Patents Examined by Donnie L. Crosland
  • Patent number: 7705749
    Abstract: An alert device for a vehicle includes a communications receiver for receiving file fragments for the device, a positioning data receiver for providing vehicle location data, a microcontroller system including a microcontroller and a programmable non-volatile memory system, for building and storing application and data files from the fragments, and executing an alert application of the device by processing at least one application file and associated data identified by configuration instructions included in at least one of the fragments to provide alert data for the vehicle corresponding to the location of the vehicle determined by the application on the basis of the vehicle location data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2010
    Assignee: Freestyle Technology Pty Ltd
    Inventors: Andrew Paul Donaghey, Ian Kenneth Francis McDonald, David Lewis Beard
  • Patent number: 7701325
    Abstract: The present invention provides a communication device for use with a power line communication system. One embodiment of the present invention forms a bypass device and comprises a LV coupler, a LV signal conditioner, a controller, a MV modem, a first MV signal conditioner, an isolator, a second MV signal conditioner, and a MV coupler. The controller may provide routing functions to give priority to certain types of data, control access to the network, filter data packets, process software upgrades, and provision new subscriber devices. In addition, the controller may monitor, process, and transmit traffic data, measured power data, errors, and other collected data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2010
    Assignee: Current Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Melvin Joseph White, II
  • Patent number: 7701335
    Abstract: A security system for not enabling, enabling or disabling electrical devices for deterring theft, or preventing unauthorized use of such devices. The security system comprises a plurality of electrical devices which are operationally linked via a bi-directional communication medium, which may be via a mains power supply or a microwave or radiowave medium. Programmable means are provided for controlling operation of the operative parts of the electrical devices. The programmable means may have a signal transmitting and receiving means associated with it for transmitting and receiving control signals over the communication medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2010
    Assignee: Evatayhow Holdings PTY Ltd.
    Inventors: Charles C Van Dongen, Grover L Howard, III, Lindsay A Champion, Stuart J Evans, Evan D Evans
  • Patent number: 7688199
    Abstract: A detection system may include at least one sensor located in an enclosable space, each sensor being configured to detect at least one environmental feature and provide a corresponding at least one environmental feature signal. The system may process the at least one environmental feature signal and provide at least one processed feature signal, the at least one processed feature signal corresponding to a transformed at least one environmental feature signal. The system may further provide a hosted function configured to provide instructions for processing, the hosted function comprising a computational algorithm adapted to perform numerical transformation operations based on the at least one environmental feature signal, the hosted function being configured to provide a map image based on the at least one processed feature signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2010
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Wei Zhang, Chao-Hsin Lin
  • Patent number: 7688221
    Abstract: A driving support apparatus includes: an image sensing device that photographs side region of a vehicle and rearward region of a vehicle while altering an angle of view; a display unit that displays video images photographed by the image sensing device so as to be visible to a driver of the vehicle; a display determination device that determines a running state of the vehicle, and determines whether or not an alteration of the display angle of view is required; and an angle of view adjustment device that switches the angle of view of the image sensing device, in accordance with a display method decided by the display determination device, between either one of a wide angle that enables the side region and the rearward region to be photographed, and a narrow angle that only allows the rearward region to be photographed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2010
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Watanabe, Kei Oshida, Yoichi Sugimoto
  • Patent number: 7683773
    Abstract: Telemetry data may be included in packet exchanges of authentication protocols. In one example, a tag, associated with shipped goods, authenticates with a local area network that is associated with a destination of the goods. An identification is received from the tag and the authentication and the identification are sent to a remote location as an indication of the goods being at the destination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2010
    Assignee: G2 Microsystems Pty, Ltd.
    Inventors: David S. Goodall, Geoffrey J. Smith, Philip J. Ryan, Gordon T. Foyster
  • Patent number: 7683775
    Abstract: A modular sensor architecture. A sensor includes multiple planes that are in electrical communication. A power plane provides a power source and a communications module that can be optical and/or electrical in nature. The power source can be upgraded using optical power delivered over an optical fiber. The sensor can also both transmit/receive data over the optical fiber. A processing plane provides memory and processing power. The processing plane can be updated/upgraded via the communications module or the optical fiber. A sensor plane includes multiple sensors. Deployed sensors can transmit and receive data or programming using mesh networks and using low power pulse modulation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2010
    Inventor: Frank Levinson
  • Patent number: 7683768
    Abstract: An interior rearview mirror assembly includes a human machine interface having at least one user actuatable input accessible at a portion of the mirror casing. The user actuatable input provides user input to at least one element of circuitry that is disposed in the mirror casing, the interior rearview mirror assembly and/or an accessory module. The circuitry is associated with at least one of (i) a moisture sensor, (ii) a blower motor, (iii) a cabin air monitoring device that monitors the air within the cabin of the vehicle, (iv) a cabin air monitoring device that monitors the level of carbon monoxide in the air within the cabin of the vehicle, (v) an air intake, (vi) a remote ignition system, (vii) a humidity sensing device, and (viii) a display device disposed behind a transflective mirror reflector of the interior rearview mirror assembly and visible to the driver when displaying information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2010
    Assignee: Donnelly Corporation
    Inventors: John O. Lindahl, Peter J. Whitehead, Niall R. Lynam, John T. Uken, Lee Karner, Richard R. Hook
  • Patent number: 7679488
    Abstract: A vehicular rearview mirror system includes an interior rearview mirror assembly having an interior electrochromic reflective element, a housing for the interior electrochromic reflective element, and digital circuitry supplying a drive signal to the interior electrochromic reflective element. The interior electrochromic reflective element assumes an interior mirror partial reflectance level in response to the interior mirror electrochromic reflective element drive signal. The digital circuitry includes a microcontroller for controlling over a vehicle network at least one other vehicle function. One of the at least one other vehicle function includes an exterior mirror assembly that may include an exterior electrochromic reflective element that assumes an exterior mirror partial reflectance level in response to an exterior mirror electrochromic reflective element drive signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2010
    Assignee: Donnelly Corporation
    Inventors: John P. Drummond, Niall R. Lynam
  • Patent number: 7679490
    Abstract: In a system for harmonizing a motor vehicle's status information (S1) between at least two ID transmitters (5, 6, . . . ) of a vehicle-accessing device, the vehicle status (S1), together with a reference time (t1), corresponding to the vehicle status (S1), of a reference timing element of a vehicle-side control unit (2) can be sent by the unit via at least one transceiver unit (3) to at least one first mobile ID transmitter (5) over a first radio transmission (4) and stored; and the vehicle status (S1) can be sent over a second radio transmission (7) from the first ID transmitter (5) to at least one second ID transmitter (6, . . . ) and stored. This is advantageous in that an ID transmitter (6) can obtain information about the vehicle status S1 not only via the vehicle (1) itself but also via another ID transmitter (5). The invention is especially suitable for accessing and locking systems for motor vehicles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2010
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Stefan Hammes
  • Patent number: 7679504
    Abstract: A system and method for electrophysiological monitoring system including a plurality of sensors configured to detect one or more health parameters of a patient and a monitoring device configured to receive a plurality of sensing signals from the sensors and output a monitoring signal representative of an alarm sequence, wherein the alarm sequence comprises a set of alarm events identified in the sensing signals. The system also includes an on-line monitoring module configured to generate a suffix tree data structure in response to the monitoring signal to identify alarm patterns from the set of alarm events and classify the alarm sequence in response to the occurrences of alarm patterns in the alarm sequence. The on-line monitoring module is further configured to alert monitoring personnel of an alarm condition after processing the alarm sequence in real-time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2010
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Xi Wang, Timothy L. Johnson, Stephen T. Treacy
  • Patent number: 7675407
    Abstract: The instant invention includes a central security and alarm system that operates to protect a home or business and includes a personal safety device to communicate with a hearing-challenged end-user at the protected home or business. The system includes at least one alarm event detection device, and a central panel in communication with the personal safety device and the at least one alarm event detection device, the central panel comprising a processor for carrying out a method of communicating to the hearing-challenged end-user at the detection of alarm events via the personal safety device. The method includes detecting an alarm event at the home or business and notifying a designated, hearing-challenged end-user that the alarm event has occurred by causing a life safety device in the possession of the hearing challenged end-user to communicate the detected event by a mechanical communication signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2010
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Howard Yuk, Javier E. Reyes, Albert Lee
  • Patent number: 7671724
    Abstract: A vehicle anti-theft apparatus and method can prevent the theft of a vehicle and the illegal use thereof without increased costs. The apparatus includes an IC card carried by a user of a vehicle, an IC card reader in the vehicle for reading information contained in the IC card, and an authentication processing section in the vehicle for authenticating the user when the vehicle is used. The IC card includes a memory for storing identification information and use time limit information of the vehicle. The IC card reader reads the identification information and the use time limit information stored in the memory. When the identification information of the IC card and authentication identification information stored beforehand in the vehicle coincide with each other, and when a current time is within a use time limit of the use time limit information, the authentication processing section permits the use of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2010
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Kazunori Mori, Ryousaku Obo, Kenji Yamanaka, Hiroshi Sakaguchi
  • Patent number: 7667609
    Abstract: Methods and systems using one or more expert systems to screen equipment operators for impairments, such as chemical impairment, physical impairment, medical impairment, or emotional impairment, to selectively test the equipment operators and rescue the equipment operator and control the equipment (e.g., automobiles, trucks, industrial vehicles, public transportation vehicles, such as buses, subways, trains, planes, ships, watercraft, sport vehicles, and dangerous or potentially dangerous machinery in general) if impairment of the equipment operator is determined. One embodiment is a method to screen and rescue an equipment operator having a chemical impairment, using one or more expert systems. A second embodiment is a method to screen and rescue an equipment operator having an impairment, such as chemical impairment, physical impairment, medical impairment, or emotional impairment, using one or more expert systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2010
    Inventor: Kevin Roe
  • Patent number: 7667579
    Abstract: An interior mirror system suitable for use in a vehicle comprises an interior rearview mirror assembly with an information display disposed within the housing and behind the reflective element and viewable through the reflective element by a driver of the equipped vehicle viewing the reflective element when the interior rearview mirror assembly is normally mounted to an interior portion of the equipped vehicle. A control is responsive to a photo sensor and operable to distinguish between daytime and nighttime lighting conditions. The control is operable to vary the intensity of the information displayed by the information display as viewed through the reflective element by the driver of the equipped vehicle. When the information display is operating during daytime lighting conditions, the control may adjust the intensity of the displayed information to at least about 1000 cd/m2 as viewed through the reflective element by the driver of the equipped vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2010
    Assignee: Donnelly Corporation
    Inventors: Jonathan E. DeLine, Niall R. Lynam
  • Patent number: 7663479
    Abstract: An automated security infrastructure is disclosed that includes security agents that are designed to analyze security issues. The security agents process events received from event-messages, and records data associated with a security issue in a ticket. Security and management personnel are kept informed based on notification subscription lists. Assigned security personnel's progress in resolving outstanding security issues is monitored until those issues are resolved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2010
    Assignee: AT&T Corp.
    Inventors: Paritosh Bajpay, Roberta Bienfait, Ginny Cast, Wan-Ping Chiang, Kim Hanechak, Jackson Liu, Denise Stokes
  • Patent number: 7663501
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for controlling the emitted color of visible light according to the current communication state in a visible light communication (VLC) device. The method includes storing one or more communication states and emitting colors that are correspondingly matched to the one or more communication states to indicate each of the various communication states. The VLC also checks, which can be based upon selection of a VLC mode, the current communication state and an emits a color that corresponds to the current communication state and emits the checked color of light to provide a visible light signal that indicates communication status to a user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2010
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoo Jeong Hyun, Seong Hoon Hyun, legal representative, Yun-Je Oh, Dae-Kwang Jung, Hong-Seok Shin, Kyung-Woo Lee, Dong-Jae Shin, Sung-Bum Park
  • Patent number: 7659807
    Abstract: A device and method are provided for processing multimedia broadcast-related events in a portable terminal, and include a memory for storing character UI images according to multimedia broadcast-related events, an event collection section for collecting the multimedia broadcast-related events generated in the portable terminal and for generating event messages for discriminating the generated multimedia broadcast-related events, an agent control section including a plurality of specialists for processing the multimedia broadcast-related events, the agent control section determining specialists corresponding to the event messages, selecting and outputting character UI IDs corresponding to the multimedia broadcast-related events of the determined specialist, and processing feedback information on the corresponding events according to the feedback information of a user, and an agent expression section for outputting character images and texts which correspond to the multimedia broadcast-related events and the fe
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2010
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jae-Ho Kim, Hyun-Ji Kim, Jeong-Wook Seo
  • Patent number: RE41102
    Abstract: The invention discloses a locator unit contained within footwear providing a method for GPS position determination and transmission of said location determination data to a central monitoring station which disseminates the data through the use of proprietary software, wireless communications, land based wire systems and the Internet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2010
    Assignee: GTX Corp
    Inventors: Mitchell W. Jamel, Patrick E. Bertagna, Ralph H. Davis, Jr.
  • Patent number: RE41122
    Abstract: The invention discloses a locator unit contained within footwear providing a method for GPS position determination and transmission of said location determination data to a central monitoring station which disseminates the data through the use of proprietary software, wireless communications, land based wire systems and the Internet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2010
    Assignee: GTX Corp
    Inventors: Mitchell W. Jamel, Patrick E. Bertagna, Ralph H. Davis, Jr.