Patents Examined by Jeffery Hofsass
  • Patent number: 9575108
    Abstract: This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for assessing electromagnetic exposure. In one aspect an apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes at least a first circuit configured to calculate electromagnetic exposure of at least a portion of at least one human in proximity to a wireless electric vehicle charging system. The portion of the at least one human is modeled by at least one homogeneous phantom model having dielectric properties that are representative of human tissue. The apparatus further includes at least a second circuit configured to scale the calculated electromagnetic exposure to simulate an electromagnetic exposure based on an inhomogeneous anatomical model of the portion of the at least one human.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Lin Lu, Jagadish Nadakuduti, Paul Guckian
  • Patent number: 9576479
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are techniques and systems to guide a visually impaired user through an urban area, such as, across a crosswalk. A mobile device may receive messages broadcast by wireless beacons deployed in an area and determine a path, for example, across a crosswalk, based on the messages. The mobile device can then provide feedback to guide a visually impaired user across the crosswalk.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: INTEL IP CORPORATION
    Inventors: Eddy Kvetny, Raan Kahn, Nachman Cohen, Ilan Carmel
  • Patent number: 9566904
    Abstract: An instrumentation gauge for a vehicle includes a single piece light guide divided into multiple sections by an opaque light guide insert. The single piece light guide includes at least one telltale graphic printed on a surface of the light guide in each of the light guide sections. When light is communicated into a given section of the light guide, the light scatters on the telltale graphic causing the graphic to be illuminated and distinguishable from a same or similar colored background.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Vyacheslav Birman, Daniel Pasquale Tollis
  • Patent number: 9566905
    Abstract: An instrumentation gauge for a vehicle includes a single piece light guide divided into multiple sections by an opaque light guide insert. The single piece light guide includes at least one telltale graphic printed on a surface of the light guide in each of the light guide sections. When light is communicated into a given section of the light guide, the light scatters on the telltale graphic causing the graphic to be illuminated and distinguishable from a same or similar colored background.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Vyacheslav Birman, Daniel Pasquale Tollis
  • Patent number: 9566896
    Abstract: An instrument cluster system for a vehicle includes a speedometer gauge having markings indicative of speeds of the vehicle, a pointer, and a speed warning indicator including adjacent lights arranged in position to correlate with the markings. A control unit receives inputs including a speed of the vehicle. GPS provides a location of the vehicle so that the control unit can obtain a posted speed limit of a road on which the vehicle is located. The control unit sends processed data to the cluster so that the cluster can control the lights based on the posted speed limit, such that lights correlating with speeds below the posted speed limit can be illuminated green and lights correlating with speeds above the posted speed limit can be illuminated red, thereby providing a visual warning to a driver as to whether the vehicle is operating above or below the posted speed limit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Victor Raul Armenta Lopez, Ricardo Melendez Paz, Ernesto Morales Guerrero, Marco Antonio Vega Diaz
  • Patent number: 9557247
    Abstract: A sensor module includes a sensor element set up to output a sensor signal, an A/D converter connected to the sensor element, a signal transmission unit connected to the A/D converter and set up for the transmission of a sensor signal converted by the A/D converter, and a supply signal tap at which an unconverted supply signal that represents a supply voltage or a supply current of the sensor module is present. An input of the A/D converter is connected to the supply signal tap. The unconverted supply signal that represents a supply voltage or a supply current of the sensor module is converted into a converted supply signal by the A/D converter that converts the sensor signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventors: Alex Grossmann, Dirk Daecke
  • Patent number: 9555738
    Abstract: A control system and method for a vehicle having a warning function are provided. The system includes a control device that is configured to determine whether an amplifier is installed within the vehicle based on an occurrence of an alert situation. The control device is configured to transmit an alarm sound to an amplifier when the amplifier is installed therein and transmit the alarm sound to a cluster speaker when the amplifier is not installed within the vehicle. The amplifier is configured to transmit amplifier installation information to the control device and output an alarm sound received from the control device and the cluster speaker is configured to output the alarm sound received from the control device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventor: Se Min Oh
  • Patent number: 9552716
    Abstract: The sinkhole detector detects the formation of sinkholes in the immediate vicinity of the sinkhole detector and generates an alarm when a sinkhole is detected. The sinkhole detector is partially buried in the ground such that if a sinkhole forms underneath the sinkhole detector a weight is released into the void created by the sinkhole. The release of the weight initiates an alarm signal that a sinkhole has appeared. The sinkhole detector comprises a weight, a cable, a housing, and a control circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Inventor: Jerry Scarborough
  • Patent number: 9552715
    Abstract: A filter condition indicator system is described herein. A pressure differential switch monitors air pressure across a filter, and a transmitter coupled to the pressure differential switch sends a signal to a networked device. If the pressure differential near the filter triggers the switch, then a “dirty” signal is sent to or retrieved by a mobile device which indicates that the filter is dirty and should be replaced. The filter condition indicator is able to be used by bypassing a thermostat and sending an alert to a computer or mobile device wirelessly. Alternatively, the filter condition indicator system described herein is able to be used in conjunction with a previously installed furnace/thermostat system by utilizing the pre-existing thermostat wiring. The filter condition indicator system is able to be used with HVAC systems, air conditioning systems, other heating/cooling systems, or other systems or devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: BD Technology Partners
    Inventor: Stewart Breslin
  • Patent number: 9547963
    Abstract: Techniques are described for providing control of a monitoring system (e.g., a home alarm or security system) using one or more mobile devices. In some implementations, a native mobile device application enables use of a mobile device as a security/automation system keypad and controller for a home security system. In these implementations, the mobile device, using the native mobile device application, checks real time status of system and sensors, arms/disarms system, turns lights on/off, looks in on live video of security cameras, reviews history of system events, reviews saved video clips, monitors/changes thermostat settings, and performs other features of a traditional security keypad in a home security system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2017
    Assignee: Alarm.com Incorporated
    Inventors: Stephen Scott Trundle, Alison Jane Slavin
  • Patent number: 9545542
    Abstract: A device includes a signaling means and a motion sensor, and logic for activating or controlling the signaling means in response to a sensed motion according to an embedded logic. The device may be used as a toy, and may be shaped like a play ball or as a handheld unit. It may be powered from a battery, either chargeable from an AC power source directly or contactless by using induction or by converting electrical energy from harvested kinetic energy. The embedded logic may activate or control the signaling means, predictably or randomly, in response to sensed acceleration magnitude or direction, such as sensing the crossing of a preset threshold or sensing the peak value. The visual means may be a numeric display for displaying a value associated with the count of the number of times the threshold has been exceeded or the peak magnitude of the acceleration sensed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2017
    Assignee: May Patents Ltd.
    Inventor: Yehuda Binder
  • Patent number: 9542781
    Abstract: A system includes a user interface and a controller in communication with a transceiver and the user interface. The controller is configured to receive a predefined threshold and alert for a vehicle indication at the user interface. The controller is further configured to generate a notification based on the preconfigured alert in response to the vehicle indication exceeding the predefined threshold. The controller is further configured to transmit, via the transceiver, the notification for the vehicle indication to a wearable device configured to output the predefined alert.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: David Anthony Hatton
  • Patent number: 9541636
    Abstract: A vehicle remote function system is provided for determining a location of a fob relative to a vehicle. The system includes a controller adapted to be mounted in the vehicle and configured for communication with antennas mounted at different vehicle locations, the controller for use in determining the location of the fob based on ultra-wide band wireless signals transmitted between the antennas and the fob. The controller is configured to locate the fob within one of multiple three-dimensional zones, one of the zones configured to have a non-spherical shape. A method is also provided for use in a vehicle remote function system, the method for determining a location of a fob relative to a vehicle. The method includes transmitting ultra-wide band wireless signals between the vehicle and the fob, and determining the location of the fob within one of multiple three-dimensional zones, one of the zones having a non-spherical shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: Lear Corporation
    Inventors: Jason Bauman, Thomas O'Brien, Keith A. Christenson, Hilton W. Girard, III, Jian Ye
  • Patent number: 9542841
    Abstract: A method and system that relies on visibility detectors deployed on luminaires in outdoor lighting networks (OLNs) to independently treat and consolidate the sensed data in a fault-tolerant manner. By communicating with neighboring luminaires and/or with a centralized server, the invention is able to identify the position and direction of movement of areas of reduced visibility (e.g. fog). This information can then be used to alert drivers who are approaching the identified area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: PHILIPS LIGHTING HOLDING B.V.
    Inventors: Talmai Brandão De Oliveira, Jianfeng Wang, Dave Alberto Tavares Cavalcanti
  • Patent number: 9533690
    Abstract: A method and a device for displaying vehicle parameters, which comprise at least a first and a second parameter is provided. A value of the first parameter and a value of the second parameter are determined and the value of the first parameter and the value of the second parameter are displayed on a display area. In addition, the value of the first parameter is changed and the change in the value of the first parameter at least in a first portion is converted into a change in the value of the second parameter. A first display element, via which the conversion of the change in the value of the first parameter into the change in the value of the second parameter is depicted graphically, is created on the display area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Astrid Kassner, Manuel Joachim, Michael Mischke
  • Patent number: 9536271
    Abstract: A system and method for configuring an indication device is described. An on-demand service system arranges a transport service for a user to be provided by a driver. The system determines whether the user has specified an output configuration for an indication device in an account of the user. In response to determining that the user has specified an output configuration for the indication device, the system identifies data corresponding to the output configuration and transmits the data to a driver device of the driver to enable the driver device to control the indication device of the driver based on the data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Travis Kalanick, Shalin Amin
  • Patent number: 9533614
    Abstract: One embodiment provides a method, including: receiving, via a sensor, data associated with a vehicle operator; determining, using a processor, a view of the vehicle operator based on the received data; associating the view with a characteristic of a collision avoidance system; and thereafter modifying the characteristic of the collision avoidance system. Other embodiments are described and claimed herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: Lenovo (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Spencer Michael Guy, Russell Speight VanBlon, Dharma Teja Nukarapu, Russell Stuart Gantman
  • Patent number: 9527384
    Abstract: In a system, a behavior description generator extracts a feature portion from at least one of segmented behavior-data sequences corresponding to at least one target driving situation included in sequential driving situations, and generates behavior-description information indicative of a description of a driver's behavior associated with the at least one target driving situation. An event description generator sequentially detects traffic events in at least one environmental data sequence indicative of time-series driving environments of a vehicle. The event description generator generates event-description information including a description indicative of each of the detected traffic events. A context description generator extracts, from the sequentially detected traffic events, one target traffic event that is detected immediately adjacent to the feature portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, THE RITSUMEIKAN TRUST
    Inventors: Takashi Bando, Kazuhito Takenaka, Tadahiro Taniguchi
  • Patent number: 9530312
    Abstract: A system includes a processor configured to project monitoring needs for a road segment. The processor is further configured to contact one or more vehicles traveling on the road segment during a time of monitoring need. The processor is additionally configured to instruct a first number, determined based on a projected monitoring need, of contacted vehicles to being monitoring and reporting traffic data for the road segment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Fling Tseng, Kwaku O. Prakah-Asante, Dimitar Petrov Filev, Shane Elwart, Jianbo Lu
  • Patent number: 9524630
    Abstract: An apparatus for monitoring air flow in a vent pipe of a radon mitigation system includes a base connectable to the vent pipe. The base houses a circuit that is actuatable to indicate the condition of the radon mitigation system. An air flow switch actuates the circuit, the air flow switch includes a vane that is supported by the base and extends into the interior of the vent pipe through an opening in a wall of the vent pipe. The vane includes a wing having portions that are deflectable to permit installation of the wing through an opening in the vent pipe. The deflectable portions return under their own resilience to their non-deflected conditions once they pass through the opening in the vent pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2016
    Assignee: Dwyer Instruments, Inc.
    Inventors: Alejandro Ignacio Baez Guada, Matthew Goldschmidt