Patents by Inventor Bruce Roberts

Bruce Roberts 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).

  • Fold wing tip having stub spar
    Publication number: 20130292508
    Abstract: A wing comprises a wing tip hinged to a main wing section. The wing tip includes a stub spar extending past an end of the wing tip.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2011
    Publication date: November 7, 2013
    Applicant: THE BOEING COMPANY
    Inventor: Bruce Robert Fox
  • Methods and apparatus for displaying three-dimensional orientation of a steerable distal tip of an endoscope
    Patent number: 8568299
    Abstract: The present invention relates, generally, to reporting the approximate three-dimensional orientation of the steerable distal portion of an endoscope to the user of the endoscope. More particularly, the present invention relates to a system and method for providing the endoscope-user a display from which to more easily determine the approximate three-dimensional orientation of the steerable distal portion of the endoscope, thereby facilitating navigation of the endoscope. The present invention also relates to a system and method for limiting the amount the steerable distal portion can bend overall to reduce or eliminate the user's ability to over-retroflex the steerable distal portion of the endoscope.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Eno, Amir Belson, David Blaha, David Mintz, Bruce Robert Woodley
  • SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ENHANCING FIRMWARE
    Publication number: 20130247073
    Abstract: A measuring instrument includes at least one processor having at least one processor internal resource. The measuring instrument may also include at least one hardware component external to the processor and at least one storage component. Firmware may be stored in the storage component and is accessible by the processor. The firmware includes at least one application; a virtualized hardware system having routines that emulate at least one processor internal resource; and at least one application programming interface between the application and the virtualized hardware system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2012
    Publication date: September 19, 2013
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Robert Patrick Keeney, Bruce Robert Ladeau, Rajeswara Rao Pasupuleti
  • Method for treating hyponatremia employing an SGLT2 inhibitor and composition containing same
    Patent number: 8518895
    Abstract: Methods are provided for treating hyponatremia, employing an SGLT2 inhibitor alone, or in combination with a supply of carbohydrate, and/or in combination with a diuretic agent. Additionally, compositions comprising an SGLT2 inhibitor, optionally with a supply of carbohydrate, and/or a combination of an SGLT2 inhibitor and a diuretic agent are provided in the instant invention and are provided for use in the inventive methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: Bristol-Myers Squibb Company
    Inventors: Bruce Robert Leslie, Mitchell Halperin
  • Product protection guards
    Patent number: 8505467
    Abstract: The claimed subject matter provides a protection system for cargo on a portable platform. The protection system includes a corner protection member and/or a side protection member, wherein at least one opening is on the corner protection member and at least one opening is on the side protection member. The corner protection member contacts a corner of a portable platform and the side protection member contacts a side of a portable platform. A strap can lace into at least one of the opening on the corner protection member and/or the side protection member to bear force from such strap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Inventors: Ronald Bruce Roberts, Christopher Shaun Roberts
  • Method to ensure ballast starting regardless of half cycle input
    Patent number: 8487541
    Abstract: A ballast circuit (6) comprises a rectifier circuit (8) and dual starting circuits (11, 13) that ensure ballast startup and lamp ignition regardless of input waveform half cycle. The first starting circuit comprises resonant circuit (10), and the second starting circuit includes a resistor (11). The resistor (11) comprising the second startup circuit provides a bias resistance to the second switches (72) to ensure ballast startup when an oscillating input waveform is in a negative phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Bruce Roberts, Timothy Chen
  • OCEAN THERMAL ENERGY CONVERSION POWER PLANT
    Publication number: 20130042612
    Abstract: An power generation structure comprising a portion having a first deck portion comprising an integral multi-stage evaporator system, a second deck portion comprising an integral multi-stage condensing system, a third deck portion housing power generation equipment, a cold water pipe, and a cold water pipe connection. The evaporator and condenser systems include a multi-stage cascading heat exchange system. Warm water conduits in the first deck portion and cold water conduits in the second deck portion are integral to the structure of the portion of the platform.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2011
    Publication date: February 21, 2013
    Inventors: Laurence Jay Shapiro, Johathan M. Ross, Barry R. Cole, Bruce Robert Marson
  • THERMALLY ASSISTED GRAVITY DRAINAGE (TAGD)
    Publication number: 20120318512
    Abstract: A system and method for producing bitumen or heavy oil from a clastic or carbonate reservoir. The mobility of the bitumen or heavy oil is increased by conductive heating to reduce the viscosity. The bitumen or heavy oil is heated to temperatures below the thermal cracking temperature of the bitumen or heavy oil. As the bitumen or heavy oil is produced, evolved gases or evaporated connate water or both form a gas chamber to at least partially the voids left by the produced bitumen or heavy oil.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2011
    Publication date: December 20, 2012
    Inventors: Bryan Gould, Ian Atkinson, Bruce Roberts, Doug Beattie, Stephen D. Crane, Arthur Hale, Tarek Hamida, Neeraj Patel
  • Inactivated staphylococcal whole-cell vaccine
    Patent number: 8333977
    Abstract: A vaccine is disclosed that is protective against pathogenic bacterial species, typically staphylococcal species, and includes methods to prepare said vaccine and to culture pathogenic bacteria.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: Vaccine Research International PLC
    Inventors: Afshan Ahmad, Bruce Robert Gordon Skinner
  • LED DRIVER ARRANGEMENT WITH MULTIPLE CURRENT MIRRORS
    Publication number: 20120306387
    Abstract: A current balancer arrangement constituted of a plurality of current mirror circuits, each of the current mirror circuits comprising a master leg and at least one slave leg is enabled. A constant current source is provided, arranged to provide power for a plurality of LED strings in parallel. Each of the plurality of LED strings is further arranged in series with a master leg of a particular one of the plurality of current mirror circuits, and with the slave leg of each of the balance of the current mirror circuits.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2012
    Publication date: December 6, 2012
    Applicant: MICROSEMI CORPORATION
    Inventor: Bruce Robert FERGUSON
  • System and method for implementing data deduplication-aware copying of data
    Patent number: 8290911
    Abstract: A system and method for implementing data deduplication-aware copying of data are provided. In response to a request to copy a source file between a source filesystem and a destination filesystem, file mapping information corresponding to the source file is retrieved. The file mapping information is stored in a source filesystem map. The source filesystem accesses a source logical volume. The source logical volume maps to a deduplication storage area. The destination filesystem accesses a destination logical volume. The destination logical volume maps to the deduplication storage area. The source file comprises data stored in the deduplication storage area. A destination file is allocated, based on the file mapping information, in the destination filesystem. The destination file is mapped to the data stored in the data deduplication storage area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Symantec Corporation
    Inventors: Viswesvaran Janakiraman, Bruce Robert Montague
  • Process of forming an integrated multiplexed electrospray atomizer
    Patent number: 8240052
    Abstract: A process for forming an integrated multiplex electrospray includes forming multiple holes in a ring extractor substrate to create a ring extractor. A nozzle array having multiple nozzles each nozzle defining a central axis is provided. A spacer layer is bonded to either the ring extractor or the nozzle array to form a bonded stack. The bonded stack is then aligned with remaining layer to align each of the multiple nozzles with one of the plurality of holes to less than 10 microns from concentric and the spacer layer then bonded intermediate between the ring extractor and the nozzle array layer. The spacer layer is then etched to provide fluid communication between multiple nozzles and the multiple holes of the ring extractor and form the spacer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventors: Christopher Michael Waits, Bruce Robert Geil, Nicholas Robert Jankowski
  • Pulse width modulated dimming of multiple lamp LCD backlight using distributed microcontrollers
    Patent number: 8212765
    Abstract: In a scanning backlight for an LCD display, several backlights (101, 102, 103, 10n) provide a precisely positioned dimming pulse corresponding to a transition point of the LCD screen. The dimming pulse must be variable with video synchronization frequency and dimming duty cycle, which is a performance intensive calculation. One microcontroller performing this operation is limited in scope. By using several ballast controllers (141, 142, 143, 14n), the solution is scalable, in that it is flexible if the number of backlights (101, 102, 103, 10n) changes. Additionally, by using several controllers (141, 142, 143, 14n), added functions can be performed by the ballast controllers (141, 142, 143, 14n).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jonathan Kron, Bruce Roberts, Laszlo S. Ilyes
  • Diesel fuel engine injection system and method therefor
    Patent number: 8214128
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method of injecting LPG gas into a diesel fuel engine for combustion with diesel fuel therein. One aspect includes injecting LPG gas into an air-stream of an engine air intake or manifold, measuring the percentage of LPG gas injected into the airstream or other efficiency gauge, varying the rate of injection of LPG gas into the airstream in response to the measured percentage of LPG gas therein and injecting the LPG gas at a pre-determined rate so as to maintain an LPG gas concentration in the air intake stream in the range of 0.2% to 0.6% by volume of LPG gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: Gas Tek Solutions Pty. Ltd.
    Inventors: Derek Robert Watkins, Bruce Robert Watkins, Keith Murray Rumbel
  • METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR DIGITAL COUPON REDEMPTION
    Publication number: 20120150746
    Abstract: Methods and systems for redeeming digital coupons within a network-based system are disclosed. For example, a method can include receiving a payment request, accessing a digital coupon, validating the digital coupon, applying the validated digital coupon, and processing payment of a revised payment request. The payment request includes sufficient information for a payment processor to transfer funds between a user and a merchant. Receiving the payment request also includes a reference to a digital coupon associated with an item included in the payment request. The digital coupon is accessed using the reference received from the user within the payment request. Validating the digital coupon creates a validated digital coupon that is applied against the payment request to create a revised payment request.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2010
    Publication date: June 14, 2012
    Applicant: eBay Inc.
    Inventor: Bruce Robert Graham
  • System and method for efficiently locating and processing data on a deduplication storage system
    Patent number: 8171063
    Abstract: A system and method for efficiently locating and processing data on a deduplication storage system are provided. A logical volume is mapped to a deduplication storage area. The logical volume includes a collection of logical block locations and the deduplication storage area includes a collection of physical block locations. The collection of logical block locations is mapped to the collection of physical block locations. A filesystem organizes the logical volume by organizing the logical block locations into a collection of files. Reverse-mapping information is generated for a logical block location that associates the logical block location with at least one file. In response to receiving a logical block address of a logical block location, at least one file is returned.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Symantec Corporation
    Inventors: Viswesvaran Janakiraman, Bruce Robert Montague
  • METHOD TO ENSURE BALLAST STARTING REGARDLESS OF HALF CYCLE INPUT
    Publication number: 20120086351
    Abstract: A ballast circuit (6) comprises a rectifier circuit (8) and dual starting circuits (11, 13) that ensure ballast startup and lamp ignition regardless of input waveform half cycle. The first starting circuit comprises resonant circuit (10), and the second starting circuit includes a resistor (11). The resistor (11) comprising the second startup circuit provides a bias resistance to the second switches (72) to ensure ballast startup when an oscillating input waveform is in a negative phase.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2010
    Publication date: April 12, 2012
    Inventors: Bruce Roberts, Timothy Chen
  • Unified 0-10V and DALI dimming interface circuit
    Patent number: 8072164
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed that facilitate switching a lamp ballast between DALI and analog control states as a function of control state information stored prior to the ballast being powered of and control information received by an interface circuit for the ballast circuit. A depolarization circuit is coupled to the interface circuit and ensures consistent polarity across a rectifier circuit regardless of the polarity of two control wires coupled to a miswiring protection circuit in the interface circuit. In this manner, a single interface circuit provides dual 0-10V analog and DALI control for dimming a lighting device regardless of whether a wall-mounted controller coupled to the interface circuit is an analog or a DALI type controller, thereby mitigating a need to switch out a ballast circuit coupled to the lighting device when changing between DALI and analog type controllers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Laszlo S. Ilyes, Bruce Roberts, Joseph G. Elek, Tony Aboumrad
  • Polypropylene Based Fibers and Nonwovens
    Publication number: 20110253152
    Abstract: The present invention relates to fibers and nonwovens made from plasticized polyolefin compositions comprising a polyolefin, a non-functionalized hydrocarbon plasticizer and a slip agent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2011
    Publication date: October 20, 2011
    Inventors: Chon Yie LIN, Bryan Robert Chapman, Chia Yung Cheng, William Michael Ferry, Michael Brian Kelly, Bruce Robert Lundmark, Wen Li
  • Collared golf jersey
    Patent number: D648925
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2011
    Inventors: Bruce Robert Anderson, Tyler Blu Anderson