Patents by Inventor Brian Bowers

Brian Bowers 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: 20160263623
    Abstract: Systems and methods for parcel one pass labeling and sorting for presort qualification. The system includes a conveyor on which parcel pieces are placed by an operator, where the conveyor ensures proper gap between parcel pieces and justifies the parcels to an edge of the conveyor in order to align the parcels with labelers which print and apply shipping documents and shipping labels. The labeled parcel pieces are then sorted according to the destination indicated and deposited into a sort bin. The system is configured to allow dynamic reassignment of the sort bins based on capacity and sort destinations processed. A single bin is used for depositing parcel pieces which do not need to be sorted by destination.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2016
    Publication date: September 15, 2016
    Inventors: Richard Wojdyla, Brian Bowers, Paul Kostyniuk, Walter S. Conard
  • Publication number: 20160251103
    Abstract: The present application relates to a method and system for labeling one or more products such as packages transported along a conveyer, and more specifically to applying a label on a respective package by way of a vertically adjustable assembly positioned above the conveyor. The adjustable assembly includes at least a label printer and an applicator for printing and applying the label on a surface of the package on the conveyor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2016
    Publication date: September 1, 2016
    Inventors: Richard Wojdyla, Brian Bowers, Tim Palmer, Tomasz K. Bednarek
  • Patent number: 9352872
    Abstract: The present application relates to a method and system for labeling one or more products such as packages transported along a conveyer, and more specifically to applying a label on a respective package by way of a vertically adjustable assembly positioned above the conveyor. The adjustable assembly includes at least a label printer and an applicator for printing and applying the label on a surface of the package on the conveyor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: Bell and Howell, LLC
    Inventors: Richard Wojdyla, Tim Palmer, Brian Bowers, Tomasz K. Bednarek
  • Publication number: 20160063770
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer readable media for transferring data from a delivery item to a label for application of the label onto the delivery item are disclosed. In some aspects, the system can include a camera configured to capture an image of the data on the delivery item, a control computer including at least one hardware processor and memory, the control computer being configured to process the image of the data, integrate the image of the data into a label template, and to generate a print file from the label template, and at least one label applicator disposed after the camera relative to a direction of travel of the delivery item on a conveyor, the at least one label applicator being configured to print the label including the data contained in the print file and apply the printed label onto a top surface of the delivery item.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 1, 2015
    Publication date: March 3, 2016
    Inventors: Brian Bowers, Steven Seburn, Helmut Joerg, Michael Maeder
  • Publication number: 20160052659
    Abstract: Devices, systems, and methods for automatically printing and applying one or more label to at least one item to enable shipping of the at least one item by a carrier are provided. In some aspects, a movable label applicator device includes a printer for printing the one or more label onto a supply of labeling material, wherein the one or more printed label contains unique information associated with the at least one item. In some aspects, the device further includes an applicator for applying the one or more printed label to a surface of the at least one item, wherein the applicator is configured to apply multiple labels to the surface of the at least one item such that the multiple labels are removably stacked on top of one another.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2015
    Publication date: February 25, 2016
    Inventors: Brian BOWERS, Tim PALMER
  • Patent number: 9156063
    Abstract: The present subject matter relates to techniques and equipment for processing mailpieces. The mailpieces have been manufacture on a mailpiece inserter or directly from a printer The manufactured mailpieces are processed on a mail sorter to produce trays of mail that are grouped by zone improvement program. The mailpieces are sorted without a predefined sort scheme loaded on the mail sorter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2015
    Assignee: Bell and Howell, LLC
    Inventors: Brian Bowers, Steven Seburn
  • Patent number: 8977385
    Abstract: Processing and tracking of individual mail items processed through a document processing system such as a sorter or inserter utilize a mail item identifier that is unique with respect to each individual mail item. A mail item may have a postal authority approved code representing or containing its associated unique identifier. If not, an identifier is generated and a corresponding postal authority approved code is applied to the mail item. Processing entails associating the unique mail item identifier for each respective mail item with collected metadata for the respective mail item and storing the identifier and associated the metadata. In a sorter example, each mail item is sorted into a postal sort group, and the processing entails identifying the sort group to which each item is sorted and storing the identified sort in association with the unique mail item identifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: Bell and Howell, LLC
    Inventors: Brian Bowers, Steven Seburn, Steven Ksiazek, Gary Van Ermen, Walter S. Conard
  • Patent number: 8844207
    Abstract: A portable dance floor system comprises a plurality of floor panels removably couplable together to form a dance floor assembly, with each floor panel comprising a perimeter frame circumscribing a core, and a dance floor surface substantially covering the frame and core. The frame has an extrusion with an outwardly facing channel having an opening, and an elongated cavity behind the channel. A plurality of bores can extend into the extrusion from a back of the extrusion, into the channel, and to the opening. A plurality of magnets can each be disposed in a different one of the plurality of bores. A retaining strip can be disposed in the elongated cavity and can hold the plurality of magnets in the plurality of bores between the retaining strip and the opening. The panel can include the core having an aluminum honeycomb between aluminum skins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Mity-Lite, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian Bowers, Mitchell Health
  • Publication number: 20140245692
    Abstract: A portable dance floor system comprises a plurality of floor panels removably couplable together to form a dance floor assembly, with each floor panel comprising a perimeter frame circumscribing a core, and a dance floor surface substantially covering the frame and core. The frame has an extrusion with an outwardly facing channel having an opening, and an elongated cavity behind the channel. A plurality of bores can extend into the extrusion from a back of the extrusion, into the channel, and to the opening. A plurality of magnets can each be disposed in a different one of the plurality of bores. A retaining strip can be disposed in the elongated cavity and can hold the plurality of magnets in the plurality of bores between the retaining strip and the opening. The panel can include the core having an aluminum honeycomb between aluminum skins.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2013
    Publication date: September 4, 2014
    Applicant: Mity-Lite, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian Bowers, Mitchell Heath
  • Patent number: 8816431
    Abstract: A MOSFET device has a funnel-shaped trench etched in a semiconductor substrate. The funnel-shaped trench has flared rim extending from a wider cross section trench mouth at the surface of the semiconductor substrate to a narrower cross section trench body portion which terminates in an epilayer portion of the semiconductor substrate. A gate electrode is disposed in the trench on the flared rim. Source and gate regions of the device abut upper and lower portions of the flared rim, respectively. A drain region of the device, which abuts the narrower cross section trench body portion, is self-aligned with a lower edge of a gate electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Fairchild Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventor: Brian Bowers
  • Patent number: 8748768
    Abstract: The present application relates to a method and system for mail item processing. More particularly, the present application relates to a method and system alerting document processing operators when all mail items have reached a designated bin in order to improve accuracy and efficiency during document processing as well as improving the overall efficiency of the document processing facility.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Bell and Howell, LLC
    Inventor: Brian Bowers
  • Publication number: 20140096900
    Abstract: The present application relates to a method and system for labeling one or more products such as packages transported along a conveyer, and more specifically to applying a label on a respective package by way of a vertically adjustable assembly positioned above the conveyor. The adjustable assembly includes at least a label printer and an applicator for printing and applying the label on a surface of the package on the conveyor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2013
    Publication date: April 10, 2014
    Applicant: BELL AND HOWELL, LLC.
    Inventors: Richard WOJDYLA, Tim PALMER, Brian BOWERS, Tomasz K. BEDNAREK
  • Publication number: 20130234241
    Abstract: A MOSFET device has a funnel-shaped trench etched in a semiconductor substrate. The funnel-shaped trench has flared rim extending from a wider cross section trench mouth at the surface of the semiconductor substrate to a narrower cross section trench body portion which terminates in an epilayer portion of the semiconductor substrate. A gate electrode is disposed in the trench on the flared rim. Source and gate regions of the device abut upper and lower portions of the flared rim, respectively. A drain region of the device, which abuts the narrower cross section trench body portion, is self-aligned with a lower edge of a gate electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2012
    Publication date: September 12, 2013
    Inventor: Brian Bowers
  • Patent number: 8507821
    Abstract: The present application relates to a method and system thereof for performing laser cutting on a mail piece during processing on a document processing device such as a sorter. Laser cutting is performed to effectively cut mail pieces during transport on the document processing equipment to ensure cut accuracy and to promote readability. The present teachings allow for selection of a cut profile based on mail piece attributes or markings and adaptive adjustment of the cut profile in accord with the positioning of the mail piece to achieve a desired cut pattern while the document processing device is running at high transport speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: Bell and Howell, LLC
    Inventors: George M. Varghese, Arkadiusz Nieckarz, Gregory Wilmes, Brian Bowers
  • Patent number: 8392337
    Abstract: The present teachings relate to a method and system for the processing of mail items within a multiple device document processing environment to ensure generation of unique mail items. The present teachings provides for an improved system and method for assigning and maintaining unique mail item identifiers and processing of the unique mail items in a multiple mail processing device environment to qualify for maximum postal work sharing discounts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Bell and Howell, LLC
    Inventors: Raymond Lee, Brian Bowers
  • Patent number: 8326898
    Abstract: The present application generally relates to address data maintenance services using a mail processing system. The present application discloses techniques and equipment to update address information and usage of mail processing equipment to print delivery point barcodes that represent the current and accurate address information available for the addressee. The present application also provides a new approach for storing and searching address and name run time directories as part of a mail processing system using address reader technology.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Bell & Howell, LLC
    Inventors: Mark Woolston, Walter S. Conard, William A. Grady, Brian Bowers, Richard Wojdyla, Gary Van Ermen
  • Publication number: 20120296467
    Abstract: The present subject matter relates to techniques and equipment for processing mailpieces. The mailpieces have been manufacture on a mailpiece inserter or directly from a printer The manufactured mailpieces are processed on a mail sorter to produce trays of mail that are grouped by zone improvement program. The mailpieces are sorted without a predefined sort scheme loaded on the mail sorter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2012
    Publication date: November 22, 2012
    Inventors: Brian BOWERS, Steven SEBURN
  • Patent number: 8311662
    Abstract: Systems and method of processing one or more documents are shown and described. The orientation of a magnetic character is sensed on the document. The orientation is processed and used to control a sort processing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Bell and Howell, LLC
    Inventors: Charles E. Davis, Brian Bowers, Jack E. Olson
  • Patent number: 8311668
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and an article of manufacture for automatically configuring a feeder system of a mail sorting system are shown and described. The feeder system is configured in accordance with a customer's mailing parameters. This improves the performance of the mail sorting system. In various examples, customer information associated with a processing job is received. A feeder profile is also received. The feeder system is automatically configured according to parameters of one or more of the customer information and feeder profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Bell and Howell, LLC
    Inventors: Raymond Lee, Brian Bowers
  • Patent number: 8301297
    Abstract: The present application relates to a system and method for sorting mailpieces prior to their delivery to the postal authority. The system and method allow for the running of different first pass sort schemes on multiple sorters in a sorting facility without stopping operations for no-count mode, without losing mailpiece tracking, or waiting for all first pass sorting to complete before re-running the mail that was not sorted to the finest depth of sorting. With the present application, mailpieces that can be run a second time can be run concurrently during first pass without the high risk no-count mode or loss of data integrity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Bell and Howell, LLC
    Inventors: Brian Bowers, Michael Swift