Patents by Inventor Brian Howe

Brian Howe 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: 11146147
    Abstract: A motor electronics unit includes a printed circuit board having a first and a second side. An electrical conductor is connected to the printed circuit board. A heat sink is positioned proximate to the printed circuit board. A housing of a polymeric material includes: an endcap encapsulating the printed circuit board and covering an outer edge of the heat sink defining a heat sink first portion, with a second portion of the heat sink not covered by the polymeric material and extending through and outward from the endcap to transfer heat from the printed circuit board. A first section of the electrical conductor extends through and is partially encapsulated by the endcap. A connector body is integrally connected to the housing. A second section of the electrical conductor is exposed within a cavity of the connector body to electrically connect the printed circuit board to another component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: DUS Operating, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Goatley, Brian Howe
  • Patent number: 11096268
    Abstract: A motor electronics unit includes a printed circuit board having a first side and a second side with electronic components connected to the printed circuit board. An electrical conductor is connected to the printed circuit board. A heat sink is connected to the printed circuit board. A pre-molded electrical connector shroud has a portion of the electrical conductor positioned within the electrical connector shroud. A housing has an endcap, both co-molded in a low pressure injection molding process of a thermally conductive polymeric material. The endcap encapsulates the printed circuit board including the electronic components connected to the printed circuit board and covers a first portion of the heat sink, with a second portion of the heat sink uncovered by the polymeric material of the endcap to permit heat transfer away from the printed circuit board. The endcap also encapsulates a portion of the electrical connector shroud.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Inventors: Michael Goatley, Brian Howe
  • Publication number: 20200176105
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure include devices, systems, and methods for managing an emergency care event using a computing device. Simplified and touch-enabled user interface elements allow a wide variety of events to be selected and quickly entered into an event record. In some embodiments, care guidelines are programmed into the computing device, and are used by the computing device to guide the care team through the steps for various actions to ensure that adherence to the care guidelines is as close as possible. In some embodiments, timers for care events are automatically tracked by the computing device, and alerts are automatically generated in order to further increase compliance with time-based care guidelines.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2018
    Publication date: June 4, 2020
    Applicant: University of Washington
    Inventors: Brian Ross, Bala G. Nair, Roland Lai, Peter E. Oppenheimer, Timothy Wu, Brian Howe
  • Publication number: 20200036265
    Abstract: A motor electronics unit includes a printed circuit board having a first and a second side. An electrical conductor is connected to the printed circuit board. A heat sink is positioned proximate to the printed circuit board. A housing of a polymeric material includes: an endcap encapsulating the printed circuit board and covering an outer edge of the heat sink defining a heat sink first portion, with a second portion of the heat sink not covered by the polymeric material and extending through and outward from the endcap to transfer heat from the printed circuit board. A first section of the electrical conductor extends through and is partially encapsulated by the endcap. A connector body is integrally connected to the housing. A second section of the electrical conductor is exposed within a cavity of the connector body to electrically connect the printed circuit board to another component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2018
    Publication date: January 30, 2020
    Inventors: Michael Goatley, Brian Howe
  • Publication number: 20200037432
    Abstract: A motor electronics unit includes a printed circuit board having a first side and a second side with electronic components connected to the printed circuit board. An electrical conductor is connected to the printed circuit board. A heat sink is connected to the printed circuit board. A pre-molded electrical connector shroud has a portion of the electrical conductor positioned within the electrical connector shroud. A housing has an endcap, both co-molded in a low pressure injection molding process of a thermally conductive polymeric material. The endcap encapsulates the printed circuit board including the electronic components connected to the printed circuit board and covers a first portion of the heat sink, with a second portion of the heat sink uncovered by the polymeric material of the endcap to permit heat transfer away from the printed circuit board. The endcap also encapsulates a portion of the electrical connector shroud.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2018
    Publication date: January 30, 2020
    Inventors: Michael Goatley, Brian Howe
  • Patent number: 10207656
    Abstract: A composite module for a vehicle may be both a structural member and include a finished surface. In at least some embodiments, a composite rear shelf module includes a panel with a reinforced multilayer, multi-laminate fiber reinforced plastic composite structure. The panel may include selectively orientated, continuous fiber reinforced thermoplastic composite layers and/or the panel may include discontinuous fiber reinforced thermoplastic reinforcements. The composite rear shelf module may include a show surface film with a class-A surface, eliminating the need for a separate layer of carpet or other material. In some embodiments the module has vehicle attachment members for securing the module to the vehicle body, and the stiffness and mass of the module and the arrangement of the vehicle attachment members and reinforcements are tuned to move the natural modes, or natural frequencies, of the panel outside the working frequency range of any speakers or subwoofers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignee: Dura Operating, LLC
    Inventors: Ali Tavakoli Targhi, Alex Langreet, Jamie Zinser, Brian Howe, Jinseok Jeon
  • Publication number: 20170210306
    Abstract: A composite module for a vehicle may be both a structural member and include a finished surface. In at least some embodiments, a composite rear shelf module includes a panel with a reinforced multilayer, multi-laminate fiber reinforced plastic composite structure. The panel may include selectively orientated, continuous fiber reinforced thermoplastic composite layers and/or the panel may include discontinuous fiber reinforced thermoplastic reinforcements. The composite rear shelf module may include a show surface film with a class-A surface, eliminating the need for a separate layer of carpet or other material. In some embodiments the module has vehicle attachment members for securing the module to the vehicle body, and the stiffness and mass of the module and the arrangement of the vehicle attachment members and reinforcements are tuned to move the natural modes, or natural frequencies, of the panel outside the working frequency range of any speakers or subwoofers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2015
    Publication date: July 27, 2017
    Inventors: Ali Tavakoli Targhi, Alex Langreet, Jamie Zinser, Brian Howe, Jinseok Jeon
  • Publication number: 20070137364
    Abstract: A shift lock assembly including a shifter base and a shift lever having a pivot member that is associated with the shifter base. A detent member having an upper portion including engaging features is coupled to the pivot member. A lock lever having opposing sides and a first end pivotally attached to the shifter base and a second end adapted to contact the engaging features of the detent member is also included. At least one solenoid is connected to the lock lever for pivotally moving the lock lever relative to the detent member wherein the at least one solenoid moves the lock lever between low, middle and high positions in response to control parameters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2005
    Publication date: June 21, 2007
    Inventors: Brian Howe, Steve Wieczerza
  • Publication number: 20060206594
    Abstract: A system and method to uniquely identify identically configured branches in a distributed enterprise such that branch specific configuration information may be used to configure computing devices in the identified branch are provided. With the system and method, upon being deployed in a branch location, the computing device sends a communication to a centralized configuration server using an address provided in default initial configuration information. The communication is sent from the computing device to a branch router which adds its address to the communication. The branch router address is then used by the centralized configuration server to identify the branch and thus, configuration information for computing devices of the branch. The configuration information may then be provided to the computing device for configuration of the computing device for branch-specific operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2005
    Publication date: September 14, 2006
    Inventors: Michael Brown, Brian Howe, Radhakrishnan Sethuraman, Manuel Silveyra
  • Publication number: 20060205562
    Abstract: A shifter mechanism for a motor vehicle includes a shifter lever, a park switch indicating when the shifter lever is out of a park position, and an electric actuator movable between a locking position and an unlocking position to lock and unlock the lever. An interlock switch indicates when the vehicle operator desires to move the lever. A controller moves the actuator when an ignition switch indicates an ignition is on, a brake switch indicates a brake pedal is pressed, and the interlock switch is actuated. The controller also moves the actuator when the lever is not in the park position and the interlock switch is actuated. The controller actuates a vehicle key lock actuator when the ignition switch indicates the vehicle ignition is on or when the park switch indicates that the lever is not in the park position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2005
    Publication date: September 14, 2006
    Inventors: Brian Howe, Charles Flynn, Mohit Singhal
  • Publication number: 20060187668
    Abstract: A light guide for a transmission shifter assembly includes a light member having a top light transmitting surface, and a reflective bottom surface. The light member also includes first and second ends, as well as first and second sides. At least one light emitting diode is integrally formed with the light member. The light emitting diode produces light for backlighting the transmission shifter assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2005
    Publication date: August 24, 2006
    Inventor: Brian Howe