Patents Examined by Christopher Glenn
  • Patent number: 11964187
    Abstract: We generally describe a detection system and a method for tracking a moving object. The detection system (101) comprises a sensor (102) which is configured to sense an event. The system further comprises a trigger detection module (108a) which is coupled to the sensor (102), wherein the trigger detection module (108a) is configured to identify the sensed event to be a trigger event. The system further comprises an imaging device (114) for imaging the trajectory of an object, and an imaging device control unit (112) for controlling the imaging device (114). The imaging device control unit (112) is coupled to the trigger detection module (180a), wherein the imaging device control unit (112) is configured to control the imaging device (114) in response to a trigger event being identified by the trigger detection module (108a).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (PUBL)
    Inventors: Péter Hága, Nóra Fenyvesi, Zsófia Kallus
  • Patent number: 11911676
    Abstract: The utility model relates to the technical field of throwing toys, and discloses a structure of a lighting effect structure for a sandbag game board. The lighting effect structure for a sandbag game board includes a lighting effect assembly, a sandbag board configured to mount the lighting effect assembly, and a remote control configured to remotely control the lighting effect assembly. The lighting effect assembly for a sandbag game board includes a hole light strip, a board light strip, a sensing detection module configured to detect that a sandbag enters a hole, a vibration detection module configured to detect that the sandbag hits a board, and a voice playback module configured to perform voice prompt in cooperation with the sensing detection module and the vibration detection module. The hole light strip is embedded in an inner part of a hole on the sandbag board, and the board light strip is embedded at an outer edge of the sandbag board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Inventor: Wanghui Xiong
  • Patent number: 11898826
    Abstract: Disclosed are a dart game apparatus and a dart game system including an image projector according to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. The dart game apparatus and the dart game system including the image projector may include: a sensing unit sensing hitting of a thrown dart pin; a dart target allowing the dart pin to be received; a display area formed to surround an exterior of the dart target, provided in a body structure of the dart game apparatus, and receiving an image projected from an image projector to output a variable screen; an image projector projecting the image toward the display area; and a controller controlling operations of the dart game apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: PHOENIXDARTS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Sang Uk Hong
  • Patent number: 11896891
    Abstract: Card-handling devices may include a card-shuffling apparatus, a card output portion, and/or a card input portion. The card input portion may include a card rotation device. The card rotation device may be configured to receive and rotate cards about a minor axis of the cards. The card-handling device may include a card-shuffling apparatus including a carousel having at least one hundred compartments each configured to hold between one and ten cards and arranged radially about the carousel. The card-handling device may be positioned at a gaming structure with a playing surface. The card-handling device may include a card output portion for receiving shuffled cards from the card-shuffling apparatus. The card output portion may be configured to receive the cards where major faces of the playing cards are oriented in a plane substantially transverse to the playing surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: SG Gaming, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul K Scheper, Ronald R. Swanson, James B. Stasson, James P. Helgesen, Haven A. Mercer, Troy D. Nelson, Jamal Hani Kotifani, Feraidoon Bourbour, Peter Krenn
  • Patent number: 11883726
    Abstract: A device and methods for training a person for face-offs in athletic activities and games. The device includes a base connector, a main resilient member, and a stick wrap. The stick wrap is connected to the heel of the stick and to the main resilient member. The base connector is connected to the main resilient member and serves to connect the training device to a stationary structure. The main resilient member is configured to provide a desired level of resistance to a face-off motion of the stick by the user. An auxiliary resilient member is provided for connection in parallel to the main resilient member to enable the device to provide increased resistance to the face-off motion of the stick by the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Inventor: Richard Kontir
  • Patent number: 11883754
    Abstract: A battling stadium game apparatus and methods for toy tops providing multiple play level surfaces which may include platform inserts to actively direct interactions of spinning tops across multiple play level surfaces, a base, concave areas at a first play level surface at the base, concave areas with battling surfaces at the first play level. The battling surface includes a middle area and a periphery area surrounding the middle area, an overdrive surface disposed at a second play level surface at the base, the overdrive surface is at a level elevated from the concave arena. A lid nests within the base and defines an exterior wall around the perimeter of the base, with a third level platform element between the base and the lid for a third play level surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: TOMY COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Douglas Arthur Schultheis, Luke C Lohan, Hiroyuki Hama
  • Patent number: 11878756
    Abstract: A bike balance trainer apparatus for training a rider to balance on a single wheel of a bicycle and including a mount for a service stand and an attachment to allow it to act as a bike stand or storage apparatus is provided. The apparatus may have a base support member and a tire retention member movably connected to the base support member about a first pivot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: TILT INDUSTRIES LLC
    Inventors: Bradley Scott Maxfield, Mitchel Richard Murdock, Travis James Mittanck, Grant Reuben Fawson
  • Patent number: 11872456
    Abstract: A net post system for padel tennis. The system comprises of a pair of post. Each post defines a lower ball launching aperture and a ball feeding aperture. A pair of ball chutes, each chute leads to the ball feeding aperture. A pair of controllers. Each controller connects to a power source. Each controller receives commands from a remote. A pair of housings. Each housing has a first servomotor that has a first wheel that spins counterclockwise, a second servomotor that has a second wheel that spins clockwise, wherein the first wheel and the second wheel are spatially separated so that a ball can be pushed into a space, and a third servomotor that controls a lever that is configured to push the ball within the space that leads to the ball launching aperture. And, a net that attaches to the pair of posts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Inventor: Sergi Andreu Estupina Blasco
  • Patent number: 11865429
    Abstract: A smart soccer goal for tracking and communicating motion of objects includes a goal frame; a net coupled to the goal frame including a plurality of lights; and one or more sensors coupled to the goal frame. A first sensor of the one or more sensors is directed to detecting movement within and immediately near the smart soccer goal and a second sensor of the one or more sensors is directed to detecting movement outside of the smart soccer goal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: COPA Innovation Laboratories, LLC
    Inventor: Mark D. Hall
  • Patent number: 11866924
    Abstract: Methods and systems for equipping a toilet with hygiene and safety features by controlling and reducing potential escape of liquid waste from the toilet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: MAG Aerospace Industries, LLC
    Inventors: Razmik Boodaghians, Oscar Mathews, David Beach, David Kim, Christopher Choi, Christoph Goeschel, Joerg Stachowski
  • Patent number: 11861984
    Abstract: An outcome determination device includes a controller a random generator configured to determine an outcome from a predetermined number of outcomes. The device includes a display device, which may in the form of a wheel, having a plurality of sectors. A plurality of illumination devices are associated with each of the sectors. The sectors correspond to the predetermined number of outcomes. The random number generator and controller determine an outcome for a game, with the outcome corresponding to one of the sectors. The controller illuminates the illumination device corresponding to the sector that corresponds to the determined outcome. The illumination devices may be illuminated before, during, and/or after determination of the outcome, and may be illuminated in sequence to produce a rotating effect or may be illuminated randomly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: Mark Hamilton Jones and Sheryle Lynn Jones Family Trust dated November 7, 2013
    Inventor: Mark H. Jones
  • Patent number: 11857856
    Abstract: A backstop for placement around a goal to stop sport projectiles from traveling beyond the outer edge of the goal, the backstop includes a material implement having a goal acceptance aperture located substantially central to the bottom edge and extending towards the top edge. The backstop includes an attachment mechanism that secures the material implement to the goal. The backstop further includes at least one bracket that is operable to attach to the goal frame. A support structure extends from the at least one bracket and is operable to support the material implement to extend beyond the outer edge of the goal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Inventor: Jeffrey Christian Kapsalis
  • Patent number: 11826616
    Abstract: A remote-controlled retriever for collecting a ball on a sports playing surface and for controllably releasing the ball includes a front end ball collector having two spaced-apart blades defining a ball collection space. Each blade includes a passive or an active detent for retaining the collected ball in the collection space until a programmed or manually-directed release toward a target location such as a tennis baseline. The retriever includes a processor-controller for controlling and directing the retriever during a retrieval session.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: Court Bots, Inc.
    Inventors: Lawrence George Legg, Shane F. Legg
  • Patent number: 11806596
    Abstract: Aspects of this disclosure relate to improved ergonomic hockey sticks and hockey goalie sticks having shafts and paddles with variable geometric shapes and facets for enhanced gripping ability, and methods for the production thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: Bauer Hockey, LLC
    Inventors: Dominique Plante, Mathieu Poitras, Edouard Rouzier
  • Patent number: 11806604
    Abstract: A skating aid comprising novelty figure, such as a snowman, from which a stick or handle, similar to the handle of the hockey stick, protrudes is described. The base of the novelty figure typically has two flat sections proximate its bottom angled relative to each other with the first flat section defining a storage position of the aid when it is not in use, and the second flat section defining a skating position for the aid when in use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Inventor: Craig J Plizga
  • Patent number: 11790536
    Abstract: A swing analysis system is disclosed herein. The swing analysis system includes a motion capture system comprising at least one motion capture device configured to detect motion of one or more body segments of a user and generate first output data, and further configured to detect the motion of a head and/or face of the user, a hand and/or fingers of the user, and/or an object being manipulated by the user, and generate second output data; and at least one data processing device operatively coupled to the motion capture system, the at least one data processing device configured to determine one or more swing performance parameters for the user using first positional information of the one or more body segments of the user, and/or second positional information for the head and/or face of the user, the hand and/or fingers of the user, and/or the object being manipulated by the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: Bertec Corporation
    Inventors: Necip Berme, Mohan Chandra Baro
  • Patent number: 11751643
    Abstract: A connection device that facilitates easy manual connector assembly and disassembly, however, having the ability to semi securely hold the connectors together with a progressive frictional interference fit that can be disassembled with some additional manual frictional force, further, the connector assembly can desirably have a rotational lock interface to prevent inadvertent relative rotation between the connector assembly, in addition the connector assembly would have piloting interface to add bending moment resistance to the connector interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Inventor: Herman Jimenez
  • Patent number: 11731009
    Abstract: A putter assembly, configured to facilitate improved alignment by enabling the face angle of the putter to be properly aligned with the hole, including: (a) an elongated shaft; (b) a putter head; (c) a grip; (d) an image sensor, wherein the image sensor is associated with at least one of the putter head and the elongated shaft; (e) a display, wherein the display is in communication with the image sensor; and (f) an energy source, wherein the energy source is in electrical communication with the image sensor and the display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Inventor: Ronald Dale Judge
  • Patent number: 11731036
    Abstract: The present invention generally relates to a ball gaming system such as a roulette wheel apparatus, and in particular to a ball launcher for use in a gaming system such as a roulette wheel apparatus and to a gaming system such as a roulette wheel apparatus comprising the ball launcher, wherein the ball launcher includes a ball shuttle for transporting a ball from at least one ball-receiving station to at least one launch tube. According to the present invention, said ball shuttle is configured to move to a reject-ball station in response to a reject-ball signal to transport any old and/or defective ball to said reject-ball station instead of said at least one launch tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: Novomatic AG
    Inventor: Christian Kulhanek
  • Patent number: 11717735
    Abstract: A practice target that includes: a front face; a rear face; a side face with a plurality of pockets, including first and second sets of pockets into which are disposed first and second sets of magnets. The first and second sets of magnets are identical in shape but are oriented opposite each other so that when the practice targets are stacked they have mutual attraction instead of being repelled by like magnets. The magnets include notches/cutouts/protrusions/etc. that match with similar structures in the pockets to hold them in place in the pockets. There are off-center pin holes through the magnets that make sure that they are oriented correctly during injection molding. There are netting grooves between the plurality of pockets and a tether aperture with a tether for attaching to a net.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: TOP SHELF TARGETS, LLC
    Inventors: Adam Stephen Wegener, David J. Maley, Robert Herbst