Patents Examined by Tuyen To
  • Patent number: 9558495
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method and system for managing transaction card accounts involves enabling a transaction card account by a card issuer for use with pre-defined categories of providers of goods/services and goods/services sold and issuing a transaction card and establishing an associated pre-qualified category card account. Upon receiving data for a transaction with the transaction card at a transaction terminal by a processing platform of the card issuer via a card association processing network, the category of the provider and goods/services is interrogated to determine whether or not the transaction can be posted on the pre-qualified category card account of the cardholder, and the transaction is approved and posted to the pre-qualified category card account if the transaction falls within the pre-qualified category of the cardholder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: Citicorp Credit Services, Inc. (USA)
    Inventor: William Johnson
  • Patent number: 9554444
    Abstract: Method and device for adapting a series constant power system to operate constant voltage lighting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: OV20 Systems
    Inventors: Phil Macbean, James Terry, James Sweet
  • Patent number: 9553527
    Abstract: Subject matter disclosed herein relates to arrangements and techniques that provide for harvesting thermal energy within a display, for example an electrowetting display, of an image display apparatus and converting the thermal energy into electricity. The electrowetting display comprises a first substrate and a second substrate opposite to the first substrate, a plurality of pixel portions defined between the first substrate and the second substrate, and a hydrophobic surface on the first substrate. A first fluid is included within the pixel portions and on the hydrophobic surface, while a second fluid is included on the first fluid, wherein the second fluid is substantially immiscible with the first fluid. A pyroelectric layer is included between the first substrate and the second substrate, wherein the pyroelectric layer is configured to absorb thermal energy within the electrowetting display and output a voltage based upon the thermal energy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven Ramos Carneiro, Pavel Novoselov, Suki Sandhu
  • Patent number: 9553499
    Abstract: A high frequency inductor filter cooling apparatus and method of use thereof is described. In one embodiment, an inductor is potted in an epoxy-silica mixture to facilitate thermal transfer from the inductor. The inductor is optionally used to filter/invert/convert power. The inductor comprises a distributed gap core and/or a powdered core material. In one example, the minimum carrier frequency is above that usable by an iron-steel inductor, such as greater than ten kiloHertz at fifty or more amperes. Optionally, the inductor is used in an inverter/converter apparatus, where output power has a carrier frequency, modulated by a fundamental frequency, and a set of harmonic frequencies, in conjunction with a notched low-pass filter, a low pass filter combined with a notch filter and a high frequency roll off filter, and/or one or more of a silicon carbide, gallium arsenide, and/or gallium nitride based transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Inventors: Edward Handy, Grant A. MacLennan, Hans Wennerstrom
  • Patent number: 9553916
    Abstract: Generally discussed herein are systems and methods for transferring content from one device to another device. In one more embodiments an apparatus can include a first module to detect a request to perform a copy operation has been issued, receive content that was selected at a time the request to perform the copy operation was issued, or automatically create a machine-decodable image of the selected content in response to detecting the request, wherein the machine-decodable image includes the selected content encoded therein. The apparatus can include a display coupled to the first module to show the machine-decodable image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: CA, Inc.
    Inventor: Jaimini Ram
  • Patent number: 9548154
    Abstract: In some embodiments, an exemplary inventive device of the instant invention is a reactor which includes at least the following: a core, including: at least one leg, including: a first lamination, where the first lamination is made from a high permeability material, where the high permeability material has a magnetic permeability that is at least 1000 times greater than the permeability of air; a second lamination, where second lamination is made from the high permeability material; a bracket, where the bracket is configured to secure the first lamination and the second lamination in a spatial arrangement to have a space between each other; and a plurality of blocks made from a low permeability material, where the low permeability material has the magnetic permeability that is less than 100 times the permeability of air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2017
    Assignee: MTE Corporation
    Inventor: Todd Shudarek
  • Patent number: 9548156
    Abstract: An ignition coil for an internal combustion engine includes a wire-wound resistor. The wire-wound resistor includes a core material, a conductor winding, a pair of metal caps disposed at both ends of the core material, the pair of metal caps in contact with the conductor winding, and a resin coating material disposed so as to be in close contact with the core material and the conductor winding. The resin coating material is filled between the conductive winding and the resin coating material is formed to cover the conductor winding from an outer peripheral side of the conductor winding The metal cap includes a bottom portion and a cylindrical side portion. An inner peripheral side of the side portion is provide with ridges projecting internally formed along a direction crossing a winding direction of the conductor winding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2017
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kazuhide Kawai
  • Patent number: 9547186
    Abstract: Provided are examples of light modulators and optical apparatuses that may include the light modulators. A light modulator may include a plasmonic nano-antenna and an element for changing plasmon resonance characteristics of the plasmonic nano-antenna. The plasmon resonance characteristics of the plasmonic nano-antenna may be changed due to a change in refractive index of the element, and thus light may be modulated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2017
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Seung-hoon Han, Yong-hwa Park, Chang-gyun Shin, Hong-seok Lee
  • Patent number: 9547213
    Abstract: A display device including a first substrate, a second substrate, a display element layer, a non-transparent structure, an optical guiding structure and a reflective layer is disclosed. The second substrate is disposed opposite to the first substrate adjacent to a display surface of the display device. The display element layer is disposed between the first and the second substrates. The non-transparent structure, located between the optical guiding structure and the display element layer, defines at least one opening of the display device. The optical guiding structure corresponds to the one opening. The optical guiding structure includes a plurality of insulating structures each having a first surface adjacent to the non-transparent structure and side surfaces connected to the first surface. The reflective layer is disposed on the side surfaces. The ambient light entering via the second substrate is reflected by the reflective layer and exists via the opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2017
    Assignee: INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH INSTITUTE
    Inventors: Kuo-Chang Lee, Kuo-Lung Lo, Wei-Yuan Cheng
  • Patent number: 9546040
    Abstract: A method for a municipality to control, track, and monitor waste or refuse receptacles requires a permit for use of a waste receptacle. An issuing organization issues a permit associated with a discreet receptacle identifier. An RFID tag is provided with the permit and attached to a discreet receptacle. The RFID tag transmits a signal carrying data associated with the discreet receptacle identifier. The signal may be read by a portable reader carried by municipal personnel to record violations of municipal code associated with the use of the discreet receptacle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2017
    Inventors: Christopher M. Flood, Michael S. Fisher
  • Patent number: 9545882
    Abstract: A rearview device having a front element defining a first surface and a second surface. A rear element defines a third surface and a fourth surface. An electro-optic material is located between the front element and the rear element. A carrier plate includes a front side, a back side, and a peripheral wall. The front side is disposed proximate the fourth surface and the peripheral wall is operably coupled with a peripheral edge of the second surface. A device housing is operably coupled to the back side of the carrier plate. The peripheral wall and a portion of the back side of the carrier plate extend beyond the device housing and are externally exposed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2017
    Assignee: GENTEX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Nigel T. Lock, Mark R. Roth, Danny L. Minikey, Jr.
  • Patent number: 9547212
    Abstract: An electrochromic device including an electrochromic stack and a support, the electrochromic stack successively including: a first current collector; a first electrochromic electrode; an electrolyte; a second electrochromic electrode; a second current collector. The support and the electrochromic stack are separated by a dielectric layer and a heating system in contact with the support. Further, the heating system is sized to modify at least one of the optical characteristics of the electrochromic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2017
    Assignee: Commissariat A L'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives
    Inventors: Christophe Dubarry, Sami Oukassi
  • Patent number: 9543071
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a coil component that includes a base, a metal wire that is wound around the base and contains copper, and a terminal electrode that is provided on the base and contains nickel and tin. The terminal electrode includes a wire connection area to which an end portion of the metal wire is connected and which contains a CuNi alloy or a CuNiSn alloy, and a mounting area which is different from the wire connection area. The wire connection area includes a portion that contains a small amount of tin than the mounting area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: TDK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Nobuo Takagi, Setu Tsuchida, Koji Shimura
  • Patent number: 9542575
    Abstract: In a transaction terminal device, a magnetic head module that supports a magnetic head which reads a magnetic card, and a plurality of communication antennas used for communications according to different standards are arranged at the same end within a housing. The magnetic head module includes a line-shaped metal urging member that exerts urging force to a magnetic head in a passing path direction of the magnetic card. Even though a communication antenna is arranged close to the magnetic head, a reradiated radio wave generated from the metal urging member of the magnetic head receiving a radio wave radiated from an adjacent communication antenna is reduced, and communication quality is secured. Accordingly, even though the communication antenna is arranged close to the magnetic head that reads the magnetic card, the transaction terminal device can normally complete the transaction using the read magnetic card.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kenya Yasutomi, Tsutomu Kojitani
  • Patent number: 9542688
    Abstract: A method for identifying business service recommendations includes: storing merchant profiles, each profile including data related to a merchant including a merchant identifier and transaction for a plurality of payment transactions; receiving, a data file including a plurality of merchant entries, each entry including data related to a merchant including a merchant identifier and firmographics; identifying a specific merchant entry where the merchant identifier corresponds to a merchant identifier in a specific merchant profile; calculating transaction scores for the specific merchant entry based on the transaction data in the specific merchant profile; identifying a related merchant entry where the firmographics correspond to the firmographics in the specific merchant entry and where the merchant identifier is not included in a merchant profile; and identifying one or more business service recommendations for the merchant related to the related merchant entry based on transaction scores and firmographics in
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: MASTERCARD INTERNATIONAL INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Serge Bernard, Luckner Polycarpe
  • Patent number: 9543058
    Abstract: An insulated winding wire may include a conductor and insulation formed around the conductor. The insulation may include a base insulation layer formed around the conductor and having a first dielectric constant (?1). The insulation may further include an extruded thermoplastic layer formed around the base insulation layer and having a second dielectric constant (?2). The extruded thermoplastic layer may include (i) at least one polymer comprising a ketone group and (ii) at least one fluoropolymer. A ratio of the dielectric constant (?2) of the extruded thermoplastic layer to the dielectric constant (?1) of the base layer at 250° C. may be less than or equal to approximately 1.0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: Essex Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Allan R. Knerr, Gregory S. Caudill, Baber Inayat, Jason Dennis Stephens, Koji Nishibuchi, Bogdan Gronowski, Joonhee Lee, Won S. Lee
  • Patent number: 9542639
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a transponder, which comprises an antenna and a multi-stage rectifier. The antenna is connected to an input of the multi-stage rectifier having m rectifier stages, and a shunt limiter is connected to an output of the rectifier and connected to an nth stage of the multi-stage rectifier, wherein n<m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: EM Microelectronic-Marin SA
    Inventor: Kevin Buescher
  • Patent number: 9542679
    Abstract: The implementation method for an identification system using dynamic barcode entails description for a system that comprises a smartphone, a barcode information access device on the merchant side, and a server of an identification agency. The implementation method described includes downloading a mobile application (app) for smartphone, and utilizing the app to upload identification information to server of the identification agency. When a user needs to be identified during a transaction, the aforementioned app is used to display two barcodes on the smartphone: one barcode represents the user's identification, and the other is a dynamic one that corresponds to the user's identification information and changes after a given time period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: CHUNG HWA INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATION NETWORK CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kenneth Liou
  • Patent number: 9542640
    Abstract: A radio frequency identification tag apparatus includes a display unit, a radio frequency identification tag unit and a laser direct structuring antenna unit. The radio frequency identification tag unit is electrically connected to the display unit. The laser direct structuring antenna unit is wirelessly coupled to the radio frequency identification tag unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: JOGTEK CORP.
    Inventors: Wei-Chun Huang, Tsung-Hsing Hsieh
  • Patent number: 9542674
    Abstract: A system for an automated dispensing and retrieval kiosk for recorded media includes a kiosk having a plurality of vertical racks arranged in a circular formation, each vertical rack configured for storing a plurality of recorded media. A customer interface allows a customer to select or return a recorded media. A robotic element delivers the selected recorded media from the vertical racks to a media output, at the customer interface. The element also delivers a returned recorded media from a media input at the customer interface to the vertical racks. A computer controls operation of the kiosk, and an internet interface connects the kiosk to the Internet. The kiosk may communicate with a central server and/or other kiosks of a group, to locate a requested recorded media within a kiosk of the group. Once located within the group, the requested media may be reserved for customer pick-up.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: Redbox Automated Retail, LLC
    Inventors: Philip J. Tomasi, Alva D. Cravens, Jens Horstmann, William H. Barber, John Chen