Patents Examined by Curtis Odom
  • Patent number: 9893770
    Abstract: A base station for gathering data from localized sensors is described. An example apparatus includes a sensor to be operatively coupled to field equipment, the sensor having a radio frequency transmitter to send a signal to a base station, the base station having a radio frequency interface to receive the signal from the sensor and a first controller to collect data from the signal and store the data in a memory. The apparatus further includes a second controller operatively coupled to the first controller to relay the data to an asset management system and a local control panel operatively coupled to the base station to send additional data to the base station, wherein the first controller stores the additional data in the memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: FISHER CONTROLS INTERNATIONAL LLC
    Inventors: Kenneth William Junk, Annette Lynn Latwesen
  • Patent number: 9892353
    Abstract: Features are disclosed for collecting wireless identifier signals such as from RFID tags to accurately determine the location of items associated with the wireless identifier. Carefully coordinating when to begin and end collection of the signals and analysis of the signals and signal characteristics (e.g., received signal strength) allow a carried item to be identified and its location determined. Additional features are described to further validate the location of the item.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Tak Keung Joseph Lui, Jeremy Dashe, Oleg Kantor, Maju Cheruvallil Kuruvilla, Alton Paul Werronen, Nelson Ramon
  • Patent number: 9882748
    Abstract: Technologies for transmitter equalization in a communication system include reading local transmitter equalization settings from a transmitter equalization register of a first communication device and writing the local transmitter equalization settings to a transmitter equalization register of a second communication device communicatively coupled with the first communication device via a chip-to-chip communication link. Additionally, requested transmitter equalization settings may be read from the transmitter equalization register of the second communication device and written to the transmitter equalization register of the first communication device. The reading and writing process may be repeated for the opposite communication direction and for other communication lane interfaces of the first and second communication devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventor: Adee O. Ran
  • Patent number: 9878662
    Abstract: Provided are methods and systems for smart backlighting. For example, there is provided a system for use with a vehicle. The system includes a primary subsystem configured to perform a first function. Further, the system includes a backlight subsystem configured to perform a second function, the second function being independent of the first function. Moreover, the system can includes a controller configured to generate a single signal including a first instruction for causing the primary subsystem to perform the first function and a second instruction for causing the backlight subsystem to perform the second function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Daniel P. Carlesimo, Marcelo V. Lazarini
  • Patent number: 9870683
    Abstract: The luggage notification system is a security and tracking system that is adapted for use with a piece of luggage. Specifically, the luggage notification system: 1) monitors when the piece of luggage is accessed for security or other reasons, records the event and transmits a message announcing the event; and, 2) tracks the position of the piece of luggage. Optionally, the luggage notification system can further comprise a load cell to monitor the weight of the piece of luggage and a drive system that drives a plurality of rollers associated with the piece of luggage. The luggage notification system comprises a piece of luggage, a security system, a drive system, a weight system, and a control system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Inventor: Jerome Pious
  • Patent number: 9865146
    Abstract: Generally, this disclosure provides systems, devices, methods and computer readable media for accident avoidance during mobile device usage. The mobile device may include a processor, a camera, one or more sensors, and accident avoidance circuitry. The accident avoidance circuitry may include user focus detection circuitry configured to detect that an application executing on the processor requires attention focus of a user of the mobile device; motion detection circuitry configured to determine motion of the mobile device based on input from the camera or from the one or more sensors; obstacle detection circuitry configured to detect obstacles in the path of the determined motion of the mobile device based on input from the camera; and warning generation circuitry configured to generate an alarm to the user based on the detected user attention focus, the determined motion and the detected obstacles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: INTEL IP CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hans-Joachim Barth
  • Patent number: 9865153
    Abstract: Systems and methods for precise location and tracking of a bag, wallet or luggage body. The system having a bag, wallet or luggage body having an anti-lost communication device attached to the bag, wallet or luggage body, the anti-lost communication device comprising a wireless communication device; and an application on a mobile computing device in communication with the wireless communication device, wherein the application issues a reminder on the mobile computing device when it determines the wireless communication device is a predetermined distance from the mobile computing device or the wireless communication device has lost communication with the mobile computing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Inventor: Li Zhijian
  • Patent number: 9864057
    Abstract: An ultrasonic object detection device includes: a first echo prolongation determination unit that sequentially determines whether a measured echo time of an ultrasonic sensor is prolonged from a reference echo time; a second echo prolongation determination unit that determines whether an addition echo time is prolonged from the reference echo time when the measured echo time is not prolonged from the reference echo time, and the ultrasonic sensor detects a reflected wave, the addition echo time being obtained by adding, to the measured echo time, a time from termination of an echo to termination of a first reflected wave; and a short distance object detection unit that determines that an object is disposed within a short distance so as to receive the reflected wave while the echo is not terminated when one of the measured echo time or addition echo time is prolonged from the reference echo time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, NIPPON SOKEN, INC., TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Mitsuyasu Matsuura, Taiki Yoshida, Takuya Nomura, Taketo Harada, Motonari Ohbayashi
  • Patent number: 9858796
    Abstract: A mountable wall receptacle including one or more current sensors and power-line communications circuitry is described herein. In one exemplary, non-limiting embodiment, the mountable wall receptacle includes power-line communications circuitry, one or more current sensors, a power source, and one or more internal contacts. The wall receptacle is capable of monitoring and recording, using the current sensor(s), an amount of current or energy provided to an accessory device plugged into one or more outlets in communication with the one or more internal contacts. A user device is able to obtain the recorded amount of current or energy from various access points within a residence using one or more power lines located at the residence. The power lines enable the user device to communicate with the wall receptacle using the power-line communications circuitry therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: EATON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Anthony Thomas Ricciuti
  • Patent number: 9858453
    Abstract: An information updating method of an electronic label that is capable of updating information on products displayed on store shelves, and a system thereof. According to an exemplary embodiment, an electronic label system includes: an electronic label configured to comprise a display, an Near Field Communication (NFC) tag, a memory, and a processor that interfaces with the NFC tag; and a terminal device configured to acquire identification information of the electronic label through the NFC tag, to check, based on the acquired identification information of the electronic label, whether there is product information required to be updated regarding the electronic label, and, in response to a check result showing that there is product information required to be updated, to transmit the product information required to be updated to the electronic label through the NFC tag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: SOLUM CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ung Han Moon, Gi Young Byun, Sung Ki Kim, Jong Gi Ryu
  • Patent number: 9858813
    Abstract: A method for providing sound detection information producing a result of sound detection based on sound data generated by detecting sound generated around a host vehicle, may include determining an opposite lane vehicle detection index based on the result of sound detection, the opposite lane vehicle detection index forming a basis of determination of presence or absence of an opposite lane vehicle, and controlling a notification of a neighboring vehicle travelling around the host vehicle or controlling the host vehicle according to the opposite lane vehicle detection index, wherein the result of sound detection is information about the probability of presence of the neighboring vehicle for respective angles in frames consecutive over time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventors: Jae Kwang Kim, Yoon Ho Jang
  • Patent number: 9860101
    Abstract: Transmission quality is improved in an environment in which direct waves dominate in a transmission method for transmitting a plurality of modulated signals from a plurality of antennas at the same time. All data symbols used in data transmission of a modulated signal are precoded by hopping between precoding matrices so that the precoding matrix used to precode each data symbol and the precoding matrices used to precode data symbols that are adjacent to the data symbol in the frequency domain and the time domain all differ. A modulated signal with such data symbols arranged therein is transmitted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: SUN PATENT TRUST
    Inventors: Yutaka Murakami, Tomohiro Kimura, Mikihiro Ouchi
  • Patent number: 9852265
    Abstract: Systems and methods of medical device alarm management include receiving alarm data from a plurality of medical devices. The alarm data includes a plurality of alarms from the plurality of medical devices. A summary of the received alarms from the plurality of medical devices is visually presented. Upon receiving a selection of a medical device of the plurality of medical devices, an identification of each of the alarms from the selected medical device is visually presented. A frequency of each of the alarms from the selected medical device is visually presented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Stephen Thomas Treacy, Marriaine Sien Hak, Mary Jane Stover
  • Patent number: 9844981
    Abstract: There is provided a vehicle comprising a microphone positioned to receive sounds originated from outside of the vehicle, an analog-to-digital converter configured to covert the sounds received by the microphone to digital audio signals, a memory storing a sound processing software and one or more known audios, and a hardware processor configured to execute the sound processing software. In one implementation the sound processing software performs comparing the digital audio signals with the one or more known audios stored in the memory, determining, in response to the comparing, a match between the digital audio signals and a first audio of the one or more known audios stored in the memory; and taking an action in response to the determining of the match between the digital audio signals and the first audio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: KARMA AUTOMOTIVE LLC
    Inventor: Mark D. Herbert
  • Patent number: 9846233
    Abstract: A home robot and control method thereof; the home robot comprises: a casing (100); a plurality of ultrasonic transmitters (200) and a plurality of ultrasonic receivers (300) provided on the casing (100) arranged at intervals; and a controller (400) connected to the plurality of ultrasonic transmitters (200) and the plurality of ultrasonic receivers (300) respectively, the controller (400) being used to control the plurality of ultrasonic transmitters (200) to transmit first ultrasonic wave signals according to a preset period and to detect a front obstacle according to signals received by the plurality of ultrasonic receivers (300). The home robot can detect the direction of an obstacle, and is not affected by a material of the obstacle, thus enabling the home robot to perform an avoidance method according to the detected direction of the obstacle, avoiding a collision between the home robot and the obstacle, increasing a cleaning coverage rate and improving a user experience.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: JIANGSU MIDEA CLEANING APPLIANCES CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Qinghao Yu, Yuan Chen, Qiang Shen
  • Patent number: 9838017
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described for transmitting data over physical channels to provide a high bandwidth, low latency interface between integrated circuit chips with low power utilization. Communication is performed using group signaling over multiple wires using a vector signaling code, where each wire carries a low-swing signal that may take on more than two signal values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: KANDOU LABS, S.A.
    Inventors: John Fox, Brian Holden, Peter Hunt, John D. Keay, Amin Shokrollahi, Andrew Kevin John Stewart, Giuseppe Surace, Roger Ulrich, Richard Simpson
  • Patent number: 9826714
    Abstract: Tracking tags for attachment to an object or animal. The tracking tags may include low-power long-range transmitters drawing power from a battery or a renewable energy source. The tracking tags may also each include a microcontroller having a sleep-mode module enabling nearly no quiescent current to be drawn when the microcontroller is in a sleep-mode. The microcontroller may enter into a sleep-mode for long periods of time following a short period of sending data to the low-power long-range transmitter. The short period of sending data may be approximately one-twentieth of the long sleep-mode period. The tracking tags may also include sensors for determining an ambient temperature or biometric data about an animal to which the tracking tag is attached. Locations of the tracking tags may be determined using signal trilateration and/or signal triangulation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: Garrity Power Services LLC
    Inventor: Paul Garrity
  • Patent number: 9819806
    Abstract: An alternative approach to coping with the ever increasing demand for faster communications hardware is to design modems that are capable of operating its speeds at a higher data rate than a speed required for a single port of the standard communication rate for that modem. Basically, by utilizing a resource manager, that directs the data in and out of the various portions of the modem in an orderly manner, keeping track of which of the ports is being operated at any given point in time, a standard single port modem can be reconfigured, for example, at an over clocked rate, to manipulate the data input and output of a modem.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: INTEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Peter N. Heller, Edmund C. Reiter, Michael A. Tzannes
  • Patent number: 9820209
    Abstract: Methods and systems are described for causing orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) transmission of various portions of data via various nodes. For example, a first portion of the data may be transmitted, via a first node and using OFDM, to at least a second node. It may be determined that a second portion of the data is to be routed via a different node (such as a third node) for transmission. The second portion of the data may be transmitted, via the third node and using OFDM, to at least the second node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications, LLC
    Inventors: Brian G. Agee, Matthew C. Bromberg
  • Patent number: 9813281
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods for signal generation, reception, and calibration involving quadrature modulation and frequency conversion. Embodiments of the present invention provide extremely wide bandwidth, high spectral purity, versatility and adaptability in configuration, and ease of calibration, and are particularly well-adapted for use in integrated circuitry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: VAYYAR IMAGING LTD
    Inventors: Zivi Nadiri, Jonathan Rosenfeld, Naftali Chayat