Patents Examined by Mark Rushing
  • Patent number: 8384533
    Abstract: A hostless automobile reverse radar warning system installed to an automobile includes a reverse signal light power module for supplying an electric power required by the system, a plurality of distance sensing modules installed to an external periphery of the automobile for performing a distance detection to detect external environment conditions of the automobile, producing a distance detection result, and generating a warning signal based on the distance detection result, and a warning module for receiving the warning signal and producing a sound to alert a driver based on the warning signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: Whetron Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Meng Chien Wang, Sen Wei, Shih-Feng Chiang
  • Patent number: 8368510
    Abstract: Biometric authentication and verification are described. A method in biometric identification includes establishing a foundational biometric measurement based on a first user input. The method also includes providing a second user input at a biometric terminal, the second user input used by the biometric terminal to determine whether to acknowledge a verifying biometric measurement, in response to receipt of the established foundational biometric measurement and the second user input. The method may also include establishing the foundational biometric measurement, by the user, utilizing biometric equipment. Alternatively, the establishing of the foundational biometric measurement based on first user input is performed by providing the first user input to a biometric kiosk, the biometric kiosk using the first user input to establish the foundational biometric measurement. Advantages of the present invention include the ability to perform more secure biometric transactions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Inventor: George William Luckhardt
  • Patent number: 8362876
    Abstract: A network of interlocks and input devices and a system for tracking their use and control, in which each interlock and input device is associated with a machine which performs a process. Machines are associated with input devices by reading machine identifications from Data Storage Devices (DSDs) with input devices. To disarm an interlock prior to using a machine, the input device is used to read one or more DSDs containing information required to track the process. The input device sends the DSD data to a CPU which then sends an authorization signal to a machine interface. Upon receiving the signal, the machine interface enables the machine to be turned on. The CPU logs the process and DSD data. Once the operator turns off the machine, it cannot be restarted until the operator reads the DSDs required by the machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Inventor: C. William Merten
  • Patent number: 8358212
    Abstract: An integral detection and identification system for detecting and identifying an object includes an identification transponder and a presence/absence transponder. The identification transponder includes a first inductive winding wound about a core and electrically coupled to an integrated circuit to transmit an identification signal in response to receipt of an interrogation signal in a first frequency range. The identification signal encodes an identifier stored by the integrated circuit. The presence/absence transponder includes a resonant inductive/capacitive tank circuit having at least a second inductive winding wound about a core and electrically coupled to a capacitor to transmit a presence/absence signal in response to an interrogation signal in a second frequency range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2013
    Assignee: RF Surgical Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: William A. Blair
  • Patent number: 8339239
    Abstract: An embodiment of an electronic access control system includes an electronic key, an electronic lock, and an access control administration program. The electronic key can include program code for switching between a lock mode and a computer mode. In some embodiments, the lock mode and computer mode allow for simplified administration and operation of the access control system. Some embodiments of the electronic key include a rechargeable battery. In some embodiments, the access control system includes a hybrid power supply system having a rechargeable battery and a generator. In some embodiments, the electronic lock includes a piezoelectric latch. In some embodiments, the electronic key is configured to act as a storage device for a computer system. Some embodiments provide an electronic access control system with a streamlined user interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Inventor: Gregory Paul Kirkjan
  • Patent number: 8330626
    Abstract: A system for providing location information of a vehicle includes a communications interface and a correlation logic that correlates location information of a communications device to location of the vehicle. The communications interface communicates electronic signals including: a first signal including data representing a request for the location of the vehicle, a second signal transmitted to a location information provider corresponding to a party or device other than the communications device including data representing a request for location information of the communications device, a third signal received from the location information provider corresponding to the party or device other than the communications device including data representing the location information of the communications device, and a fourth signal including data representing the location of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: MacroPoint LLC
    Inventor: Bennett H. Adelson
  • Patent number: 8330570
    Abstract: A secure keyless entry system integrates into an existing motorized garage door opening system to replace the one button transmitters typically placed in a vehicle. The one button transmitters are replaced with remote modules having alpha numeric key pads. The remote modules accept a string of input and compare the last four to eight entries to a previously set designated PIN. In order to obfuscate the designated PIN from on lookers, a user of the system may first enter a random string of decoy characters before finally entering the designated PIN. The disclosed system may also be used to replace the metal keys typically used to secure entry doors to a dwelling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Protective Resources 316 Inc.
    Inventor: Albert John Martin
  • Patent number: 8319641
    Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide an article management method by which detecting the location of an object is performed easily and introduction costs for detecting the location of an object are suppressed. The article management method includes a first RF chip attached to an article, a first reader/writer into which a shared memory portion and a second RF chip are incorporated, and a second reader/writer. The first reader/writer obtains information stored in the first RF chip, the shared memory portion retains the obtained information about the first RF chip, the second RF chip reads out that information about the first RF chip stored in the shared memory portion, the second reader/writer, by the second RF chip, obtains the information about the first RF chip and information stored in the second RF chip and information about the location of the second RF chip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshiyuki Kurokawa
  • Patent number: 8310356
    Abstract: Devices and methods for sensing wear of a component are described. A wear-sensing device has a wear component and a wireless sensor disposed within the wear component. The sensor generates a signal, detectable by a detector, for confirming the presence of the sensor. Further, the claimed invention includes a positioner for precisely positioning the sensor within the wear component. Also, an authentication module is present for authenticating the sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Charles K. Evans, Paul Castrilli
  • Patent number: 8294551
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable media deliver a variety of personalized information to a member of an association. In embodiments, information intended for delivery to a member, with or without request by the member, may be delivered via a television transmission, a telematic transmission to a vehicle, or a read-only memory. A password or biometric may be used to authenticate the intended viewer of the delivered information prior to displaying it.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: United Services Automobile Association (USAA)
    Inventor: Charles L. Oakes, III
  • Patent number: 8284066
    Abstract: An automated and/or remote method for identifying and/or changing the source of power for these generator sets, which may apply to any environment where there are alternative sources of power available which must be managed remotely (such as for other powered containers not used for refrigeration transport).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: Startrak Information Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Herbert Perten, Timothy Slifkin, Thomas A. Robinson, Swati Chiney
  • Patent number: 8284031
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention include systems and methods for providing Quality of service to RFID. In one embodiment the present invention includes a method of providing quality of service in an RFID network comprising storing RFID priority information corresponding to the RFID network, wherein the RFID network comprises one or more tags and one or more readers mapping the RFID priority information into priority information corresponding to a second network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: Golba LLC
    Inventor: Mehran Moshfeghi
  • Patent number: 8274371
    Abstract: A technique for simultaneously acquiring vehicle identification information and speed information of an RFID tag-attached vehicle by calculating the vehicle speed by using a Doppler shift value extracted from transmission and reception signals between the RFID tag and the RFID reader is disclosed. A method for measuring a vehicle speed by using an RFID reader installed right up on the road or at the roadside includes: transmitting a continuous wave; receiving a reflected wave with respect to the continuous wave from an RFID tag attached to a vehicle which has received the continuous wave; extracting a Doppler shift value from the continuous wave and the reflected wave; and calculating the speed of the vehicle by using the Doppler shift value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
    Inventors: Kyung Hwan Park, Tae Young Kang, Seok Bong Hyun, Sung Weon Kang, Byoung Gun Choi, In Gi Lim, Kyung Soo Kim, Jung Bum Kim
  • Patent number: 8264332
    Abstract: An apparatus and a method for demodulating a subcarrier tag signal in a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader is provided. The apparatus for demodulating the subcarrier tag signal in the RFID reader may include: an edge signal generation unit receiving a subcarrier tag signal and generating an edge signal with respect to the tag signal; an edge information extraction unit extracting edge information from the generated edge signal; and a decoding unit decoding the tag signal using the extracted edge information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
    Inventors: Ji-Hoon Bae, Donghan Lee, Won Kyu Choi, Cheng-Hao Quan, Gil Young Choi, Jong-Suk Chae
  • Patent number: 8264327
    Abstract: The authentication apparatus calculates authenticities based upon similarity between detected face image data and a plurality of items of registered face image data prepared beforehand. In accordance with the calculated authenticities, the apparatus causes a display unit to display, as the result of authentication, either a registered name indicating registered face image data calculated to have a maximum authenticity from among the plurality of items of registered face image data, or any group name to which the registered face image data calculated to have the maximum authenticity and other registered face image data belong.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Atsushi Fujita
  • Patent number: 8264366
    Abstract: Components having one or more sensors adapted to provide sensor data relating to a condition(s) of the component are disclosed. The component is adapted to communicate with another mating component to associate sensor data with identity information of the mating component. The sensor and identity information can be communicated remotely including via radio-frequency communications employing RF identification devices (RFIDs). Location of the mating component can be determined using the identity information of the mating component. In this manner, the sensor data can be associated with the location of the mating component using the identity information in a “component-to-component” configuration to provide location-specific sensor data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: Aravind Chamarti, John David Downie, James Scott Sutherland, Richard Edward Wagner, Dale Alan Webb, Matthew Scott Whiting
  • Patent number: 8253545
    Abstract: An electronic device includes a remote control and a host. The remote control is for generating different wireless signals. The host communicates with the remote control. The host includes a processor, a control panel, and a receiving unit. The control panel is for generating different key signals. The control panel includes a key for generating a locking signal and an unlocking signal. The receiving unit is for transferring the different key signals from the control panel to control the processor, and further for transferring the different wireless signals from the remote control to control the processor. The processor disables the receiving unit according to the locking signal and enables the receiving unit according to the unlocking signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignees: Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (ShenZhen) Co., Ltd., Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tao Wang
  • Patent number: 8253531
    Abstract: On Chip Smart Card verification of a cardholder using biometrics such as a fingerprint and consequent enablement of a card operating system, having an additional software layer boot prior to the commercial card operating system booting. This software layer, or boot loader, provides the drivers and functionality for the finger print sensor and on-card matching. If the cardholder is successfully authenticated, the unmodified commercial OS is then allowed to boot. If the cardholder does not authenticate with the boot loader then the card does not boot the card operating system and thus cannot be used for financial transactions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: John F. Davis, Sheldon M. Osborne, Frederick I. Reed, III, Wei Kai Xie
  • Patent number: 8248242
    Abstract: A wireless tracking system and method for real-time location tracking of a extreme-temperature sterilizable object is disclosed herein. The system and method utilize a tag attached to the extreme-temperature sterilizable object which includes a housing, a processor, a temperature sensor and a transceiver. If an internal temperature of the tag is detected by the temperature sensor, the tag enters a sleep mode. The temperature sensor periodically activates to determine if the internal temperature of the tag is within an acceptable operating range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Awarepoint Corporation
    Inventors: Dyami Caliri, Derek Smith
  • Patent number: 8237541
    Abstract: A bottle cap includes a reservoir; a screw cap; a magnetic lock comprising a magnetically actuated spring bolt on the reservoir, and a hole on the cap; a fingerprint scanner on the reservoir; and a battery powered controller on bottom of the reservoir for fingerprint identification and fingerprint storing. In response to placing a finger on the fingerprint scanner, the fingerprint scanner and the controller are activated, the fingerprint scanner captures a fingerprint from the finger and converts the fingerprint into digital signals which are sent to the controller, the controller compares the digital signals with the fingerprint record(s), if matching the bolt will be compressed to clear the hole with the clearing being kept for a time to disengage the cap from the reservoir, and thereafter the controller and the fingerprint scanner will be deactivated and the bolt will bounce back to its locked position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Inventor: Chiu Sung Wang