Patents by Inventor Christopher Devries

Christopher Devries 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: 10380711
    Abstract: A system to provide instructions to establish a vehicle chain is presented herein. The system includes a memory, controller, and plurality of fleet vehicles. The controller moreover outputs these instructions to at least two vehicles to cause the vehicles to command themselves to establish a vehicle chain to complete a rideshare reservation. As such, a first vehicle may traverse from its vehicle location to a user location and thereafter to a rallying location. Conversely a second vehicle may traverse from its vehicle location to the rallying location and thereafter to a destination location. The controller may output these instructions upon a determination that the vehicles have depleted vehicle resources.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Jeffrey Stefan, Christopher Devries
  • Publication number: 20180350023
    Abstract: A system to condition vehicle availability as a function of demand. The system includes a memory, controller, and plurality of vehicles. The memory includes one or more executable instructions. The controller executes the executable instructions. Each vehicle includes a vehicle system and can communicate with the controller. The vehicle system generates vehicle resource data. Moreover, the executable instructions enable the controller to: receive vehicle resource data from each vehicle of the plurality of vehicles; assess the number of available vehicles, wherein each available vehicle includes vehicle resources above or equal to a vehicle resource baseline; receive one or more rideshare task requests, wherein the received rideshare task requests are compiled as a demand indicator; determine whether the demand indicator falls above or below the number of available vehicles; and adjust the vehicle resource baseline based upon whether the demand indicator falls above or below the number of available vehicles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2017
    Publication date: December 6, 2018
    Inventor: Christopher Devries
  • Publication number: 20180350022
    Abstract: A system to provide instructions to establish a vehicle chain is presented herein. The system includes a memory, controller, and plurality of fleet vehicles. The controller moreover outputs these instructions to at least two vehicles to cause the vehicles to command themselves to establish a vehicle chain to complete a rideshare reservation. As such, a first vehicle may traverse from its vehicle location to a user location and thereafter to a rallying location. Conversely a second vehicle may traverse from its vehicle location to the rallying location and thereafter to a destination location. The controller may output these instructions upon a determination that the vehicles have depleted vehicle resources.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2017
    Publication date: December 6, 2018
    Inventors: Jeffrey Stefan, Christopher Devries
  • Patent number: 9634395
    Abstract: Embodiments are directed to a balun structure comprising: a monopole antenna, and a microstrip coupled to the monopole antenna and comprising a ground plane modified to include at least two arms. Embodiments are directed to a balun structure comprising: a monopole antenna, and a microstrip coupled to the monopole antenna using a stepwise tapered microstrip feed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Houssam Kanj, Huanhuan Gu, Christopher DeVries, James Warden
  • Patent number: 8983394
    Abstract: Embodiments are disclosed of a switchplexer for performing test operations on a radio device. The switchplexer comprises a plurality of test ports corresponding to a plurality of radio device ports and a plurality of switches for routing test signals between the individual test ports. Processing logic is disclosed for controlling actuation of the switches to route test signals between individual test ports. The switchplexer disclosed herein may be incorporated into a mobile test device for self-test operations or may be used in a manufacturing or maintenance facility for testing and calibration operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: John Bradley Deforge, Daniel Noel Badiere, Christopher DeVries
  • Publication number: 20140320364
    Abstract: Embodiments are directed to a substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) antenna structure comprising: a first layer configured to route a signal, at least a second layer configured for antenna use coupled to the first layer, and a SIW antenna flared in the E-plane. Embodiments are directed to a method comprising: fabricating a first layer configured to route a signal, fabricating at least a second layer configured for antenna use, coupling the first layer and the at least a second layer, and flaring a substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) antenna in the E-plane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2013
    Publication date: October 30, 2014
    Applicant: RESEARCH IN MOTION LIMITED
    Inventors: Huanhuan Gu, Houssam Kanj, Christopher DeVries, James Warden
  • Publication number: 20140320373
    Abstract: Embodiments are directed to a balun structure comprising: a monopole antenna, and a microstrip coupled to the monopole antenna and comprising a ground plane modified to include at least two arms. Embodiments are directed to a balun structure comprising: a monopole antenna, and a microstrip coupled to the monopole antenna using a stepwise tapered microstrip feed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2013
    Publication date: October 30, 2014
    Applicant: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Houssam Kanj, Huanhuan Gu, Christopher DeVries, James Warden
  • Patent number: 8583035
    Abstract: A user equipment and a wireless radio frequency assistant in a communication system that supports multiple input multiple output. The wireless radio frequency assistant and the user equipment operate together as a single system. The user equipment controls and activates the wireless radio frequency assistant to transform a first frequency of a radio frequency signal transmitted to the system of user equipment and the wireless radio frequency assistant to a second frequency. The wireless radio frequency assistant transmits the second frequency to the user equipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignee: Blackberry Limited
    Inventors: Yan Xin, Daniel Badiere, Christopher Devries, Shouxing Qu, Arnold Sheynman
  • Patent number: 8553909
    Abstract: An audio amplifier system may include an audio CODEC/output (AOP) path featuring analog class-D amplifiers, and using Natural Sampling Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) to convert an analog input into a series of Rail-to-Rail pulses. The audio signal may be encoded in the average value of the PWM pulse train and may be recovered from the PWM signal by analog low pass filtering. The Class-D amplifiers may be designed with a negative feedback loop/network to compare the output signal with the input signal and suppress non-idealities introduced by the Class-D switching stage. Furthermore, operation of the AOP may be designed according to a separate signal transfer function and a separate noise transfer function, and 2nd order noise shaping may be performed at low power, with an optimized filter included in the feedback loop to achieve the best noise reduction at low power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: SMSC Holdings S.A.R.L.
    Inventors: Justin L. Fortier, Ralph D. Mason, Renyuan Li, Christopher A. DeVries, Peter H. R. Popplewell, William Kung
  • Publication number: 20120275493
    Abstract: An audio amplifier system may include an audio CODEC/output (AOP) path featuring analog class-D amplifiers, and using Natural Sampling Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) to convert an analog input into a series of Rail-to-Rail pulses. The audio signal may be encoded in the average value of the PWM pulse train and may be recovered from the PWM signal by analog low pass filtering. The Class-D amplifiers may be designed with a negative feedback loop/network to compare the output signal with the input signal and suppress non-idealities introduced by the Class-D switching stage. Furthermore, operation of the AOP may be designed according to a separate signal transfer function and a separate noise transfer function, and 2nd order noise shaping may be performed at low power, with an optimized filter included in the feedback loop to achieve the best noise reduction at low power.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2011
    Publication date: November 1, 2012
    Applicant: SMSC Holdings S.a.r.l.
    Inventors: Justin L. Fortier, Ralph D. Mason, Renyuan Li, Christopher A. Devries, Peter H. R. Popplewell, William Kung
  • Publication number: 20110189984
    Abstract: A user equipment and a wireless radio frequency assistant in a communication system that supports multiple input multiple output. The wireless radio frequency assistant and the user equipment operate together as a single system. The user equipment controls and activates the wireless radio frequency assistant to transform a first frequency of a radio frequency signal transmitted to the system of user equipment and the wireless radio frequency assistant to a second frequency. The wireless radio frequency assistant transmits the second frequency to the user equipment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2010
    Publication date: August 4, 2011
    Applicant: RESEARCH IN MOTION LIMITED
    Inventors: YAN XIN, DANIEL BADIERE, CHRISTOPHER DEVRIES, SHOUXING QU, ARNOLD SHEYNMAN
  • Publication number: 20070213019
    Abstract: An improved receiver architecture and method for a wireless transceiver (e.g. for a headphone) is provided whereby the receiver, advantageously, enables the use of only one synthesizer circuit for both the RF-to-IF and IF-to-base band conversion processes which, in turn, provides for lower power consumption. The receiver includes an injection locked local receiver oscillator (Rx LO) which is used for the first mixing stage (i.e. the RF-to-IF conversion). The Rx LO 105 is thereby able to use a high-level harmonic of a relatively low reference frequency signal produced by that synthesizer (e.g. a fractional-N phase locked loop circuit (PLL)). The receiver further includes a tunable Q-enhanced IF filter 110 and complex sub-sampling and mixing down-conversion circuitry for the second conversion stage (i.e. IF-to-baseband conversion). The sampling frequency used for the second conversion stage is a harmonic of the reference frequency derived from the synthesizer (PLL).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2006
    Publication date: September 13, 2007
    Inventors: Christopher Devries, Ralph Mason, Ronald Beards