Patents Represented by Attorney Miller, Matthias and Hull
  • Patent number: 8064744
    Abstract: This invention relates to an improved design for the transmit and receive optical elements of a waveguide-based optical touch screen sensor, where at least one converging lens is incorporated within the body of each transmit and receive element. The optical elements of the improved design are more mechanically robust, easier to incorporate into the touch screen assembly, and are less susceptible to stray light and the ingress of foreign matter. In one embodiment the converging lens collimates the light into a plane wave. In another embodiment the converging lens focuses the light to an external point. In yet another embodiment, each transmit and receive element also includes at least one diverging lens. The transmit and receive elements and associated waveguides preferably comprise photo-patternable polymers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2011
    Assignee: RPO Pty Limited
    Inventors: Graham Roy Atkins, Dax Kukulj, Robert Bruce Charters
  • Patent number: 8052385
    Abstract: An outer seal assembly of a turbine rotor stage is secured within a circumferential groove of the turbine casing in such a manner as to both fix the outer seal assembly in its installed position and also provide for sealing around its outer periphery so as to thereby prevent the leakage of cooling air therearound. A plurality of arcuate elements having an angle-shaped cross sectional profile are provided to interface between radially extending arms of the outer seal assembly and the inner surface of the casing, with a locking mechanism then being applied to secure the two structures in their installed positions. Each of the arcuate elements includes a radially extending panel, a plurality of forwardly extending hooks that are disposed within a groove in the casing, and a second forwardly extending flange that engages the rear surface of the outer seal assembly arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2011
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Ralph J. Thompson, Susan M. Tholen
  • Patent number: 8051960
    Abstract: A braking apparatus for a blind, used to reduce the speed of a shielding member of the blind when it is lifted and lowered, in which weights are stably supported and operated without an increase in the size of the braking apparatus. The braking apparatus has a casing, a rotor rotatably supported with in the casing, and weights adapted to rotate together with the rotor in such a way that they can be in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the casing. A cylindrical shaft portion and weight support portions radially projecting from the peripheral surface of the shaft portion at equal intervals in the circumferential direction are formed on the rotor. One end of each weight is swingably supported by the weight support portion extending over the axial-direction entire length of the weight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2011
    Assignee: Nichibei Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Nakajima
  • Patent number: 8052195
    Abstract: Device for energy absorption in particular for an automotive vehicle seat upon impact, said device comprising a first element substantially in the form of a plate with a hole and a second element inserted in the hole, said first element comprising a series of cutouts that are successive along a deformation direction and define a series of yokes between each other extending along a direction of elongation transversal to the direction of deformation, said yokes having each a length along the direction of elongation, said length increases strictly from one yoke to the next according to the distance of the yokes in relation to the second element and the yokes having an overall concavity turned towards the second element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2011
    Assignee: Faurecia Sieges d'Automobile
    Inventors: Christophe Aufrere, Ho-Sung Kang, Julien Meghira
  • Patent number: 8052093
    Abstract: The gyrodyne includes an inertial wheel mounted, via a wheel support, on the moving part or rotor of a cardan assembly. The cardan assembly is provided with a stator and the rotor is rotatable with respect to the stator about a first axis of rotation, it being possible for the spinner of the inertial wheel to be set in rotation about a second axis of rotation not aligned with the first axis of rotation. The stator of the cardan is mounted on a block and fixed to this block via an arrangement of vibration attenuators or insulators. The mechanism for setting the rotor in rotation is at least partially housed in the interior volume of the block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2011
    Assignee: Astrium SAS
    Inventors: Philippe Faucheux, Stéphane Chupin
  • Patent number: 8040967
    Abstract: A signal is received in a telecommunication network in the form of P signals received on P corresponding antennas, where P is greater than or equal to 1. The received signals correspond to a multi-carrier signal transmitted in the form of flames comprising symbols occupying corresponding positions distributed along a time axis and along a frequency axis; a frame comprising M blocks each having at least N reference symbols. The reference symbols in each of the blocks satisfy a first maximum spacing between each other along the time axis and a second maximum spacing between each other along the frequency axis, less than a first value and a second value respectively, M being an integer number equal to at least two. M estimated noise power values are determined at frame level, each related to one of the M emitted reference symbol blocks. Values of the estimated noise power for the other symbols in the frame are then obtained from the determined estimated noise power values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: EADS Secure Networks
    Inventors: Philippe Mege, Christophe Brutel
  • Patent number: 8040784
    Abstract: The invention concerns a reading/writing tip configured in the shape of a needle consisting of a core of refractory material covered with a coating of electrically conductive material, and having an outer microscope needle geometry by tunnel effect, to obtain an information concerning a surface through tunnel-effect microscopy The needle emits a charged particle from the layer of electrically conductive material, to form the surface. The tip comprises a reservoir capable of being liquefied to flow along the tip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
    Inventors: Jacques Gierak, David Martrou
  • Patent number: 8033127
    Abstract: An R-410A DX heating/cooling system with: an electrical generating expansion device; with a protective means for refrigerant transport tubing containing dissimilar metals and/or in corrosive environments; with an automatic heating mode expansion device; with a TXV by-pass design; with retractable sub-surface tubing designs; with sub-surface line set sizing at varying depths and lengths; with reciprocal compressor sizing; with a DX Hydronic system design; with an improved oil separator float design; with a mobile DX system design; and with a resting module DX system design.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Assignee: Earth To Air Systems, LLC
    Inventor: B. Ryland Wiggs
  • Patent number: 8031788
    Abstract: A signal is received by P antennas. It includes frames having symbols occupying respective positions distributed along an axis of time and of frequency, a frame including M blocks having N reference symbols M groups of P weighting coefficients are determined, each one of the groups relating to one of the blocks emitted, with the coefficients of a group being associated to the blocks which are received on the P antennas and which correspond to the block emitted relating to the group. The coefficients are determined so as to increase via a threshold value, an error value for each block emitted, between the reference symbols of the block emitted, and the symbols obtained using the symbols received on each antenna at the positions of reference symbols corresponding to the block emitted and the associated coefficients.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignee: EADS Secure Networks
    Inventors: Philippe Mege, Christophe Brutel
  • Patent number: 8025114
    Abstract: A differential steering control system and method for a machine includes a motor for steering the machine in a leftwards or a rightwards direction, a continuously variable transmission for moving the machine in a forwards or a backwards direction, and a control unit connected to the motor and the continuously variable transmission. The control unit determines the speed of the continuously variable transmission and based upon the determined speed, modifies a speed of the motor in order to achieve/maintain a desired turn radius for the machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2011
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Harold D. Dabbs, Eric D. Stemler, Lance M. Cowper, Richard F. Shults
  • Patent number: 8020332
    Abstract: Device for the storage of a gun with a base, a safety unit for the secure storage of the gun on the base and a controller, wherein the safety unit can be inserted at least partially into the barrel and/or a cartridge chamber of the gun and comprises a first safety section, which can be brought into a safety state, in which the safety unit is secured in the gun, and into a release state, in which the safety unit can be separated from the gun, and the controller brings the first safety section into its release state when a user authorization is received.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: Armatix GmbH
    Inventors: Karl Friedrich Giebel, Daniel Graser, Ernst Mauch, Stefan Parhofer, Vaso Pavlicic, Dirk Steuwer
  • Patent number: 8021900
    Abstract: Methods for the production of integrated optical waveguides which have a patterned upper cladding with a defined opening to allow at least one side or at least one end of a light transmissive element to be air clad The at least one side or at least one end is, for preference, a lens structure unitary with the waveguide or a bend.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: RPO Pty Limited
    Inventors: Ian Andrew Maxwell, Dax Kukulj, Robert Bruce Charters
  • Patent number: 8016143
    Abstract: The invention relates to a stopper, provided with an obstructor (1), for a can. Said stopper comprises a cap (3) provided with a central opening (5) and an annular skirt (7), and an annular shaft (17) extending around the opening, in addition to a capsule (19) which is detachably fixed, by means of a tear element (23), to a free edge (25) of the shaft opposite the opening. The tear element joining the shaft to the capsule is placed in an entrance area at an angle in the free edge of the shaft. At least one sealing lip (37) is disposed on the inner surface of the shaft, and the cap, skirt and capsule of the stopper are molded in a single piece without any welding or the addition of another component or detachable part. The invention also relates to a method for the production of said stopper by offset injection in a region which is outside the cap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Assignee: Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance S.A.
    Inventors: Gérard Perrin, Henri Pionchon
  • Patent number: 8016274
    Abstract: An antivibration device for supporting loads and damping vibration between external elements. The antivibration device comprises two rigid members and a resilient body for supporting loads and partially damping vibrations The antivibration device also comprises a damping unit for further damping of vibrations coincidentally with the resilient body. The antivibration also has an inhibitor apparatus which may be operated to drive the damping unit between two positions to selectively allow the transmission of loads and vibrations to the damping unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Assignee: Paulstra CRC
    Inventor: Blake Adams
  • Patent number: 8018129
    Abstract: An entire length of a fluorescent lamp is made short to allow the fluorescent lamp to be downsized and the part other than the fluorescent lamp to be shortened so as to advantageously improve the design potentials and enhance the lighting effect. A fluorescent lamp to be fitted to a feeding side member, or a hook ceiling, having a pair of retaining holes and a pair of feeding side terminals arranged at corresponding positions, comprises a fluorescent lamp main body, an inverter-containing case arranged at a proximal end side of the fluorescent lamp main body and a pair of terminals arranged at the side of the case opposite to the fluorescent lamp main body. The pair of terminals have the tip ends bent so as to be retained by the feeding side member and establish electric connection to the feeding side terminals as they are respectively inserted into the pair of retaining holes of the feeding side member and displaced in the rotating direction around the center of the fluorescent lamp.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Assignees: Monoco Technologies Corp.
    Inventor: Namio Nakazawa
  • Patent number: D646350
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignees: Caterpillar Inc., Advanced Filtration Systems Inc., Donaldson Company Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher J. Salvador, Randall W. Heibenthal, Dennis M. Deedrich, David B. Harder, John R. Hacker, Richard J. Eisenmenger
  • Patent number: D646362
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Isaiah I. Olateru, Michael J. Ostertag, Mark T. Allott
  • Patent number: D646750
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Assignees: Caterpillar Inc., Advanced Filtration Systems Inc., Donaldson Company Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher J. Salvador, Randall W. Heibenthal, Dennis M. Deedrich, David B. Harder, John R. Hacker, Richard J. Eisenmenger
  • Patent number: D646751
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Assignees: Caterpillar Inc., Advanced Filtration Systems Inc., Donaldson Company Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher J. Salvador, Randall W. Heibenthal, Dennis M. Deedrich, David B. Harder, John R. Hacker, Richard J. Eisenmenger
  • Patent number: D648822
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2011
    Assignees: Caterpillar Inc., Advanced Filtration Systems Inc., Donaldson Company Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher J. Salvador, Randall W. Heibenthal, Dennis M. Deedrich, David B. Harder, John R. Hacker, Richard J. Eisenmenger