Patents by Inventor Alan Blair

Alan Blair 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: 20240095661
    Abstract: A system and method for managing inventory for an electronic raffle is provided. The system may include an inventory database to store inventory data for one or more items to be sold via the electronic raffle, wherein the inventory data includes in-store inventory data and online inventory data, a mobile application configured to generate a raffle entry for the one or more items, a raffle database configured to store the inventory data and one or more raffle entries, and a middleware server configured to update the in-store inventory data stored in the raffle database based on the updated in-store inventory data obtained from the inventory database. The middleware server selects a first round winning raffle entry, transmits a notification to the mobile device associated with the first round winning raffle entry, and initiates a payment process upon determining that the first round winning raffle entry applies to the lightning round.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2022
    Publication date: March 21, 2024
    Applicant: Hibbett Retail, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher Lee Blair, Jerrel Devan Cooley, David Alan Stachowiak, JR., Ryan Christian Besterwitch, Kevin Leung Young
  • Publication number: 20230191415
    Abstract: A system and method facilitates transfers of specimen containers (e.g., vials with caps) between storage cassettes and carrier cassettes. The storage cassettes are designed to be stored in cryogenic refrigerators while the carrier cassettes are designed to be temporarily stored in a portable carrier. Identification information is read from wireless transponders carried by the specimen containers. Visual mappings of the positions of the specimen container in the cassettes is provided. Presence and position of the specimen containers in the cassettes is verified, and alerts of inconsistencies provided along with corrective commands. Inventories of specimen container and even specific specimen holders are provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2023
    Publication date: June 22, 2023
    Inventors: William Alan Blair, Timothy Alan Sharp, Amit Gupta, Kathryn Josephine Go, William Nicholas Garbarini, JR.
  • Publication number: 20230165241
    Abstract: A container includes a vial, cap, and one or more wireless transponders secured to the cap, the vial or a jacket to store and identify samples of biological material at cryogenic temperatures (e.g., vitrified biological samples), for instance held by cryopreservation storage devices. A specimen holder may be extend from the cap. The vial and/or cap includes ports or vents. A carrier includes a box, thermal shunt, thermal insulation to store and identify arrays of containers that hold cryopreservation storage devices with samples of biological material at cryogenic temperatures. Various apparatus include wireless transponders positioned and oriented to enhance range, and allow interrogation while retained in a carrier. Various apparatus can maintain the biological material at or close to cryogenic temperatures for prolonged period of times after being removed from a cryogenic cooler, and can allow wireless inventorying while maintaining the biological samples at suitably cold temperatures.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2023
    Publication date: June 1, 2023
    Inventors: William Alan Blair, Timothy Alan Sharp
  • Patent number: 11607691
    Abstract: A system and method facilitates transfers of specimen containers (e.g., vials with caps) between storage cassettes and carrier cassettes. The storage cassettes are designed to be stored in cryogenic refrigerators while the carrier cassettes are designed to be temporarily stored in a portable carrier. Identification information is read from wireless transponders carried by the specimen containers. Visual mappings of the positions of the specimen container in the cassettes is provided. Presence and position of the specimen containers in the cassettes is verified, and alerts of inconsistencies provided along with corrective commands. Inventories of specimen container and even specific specimen holders are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: TMRW LIFE SCIENCES, INC.
    Inventors: William Alan Blair, Timothy Alan Sharp, Amit Gupta, Kathryn Josephine Go, William Nicholas Garbarini, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20220275465
    Abstract: Methods for the rapid detection of the presence or absence of Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) in a biological or non-biological sample are described. The methods can include performing an amplifying step, a hybridizing step, and a detecting step. Furthermore, primers, competitive blocking oligonucleotides, and probes targeting HBV (in particular HBV RNA, in particular, HBV RNA transcribed from cccDNA, such as pgRNA) and kits are provided that are designed for the detection of HBV (in particular HBV RNA, in particular, HBV RNA transcribed from cccDNA, such as pgRNA).
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2022
    Publication date: September 1, 2022
    Inventors: Alan Blair, Jeffery Fong, Aaron T. Hamilton, Marintha Heil, Igor Kozlov, Ed Gustavo Marins, Elizabeth Marie Scott, Ling Wang
  • Patent number: 11356874
    Abstract: A tool listening device including a transceiver is configured to listen on a radio channel selected from a discovery channel hopping sequence. The tool listening device is configured to identify a preamble, indicating a start of a packet. The tool listening device continues to listen until a packet header is received. The tool listener extracts, from the packet header, a source address, a destination address and a frame type. The tool listening device adds the source address, the destination address, and the frame type to a data structure, and transmits the data structure to an external device, where the data may be visualized. The tool listening device is further configured to select another radio channel from the discovery channel hopping sequence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: Landis+Gyr Innovations, Inc.
    Inventor: Alan Blair Lowell
  • Patent number: 11252956
    Abstract: A container includes a vial, cap, and one or more wireless transponders secured to the cap, the vial or a jacket to store and identify samples of biological material at cryogenic temperatures (e.g., vitrified biological samples), for instance held by cryopreservation storage devices. A specimen holder may be extend from the cap. The vial and/or cap includes ports or vents. A carrier includes a box, thermal shunt, thermal insulation to store and identify arrays of containers that hold cryopreservation storage devices with samples of biological material at cryogenic temperatures. Various apparatus include wireless transponders positioned and oriented to enhance range, and allow interrogation while retained in a carrier. Various apparatus can maintain the biological material at or close to cryogenic temperatures for prolonged period of times after being removed from a cryogenic cooler, and can allow wireless inventorying while maintaining the biological samples at suitably cold temperatures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: TMRW Life Sciences, Inc.
    Inventors: William Alan Blair, Timothy Alan Sharp
  • Patent number: 11129179
    Abstract: A method includes identifying a packet for transmission and determining a radio channel for the transmission of the packet. The method further includes determining that the packet is in a restricted class and, responsive to the packet being in the restricted class, determining a dynamic maximum available time on the radio channel based on a reserved time and a dwell time limit. The method further includes calculating a remaining dwell time on the radio channel based on a comparison of a spent dwell time on the radio channel to the dynamic maximum available time. Further, the method includes determining a transmission duration for transmitting the packet over the radio channel and, responsive to the remaining dwell time being less than the transmission duration, postponing the packet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: Landis+Gyr Innovations, Inc.
    Inventor: Alan Blair Lowell
  • Publication number: 20210267799
    Abstract: A method and system for correcting vision in an eye that uses a wavefront-customized phakic or pseudophakic Intraocular Lens (IOL), the method comprising: (1) measuring wavefront aberrations of the eye; (2) designing a wavefront-customized correction profile for an IOL; (3) creating a customized IOL with the customized correction profile; and (4) implanting the customized IOL in the eye, without having to remove the natural lens. Alternatively, an uncorrected IOL is implanted first, followed by scanning a femtosecond laser spot across the implanted IOL to locally change the Index of Refraction of the IOL material and create an in-situ customized IOL.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2021
    Publication date: September 2, 2021
    Inventors: Daniel R. Neal, James Copland, Xifeng Xiao, Alan Blair
  • Publication number: 20210263497
    Abstract: This invention relates to methods and devices for designing customized contact lenses, by initially making dynamic wavefront sensor measurements through a trial contact lens that is fitted on an eye, and then calculating a WaveFront Guided (WFG) correction to be applied to the trial contact lens that reduces the RMS level of aberrations as much as practically possible. The output of the wavefront correction program is a customized lathe file that the manufacturer can use to make customized contact lenses on a lathe. The method works best for soft contact lenses and scleral lenses.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2021
    Publication date: August 26, 2021
    Inventors: Daniel R. Neal, James Copland, Xifeng Xiao, Alan Blair, Lyle Kordonowy, Paul Pulaski
  • Publication number: 20210121876
    Abstract: A system and method facilitates transfers of specimen containers (e.g., vials with caps) between storage cassettes and carrier cassettes. The storage cassettes are designed to be stored in cryogenic refrigerators while the carrier cassettes are designed to be temporarily stored in a portable carrier. Identification information is read from wireless transponders carried by the specimen containers. Visual mappings of the positions of the specimen container in the cassettes is provided. Presence and position of the specimen containers in the cassettes is verified, and alerts of inconsistencies provided along with corrective commands. Inventories of specimen container and even specific specimen holders are provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2020
    Publication date: April 29, 2021
    Inventors: William Alan Blair, Timothy Alan Sharp, Amit Gupta, Kathryn Josephine Go, William Nicholas Garbarini, JR.
  • Patent number: 10973226
    Abstract: A container includes a vial, cap, and one or more wireless transponders secured to the cap, the vial or a jacket to store and identify samples of biological material at cryogenic temperatures (e.g., vitrified biological samples), for instance held by cryopreservation storage devices. A specimen holder may be extend from the cap. The vial and/or cap includes ports or vents. A carrier includes a box, thermal shunt, thermal insulation to store and identify arrays of containers that hold cryopreservation storage devices with samples of biological material at cryogenic temperatures. Various apparatus include wireless transponders positioned and oriented to enhance range, and allow interrogation while retained in a carrier. Various apparatus can maintain the biological material at or close to cryogenic temperatures for prolonged period of times after being removed from a cryogenic cooler, and can allow wireless inventorying while maintaining the biological samples at suitably cold temperatures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: TMRW Life Sciences, Inc.
    Inventors: William Alan Blair, Timothy Alan Sharp
  • Publication number: 20210029727
    Abstract: A method includes identifying a packet for transmission and determining a radio channel for the transmission of the packet. The method further includes determining that the packet is in a restricted class and, responsive to the packet being in the restricted class, determining a dynamic maximum available time on the radio channel based on a reserved time and a dwell time limit. The method further includes calculating a remaining dwell time on the radio channel based on a comparison of a spent dwell time on the radio channel to the dynamic maximum available time. Further, the method includes determining a transmission duration for transmitting the packet over the radio channel and, responsive to the remaining dwell time being less than the transmission duration, postponing the packet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2019
    Publication date: January 28, 2021
    Inventor: Alan Blair Lowell
  • Publication number: 20200351686
    Abstract: A tool listening device including a transceiver is configured to listen on a radio channel selected from a discovery channel hopping sequence. The tool listening device is configured to identify a preamble, indicating a start of a packet. The tool listening device continues to listen until a packet header is received. The tool listener extracts, from the packet header, a source address, a destination address and a frame type. The tool listening device adds the source address, the destination address, and the frame type to a data structure, and transmits the data structure to an external device, where the data may be visualized. The tool listening device is further configured to select another radio channel from the discovery channel hopping sequence.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2020
    Publication date: November 5, 2020
    Inventor: Alan Blair Lowell
  • Patent number: 10764770
    Abstract: A tool listening device comprising a transceiver is configured to listen on a radio channel selected from a discovery channel hopping sequence. The tool listening device is configured to identify a preamble, indicating a start of a packet. The tool listening device continues to listen until a packet header is received. The tool listener extracts, from the packet header, a source address, a destination address and a frame type. The tool listening device adds the source address, the destination address, and the frame type to a data structure, and transmits the data structure to an external device, where the data may be visualized. The tool listening device is further configured to select another radio channel from the discovery channel hopping sequence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: Landis+Gyr Innovations, Inc.
    Inventor: Alan Blair Lowell
  • Publication number: 20200229428
    Abstract: A container includes a vial, cap, and one or more wireless transponders secured to the cap, the vial or a jacket to store and identify samples of biological material at cryogenic temperatures (e.g., vitrified biological samples), for instance held by cryopreservation storage devices. A specimen holder may be extend from the cap. The vial and/or cap includes ports or vents. A carrier includes a box, thermal shunt, thermal insulation to store and identify arrays of containers that hold cryopreservation storage devices with samples of biological material at cryogenic temperatures. Various apparatus include wireless transponders positioned and oriented to enhance range, and allow interrogation while retained in a carrier. Various apparatus can maintain the biological material at or close to cryogenic temperatures for prolonged period of times after being removed from a cryogenic cooler, and can allow wireless inventorying while maintaining the biological samples at suitably cold temperatures.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2020
    Publication date: July 23, 2020
    Inventors: William Alan Blair, Timothy Alan Sharp
  • Publication number: 20200229431
    Abstract: A container includes a vial, cap, and one or more wireless transponders secured to the cap, the vial or a jacket to store and identify samples of biological material at cryogenic temperatures (e.g., vitrified biological samples), for instance held by cryopreservation storage devices. A specimen holder may be extend from the cap. The vial and/or cap includes ports or vents. A carrier includes a box, thermal shunt, thermal insulation to store and identify arrays of containers that hold cryopreservation storage devices with samples of biological material at cryogenic temperatures. Various apparatus include wireless transponders positioned and oriented to enhance range, and allow interrogation while retained in a carrier. Various apparatus can maintain the biological material at or close to cryogenic temperatures for prolonged period of times after being removed from a cryogenic cooler, and can allow wireless inventorying while maintaining the biological samples at suitably cold temperatures.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2020
    Publication date: July 23, 2020
    Inventors: William Alan Blair, Timothy Alan Sharp
  • Publication number: 20200229430
    Abstract: A container includes a vial, cap, and one or more wireless transponders secured to the cap, the vial or a jacket to store and identify samples of biological material at cryogenic temperatures (e.g., vitrified biological samples), for instance held by cryopreservation storage devices. A specimen holder may be extend from the cap. The vial and/or cap includes ports or vents. A carrier includes a box, thermal shunt, thermal insulation to store and identify arrays of containers that hold cryopreservation storage devices with samples of biological material at cryogenic temperatures. Various apparatus include wireless transponders positioned and oriented to enhance range, and allow interrogation while retained in a carrier. Various apparatus can maintain the biological material at or close to cryogenic temperatures for prolonged period of times after being removed from a cryogenic cooler, and can allow wireless inventorying while maintaining the biological samples at suitably cold temperatures.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2020
    Publication date: July 23, 2020
    Inventors: William Alan Blair, Timothy Alan Sharp
  • Publication number: 20200229429
    Abstract: A container includes a vial, cap, and one or more wireless transponders secured to the cap, the vial or a jacket to store and identify samples of biological material at cryogenic temperatures (e.g., vitrified biological samples), for instance held by cryopreservation storage devices. A specimen holder may be extend from the cap. The vial and/or cap includes ports or vents. A carrier includes a box, thermal shunt, thermal insulation to store and identify arrays of containers that hold cryopreservation storage devices with samples of biological material at cryogenic temperatures. Various apparatus include wireless transponders positioned and oriented to enhance range, and allow interrogation while retained in a carrier. Various apparatus can maintain the biological material at or close to cryogenic temperatures for prolonged period of times after being removed from a cryogenic cooler, and can allow wireless inventorying while maintaining the biological samples at suitably cold temperatures.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2020
    Publication date: July 23, 2020
    Inventors: William Alan Blair, Timothy Alan Sharp
  • Publication number: 20200107541
    Abstract: A container includes a vial, cap, and one or more wireless transponders secured to the cap, the vial or a jacket to store and identify samples of biological material at cryogenic temperatures (e.g., vitrified biological samples), for instance held by cryopreservation storage devices. A specimen holder may be extend from the cap. The vial and/or cap includes ports or vents. A carrier includes a box, thermal shunt, thermal insulation to store and identify arrays of containers that hold cryopreservation storage devices with samples of biological material at cryogenic temperatures. Various apparatus include wireless transponders positioned and oriented to enhance range, and allow interrogation while retained in a carrier. Various apparatus can maintain the biological material at or close to cryogenic temperatures for prolonged period of times after being removed from a cryogenic cooler, and can allow wireless inventorying while maintaining the biological samples at suitably cold temperatures.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2019
    Publication date: April 9, 2020
    Inventors: William Alan Blair, Timothy Alan Sharp