Patents Examined by Daniell L. Negron
  • Patent number: 11328547
    Abstract: Driving a component of a vehicle by using a portable user identification device for the vehicle and an user identification unit of the vehicle, whereat a controller evaluates an identifying signal sent by a transmitter of the portable user identification device to a receiver of the user identification unit and the controller drives the component of the vehicle according to the evaluation of the identifying signal. In order to provide a higher level of security by driving a component of a vehicle by using a portable user identification device for a vehicle, to a point of time tn a position of the portable user identification device relative to a position of the portable user identification device to a point of time tn=tl, to which the portable user identification device is departing from the vehicle, is determined and stored in a memory on a regular basis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: Hella GmbH & Co. KGaA
    Inventors: Zeid Abou-Chahine, Henning Irle, Frank Schliep
  • Patent number: 11321979
    Abstract: A security apparatus identifies a first user associated with a first terminal apparatus within an area of a house to which entry is limited by a lock apparatus, and a second user associated with a second terminal apparatus approaching the house. The security apparatus determines a requirement for unlocking for the second user, based on a relationship of the second user with respect to the first user, and then determines whether the requirement for unlocking is satisfied. When the requirement for unlocking is satisfied, the security apparatus controls unlocking of the lock apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: NTT DOCOMO, INC.
    Inventors: Osamu Goto, Kouki Hayashi, Kazuto Oomori
  • Patent number: 11301649
    Abstract: A patch for displaying a visual representation is provided. The patch includes a first layer including the visual representation, a second layer coupled to the first layer such that a pocket is formed between the first and second layers, and a communication chip disposed within the pocket. The communication chip includes a memory having stored thereon first content associated with the visual representation, and a transceiver configured to transmit the first content to an electronic device based on the electronic device being physically disposed within a predetermined distance of the communication chip configured to trigger the transmission of the first content. Upon receipt by the electronic device, the first content is configured to cause the electronic device to display at least one of the first content and additional content associated with the first content on a display of the electronic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Inventor: Richard C. Soergel
  • Patent number: 11260825
    Abstract: A locking and unlocking system includes a controller. The controller is configured to acquire a state of locking and unlocking of a vehicle that is locked and unlocked based on locking and unlocking instruction information acquired from a portable terminal, and send a notification to a first device associated with the vehicle, when the vehicle is not locked during a period of time from when the vehicle is unlocked based on the locking and unlocking instruction information acquired from the portable terminal until a first timing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Naoki Uenoyama, Etsuko Nakajima, Junya Masui, Akira Hoshino, Hideo Hasegawa, Keiko Nakano
  • Patent number: 11257310
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a function module for an electronic access control to a housing in electrical equipment. Electronic built-in modules are arranged in the housing. At least one of the built-in modules is connected to a data bus, wherein the built-in module is accessible via an interface and the data bus for the exchange of data. A switchable blocking module is provided according to the invention between the interface and the data bus, wherein the blocking module in a disable state restricts or interrupts the data traffic on the data bus at least for a data exchange between the interface and the built-in module, and in an enable state enables the data bus for an unrestricted exchange of data between the interface and the built-in module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: Murrelektronik GmbH
    Inventors: Ingo Wolff, Bastian Baier
  • Patent number: 11250692
    Abstract: A remote control arrangement includes a portable computer, in which a computer program product for generating and transmitting control signals by transmitter provided on the computer is stored, and a remotely controlled object, on which a receiver for receiving the control signals and a controller for controlling the object in accordance with the received signals are provided. The remote control arrangement has a security device having an operating element that can be mechanically actuated. A security control connection can be established between the security device and the portable computer, and control of the object can be allowed only when the security control connection is established. The security control connection includes an electronic signal connection between the security device and the computer. The control signals for moving the object cannot be transmitted until the electronic signal connection exists.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Inventor: Thomas Haug
  • Patent number: 11230258
    Abstract: An anti-theft device for a vehicle has a vehicle transmitting device for emitting a signal. The device has a vehicle receiving device for receiving an identification transmitter signal. The device also has a vehicle control device which is configured to control a security device on the basis of the reception of an identification transmitter signal. In this case, the vehicle control device is also configured to deactivate the vehicle transmitting device if it has detected the capture of a user signal and the reception of at least one identification transmitter signal within a predetermined interval of time. This makes it possible to achieve a higher degree of security of the anti-theft device in a manner set by the user himself.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Inventor: Andreas Keutgen
  • Patent number: 11217050
    Abstract: Remote control for actuating garage doors and other barriers, and method and system of using same. A base unit includes: a wireless receiver, to wirelessly receive from an electronic device an incoming wireless signal indicating a command to actuate a garage door; a wireless signal constructor, to dynamically construct an outgoing wireless signal which comprises a rolling code; a wireless transmitter, to transmit the outgoing wireless signal to a wireless receiver of a motor unit that is operably associated with the garage door. A wireless signal constructor dynamically constructs the outgoing wireless signal without having access to a secret seed value that is accessible to the motor unit. A local storage unit stores a data-set of rolling codes that are associated with the motor unit; and the outgoing wireless signal is dynamically constructed based on a next-available rolling code obtained from the local storage unit of the base unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: OLIBRA LLC
    Inventors: Zohar Shinar, Christopher Andrew Merck, Guy Zeltzer
  • Patent number: 11210883
    Abstract: A system for detecting a threat at a facility, such as a weapon, and automatically implementing security procedures including opening and/or closing doors of the facility to isolate the threat from facility occupants. Additionally or alternatively, one or more egress routes may be established by opening and/or closing certain doors to aid facility occupants in evacuating the facility while avoiding the threat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: Overhead Door Corporation
    Inventor: Federico Romero
  • Patent number: 11210876
    Abstract: Methods and systems for granting access to a building are disclosed. The system includes a telephone entry system associated with the building, a processor in communication with the telephone entry system, a non-transitory computer readable medium. The non-transitory computer-readable medium includes one or more programming instructions that when executed by the processor, cause the processor to receive a request including an access code for access to the building code, determine whether the access code is valid, and transmit to the telephone entry system associated with the building a sequence of dual-tone multi-frequency (DTMF) tones to cause the telephone entry system to grant access to the building in response to determining that the access code is valid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: Alarm.com Incorporated
    Inventor: Benjamin Taylor
  • Patent number: 11205313
    Abstract: A physical lock interface system facilitates secure and remote control of assignment and enablement of physical lock systems. The system receives a request to enable a user to disable a physical lock during a particular range of time. The lock is associated with a geofence boundary defined by a geofence. During the range of time, the system monitors for a presence of the user within the geofence. In response to determining that the user is within the geofence during the range of time, the system transmits a communication to an application of a client device of the user. The application is configured to interact electronically with the physical lock and to cause the client device to display information identifying the physical lock based on the communication. The system detects an electronic signal initiated by the application while the user is within the geofence and disables the physical lock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: Tekion Corp
    Inventors: Gurusankar Sankararaman, Justin Alexander Chi-Young Hou, Keshav Athreya, Sanyam Agrawal
  • Patent number: 11192525
    Abstract: An access arrangement for a vehicle comprises a vehicle-side unlocking device for unlocking a locking mechanism. Furthermore, it comprises a vehicle-side rechargeable electrical energy storage device which is set up to supply the unlocking device with energy independently of the on-board power supply of the vehicle. Moreover, the access arrangement has a vehicle-side energy supply device comprising a first section for receiving wirelessly transmitted energy and for converting the transmitted energy into electrical energy, and a second section for charging the vehicle-side rechargeable electrical energy storage device. In particular, the access arrangement also comprises a vehicle-side authentication device for checking access authorization, which is supplied with energy independently of the on-board power supply by means of the vehicle-side rechargeable electrical energy storage device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Ulrich Emmerling, Annette Hebling, Christine Igl, Georg Käufl, Stefan Hermann, Alexander Heinrich
  • Patent number: 11195072
    Abstract: A method for streaming sensor data from a set of radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags includes determining an initial communication approach to be performed with respect to each RFID tag. The method also includes managing access to the RFID tag by refining the initial communication approach based on records of successes and failures of the initial communication approach. A radio-frequency identification (RFID) system is also disclosed, the system comprising one or more processors and a memory system comprising one or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by at least one of the one or more processors, causes the system to perform operations for streaming sensor data from one or more RFID tags to one or more RFID readers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventors: Raymond S Wagner, David S Hafermalz, Patrick W. Fink, Chad Zalkin, Ray Seegmiller
  • Patent number: 11189121
    Abstract: A person identification device 100 has a tag 110 with a code and a tamper evident tether 120 able to secure the tag 110 to a person having a body. The person identification device also has a signal generator 140 able to generate a signal representing the code. The tag 110 has a capacitive contact 130 able to capacitively couple the signal into the body of the person.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: G4S Monitoring Technologies Limited
    Inventors: Tom Coggins, John Potter
  • Patent number: 11183065
    Abstract: A server device may receive a first request to utilize surplus parking spaces available at one or more locations from a first device associated with an organization having an inventory of vehicles to be stored in the surplus parking spaces. The server device may process, between the organization and one or more parking providers associated with the one or more locations, a transaction allocating the surplus parking spaces to the organization. The server device may receive, from a second device, a second request to use a vehicle in the inventory from a starting location. The server device may determine, from among the surplus parking spaces allocated to the organization, a storage location for the vehicle that differs from the starting location and transmit, to the second device, a notification indicating that the vehicle is ready for use based on the vehicle having been moved to the starting location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: Capital One Services, LLC
    Inventors: Geoffrey Dagley, Jason Hoover, Micah Price, Stephen Wylie, Qiaochu Tang
  • Patent number: 11181876
    Abstract: Techniques to facilitate identification of industrial equipment using micro-location services in an industrial automation environment are disclosed herein. In at least one implementation, an identification signal is detected transmitted from a wireless transceiver associated with an asset of the industrial automation environment. The identification signal is processed to determine an identity of the asset. A level of proximity of the portable computing system to the wireless transceiver is detected. Information associated with the asset is retrieved based on the identity of the asset. The information associated with the asset is displayed on a display system of a computing system based on the level of proximity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel S. DeYoung, Matthew R. Ericsson, Douglas Reichard, Michael Ohlsen, Kenneth S. Plache
  • Patent number: 11158147
    Abstract: A cargo area door control system for a vehicle is provided. The vehicle includes at least one cargo area and at least one cargo area door configured to be movable to enable physical access to the at least one cargo area, and movable to block physical access to the at least one cargo area. The control system includes one or more processors and a memory communicably coupled to the one or more processors. The memory stores a cargo area door control module including instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to determine if the vehicle currently resides at a selected destination and, responsive to a determination that the vehicle currently resides at the selected destination, operate a cargo area door unlocking mechanism to unlock the at least one cargo area door.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: Toyota Research Institute, Inc.
    Inventors: Hiromitsu Urano, Kentaro Ichikawa, Kazunori Nimura
  • Patent number: 11155240
    Abstract: An access arrangement for a vehicle comprises a vehicle-side unlocking device for unlocking a locking mechanism. Furthermore, it comprises a vehicle-side rechargeable electrical energy storage device which is set up to supply the unlocking device with energy independently of the on-board power supply of the vehicle. Moreover, the access arrangement has a vehicle-side energy supply device comprising a first section for receiving wirelessly transmitted energy and for converting the transmitted energy into electrical energy, and a second section for charging the vehicle-side rechargeable electrical energy storage device. In particular, the access arrangement also comprises a vehicle-side authentication device for checking access authorization, which is supplied with energy independently of the on-board power supply by means of the vehicle-side rechargeable electrical energy storage device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Ulrich Emmerling, Annette Hebling, Christine Igl, Georg Käufl, Stefan Hermann, Alexander Heinrich
  • Patent number: 11142164
    Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure generally pertain to a vehicle inhibitor with an enhanced user interface and a system and method for overriding a vehicle inhibitor. This disclosure may be useful for providing an emergency override function for vehicle loan repayment enforcement systems that have wireless user interface modules, and that have become lost or inoperable when needed to generate an emergency override signal. Further, the present disclosure addresses this problem while mitigating additional system cost and additional components. This disclosure includes a method of providing an emergency override function for vehicle loan repayment enforcement systems that have wireless user interface modules, and that have become lost or inoperable when needed to generate an emergency override signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Inventors: Reinhold Mueller, Juan Carlos Vazquez
  • Patent number: 11145191
    Abstract: A flash light module (1) can include a housing (30) carrying at least a visible flash light emitter (10) to emit a flash light beam along an optical axis (OA) and at least one additional emitter (20) emitting non-visible light arranged at a second distance (D2) perpendicular to the optical axis (OA), where position and orientation of the additional emitter (20) and at least the second distances (D2) are suitably adapted as well as the housing (30) is suitably shaped in order to enable the additional emitter (20) to emit non-visible light (22) along a non-visible light emitting direction (IRD), wherein the additional emitter (20) is adapted to emit the non-visible light (22) to the environment suitable to remote communicate to, preferably to remote control, external electronic devices (5) comprising corresponding receivers for the non-visible light (22). A mobile device (100) can include the flash light module (1) and a method to operate the mobile device (100).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: Lumileds LLC
    Inventors: Thierry De Smet, James Tarne, Arjen van der Sijde, Nicola Bettina Pfeffer, Olivier Meilhon