Patents by Inventor Christopher Merrill

Christopher Merrill 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: 11722985
    Abstract: A system may include one or more processors and a host unit installed in a support structure of a building, the host unit including a communication module configured to send or receive communication data with at least one or more additional host units installed in the building, where the one or more processors are configured to measure an attribute of the sent or received communication data and detect a presence of an object based on a threshold change in the measured attribute of the sent or received communication data between the host unit and the one or more additional host units. The attribute can be an angle-of-signal (AoS) arrival of the communication between the host unit and each of the one or more additional host units, where the threshold change in the measured attribute is a threshold change in the measured AoS arrival.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Travis J. McQueen, Clark Della Silva, Scott G. Johnston, Wade R. Barnett, Christopher Merrill, Jay C. Couch
  • Publication number: 20200301378
    Abstract: In some embodiments, a method comprises receiving floor plan data corresponding to at least one of a location, dimensions, or orientation of one or more walls defining at least one room of a building; receiving sensor data corresponding to detected activity within the at least one room of the building; determining a type of the at least one room of the building based on the detected activity; and modifying the floor plan data to include the determined type of the at least one of the one or more rooms, wherein a visual representation of the floor plan data is operable to be output on a display device. The method can further include determining an area of the at least one room of the building, where determining the type of the at least one room can be further based on the area of the at least one room.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2019
    Publication date: September 24, 2020
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Travis McQueen, Clark Della Silva, Scott G. Johnston, Wade Barnett, Christopher Merrill, Jay C. Couch
  • Publication number: 20200053689
    Abstract: A system may include one or more processors and a host unit installed in a support structure of a building, the host unit including a communication module configured to send or receive communication data with at least one or more additional host units installed in the building, where the one or more processors are configured to measure an attribute of the sent or received communication data and detect a presence of an object based on a threshold change in the measured attribute of the sent or received communication data between the host unit and the one or more additional host units. The attribute can be an angle-of-signal (AoS) arrival of the communication between the host unit and each of the one or more additional host units, where the threshold change in the measured attribute is a threshold change in the measured AoS arrival.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2019
    Publication date: February 13, 2020
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Travis J. McQueen, Clark Della Silva, Scott G. Johnston, Wade R. Barnett, Christopher Merrill, Jay C. Couch
  • Publication number: 20150245164
    Abstract: Techniques for performing interactions between wearable devices using broadcasted sensor-related data are described. Disclosed are techniques for receiving a broadcast data packet at a first device, the broadcast data packet including data identifying a second device and data associated with a motion detected at the second device. The data associated with the motion may be compared to reference data stored in a memory coupled to the first device to determine a match. An operation of the first device using the data identifying the second device may be executed. The operation may be used to perform an interaction between the first device and the second device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2014
    Publication date: August 27, 2015
    Applicant: AliphCom
    Inventor: Christopher Merrill