Patents by Inventor Bruce A. Willins

Bruce A. Willins 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: 9179263
    Abstract: Energy efficient roaming of a mobile device is described. The mobile device can include a sensor for sensing a motion of the mobile device to generate a sensor signal. A radio is capable of communicating with a wireless network. A processor activates the radio in the mobile device. The processor generates an environmental profile of the mobile device based at least on the sensor signal. A memory is coupled to the processor for storing the environmental profile. The processor deactivates the radio when the environmental profile indicates that the rate of motion of the mobile device is above a predetermined threshold for a first period of time. The processor reactivates the deactivated radio when the environmental profile indicates that the rate of motion of the mobile device is below the predetermined threshold for a second period of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: Symbol Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Bruce A. Willins
  • Publication number: 20130165111
    Abstract: Energy efficient roaming of a mobile device is described. The mobile device can include a sensor for sensing a motion of the mobile device to generate a sensor signal. A radio is capable of communicating with a wireless network. A processor activates the radio in the mobile device. The processor generates an environmental profile of the mobile device based at least on the sensor signal. A memory is coupled to the processor for storing the environmental profile. The processor deactivates the radio when the environmental profile indicates that the rate of motion of the mobile device is above a predetermined threshold for a first period of time. The processor reactivates the deactivated radio when the environmental profile indicates that the rate of motion of the mobile device is below the predetermined threshold for a second period of time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2011
    Publication date: June 27, 2013
    Applicant: SYMBOL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventor: Bruce A. Willins
  • Patent number: 7680085
    Abstract: In a wireless data communications system a method is provided for conducting out-of-band for management and other communications with access points. The system operates under a first protocol, such as IEEE 802.11 protocol to provide wireless data communications. The access points are provided with a second radio module for conducting wireless data communications using a second protocol, such as Bluetooth. A wireless terminal, operating as a Bluetooth master can access the processor in the access point to conduct management and other communications relating to the operation of the access point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2010
    Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Bruce A. Willins, Richard M. Vollkommer
  • Patent number: 7620432
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a mobile terminal that can interoperate with a plurality of headsets. The present invention further relates to systems and methodologies for facilitating communication to the mobile terminal from the plurality of headsets. The plurality of headsets can be of various types. For example, the headset can be a push button enabled signaling headset, which includes a signaling mechanism, such as a button, mounted to the headset or a headset cord. The mobile terminal includes a sensing component to detect the signaling from the headset. The signaling mechanism is employed to issue commands to the mobile terminal. Alternatively, the headset can be a standard, commercially available audio headset. If the standard headset is employed, the signaling function is not available and the standard headset operation is not impacted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2009
    Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Bruce A. Willins, Askold Strat
  • Patent number: 7596388
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided to facilitate communication with a plurality of remote units in a communication area that includes a plurality of spatial sectors. The system includes a network controller configured to receive and transmit under IEEE 802.11 specifications, and a plurality of directional antennas coupled to the network base station. Each of directional antennas functions as an access point for a respective spatial sector. The directional antennas and the network controller are combined as a single base station apparatus in an exemplary embodiment. Further, an exemplary network controller is configured to concurrently transmit a plurality of the data frames to more than one of the spatial sectors, and to synchronize the transmissions in a manner whereby all of the concurrently transmitted frames end simultaneously.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2009
    Assignee: Symbol Technologies Inc
    Inventors: Bruce A. Willins, Jacob Sharony
  • Patent number: 7573366
    Abstract: Described is a method and system for detecting a first trigger event using a trigger device, the trigger device including a trigger sensor and a trigger tag. Listening on a predetermined radio frequency band by an interrogator for an activation signal, wherein the activation signal is generated by the trigger tag, the activation signal including a unique identifier of the trigger tag and receiving the activation signal. The activation signal is then validated as being received from an associated trigger tag and the interrogator is activated into an interrogation mode upon validation of the activation signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2009
    Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Bruce A. Willins, Richard Vollkommer
  • Patent number: 7561492
    Abstract: Described is a system and method for detection using an ultrasonic wave. The system may include a first arrangement and a second arrangement. The first arrangement may include a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter transmits an ultrasonic wave along a surface on which items are to be stored and the receiver receives the wave after it has passed over the surface. The second arrangement receives from the first arrangement data corresponding to properties of the received wave. The second arrangement compares the properties of the received wave to properties of the transmitted wave to generate current condition value. The second arrangement determines based on the current condition value and calibration data a current condition state corresponding to a degree of the surface currently occupied by the items. The calibration data includes at least one calibration value and a corresponding calibration condition state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2009
    Assignee: Symbol Technologies Inc
    Inventors: Bruce A. Willins, Richard M. Vollkommer
  • Patent number: 7512254
    Abstract: Described is a method and system for authenticating identity of a person using a portable device. The portable device may includes an imager, an image processing unit and a processor. The image processing unit reads encoded data in a first image from an imager of the device. The image processing unit extracts a portion of a second image from the imager to generate extracted portion data. The extracted portion of the second image corresponds to a portion of a person whose identity is to be authenticated. Stored biometric data for a person is located based on the data read from the first image. The processor compares the extracted portion data of the second image to the stored biometric data for a person.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2009
    Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard M. Vollkommer, Bruce A. Willins, Brad Carlson, Askold Strat
  • Patent number: 7471776
    Abstract: Described is a system and method for communicating using a telecommunications device which includes an automatic speech recognition (ASR) system. The ASR system which is capable of recognizing at least one prestored command from a voice input to the telecommunication device is activated. The ASR system compares the voice input to the at least one prestored command. When at least a first portion of the voice input matches the prestored command, the ASR system reviews a second portion of the voice input to determine a parameter value. A tone system generates a tone frequency corresponding to the parameter value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard M. Vollkommer, Bruce A. Willins
  • Patent number: 7305478
    Abstract: Authorized access by a user to an application server in a wireless local area network is obtained by printing machine-readable indicia on a portable, physical ticket, and by presenting the ticket to an electro-optical reader for reading the indicia.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2007
    Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Bruce A. Willins, Richard M. Vollkommer, Huayan Wang, Joseph Katz, James Fuccello
  • Patent number: 7245558
    Abstract: Described is a system and method for detection using an ultrasonic wave. The system may include a first arrangement and a second arrangement. The first arrangement may include a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter transmits an ultrasonic wave along a surface on which items are to be stored and the receiver receives the wave after it has passed over the surface. The second arrangement receives from the first arrangement data corresponding to properties of the received wave. The second arrangement compares the properties of the received wave to properties of the transmitted wave to generate current condition value. The second arrangement determines based on the current condition value and calibration data a current condition state corresponding to a degree of the surface currently occupied by the items. The calibration data includes at least one calibration value and a corresponding calibration condition state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2007
    Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Bruce A. Willins, Richard M. Vollkommer
  • Patent number: 7130759
    Abstract: A telemetric contextually based spatial audio system is integrated into a mobile terminal including a headset and antenna. The headset includes an electronic compass which determines head orientation data for the user. The terminal's geographical position can either be determined locally (e.g. onboard GPS) or by network triangulation. The orientation and position data are sent to a server which overlays the position and head orientation data onto a locally stored “floor plan”, describing an object(s) of interest. The floor plan relates the user's viewpoint to a database of contextual audio clips. A regionally significant portion of the database and respective triggers are sent to the terminal. The terminal using the database information recalculates which audio clip(s) to play. The terminal then convolves the respective audio clip(s) via an impulse response function so as to be perceived by the user as emanating from the exact spatial position of the object specified by the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2006
    Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Bruce A. Willins, Richard M. Vollkommer, Joseph Katz
  • Patent number: 7110799
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a mobile terminal that can interoperate with a plurality of headsets. The present invention further relates to systems and methodologies for facilitating communication to the mobile terminal from the plurality of headsets. The plurality of headsets can be of various types. For example, the headset can be a push button enabled signaling headset, which includes a signaling mechanism, such as a button, mounted to the headset or a headset cord. The mobile terminal includes a sensing component to detect the signaling from the headset. The signaling mechanism is employed to issue commands to the mobile terminal. Alternatively, the headset can be a standard, commercially available audio headset. If the standard headset is employed, the signaling function is not available and the standard headset operation is not impacted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2006
    Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Bruce A. Willins, Askold Strat
  • Patent number: 6899271
    Abstract: An arrangement for and a method of collecting and displaying information in real time along a line of sight from a human operator to remote targets located at variable distances therefrom and identifiable by machine-readable indicia. A two-dimensional image is automatically projected along the line of sight on the target alongside the indicia while maintaining the image size relatively constant over an extended range of working distances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2005
    Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Bruce A. Willins, Miklos Stern, Dmitriy Yavid, Frederick F. Wood, Chinh Tan
  • Patent number: 6845338
    Abstract: A telemetric contextually based spatial audio system is integrated into a mobile terminal including a headset and antenna. The headset includes an electronic compass which determines head orientation data for the user. The terminal's geographical position can either be determined locally (e.g. onboard GPS) or by network triangulation. The orientation and position data are sent to a server which overlays the position and head orientation data onto a locally stored “floor plan”, describing an object(s) of interest. The floor plan relates the user's viewpoint to a database of contextual audio clips. A regionally significant portion of the database and respective triggers are sent to the terminal. The terminal using the database information recalculates which audio clip(s) to play. The terminal then convolves the respective audio clip(s) via an impulse response function so as to be perceived by the user as emanating from the exact spatial position of the object specified by the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2005
    Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Bruce A. Willins, Richard M. Vollkommer, Joseph Katz
  • Publication number: 20040222301
    Abstract: An arrangement for and a method of collecting and displaying information in real time along a line of sight from a human operator to remote targets located at variable distances therefrom and identifiable by machine-readable indicia. A two-dimensional image is automatically projected along the line of sight on the target alongside the indicia while maintaining the image size relatively constant over an extended range of working distances.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 5, 2003
    Publication date: November 11, 2004
    Inventors: Bruce A. Willins, Miklos Stern, Dmitriy Yavid, Frederick F. Wood, Chinh Tan
  • Patent number: 6814293
    Abstract: A logical relationship is established among peripherals in a wireless local area network managed by a system manager. A readable identifier is associated with each peripheral. A reader for reading the identifiers is respectively associated with selected peripherals during a set-up mode of system operation. A transceiver is in wireless communication with the system manager for identifying the reader and the selected peripherals to advise the system manager of the establishment of the logical relationship.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2004
    Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel Curry, Ellen Oppenheim, Michael Ryder, Robert Wild, Bruce A. Willins, Alistair R. Hamilton, Raj Bridgelall
  • Publication number: 20040176143
    Abstract: Described is a system and method for collecting and presenting data to a user. The system may include a server, a wireless portable data collector arrangement and a wireless portable head mounted display “HMD”. The server includes a memory storing predefined data. The data collector arrangement may include a wireless communication device, a processor, a portable power supply and an input device which collects input data. The processor processes the input data and forwarding the input data to the server using the communication device which communicates with the server via a communication network. The data collector arrangement is situated on the user. The HMD arrangement receives output data and displays at least a portion of the output data. The HMD arrangement communicates with at least one of the server and the data collector using the communication network. The server generates output data as a function of the input data and the predefined data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2003
    Publication date: September 9, 2004
    Inventors: Bruce A. Willins, David Hernandez, Joseph Katz
  • Publication number: 20040167820
    Abstract: The two part payment terminal system improves communication between a server and one or more customers. The system includes a mobile terminal that can be hand-held and employed by a server for taking orders, such as in a restaurant. The system can also include a plurality of mobile companion devices that can be employed by customers for payment of the ordered items. Customers and/or servers can also utilize the mobile terminal and/or companion devices to provide the customer with menu items, available discounts, nutritional information, etc.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2003
    Publication date: August 26, 2004
    Inventors: Diana Melick, Gerard J. Tarrant, Thomas K. Roslak, Bruce A. Willins, Richard M. Vollkommer, Amy Wang
  • Patent number: RE47939
    Abstract: Energy efficient roaming of a mobile device is described. The mobile device can include a sensor for sensing a motion of the mobile device to generate a sensor signal. A radio is capable of communicating with a wireless network. A processor activates the radio in the mobile device. The processor generates an environmental profile of the mobile device based at least on the sensor signal. A memory is coupled to the processor for storing the environmental profile. The processor deactivates the radio when the environmental profile indicates that the rate of motion of the mobile device is above a predetermined threshold for a first period of time. The processor reactivates the deactivated radio when the environmental profile indicates that the rate of motion of the mobile device is below the predetermined threshold for a second period of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: Symbol Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Bruce A. Willins