Patents Examined by Daniel I. Walsh
  • Patent number: 11978036
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes a directional radio frequency identification (RFID) system, which provides directional RFID tag scanning using RFID enclosures and moveable radio signal blocking components. The RFID systems herein also prevent unwanted RFID tag activation and focuses RFID readers on specific scan areas. The directional RFID systems may be implemented in any type of system that utilizes RFID tag reading, such as a point of sale systems and other related systems, which utilize RFID scanning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions Holdings Corporation
    Inventors: Brad Matthew Johnson, David J. Steiner, Kimberly A. Wood, Timothy W. Crockett
  • Patent number: 11960968
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a distance sensor, a plurality of light sources, one or more processors, and memory coupled to the one or more processors. The apparatus determines, via the distance sensor, the distance between an object and the apparatus. When the distance between the object and the apparatus is within a first distance range of a plurality of predefined distance ranges, the apparatus activates a first sequence of lighting patterns, corresponding to the first distance range, to illuminate the object via the plurality of light sources.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: OMRON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mitch Modin, Thomas Driscoll, Cobe Greene
  • Patent number: 11954958
    Abstract: A touchless access control system is configured to provide configurable selective access to an area to users in possession of a smartphone or other user device. On-site components of the system are configured to operate entirely offline, and utilize the capabilities of the user device to perform any required communications over the internet. The system also operates without any required pre-configuration of the user device, so users are able to utilize the system without first installing proprietary software or creating user accounts. The system may also be configured by a facility administrator to allow varying levels of selective access filtering based on determinable characteristics of the user device. The system also generates valuable data describing the flow through and use of facilities to which access is controlled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Good2Go, Inc.
    Inventor: Frances Heller
  • Patent number: 11948043
    Abstract: Various implementations disclosed herein include devices, systems, and methods that use a marking on a transparent surface (e.g., a prescription lens insert for an HMD) to identify information (e.g., prescription parameters) about the transparent surface. In some implementations, the markings do not interfere with eye tracking through the transparent surface or using the transparent surface to view virtual content or a physical environment. In some implementations, image data is obtained from an image sensor of an electronic device, the image data corresponding to a transparent surface attached to the electronic device. Then, a code is identified in the image data, wherein the code is detectable on the transparent surface by the image sensor without interfering with a function of the electronic device involving the transparent surface. In some implementations, content is provided at the electronic device based on the identified code, wherein the content is viewable through the transparent surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel Kurz, Anselm Grundhoefer, Tushar Gupta
  • Patent number: 11941859
    Abstract: A camera (10) comprising an image sensor (24) for capturing image data with a plurality of pixels, a first processing unit (30) for reading out the image data of the image sensor (24) in an image data stream comprising groups of adjacent pixels, a second processing unit (32) for processing the image data, and a memory (34) for storing at least one of the image data and processing results from the image data, wherein a neural network (38) is implemented on at least one of the first processing unit (30) and the second processing unit (32) and wherein the first processing unit (30) is configured to already process groups of pixels with at least a first layer (42) of the neural network while further groups of the image data are still being read out from the image sensor (24).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: SICk AG
    Inventors: Jean Stawiaski, Thorsten Falk, Johannes Rheinboldt
  • Patent number: 11928550
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to locate and decode an arranged plurality of barcodes in an image are disclosed. An example method includes obtaining image data representing an image of an environment appearing within a FOV of an imaging device that includes the image sensor, wherein an arranged plurality of barcodes appear in the image. A first subset of the plurality of barcodes is decoded from the image data. One or more parameters representing a predicted arrangement of the plurality of barcodes in the image is determined based upon location information associated with each of the decoded first subset of the plurality of barcodes. Possible locations for respective ones of a second subset of the plurality of barcodes are determined based upon the one or more parameters, and the second subset of the plurality of barcodes are attempted to be decoded from the image data in vicinities of the respective possible locations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: Zebra Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Peizheng Ma, Eugene B. Joseph, Duanfeng He, Miroslav Trajkovic
  • Patent number: 11900210
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a distance sensor, a plurality of light sources, one or more processors, and memory coupled to the one or more processors. The apparatus determines, via the distance sensor, the distance between an object and the apparatus. When the distance between the object and the apparatus is within a first distance range of a plurality of predefined distance ranges, the apparatus activates a first sequence of lighting patterns, corresponding to the first distance range, to illuminate the object via the plurality of light sources.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: OMRON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mitch Modin, Thomas Driscoll, Cobe Greene
  • Patent number: 11861963
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a smart lock, including: a lock body and an unlocking structure; a Bluetooth communication module configured to receive a lock instruction or an unlock instruction based on Bluetooth communication; and one or more binding tags, each binding tag being associated with a Bluetooth address of the smart lock, wherein the unlocking structure is configured to lock or unlock the smart lock based on the lock instruction or the unlock instruction, or lock or unlock the smart lock based on an operation performed for the one or more binding tags. The present disclosure further provides a system and method for monitoring an object equipped with the smart lock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignees: NUCTECH COMPANY LIMITED, Tsinghua University
    Inventors: Li Zhang, Gang Peng, Qingping Huang, Liang Li, Fan Yang, Jiabao Chen, Kun Cheng, Zhifeng He
  • Patent number: 11853845
    Abstract: An apparatus for controlling a depth of field for a reader in a vision system includes a dual aperture assembly having an inner region and an outer region. A first light source can be used to generate a light beam associated with the inner region and a second light source can be used to generate a light beam associated with the outer region. The depth of field of the reader can be controlled by selecting one of the first light source and second light source to illuminate an object to acquire an image of the object. The selection of the first light source or the second light source can be based on at least one parameter of the vision system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: Cognex Corporation
    Inventors: Jose Fernandez-Dorado, Laurens Nunnink
  • Patent number: 11836558
    Abstract: A gramophone plate (P) having at least one face, the at least one face including at least one region on which is recorded audio data (2), wherein the said at least one region of the at least one face also has at least one visual image (7), or a portion of at least one visual image, recorded thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Inventors: Roman Houha, Marek Skeren, Milan Kveton, Milan Matejka
  • Patent number: 11830329
    Abstract: A method for testing a value document having a luminescence feature involves guiding the value document past a test sensor in a transport direction. A scanning sequence occurs that repeats itself multiple times upon guiding the value document past the test sensor. The method involves irradiating a test region of the test sensor such that the test radiation is arranged to be remitted by the value document at least partially in a detection spectral range of the test sensor. Excitation radiation is arranged to cause an emission radiation of the luminescence feature in the detection spectral range. The method further involves scanning at least one location-dependent remission spectral value in the test region in the first irradiation phase, irradiating the test region only with the excitation radiation in a second irradiation phase, and scanning at least one location-dependent emission spectral value in the test region after the first irradiation phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: GIESECKE+DEVRIENT CURRENCY TECHNOLOGY GMBH
    Inventors: Erich Kerst, Thomas Happ
  • Patent number: 11819305
    Abstract: A method for tracking assets in areas of interest includes receiving, by a first node of a wireless sensing system, a first communication and a second communication by a tape node associated with a mobile asset and receiving, by a second node of the wireless sensing system, the first communication and the second communication by the tape node associated with the mobile asset. A direction of movement of the tape node associated with the mobile asset is computed, the direction of movement based at least in part on respective signal strengths of the first communication and the second communication as received by the first node and the second node. Based on the direction of movement, a most likely path of the tape node is determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Inventors: Hendrik J Volkerink, Ajay Khoche
  • Patent number: 11809935
    Abstract: An electronic label (e-label) device that monitors situational data and displays an e-label. When the device detects an appearance modification event trigger based on the situational data, it modifies the appearance of the e-label being displayed by the e-label device, for example, by enlarging the machine-readable portion (e.g., barcode portion) of the displayed e-label. A related method and computer program product are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE
    Inventor: Todd M. Schimmel
  • Patent number: 11797819
    Abstract: A wearable RFID device is disclosed herein. The wearable RFID device is preferably comprised of a band, one or more RFID inlays attached to a backside of said band, and at least one tamper resistant cut or notch in one or more of the band and/or the RFID inlays so that the RFID inlay(s) are rendered inoperable or destroyed when the wearable RFID device is removed from the user. The band is preferably formed by attaching a first and a second end of the band with an adhesive to form an adhesive closure, and the RFID inlay may be positioned on either side of, or extend across, the adhesive closure to suit user preference or other design considerations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: Avery Dennison Retail Information Services LLC
    Inventors: Douglas J. Bourque, Bruce Hegan
  • Patent number: 11798380
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems and methods for determining whether an unknown product matches a scanned barcode during a checkout process. An edge computing device or other computer system can receive, from an overhead camera at a checkout lane, image data of an unknown product that is placed on a flatbed scanning area, identify candidate product identifications for the unknown product based on applying a classification model and/or product identification models to the image data, and determine based on the candidate product identifications, whether the unknown product matches a product associated with a barcode that is scanned at a POS terminal in the checkout lane. The classification model can be used to determine n-dimensional space feature values for the unknown product and determine which product the unknown product likely matches. The product identification models can be used to determine whether the unknown product is one of the products that are modeled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: Target Brands, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher Brakob, Ethan Sommer, Arun Patil, Dharmavaram Arbaaz, Arun Vaishnav, Prakash Mall, Neha Dixit
  • Patent number: 11763617
    Abstract: A gate for regulating access in a transit system is disclosed. The gate comprises a movable barrier, secured storage, an RFID card reader, a first processing unit that processes a set of digits from an RFID credential, generates and transmits a hash value of the set of digits, and transmits a first bin. The gate comprises a memory, having a higher capacity than the secured storage, and a second processing unit, which sends validity information for a plurality of second bins having larger number of digits than the first bin, the validity information indicates which of the plurality of second bins is valid, check if the hash value is member of first list. If the hash value is on the first list, opening of the movable barrier is regulated and if a second bin from the plurality of second bins corresponding to the RFID credential is invalid, opening is denied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: Cubic Corporation
    Inventors: John Y Wang, Robert McEntee
  • Patent number: 11763112
    Abstract: An indicia-reading system is provided that incorporates a hybrid approach to decoding indicia such as barcodes. An indicia-capturing subsystem acquires information about indicia within the indicia-capturing subsystem's field of view. An indicia-decoding module decodes indicia information acquired by the indicia-capturing subsystem. The indicia-decoding module includes a primary, basic signal processor for initially decoding indicia information, and a secondary, advanced signal processor for decoding indicia information that is not decoded by the primary, basic signal processor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: HAND HELD PRODUCTS, INC.
    Inventors: Timothy Meier, Ryan C. Belanger, Benjamin Hejl
  • Patent number: 11755859
    Abstract: A decoding device includes a display, a display buffer to store a current display image of what is currently visually presented on the display, a scanning engine to capture scanning images of objects, and a processor configured to: decode first barcodes carried on surfaces of objects in the scanning images to retrieve first data encoded within the first barcodes; provide the first data to an application routine as input; and in response to a screen capture of the current display image from the display buffer, perform operations including disrupt the decoding of the first barcodes carried on the surfaces of objects of the scanning images, decode a second barcode within the current display image to retrieve second data encoded within the second barcode, and provide the second data to the application routine as input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: DATALOGIC IP TECH S.R.L.
    Inventors: Andrea Primativo, Marco Donato Torsello, Nicholas Brunetto
  • Patent number: 11747430
    Abstract: A networked system for managing a physical intrusion detection/alarm includes an upper tier of server devices, comprising: processor devices and memory in communication with the processor devices, a middle tier of gateway devices that are in communication with upper tier servers, and a lower level tier of devices that comprise fully functional nodes with at least some of the functional nodes including an application layer that execute routines to provide node functions, and a device to manage the lower tier of devices, the device instantiating a program manager that executes a state machine to control the application layer in each of the at least some of the functional nodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: TYCO FIRE & SECURITY GMBH
    Inventor: Robert B. Locke
  • Patent number: 11734678
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed relating to authenticate a user with a mobile device. In one embodiment, a computing device includes a short-range radio and a secure element. The computing device reads, via the short-range radio, a portion of credential information stored in a circuit embedded in an identification document issued by an authority to a user for establishing an identity of the user. The computing device issues, to the authority, a request to store the credential information, the request specifying the portion of the credential information. In response to an approval of the request, the computing device stores the credential information in the secure element, the credential information being usable to establish the identity of the user. In some embodiments, the identification document is a passport that includes a radio-frequency identification (RFID) circuit storing the credential information, and the request specifies a passport number read from the RFID circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Herve Sibert, Onur E. Tackin, Matthias Lerch, Ahmer A. Khan, Franck Rakotomalala, Oren M. Elrad