Patents by Inventor A. Thomas

A. Thomas has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8316747
    Abstract: A power tool in one embodiment is a table saw which includes a swing arm assembly movable along a swing path, an actuator configured to force the swing arm assembly away from a first swing arm position and toward a second swing arm position, and a riving knife positioned outwardly of the swing arm assembly when the swing arm assembly is in the first swing arm position, the riving knife including a channel with a first end portion and a second end portion, a first curved channel portion with a first center of curvature and located between the first end portion and the second end portion, and a second curved channel portion with a second center of curvature and located between the first end portion and the second end portion, wherein the first center of curvature is not coincident with the second center of curvature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Ravinder Voruganti, Ralph Dammertz, Thomas Siwek, Srinath Srinivas, Daniel J. Williams, Stephen M. Oshgan
  • Patent number: 8318733
    Abstract: Compounds of the present invention, and pharmaceutically acceptable compositions thereof, are useful as modulators of ATP-Binding Cassette (“ABC”) transporters or fragments thereof, including Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator (“CFTR”). The present invention also relates to methods of treating ABC transporter mediated diseases using compounds of the present invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated
    Inventors: Sara Sabina Hadida-Ruah, Matthew Hamilton, Mark Thomas Miller, Peter Diederik Jan Grootenhuis, Jinglan Zhou, Brian Richard Bear, Jason McCartney
  • Patent number: 8317005
    Abstract: A method reduces the noise in the drive train of a motor vehicle having an automatic transmission or a manual transmission with a controllable oil pressure supply and/or automatic starting clutch. An engine sided drive unit is connected to the transmission input shaft by way of a spline connection, wherein noises in the drive train are caused by a clearance fit in the spline connection between the engine sided drive unit and the transmission input shaft. The transmission control is adapted for reducing the noise when in neutral.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Tobias Soller, Thomas Ebert
  • Patent number: 8320652
    Abstract: A suitable database, including a temporal series of images is acquired (3) and subjected to a suitable binary segmentation (4) to create temporally sequenced binary coded images large portions corresponding to blood are labeled as unity, the rest is set to zero. A preceding binary coded image (8a) corresponding to a phase (t) from the temporal sequence is subtracted from a subsequent binary coded image (8b) corresponding to a phase (t+1) yielding a multi-dimensional temporal feature map (8c). A pre-defined deformable shape model is deformed (14) to fit the temporal feature map. The segmentation results are displayed (18) using suitable display (47). The segmented surface is overlaid on the original data using a two-, three- or four-dimensional visualization technique and can be presented as a color-code in a suitable transparency mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventors: Christian Adrian Cocosco, Thomas Netsch
  • Patent number: 8320902
    Abstract: A system and method for selecting a preferred connection point from a choice of one or more available connection points in a wireless communication network. The system and method include: determining a link quality for the one or more available connection points; establishing a connection to a first connection point when there is no existing established connection, the first connection point offers a desired service, and the link quality for the first connection point exceeds a first threshold value, wherein a service priority is considered in determining the link quality of the first connection point; maintaining the established connection to the first connection point when the link quality exceeds a second threshold value; and making eligible the established connection to the first connection point for preemption by a second connection point, when the link quality for the first connection point is less than the second threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Kapsch Trafficcom AG
    Inventors: John Thomas Moring, Dmitri Khijniak, Justin Paul McNew
  • Patent number: 8319403
    Abstract: Electroactive polymer transducers for sensory feedback applications are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Bayer MaterialScience AG
    Inventors: Michael G. Lipton, Ilya Polyakov, Alrieza Zarrabi, Otto Hui, Silmon James Biggs, Thomas A. Kirdl, Gordon Russell, Jonathan R. Heim, Roger Hitchcock, Chris A. Weaber
  • Patent number: 8321444
    Abstract: Various techniques are disclosed to permit searching several locations with one query. Locations may include web search sites, subscription-only sites, line of business applications, or other searchable data repositories. The query may be modified to provide the required format or other information for each location to perform a search.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: David Mowatt, Arun Krishnamoorthy, Niket K. Patwardhan, Puneet Narula, Thomas M. Laird-McConnell
  • Patent number: 8316797
    Abstract: New and improved microwave plasma assisted reactors, for example chemical vapor deposition (MPCVD) reactors, are disclosed. The disclosed microwave plasma assisted reactors operate at pressures ranging from about 10 Torr to about 760 Torr. The disclosed microwave plasma assisted reactors include a movable lower sliding short and/or a reduced diameter conductive stage in a coaxial cavity of a plasma chamber. For a particular application, the lower sliding short position and/or the conductive stage diameter can be variably selected such that, relative to conventional reactors, the reactors can be tuned to operate over larger substrate areas, operate at higher pressures, and discharge absorbed power densities with increased diamond synthesis rates (carats per hour) and increased deposition uniformity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Board of Trustees of Michigan State University Fraunhofer USA
    Inventors: Jes Asmussen, Timothy Grotjohn, Donnie K. Reinhard, Thomas Schuelke, M. Kagan Yaran, Kadek W. Hemawan, Michael Becker, David King, Yajun Gu, Jing Lu
  • Patent number: 8320448
    Abstract: An encoder is disclosed that is partitioned into discrete hardware modules. The discrete modules include multiple re-entry and exit points that allow enhanced control by software. The software can control the discrete modules during the encoding process and make adjustments according to CPU bandwidth and/or user requirements allowing for enhanced quality control and seamless hardware/software operations. In one embodiment, a media stream is received into an encoder that includes a pipeline of multiple hardware stages for encoding. An intermediate result is provided from at least one of the hardware stages to an encoding control module that processes the intermediate result to determine configuration instructions for a next hardware stage in the pipeline. Thus, the encoding process can be modified dynamically through hardware and software interactions as the media stream progresses through the pipeline of the encoder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Weidong Zhao, Thomas W. Holcomb, Chih-Lung B Lin, William R. Sanders, Shijun Sun
  • Patent number: 8320513
    Abstract: A nuclear fission reactor, flow control assembly, methods therefor and a flow control assembly system. The flow control assembly is coupled to a nuclear fission module capable of producing a traveling burn wave at a location relative to the nuclear fission module. The flow control assembly controls flow of a fluid in response to the location relative to the nuclear fission module. The flow control assembly comprises a flow regulator subassembly configured to be operated according to an operating parameter associated with the nuclear fission module. In addition, the flow regulator subassembly is reconfigurable according to a predetermined input to the flow regulator subassembly. Moreover, the flow control assembly comprises a carriage subassembly coupled to the flow regulator subassembly for adjusting the flow regulator subassembly to vary fluid flow into the nuclear fission module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Inventors: Charles E. Ahlfeld, Roderick A. Hyde, Muriel Y. Ishikawa, David G. McAlees, Jon D. McWhirter, Nathan P. Myhrvold, Ashok Odedra, Clarence T. Tegreene, Thomas A. Weaver, Charles Whitmer, Victoria Y. H. Wood, Lowell L. Wood, Jr., George B. Zimmerman
  • Patent number: 8317899
    Abstract: A shipboard system provides dry, oil-free utility air and inert gas for use on a marine vessel. A compressor converts ambient air into a pressurized air stream. The air stream is cooled by heat exchange with sea water in the vicinity of the vessel. The air stream is then dried in a dehydration membrane module, and some of the product of the dehydration module is taken for use as utility air. The remainder of the dried air is passed through an air separation module which includes a polymeric membrane. The product of the air separation module includes a nitrogen-enriched gas which is used as an inert gas on the vessel. The compressor is the only mechanically moving component of the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Generon IGS, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas J. Jeffers, Marc Straub
  • Patent number: 8321075
    Abstract: Biodynamic feedthrough in a master control system can be mitigated. An accelerometer is used to measure the acceleration of an environment. In one embodiment, mitigation damping forces can then be determined based on the velocity of an effector of a haptic manipulator and the measured accelerations. The haptic manipulator applies the mitigation damping forces as force feedback. In another embodiment, biodynamic feedthrough can be filtered from the input signal. Parameters for a model can be accessed based on the position of the effector, and the model can be used to predict biodynamic feedthrough from the measured accelerations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: SRI International
    Inventors: Thomas Low, Kevin Hufford
  • Patent number: 8319038
    Abstract: The invention relates to the soybean variety designated A1024319. Provided by the invention are the seeds, plants and derivatives of the soybean variety A1024319. Also provided by the invention are tissue cultures of the soybean variety A1024319 and the plants regenerated therefrom. Still further provided by the invention are methods for producing soybean plants by crossing the soybean variety A1024319 with itself or another soybean variety and plants produced by such methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Monsanto Technology LLC
    Inventor: Thomas Floyd
  • Patent number: 8317994
    Abstract: A method for concentrating an aqueous caustic alkali produced by a membrane cell process by using a single or multiple effect evaporator system in which the vapor flows in a counter direction to the aqueous caustic alkali flow and the heat recovered from the catholyte circulation line is used as part of the concentration process. In one embodiment, a catholyte heat recovery heat exchanger and evaporation chamber are located after the last effect of a multiple effect evaporator system. In another embodiment, the catholyte heat recovery heat exchanger and evaporation chamber are located prior to the single or multiple effect evaporator system. In yet another embodiment, the catholyte heat recovery process is used in conjunction with additional heat exchanger processes to further concentrate the final product as desired.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Westlake Vinyl Corporation
    Inventors: Anthony B. Davis, Thomas H. Yohe, Russell F. Dunn
  • Patent number: 8317693
    Abstract: Medical retractors including light guides made of cyclo olefin polymer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Invuity, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas L. Grey, Fernando Erismann, Alex Vayser
  • Patent number: 8319659
    Abstract: A sensor system having a sensor module and an induction unit is provided, the sensor module having a first antenna, and the induction unit having a second and a third antenna, an induction transmission of signals being provided between the first and the second antenna, and the signals being sent and/or received electromagnetically by the third antenna.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Buck, Thorsten Pannek, Gustav Klett, Marian Keck
  • Patent number: 8319029
    Abstract: A soybean cultivar designated 3955412 is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of soybean cultivar 3955412, to the plants of soybean 3955412, to plant parts of soybean cultivar 3955412, and to methods for producing a soybean plant produced by crossing soybean cultivar 3955412 with itself or with another soybean variety. The invention also relates to methods for producing a soybean plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes and to the transgenic soybean plants and plant parts produced by those methods. This invention also relates to soybean cultivars, or breeding cultivars, and plant parts derived from soybean variety 3955412, to methods for producing other soybean cultivars, lines or plant parts derived from soybean cultivar 3955412, and to the soybean plants, varieties, and their parts derived from use of those methods. The invention further relates to hybrid soybean seeds, plants, and plant parts produced by crossing the cultivar 3955412 with another soybean cultivar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Bayer CropScience LP
    Inventor: James Dolphin Thomas
  • Patent number: 8319598
    Abstract: A power resistor includes first and second opposite terminations, a resistive element formed from a plurality of resistive element segments between the first and second opposite terminations, at least one segmenting conductive strip separating two of the resistive element segments, and at least one open area between the first and second opposite terminations and separating at least two resistive element segments. Separation of the plurality of resistive element segments assists in spreading heat throughout the power resistor. The power resistor or other electronic component may be packaged by bonding to a heat sink tab with a thermally conductive and electrically insulative material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Vishay Dale Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Felix Zandman, Clark L. Smith, Todd L. Wyatt, Thomas L. Veik, Thomas L. Bertsch
  • Patent number: D671302
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Columbia Insurance Company
    Inventor: Thomas E. McClaskie
  • Patent number: D671578
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Wirtgen GmbH
    Inventors: Karsten Buhr, Thomas Lehnert, Cyrus Barimani, Guenter Haehn