Patents by Inventor Alan Matthew Finn

Alan Matthew Finn 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: 10221046
    Abstract: A moving handrail monitoring system includes a sensor configured to sense at least part of a moving handrail of the passenger conveying device to acquire a data frame; a processing device configured to analyze and process the data frame to monitor whether a tension degree of the moving handrail is in a normal state, wherein the processing device is configured to include: a target object recognition module configured to recognize, based on a sensed movement and/or position and/or color and/or shape, a moving handrail portion that serves as a target object from the data frame; an object feature extraction module configured to extract a tension degree feature of the moving handrail portion; and a judgment module configured to compare the extracted tension degree feature with a system preset interval, and judge whether a current tension degree of the moving handrail is normal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY
    Inventors: ZhaoXia Hu, Wilfrid Fuchs, Alois Senger, Hui Fang, Zhen Jia, Jianwei Zhao, Qiang Li, Anna Su, Alan Matthew Finn
  • Patent number: 10221610
    Abstract: A door system is provided and includes=a door assembly operable to assume an open position at which an aperture is opened and a closed position at which the aperture is closed, a sensor assembly and a controller. The controller is coupled to the door assembly and configured to instruct the door assembly to normally assume the closed position and to assume the open position in accordance with an open signal being issued by the sensor assembly. The sensor assembly is configured to track the individual, determine whether the individual is likely to be approaching the aperture from the tracking and issue the open signal in accordance with a determination that the individual is likely to be approaching the aperture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY
    Inventors: Arthur Hsu, Alan Matthew Finn
  • Publication number: 20190066681
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer program products for spoken command interface are provided. Aspects include receiving a statement command from a user, wherein the receiving the statement command from the user includes capturing, by a sensor, a series of frames of the user, wherein the series of frames includes lip movements of the user, and determining at least one statement command from the user based on the lip movements of the user. One or more keywords are extracted from the statement command. The one or more keywords are used to determine an elevator command.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2018
    Publication date: February 28, 2019
    Inventors: Arthur Hsu, Alan Matthew Finn
  • Patent number: 10214391
    Abstract: The present invention provides a handrail entry monitoring system of a passenger conveyor and a monitoring method thereof, and belongs to the field of passenger conveyor technologies. In the handrail entry monitoring system and the monitoring method of the present invention, at least part of a handrail entry region of the passenger conveyor is sensed by using an imaging sensor and/or a depth sensing sensor, to acquire a data frame, and the data frame is analyzed to monitor whether a handrail entry of the operating passenger conveyor is in a normal state or an abnormal state. The monitoring system of the present invention and the monitoring method thereof can timely and effectively detect a danger that a foreign matter is about to be entrapped into the handrail entry, helping prevent foreign matters from being entrapped into the handrail entry, thereby improving safety of the passenger conveyor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY
    Inventors: LongWen Wang, ZhaoXia Hu, Hui Fang, Zhen Jia, Jianwei Zhao, Qiang Li, Anna Su, Alan Matthew Finn, Gero Gschwendtner
  • Publication number: 20190049307
    Abstract: A detector includes a sensor configured to sense a moving object in at least one of the electromagnetic spectrum and the acoustic spectrum. A fixed coded aperture of the detector is disposed between a moving object and the sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2017
    Publication date: February 14, 2019
    Inventors: Alan Matthew Finn, Joseph V. Mantese, Nicholas Charles Soldner, Vijaya Ramaraju Lakamraju, Sameh Dardona, Ziyou Xiong
  • Publication number: 20190049570
    Abstract: A presence detection system includes an infrared detector and a radar detector. A computer processor of the system is configured to receive respective signals from the infrared and radar detectors and process the signals via execution of an algorithm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2017
    Publication date: February 14, 2019
    Inventors: Ziyou Xiong, Cagatay Tokgoz, Joseph Zacchio, Nicholas Charles Soldner, Joseph V. Mantese, Alan Matthew Finn, Mathias Pantus, Jeroen te Paske, Pascal van de Mortel
  • Publication number: 20190042584
    Abstract: The disclosed herein relates to a method, a system, and a computer program product. The method, the system, and the computer program product can include selecting a video segment within a video and extracting a feature set from the video segment. The method, the system, and the computer program product can further include retrieving data information that matches the feature set from a database; determining a degree of similarity between each instance of the data information and the feature set; and presenting a ranked result set based on the degree of similarity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2017
    Publication date: February 7, 2019
    Inventors: ZHEN JIA, HUI FANG, ALAN MATTHEW FINN
  • Publication number: 20190033139
    Abstract: A pyroelectric detector (20) includes a focal plane array (22) having a plurality of image sensors configured to convert electromagnetic energy into an electrical signal, and a memory module (24) coupled to the focal plane array. The focal plane array and the memory module are positioned on a common substrate platform (62).
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2017
    Publication date: January 31, 2019
    Inventors: Joseph V. Mantese, Alan Matthew Finn, Ziyou Xiong, Nicholas Charles Soldner
  • Publication number: 20190026908
    Abstract: A method of operating an object detection and tracking system includes the step of estimating (202) a current background of a current frame of sensor data generated by a sensor based on a previous frame of sensor data by a computer-based processor. The method further includes estimating (204) a foreground of the current frame of sensor data by comparing the current frame of sensor data to the current background, and detecting (212) an object using a sensor-specific object model.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2017
    Publication date: January 24, 2019
    Inventors: Alan Matthew Finn, Ziyou Xiong
  • Patent number: 10183843
    Abstract: The present invention relates to step roller monitoring and maintenance personnel monitoring of a passenger conveyor, and belongs to the field of passenger conveyor technologies. In the monitoring system and monitoring method of the present invention, an imaging sensor and/or a depth sensing sensor is used to sense the step roller/maintenance personnel of the passenger conveyor to acquire data frames, and the data frames are analyzed and processed to monitor whether the movement or position of the step roller/activity or position of the maintenance personnel is in a normal state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY
    Inventors: ZhaoXia Hu, JianGuo Li, Alois Senger, Hui Fang, Zhen Jia, Jianwei Zhao, Qiang Li, Anna Su, Alan Matthew Finn, Wei Ge, Yanying Chen, LongWen Wang, DuEon Kim
  • Publication number: 20190017875
    Abstract: An infrared presence detector system includes a focal plane array and a processor coupled to the focal plane array. The array includes a first radiant energy sensor and a plurality of second radiant energy sensors, with the first and second radiant energy sensors configured to convert incident radiation into an electrical signal. The processor is coupled to the focal plane array, and is configured to control the focal plane array in a sleep mode, wherein the first radiant energy sensor is energized and the plurality of second radiant energy sensors are de-energized, and an active mode, wherein at least the plurality of second radiant energy sensors are energized when the first radiant energy sensor detects a presence.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2017
    Publication date: January 17, 2019
    Inventors: Alan Matthew Finn, Ziyou Xiong, Nicholas Charles Soldner, Joseph V. Mantese
  • Patent number: 10173864
    Abstract: A moving handrail monitoring system includes a sensor configured to sense at least part of a moving handrail of the passenger conveying device to acquire a data frame; a processing device configured to analyze and process the data frame to monitor whether a tension degree of the moving handrail is in a normal state, wherein the processing device is configured to include: a target object recognition module configured to recognize, based on a sensed movement and/or position and/or color and/or shape, a moving handrail portion that serves as a target object from the data frame; an object feature extraction module configured to extract a tension degree feature of the moving handrail portion; and a judgment module configured to compare the extracted tension degree feature with a system preset interval, and judge whether a current tension degree of the moving handrail is normal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY
    Inventors: ZhaoXia Hu, Wilfrid Fuchs, Alois Senger, Hui Fang, Zhen Jia, Jianwei Zhao, Qiang Li, Anna Su, Alan Matthew Finn
  • Publication number: 20180334357
    Abstract: An elevator system is provided and includes a sensor assembly and a controller. The sensor assembly is disposable in or proximate to an elevator lobby and is configured to deduce an intent of an individual in the elevator lobby to board one of one or more elevators and to issue a call signal in response to deducing the intent of the individual to board the one of the elevators. The controller is configured to receive the call signal issued by the sensor assembly and to assign one or more of the elevators to serve the call signal at the elevator lobby.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2018
    Publication date: November 22, 2018
    Inventors: Alan Matthew Finn, Arthur Hsu, Hui Fang, Zhen Jia
  • Publication number: 20180328098
    Abstract: A door system is provided and includes=a door assembly operable to assume an open position at which an aperture is opened and a closed position at which the aperture is closed, a sensor assembly and a controller. The controller is coupled to the door assembly and configured to instruct the door assembly to normally assume the closed position and to assume the open position in accordance with an open signal being issued by the sensor assembly. The sensor assembly is configured to track the individual, determine whether the individual is likely to be approaching the aperture from the tracking and issue the open signal in accordance with a determination that the individual is likely to be approaching the aperture.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2017
    Publication date: November 15, 2018
    Inventors: Arthur Hsu, Alan Matthew Finn
  • Publication number: 20180329032
    Abstract: A self-calibrating sensor system is provided and includes one or more sensors supportively disposed on or proximate to a wall defining one or more apertures and a processor. Each of the one or more sensors is configured to track individuals proximate to at least one of the one or more apertures. The processor is configured to determine one or more of a location and an orientation of each of the one or more sensors relative to the at least one of the one or more apertures from analyses of the tracking of the individuals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2017
    Publication date: November 15, 2018
    Inventors: Alan Matthew Finn, Arthur Hsu
  • Publication number: 20180332035
    Abstract: A method of operating a secure input/output system or a mobile device is provided. The method includes determining, from refresh rate analysis of facial imagery, whether a spoofing attack of the secure input/output system or the mobile device is underway and outputting information through an output device of the secure input/output system or the mobile device only upon determining that there is no spoofing attack currently underway.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2017
    Publication date: November 15, 2018
    Inventors: Alan Matthew Finn, Arthur Hsu
  • Publication number: 20180330519
    Abstract: A method of operating a secure input/output system or a mobile device is provided. This method is particularly advantageous when the secure input/output system or the mobile device is a technician's service tool. The method includes determining whether an eavesdropping attack of the secure input/output system or the mobile device is underway and outputting information through a display device of the secure input/output system or the mobile device only upon determining that there is no eavesdropping attack currently underway.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2017
    Publication date: November 15, 2018
    Inventors: Alan Matthew Finn, Arthur Hsu
  • Publication number: 20180307913
    Abstract: The method includes collecting people counting data, fitting one or more distributions to the collected people counting data, determining a value from the one or more distributions, and setting the value as a key parameter of the people counting system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2016
    Publication date: October 25, 2018
    Inventors: Alan Matthew Finn, Hui Fang
  • Patent number: 10095315
    Abstract: A gesture and location recognition system and method are provided. The system includes a sensor device that captures a data signal of a user and detects a gesture input from the user from the data signal, wherein a user location can be calculated based on a sensor location of the sensor device in a building and the collected data signal of the user, a signal processing device that generates a control signal based on the gesture input and the user location, and in-building equipment that receives the control signal from the signal processing device and controls the in-building equipment based on the control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY
    Inventors: Jaume Amores-Llopis, Alan Matthew Finn, Arthur Hsu
  • Publication number: 20180257912
    Abstract: A moving handrail monitoring system includes a sensor configured to sense at least part of a moving handrail of the passenger conveying device to acquire a data frame; a processing device configured to analyze and process the data frame to monitor whether a tension degree of the moving handrail is in a normal state, wherein the processing device is configured to include: a target object recognition module configured to recognize, based on a sensed movement and/or position and/or color and/or shape, a moving handrail portion that serves as a target object from the data frame; an object feature extraction module configured to extract a tension degree feature of the moving handrail portion; and a judgment module configured to compare the extracted tension degree feature with a system preset interval, and judge whether a current tension degree of the moving handrail is normal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2018
    Publication date: September 13, 2018
    Inventors: ZhaoXia Hu, Wilfrid Fuchs, Alois Senger, Hui Fang, Zhen Jia, Jianwei Zhao, Qiang Li, Anna Su, Alan Matthew Finn