Patents by Inventor Aaron J. Smith

Aaron J. Smith 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).

  • Publication number: 20230366420
    Abstract: A grommet is configured to be fixed within a hole in a panel and to receive a stud to couple the stud to the panel. The grommet includes a hollow body having an inner surface and an outer surface, a flange disposed at one end of the hollow body, panel retention fingers protruding from the outer surface of the hollow body, and stud retention fingers protruding from the inner surface of the hollow body. The panel retention fingers are configured to engage a bottom surface of the panel when the grommet is fully inserted into the hole in the panel. The stud retention fingers are configured to engage an underside surface of the head of the stud when the stud is fully inserted into the hole in the grommet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2023
    Publication date: November 16, 2023
    Applicant: Newfrey LLC
    Inventors: Aaron J. Smith, Andrew C. Heidacker, Hunter Soles
  • Patent number: 10900513
    Abstract: A pin and grommet fastener includes a grommet that defines a central aperture and includes at least two adjacent longitudinally extending leg members that each include a frame, a knuckle and a tether. The knuckle is connected to the frame at a hinge region that is designed to permit the knuckle to move relative to the frame. The tether connects the knuckle to a base surface of grommet in order to limit movement of the knuckle relative to the frame. The fastener includes a pin that has a first locking member to retain the pin in a first position relative to the grommet in which the longitudinally extending leg members are in a laterally unexpanded state. The pin also has a second locking member to retain the pin in a second position relative to the grommet in which the longitudinally extending leg members are in a laterally expanded state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: Newfrey LLC
    Inventors: Tien The Diep, Oday Amer Safry, Aaron J. Smith, Najwan Rassam
  • Publication number: 20200318673
    Abstract: A pin and grommet fastener includes a grommet that defines a central aperture and includes at least two adjacent longitudinally extending leg members that each include a frame, a knuckle and a tether. The knuckle is connected to the frame at a hinge region that is designed to permit the knuckle to move relative to the frame. The tether connects the knuckle to a base surface of grommet in order to limit movement of the knuckle relative to the frame. The fastener includes a pin that has a first locking member to retain the pin in a first position relative to the grommet in which the longitudinally extending leg members are in a laterally unexpanded state. The pin also has a second locking member to retain the pin in a second position relative to the grommet in which the longitudinally extending leg members are in a laterally expanded state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2019
    Publication date: October 8, 2020
    Applicant: Newfrey, LLC
    Inventors: Tien The DIEP, Oday Amer SAFRY, Aaron J. SMITH, Najwan RASSAM
  • Publication number: 20190026442
    Abstract: Embodiments described herein enable a device to be activated/re-activated offline using device-bound activation/licensing information stored in that device's firmware. By storing the necessary licensing data in the device's firmware, the loss of data when the operating system software is reinstalled is avoided. The foregoing may be accomplished by “binding” data into the licensing data. This is done in order to make the license unusable on a different device, even on the exact same model of the device. Right-of-use information indicating which software components, versions, editions, configurations, etc. are licensed for use may also be included. The licensing data may also be provisioned to the device's firmware during device manufacturing to avoid the need for the user to contact the licensor company when the device reaches the end user. The process of issuing the device-bound license can also be delegated to another party by means of an issuance license.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2017
    Publication date: January 24, 2019
    Inventors: Brian Perlman, Hakki T. Bostanci, Olaf Alexander Miller, Siddharth Mantri, Valentin Sliouniaev, Aaron J. Smith, Sudeep Kumar Ghosh
  • Patent number: 9830430
    Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed in which inherited activation opens a secure communication path from the host operating system (OS) to the guest (virtual machine) OS. The license state of the software on the host is passed through this channel, and software installed in the guest uses this information to inform its own product activation process. The virtualized (guest) software may then activate without any outside communication when the license requirements for the host are met.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Aaron J. Smith, Tyron M. Balascio, Ajay Bhave, Chih-pin Kao, Emeron Bachhuber, Mikael P. Horal
  • Publication number: 20140373014
    Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed in which inherited activation opens a secure communication path from the host operating system (OS) to the guest (virtual machine) OS. The license state of the software on the host is passed through this channel, and software installed in the guest uses this information to inform its own product activation process. The virtualized (guest) software may then activate without any outside communication when the license requirements for the host are met.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 2, 2014
    Publication date: December 18, 2014
    Inventors: Aaron J. Smith, Tyron M. Balascio, Ajay Bhave, Chih-pin Kao, Emeron Bahhuber, Mikael P. Horal
  • Patent number: 8832686
    Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed in which inherited activation opens a secure communication path from the host operating system (OS) to the guest (virtual machine) OS. The license state of the software on the host is passed through this channel, and software installed in the guest uses this information to inform its own product activation process. The virtualized (guest) software may then activate without any outside communication when the license requirements for the host are met.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Aaron J. Smith, Tyron M. Balascio, Ajay Bhave, Chih-pin Kao, Emeron Bachhuber, Mikael P. Horal
  • Patent number: 8774709
    Abstract: A radio system allowing radios in a network to utilize functionality of other radios in the network includes a plurality of radios each having the capability to communicate with other radios in the network, and each having functionality that is not common to every other radio in the network. Radios send requests to other radios in the network to re-transmit a signal using a specific transmission mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.
    Inventors: Benjamin J Haan, Aaron J Smith, James M Herlocker, Joe E Clark
  • Patent number: 8763158
    Abstract: In some embodiments, an activation object used to activate a software product is stored in a directory service. The activation object may, for example, comprise a proof of purchase token and/or information about the directory service, and may be communicated from the directory service to a client computer after the directory service authenticates a request from a client computer for access to the activation object. In some embodiments, a directory service is interrogated for an activation object used to activate software on a client computer. A client computer may, for example, receive an activation object from the interrogated directory service, and use the received activation object to activate a software product on the client computer. In some embodiments, a non-transitory computer-readable medium has instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to interrogate a directory service for an activation object used to activate software on the computer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Aaron J. Smith, Ajay Bhave
  • Patent number: 8433798
    Abstract: A system, a method, and computer-readable media are provided for altering behavior of software based on detection of an Internet connection. The system, method, and media detect when a computer has connected to the Internet or is capable of connecting to the Internet. This detection may include analyzing a connection history of the computer to the Internet, reporting in real-time when the computer establishes a connection to the Internet, or attempting to actively establish a connection with an Internet resource using the computer. A first set of software functionality may be disabled when a previously established connection with the Internet is identified, a real-time report of a connection with the Internet is generated, or a connection with the Internet resource is established. In addition, a second set of software functionality may be enabled when the first set of software functionality is disabled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Aaron J. Smith, Kalpesh Patel, Tarik Soulami, Valentin Sliouniaev, Chih-Pin Benjamin Kao, Richard S. Eizenhoefer, Paul Cheng
  • Publication number: 20120144502
    Abstract: In some embodiments, an activation object used to activate a software product is stored in a directory service. The activation object may, for example, comprise a proof of purchase token and/or information about the directory service, and may be communicated from the directory service to a client computer after the directory service authenticates a request from a client computer for access to the activation object. In some embodiments, a directory service is interrogated for an activation object used to activate software on a client computer. A client computer may, for example, receive an activation object from the interrogated directory service, and use the received activation to object to activate a software product on the client computer. In some embodiments, a non-transitory computer-readable medium has instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to interrogate a directory service for an activation object used to activate software on the computer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2010
    Publication date: June 7, 2012
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporaion
    Inventors: Aaron J. Smith, Ajay Bhave
  • Publication number: 20120110571
    Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed in which inherited activation opens a secure communication path from the host operating system (OS) to the guest (virtual machine) OS. The license state of the software on the host is passed through this channel, and software installed in the guest uses this information to inform its own product activation process. The virtualized (guest) software may then activate without any outside communication when the license requirements for the host are met.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2010
    Publication date: May 3, 2012
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Aaron J. Smith, Tyron M. Balascio, Ajay Bhave, Chih-pin Kao, Emeron Bahhuber, Mikael P. Horal
  • Publication number: 20100318629
    Abstract: A system, a method, and computer-readable media are provided for altering behavior of software based on detection of an Internet connection. The system, method, and media detect when a computer has connected to the Internet or is capable of connecting to the Internet. This detection may include analyzing a connection history of the computer to the Internet, reporting in real-time when the computer establishes a connection to the Internet, or attempting to actively establish a connection with an Internet resource using the computer. A first set of software functionality may be disabled when a previously established connection with the Internet is identified, a real-time report of a connection with the Internet is generated, or a connection with the Internet resource is established. In addition, a second set of software functionality may be enabled when the first set of software functionality is disabled.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2009
    Publication date: December 16, 2010
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Aaron J. Smith, Kalpesh Patel, Tarik Soulami, Valentin Sliouniaev, Chih-Pin Benjamin Kao, Paul Cheng, Richard S. Eizenhoefer
  • Publication number: 20100301579
    Abstract: A trailing rear suspension for a motor vehicle having a twist beam axle coupled at its ends to a pair of trailing arms wherein the twist beam axle raises the shear center of the central portion of its cross-beam above the wheel center of the vehicle. The raising of the shear center is achieved by rotating the cross-beam to orient one leg of its cross-section to be aligned with the top of the trailing arms.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2010
    Publication date: December 2, 2010
    Inventors: Aaron J. Smith, Anthony A. Marcheff, Hari Sankara Iyer, Dominic G. Perera
  • Publication number: 20090204544
    Abstract: A mechanism for delegating trust to activate a target program from the vendor (or its intermediary) to a customer (or its intermediary) using an issuance license. The customer may then activate using their own authentication implementation. Also, a method for formulating an issuance license that permits such delegation. Furthermore, a method for an entity outside of a customer to gather trace information from the activation process after the fact that allows a customer to identify the activating entity without the outside entity first identifying the activating entity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2008
    Publication date: August 13, 2009
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Richard S. Eizenhoefer, Brian Stuart Perlman, Aaron J. Smith, David Robinson, Tarik Soulami, Kalin Raykov Kopachev
  • Patent number: D953168
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Inventors: Christopher M. Berean, Aaron J. Smith