Patents by Inventor Aaron Wheeler

Aaron Wheeler 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: 10953408
    Abstract: A patterned optoelectronic tweezers (p-OET) device is provided. The p-OET device includes a top and a bottom electrode arranged in a parallel spaced apart relationship. A patterned photoconductor layer is provided on the bottom electrode, and forms a pattern comprising at least one raised region where the bottom electrode is coated by a photoconductor material and at least one hollow region where the bottom electrode is exposed. The pattern includes one or more boundaries between the raised and hollow regions. In some implementations, the boundaries of the patterned photoconductive layer define a permanent trap feature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: THE GOVERNING COUNCIL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO BANTING INSTITUTE
    Inventors: Aaron Wheeler, Shuailong Zhang
  • Publication number: 20200094264
    Abstract: A patterned optoelectronic tweezers (p-OET) device is provided. The p-OET device includes a top and a bottom electrode arranged in a parallel spaced apart relationship. A patterned photoconductor layer is provided on the bottom electrode, and forms a pattern comprising at least one raised region where the bottom electrode is coated by a photoconductor material and at least one hollow region where the bottom electrode is exposed. The pattern includes one or more boundaries between the raised and hollow regions. In some implementations, the boundaries of the patterned photoconductive layer define a permanent trap feature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2019
    Publication date: March 26, 2020
    Inventors: Aaron Wheeler, Shuailong ZHANG
  • Patent number: 10598302
    Abstract: A pipe restraint, system, and method for securing a pipeline, of which the pipe restraint includes an anchor configured to be secured to the ground, a first gripping member configured to grip a first pipe, a second gripping member configured to grip a second pipe that is connected to the first pipe, and one or more arms connected to the anchor and the first and second gripping members. The one or more arms are configured to constrain movement of the first gripping member, the second gripping member, or both with respect to the anchor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Assignee: TORCSILL FOUNDATIONS, LLC
    Inventors: Aaron Wheeler, Stephen Willis, Jason Glassey, Burk McCurdy, Jr.
  • Patent number: 10584460
    Abstract: An underwater anchoring assembly and method for supporting a pipe with the underwater anchoring assembly are disclosed. The underwater anchoring assembly includes a first pile, a second pile, a first cross-member coupled with the first and second piles, and a second cross-member rotatably coupled with the first pile at a first end portion thereof, and detachably coupled with the second pile at a second end portion thereof. The method includes advancing the underwater anchoring assembly into the ground in an unactuated state, positioning the first cross-member above the pipe, rotating the second cross-member about the first pile such that the pipe is interposed between the first and second cross-members, and coupling the second end portion of the second cross-member with the second pile via a fastening mechanism to thereby support the pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2020
    Assignee: TORCSILL FOUNDATIONS, LLC
    Inventor: Aaron Wheeler
  • Patent number: 10486156
    Abstract: Methods and systems for processing fluids utilizing a digital microfluidic device and transferring droplets from the digital microfluidic device to a downstream analyzer are described herein. Methods and systems in accordance with the present teachings can allow for the withdrawal of fluid from a digital microfluidic device, and can in some aspects enable the integration of a digital microfluidic device as a direct, in-line sample processing platform from which a droplet can be transferred to a downstream analyzer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignees: DH Technologies Development Pte. Ltd., University of Toronto
    Inventors: John Lawrence Campbell, Kihwan Choi, Yves LeBlanc, Chang Liu, Aaron Wheeler
  • Patent number: 10435861
    Abstract: A pad site and a method for supporting a rig structure, of which the method includes positioning a plurality of piles in a ground of a core operating section of a pad site, and laying a plurality of mats over the pad site. A first portion of the plurality of mats are at least partially supported by the plurality of piles, and a second portion of the plurality of mats are not supported by the plurality of piles. The first portion of the plurality of mats are configured to support a rig structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: TORCSILL FOUNDATIONS, LLC
    Inventors: Lyle G. Love, Aaron Wheeler, Jeff Sullivan
  • Publication number: 20190195393
    Abstract: A pipe restraint, system, and method for securing a pipeline, of which the pipe restraint includes an anchor configured to be secured to the ground, a first gripping member configured to grip a first pipe, a second gripping member configured to grip a second pipe that is connected to the first pipe, and one or more arms connected to the anchor and the first and second gripping members. The one or more arms are configured to constrain movement of the first gripping member, the second gripping member, or both with respect to the anchor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2017
    Publication date: June 27, 2019
    Inventors: Aaron Wheeler, Stephen Willis, Jason Glassey, Burk McCurdy, JR.
  • Publication number: 20190011982
    Abstract: Methods and systems involving navigation of a graphical interface are disclosed herein. An example system may be configured to: (a) cause a head-mounted display (HMD) to provide a graphical interface, the graphical interface comprising (i) a view port having a view-port orientation and (ii) at least one navigable area having at least one border, the at least one border having a first border orientation; (b) receive input data that indicates movement of the view port towards the at least one border; (c) determine that the view-port orientation is within a predetermined threshold distance from the first border orientation; and (d) based on at least the determination that the view-port orientation is within a predetermined threshold distance from the first border orientation, adjust the first border orientation from the first border orientation to a second border orientation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2018
    Publication date: January 10, 2019
    Inventors: Aaron Wheeler, Liang-Yu (Tom) Chi, Sebastian Thrun, Hayes Solos Raffle, Nirmal Patel
  • Publication number: 20190003143
    Abstract: A pad site and a method for supporting a rig structure, of which the method includes positioning a plurality of piles in a ground of a core operating section of a pad site, and laying a plurality of mats over the pad site. A first portion of the plurality of mats are at least partially supported by the plurality of piles, and a second portion of the plurality of mats are not supported by the plurality of piles. The first portion of the plurality of mats are configured to support a rig structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2018
    Publication date: January 3, 2019
    Inventors: Lyle G. Love, Aaron Wheeler, Jeff Sullivan
  • Patent number: 10067559
    Abstract: Methods and systems involving navigation of a graphical interface are disclosed herein. An example system may be configured to: (a) cause a head-mounted display (HMD) to provide a graphical interface, the graphical interface comprising (i) a view port having a view-port orientation and (ii) at least one navigable area having at least one border, the at least one border having a first border orientation; (b) receive input data that indicates movement of the view port towards the at least one border; (c) determine that the view-port orientation is within a predetermined threshold distance from the first border orientation; and (d) based on at least the determination that the view-port orientation is within a predetermined threshold distance from the first border orientation, adjust the first border orientation from the first border orientation to a second border orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Aaron Wheeler, Liang-Yu (Tom) Chi, Sebastian Thrun, Hayes Solos Raffle, Nirmal Patel
  • Publication number: 20170345053
    Abstract: Techniques are provided to allow users to access interested information without performing engaging searches. A content-providing system may track collective interests of a large set of users and/or individual interests of a user. User-selectable items may be presented to the user directly without the user performing searches. Some of the user-selectable items may be associated with slideshows that are, for example, pre-deposited or curated to provide interesting information relating to these user-selectable items. The user may easily access a slideshow and the content therein using easily comprehensible controls presented on a display page.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2017
    Publication date: November 30, 2017
    Inventors: Caroline Tsay, Marc Davis, Anuj Sahai, Anja Krombholz, Polly Ng, Aaron Wheeler, Anand Ramani
  • Publication number: 20170072397
    Abstract: Methods and systems for processing fluids utilizing a digital microfluidic device and transferring droplets from the digital microfluidic device to a downstream analyzer are described herein. Methods and systems in accordance with the present teachings can allow for the withdrawal of fluid from a digital microfluidic device, and can in some aspects enable the integration of a digital microfluidic device as a direct, in-line sample processing platform from which a droplet can be transferred to a downstream analyzer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2015
    Publication date: March 16, 2017
    Inventors: John Lawrence CAMPBELL, Kihwan CHOI, Yves LEBLANC, Chang LIU, Aaron WHEELER
  • Patent number: 9594056
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure digital microfluidic arrays that may be fabricated by a printing method, whereby digital microfluidic electrodes arrays are printed, via a printing method such as inkjet printing, onto a suitable substrate. In some embodiments, a substrate and/or ink is prepared or modified to support the printing of electrode arrays, such as via changes to the surface energy. In some embodiments, porous and/or fibrous substrates are prepared by the addition of a barrier layer, or, for example, by the addition or infiltration of a suitable material to render the surface capable of supporting printed electrodes. Various example embodiments involving hybrid devices formed by the printing of digital microfluidic arrays onto a substrate having a hydrophilic layer are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: The Governing Council of the University of Toronto
    Inventors: Ryan Fobel, Andrea Kirby, Aaron Wheeler
  • Patent number: 9547406
    Abstract: Methods and devices for providing a user-interface are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method is disclosed comprising receiving data corresponding to a first position of a wearable computing device and responsively causing the wearable computing device to provide a user-interface comprising a view region and a menu. The method further comprises receiving movement data corresponding to an upward movement of the wearable computing device to a second position above the first position and, based on the movement data, making a first determination that the upward movement has an upward angular velocity along an upward direction. The method further includes making a second determination that the upward angular velocity exceeds a threshold upward angular velocity and, responsive to the first and second determinations, causing the wearable computing device to move the menu such that the menu becomes more visible in the view region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2017
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Aaron Wheeler, Max Benjamin Braun
  • Patent number: 9448223
    Abstract: Devices and methods are provided for measuring, on a digital microfluidic platform, electrical signals associated with the impedance of adherent cells. In one embodiment, a sub-droplet of cell culture media containing adherent cells is passively dispensed at a pre-selected electrode location where a local hydrophilic surface region is provided, and adherent cells are attached to the local hydrophilic surface region. The cell culture media sub-droplet is replaced with a sub-droplet of a low-conductivity medium in a passive dispensing step, retaining the attached adherent cells. An AC voltage with a suitable frequency is applied between electrodes of the device and a signal associated with the impedance of the adherent cells is obtained. One of the electrodes to which the AC voltage is applied may be a dedicated sensing electrode. The local thickness of a dielectric layer coating the pre-selected electrode may be reduced to increase the detection sensitivity of the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: The Governing Council of the University of Toronto
    Inventors: Steve Chao-Chung Shih, Irena Barbulovic-Nad, Aaron Wheeler
  • Publication number: 20150185971
    Abstract: Methods and devices for providing a user-interface are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method comprises receiving data corresponding to a first position of a wearable computing device and responsively causing the wearable computing device to provide a user-interface. The user-interfaces comprises a view region and a menu, where the view region substantially fills a field of view of the wearable computing device and the menu is not fully visible in the view region. The method further comprises receiving movement data corresponding to an upward movement of the wearable computing device to a second position above the first position and responsively causing the wearable computing device to move the menu such that the menu becomes more visible in the view region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2011
    Publication date: July 2, 2015
    Applicant: GOOGLE INC.
    Inventors: Luis Ricardo Prada Gomez, Aaron Wheeler, Jon Wiley
  • Publication number: 20150178362
    Abstract: Exemplary methods and system relate to creating a device group snapshot which allows the states of multiple devices to be stored and restored. A hub device may create a device group snapshot for a group of devices by detecting a change in context, selecting one or more devices from the device group to include in the device group snapshot, determining a state for each selected device, and storing a data record corresponding to the device group snapshot. The stored data record for the device group snapshot comprises an indication of the change context and a state record for each selected device. Each state record may include an identifier of the selected device, the determined state of the selected device, and an application state corresponding to the applications on the selected device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2011
    Publication date: June 25, 2015
    Applicant: GOOGLE INC.
    Inventor: Aaron Wheeler
  • Publication number: 20150143297
    Abstract: Methods and devices for providing a user-interface are disclosed. In one aspect, a head-mounted-device system includes a processor data storage comprising user-interface logic executable by the at least one processor to receive data corresponding to first position of a head-mounted display (HMD) and responsively cause the HMD to display a user-interface comprising a view region, at least one content region located above the view region, and a history region located below the view region. The user-interface logic is further executable to receive data corresponding to an left or right movement of the HMD and responsively cause the HMD to move the field of view such that the at least one content region becomes more visible, for example, scrolling an item in a user interface. The scrolling may have a non-linear relationship with the head movement speed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2011
    Publication date: May 21, 2015
    Applicant: GOOGLE INC.
    Inventors: Aaron Wheeler, Sebastian Thrun
  • Patent number: 9024842
    Abstract: In accordance with example embodiments, hand gestures can be used to provide user input to a wearable computing device, and in particular to identify, signify, or otherwise indicate what may be considered or classified as important or worthy of attention or notice. A wearable computing device, which could include a head-mounted display (HMD) and a video camera, may recognize known hand gestures and carry out particular actions in response. Particular hand gestures could be used for selecting portions of a field of view of the HMD, and generating images from the selected portions. The HMD could then transmit the generated images to one or more applications in a network server communicatively connected with the HMD, including a server or server system hosting a social networking service.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Luis Ricardo Prada Gomez, Aaron Wheeler
  • Publication number: 20150107998
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure digital microfluidic arrays that may be fabricated by a printing method, whereby digital microfluidic electrodes arrays are printed, via a printing method such as inkjet printing, onto a suitable substrate. In some embodiments, a substrate and/or ink is prepared or modified to support the printing of electrode arrays, such as via changes to the surface energy. In some embodiments, porous and/or fibrous substrates are prepared by the addition of a barrier layer, or, for example, by the addition or infiltration of a suitable material to render the surface capable of supporting printed electrodes. Various example embodiments involving hybrid devices formed by the printing of digital microfluidic arrays onto a substrate having a hydrophilic layer are disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2014
    Publication date: April 23, 2015
    Applicant: THE GOVERNING COUNCIL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO
    Inventors: Ryan FOBEL, Andrea KIRBY, Aaron WHEELER