Patents by Inventor Brett Stephens

Brett Stephens 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: 20240138822
    Abstract: A biopsy device for percutaneous tissue removal includes an elongated housing having an operational axis, a stylet hub slidably mounted in the housing, where the stylet hub is movable relative to the housing between a proximal, armed position, and a distal, fired position, the stylet hub having a stylet strike, a cannula hub slidably mounted in the housing alongside the stylet hub, and a spring-biased arming member. The cannula hub is movable relative to the housing between a proximal, armed position, and a distal, fired position. The arming member is moveably mounted to the housing proximal of the respective stylet and cannula hubs, and configured for manually-actuated movement from a relaxed, extended position to a loaded, compressed position to define a compressive arming stroke. The biopsy device also includes an arming member biasing spring that restores the arming member from the compressed position to the extended position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2023
    Publication date: May 2, 2024
    Applicant: HOLOGIC, INC.
    Inventors: Zachary Stephen Swick, Rosario Friedman, Brett Haarala, David Sauvageau, Donna Schulz Torres
  • Patent number: 11821740
    Abstract: A method for routing a vehicle includes determining, based on roadway section information for two or more potential driving routes for a vehicle, a first route along which a driver assistance feature or an automated driving feature will not be available and a second route along which the driver assistance feature or the automated driving feature will be available. The method further includes providing navigation instructions for the second route to a driver or control system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Brett Stephens, Jonathan Thomas Mullen, Shane Elwart
  • Publication number: 20210080273
    Abstract: A method for routing a vehicle includes determining, based on roadway section information for two or more potential driving routes for a vehicle, a first route along which a driver assistance feature or an automated driving feature will not be available and a second route along which the driver assistance feature or the automated driving feature will be available. The method further includes providing navigation instructions for the second route to a driver or control system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2020
    Publication date: March 18, 2021
    Inventors: Brett Stephens, Jonathan Thomas Mullen, Shane Elwart
  • Patent number: 10859388
    Abstract: A method for routing a vehicle includes determining, based on roadway section information for two or more potential driving routes for a vehicle, a first route along which a driver assistance feature or an automated driving feature will not be available and a second route along which the driver assistance feature or the automated driving feature will be available. The method further includes providing navigation instructions for the second route to a driver or control system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Brett Stephens, Jonathan Thomas Mullen, Shane Elwart
  • Patent number: 10809156
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to an automated system and method of analyzing performance of engines in a test cell. The method includes electronically accessing engine operational data in a stored database of the test cell. Another step includes electronically retrieving operational data corresponding to the new test if at least one new test is detected in the stored database for an engine. Further, the method includes inputting the operational data corresponding to the new test into a performance model specific to an engine type for the engine. The method also includes electronically analyzing an output of the performance model. An additional step includes electronically generating at least one summary report of engine health of the engine based on the analyzed output. Thus, the method also includes providing the summary report as electronic output to a user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Susan Michelle DeMarco, Charles Larry Abernathy, Steven Richard Levin, Bernard Dumm, Brett Stephen Kramer
  • Patent number: 10720881
    Abstract: An assembly includes a photovoltaic module including a solar cell and a cooling system including a heat pipe adapted to dissipate heat from the solar cell. A method includes dissipating heat from the solar cell using the heat pipe. The photovoltaic module may be disposed on a vehicle to convert solar energy into electricity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Hadi Malek, Daniel Boston, Jacob Mathews, Brett Stephens
  • Patent number: 10690507
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices for network-based storage of vehicle and infrastructure data for vehicle optimization are disclosed. A method includes receiving sensor data from a vehicle sensor, uploading the sensor data to a network, and storing the sensor data in a vehicle map database. The method includes downloading aggregated drive data from the network and storing the aggregated drive data in the vehicle map database. The method includes optimizing a vehicle route based on route costs for a plurality of potential driving routes based on a reliability of an automated driving feature or driver assistance feature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Brett Stephens, Jonathan Thomas Mullen, Shane Elwart
  • Publication number: 20190277644
    Abstract: A method for routing a vehicle includes determining, based on roadway section information for two or more potential driving routes for a vehicle, a first route along which a driver assistance feature or an automated driving feature will not be available and a second route along which the driver assistance feature or the automated driving feature will be available. The method further includes providing navigation instructions for the second route to a driver or control system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2019
    Publication date: September 12, 2019
    Inventors: Brett Stephens, Jonathan Thomas Mullen, Shane Elwart
  • Patent number: 10345111
    Abstract: A method for routing a vehicle includes determining, based on roadway section information for two or more potential driving routes for a vehicle, a first route along which a driver assistance feature or an automated driving feature will not be available and a second route along which the driver assistance feature or the automated driving feature will be available. The method further includes providing navigation instructions for the second route to a driver or control system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Brett Stephens, Jonathan Thomas Mullen, Shane Elwart
  • Publication number: 20180313655
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices for network-based storage of vehicle and infrastructure data for vehicle optimization are disclosed. A method includes receiving sensor data from a vehicle sensor, uploading the sensor data to a network, and storing the sensor data in a vehicle map database. The method includes downloading aggregated drive data from the network and storing the aggregated drive data in the vehicle map database. The method includes optimizing a vehicle route based on route costs for a plurality of potential driving routes based on a reliability of an automated driving feature or driver assistance feature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2018
    Publication date: November 1, 2018
    Inventors: Brett Stephens, Jonathan Thomas Mullen, Shane Elwart
  • Patent number: 10054454
    Abstract: A method for routing a vehicle includes determining, based on aggregated drive data from a plurality of sources, route costs for a plurality of potential driving routes for a vehicle based on reliability of an automated driving feature or driver assistance feature. The method includes selecting a route of the one or more potential driving routes based on the route costs. The method includes providing information about the route to a driver, automated driving system, or driver assistance system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Brett Stephens, Jonathan Thomas Mullen, Shane Elwart
  • Patent number: 9969389
    Abstract: A confidence value is determined for data collected for a lane assist subsystem in a vehicle. A section curvature is identified for a section of a roadway when the confidence value is below a confidence value, threshold. The section curvature includes at least one section start point and at least one section end point. The section curvature is based at least in part on a heading angle, the heading angle defining an angle between a projected line of travel of the vehicle and a line segment from a vehicle position to the section end point. A distance to a lane boundary is predicted based at least in part on the identified section curvature. One or more vehicle subsystems is actuated based at least in part on the predicted distance to the lane boundary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Brett Stephens, Shane Elwart, Joseph Walter Neal
  • Publication number: 20180051998
    Abstract: A method for routing a vehicle includes determining, based on roadway section information for two or more potential driving routes for a vehicle, a first route along which a driver assistance feature or an automated driving feature will not be available and a second route along which the driver assistance feature or the automated driving feature will be available. The method further includes providing navigation instructions for the second route to a driver or control system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2017
    Publication date: February 22, 2018
    Inventors: Brett Stephens, Jonathan Thomas Mullen, Shane Elwart
  • Publication number: 20180048262
    Abstract: An assembly includes a photovoltaic module including a solar cell and a cooling system including a heat pipe adapted to dissipate heat from the solar cell. A method includes dissipating heat from the solar cell using the heat pipe. The photovoltaic module may be disposed on a vehicle to convert solar energy into electricity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2016
    Publication date: February 15, 2018
    Inventors: Hadi Malek, Daniel Boston, Jacob Mathews, Brett Stephens
  • Patent number: 9851212
    Abstract: A method for routing a vehicle includes identifying one or more driving routes between a current location of a vehicle and a destination. The method includes determining a route cost for the one or more driving routes based on lane marking quality of a roadway within a corresponding driving route. The method includes selecting a route of the one or more routes with a lowest route cost. The method includes providing information about the route to a driver or control system for following the route.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Brett Stephens, Jonathan Thomas Mullen, Shane Elwart
  • Publication number: 20170322040
    Abstract: A method for routing a vehicle includes identifying one or more driving routes between a current location of a vehicle and a destination. The method includes determining a route cost for the one or more driving routes based on lane marking quality of a roadway within a corresponding driving route. The method includes selecting a route of the one or more routes with a lowest route cost. The method includes providing information about the route to a driver or control system for following the route.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2016
    Publication date: November 9, 2017
    Inventors: Brett Stephens, Jonathan Thomas Mullen, Shane Elwart
  • Publication number: 20170320493
    Abstract: A confidence value is determined for data collected for a lane assist subsystem in a vehicle. A section curvature is identified for a section of a roadway when the confidence value is below a confidence value, threshold. The section curvature includes at least one section start point and at least one section end point. The section curvature is based at least in part on a heading angle, the heading angle defining an angle between a projected line of travel of the vehicle and a line segment from a vehicle position to the section end point. A distance to a lane boundary is predicted based at least in part on the identified section curvature. One or more vehicle subsystems is actuated based at least in part on the predicted distance to the lane boundary.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2016
    Publication date: November 9, 2017
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Brett Stephens, Shane Elwart, Joseph Walter Neal
  • Publication number: 20170322041
    Abstract: A method for routing a vehicle includes determining, based on aggregated drive data from a plurality of sources, route costs for a plurality of potential driving routes for a vehicle based on reliability of an automated driving feature or driver assistance feature. The method includes selecting a route of the one or more potential driving routes based on the route costs. The method includes providing information about the route to a driver, automated driving system, or driver assistance system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2016
    Publication date: November 9, 2017
    Inventors: Brett Stephens, Jonathan Thomas Mullen, Shane Elwart
  • Publication number: 20170234773
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to an automated system and method of analyzing performance of engines in a test cell. The method includes electronically accessing engine operational data in a stored database of the test cell. Another step includes electronically retrieving operational data corresponding to the new test if at least one new test is detected in the stored database for an engine. Further, the method includes inputting the operational data corresponding to the new test into a performance model specific to an engine type for the engine. The method also includes electronically analyzing an output of the performance model. An additional step includes electronically generating at least one summary report of engine health of the engine based on the analyzed output. Thus, the method also includes providing the summary report as electronic output to a user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2016
    Publication date: August 17, 2017
    Inventors: Susan Michelle DeMarco, Charles Larry Abernathy, Steven Richard Levin, Bernard Dumm, Brett Stephen Kramer