Patents by Inventor Alanson Sample

Alanson Sample 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: 20180285241
    Abstract: An energy-interference-free debugger is disclosed for debugging software resident on energy-harvesting target devices, which may periodically lose power and therefore exhibit intermittent execution of the software. The debugger is implemented as a combination of hardware and software and provides, in addition to the traditional debugging tools, the ability to monitor and modify the energy level on the target device, the ability to set breakpoints based on the energy level on the target device, and the ability to isolate portions of the code executing on the target device from energy-related failure during debugging. The debugger is able to remain isolated from intermittent power in passive mode and to create an illusion of an untouched energy reservoir in active mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2018
    Publication date: October 4, 2018
    Inventors: Brandon Lucia, Alanson Sample
  • Publication number: 20180276434
    Abstract: There is provided a system including a wireless tag reader, a first wireless antenna, a wireless tag including an integrated circuit (IC), a conductive element electronically connecting the wireless tag to the first wireless antenna, a non-transitory memory storing an executable code, a hardware processor executing the executable code to transmit an interrogation signal, receive a tag signal from the wireless tag electronically connected to the first wireless antenna in response to the interrogation signal, the tag signal including a wireless tag identification (ID) uniquely identifying the wireless tag, and determine an interaction by a user with the wireless tag based on the tag signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2018
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Inventors: Hanchuan Li, Josh Fromm, Scott Hudson, Eric Brockmeyer, Elizabeth Carter, Shwetak Patel, Alanson Sample
  • Publication number: 20180226723
    Abstract: Selective focusing of electromagnetic energy via the electromagnetic time reversal in the near field of a metamaterial. The disclosure begins with fundamental mathematics, and then is extended to the experimental realm where focusing in space and time of the magnetic fields in the near field of a 1-Dimensional metamaterial is shown. Under time reversal focusing, peak instantaneous fields at receiver locations are at minimum 200% greater than other receivers. The strongly-selective focusing capabilities of the system can be employed to show individual and selective powering of light emitting diodes connected to coil receivers placed in the near field of the metamaterial. The results show the possibility of improving display technologies, near field imaging systems, increasing channel capacity of near field communication systems, and obtaining a greater control of energy delivery in wireless power transfer systems.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2017
    Publication date: August 9, 2018
    Inventors: ALANSON SAMPLE, MATTHEW CHABALKO
  • Patent number: 10013589
    Abstract: There is provided a system including a wireless tag reader, a first wireless antenna, a wireless tag including an integrated circuit (IC), a conductive element electronically connecting the wireless tag to the first wireless antenna, a non-transitory memory storing an executable code, a hardware processor executing the executable code to transmit an interrogation signal, receive a tag signal from the wireless tag electronically connected to the first wireless antenna in response to the interrogation signal, the tag signal including a wireless tag identification (ID) uniquely identifying the wireless tag, and determine an interaction by a user with the wireless tag based on the tag signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignees: Disney Enterprises, Inc., University of Washington
    Inventors: Hanchuan Li, Josh Fromm, Scott Hudson, Eric Brockmeyer, Elizabeth Carter, Shwetak Patel, Alanson Sample
  • Patent number: 9881273
    Abstract: An object recognition device that senses electrical signals conducted by the body of a human user (e.g., as a result of direct contact with or close proximity to a device emitting or conducting electromagnetic noise), compares the sensed electrical signals to a plurality of signatures of electrical signals produced by a corresponding plurality of types of electrical and electromechanical devices to determine the type of electrical or electromechanical device that generated the electrical signals sensed by the sensor, and communicates information to the human user related to or triggered by the electrical or electromechanical device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignees: DISNEY INTERPRISES, INC., CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Chouchang Yang, Gierad Laput, Robert Xiao, Christopher Harrison, Alanson Sample
  • Publication number: 20170323501
    Abstract: An RFID system in which at least one of the RFID tag antenna and the RFID reader antenna has an impedance matching network associated therewith in order to better match the impedances of the two antennas. This impedance matching places the antennas into an over-coupled regime once they are within a reasonable distance of each other (e.g., 2 to 50 mm). It also increases the Q-factor of the improved antenna, which can greatly increase the range at which the RFID reader can read the RFID tag. This improved RFID system may be used in any of a variety of application, including operating a door lock mechanism.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2017
    Publication date: November 9, 2017
    Inventor: ALANSON SAMPLE
  • Patent number: 9805233
    Abstract: There is provided a system including a plurality of radio frequency (RF) tags, each corresponding to one of a plurality of individuals, a memory, and a processor configured to receive a signal from a first RF tag of the plurality of RF tags, the signal including a first tag identification (ID) uniquely identifying the first RF tag, follow a motion of the first RF tag, follow a motion of a first individual of the plurality of individuals, and determine a first likelihood that the first RF tag corresponds to the first individual based on the motion of the first RF tag and the motion of the first individual.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: Disney Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventors: Alanson Sample, Hanchuan Li, Samer Al Moubayed
  • Patent number: 9805232
    Abstract: There are provided systems and methods for a user interaction with an object having a wireless tag with an antenna. An example system includes a memory storing a tag processing software, and a hardware processor executing the tag processing software to receive a signal from the wireless tag of the object via the antenna, the signal including a wireless tag identification (ID) uniquely identifying the wireless tag, identify the object using the wireless tag ID, extract one or more communication channel parameters from the signal, determine the user interaction with the object based on the one or more communication channel parameters extracted from the signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: Disney Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventors: Alanson Sample, Hanchuan Li
  • Publication number: 20170270198
    Abstract: A technique for identifying individual instances of electronic devices. This is done by using a basic RFID reader to read the RF emissions from the electronic device to obtain an emitted electromagnetic spectrum and compare it to a library of emitted electromagnetic spectrums of different instances of that type of electronic device and, based on that comparison, finding a best match and identifying the electronic device as being a particular instance of that type of electronic device. This comparison may be made by computing Euclidean distances between vectors that are based on the measured electromagnetic spectrums.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2017
    Publication date: September 21, 2017
    Inventors: ALANSON SAMPLE, CHOUCHANG YANG
  • Publication number: 20170200032
    Abstract: There is provided a system including a plurality of radio frequency (RF) tags, each corresponding to one of a plurality of individuals, a memory, and a processor configured to receive a signal from a first RF tag of the plurality of RF tags, the signal including a first tag identification (ID) uniquely identifying the first RF tag, follow a motion of the first RF tag, follow a motion of a first individual of the plurality of individuals, and determine a first likelihood that the first RF tag corresponds to the first individual based on the motion of the first RF tag and the motion of the first individual.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2016
    Publication date: July 13, 2017
    Inventors: Alanson Sample, Hanchuan Li, Samer Al Moubayed
  • Publication number: 20170200033
    Abstract: There is provided a system including a wireless tag reader, a first wireless antenna, a wireless tag including an integrated circuit (IC), a conductive element electronically connecting the wireless tag to the first wireless antenna, a non-transitory memory storing an executable code, a hardware processor executing the executable code to transmit an interrogation signal, receive a tag signal from the wireless tag electronically connected to the first wireless antenna in response to the interrogation signal, the tag signal including a wireless tag identification (ID) uniquely identifying the wireless tag, and determine an interaction by a user with the wireless tag based on the tag signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2016
    Publication date: July 13, 2017
    Inventors: Hanchuan Li, Josh Fromm, Scott Hudson, Eric Brockmeyer, Elizabeth Carter, Shwetak Patel, Alanson Sample
  • Publication number: 20170200031
    Abstract: There is provided a system including a wireless tag reader, a wireless tag attached to an object, a non-transitory memory storing an executable code, and a hardware processor executing the executable code to transmit, using the wireless tag reader, an interrogation signal, receive, using the wireless tag reader, a tag signal from the wireless tag attached to the object, in response to the interrogation signal, the tag signal including a wireless tag identification uniquely identifying the wireless tag, determine a tag state associated with the wireless tag using a probabilistic estimate based on the tag signal received from the wireless tag, and determine an interaction state of the object based on the tag state of the wireless tag attached to the object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2016
    Publication date: July 13, 2017
    Inventors: James McCann, Andrew Spielberg, Scott Hudson, Alanson Sample, Jennifer Mankoff
  • Publication number: 20170124790
    Abstract: An RFID system in which at least one of the RFID tag antenna and the RFID reader antenna has an impedance matching network associated therewith in order to better match the impedances of the two antennas. This impedance matching places the antennas into an over-coupled regime once they are within a reasonable distance of each other (e.g., 2 to 50 mm). It also increases the Q-factor of the improved antenna, which can greatly increase the range at which the RFID reader can read the RFID tag. This improved RFID system may be used in any of a variety of application, including operating a door lock mechanism.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2015
    Publication date: May 4, 2017
    Inventor: ALANSON SAMPLE
  • Publication number: 20170124816
    Abstract: An object recognition device that senses electrical signals conducted by the body of a human user (e.g., as a result of direct contact with or close proximity to a device emitting or conducting electromagnetic noise), compares the sensed electrical signals to a plurality of signatures of electrical signals produced by a corresponding plurality of types of electrical and electromechanical devices to determine the type of electrical or electromechanical device that generated the electrical signals sensed by the sensor, and communicates information to the human user related to or triggered by the electrical or electromechanical device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2015
    Publication date: May 4, 2017
    Inventors: CHOUCHANG YANG, GIERAD LAPUT, ROBERT XIAO, CHRISTOPHER HARRISON, ALANSON SAMPLE
  • Publication number: 20170116446
    Abstract: There are provided systems and methods for a user interaction with an object having a wireless tag with an antenna. An example system includes a memory storing a tag processing software, and a hardware processor executing the tag processing software to receive a signal from the wireless tag of the object via the antenna, the signal including a wireless tag identification (ID) uniquely identifying the wireless tag, identify the object using the wireless tag ID, extract one or more communication channel parameters from the signal, determine the user interaction with the object based on the one or more communication channel parameters extracted from the signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2015
    Publication date: April 27, 2017
    Inventors: Alanson Sample, Hanchuan Li
  • Patent number: 8952571
    Abstract: In various embodiments, an electronic device such as a portable computer has a structure that extends from the device to wirelessly transfer electrical power between itself and an external device. The structure may be placed in a non-extended position when not being used for such power transfer. In some embodiments power transfer may take place in either direction, and may be used for various purposes, such as to provide operational power and/or to charge a battery. The external device may be placed on or near the extended structure for power transfer to take place.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Emily Cooper, Joshua Smith, Alanson Sample, John C. Neumann
  • Publication number: 20120113576
    Abstract: In various embodiments, an electronic device such as a portable computer has a structure that extends from the device to wirelessly transfer electrical power between itself and an external device. The structure may be placed in a non-extended position when not being used for such power transfer. In some embodiments power transfer may take place in either direction, and may be used for various purposes, such as to provide operational power and/or to charge a battery. The external device may be placed on or near the extended structure for power transfer to take place.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2010
    Publication date: May 10, 2012
    Inventors: Emily Cooper, Joshua Smith, Alanson Sample, John C. Neumann