Patents Examined by Daniel J. Wu
  • Patent number: 7312910
    Abstract: A new dispersion managed soliton transmission system where the D map period is the same as the amplifier period and the pulse breathing the in the +D sections of the D maps is approximately symmetrical. Pulse breathing symmetry by one or both of two techniques. In one technique a guiding filter is placed at the beginning of the D map period such that the guiding filter reduces the bandwidth of soliton pulses passing through it by a minimum amount. Consequently, pulse breathing symmetry is restored. The path average pulse energy vs. D behavior of solitons propagating through the D map is changed such that (1) solitons of modest bandwidths have adequate energy at or near D=to provide for error-free transmission over transoceanic distances at or near D=0, and (2) such that the path average pulse energy is nearly independent of D, at or near D=0 for solitons of various pulse widths. The transmission system having this D map is much more tolerant of variations in D and pulse width than the prior art.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2007
    Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: James Power Gordon, Pavel Viktorovich Mamyshev, Linn Frederick Mollenauer
  • Patent number: 7196628
    Abstract: A self powered monitoring device for monitoring an animal's temperature and other vital signs. The device may be mounted in the animal's ear, under the animals skin, or in any location which can be used to generate a reliable indication of the animals temperature and other vital signs. The temperature probe for the device is inserted subcutaneously and thermally and/or electrically connected to the housing of the device. Power for the device is provided by a miniature array of solar cells, the power from the solar cells being used to drive digital circuitry which processes signals from the various probes used to gather data concerning the animal's vital signs. The size of the array is chosen to be commensurate with the number of vital signs monitored, with the amount of sunlight, density of herd, and other factors being considered to ensure sufficient power for the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2007
    Inventor: Tom Hixson
  • Patent number: 7034701
    Abstract: A multi-criteria fire detection system, comprising a plurality of sensors, wherein each sensor is capable of detecting a signature characteristic of a presence of a fire and providing an output indicating the same. A processor for receiving each output of the plurality of sensors is also employed. The processor includes a probabilistic neural network for processing the sensor outputs. The probabilistic neural network comprises a nonlinear, nor-parametric pattern recognition algorithm that operates by defining a probability density function for a plurality of data sets that are each based on a training set data and an optimized kernel width parameter. The plurality of data sets includes a baseline, non-fire, fist data set; a second, fire data set, and a third, nuisance data set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2006
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Susan Rose-Pehrsson, Ronald E. Shaffer, Daniel T. Gottuk, Sean J. Hart, Mark H. Hammond
  • Patent number: 6985079
    Abstract: A system is provided for testing and enhancing the alertness of operators who monitor video surveillance imagery. Alertness is tested by displaying any of a variety of visual elements on top of or near the video imagery, and receiving input from human operators in response to the visual elements, via one or more input devices. The system further allows for economic management of human operators by transmitting imagery from many video sources to any number of operators. Video feeds are automatically switched, via software, away from an operator who wishes to take a break or has poor alertness. In this fashion, the system maximizes operator vigilance while also maximizing workflow for all available operators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2006
    Assignee: Magnetic Moments, LLC
    Inventors: Marco Pinter, Bradley E. Paden, Fiona M. Gaston
  • Patent number: 6980116
    Abstract: A method for detecting a failure in a radio frequency (RF) device (200) that includes a transistor (210) having a first terminal at an RF input (220), a second terminal at an RF output (260), and a third terminal at an RF common (230). The method includes the steps of: detecting a first voltage at the first terminal; comparing the first voltage to a reference voltage; and determining whether the RF transistor (210) is operating in a normal state or a failed state as a function of whether the first voltage falls inside or outside of a predetermined threshold value of the reference voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2005
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventor: Rodney Hagen
  • Patent number: 6940411
    Abstract: A personal alarm device for warning an individual of the presence of an unhealthy amount of carbon monoxide in the blood of the individual, comprising a mouthpiece, a carbon monoxide detector, and an alarm device. The mouthpiece is adapted to detect a minimum predetermined amount of carbon monoxide in the breath and to emit an alarm when the minimum predetermined amount is detected. The personal alarm device is particularly udeful in patient-controlled method of treatment to abate tobacco use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2005
    Assignee: Bedfont Scientific Limited
    Inventors: Trevor Smith, Graham Coast
  • Patent number: 6937154
    Abstract: A method and system for identifying individuals, accessing and updating background information and directing appropriate personal interactions through use of an automatically readable tag, such as an RFID tag. Information encoded on the tag is communicated to a computer system that has a database, wherein identification information encoded on the tag is used as a key to retrieve the relevant background information and communicate that information to a portable display device. The system also takes a photograph of the individual being identified and automatically sends the photograph to the portable display device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2005
    Inventors: Rob Zeps, John Moores, Jr., Pertti Visuri, Rebecca Kramer, Mark James, Martin Franklin, Kurt Kremer, Nashina Asaria
  • Patent number: 6906617
    Abstract: The instantaneous power consumption of an appliance is used to determine the status of the appliance, from which further actions may be taken. This invention is premised on the observation that most appliances have a characteristic power consumption pattern that can be used to determine the state of operation of the appliance. An electric coffee pot, for example, consumes high power substantially continuously during the brewing state, then reduces its power level, or power duration, or both, while keeping the pot warm, then terminates its power consumption when it is turned off. In like manner, the power consumption patterns of other appliances, such as toasters, washing machines, dryers, and so on may also be used to determine the state of each appliance. The communicated state may be used by a home-automation system to effect a variety of actions, including notifying the user, terminating the available power to the appliance, initiating an action by another appliance, and so on.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2005
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventor: Pieter Sierd Van der Meulen
  • Patent number: 6897789
    Abstract: A system for determining a kind of vehicle and a method therefore, including a vehicle detection unit for detecting a vehicle which reaches to a vehicle detection region on a roadway, a wheel shaft number counting unit for counting a number of wheel shafts of the detected vehicle, an image photographing unit for photographing a front or rear image of the detected vehicle and a vehicle kind determination unit for yielding distances and widths of the tires of the detected vehicle on the basis of the photographed image from the image photographing unit and determining the kind of the vehicle on the basis of the number of wheel shafts detected from the wheel shaft counting unit and the yielded distance and width values can precisely determine the kind of vehicle traveling the roadway.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2005
    Assignee: LG Industrial Systems Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Dae-Woon Lim
  • Patent number: 6888452
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for warning a following vehicle when a vehicle in front applies its brakes are provided. At least one brake light of a vehicle illuminates during a braking process as the braking value increases in conformity with a present value of the braking value. After the value drops below the maximum value, the illumination continues for a retention time that is a function of the braking process, and after the conclusion of the retention time fades during a period of time that is a function of the braking process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2005
    Inventor: Max Gerhaher
  • Patent number: 6885304
    Abstract: Monitoring apparatus and methods for monitoring the reaction of people to a performance use two or more monitoring devices of different types. Output signals from the monitoring devices are combined to produce at least one crowd reaction signal indicative of the reaction of those people to the performance. Particularly appropriate types of monitoring device are described, as is automatic performance generating apparatus, such an automatic DJ, adapted to use crowd reaction signals to modify performances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2005
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: David Trevor Cliff, Timothy Alan Heath Wilkinson
  • Patent number: 6873256
    Abstract: System and method for detecting, monitoring and evaluating hazardous situations in a structure includes the use of an expert system and, to the extent necessary, fuzzy logic in the generation of solution sets. Sensor units having two-way communication capability are strategically located in a structure or in a matrix of structures. These units are high-level multifunctional detectors, RF and other wireless or hardwired communication modules and signal generating systems that may communicate with a base station, with other modules and/or may have onboard logical solution generation capacity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2005
    Inventors: Dorothy Lemelson, Robert D. Pedersen, Jerome H. Lemelson
  • Patent number: 6873260
    Abstract: A system and method for selectively allowing the passage of a guest through a region within at a coverage area. The system includes a turnstile system having an RFID reader, a network interface, an entry mechanism and a processor, and a central server having a network interface, a non-volatile memory, and a processor. An RFID reader reads a tag identifier from an RFID tag worn by a guest. The tag identifier is transmitted from the turnstile system to the central server. The central server processor access a guest data object using the tag identifier and reads a data field containing information related to the guest. Based on this information, the central server transmits a control signal to the turnstile system to activate its entry mechanism, thereby allowing the guest to pass through. The information may relate to monetary credits of the guest, statistical information of the guest, and restrictions, disabilities, health conditions and special access of the guest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2005
    Inventors: Kenneth J. Lancos, Thomas J. Land
  • Patent number: 6850161
    Abstract: A system (100) for mapping an underground object (145) includes a conduit location recording device 105 and a server (115). The conduit location recording device (105) senses an underground object (145), a unique identifier being associated with the sensed underground object (145), and determines a location of the underground object (145). The conduit location recording device (105) transmits, via a communications network (125), the unique identifier and determined location to the server (115) for storage in a database.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2005
    Assignee: Verizon Corporate Services Group Inc.
    Inventors: Brig Barnum Elliott, Jerry Burchfiel
  • Patent number: 6850166
    Abstract: Disclosed is a stimuli providing indicator (107) that is responsive to nearby transmitted radio signals. Fixed and mobile stations may produce such signals. In addition a cellular telephone operating at a high transmit power may be detected. Indicator (107) may be supported by a lens (103) which itself may be supported by at least one head mount (101).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2005
    Assignee: Nokia Mobile Phones Limited
    Inventor: Douglas Deeds
  • Patent number: 6844818
    Abstract: A smoke detection system comprising video camera monitoring means, video frame comparison means, signal processing means, and alarm generating means dependant on an output from the signal processing means; the signal processing means being arranged to analyse successive frames acquired by the video camera monitoring means and to compare the intensity and/or colour of individual pixels or group of pixels so as to consider the overall characteristics and inter-relationships of these pixels so as to detect the presence of smoke characterised in that the signal processing means analyses a plurality of different types of change in the said characteristics and inter-relationships.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2005
    Assignee: VSD Limited
    Inventor: Henry Joseph Grech-Cini
  • Patent number: 6842118
    Abstract: An overload detection device for a high-lift work vehicle is capable of detecting the load on the work platform. A base 10 of the work platform is supported with a bracket 9 at, at least, three supporting portions. Load sensors 11 each constituted of a plate member 14 and distortion gauges 15˜18 detect the extent of flexure of at least two of the supporting portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2005
    Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Teruo Igarashi, Atsushi Tadokoro
  • Patent number: 6833786
    Abstract: A pneumatic demultiplexer that allows a person with a disability to control multiple assistive technology devices by the use of a single sip-and-puff tube. The devices to be controlled are operated by a single pneumatic or electrical switch input. The pneumatic demultiplexer is under the control of a microprocessor. In a scan stage the user selects the target device via scrolling LED indicators. When a specific device is chosen, the corresponding solenoid valve is activated to connect the input sip-and-puff port to the pneumatic output port. In the activation stage, the input sip-and-puff tube controls the target device directly via the pneumatic demultiplexer. The microprocessor monitors the line activity via a sip-or-puff switch. A watchdog timer is implemented by the microprocessor. After there is a lack of activity for preprogrammed time period, the system switches from the activation stage back to the scan stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2004
    Assignee: The Board of Governors for Higher Education, State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations
    Inventors: Ying Sun, Kaylen J. Haley, Kerri-Anne Lachance, Kerri Pinnock
  • Patent number: 6833792
    Abstract: Systems and methods for indicating the status of a battery in a portable computing device are disclosed. The methods include retrieving battery status data from a basic input-output system (BIOS) on the computing device, and comparing the retrieved battery status data to a predefined battery status threshold stored on the computing device. Based on the comparison of the battery status data to the predefined battery status threshold, a battery status indicator may be provided to an applications program on the computing device. The battery status data is reflective of a characteristic of the battery, such as battery capacity. A system according to the present invention includes a computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions for performing a method according to the present invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2004
    Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation
    Inventors: Steven G. Smith, Lawrence E. Ertley, Robert H. Willis, Jr., Curt Kaloustian, Roland T. Morton, Jr.
  • Patent number: RE38763
    Abstract: A system and method for altering a driver of a motor vehicle of the approach of an emergency vehicle in an emergency state, comprising a transmitter in the emergency vehicle which produces and transmits a radio frequency signal having a unique audio encoded data signature modulated thereon when the emergency vehicle is in an emergency status, a receiver in motor vehicle which receives the radio frequency signal, demodulates and decodes the radio frequency signal and produces a voltage output when the data signature is present; and an alarm producing device which produces an alarm in response to the voltage output warning the driver of the motor vehicle of the approach of the emergency vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2005
    Assignee: Trianco, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher Trizzino, Thomas S. Florian, Karen M. Kickel, Susan Trizzino