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: 10373137
    Abstract: An automated banking machine operates responsive to data read from data bearing records corresponding to authorized user or financial account data. The automated banking machine includes a card reader for reading data from user cards. The automated banking machine causes financial transfers related to financial accounts that correspond to data read from user cards. The automated banking machine also includes devices that control the supply of power to transaction function devices such as the card reader to avoid exceeding power supply capacity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: Diebold Nixdorf Incorporated
    Inventors: Songtao Ma, Eric Toepke, Randall W. Jenkins, Natarajan Ramachandran, Thomas D. Ertle, Tim Crews, Willis Miller, Nick Billett, Steven Shepley, Dave Krzic, Victor A. Cogan, Mike P. Ryan
  • Patent number: 10372712
    Abstract: The CONVERGED MERCHANT PROCESSING APPARATUSES, METHODS AND SYSTEMS (“CMP”) facilitates the generation of user accounts with merchants. The user may be logged into an electronic wallet or issuer account, and may initiate an account generation process with a one-click mechanism. The CMP may provide information to the merchant in order to facilitate the generation of the account after receiving data from the electronic wallet or issuer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: VISA INTERNATIONAL SERVICE ASSOCIATION
    Inventors: Thomas Purves, Raul Leyva, Alan Johnson, John C. Wang
  • Patent number: 10375401
    Abstract: A moving picture coding method includes partitioning a picture into blocks each of which includes pixels, selecting a scanning scheme from among plural scanning schemes, scanning the blocks according to the selected scanning scheme, and coding the blocks in an order in which the blocks are scanned. In the partitioning, the picture is partitioned into rows and columns of macroblocks each of which is partitioned into the blocks. The plural scanning schemes include a first scanning scheme for scanning the blocks in the marcroblock per row of blocks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: SUN PATENT TRUST
    Inventors: Torsten Palfner, Thomas Wedi
  • Patent number: 10370030
    Abstract: A vehicle has a trailer backup steering input apparatus, a trailer backup assist control module coupled to the a trailer backup steering input apparatus, and an electric power assist steering system coupled to the trailer backup assist control module and. The trailer backup steering input apparatus is configured for outputting a trailer path curvature signal approximating a desired curvature for a path of travel of a trailer towably coupled to the vehicle. The trailer backup assist control module is configured for determining vehicle steering information as a function of the trailer path curvature signal. The electric power assist steering system is configured for controlling steering of steered wheels of the vehicle as a function of the vehicle steering information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC, The Regents of the University of Michigan Office Tech. Transfer, University of Michigan
    Inventors: Douglas Scott Rhode, David Dean Smit, Erick Michael Lavoie, Martin Fitzpatrick Frey, Thomas Edward Pilutti, Taehyun Shim, Matt Y. Rupp, Roger Arnold Trombley
  • Patent number: 10370505
    Abstract: The invention is directed to a composite material comprising a biofabricated material and a secondary component. The secondary component may be a porous material, such as a sheet of paper, cellulose, or fabric that has been coated or otherwise contacted with the biofabricated material. The biofabricated material comprises a uniform network of crosslinked collagen fibrils and provides strength, elasticity and an aesthetic appearance to the composite material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: MODERN MEADOW, INC.
    Inventors: Brendan Patrick Purcell, David Thomas Williamson, Suzanne Lee, Amy Congdon
  • Patent number: 10375013
    Abstract: Techniques for connecting computer system entities to local computer system resources are described herein. A computer system entity that requests access to a local computer system resource has that request fulfilled by a managed directory service, which receives the request and connects the computer system entity to the local computer system resource. While connected, the managed directory service receives commands to perform operations on the local computer system resource and, if the computer system entity is authorized to perform the operations on the local computer system resource, the managed directory service performs the operations on the local computer system resource.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Shon Kiran Shah, Krithi Rai, Guruprakash Bangalore Rao, Thomas Christopher Rizzo, Colin Harrison Brace, Gaurang Pankaj Mehta, Sameer Palande, Deepak Suryanarayanan
  • Patent number: 10368640
    Abstract: A load module for inserting into a tube of a three-dimensional supporting tube structure of a furniture system comprises an elongate housing. Arranged on an outer side of the housing are two contact elements having different polarities for electrically contacting the load module. The contact elements arranged such that, with the load module in inserted states, they contact two contact surfaces of different polarity, which are arranged in the interior of the tube, in a radial direction. Housing has a central region in a longitudinal direction with at least one projecting element and outer regions in the longitudinal direction, the load module can be inserted into a tube, which is provided with an elongate opening, of the tube structure such that the at least one projecting element interacts with an edge of the opening, and the outer regions bear against an inner lateral surface of the tube in regions adjoining the opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: USM Holding AG
    Inventors: Alexander Scharer, Thomas Dienes, Stefan Krenger
  • Patent number: 10369990
    Abstract: A method is described for avoiding or mitigating a collision of a vehicle with an obstacle in a traffic lane of the vehicle, if the obstacle is at least partially blocking a planned travel envelope of the vehicle, the method including a step of detecting and a step of adapting. In the step of detecting, a position and/or trajectory of the obstacle is detected. In the step of adapting, the travel envelope is adapted with the aid of the position and/or the trajectory, in order to avoid or mitigate the collision.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventors: Thomas Gussner, Thomas Schlender, Lutz Buerkle
  • Patent number: 10371501
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for determining height information of a sample, and to a scanning microscope. The method comprises the following steps: generating an illumination spot; illuminating the sample with the illumination spot; capturing an image of a reflection of the illumination spot at the sample; evaluating the lateral distribution of the image; determining the height information from the lateral distribution; wherein the illumination spot has a three dimensional illumination pattern and/or the image in a detection beam path has a three dimensional detection pattern. The scanning microscope is characterized in that an illumination device (07) and/or a detector device comprise(s) a means for generating a three dimensional pattern with a change in the lateral intensity distribution that is asymmetrical along the optical axis, and an evaluation device is configured to determine height information from the detector signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss Microscopy GMBH
    Inventors: Thomas Kalkbrenner, Helmut Lippert
  • Patent number: 10370909
    Abstract: In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, a slickline for use in well drilling and hydrocarbon recovery operations includes a cable and an intermediate layer disposed around the cable. The slickline also includes a doped polymeric coating layered around the intermediate layer. The doped polymeric coating is a different material from the intermediate layer, and the doped polymeric coating includes a polymeric material doped with an element that is detectable within the doped polymeric coating via a detection machine for purposes of determining wear or other aspects about the conditions of the slickline.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Sean Gregory Thomas, Wei Zhang, David L. Perkins
  • Patent number: 10371915
    Abstract: A telecommunications cabinet includes a cabinet housing; a fiber optic splitter; a plurality of spools disposed on a cable management surface; a panel oriented at a fixed angle relative to the access opening so that the panel extends laterally and rearwardly between the access opening and the cable management surface; and a plurality of adapters disposed on the panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: CommScope Technologies LLC
    Inventors: James J. Solheid, Daniel Ray Mertesdorf, Matthew J. Holmberg, Trevor D. Smith, Joel B. Douglas, Kathleen M. Barnes, Marlon E. Holmquist, Thomas Caesar Tinucci, Cindy S. Walters, James W. Conroy
  • Patent number: 10371536
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for generating routes in an area covered by an electronic map. The map comprises a plurality of segments representing navigable segments of a navigable network in the area covered by the electronic map. A main route from an origin to a destination is generated through the network in a manner which favors segments which are segments of a predefined sub-network. When the user commences travel, the method involves identifying a first decision point along the main route being travelled that is a decision point of the sub-network. An alternative route is generated between the decision point and the destination, in a method involving favoring segments of the sub-network, and in which the outgoing segment of the main route being travelled to the first decision point is blocked.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: TOMTOM NAVIGATION B.V.
    Inventors: Felix Godafoss König, Michael Marte, Jose F. Santiago Nunez, Kees Wesselius, Stanislav Zheltov, Thomas Gerhard Helmut Schickinger, William Breen
  • Patent number: 10375759
    Abstract: A network system for accessing situation related information is disclosed. In one embodiment, the system includes a network connection for receiving an indication of an occurrence of a situation; a situational network formed based on the occurrence of the situation, the situational network including a plurality of participant devices determined to be geographically proximate to the situation, each of the participant devices corresponding to a participant in the situational network; a second network connection for presenting a roll call query to each of the plurality of participant devices soliciting a reply related to a status of the participant; a plurality of network connections established for receiving a status response from the participant devices; and a database for aggregating the status responses from responsive participants into a roll call list.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: Resource Consortium Limited
    Inventors: Thomas Cona, Patrick T. Igoe, Leonid Kravets, Edward A. Ehrlacher
  • Patent number: 10373054
    Abstract: Systems and methods for training a neural network to optimize network performance, including sampling an applied dropout rate for one or more nodes of the network to evaluate a current generalization performance of one or more training models. An optimized annealing schedule may be generated based on the sampling, wherein the optimized annealing schedule includes an altered dropout rate configured to improve a generalization performance of the network. A number of nodes of the network may be adjusted in accordance with a dropout rate specified in the optimized annealing schedule. The steps may then be iterated until the generalization performance of the network is maximized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Vaibhava Goel, Steven John Rennie, Samuel Thomas, Ewout van den Berg
  • Patent number: 10371335
    Abstract: A lighting module (1) for a vehicle headlamp (2), wherein the lighting module (1) comprises at least one lighting element (3), which is excitable to emit visible light when illuminated by laser light, and at least one light-transmissive carrier element (4), wherein the carrier element (4) has at least one light-entry face (4a) and at least one light-exit face (4b) lying opposite the light-entry face (4a), wherein the at least one lighting element (3) is arranged at the at least one light-entry face (4a) of the carrier element (4) in order to radiate light into the light-entry face (4a), wherein a) the at least one light-exit face (4b) of the carrier element (4) is delimited by a light-opaque mask (5) surrounding the light-exit face (4b) or b) the at least one light-exit face (4b) reaches up to the side faces (6a to 6d) of the carrier element (4), wherein at least one side face (6b) has two side portions (6b?, 6b?) adjoining one another, said side portions being inclined relative to one another for forming a l
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: ZKW Group GmbH
    Inventors: Jürgen Zorn, Thomas Edletzberger, Christian Bemmer, Peter Schadenhofer, Martin Schragl, Martin Stein
  • Patent number: 10368852
    Abstract: An orientation device (200) for use in mitral valve repair surgery is provided and includes a catheter (202) catheter insertable percutaneously through the mitral valve into a chamber of a heart. At least one pressure sensor (216, 218) and two generally arcuate commissural arms (208, 210) are provided at or near the distal end (204) of the catheter (202). The arms (208, 210) are deployable from a stowed condition, in which the catheter (202) can be introduced percutaneously into the heart, to an operative condition in which they extend outwardly in generally opposite directions. Each arm (208, 210) is shaped to be locatable within a mitral valve commissure and has an indentation (212) shaped to extend, in use, at least partially about a mitral valve commissure to limit movement of the device (200) relative to the mitral valve in the axial direction of the catheter (202).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: STRAIT ACCESS TECHNOLOGIES HOLDINGS (PTY) LTD
    Inventors: Thomas Gerhardt, Michael Alan Cousins, Peter Rudi Haw, Jeremy Douglas Jarman, Edward Charles Mudge, Heather Madeleine Coombes, Deon Bezuidenhout, Peter Paul Zilla
  • Patent number: 10375357
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method of providing at least one image of at least one real object captured by at least one scene camera of a plurality of scene cameras mounted on a vehicle. The method includes: providing camera poses of respective scene cameras of the plurality of scene cameras relative to a reference coordinate system associated with the vehicle, providing user attention data related to a user captured by an information capturing device, providing at least one attention direction relative to the reference coordinate system from the user attention data, determining at least one of the scene cameras among the plurality of scene cameras according to the at least one attention direction and the respective camera pose of the at least one of the scene cameras, and providing at least one image of at least one real object captured by the at least one of the scene cameras.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Lejing Wang, Thomas Alt
  • Patent number: 10372676
    Abstract: One or more techniques and/or systems are provided for detecting stale data and/or changed data. For example, a bitmap file may be maintained and mapped to an inofile describing various states of files of a file system. The bitmap file may be populated with bitmap records indicating whether files were accessed, modified, or have other states. The bitmap file may efficiently convey information used to determine whether files have not been accessed recently (e.g., stale data) or were recently modified (e.g., changed data) compared to the inofile because the bitmap file may comprise a fraction of the size of the inofile (e.g., a byte of information may be used to represent various states of one or more files). In this way, instead of evaluating a relatively larger inofile, the bitmap file may be evaluated to efficiently identify stale data for deletion or destaging and/or changed data for backup.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: NetApp Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas Rudolf Wenzel
  • Patent number: 10372506
    Abstract: A method performed by a processing module embedded in a solid state memory device begins by receiving at least one partial task related to a group of slices of contiguous data, and slices of the group of slices of contiguous data to produce received slices. The received slices are random access stored in the solid state memory device, and the processing module decides whether to execute the at least one partial task. In response to a positive determination, a portion of the received slices are random access retrieved, and the at least one partial task is executed using the portion of the received slices to generate a partial result. The partial result is random access stored in the solid state memory device; and the processing module facilitates dispersed storage of the partial result in a distributed storage task network (DSTN).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: Pure Storage, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew D. Baptist, Greg R. Dhuse, S. Christopher Gladwin, Gary W. Grube, Manish Motwani, Wesley B. Leggette, Jason K. Resch, Thomas F. Shirley, Jr., Ilya Volvovski
  • Patent number: D855660
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: J.C. BAMFORD EXCAVATORS LIMITED
    Inventors: Samuel John Jilbert, Thomas Edward Underhill, Samuel Payne