Patents by Inventor Charles McDowell

Charles McDowell 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: 20070164104
    Abstract: A personal information management system stores associations between a user and the user's mobile hand held electronic and communication devices. The system receives input indicating the presence of the user and bonds with the mobile hand held devices associated with the identified user to the exclusion of other devices. Once the system has bonded to the user's mobile hand held devices, the user may access data stored on and control functions of the various hand held devices through a single common interface, the system may be used to place and receive cellular telephone calls, send and receive text messages, and record and play back audio messages.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2005
    Publication date: July 19, 2007
    Inventors: James Dulgerian, Scott Meesseman, Charles McDowell
  • Patent number: 6961644
    Abstract: A dual haptic system control system in a vehicle includes a first haptic controller disposed on a steering wheel of a vehicle and a second haptic controller disposed on a console separated from the steering wheel. The first haptic controller is a mini-haptic interface that controls a smaller set of functions than the second haptic controller. Redundancies are built in between the first and second haptic controllers so that at least some of the functions of the first haptic controller are also controlled by the second haptic controller. The steering wheel is devoid of stalk switches, with the first and second haptic controllers, in conjunction with switches and menu keys on the steering wheel controlling these functions. The display illustrates the functions that are operable from the present state of the system as buttons that contain both text (of the button function) and graphics (of the button function and any sub-functions available).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2005
    Assignee: Alps Automotive, Inc.
    Inventors: Vincent Mercier, Ronald William Stencel, James Bruce Dulgerian, Wilhelm Leichtfried, Charles McDowell, Stephen Mezzomo, Eric Strebel, Patrick Ludlow
  • Patent number: 6864800
    Abstract: A crystal-less keyless entry system includes a micro controller, a timing circuit, a memory, and a radio frequency circuit. The memory and timing circuit are a unitary part of the microprocessor. The memory is programmed with a compensation that adjusts an output frequency of the timing circuit such that the output frequency of the timing circuit does not coincide with a frequency discontinuity that occurs within an output of the timing circuit. A method of calibrating the crystal-less keyless entry system includes programming the temperature compensation and a voltage compensation in the memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2005
    Assignee: Alps Automotive, Inc.
    Inventors: Wilhelm Leichtfried, Charles McDowell, James Dulgerian
  • Publication number: 20040117084
    Abstract: A dual haptic system control system in a vehicle includes a first haptic controller disposed on a steering wheel of a vehicle and a second haptic controller disposed on a console separated from the steering wheel. The first haptic controller is a mini-haptic interface that controls a smaller set of functions than the second haptic controller. Redundancies are built in between the first and second haptic controllers so that at least some of the functions of the first haptic controller are also controlled by the second haptic controller. The steering wheel is devoid of stalk switches, with the first and second haptic controllers, in conjunction with switches and menu keys on the steering wheel controlling these functions. The display illustrates the functions that are operable from the present state of the system as buttons that contain both text (of the button function) and graphics (of the button function and any sub-functions available).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2002
    Publication date: June 17, 2004
    Inventors: Vincent Mercier, Ronald William Stencel, James Bruce Dulgerian, Wilhelm Leichtfried, Charles McDowell, Stephen Mezzomo, Eric Strebel, Patrick Ludlow
  • Patent number: 6643598
    Abstract: A method of calibrating a remote keyless entry system adjusts a timing circuit that is a unitary part of a microprocessor. The method drives a plurality of inputs to the microprocessor to a logic state, monitors the output of the microprocessor, and programs a calibration factor within the microprocessor based on the output of the microprocessor. The calibration factor controls an output frequency of the timing circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2003
    Assignee: Alps Automotive, Inc.
    Inventors: Wilhelm Leichtfried, Charles McDowell, James Dulgerian
  • Publication number: 20030063012
    Abstract: A crystal-less keyless entry system includes a micro controller, a timing circuit, a memory, and a radio frequency circuit. The memory and timing circuit are a unitary part of the microprocessor. The memory is programmed with a compensation that adjusts an output frequency of the timing circuit such that the output frequency of the timing circuit does not coincide with a frequency discontinuity that occurs within an output of the timing circuit. A method of calibrating the crystal-less keyless entry system includes programming the temperature compensation and a voltage compensation in the memory.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2001
    Publication date: April 3, 2003
    Inventors: Wilhelm Leichtfried, Charles McDowell, James Dulgerian
  • Publication number: 20030065464
    Abstract: A method of calibrating a remote keyless entry system adjusts a timing circuit that is a unitary part of a microprocessor. The method drives a plurality of inputs to the microprocessor to a logic state, monitors the output of the microprocessor, and programs a calibration factor within the microprocessor based on the output of the microprocessor. The calibration factor controls an output frequency of the timing circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2001
    Publication date: April 3, 2003
    Inventors: Wilhelm Leichtfried, Charles McDowell, James Dulgerian