Patents Examined by Thomas J Mullen
  • Patent number: 8149124
    Abstract: A signaling system is provided for rendering an alarm for an individual in distress combined with a locating and tracking system to thus alert and direct appropriate personnel to the needs of the individual in distress and to monitor the location of that individual. The system comprises a portable signaling unit, a remote alarm switch device, a central dispatch station, and makes use of a wireless communication system. The portable signaling unit and the remote alarm switch may be adapted to be worn at different locations on the person's body. The remote alarm switch way be concealed in the form of a wristband or in the form of any other object such as a broach, pendant, or keychain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignee: Pragmatus Mobile LLC
    Inventors: Mark Hoffman, Judd Hoffman, Ann Hoffman, David Doe
  • Patent number: 8098147
    Abstract: This invention provides a tire monitoring system, comprising a remote tire monitoring unit installed in the tire, a central controller, a speech indicating unit and a brake deceleration mechanism; wherein the remote tire monitoring unit is used to monitor and sample the pressure and temperature within the tire, and generate the sampling data signals of tire conditions which are subsequently wirelessly transmitted to the central controller; the central controller wirelessly receives sampling data signals of tire conditions, and calculates received data signals so as to generate speech indicating command and/or brake deceleration command, and afterward conveys the speech indicating command to the speech indicating unit, while the brake deceleration command to the brake deceleration mechanism; a speech indication unit, provided to receive said speech indication command and output the speech indication information; and a brake deceleration mechanism, provided to receive said brake deceleration command and perform
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Assignee: Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jianzhong Fu
  • Patent number: 8009050
    Abstract: A highly reliable and inexpensive wireless system, which includes a communication device and a semiconductor device having a plurality of functional circuits with the same function, is provided. The semiconductor device transmits the processing results of the functional circuits to the communication device by a time-division system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshiyuki Kurokawa
  • Patent number: 8009047
    Abstract: For protecting information stored in an RFID chip and ensuring its authenticity, radio communication between the RFID chip and an external terminal is positively interrupted when a seal type RFID tag including the RFID chip is peeled from an adherend, while ensuring solidity integrity when the RFID tag is put on the adherend. In the seal type RFID tag which includes the RFID chip fixed on a mounting surface of a base member having an adhesive layer applied thereto and which is put on the adherend by using the adhesive layer, an antenna formed on a main surface of the RFID chip is embedded in adhesive layers together with the RFID chip and an adhesive bonding strength between the antenna and the adhesive layer is made greater than a joining strength between the antenna and the RFID chip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoya Kanda, Noriyuki Oroku
  • Patent number: 8004394
    Abstract: A vehicle-borne camera-based observation system for monitoring areas adjacent a vehicle or passenger vehicle, such as a bus or schoolbus, is disclosed, to provide safer operation for passersby, including for children, and driver convenience. The system includes several cameras, and several monitors in a driver's area displaying all of the fields of view from the cameras, such that each monitor may be controllable to show either the field of view of a first camera or a the field of view of a second camera, according to a driver selection or according to an automatic selection. Night vision, automatic tracking, and illumination systems are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: Rosco Inc.
    Inventor: Benjamin Englander
  • Patent number: 8004387
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and media to improve polling accuracy in RFID systems are disclosed. Embodiments comprise receiving information from one or more tags by a tag reader, comparing the information from the tags to other information, and adding the tag to an inventory if the tag does not exist in the other information. While some embodiments compare the tag information from the tags to baseline inventories for other areas, some embodiments compare it to current inventories for the other areas or compare it to a combination of both inventories. Some embodiments involve polling RFID tags in storage containers. Other embodiments involve machine-accessible mediums with instructions to receive information from the tag reader, analyze the information with baseline and current inventories of other areas, and store identification information for the tag in a current inventory database if the information is absent from the baseline and current inventories.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Rhonda L. Childress, Bradley Childs, Joann Huffman, Stewart J. Hyman, David B. Kumhyr, Stephen J. Watt
  • Patent number: 8004404
    Abstract: An information storage device which can record highly reliable information is provided. The moving object information storage device 3 is an information storage device equipped in a moving object 1, and includes: a moving object information storage unit 32 storing moving object information based on information detected by sensors which detect information related to the moving object 1; a tamper preventing unit 20 obtaining specifying information which can specify the moving object 1, and generating integrity information to be used for verifying if at least either the specifying information or the moving object information is tampered or not based on the obtained specifying information and the moving object information stored in the moving object information storage unit 32; and an integrity information storage unit 33 storing the integrity information generated by the tamper preventing unit 20.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Yukio Izumi, Keiki Yamada
  • Patent number: 7999681
    Abstract: A universal tracking assembly that is capable of supporting more than one protocol used in electronic article surveillance (EAS) labels. The universal tracking assembly includes an acousto-magnetic (AM) EAS portion with a Radio Frequency (RF) EAS portion. The intrinsic characteristics and properties of the components of these individual labels are utilized to enhance the overall performance and utility of the combined EAS universal tracking assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: United Security Applications ID, Inc.
    Inventor: Paul R. Arguin
  • Patent number: 7995048
    Abstract: An on-vehicle instrument panel display system preferably is mounted on an automobile and operative such that a plurality of pieces of information including information relating to an automobile are converted into images and the images are displayed all on a liquid crystal panel. The on-vehicle instrument panel display system has a vehicle system, an amenity system, and a safety system, each of which creates data for displaying the images. Further, the on-vehicle instrument panel display system has an instrument panel image composition/output section which combines data created by the systems and outputs the result as composed image data to the liquid crystal panel. The instrument panel image composition/output section includes an image composition LSI. Composed image data outputted from the image composition LSI is an RBG signal or a YUV signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2011
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Satoshi Tsubooka, Toshiya Okamoto
  • Patent number: 7990283
    Abstract: Accident avoidance system using an infrastructure system to convey location information between vehicles includes at least two vehicles approaching or traveling on a roadway and each having onboard, a position determining system onboard that receives satellite positioning signals from a plurality of satellites and determines location information based on the satellite positioning signals, a transmitter that transmits the location information for the vehicle to an infrastructure system, a receiver that receives location information for another vehicle from the infrastructure system, and an accident risk warning system that alerts its operator of a risk of an accident based on the location information for any other vehicles and map data representing the roadway including edges or lane boundaries of the roadway.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: Intelligent Technologies International, Inc.
    Inventor: David S. Breed
  • Patent number: 7990271
    Abstract: Quantities of movements of human and matter within a detection area are detected, based on the read results of an ID holding unit arranged in the detection area or information obtained from a sensor arranged in the detection area. Parameters are decided in accordance with the detected movement quantity, and by using such parameters, whether the detecting object is within the detection area or not is detected, based on the read results of an ID holding unit attached to a detecting object. A stabilizing process is performed based on the detected movement quantities of human and matter within the detection area by employing such constitution. Thus, detection is stabilized without limiting using environment or using method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: NEC Coporation
    Inventors: Yusuke Konishi, Toshiyasu Nakao
  • Patent number: 7982601
    Abstract: RFID tags, methods and systems for total asset management, in-transit visibility and bio-metric verification and authorization. The system comprises an active, multi-modal, bi-directional RFID tag having a primary communication mode RF transceiver and a secondary mode IR/US transceiver. The tag includes sensors, such as bio-metric, and memory containing user bio-metric data. A reader and illuminator(s), preferably IR and/or US, are communicatively coupled with the tag and adapted to provide command and control signals to the tag and receive data/information from it. The user's bio-metric data is read by the sensor, compared to the data base and verification communicated to an access or point of sale device. The tag looks for illuminators and reports to the reader the IDs of those it sees. The detection history permits tracking and locating tagged objects or persons, such as theme park guests. If no illuminator signal is seen, the tag sends a special signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: Innovation Law Group, Ltd.
    Inventors: Anthony P. Corrado, Rex T. Logan
  • Patent number: 7982617
    Abstract: Antennas 21 generate electromagnetic waves that cause an RFID tag to generate electricity, the RFID tag being provided in a game chip placed on an upper surface of a betting board 4. A plurality of the antennas 21 are provided in association with each bet portion 3 on the betting board 4. Antennas 31 receive a signal from the RFID tag. Each of the antennas 31 is provided in association with the plurality of antennas 21. A set of the plurality of antennas 21 associated with the respective antennas 31 is driven while successively being changed over among the antennas 21, for each set of the antennas 21 associated with each antenna 31. Further, each antenna 31 is driven at least while any of the plurality of antennas 21 associated with this antenna 31 generates electromagnetic waves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: Universal Entertainment Corporation
    Inventors: Toshimi Koyama, Jun Fujimoto, Nobuyuki Nonaka
  • Patent number: 7982614
    Abstract: A system includes an asset tag associated with an asset, the asset tag having a motion sensor to detect a movement of the asset. The system also includes a plurality of readers, each reader receiving one or more signals from the asset tag and measuring a distance between the asset tag and the reader based on the signals. The system further includes a controller receiving a measured distance from each of the plurality of readers and determining a location of the asset based on the measured distances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Henrik Holm, Steve D. Huseth, Andrew G. Berezowski
  • Patent number: 7973674
    Abstract: Disclosed are embodiments of a vehicle-to-vehicle traffic queue information communication system, a traffic queue information communication device, and method. The system and method embodiments incorporate the use of multiple vehicles. Each vehicle is equipped with a traffic queue information communication device. Each traffic queue information communication device can be used to determine if its corresponding vehicle has entered or exited a queue in a single lane of traffic. When the vehicle is in a queue, the device can communicate with the immediately adjacent vehicles in front and behind. Specifically, it can receive data from the preceding vehicle in the queue and use the received data to determine its position in the queue as well as the estimated time it will take to travel through the queue. Revised data can then be transmitted by the device to the next vehicle in the queue for making the same determinations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: David R. Bell, Christopher S. Bygrave, Phillip Norton
  • Patent number: 7969305
    Abstract: A security system and method for protecting an item of merchandise includes a programming station including a logic control circuit having a controller, a communication circuit operably coupled to the controller, and a memory operably coupled to the controller for initially providing a security disarm code (SDC) to a programmable key including a logic control circuit having a controller, a communication circuit operably coupled to the controller and a memory operably coupled to the controller. The programmable key subsequently provides the SDC to a security device configured for attachment to the merchandise and including a logic control circuit having a controller, a communication circuit operably coupled to the controller, and a memory operably coupled to the controller. Thereafter, the security device is disarmed by using the programmable key to verify the SDC in the memory of the key with the SDC in the memory of the security device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: InVue Security Products Inc.
    Inventors: Dennis D. Belden, Jr., Christopher J. Fawcett, Ronald M. Marsilio, Ian R. Scott
  • Patent number: 7965188
    Abstract: An RFID system provides a transponder that can communicate over at least two different frequencies so that the real time performance of the transponder can be improved without losing backwards compatibility. The RFID system allows the end user to customize and program identification tags. The RFID system also provides an ear tag, which may be in button form, for use on livestock with superior durability and overall performance in the field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2011
    Assignee: Destron Fearing Corporation
    Inventor: Randolph K. Geissler
  • Patent number: 7965199
    Abstract: A vehicular signaturing device and associated methodology by which to identify a vehicle. A sensor senses light energy emitted by the vehicle, such as light energy generated by a headlight assembly of the vehicle. The sensed energy is compared with database-stored information that is indexed together with standard vehicular types, models, and manufacture-year to identify the vehicular type. Once identified, the information related to identification is used pursuant to further vehicular-signaling functionality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2011
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventor: James Neil Moon
  • Patent number: RE42614
    Abstract: Systems and methods for monitoring the performance of a caregiver are disclosed. The systems may be configured to monitor the movement of each caregiver subject in a network of caregivers subjects. One such system includes a plurality of strips adhered in spaced-apart relation on a mattress pad, upon which a subject is positioned. One or more transmitter is provided coupled to the plurality of strips. A processor is connected to the one or more transmitter. The processor is provided with operating software to record and report caregiver activity or both caregiver activity and subject activity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: ProactiCare LLC
    Inventors: Barton Dring, John Ross
  • Patent number: RE42671
    Abstract: A monitoring system provides for monitoring of a person and taking an action to dissuade the person from a course of action. The system has a device attached to the person which includes mechanisms to provide for an intervention to dissuade the person from the course of action. The intervention may be in the form of delivery of either a medication or an electrical shock to the person. The system may further include monitoring of a bodily function of the person or positional tracking of the person. Various scenarios are described to provide for activation of the intervention. The system may include a second device in possession of a restrictor person with positional tracking of this person and comparison relative to the positional location of a restrictee person.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2011
    Assignee: Michelle Enterprises, LLC
    Inventor: John E. Taylor, Jr.