Patents Examined by Brent A. Swarthout
  • Patent number: 10566088
    Abstract: Systems, methods, beds, supports surfaces and machine readable medium for associating beds and support surface of a healthcare facility are disclosed. A surface association system for a healthcare facility may comprise a plurality of beds. The system may further comprise a computing device and a plurality of support surfaces to be placed upon beds of the plurality of beds. The computing device may associate a support surface of the plurality of support surfaces with a bed of the plurality of beds. The computing device may make the association based upon status data received from the plurality of beds and the plurality of support surfaces. The support surface and/or bed to be associated may initiate a surface association request. The computing device, in response to the surface association request, may request performance of one or more actions on the bed and/or support surface to be associated to identify the bed and/or support surface from the beds and support surfaces of the healthcare facility.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: Hill-Rom Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Craig A. McNeely, Carl W. Riley, Keith A. Huster, Irvin J. Vanderpohl, III, Patricia A. Glidewell, David Ferguson, Simeon Zhao, Daleep Bhatia
  • Patent number: 10559174
    Abstract: An example wearable device includes a haptic actuator to produce an output haptic vibration in response to a target input signal waveform, a haptic effect sensor located in proximity to the haptic actuator to measure a haptic vibration corresponding to the output haptic vibration and to output a measured haptic vibration waveform and a feedback circuit to modify the target input signal waveform to reduce a difference between the output haptic vibration and a measured haptic vibration waveform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Ramune Nagisetty, Robert Flory, Giuseppe Raffa
  • Patent number: 10553118
    Abstract: A method for generating a lane departure warning (LDW) alarm by referring to information on a driving situation is provided to be used for ADAS, V2X or driver safety which are required to satisfy level 4 and level 5 of autonomous vehicles. The method includes steps of: a computing device instructing a LDW system (i) to collect information on the driving situation including information on whether a specific spot corresponding to a side mirror on a side of a lane, into which the driver desires to change, belongs to a virtual viewing frustum of the driver and (ii) to generate risk information on lane change by referring to the information on the driving situation; and instructing the LDW system to generate the LDW alarm by referring to the risk information. Thus, the LDW alarm can be provided to neighboring autonomous vehicles of level 4 and level 5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: StradVision, Inc.
    Inventors: Kye-Hyeon Kim, Yongjoong Kim, Insu Kim, Hak-Kyoung Kim, Woonhyun Nam, SukHoon Boo, Myungchul Sung, Donghun Yeo, Wooju Ryu, Taewoong Jang, Kyungjoong Jeong, Hongmo Je, Hojin Cho
  • Patent number: 10549718
    Abstract: A vehicle warning device includes a housing disposed at a front of a roof in a vehicle compartment, a plurality of light emitting units provided in the housing to emit warning light having directionality, a seating sensor that detects a seated state of an occupant on each of back seats in the vehicle compartment, a wearing sensor that detects a wearing state of a seat belt of each of the back seats, and an ECU that controls turning on of each of the light emitting units based on the seated state and the wearing state, and each of the light emitting units corresponds to the occupant on each of the back seats, and has an optical axis disposed with respect to the housing toward an eye point region ER including an eye point of the occupant on the back seat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: YAZAKI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shuichi Ishibashi, Tai Inoue
  • Patent number: 10548524
    Abstract: A system configured to determine sleep need dissipation without monitoring brain activity during a sleep session. The system comprises a sensory stimulator configured to provide repetitive visual stimulation (RVS); a sensor configured to generate output signals conveying information related to brain activity; and one or more hardware processors configured to: before the sleep session, cause the one or more sensory stimulators to provide first RVS, and determine a first steady state visually evoked potential (SSVEP) response based on the output signals during the first RVS; and after the sleep session, cause the one or more sensory stimulators to provide second RVS, determine a second SSVEP response based on the output signals during the second RVS; compare the second SSVEP response to the first SSVEP response, and determine the sleep need dissipation for the sleep session based on the comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
    Inventor: Gary Nelson Garcia Molina
  • Patent number: 10553083
    Abstract: A system provides haptic feedback based on media content. The system processes the media content into components including a first component and a second component. The system further determines a first priority value related to the first component and a second priority value related to the second component. The system further compares the first priority value with the second priority value. The system further generates a first control signal and a second control signal based on the comparison, where the first control signal is configured to cause a first haptic feedback to be output and the second control signal is configured to cause a second haptic feedback to be output that is the same or different than the first haptic feedback.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: Immersion Corporation
    Inventor: Satvir Singh Bhatia
  • Patent number: 10548780
    Abstract: Disclosed are an excrement alarming apparatus and an excrement alarming method, the excrement alarming apparatus includes: a temperature sensor provided on one side of the excrement alarming apparatus and configured to measure temperature; a humidity sensor provided on one side of the excrement alarming apparatus and configured to measure humidity; a controller configured to detect excrement using temperature information measured by the temperature sensor, first humidity information measured by the humidity sensor, and second humidity information received from an external device; and a communication unit configured to transmit an excrement detection signal indicative of the detection of the excrement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: LITTLEONE INC.
    Inventors: Byung Kyu Lee, Byung Hee Yun
  • Patent number: 10545711
    Abstract: Electronic digital display systems, including roadside display devices, vehicle-based devices, personal mobile devices, intermediary servers, advertising servers, and/or additional external data sources may operate individually or in combination to identify one or more vehicle locations, driving routes, driver and passenger characteristics, and the like. Vehicle and individual characteristics may be determined based on data received from traffic cameras, vehicle-based devices, personal mobile devices, and/or other data sources. Based on the vehicle characteristics, individual characteristics, driving data and driving patterns, and the like, digital content may be determined for electronic roadside displays to be viewable by the approaching vehicles, and/or other digital display devices to be viewable by associated individuals via other display devices and at other times. Various techniques may be used to determine customized digital content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2020
    Assignee: Allstate Insurance Company
    Inventor: Robert Wasserman
  • Patent number: 10545471
    Abstract: An evaluation system includes: processing execution means for executing computation in accordance with a safety program; setting means for receiving an input signal of an evaluation target and an expected output value; first determination means for determining whether or not a first output value of an output signal decided by the processing execution means coincides with the expected output value based on reception of a change in the value of the input signal from a first input value to a second input value from an input device; second determination means for determining whether or not a second output value of an output signal decided by the processing execution means coincides with the first output value based on reception of returning of the value of the input signal from the second input value to the first input value from the input device; and output means for outputting determination results.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2020
    Assignee: OMRON Corporation
    Inventors: Ryosuke Fujimura, Nobuyuki Takuma, Hiromu Suganuma, Asahi Matsui, Masaya Inoue
  • Patent number: 10538929
    Abstract: An automated safety rail system for use on an elevated surface or for temporarily blocking off a restricted area, the automated safety rail system broadly includes primary support structures, horizontally extending support structures, an actuator for shifting the support structures between a disengaged and an engaged configuration, and an electronic control system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: Leading Edge Safety, LLC
    Inventors: Brent Edward Smith, Matthew Scott Small, Travis Michael Budenbender
  • Patent number: 10542325
    Abstract: A method includes receiving digital content data including audio data and/or video data, generating haptic data using at least some of the received digital content data, encoding the haptic data for efficient transmission over a communication network, multiplexing the encoded haptic data with the received digital content data, embedding information for decoding the encoded haptic data in metadata of the multiplexed data stream, and sending the multiplexed data stream over the communication network. The method may include analyzing the haptic data to determine at least one characteristic of the haptic data, and the encoding the haptic data may include encoding, based on the determined characteristic, the haptic data to meet a pre-defined criteria.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: Immersion Corporation
    Inventors: Loc Phan, Satvir Bhatia, Stephen D. Rank, Christopher J. Ullrich, Jean Francois Dionne, Hugues Antoine Oliver
  • Patent number: 10531785
    Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods for fluid management in an endoscopic procedure are disclosed. In one embodiment, a fluid management device may comprise a pair of electrodes and a controller connected to the pair of electrodes. In at least some embodiments, the controller may be configured to receive signals from the pair of electrodes and determine whether a fluid in a fluid reservoir is an ionic fluid or a non-ionic fluid based on signals received from the pair of electrodes. In at least some additional embodiments, the controller may be further configured to automatically set a fluid deficit alarm threshold based on the determination of whether the fluid in the fluid reservoir is an ionic fluid or a non-ionic fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2020
    Assignee: BOSTON SCIENTIFIC SCIMED, INC.
    Inventors: Aaron Germain, Michael D. Walker, Jacob Roland, Jan Echeverry
  • Patent number: 10529520
    Abstract: A metering apparatus includes a support; a connection apparatus disposed on the support and structured to be electrically connected with a circuit interrupter; a detection apparatus disposed on the support and structured to detect a first operational aspect of the circuit interrupter; a communication apparatus in communication with the detection apparatus, the communication apparatus being disposed on the support; a first bidirectional communications port disposed on a first side of the support and in communication with the communication apparatus; and a second bidirectional communications port disposed on a second side, opposite the first side, of the support and in communication with the communication apparatus. The communication apparatus is structured to communicate to another device via at least one of the first communications port or the second communications port at least a first parameter of the circuit interrupter based at least in part upon the first operational aspect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: EATON INTELLIGENT POWER LIMITED
    Inventors: James Patrick Sisley, Patrick Thomas Walsh, Paul Alan Merck
  • Patent number: 10520603
    Abstract: A tunnel detection system for a motor vehicle comprises a radiofrequency signal receiver provided to receive a radiofrequency signal coming from a source external to the vehicle; a controller communicating with the radiofrequency signal receiver, the controller being configured to detect at least one amplitude variation in the radiofrequency signal received by the receiver; the controller is configured to determine at least one correspondence level representative of the difference between the detected amplitude variation in the radiofrequency signal and at least one predetermined reference signal amplitude variation representative of the amplitude variation in a signal received by the receiver when the receiver travels into a tunnel; the controller is configured to compare the determined correspondence level with a predetermined minimum correspondence threshold, and detect the tunnel being travelled through by the detection system when the determined correspondence level is greater than or equal to the predet
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: Aptiv Technologies Limited
    Inventors: Prashant J. Narula, Konstantin Statnikov
  • Patent number: 10520580
    Abstract: A method and system for determining a position of tagged objects by their proximity to each other, where the position of a target object is provided as common names of other objects nearby. This allows new ways of tracking objects that are required to be together with each other, or to be within a certain area, while reducing the power consumption of electronic tags and tag readers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: Haystack Magic Inc.
    Inventors: Misha Nossik, Dmitry Sotnikov, Alex Efros, Vadim Gouterman, Neil Teitelbaum
  • Patent number: 10504340
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus organize a plurality of haptic output variations into a cohesive semantic framework that uses various information about the alert condition and trigger, application context, and other conditions to provide a system of haptic outputs that share characteristics between related events. In some embodiments, an event class or application class provides the basis for a corresponding haptic output. In some embodiments, whether an alert-salience setting is on provides the basis for adding an increased salience haptic output to the standard haptic output for the alert. In some embodiments, consistent haptics provide for branding of the associated application class, application, and/or context.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Camille Moussette, Gary I. Butcher, Hugo D. Verweij, Jonathan Ive
  • Patent number: 10493938
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a system for recognizing environment of a vehicle and identifying collisions in real-time. The system is typically configured for continuously monitoring environment of an automobile via one or more components of the automobile, identifying at least one collision associated with the automobile based on monitoring the environment of the automobile, determining one or more users associated with the at least one collision, determining one or more third parties associated with the one or more users and the at least one collision, automatically establish a communication link with the one or more third party entities, and automatically transmitting a notification associated with the at least one collision to the one or more third party entities and the one or more users in real-time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: BANK OF AMERICA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mark Allan Nelson, Ashish B. Tajpuria, Karen Lea MacQueen, Stephen Philip Selfridge, Steven Michael Twombly
  • Patent number: 10497239
    Abstract: Some embodiments provide retail systems to detect suspicious movement patterns within a retail shopping facility, comprising: an array of camera systems, an array of RFID readers, and a shopping facility evaluation system configured to: receive RFID tag read information from RFID readers of a first RFID tag of a consumer item of a first product; access and apply a first set of rules to identify a first pattern of movement of the first RFID tag; access a set of historic movement patterns specific to the first product; cause an RFID reader to trigger the RFID tag to transition to a state to emit RFID tag information more frequently; access and apply a second set of rules identifying when the first pattern of movement corresponds with a historic movement pattern; and cause a notification to be communicated to a central evaluation system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC
    Inventors: Steve P. Jeon, Bruce W. Wilkinson
  • Patent number: 10497015
    Abstract: A system and method for identifying a potential parking violation for a location includes storing and rating parking violation related data, and notifying a user, by a computing system communicating with a user's computing device, of the potential parking violation and how to avoid receiving the potential parking violation citation. The data is stored in a database and clustered by data types. The user's computing device is used to identify user type, location, and time. A user engagement panel is used to share and rate parking violation related data and notifications, and rewards are allocated to a user for contributing useful data. Highly rated data may be incorporated into the notifications. The data is analyzed to predict or infer a violation. A notification corresponding to a current location and user type are generated when violations are predicted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: OPERR Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Kevin Sunlin Wang
  • Patent number: 10479272
    Abstract: A vehicle driver notification assembly for notifying a driver when to drive forward includes a housing and a control circuit mounted in the housing. A sensor array is mounted on the housing and is electrically coupled to the control circuit. The sensor array detects parameters that indicate when a vehicle may proceed forward. The parameters include when a mass in front of a vehicle moves away from the vehicle and when the sensor array receives a proceed signal from a requisite traffic signaling device. An alert is electrically coupled to the control circuit and is turned on to provide an emission detectable by a person when the sensor array detects the parameters that allow the vehicle to proceed forward.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Inventor: Steven Bryce