Patents Represented by Attorney Alleman Hall McCoy
  • Patent number: 8336300
    Abstract: A system for filtering and oxidizing particulate matter produced by a gasoline direct injection engine is disclosed. In one embodiment, engine cylinder air-fuel is adjusted to allow soot to oxidize at an upstream particulate filter while exhaust gases are efficiently processed in a downstream catalyst.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Jeffrey Scott Hepburn, Helmut Hans Ruhland, Moritz Klaus Springer, Thomas Lorenz, Georg Louven
  • Patent number: 8334867
    Abstract: A three-dimensional data set is accessed. A two-dimensional plane is defined that intersects a space defined by the three-dimensional data set. The two-dimensional plane defines a two-dimensional data set within the three-dimensional data set and divides the three-dimensional data set into first and second subsets. A three-dimensional view based on the three-dimensional data set is rendered on such that at least a portion of the first subset of the three-dimensional data set is removed and at least a portion of the two-dimensional data set is displayed. A two-dimensional view of a first subset of the two-dimensional data set also is rendered. Controls are provided that enable visual navigation through the three-dimensional data set by engaging points on the multi-touch display device that correspond to either the three-dimensional view based on the three-dimensional data set and/or the two-dimensional view of the first subset of the two-dimensional data set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: Perceptive Pixel Inc.
    Inventor: Philip L. Davidson
  • Patent number: 8334811
    Abstract: A wireless communication enabled electronic device. The wireless communication enabled electronic device includes a wireless antenna having an antenna element, and a conductive enclosure configured to inhibit electrical interference. The conductive enclosure is coupled to the wireless antenna such that a void is formed on at least one side of the antenna element. The void is bound by a sidewall of the conductive enclosure having a bottom edge, and at least one taper portion of the conductive enclosure positioned vertically intermediate a top surface of the conductive enclosure and the bottom edge of the sidewall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Jagdeep S. Toor, David W. Russo
  • Patent number: 8335996
    Abstract: Methods and systems for interfacing with multi-input devices employ various techniques for controlling the window framing of images. Such techniques provide control, including moving, sizing, and orientating, of one or more displayed window frames in which one or more images are displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: Perceptive Pixel Inc.
    Inventors: Philip L. Davidson, Jefferson Y. Han
  • Patent number: 8335633
    Abstract: A driving control system includes a controller which is configured to, in response to a command for starting an auto-cruise mode generated by the operation of an input device, control an engine speed or a vehicle speed so that a value detected by a speed detector falls within a cruising speed range, when the value detected by the speed detector is outside the cruising speed range; and to then cause the watercraft to cruise at a constant engine speed or at a constant vehicle speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshio Araki, Atsufumi Ozaki, Satoru Watabe
  • Patent number: 8333063
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer readable storage media are described in which exhaust gas is routed to a hydrocarbon retaining device during starting, and purged to the engine intake manifold. Various alternative approaches are described for controlling operation and diagnosing degradation. Further, various interrelated configurations are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Shane Elwart, Michael James Uhrich, James Michael Kerns, Jason Aaron Lupescu
  • Patent number: 8335632
    Abstract: A fuel delivery system for an internal combustion engine and a method of operating the fuel delivery system is described. As one example, the method includes delivering a first fuel blend from a first fuel tank to the engine; delivering a second fuel blend from a second fuel tank to the engine, the proportion of said second fuel blend delivered to the engine to said first fuel blend delivered to the engine being related to the desired engine output; transferring said first fuel blend from said first fuel tank to said second fuel tank to prevent an amount of said first fuel blend and said second fuel blend in said second fuel tank from falling below a predetermined level; and boosting air delivered to the engine, the amount of boosting being related to latent heat of vaporization of said second fuel blend delivered to the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Allan J. Lippa, Donald J. Lewis
  • Patent number: 8330134
    Abstract: Various embodiments related to monitoring for optical faults in an optical system are disclosed. For example, one disclosed embodiment provides, in an optical system comprising a light source, a light outlet, and an optical element disposed between the light source and the light outlet, a method of monitoring for optical system faults. The method includes detecting, via a light sensor directed toward an interface surface of the optical element closest to the light source, an intensity of light traveling from the interface surface of the optical element to the light sensor, and comparing an intensity of light detected to one or more threshold intensity values. The method further includes identifying an optical system fault condition based on comparing the intensity of light detected to one or more threshold values, and modifying operation of the optical system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventor: Dawson Yee
  • Patent number: 8330377
    Abstract: An illumination system has a lighting module, a microcontroller electrically connected to the lighting module and arranged to control the lighting module, and a transistor electrically connected to the lighting module and the microcontroller arranged to allow the microcontroller to monitor a voltage of one of either the transistor or lighting module. A method of controlling a lighting module including powering on the lighting module, providing a current to the lighting module, wherein the current is determined by a global intensity setting for the lighting module, monitoring a voltage provided to the lighting module, and shutting the lighting module down if the voltage reaches a pre-determined level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Phoseon Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Jonathan L. Marson
  • Patent number: 8327691
    Abstract: A method and system are disclosed for determining whether a leak is present in an evaporative emission control system 10 for on-board diagnostic purposes. The method comprises predicting for a leak of predetermined size the time period required for the vacuum to fall from a predicted starting vacuum to a predetermined level of vacuum at which the state of a switch changes, checking at the end of the time period the state of the switch and using the state of the switch as an indication of whether a leak greater than the predetermined size is present in the evaporative emission control system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Robin J. Drane, Nick Wright
  • Patent number: 8330804
    Abstract: A method for constructing a 3D representation of a subject comprises capturing, with a camera, a 2D image of the subject. The method further comprises scanning a modulated illumination beam over the subject to illuminate, one at a time, a plurality of target regions of the subject, and measuring a modulation aspect of light from the illumination beam reflected from each of the target regions. A moving-mirror beam scanner is used to scan the illumination beam, and a photodetector is used to measure the modulation aspect. The method further comprises computing a depth aspect based on the modulation aspect measured for each of the target regions, and associating the depth aspect with a corresponding pixel of the 2D image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: John Lutian, Steven Bathiche, Dawson Yee, John Robert Lewis
  • Patent number: 8328390
    Abstract: A light fixture has an array of light emitting diodes arranged on a substrate, an array of lenses arranged adjacent the diodes, each lens corresponding to a diode, and having a center, the array of lenses arranged such that the each lens center is offset from a location of the diode. A light fixture has an array of light emitting diodes arranged in a x-y grid on a substrate, and an array of lenses arranged adjacent the array of light emitting diodes, each lens corresponding to a diode and having a center, the array of lenses arranged such that each lens center is offset a distance along a location axis of the diode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Phoseon Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Jonathan L. Marson
  • Patent number: 8328884
    Abstract: Compositions for wood pellets including grape vine and methods of making wood pellet compositions including grape vine are described. The wood pellets include wood particles, grape vine particles, and a lubricant. The method includes mixing wood particles and grape vine particles with a lubricant, heating the mixture, and forming the mixture into pellets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Traeger Pellet Grills, LLC
    Inventors: Joseph P. Traeger, Mark A. Traeger, Randolph J. Traeger, Brian E. Traeger
  • Patent number: 8330733
    Abstract: A touch-sensitive electronic display device including one or more touch-sensitive display screens and interface software. The touch-sensitive display screen(s) and interface software are configured to be responsive to touch inputs and, in the case of a multi-screen workspace, the interface software is operable to allow inputs made in connection with a first screen to generate an inertial movement of a displayed object which results in the object moving to and coming to rest on another of the screens. The touch-sensitive screen and interface software may also be configured to receive hand touch inputs and pen touch inputs, with the interface software being operable to dynamically mask regions of the touch-sensitive display to discriminate between or selectively permit/reject different types of inputs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Georg Petschnigg, Jonathan Reed Harris, Joshua J. Hinds, Sabrina Boler
  • Patent number: 8332854
    Abstract: Embodiments are disclosed herein related to scheduling of virtualized runtime threads to hardware threads that share hardware resources to improve processing performance. For example, one embodiment provides a computing system that includes a scheduler to schedule execution of virtualized source code. The virtualized source code may include virtualized runtime threads that may be scheduled by the scheduler onto hardware threads that share hardware resources. The scheduler may include a decoder to catalogue hardware resource parameters used by the virtualized source code. Furthermore, the scheduler may include a virtualization engine to schedule execution of the virtualized runtime threads onto the hardware threads based the hardware resource parameters and a hardware-specific profile of the computing system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventor: Jeffrey Kinsey
  • Patent number: 8327628
    Abstract: A method for operating a spark-ignition engine having a three-way catalyst and a particulate filter downstream thereof, comprising: oscillating an exhaust air-fuel ratio entering the particulate filter to generate air-fuel ratio oscillations downstream of the particulate filter, while increasing exhaust temperature; when the downstream oscillations are sufficiently dissipated, enleaning the exhaust air-fuel ratio entering the particulate filter; and reducing the enleanment when an exhaust operating parameter is beyond a threshold amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: William Charles Ruona, Michiel J. Van Nieuwstadt
  • Patent number: 8328687
    Abstract: A method for improving starting of an engine that may be repeatedly stopped and started is presented. In one embodiment, the method adjusts a transmission tie-up force in response to engine starting. The method may improve vehicle launch for stop/start vehicles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Alex O'Connor Gibson, Hong Jiang, Roger Lyle Huffmaster, Felix Nedorezov, Seung-Hoon Lee, Yuji Fujii
  • Patent number: 8330829
    Abstract: One disclosed embodiment includes detecting flicker in a photographic setting. A plurality of samples are obtained from a light detector circuit of a camera, each of which has a value that is dependent upon intensity of light incident upon the camera. The method further includes processing the samples to identify whether the incident light is varying in intensity at one or more pre-selected frequencies. The processing may include multiplying the samples with one or more periodic signals to generate scalar product outputs, and analyzing the scalar product outputs to ascertain the presence of periodic flicker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Roy Goh, Andrew Juenger, Yi He, Stuart William Milton
  • Patent number: 8327620
    Abstract: Various systems and methods are described for controlling an engine in a vehicle during engine operation, the engine having an exhaust and a NOx sensor coupled in the engine exhaust. One example includes correcting the NOx sensor to account for transients in exhaust gas flow, such as transients in exhaust gas flow rate. Such transients may cause NOx sensor temperature to deviate from a desired value as the sensor heater is unable to maintain temperature during such transients. In this way, even during such transients, accurate NOx readings are still available.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Michiel J. Van Nieuwstadt, Dave Charles Weber
  • Patent number: 8328293
    Abstract: A shield machine including an excavator capable of excavating tunnels of various cross-sectional shapes, the excavator including: a rotary drum supported at a front end side portion of a shield machine main body to be rotatable around a first center axis; a cutter supporting frame supported by the rotary drum to be rotatable around a second center axis; a rotary cutter head supported by the cutter supporting frame to be rotatable around a third center axis and including a plurality of cutter bits on a surface thereof; a rotary auxiliary cutter head supported by the rotary drum to be rotatable around a fourth center axis; and first, third, and fourth rotating mechanisms, and a swinging drive mechanism configured to respectively cause the rotary drum, the rotary cutter head, the rotary auxiliary cutter head, and the cutter supporting frame to independently rotate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasunori Kondo, Hiroyoshi Iwata, Yasuyuki Sakai, Makoto Oda, Tooru Niihara, Isao Makiuchi, Kunihiro Nagamori, Katsumi Inomata, Hidekazu Anai