Patents by Inventor Brian C. Smith

Brian C. Smith 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: 9783376
    Abstract: An example system includes a first tote handling assembly having a wiper bar, a first plurality of actuators connected to and moveable with the first wiper bar, and a first tab associated with a first actuator of the first plurality of actuators. The system may also includes a second tote handling assembly disposed substantially adjacent and substantially parallel to the first tote handling assembly. The second tote handling assembly includes a second wiper bar, a second plurality of actuators connected to and moveable with the second wiper bar, and a second tab associated with a second actuator of the second plurality of actuators. In such a system, movement of the first wiper bar in a first direction along a transverse axis of the first tote handling assembly, while the first tab is engaged with a tote disposed on the first tote handling assembly, transfers the tote from the first tote handling assembly to the second tote handling assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: David Bruce McCalib, Jr., Brian C. Smith, Kirkwood Hines
  • Patent number: 9637319
    Abstract: An example system includes a first tote handling assembly having a wiper bar, a first plurality of actuators connected to and moveable with the first wiper bar, and a first tab associated with a first actuator of the first plurality of actuators. The system may also includes a second tote handling assembly disposed substantially adjacent and substantially parallel to the first tote handling assembly. The second tote handling assembly includes a second wiper bar, a second plurality of actuators connected to and moveable with the second wiper bar, and a second tab associated with a second actuator of the second plurality of actuators. In such a system, movement of the first wiper bar in a first direction along a transverse axis of the first tote handling assembly, while the first tab is engaged with a tote disposed on the first tote handling assembly, transfers the tote from the first tote handling assembly to the second tote handling assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: David Bruce McCalib, Jr., Brian C. Smith, Kirkwood Hines
  • Patent number: 9604274
    Abstract: A processing line material clear out devices and methods are disclosed. The device is particularly useful for clearing metal billets from induction heating units, but may be used for many other processes having sequentially ordered materials traveling down a conveyor or other processing line. In one example of the invention, a reciprocating push rod rack is used to sequentially deposit and remove at least two push rods used to abut and clear the downstream billets. A push rod advance device is used to interlink independent, sequential push rods positioned on the billet track. On clearing of the billets, the push rods are retracted, removed from the billet track and stored on the push rod rack for ready use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: INTER-POWER CORPORATION
    Inventors: Gary M. Gariglio, Edward P. Potoczak, Brian C. Smith, David J. Wagner, James W. Nankervis, Patrick H. McRee
  • Publication number: 20160023263
    Abstract: A processing line material clear out devices and methods are disclosed. The device is particularly useful for clearing metal billets from induction heating units, but may be used for many other processes having sequentially ordered materials traveling down a conveyor or other processing line. In one example of the invention, a reciprocating push rod rack is used to sequentially deposit and remove at least two push rods used to abut and clear the downstream billets. A push rod advance device is used to interlink independent, sequential push rods positioned on the billet track. On clearing of the billets, the push rods are retracted, removed from the billet track and stored on the push rod rack for ready use.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2015
    Publication date: January 28, 2016
    Inventors: Gary M. Gariglio, Edward P. Potoczak, Brian C. Smith, David J. Wagner, James W. Nankervis, Patrick H. McRee
  • Patent number: 9173326
    Abstract: An enclosure for electronics includes a chassis and an interface connector positioned within the chassis and configured to provide power. A fan shelf module is received within the chassis and has at least one fan to provide air flow through the chassis. The fan shelf module includes a pinout connector along a horizontal or vertical line of symmetry and configured to engage the interface connector and receive power therefrom, such that the fan shelf module is selectively installed in one of two opposing directions allowing a fan air flow direction to the chassis to be selected as either pulling air or pushing air through the chassis depending on the installed direction of the fan shelf module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: ANTRAN, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian C. Smith, Jacob D. McCleary
  • Patent number: 9065588
    Abstract: An optical network unit includes a central office interface configured to connect to a central office local loop and customer premises and provide a central office source service. A switch and a switch device is connected to the switch and has at least one service port to provide a local source service. A relay switch is connected to the at least one service port and the central office interface. A processor is connected to the switch and relay switch and configured to receive a command message and in response switch into either the central office interface and provide the central office source service or switch into the service port and provide the local source service.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: Adtran, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian C. Smith, Daniel M. Joffe
  • Patent number: 8818192
    Abstract: An optical communication system includes a plurality of Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) each having a reverse power supply and configured to transmit and receive data and provide power over a wire pair connected thereto. An optical network unit is formed as a plurality of communication ports. A respective communication port is configured to provide communications data service with a respective CPE by transmitting and receiving data therewith. A power management circuit is connected to the communication ports and configured to receive power provided by each reverse power supply at a respective CPE and manage power consumption in the ONU. A processor is configured to receive alarms generated by at least one of a CPE and ONU indicative of a power fault condition and process the alarms and discriminate between different power fault conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Adtran, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian C. Smith, Steven M. Robinson
  • Patent number: 8782787
    Abstract: Distribution of network processing load among a set of packet processing devices is improved by employing means for eliminating, controlling, or otherwise affecting redundant packet processing operations. In one embodiment, at least two packet processing devices are present, both capable of processing data packets flowing therethrough, such as, inspecting, detecting, and filtering data packets pursuant to one or more filters from a filter set. Redundancy is controlled by providing or enabling either or both of the packet processing devices with capability for detecting during its said inspection of said data packets that, for example, one or more filters had been previously executed on said data packets by the other packet processing device, and then not executing the previously-executed filters on said data packets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Marc Willibeek-LeMair, Brian C. Smith
  • Patent number: 8649149
    Abstract: In accordance with a non-limiting example, a dual level surge protector adaptively selects the protection level required in response to any expected voltages that will be applied to the tip and ring lines. In one example, the surge protector has a first set value for responding to an applied battery voltage and a second set value for responding to a combination voltage that includes a battery voltage plus a ringing voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: Adtran, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian C. Smith, Daniel M. Joffe
  • Patent number: 8601289
    Abstract: In accordance with a non-limiting example, an optical communications system includes a plurality of Customer Premises Equipment (CPE), each having a reverse power supply circuit and each connected to a wire pair and configured to transmit and receive data and provide reverse power over the wire pair. An Optical Network Unit (ONU) includes a plurality of communication boards. A respective communication port is connected to a selected wire pair and its associated CPE through which data is transmitted and received and power received therefrom. A power management circuit is connected to each of the communication ports and configured to receive power and provide power sharing and manage power consumption and power supply redundancy from the plurality of CPE through the communication ports.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Adtran, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian C. Smith, Steven M. Robinson, Daniel M. Joffe
  • Patent number: 8570866
    Abstract: A network node includes a classify engine interfaced with the Internet. The classify engine accepts packets from the Internet and determines classification information for each packet. A process engine is interfaced with the classify engine, and has ports, each port being associated with a function. A controller is interfaced with the classify engine and the process engine. The controller programs the classify engine with a dataflow program to route each packet to a predetermined port of the process engine based on the classification information of the packet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Charles R. Buckman, Dennis J. Cox, Donovan M. Kolbly, Craig S. Cantrell, Brian C. Smith, Jon H. Werner, Marc Willebeek-LeMair, Joe Wayne Blackard, Francis S. Webster, III
  • Publication number: 20130247519
    Abstract: Described herein are systems and techniques for determining a pack station for storing inventory in a materials handling facility, routing item packages to pack stations based on size ranges for custom containers and optimizing dimensions of custom containers based on dimensions of a shipping container. For example, the systems described herein may allocate a percentage of inventory to a custom inventory location that is physically near custom container forming devices, thereby reducing the cost to pick, sort, pack and route items for shipment, storing or otherwise handling in a custom container.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2012
    Publication date: September 26, 2013
    Inventors: David Henry Clark, Dean Christopher Fullerton, Patricia T. Shigihara, Kevin R. Vliet, Jon S. Battles, Brian C. Smith, Sebastian Lehmann, Jaffin James, Lakshmi S, Nidamarthi
  • Patent number: 8385064
    Abstract: An enclosure for electronics includes a chassis and an interface connector positioned within the chassis and configured to provide power. A fan shelf module is received within the chassis and has at least one fan to provide air flow through the chassis. The fan shelf module includes a pinout connector along a horizontal or vertical line of symmetry and configured to engage the interface connector and receive power therefrom, such that the fan shelf module is selectively installed in one of two opposing directions allowing a fan air flow direction to the chassis to be selected as either pulling air or pushing air through the chassis depending on the installed direction of the fan shelf module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: Adtran, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian C. Smith, Jacob D. McCleary
  • Patent number: 8259715
    Abstract: A method for load balancing selects one of a set of distribution formulas to associate packets of each of multiple communications sessions traversing a link to one of a plurality of output links and assigns the associated packets of at least one of the communications sessions to a different output link.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Gerald S. Stellenberg, Brian C. Smith, James M. Rolette
  • Patent number: D761338
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: Inter-Power Corporation
    Inventors: Gary M. Gariglio, Edward P. Potoczak, Brian C. Smith, David J. Wagner, James W. Nankervis, Patrick H. McRee
  • Patent number: D763140
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: INTER-POWER CORPORATION
    Inventors: Gary M. Gariglio, Edward P. Potoczak, Brian C. Smith, David J. Wagner, James W. Nankervis, Patrick H. McRee
  • Patent number: D763331
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: INTER-POWER CORPORATION
    Inventors: Gary M. Gariglio, Edward P. Potoczak, Brian C. Smith, David J. Wagner, James W. Nankervis, Patrick H. McRee
  • Patent number: D773529
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: Dexcom, Inc.
    Inventors: Esteban Cabrera, Jr., Katherine Yerre Grubstein, Brian C. Smith, Eric Cohen, Rian Draeger, Paul Kramer, Paul Noble-Campbell, Eli Reihman, Leif Bowman
  • Patent number: D779504
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: DexCom, Inc.
    Inventors: Esteban Cabrera, Jr., Katherine Yerre Koehler, Brian C. Smith, Eric Cohen, Rian Draeger, Paul Kramer, Paul Noble-Campbell, Eli Reihman, Leif Bowman
  • Patent number: D779505
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: Dexcom, Inc.
    Inventors: Esteban Cabrera, Jr., Katherine Yerre Koehler, Brian C. Smith, Eric Cohen, Rian Draeger, Paul Kramer, Paul Noble-Campbell, Eli Reihman, Leif Bowman