Patents Examined by Christle I Marshall
  • Patent number: 10242334
    Abstract: A user requests a package delivery from a package delivery system. The package delivery system provides the user with a machine-readable code for display at the delivery location. An aerial delivery device receives, from the package delivery system computing device, information associated with the delivery location of the package. The information comprises information matching the information in the machine-readable code associated with the delivery location and a delivery address. The delivery device secures the package for transporting to the delivery location and transports the package to the delivery address. The delivery device locates the machine-readable code on a display at the delivery address and verifies that the information from the machine-readable code is associated with the package. The delivery device deposits the package on the display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: GOOGLE LLC
    Inventors: Brian Daniel Shucker, Brandon Kyle Trew
  • Patent number: 10242302
    Abstract: A tamper-proof barcoded quality indicator operative to provide a machine-readable indication of exceedance of time and temperature thresholds following actuation thereof, including a first barcode including a first colorable area and being machine-readable before exceedance of the time and temperature thresholds, a second barcode including a second colorable area and not being machine-readable before exceedance of the time and temperature thresholds, a coloring agent located at a first location on the indicator, a coloring agent pathway operative to allow the coloring agent to move, at a rate which is at least partially a function of time, from the first location to the first and second colorable areas simultaneously for simultaneous coloring thereof upon exceedance of the time and temperature thresholds, thereby causing the first barcode to become unreadable and at the same time causing the second barcode to become machine-readable, and a tamper-proof actuator element operative to actuate the indicator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: Varcode Ltd.
    Inventor: Yaron Nemet
  • Patent number: 10242340
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable media are provided for enabling mobile device-based item acquisition and tracking. One exemplary method performed on a mobile device comprises entering a wireless scan mode, detecting a signal from a tag associated with an item in a first area and in proximity to the tag, presenting information associated with the tag, and adding the information to a list. The method further comprises detecting a second tag in a second area, and sending the list to a second device. A second exemplary method performed by a processing terminal comprises receiving the list from a mobile device, entering a wireless scan mode, detecting a signal from a tag associated with an item in proximity to the tag, determining whether the item associated with the detected tag is present on the received list, and enabling the mobile device to complete a transaction to purchase the item.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: Capital One Services, LLC
    Inventors: Lawrence Hutch Douglas, Thomas Christopher Clarke, Deborah Nally
  • Patent number: 10240756
    Abstract: A recessed lighting fixture apparatus is disclosed. An example apparatus includes a driver box, a light box, and a fixture box each with an open side and closed sides. The open side of each of the boxes is configured to face an internal side of a ceiling. The example driver box and light box are adapted to slide together horizontally within the fixture box to enable access to either of the light box and the driver box through an opening in a ceiling. In addition, the light box is adapted to slide vertically relative to the driver box to enable a portion of the light box to be pulled through the opening in the ceiling to facilitate servicing of a light assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: Nora Lighting, Inc.
    Inventor: Fred Farzan
  • Patent number: 10234115
    Abstract: Example embodiments provide lighting fixture mounting kits for mounting a flat panel lighting fixture to a mounting surface. One mounting kit comprises a mounting frame and a lighting fixture. When the mounting frame is secured to the mounting surface, a junction box is accessible therethrough. The mounting frame and lighting fixture are shaped for engagement and attachment to one another. Another mounting kit comprises a mounting plate and a lighting fixture. The mounting plate may comprise indexing tabs for alignment with corresponding indexing slots of the lighting fixture and extending outwardly from a plate portion of the mounting plate. The lighting fixture may comprise a back portion having therein one or more indexing slots for receiving an indexing tab therein. Insertion of the indexing tab into the indexing slot guides the engagement of the lighting fixture with the mounting plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: Feit Electric Company, Inc.
    Inventor: Brian Halliwell
  • Patent number: 10234110
    Abstract: A recessed lighting fixture apparatus is disclosed. An example apparatus includes a light fixture housing including a first opening configured to face an opening in a ceiling and a light assembly housing configured to slide horizontally within the light fixture housing. The light assembly housing includes a second opening configured to face the opening in the ceiling and a light receptacle. The example apparatus also includes a driver electrically connected to the light receptacle. In a first position, the light assembly housing is positioned within the light fixture housing such that the second opening is aligned with the opening to enable the lighting element to emit light out of the light fixture housing. In a second position, the light assembly housing is slid horizontally within the light fixture housing to enable access through the first opening of the light fixture housing to the driver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: Nora Lighting, Inc.
    Inventor: Fred Farzan
  • Patent number: 10235542
    Abstract: A jewelry article, and systems and methods for accessing human readable information printed or etched on the jewelry article are disclosed. The printed or etched human readable information included in the jewelry article cannot be viewed without a visual aid. The jewelry article includes a wireless or optical tag corresponding to the printed or etched human readable information. The wireless or optical tag is associated with an electronic file corresponding to the printed or etched human readable information. The wireless or optical tag is configured to be readable by an external reader connected to an external database that stores the electronic file corresponding to the printed or etched human readable information. The external reader is configured to read the wireless or optical tag to access the associated electronic file stored in the external database. Information included in the electronic file may be displayed on a display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: NANOROSETTA, LLC
    Inventors: Bruce Ha, Sarah Ha, Carla J. Froehler, James J. Froehler
  • Patent number: 10222514
    Abstract: An autofocus lens system includes no conventional moving parts and has excellent speed and low power consumption. The system includes a small electronically-controlled focusing-module lens. The focusing-module lens includes two adjustable polymeric surfaces (e.g., two adjustable-surface lenses in a back-to-back configuration). The curvature of the surfaces can be adjusted to change focus. The performance of the autofocus lens system is extended by adding a conventional first and second lens, or lens group, on either side of the focusing-module lens. What results is an autofocus lens system with excellent near field and far field performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: HAND HELD PRODUCTS, INC.
    Inventors: H. Sprague Ackley, Alain Gillet
  • Patent number: 10217106
    Abstract: A computerized system for activating, issuing and otherwise managing transactions and activities pertaining to stored-value cards over a communications network. A central information database is provided for storing stored-value cardholder and card purchaser information received directly from respective stored-value cardholders and card purchasers PCs through a universal central processor via respective communication gateways. The central processor is coupled for communication realtime to multiple unaffiliated stored-value card processing networks normally operated by respective hosts. Each network includes a stored-value card processor coupled to a stored-value card database and multiple respective merchant communication devices. The central processor is programmed for managing the activation and issuance of transactions and activities for the stored-value card through the respective unaffiliated networks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: BLACKHAWK NETWORK, INC.
    Inventors: Thomas J. Sullivan, J. Simmons Graves
  • Patent number: 10213013
    Abstract: Disclosed is a toothbrush comprising an optical machine-readable representation of data, such as a barcode. Also disclosed is an oral care implement comprising a surface and a plurality of protrusions extending at least 1 millimeter from the surface, the protrusions at least partially defining an optical machine-readable representation of data, such as a barcode. Also disclosed is a system, comprising: an oral care implement comprising an optical machine-readable representation of data, such as a barcode; and a device comprising a processor and memory storing computer readable instructions for causing the processor to process an image of the optical machine-readable representation of data to extract the data from the image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: Colgate-Palmolive Company
    Inventor: Derek M. Samaroo
  • Patent number: 10217084
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a system for processing deposits of resources. A managing entity generates containers with respective unique identifier tags and provides the container to a merchant. The merchant places resources in the container and scans the unique identifier tag of the container. The system receives an indication of the scan, and displays a deposit portal comprising merchant input fields. The merchant provides a merchant input into these input fields, and the merchant input is stored in a searchable database. Once the container reaches a processing center, the processing center scans the unique identifier tag, and the managing entity receives an indication that the scan occurred. In response, the managing entity system causes a processing application to display on a computing device of the processing center, the display including processing input fields that are at least partially filled out with the merchant input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: Bank of America Corporation
    Inventors: Kerry Michelle Cantley, James Wayland Pierce, Jr., David Joseph Koval, Gary L. Best, Jr., Kristy Lynn Monk
  • Patent number: 10210476
    Abstract: In some embodiments, methods and systems of locating overstock items at a retail sales facility include receiving an indication that a product at the retail sales facility is out of stock and determining whether the product is located on a sales floor or in the stock room at the retail sales facility; then, in response to a determination that the product is not located on the sales floor or in the stock room, tracking a location of the product based on at least one inventory management factor associated with the retail sales facility and at least one worker task event associated with the product; and outputting to a worker at the retail sales facility, based on the tracking of the location of the at least one product, an indication of a perceived location of the least one product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC
    Inventors: Nicholaus A. Jones, Robert J. Taylor, Matthew A. Jones
  • Patent number: 10203085
    Abstract: A light source device includes a Fresnel lens having a light incidence surface and a light emission surface, and equipped with a light transmissive part and a light reflective part provided on an outside of the light transmissive part; and a light emitting element that is disposed opposite the light incidence surface of the Fresnel lens, and is disposed below the light transmissive part and part of the light reflective part on the light transmissive part side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignee: NICHIA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takanori Aruga
  • Patent number: 10192155
    Abstract: Light-modifying elements of a multi-dimensional barcode are arranged along first and second directions that are orthogonal to each other in a pattern that stores first and second quantities of information stored in the barcode. Some of the elements have different elevations along a third direction that is orthogonal to the first and second directions to store a third quantity of the information. Some of the elements are colored to store a fourth quantity of the information. A surrounding medium at least partially encases at least some of the elements. The surrounding medium has a characteristic that stores a fifth quantity of the information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: Zortag, Inc.
    Inventors: Satya Prakash Sharma, Joseph Marino
  • Patent number: 10181097
    Abstract: Advanced payment applications are provided to improve the functionality of cards and devices. For example, a user interface may be placed on a card (e.g., a physical button) or a telephonic device (e.g., a virtual button on a capacitive touch screen). Manual input provided to this user interface may, for example, cause an item purchased on credit to be paid via one or more user accounts (e.g., bank accounts) as soon as the next credit statement posts or becomes due. A user may decide to pay for an item when the next statement becomes due at a point-of-sale magnetic stripe reader by using an interface on a card to cause information to be communicated through the infrastructure indicative of a user's desire to pay the for an item when the next statement becomes due.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2019
    Assignee: DYNAMICS INC.
    Inventors: Jeffrey D. Mullen, Philip W. Yen
  • Patent number: 10176415
    Abstract: A method of harvesting power in a passive RFID device including a passive biometric authentication engine, including the steps of receiving a command from a powered RFID reader and supplying power extracted from an excitation field of the RFID reader to the biometric authentication engine whilst the RFID reader waits for a response to the command. Responsive to determining that a period that the RFID device has been waiting for a response exceeds a predetermined threshold, and that a process being performed by the biometric authentication engine has not been completed, a request for a wait time extension is sent to the RFID reader to cause it to continue supplying the excitation field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: Zwipe AS
    Inventor: Jean-Hugues Wendling
  • Patent number: 10176423
    Abstract: A card, such as a payment card, or other device may include an electronics package. The electronics package may include electronic components mounted on a flexible, printed circuit board. The electronics package may be laminated (e.g., via a hot, cold, or molding lamination process) between layers of transparent polymer. A hologram may be fixed to one side of the electronics package such that the hologram may be viewed from the exterior of the laminated card having transparent polymer layers. As such, the hologram may not be removed without breaching the integrity of a transparent polymer layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: DYNAMICS INC.
    Inventors: Jeffrey D. Mullen, Eric R. Nicklaus
  • Patent number: 10175566
    Abstract: A light source device, an illumination device, and a projector which are capable of thinning a bundle of light beams while being low in a focal magnification ratio, and are small in size are to be provided. The light source device includes a first light source unit adapted to emit a first light beam, a second light source unit adapted to emit a bundle of light beams including a second light beam and a third light beam, a reduction optical system adapted to reduce the bundle of light beams, and a combining optical system adapted to combine the first light beam and the reduced bundle of light beams with each other. The combining optical system is provided with a light transmitting area and a light reflecting area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takayuki Matsubara, Koichi Akiyama, Noriyuki Hirano
  • Patent number: 10176413
    Abstract: A tamper or copy resistant information bearing device is disclosed. The information bearing device comprises a first data bearing pattern and a second data bearing pattern in overlap. At least a portion of the first data bearing pattern overlaps with at least a portion of the second data bearing pattern to form an overlapping region comprising an overlapped data bearing pattern. At least some information bearing elements of the first type and at least some information bearing elements of the second type in said overlapping data bearing pattern are joined or connected in abutment to form a plurality of overlapped information bearing elements. An overlapped information bearing element comprises a first portion due to said information bearing element of the first type, a second portion due to said information bearing element of the second type, and a third portion due to merging or overlapping of said information bearing element of the first type and said information bearing element of the second type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: EASY PRINTING NETWORK LIMITED
    Inventors: Tak Wai Lau, Wing Hong Lam
  • Patent number: 10170294
    Abstract: A conductive structure comprising: a plurality of conductive devices; a first conductive spring sheet, comprising a first connecting point; and a second conductive spring sheet, comprising a second connecting point. Each of the conductive devices comprises a first conductive end and a second conductive end. The second conductive end is connected to the second connecting point, and the first conductive end is connected to the first connecting point corresponding to the second connecting point to which the second conductive end is connected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: XIAMEN ECO LIGHTING CO. LTD.
    Inventors: Mingyan Fu, Liangliang Cao, Lilei Su, Dignwei Liang