locking mechanism automatically engages with the package and keeps the package locked to the suspension means, due to the weight of the package. When the package is lowered and reaches on the ground, the weight of the package is offloaded from the suspension means, which enables the locking mechanism to be disengaged, thereby releasing the package. The PDM includes a severing module to sever the suspension means from the UAV.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2017
    Publication date: September 21, 2017
    Inventors: Joseph Rinaldi, Matthew Sweeny, Tom Bass, Jess Hayden, David Hobby, Christopher Galassini, John Johnson, Henri Spaile, Seaton Mckeon, Justin Wagemakers
  • Publication number: 20170158338
    Abstract: Disclosed is a technique for landing a drone using a parachute. The technique includes a parachute deployment system (PDS) that can deploy a parachute installed in a drone and land the drone safely. The parachute may be deployed automatically, e.g., in response to a variety of failures such as a free fall, or manually from a base unit operated by a remote user. For example, the PDS can determine the failure of the drone based on data obtained from an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a magnetometer and a barometer of the drone and automatically deploy the parachute if any failure is determined. In another example, the remote user can “kill” the drone, that is, cut off the power supply to the drone and deploy the parachute by activating an onboard “kill” switch from the base unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2016
    Publication date: June 8, 2017
    Inventors: Matthew Sweeny, Michel Fathallah, Tom Bass, Kranthi Baddam, John R. Foggia
  • Publication number: 20170106986
    Abstract: Disclosed is a technique for landing a drone using a parachute. The technique includes a parachute deployment system (PDS) that can deploy a parachute installed in a drone and land the drone safely. The parachute may be deployed automatically, e.g., in response to a variety of failures such as a free fall, or manually from a base unit operated by a remote user. For example, the PDS can determine the failure of the drone based on data obtained from an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a magnetometer and a barometer of the drone and automatically deploy the parachute if any failure is determined. In another example, the remote user can “kill” the drone, that is, cut off the power supply to the drone and deploy the parachute by activating an onboard “kill” switch from the base unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2016
    Publication date: April 20, 2017
    Inventors: Matthew Sweeny, Michel Fathallah, Tom Bass, Kranthi Baddam, John R. Foggia