Patents by Inventor Britton G. Billingsley

Britton G. Billingsley 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: 20240073665
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a short-range communication device (10, 10?, 5 10?) for a personal protective equipment or a personal protective device (200, 210, 220, 230) comprising a transmission unit (20, 20?, 20?) for wirelessly transmitting a voice signal of a user (100, 110, 120, 130, 140, 150, 160) to a receiving unit (40,40?, 40?) over a predetermined distance such that a communication channel is established between the transmission unit (20, 20?, 20?) and the receiving unit (40, 40?, 40?) so that a user (100, 10 110, 120, 130, 140, 150, 160) can hear the voice signal. The present disclosure further relates to a short-range communication system comprising at least two short-range communication devices (10, 10?, 10?) according to the present disclosure and to a method of establishing a short-range communication between such devices (10, 10?, 10?).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2021
    Publication date: February 29, 2024
    Inventors: Jason A. Graves, Benjamin W. Watson, John C. Wright, Parfes Mohammed, Henning T. Urban, Abel Gladstone Mangam, Christopher P. Henderson, Darin K. Thompson, Britton G. Billingsley
  • Publication number: 20220269917
    Abstract: Optical articles including a spatially defined arrangement of a plurality of data rich retroreflective elements, wherein the plurality of retroreflective elements comprise retroreflective elements having at least two different retroreflective properties and at least two different optical contrasts with respect to a background substrate when observed within an ultraviolet spectrum, a visible spectrum, a near-infrared spectrum, or a combination thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2022
    Publication date: August 25, 2022
    Inventors: Michael A. McCoy, Anne C. Gold, Silvia Geciova-Borovova Guttmann, Glenn E. Casner, Timothy J. Gardner, Steven H. Kong, Gautam Singh, Jonathan T. Kahl, Nathan J. Anderson, Catherine L. Aune, Caroline M. Ylitalo, Britton G. Billingsley, Muhammad J. Afridi, Kui Chen-Ho, Travis L. Potts, Robert W. Shannon, Guruprasad Somasundaram
  • Patent number: 11413190
    Abstract: Protective headgear with a curved switchable shutter and curved front and rear cover plates and including at least two antireflective layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Kristina M. Magnusson, Kenneth Jarefors, Britton G. Billingsley
  • Publication number: 20220249290
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to darkening filters 10, 10? which are suitable for selectively darkening an optically transmissive window 20 for protection from light, in particular from high intensity light. The darkening filter 10, 10? is mounted in a forward-facing optically transmissive window 20 and comprises a non-uniform pattern 30 of switchable shutters 32 capable of being switching to at least a dark state and a light state by a shutter control system 40. The present disclosure also relates to a method of operating such darkening filters 10, 10?. The present disclosure furthermore relates to vision-protective headgears 100, 100?, welding shields 110 and panes 120 comprising the darkening filters 10, 10? according to the present disclosure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2020
    Publication date: August 11, 2022
    Inventors: Claire R. Donoghue, Britton G. Billingsley, Kristina M. Magnusson
  • Publication number: 20220215496
    Abstract: A system includes an article of personal protective equipment (PPE) associated with a first worker and at least one computing device. The article of PPE includes a display device. The at least one computing device configured to receive an indication of audio data from a second worker, the audio data including a message. The at least one computing device is also configured to determine a risk level for the first worker and determine whether to display a visual representation of the message. The at least one computing device is further configured to output the visual representation of the message for display by the display device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2020
    Publication date: July 7, 2022
    Inventors: Britton G. Billingsley, Claire R. Donoghue, Andrew W. Long, Benjamin W. Watson, Caroline M. Ylitalo, Magnus S. Johansson, Henning T. Urban
  • Patent number: 11373076
    Abstract: Optical articles including a spatially defined arrangement of a plurality of data rich retroreflective elements, wherein the plurality of retroreflective elements comprise retroreflective elements having at least two different retroreflective properties and at least two different optical contrasts with respect to a background substrate when observed within an ultraviolet spectrum, a visible spectrum, a near-infrared spectrum, or a combination thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Michael A. McCoy, Anne C. Gold, Silvia Geciova-Borovova Guttmann, Glenn E. Casner, Timothy J. Gardner, Steven H. Kong, Gautam Singh, Jonathan T. Kahl, Nathan J. Anderson, Catherine L. Aune, Caroline M. Ylitalo, Britton G. Billingsley, Muhammad J. Afridi, Kui Chen-Ho, Travis L. Potts, Robert W. Shannon, Guruprasad Somasundaram
  • Patent number: 11308378
    Abstract: Optical articles including a spatially defined arrangement of a plurality of data rich retroreflective elements, wherein the plurality of retroreflective elements comprise retroreflective elements having at least two different retroreflective properties and at least two different optical contrasts with respect to a background substrate when observed within an ultraviolet spectrum, a visible spectrum, a near-infrared spectrum, or a combination thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Michael A. McCoy, Anne C. Gold, Silvia Geciova-Borovova Guttmann, Glenn E. Casner, Timothy J. Gardner, Steven H. Kong, Gautam Singh, Jonathan T. Kahl, Nathan J. Anderson, Catherine L. Aune, Caroline M. Ylitalo, Britton G. Billingsley, Muhammad J. Afridi, Kui Chen-Ho, Travis L. Potts, Robert W. Shannon, Guruprasad Somasundaram
  • Patent number: 11260251
    Abstract: A system including a head-mounted device having a face shield; a respirator coupled to or embodied in the head mounted device; a light having a light intensity; a light detector, and a computing device communicatively coupled to the at least one light detector that receive from the light detector data indicting a type and intensity of light, and determine that the light matches a particular type of light and whether it exceeds a threshold, and on the basis of this determination, modifies the intensity of the light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Steven T. Awiszus, Kiran S. Kanukurthy, Eric C. Lobner, Robert J. Quintero, Micayla A. Johnson, Caroline M. Ylitalo, Britton G. Billingsley
  • Publication number: 20220031514
    Abstract: A curved eye protection shield for welding protection. The eye protection shield has an electrically switchable darkening filter and a protective cover. The darkening filter has eye facing major inner and outer surfaces, and the protective cover has major inner and outer surfaces. The protective cover is provided for arrangement on the inner surface of the darkening filter. The inner and outer surface of the darkening filter are equidistant, whereas the inner and outer surface of the protective cover are non-equidistant. The invention is advantageous in that it provides an eye protection shield having a minimized refractive power.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2021
    Publication date: February 3, 2022
    Inventors: Kristina M. Magnusson, Kenneth Jarefors, Laurent Froissard, Britton G. Billingsley
  • Patent number: 11160687
    Abstract: Protective headgear including an automatic darkening filter with an array of switchable shutters, and including a shutter control system, at least one workview image acquisition device, and at least one eye position monitoring device, wherein the shutter control system is controllably connected to each switchable shutter of the array of switchable shutters so as to control the switching of each of the switchable shutters, and is receivably connected to the at least one workview image acquisition device and to the at least one eye position monitoring device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Britton G. Billingsley, Kenneth Jarefors, Kristina M. Magnusson
  • Publication number: 20210307965
    Abstract: A system including a head-mounted device having a face shield; a respirator coupled to or embodied in the head mounted device; a light having a light intensity; a light detector, and a computing device communicatively coupled to the at least one light detector that receive from the light detector data indicting a type and intensity of light, and determine that the light matches a particular type of light and whether it exceeds a threshold, and on the basis of this determination, modifies the intensity of the light.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2020
    Publication date: October 7, 2021
    Inventors: Steven T. Awiszus, Kiran S. Kanukurthy, Eric C. Lobner, Robert J. Quintero, Micayla A. Johnson, Caroline M. Ylitalo, Britton G. Billingsley
  • Patent number: 11129748
    Abstract: A curved eye protection shield for welding protection. The eye protection shield has an electrically switchable darkening filter and a protective cover. The darkening filter has eye facing major inner and outer surfaces, and the protective cover has major inner and outer surfaces. The protective cover is provided for arrangement on the inner surface of the darkening filter. The inner and outer surface of the darkening filter are equidistant, whereas the inner and outer surface of the protective cover are non-equidistant. The invention is advantageous in that it provides an eye protection shield having a minimized refractive power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Kristina M. Magnusson, Kenneth Jarefors, Laurent Froissard, Britton G. Billingsley
  • Publication number: 20210216773
    Abstract: In some examples, a system includes an article of personal protective equipment (PPE) configured to present an (AR) augmented reality display to a user and at least one computing device. The computing device may include a memory and one or more processors coupled to the memory. The memory may include instructions that when executed by the one or more processors identify a field of view of the user, determine information relating to the field of view of the user, generate one or more indicator images related to the determined information of the field of view, and generate the AR display including at least the one or more indicator images.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2019
    Publication date: July 15, 2021
    Inventors: Kandyce M. Bohannon, Britton G. Billingsley, Matthew J. Blackford, Ronald D. Jesme, Johannes P.M. Kusters, Caroline M. Ylitalo
  • Publication number: 20210145644
    Abstract: Protective headgear including an automatic darkening filter with an array of switchable shutters, and including a shutter control system, at least one workview image acquisition device, and at least one eye position monitoring device, wherein the shutter control system is controllably connected to each switchable shutter of the array of switchable shutters so as to control the switching of each of the switchable shutters, and is receivably connected to the at least one workview image acquisition device and to the at least one eye position monitoring device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2018
    Publication date: May 20, 2021
    Inventors: Britton G. Billingsley, Kenneth Jarefors, Kristina M. Magnusson
  • Publication number: 20210106937
    Abstract: Various embodiments of a filter cartridge are disclosed. The filter cartridge includes a first filter media layer having first and second major surfaces, a second filter media layer having first and second major surfaces, and a plenum disposed between the first and second filter media layers. The filter cartridge further includes functional material disposed on the first major surface of each of the first and second filter media layers within a filter region of the filter cartridge, where the functional material includes active particles disposed on an adhesive layer; and a perimeter seal region that defines at least a portion of a perimeter of the filter cartridge, where at least the first and second filter media layers are connected together in the perimeter seal region. The functional material is not disposed in at least a portion of the perimeter seal region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2019
    Publication date: April 15, 2021
    Inventors: Austin D. Groth, Derek M. Maanum, Reyad A. Abdulqader, Shawn C. Dodds, Ann M. Gilman, Duane D. Fansler, Britton G. Billingsley
  • Patent number: 10948745
    Abstract: A vision-protecting filter lens, including a multilayer optical film and a neutral-density optical filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Michael E. Hallock, Joy L. Manske, Britton G. Billingsley
  • Publication number: 20210052427
    Abstract: A system including a head-mounted device having a face shield; a respirator coupled to or embodied in the head mounted device; a light having a light intensity; a light detector, and a computing device communicatively coupled to the at least one light detector that receive from the light detector data indicting a type and intensity of light, and determine that the light matches a particular type of light and whether it exceeds a threshold, and on the basis of this determination, modifies the intensity of the light.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2020
    Publication date: February 25, 2021
    Inventors: Steven T. Awiszus, Kiran S. Kanukurthy, Eric C. Lobner, Robert J. Quintero, Micayla A. Johnson, Caroline M. Ylitalo, Britton G. Billingsley
  • Publication number: 20200390606
    Abstract: Protective headgear with a curved switchable shutter and curved front and rear cover plates and including at least two antireflective layers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2020
    Publication date: December 17, 2020
    Inventors: Kristina M. Magnusson, Kenneth Jarefors, Britton G. Billingsley
  • Patent number: 10849790
    Abstract: A system (2000) comprising a head-mounted device (2010); at least one position sensor coupled to the head-mounted device; at least one light-filtering shield (2012) coupled to the at least one position sensor; at least one light detector (2019); and at least one computing device (2017) configured to receive, from the light detector, an indication that an intensity of light detected by the light detector exceeds an exposure threshold; determine, from the at least one position sensor, that the light-filtering shield is not positioned at the face of a worker to filter light with the intensity that exceeds the exposure threshold; and generate, in response to the determination that the light-filtering shield is not positioned at the face of a worker wearing the head-mounted device to filter light with the intensity that exceeds the exposure threshold, an indication for output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY
    Inventors: Steven T. Awiszus, Kiran S. Kanukurthy, Eric C. Lobner, Robert J. Quintero, Micayla A. Johnson, Caroline M. Ylitalo, Britton G. Billingsley
  • Patent number: 10758420
    Abstract: Protective headgear with a curved switchable shutter and curved front and rear cover plates and including at least two antireflective layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Kristina M. Magnusson, Kenneth Jarefors, Britton G. Billingsley