Patents Examined by Allen T. Cao
  • Cognitive plant clinic
    Patent number: 10345763
    Abstract: Methods, computer program products, and systems are presented. The methods include, for instance: obtaining an input including an image of a plant, identifying a species of the plant by use of visual recognition of the image. The image is analyzed for symptoms and candidate diagnoses are selected from a diagnostic repository according to the symptoms. With respective candidate diagnoses, a confidence score and a treatment regimen are associated. According to a treatment mode, the candidate diagnoses and treatment regimen are delivered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Evelyn R. Anderson, Natalie N. Brooks Powell, Kristen N. Conley, Martin G. Keen
  • Multi-mode gimbal transmitter
    Patent number: 10338628
    Abstract: A wireless transmitter includes a pair of control sticks, circuitry coupled to control sticks, and an antenna coupled to the circuitry. The circuitry is configured to process signals produced by the control sticks to provide control inputs for the speed, direction, and other flight characteristics of the model aircraft being controlled by the transmitter. The transmitter is configured for multiple operational modes in which the pair of control sticks engage or disengage functionality, such as return-to-center functionality, vertical or horizontal position limiting functionality, or position select functionality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Horizon Hobby, LLC
    Inventor: Danny Snyder
  • Device, system, and method for generating information representing a condition of an automatic door
    Patent number: 10341441
    Abstract: A device for generating information representing a condition of an automatic door includes an accelerometer including at least one internal buffer and a control unit including at least one processor and at least one memory. The accelerometer is configured to obtain and buffer at least one acceleration value representing acceleration of the automatic door. The at least one processor is configured to cause the control unit at least to read and store the obtained at least one acceleration value from the internal buffer of the accelerometer, and generate at least one piece of information representing the condition of the automatic door for communicating the generated at least one piece of information to an external server. A system and a method for generating information representing a condition of an automatic door are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: KONE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jouko Kinnari, Olli Parviainen, Matti Laakso
  • System and methods for vehicle passive keyless entry triggered by smartphone proximity detection
    Patent number: 10328900
    Abstract: The current disclosure relates to unlocking at least one vehicle door or a trunk and operating other welcome features on the vehicle, including but not limited to, opening a tailgate, turning on ambient lights or head lights, and starting a vehicle engine. The current disclosure is directed to a system and method for automatically unlocking at least one door or a trunk on the vehicle using a smartphone and a vehicle key fob. Due to the method provided herein, frequent recharging of the vehicle key fob is not required, nor does the size of the key fob have to be large enough to hold large batteries.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: Lear Corporation
    Inventors: Nikolay Yakovenko, Riad Ghabra, Chadi Shaya
  • Transducing head protrusion control
    Patent number: 10332549
    Abstract: A slider includes a reader element, a bottom shield located adjacent to the reader element, a top shield located adjacent to the reader element, a heater, a substrate located below the reader element, the top shield, the bottom shield and the heater, and a cap substantially surrounding the reader element, the top shield, the bottom shield and the heater. The cap includes a base coat layer comprising a first electrically insulative cap material adjoining the substrate, and an overcoat layer comprising a second electrically insulative cap material adjoining the base coat layer opposite the substrate. The base coat layer and the overcoat layer meet at an interface located at or below the top shield. The first and second electrically insulative cap materials are different.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: SEAGATE TECHNOLOGY LLC
    Inventors: Erik J Hutchinson, Paul J Sonda, Lihong Zhang, Xiong Liu
  • System for providing acoustic signals
    Patent number: 10332388
    Abstract: Described are techniques for determining whether a received audio signal is corrupted or a product of noise, prior to decoding the entire signal. An emitted audio signal may include initialization data, which includes a predetermined sequence of symbols, and which precedes encoded payload data. Correspondence between the predetermined sequence of symbols and expected symbols stored as confirmation data may be determined. If the correspondence indicates a match, an audio receiver may continue decoding the audio signal to access the payload data. If the correspondence does not indicate a match, the audio receiver may cease decoding, which may conserve power, computing resources, and time, ensuring that subsequent audio signals are not missed while the audio receiver decodes a false or corrupted signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: AMAZON TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Krystian Jozef Chmiel, David George Butler, Richard William Mincher, Andrew David Price
  • Disk drive suspension having stamped base plate distal tip
    Patent number: 10332552
    Abstract: A suspension baseplate is stamped at its distal end to which the load beam is mounted. The stamping operation smoothes out roughness in the edge of the baseplate and lowers its height slightly so that, along the line on the baseplate which last contacts the load beam as the load beam is leaving the baseplate, that line on the baseplate is smooth and free of burrs and similar defects. By eliminating burrs on the surface to which the load beam is mounted, variations in the pitch and twist of the load beam are reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: Magnecomp Corporation
    Inventor: Keith A. Vanderlee
  • Perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) writer with one or more spin flipping elements in the gap
    Patent number: 10325618
    Abstract: A perpendicular magnetic recording writer has a main pole (MP) with a write gap formed between the MP trailing side and a trailing shield, a side gap between each MP side and a side shield, and a leading gap between the MP leading side and a leading shield. A flux guiding element is formed in at least one gap and comprises an inner non-spin preserving layer adjoining the MP, a middle flux guiding layer (FGL), and an outer spin preserving layer. A key feature is that the FGL has a magnetization that may be aligned anti-parallel to a gap field during a write process when a current of sufficient magnitude is applied from the adjacent shield towards the MP thereby increasing reluctance in the gap and forcing additional flux out of the MP at the air bearing surface to enhance writability on a magnetic recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2019
    Assignee: Headway Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Yan Wu, Yuhui Tang, Wenyu Chen, Ying Liu
  • Card-type smart key and control method thereof
    Patent number: 10325429
    Abstract: A card-type smart key includes at least one button, at least one touch sensor disposed around the at least one button, and a controller for receiving at least one input from the at least one button and the at least one touch sensor, wherein, upon sensing manipulation of any one of the at least one button and then sensing touch from a touch sensor disposed around the manipulation-sensed button, the controller performs a function corresponding to the manipulation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2019
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation, Hyundai Mobis Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sang Min Lee, Sung Ryul Cha, Duk Yun Cho
  • RFID error detection systems and methods
    Patent number: 10318770
    Abstract: In some embodiments, systems and methods are provided herein to improve RFID tag reading. Some embodiments provide retail RFID tag exclusion systems that comprise: a set of RFID antennas; an RFID criteria database of sets of RFID tag read criteria; and an RFID evaluation control circuit configured to: access a set of current tag read criteria associated with an RFID tag; access multiple sets of previous tag read criteria; access and apply a set of tag evaluation rules and identify when a threshold number of the set of current tag read criteria are each within corresponding criteria thresholds of a corresponding previous tag read criterion of a previous set of tag read criteria; and exclude the RFID tag when the threshold number of the current tag read criteria are within the corresponding criteria thresholds of the corresponding previous tag read criterion of the set of previous tag read criteria.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC
    Inventors: Nicholaus A. Jones, Matthew A. Jones, Aaron J. Vasgaard
  • Button assembly device for controlling access to a vehicle
    Patent number: 10315624
    Abstract: A device for controlling access to a vehicle, the device including: a housing, the housing including a transmitter, a receiver, a microcontroller and an unlocking mechanism, wherein the housing is configured to be mounted to a vehicle and, in response to a triggering event at the unlocking mechanism, the microcontroller is configured to advertise itself to allow a previously linked remote device to connect and, once a connection is established with the remote device, the transmitter is configured to send an unlock signal to an electronic control unit inside the vehicle to unlock a door of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: VOXX INTERNATIONAL CORP
    Inventors: Joseph Anthony Santavicca, Tristen Kyle Pierson, Benson James Brady, Kevin Tang
  • Control device with adjustable communication period and method for adjusting communication period
    Patent number: 10308319
    Abstract: A control device with adjustable communication period is configured for an electromechanical gear shifter of a bicycle. The control device comprises a master controller and a trigger sensor. The master controller sends a broadcast signal with a first period when the master controller is in a working mode. The master controller sends the broadcast signal with a period selected from an idle period set when the master controller is in an idle mode. The trigger sensor is in communicable connection with a master controller, and the trigger sensor detects a trigger state to send a trigger signal. The master controller switches to the working mode when the master controller receives the trigger signal. The master controller switches to the idle mode selectively when the master controller does not receive the trigger signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: TEKTRO TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hsun-Yu Chuang, Pao-Wen Lin
  • Vehicle door control device
    Patent number: 10311663
    Abstract: A vehicle door control device controls opening/closing of door members provided in entrances of a vehicle. The vehicle door control device includes a selective instruction portion that is provided on a vehicle exterior side of each of the door members and that is configured to selectively issue a closing instruction to close the door members and a closing and locking instruction to close and lock the door members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI JIDOSHA KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takashi Yamagishi, Naoki Kawashima
  • Method, control apparatus and vehicle
    Patent number: 10300885
    Abstract: A transmitter which emits at least two electromagnetic fields. An amplitude of each of the at least two electromagnetic fields has an anisotropy in one plane. An angular arrangement of the receiver relative to the transmitter is determined based on the amplitude of the at least two electromagnetic fields at the position of a receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: VOLKSWAGEN AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Bernd Ette, Rico Petrick
  • Apparatus, system and method for using a universal controlling device for displaying a graphical user element in a display device
    Patent number: 10304323
    Abstract: An apparatus, system and method is described for controlling one or more consumer electronic devices that is performed by a smart device in cooperation with a universal controlling device. The smart device causes a particular consumer electronic device template to be displayed to a user in response to receiving an indication of a particular key that was touched by the user on the universal controlling device. The template comprises one or more graphical elements, each for performing a particular operation in association with the particular consumer electronic device. The smart device then causes an action to be performed when the user selects one of the graphical elements by pressing one of the keys on the universal controlling device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Rex Xu, Jesus Perez, Jon Gallegos
  • Vehicle key management
    Patent number: 10293787
    Abstract: Systems and methods for managing keys that operate a given vehicle include a processor. Responsive to identifying a received first key for operating the vehicle as having an administrative status, the processor is configured to enable creation of a second key for operating the vehicle having the administrative status, and enable creation of a third key for operating the vehicle having a secondary status and a passcode. Responsive to receiving and identifying the third key as having the secondary status, the processor is configured to enable alteration of the passcode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Ronald Patrick Brombach, Daniel M. King, Maria Eugenia Protopapas, Maeen Mawari
  • Magnetic head including a coil and a magnetic path forming section
    Patent number: 10297277
    Abstract: A magnetic head includes a coil, and a magnetic path forming section for defining a first space for a portion of the coil to pass through. The magnetic path forming section includes a core section. The coil includes a first winding portion and a second winding portion connected in series. The first winding portion includes one or two first coil elements extending to pass through the first space, and extends once or twice around the entire perimeter of the core section. The second winding portion does not pass through the first space, and extends less than once around the entire perimeter of the core section to rotate n degrees about a center point of the core section, where n is greater than 270 and smaller than 360.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: HEADWAY TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Sasaki, Hiroyuki Ito, Kazuki Sato, Shigeki Tanemura, Atsushi Yamaguchi, Kei Hirata
  • Dual perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) writer application with special up and down head assignment for best areal density in hard disk drive (HDD)
    Patent number: 10279451
    Abstract: A dual PMR writer is disclosed wherein the better writer at outer diameter (OD) skew is paired with a suspension after dynamic performance (DP) spin stand testing so that the better writer is the inner writer formed closer to a recording disk center than the other writer. Accordingly, lower read write offset is achieved at OD skew and better area density capability is realized. Preferably, there is a symmetrical or substantially symmetrical air bearing surface design after lapping and spin stand testing to afford flexibility in pairing an up facing (UP) head configuration with an UP suspension, or a down facing (DN) head configuration with a DN suspension to enable the better writer to be the inner writer. The dual PMR writer may have a dual dynamic fly height heater on each side of a center plane separating the two writers to improve write gap protrusion in the better writer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: Headway Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Yue Liu, Yuhui Tang, Moris M. Dovek, Kowang Liu
  • Magnetic recording medium and magnetic storage apparatus
    Patent number: 10283154
    Abstract: A magnetic recording medium includes a substrate, a barrier layer, a crystal grain size control layer, and a magnetic layer that are arranged in this order. The barrier layer includes at least one of oxides, nitrides, and carbides, and the crystal grain size control layer is a crystalline layer including Ag and having an average thickness in a range of 0.1 nm to 1 nm. The barrier layer makes contact with the crystal grain size control layer, and the magnetic layer includes an alloy having a L10 crystal structure and a (001) face orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignees: SHOWA DENKO K.K., TOHOKU UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Shintaro Hinata, Shin Saito, Takayuki Fukushima, Haruhisa Ohashi, Kazuya Niwa, Lei Zhang, Yuji Murakami, Hisato Shibata, Takehiro Yamaguchi, Tetsuya Kanbe, Tomoo Shige
  • Communication system for the detection of a driving license
    Patent number: 10277404
    Abstract: A communication system for verifying a driving license, having an electronic vehicle key and a reading device which communicates with the electronic vehicle key. The driving license data is stored on the electronic vehicle key and the reading device retrieves the driving license data stored on the electronic vehicle key.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: Volkswagen AG
    Inventors: Hendrik Decke, André Oberschachtsiek