Patents Represented by Attorney Alleman Hall McCoy
  • Patent number: 8331760
    Abstract: Adaptive video zoom is provided by a method of providing a video content item for viewing by one or more viewers. The method includes identifying one or more objects within the video content item. The method further includes, for each identified object, assigning a searchable descriptor for the object, creating a time stamp indicating one or more time periods within the video content item during which the object occurs, and creating a bounding window defining a region of the video content item within which the object occurs. The searchable descriptor, time stamp, and bounding window are then packaged into metadata associated with the video content item. The method further includes delivering the video content item and the metadata associated with the video content item to a client computing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventor: Thomas Butcher
  • Patent number: 8330822
    Abstract: Various embodiments are disclosed for setting a depth camera light source operating temperature in a thermal tuning mode executed during a depth camera manufacturing process. One embodiment of a method includes illuminating a target with light from a light source at a plurality of light source temperatures; for each light source temperature, sensing an intensity of reflected light received at a light sensor through a light filter positioned intermediate the target and the light sensor; approximating a frequency response relationship between a light filter cutoff frequency and a light source emission wavelength based on a comparison of the sensed intensities and stored reference data; generating a temperature set point so that the light source emission wavelength does not overlap the light filter cutoff frequency by more than a predetermined overlap threshold; and programming a temperature controller to control the light source to the temperature set point during depth camera operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Scott McEldowney, Prafulla Masalkar, Yun Fang
  • Patent number: 8323149
    Abstract: Systems and methods for controlling a throttle plate to adjust airflow to the engine are provided. A transmission having an input speed and an output speed and including a clutch and a driver-selectable transmission lever is controlled to adjust engine speed to a synchronous speed in a future gear ratio in response to driver foot pedal positions and driver-selectable transmission lever positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Michael John Cullen, Ralph Wayne Cunningham
  • Patent number: 8316977
    Abstract: A utility vehicle comprises a vehicle body frame to which the engine is mounted; a seat frame fastened to the vehicle body frame and including a seat bottom support member; and a seat bottom detachably fastened to the seat bottom support member; wherein a portion of an upper wall surface of an engine room in which the engine is disposed is defined by at least a portion of a lower surface of the seat bottom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshinori Tsumiyama, Hidetoshi Kaku, Tyler Furman, Kazuhiro Maeda
  • Patent number: 8316819
    Abstract: There is provided, in one aspect of the present description, a method of controlling a spark ignited internal combustion engine having a fuel injector which injects fuel directly into its combustion chamber. The method comprises stopping the fuel injection if a desired torque for the engine is a predetermined torque or less and a speed of the engine is a predetermined speed or greater. The method comprises resuming the fuel injection by injecting a first amount of fuel directly into the combustion chamber during a negative pressure period and injecting a second amount of the fuel into the combustion chamber during an intake period. The method further includes resuming the fuel injection by injecting a third amount of the fuel directly into the combustion chamber during the negative pressure period and injecting a fourth amount of the fuel into the combustion chamber during the intake period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Masahisa Yamakawa, Shinichi Sugihara, Naohiro Yamaguchi, Keiji Araki
  • Patent number: 8319736
    Abstract: Touch sensitive computing systems and methods are provided. The touch sensitive computing device may include a touch sensitive display configured to receive a touch input. A gesture recognition module may be coupled with the touch sensitive display, and may be configured to receive the touch input. The gesture recognition module may also be configured to determine, based on the touch input, and by selecting from a plurality of different predefined gestures, a recognized gesture that corresponds to the touch input. The touch sensitive computing device may also include a personal information management (PIM) module including a PIM database. The PIM module may be configured to apply a selected item shown on the touch sensitive display to a selected one of a plurality of different PIM schemas of the PIM database. The selected one of the PIM schemas may be selected based on the recognized gesture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Georg Petschnigg, Jonathan Reed Harris, Joshua J. Hinds, Sabrina Boler
  • Patent number: 8321810
    Abstract: One exemplary system for configuring an adaptive input device includes a display and an adaptive input device having a plurality of depressible buttons. The system also includes a computing device operatively coupled to the display and the adaptive input device. The computing device includes a menu module to display a plurality of graphical images on the display, each graphical image associated with a computing function. The computing device also includes a detection module to detect a selected graphical image, from the plurality of graphical images, for display on a depressible button of the adaptive input device. The computing device also includes a presentation module to visually present the selected graphical image on the depressible button.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventor: R. Siegfried Heintze
  • Patent number: 8316018
    Abstract: A network-community research service includes a research module to receive a research query from a requesting member belonging to a network community. The research module is configured to answer the research query with a ranked list of research results at least partially prioritized based on network-community activities of non-requesting members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: John Solaro, Kathleen P. Mulcahy
  • Patent number: 8315776
    Abstract: Modeling catalyst exotherm due to blowthrough is provided. The method of advantageously utilizes catalyst temperature based on an amount of blowthrough air and a combustion air-fuel ratio generating a catalyst exotherm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Amey Y. Karnik, Michael John Cullen
  • Patent number: 8312866
    Abstract: An engine system for a vehicle and its method of operation are provided. In one embodiment, a control system is configured to indicate a clogging of a fuel filter based on a period of time that a fuel pressure switch remains in a low pressure state. In some embodiments, the control system may respond to an indicated clogging of the fuel system by limiting one or more of fuel pressure, fuel flow rate, and vehicle speed. By limiting the flow rate and/or the pressure at which fuel is delivered to the engine during conditions when the low pressure fuel sub-system is unable to provide sufficient fuel pressure and/or flow, degradation and/or damage to the fuel system, including the high pressure pump, may be reduced or eliminated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: John Eric Rollinger, Brien Lloyd Fulton
  • Patent number: 8312718
    Abstract: A method for operating a turbocharged engine includes adjusting turbocharger rotational acceleration or deceleration in response to one or more resonant frequencies. Additionally in some examples, the method may further include increasing turbocharger rotation in response to one or more resonant frequencies during a first condition, and increasing turbocharger deceleration in response to one or more resonant frequencies during a second condition, the second condition different from the first condition. In this way, it is possible to enhance the useful life cycle of the turbocharger and associated engine by limiting the operating time in a resonant frequency band.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Harold Huimin Sun, Yong Shu, Dave Hanna, Tim Schram
  • Patent number: 8312867
    Abstract: A fuel delivery system for a fuel burning engine of a vehicle and a method of operating the fuel delivery system is provided. As one example, the method includes separating a first fuel and a second fuel from a fuel vapor on-board the vehicle, said fuel vapor including at least an alcohol component and a hydrocarbon component and said first fuel including a higher concentration of the alcohol component than the fuel vapor and the second fuel; condensing the separated first fuel from a vapor phase to a liquid phase; delivering the condensed liquid phase of the first fuel to the engine; and combusting at least the condensed liquid phase of the first fuel at the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Ross Dykstra Pursifull, Mark Allen Dearth
  • Patent number: 8315779
    Abstract: Over a diesel engine's lifetime, engine efficiency may be reduced and some of this may be attributable to sulfur deposit accumulation in the engine. A method for controlling operation of a diesel engine operating on a fuel is provided. The method may include adjusting an injection of fuel to the engine in response to a sulfur content of the fuel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Keli Alark, Richard Kellogg Morton
  • Patent number: 8315788
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for facilitating refueling operations in vehicles operating with multiple fuels. A vehicle operator may be assisted in refueling the multiple fuel tanks of the vehicle by being provided one or more refueling profiles that take into account the vehicle's future trip plans, the predicted environmental conditions along a planned route, and the operator's preferences.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Gopichandra Surnilla, Thomas G. Leone, Krishnaswamy Venkatesh Prasad, Apoorv Agarwal, Brett Stanley Hinds
  • Patent number: 8316451
    Abstract: An approach for presenting a web page to a client user via a web browser. As one example, a user preference specifying a notification setting may be received from the client user at the web browser. The notification setting may cause the web browser, upon retrieving a web page, to present one or more of a privacy notice or a legal notice to the client user. The particular way in which the privacy notice and the legal notice are presented to the client user may be varied based on the notification setting specified by the user preference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Frank Torres, Michael Stokes
  • Patent number: 8312765
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for monitoring reverse flow of fuel vapors and/or air through a vehicle fuel vapor recovery system, the fuel vapor recovery system coupled to an engine intake of a boosted internal combustion engine. One example method comprises, intermittently adjusting a restriction in the fuel vapor recovery system during boosted conditions, and indicating degradation based on one or more of a change in a pressure value, or based on a change in flow in the fuel vapor recovery system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Ross Dykstra Pursifull, Allan J. Lippa, John D. Russell, Gopichandra Surnilla, Joseph Norman Ulrey
  • Patent number: 8314504
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for starting an engine in a vehicle. In one example, two or more energy storage devices are coupled in series to improve engine starting. The method and system may reduce engine starting time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Alex O'Connor Gibson, Allan Roy Gale, Joseph Norman Ulrey, Ross Dykstra Pursifull, John DeMarco
  • Patent number: 8312710
    Abstract: A method for starting an engine of a motor vehicle, the engine having an intake manifold, an intake throttle controlling admission of air into the intake manifold, and a plurality of combustion chambers communicating with the intake manifold, the method comprising providing a reduced pressure of air in the intake manifold prior to delivering fuel or spark to the engine, the reduced pressure of air responsive to a temperature of the engine; delivering fuel to one or more of the plurality of combustion chambers in an amount based on the reduced pressure of air; and delivering spark to the one or more combustion chambers to start the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Gopichandra Surnilla, Ross Dykstra Pursifull
  • Patent number: 8311708
    Abstract: An adjustable grill shutter system is provided. In one embodiment, adjustment of the grill shutter system can be provided by a method of adjusting a grill shutter system for a vehicle, the method comprising adjusting opening of one or more grill shutters located at a front end opening of the vehicle in response to a non-driven vehicle condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: James Michael Kerns
  • Patent number: D671246
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: CCS Inc.
    Inventor: Yoshihiro Inoue