Patents by Inventor Christopher P. Ricci

Christopher P. Ricci 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: 20180012197
    Abstract: A method and system are provided that manage an exchange of a vehicle power source. The system maintains a set of user or vehicle records for each of one or more users or vehicles and a set of equipment records for each of a plurality of pieces of equipment. The system receives a request to exchange a power source of the vehicle, identifies a service level of a plurality of service levels for the requested service based at least in part on the set of user or vehicle records and selects an available power source for the exchange based on the identified at least one service level and the set of equipment records.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2016
    Publication date: January 11, 2018
    Inventors: Christopher P. Ricci, Austin L. Newman
  • Publication number: 20180012198
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, managing services performed on a vehicle can comprise receiving, at a service provider system and over a communications network, a request for maintenance of one or more vehicles. The request can be received from an on-board diagnostic system of the one or more vehicles or one or more servers of a third-party system. The service provider system can read a set of management rules, a set of service configuration information, and/or a set of user or vehicle specific maintenance and use information for the one or more vehicles from one or more databases. Logistics for the service can be determined based on applying the management rules and using the set of service configuration information and the set of user or vehicle specific maintenance and use information. Instructions related to the service can be provided to the one or more vehicles based on the determined logistics.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2016
    Publication date: January 11, 2018
    Inventor: Christopher P. Ricci
  • Publication number: 20180012048
    Abstract: A vehicle includes two or more soft touch radio frequency (RF) antennas and two or more RF transceivers to communicate sensitive information associated with a user of the vehicle. A processor in communication with the two or more RF transceivers selects a first RF transceiver associated with the deployed RF antenna to send the sensitive information and sends the sensitive information to the first RF transceiver.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2016
    Publication date: January 11, 2018
    Inventor: Christopher P. Ricci
  • Publication number: 20180009446
    Abstract: A vehicle is provided that detects a first presence of a driver in a vehicle, based upon detecting the first presence, provides a user interface for the driver to enter first user information, information, and communicates the first sensitive information to a vendor to authenticate the combines the first user information and the vehicle information to generate the first sensitive driver to enable the vendor to perform a financial transaction with the driver using the first sensitive information while the vehicle is in motion. The processor is programmed to initiate automatically, on behalf of the driver, the financial transaction with the vendor in response to a sensed state or location of the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2016
    Publication date: January 11, 2018
    Inventor: Christopher P. Ricci
  • Publication number: 20180013211
    Abstract: A vehicle is provided that comprises two or more radio frequency (RF) antennas and two or more RF transceivers to communicate wirelessly sensitive information associated with a user of the vehicle (the two or more RF antennas being at different physical locations on an exterior of the vehicle). The vehicle determines which one of the two or more RF antennas is receiving a strongest signal from a common signal source, selects a first RF transceiver associated with the RF antenna with the strongest signal to send the sensitive information associated with the user to the common signal source, and sends the sensitive information associated with the user to the first RF transceiver for transmission to the common signal source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2016
    Publication date: January 11, 2018
    Inventor: Christopher P. Ricci
  • Publication number: 20180012279
    Abstract: A vehicle is provided that determines a need for communication with a third party vendor, retrieves the user rule from the memory (the user rule defining to which third party vendor the vehicle can send a first communication to address the need and defining a geographic location of the third party vendor relative to a current location of the vehicle, a monetary amount the vehicle can pay to a third party vendor for a product or service to address the need, and a time limit for the third party vendor to provide the product or service to address the need), based on the user rule, selects a third party vendor from among multiple possible third party vendors, and when determined by the user rule, automatically sends the first communication to the selected third party vendor to order the product or service and provides an authorization to the selected third party vendor to complete the order.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2016
    Publication date: January 11, 2018
    Inventor: Christopher P. Ricci
  • Publication number: 20180012425
    Abstract: A vehicle is provided that stores user information associated with a user in the vehicle and vehicle information associated with the vehicle (the vehicle information comprises a vehicle identification number of the vehicle, an electronic serial number associated with the vehicle, and/or an engine code of the vehicle), determines the user desires to interact with a third party, retrieves the user and vehicle information from the memory, combines the user information and the vehicle information into a first communication for the third party, and automatically sends the first communication to the third party for the user to authenticate the user to the third party.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2016
    Publication date: January 11, 2018
    Inventor: Christopher P. Ricci
  • Publication number: 20180012427
    Abstract: A vehicle is provided that determines a need for communication with a third party vendor, retrieves a user rule from the memory (the user rule defines to which third party vendor the vehicle can send a first communication to address the need and defines a geographic location of the third party vendor relative to a current location of the vehicle, a monetary amount the vehicle can pay to a third party vendor for a product or service to address the need, and a time limit for the third party vendor to provide the product or service to address the need), based on the user rule, selects a third party vendor from among multiple possible third party vendors, and when determined by the user rule, automatically sends the first communication to the selected third party vendor to address the need. The first communication is associated with an order for the product or service, and the processor provides an authorization to the selected third party vendor to complete the order.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2016
    Publication date: January 11, 2018
    Inventor: Christopher P. Ricci
  • Publication number: 20180009326
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, provisioning an amount of power for one or more vehicles can comprise receiving a request indicating a requirement for an amount of power for the one or more vehicles. The request can indicate the requirement for the amount of power for the one or more vehicles individually or in total. A set of management rules can be read from one or more databases. A set of service configuration information and a set of vehicle specific information for the one or more vehicles can also be read from one or more databases. One or more power sources to meet the requirement for the amount of power for the one or more vehicles can be determined based on applying the management rules and using the set of service configuration information and the set of vehicle information and an indication of the determined power sources can be provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2016
    Publication date: January 11, 2018
    Inventor: Christopher P. Ricci
  • Publication number: 20180012091
    Abstract: A device includes a microprocessor and a computer readable medium coupled to the microprocessor. The computer readable medium includes instructions stored thereon that cause the microprocessor to receive output from at least one sensor monitoring a travel context of a vehicle and determine, based on the output received, a condition of the vehicle. The instructions cause the microprocessor to determine, based on the determined condition of the vehicle, to alter a first presentation of information displayed to a display device of the vehicle to a second presentation of the information displayed to the display device. The instructions cause the microprocessor to render the second presentation of the information to the display device of the vehicle to replace the first presentation of the information displayed to the display device of the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2016
    Publication date: January 11, 2018
    Inventor: Christopher P. Ricci
  • Publication number: 20180012089
    Abstract: A device includes a microprocessor and a computer readable medium coupled to the microprocessor. The computer readable medium includes instructions stored thereon that cause the microprocessor to receive output from at least one sensor monitoring an interior space of a vehicle and determine, based on the received output, a condition of an occupant in the interior space of the vehicle. The instructions cause the microprocessor to determine, based on the determined condition of the occupant, to alter a first presentation of information displayed to a display device of the vehicle to a second presentation of the information displayed to the display device. The instructions case the microprocessor to render the second presentation of the information to the display device of the vehicle to replace the first presentation of the information displayed to the display device of the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2016
    Publication date: January 11, 2018
    Inventor: Christopher P. Ricci
  • Patent number: 9836083
    Abstract: Methods and systems for a complete wearable ecosystem are provided. Specifically, systems that when taken alone, or together, provide an individual or group of individuals with an intuitive and interactive wearable device ecosystem. The wearable device ecosystem may comprise a number of wearable devices. Each wearable device may comprise a body and a shell. Any number of different shells may be interconnected interchangeably to the body. In one embodiment, the shell is decorative. The present disclosure builds on integrating existing technology with new devices, methods, and systems to provide a complete wearable ecosystem.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: Flextronics AP, LLC
    Inventor: Christopher P. Ricci
  • Publication number: 20170249095
    Abstract: Methods and systems for a complete vehicle ecosystem are provided. Specifically, systems that when taken alone, or together, provide an individual or group of individuals with an intuitive and comfortable vehicular environment. The present disclosure includes a system to create, modify, and maintain profiles associated with users. The user profiles are generated based on selectively collecting data associated with the users. Although each user profile may include settings, preferences, habits, and content associated with an individual user and/or vehicle, some user profiles may represent multiple users. These user profiles can change a configuration of a vehicle to match settings for a user, such as a driver and/or passenger. The configurations may also include the recognition of a unique set of gestures for a user. Further, the user profiles can be transferred from vehicle-to-vehicle and/or user-to-user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 6, 2017
    Publication date: August 31, 2017
    Inventor: Christopher P. Ricci
  • Publication number: 20170249474
    Abstract: A docking station for docking portable electronic devices is disclosed. The docking station is configured to mechanically accept and operatively interface with the portable electronic device for non-contact charging and data transfer. The docking station can provide security features for providing and/or restricting access to computational facilities such as printers, databases, installed programs, etc. Such security features can include installing applications on such portable devices that limit access.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2017
    Publication date: August 31, 2017
    Inventors: Christopher P. Ricci, Dennis J. Dupray
  • Publication number: 20170247000
    Abstract: Methods and systems for a complete vehicle ecosystem are provided. Specifically, systems that when taken alone, or together, provide an individual or group of individuals with an intuitive and comfortable vehicular environment. The present disclosure includes a system that provides various outputs based on a user profile and determined context. An output provided by the present disclosure can change a configuration of a vehicle, device, building, and/or a system associated with the user profile. The configurations can include comfort and interface settings that can be adjusted based on the user profile information. Further, the user profiles can track health data related to the user and make adjustments to the configuration to assist the health of the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 6, 2017
    Publication date: August 31, 2017
    Inventor: Christopher P. Ricci
  • Publication number: 20170250525
    Abstract: Methods and systems for a complete vehicle ecosystem are provided. Specifically, systems that when taken alone, or together, provide an individual or group of individuals with an intuitive and comfortable vehicular environment. The present disclosure includes a universal chassis that may be mounted in the head unit of a vehicle. The chassis may accept one or more modules that each have common dimensions. With a common form factor, the universal chassis is configurable as different modules with different functionality may be inserted into the chassis with ease.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2017
    Publication date: August 31, 2017
    Inventor: Christopher P. Ricci
  • Publication number: 20170232888
    Abstract: Methods and systems for a vehicle system that include determining whether a vehicle action is necessary and providing a notification to predetermined users. Sensors provide signals to a sensing control system to generate the notification.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2016
    Publication date: August 17, 2017
    Inventor: Christopher P. Ricci
  • Patent number: 9694685
    Abstract: Techniques for electric vehicle systems, and in particular to an electric vehicle charging device obstacle avoidance system and method of use. In one embodiment, a system for obstacle avoidance of a charging panel of an electrical vehicle is disclosed, the system comprising: a charging panel interconnected to the electric vehicle; an actuator interconnected to the charging panel, the actuator configured to position the charging panel; at least one sensor configured to sense an obstacle location measurement in a predicted travel path of the electric vehicle; and an obstacle avoidance controller that receives the obstacle location measurement and determines if an obstacle avoidance action is recommended.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: NextEV USA, Inc.
    Inventor: Christopher P. Ricci
  • Publication number: 20170174205
    Abstract: Systems of an electric vehicle and the operations thereof are provided. Methods are provided that determine whether a vehicle power source is authorized to power a vehicle at a specific level, and if the power source is not authorized to power the vehicle, alter an ability of the power source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2016
    Publication date: June 22, 2017
    Inventor: Christopher P. Ricci
  • Publication number: 20170136880
    Abstract: Techniques for electric vehicle systems, and in particular to an electric vehicle charging device obstacle avoidance system and method of use. In one embodiment, a system for obstacle avoidance of a charging panel of an electrical vehicle is disclosed, the system comprising: a charging panel interconnected to the electric vehicle; an actuator interconnected to the charging panel, the actuator configured to position the charging panel; at least one sensor configured to sense an obstacle location measurement in a predicted travel path of the electric vehicle; and an obstacle avoidance controller that receives the obstacle location measurement and determines if an obstacle avoidance action is recommended.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2015
    Publication date: May 18, 2017
    Inventor: Christopher P. Ricci