Patents by Inventor Benjamin A. Miller

Benjamin A. Miller 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: 20200093803
    Abstract: Disclosed are methods of administering cephalosporin/tazobactam to human patients with end stage renal disease undergoing hemodialysis and suffering from a complicated intra-abdominal infection or a complicated urinary tract infection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2019
    Publication date: March 26, 2020
    Applicant: MERCK SHARP & DOHME CORP.
    Inventors: Gopal KRISHNA, Gurudatt CHANDORKAR, Elham HERSHBERGER, Benjamin MILLER, Alan XIAO
  • Patent number: 10578347
    Abstract: An ice dispensing assembly is provided that can be mounted within an appliance, such as a refrigerator appliance. The ice dispensing assembly includes an ice dispenser crusher mechanism having features that facilitate dispensing and crushing of ice. The construction of dispenser crusher mechanism provides a horizontal axis motor coupling with a vertical axis agitator and crusher for dispensing and crushing ice.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Charles Benjamin Miller, Bradley Nicholas Gilkey, Ansuraj Seenivasan, Bart Andrew Nuss, Alan Joseph Mitchell
  • Publication number: 20200064044
    Abstract: A refrigerator appliance and ice bin assembly therefor are provided herein. The ice bin may include a bin body, an ice sweep, a sweep gear, and a drive gear. The bin body may define a storage volume to receive ice therein. The ice sweep may be positioned below the storage volume. The sweep gear may be rotatable about a sweep axis. The drive gear may be positioned in mechanical communication with the sweep gear. The drive gear may be rotatable about a drive axis, the drive axis extending along a non-parallel angle relative to the sweep axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2018
    Publication date: February 27, 2020
    Inventors: Louis A. Wantland, Bradley Nicholas Gilkey, Charles Benjamin Miller, Sateesh Kumar Kudikala
  • Patent number: 10502477
    Abstract: Refrigerator appliances are provided. A refrigerator appliance includes a cabinet defining a fresh food chamber and a freezer chamber, and a door rotatably hinged to the cabinet for accessing the fresh food chamber. The door further defines an ice box. The refrigerator appliance further includes an ice maker disposed within the ice box, and a container defining a storage volume for receipt of ice produced by the ice maker. The refrigerator appliance further includes a drain assembly for draining melt water from the container. The drain assembly includes a male connector mounted to the door for flowing melt water therethrough, and a first duct providing fluid communication between the container and the male connector. The drain assembly further includes a female connector mounted within the fresh food chamber for flowing melt water therethrough from the male connector, and a second duct providing fluid communication from the female connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Charles Benjamin Miller, Alan Joseph Mitchell
  • Publication number: 20190368798
    Abstract: An ice dispensing assembly is provided that can be mounted within an appliance, such as a refrigerator appliance. The ice dispensing assembly includes an ice dispenser crusher mechanism having features that facilitate dispensing and crushing of ice. The construction of dispenser crusher mechanism provides a horizontal axis motor coupling with a vertical axis agitator and crusher for dispensing and crushing ice.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2018
    Publication date: December 5, 2019
    Inventors: Charles Benjamin Miller, Bradley Nicholas Gilkey, Ansuraj Seenivasan, Bart Andrew Nuss, Alan Joseph Mitchell
  • Publication number: 20190310976
    Abstract: When a user conducts a search for content using one or more of the many search engines known in the art, embodiments of the present invention may receive results returned to the user's browser by the search engine, and may then proceed to filter, organize, modify, or enhance those results and/or their presentation by performing various editing and/or presentation operations on the search results, based on information relating to the user's prior interactions with the search results and the user's interests and preferences. Search results may also be modulated based on information about the way other users have responded to or interacted with each of the search results in the past.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2019
    Publication date: October 10, 2019
    Inventors: Alain J. Cohen, Marc A. Cohen, Alberto Morales, Benjamin Miller
  • Patent number: 10376496
    Abstract: Disclosed are methods of administering cephalosporin/tazobactam to human patients with end stage renal disease undergoing hemodialysis and suffering from a complicated intra-abdominal infection or a complicated urinary tract infection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignee: Merck, Sharp & Dohme Corp.
    Inventors: Gopal Krishna, Gurudatt Chandorkar, Elham Hershberger, Benjamin Miller, Alan Xiao
  • Publication number: 20190221225
    Abstract: Systems and techniques for automated voice assistant personality selector are described herein. A task may be identified that is to be completed by a user of a voice-enabled virtual assistant. A response may be output in connection with the task using a default personality for the voice-enabled virtual assistant selected based on the task. A task completion checkpoint may be determined for the task. It may be identified that the task completion checkpoint has not been reached. A personality profile of the user may be compared to personality data of a set of voice-enabled virtual assistant profiles corresponding to respective members of a set of available voice personalities for the voice-enabled virtual assistant. An escalation personality may be selected for the voice-enabled virtual assistant based the comparison and the task. Commands for facilitating user completion of the task may be transmitted via the voice-enabled virtual assistant using the selected escalation personality.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2018
    Publication date: July 18, 2019
    Inventors: Nathan Craig Bricklin, Gregory John Hansen, Chris Theodore Kalaboukis, Adnan Khan, Kathleen E. McGinn, Ryan Benjamin Miller, Wairnola Marria Rhodriquez
  • Patent number: 10352610
    Abstract: A refrigerator appliance is generally provided herein. The refrigerator appliance may include a cabinet, an icebox liner, an icemaker, an ice bin, and a circulation duct. The cabinet may define a one or more chilled chambers. The icebox liner may be attached to the cabinet. The icebox liner may define a sub-compartment in which the icemaker may be mounted. The ice bin may define a storage volume within the sub-compartment to receive ice from the icemaker. The circulation duct may extend within the sub-compartment in conductive thermal communication with the icemaker. The circulation duct may define an air passage in fluid communication with one of the chilled chambers and fluid isolation from the storage volume.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Charles Benjamin Miller, Bradley Nicholas Gilkey
  • Patent number: 10331800
    Abstract: When a user conducts a search for content using one or more of the many search engines known in the art, embodiments of the present invention may receive results returned to the user's browser by the search engine, and may then proceed to filter, organize, modify, or enhance those results and/or their presentation by performing various editing and/or presentation operations on the search results, based on information relating to the user's prior interactions with the search results and the user's interests and preferences. Search results may also be modulated based on information about the way other users have responded to or interacted with each of the search results in the past.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Inventors: Alain J. Cohen, Marc A. Cohen, Alberto Morales, Benjamin Miller
  • Patent number: 10298587
    Abstract: A method and system are provided for generating peer-to-peer augmented reality handlers. The method includes receiving, from a user wearing a pair of augmented reality glasses, an indication that the user intends to place an augmented reality handler at a location where the user is currently looking. The augmented reality handler is for visually associating content with an item of interest to the user. The method further includes determining, by the augmented reality glasses, the location where the user is currently looking. The method also includes creating the augmented reality handler in three-dimensional space at the location and presenting, by the augmented reality glasses, the augmented reality handler to the user. The method additionally includes creating an access control list to determine authorized individuals able to use this handler. The method further includes presenting the augmented reality handler to the authorized individuals, based on the access control list.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: James K. Hook, Hamish C. Hunt, Nicholas K. Lincoln, Benjamin Miller
  • Patent number: 10274237
    Abstract: An ice maker includes a plurality of fingers extending into a tub. A manifold has a plurality of outlets. The plurality of outlets is positioned below the plurality of fingers within the tub. A multi-speed pump is operable to flow liquid water from a reservoir to the manifold such that the liquid water exits the manifold at each outlet of the plurality of outlets and flows upwardly towards the plurality of fingers. A controller is configured for changing a speed of the multi-speed pump during an ice making cycle of the ice maker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Brent Alden Junge, Charles Benjamin Miller
  • Publication number: 20190093938
    Abstract: A refrigerator appliance is generally provided herein. The refrigerator appliance may include a cabinet, an icebox liner, an icemaker, an ice bin, and a circulation duct. The cabinet may define a one or more chilled chambers. The icebox liner may be attached to the cabinet. The icebox liner may define a sub-compartment in which the icemaker may be mounted. The ice bin may define a storage volume within the sub-compartment to receive ice from the icemaker. The circulation duct may extend within the sub-compartment in conductive thermal communication with the icemaker. The circulation duct may define an air passage in fluid communication with one of the chilled chambers and fluid isolation from the storage volume.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2017
    Publication date: March 28, 2019
    Inventors: Charles Benjamin Miller, Bradley Nicholas Gilkey
  • Patent number: 10240842
    Abstract: An ice maker apparatus is provided that may include a casing, an extruder die, an auger, a heat exchange body, and a fin portion. The casing may define a chamber about a central axis and extend along the central axis between a top portion and a bottom portion. The extruder die may be mounted to the casing at the top portion of the casing. The auger may be disposed within the chamber. The heat exchange body may be disposed in thermal engagement with the chamber. The heat exchange body may include a base wall extending along a portion of the casing and a sidewall extending outward from the base wall. The heat exchange body may also define an air duct across the base wall and sidewall. The fin portion may include a fin extending outward from the base wall. The fin may define a plurality of subchannels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
    Inventor: Charles Benjamin Miller
  • Patent number: 10220818
    Abstract: A vehicle deceleration system for stopping a vehicle that includes of a set of sensors, a controller, force applicators, and a friction applicator. The first sensor reads the ambient air temperature, the second sensor reads the vehicle speed, and a third sensor indicates if antilock brake system is operational. The controller calculates the distance between the front bumper and any surrounding objects to adjust the stopping force accordingly. The controller monitors the three sensors and a processor checks for predetermined given conditions. If all checks are met, the controller activates the force applicators. When the force applicators extend, they rotate a friction applicator into the road surface until the vehicle comes to a complete stop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Inventors: Benjamin Miller, Akira Samuel Nakaza, Kar Hoe Leong
  • Publication number: 20190045811
    Abstract: Animal chews are generally formulated with a composition that generally comprises a combination of protein, carbohydrate, fiber, fat, humectants and water, which is formed by mixing, followed by a forming process, such as molding. As described herein, animal chews are made having an outer portion and an inner portion. The inner portion is contained within recesses within the outer portion and can also include runners giving the appearance of a tied rawhide bone.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2016
    Publication date: February 14, 2019
    Applicant: Spectrum Brands, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph C. CARLEY, Benjamin MILLER, William D. HIMES
  • Publication number: 20180370358
    Abstract: A vehicle speed regulation apparatus and system comprises a speed control apparatus having a front panel with a solar panel and display screen, a control panel with means to increase or decrease a desired speed, an internal communication transceiver, and a means for communicating with a vehicle transceiver, along with other elements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2018
    Publication date: December 27, 2018
    Inventor: Benjamin Miller
  • Publication number: 20180299177
    Abstract: A refrigerator appliance and ice maker assembly are generally provided herein. The ice maker assembly may include a body and a harvester. The body may include an ice mold for receiving and freezing water. The ice mold may define a compartment within which water freezes. The compartment may be at least partially defined by a continuous arcuate bottom surface comprising a first segment defined about a first radius and a second segment defined about a second radius. The harvester may be rotatably disposed above at least a portion of the arcuate bottom surface to motivate ice from the compartment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2017
    Publication date: October 18, 2018
    Inventor: Charles Benjamin Miller
  • Patent number: 10088212
    Abstract: A refrigerator appliance and method of operation are provided. The refrigerator appliance may include a cabinet, an ice maker, a door, and a dispenser conduit. The cabinet may define a storage compartment. The ice maker may be disposed within the storage compartment. The door may be attached to the cabinet and define a dispenser recess in selective communication with the ice maker. The dispenser conduit may be disposed on the door within the dispenser recess. The dispenser conduit may include a stationary inner funnel and a slidable outer funnel extending along a passage axis. The slidable outer funnel may be disposed over an external surface of the stationary inner funnel to selectively define an extended portion of an ice passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Charles Benjamin Miller, Andrew Reinhard Krause
  • Publication number: 20180216862
    Abstract: An ice maker includes a plurality of fingers extending into a tub. A manifold has a plurality of outlets. The plurality of outlets is positioned below the plurality of fingers within the tub. A multi-speed pump is operable to flow liquid water from a reservoir to the manifold such that the liquid water exits the manifold at each outlet of the plurality of outlets and flows upwardly towards the plurality of fingers. A controller is configured for changing a speed of the multi-speed pump during an ice making cycle of the ice maker.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2017
    Publication date: August 2, 2018
    Inventors: Brent Alden Junge, Charles Benjamin Miller