Patents by Inventor Craig Steven Ranta

Craig Steven Ranta 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: 20230400398
    Abstract: An immersion cooling system includes an immersion tank defining an immersion chamber therein, an immersion working fluid, an energy source, an optical sensor, and a microcontroller. The immersion working fluid is positioned at least partially in the immersion chamber and the immersion working fluid has a liquid phase and a vapor phase. The energy source is positioned and oriented to direct an infrared beam through a portion of the vapor phase with a beam path and path length. The optical sensor is positioned in the beam path. The microcontroller is configured to determine vapor concentration in the immersion chamber based at least partially on data from the path length, the optical sensor, and the energy source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2022
    Publication date: December 14, 2023
    Inventors: Robert Craig MCFARLANE, JR., Craig Steven RANTA
  • Patent number: 11812587
    Abstract: The description relates to cooling electronic components, such as computing devices. One example includes a rack defining a volume and multiple sealed chassis modules removably fluidly coupled to a two-phase condenser tank via a vapor coupler and a liquid coupler. Individual sealed chassis modules can contain one or more electronic components immersed in two-phase coolant that when heated by operation of the electronic components experiences a phase change from a liquid phase to a gas phase and travels to the two-phase condenser tank via the vapor coupler and is cooled in the two-phase condenser tank until experiencing a phase change back into the liquid phase. Individual sealed chassis modules can be decoupled from the two-phase condenser tank without releasing two-phase coolant and an entirety of the multiple sealed chassis modules and the condenser tank are contained in the volume of the rack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Douglas Patrick Kelley, Alexis Grace Schubert, Craig Steven Ranta, Kathryn Oseen-Senda, Dennis Trieu, Mark Edward Shaw
  • Publication number: 20220354026
    Abstract: The description relates to cooling electronic components, such as computing devices. One example includes a rack defining a volume and multiple sealed chassis modules removably fluidly coupled to a two-phase condenser tank via a vapor coupler and a liquid coupler. Individual sealed chassis modules can contain one or more electronic components immersed in two-phase coolant that when heated by operation of the electronic components experiences a phase change from a liquid phase to a gas phase and travels to the two-phase condenser tank via the vapor coupler and is cooled in the two-phase condenser tank until experiencing a phase change back into the liquid phase. Individual sealed chassis modules can be decoupled from the two-phase condenser tank without releasing two-phase coolant and an entirety of the multiple sealed chassis modules and the condenser tank are contained in the volume of the rack.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2021
    Publication date: November 3, 2022
    Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Douglas Patrick KELLEY, Alexis Grace SCHUBERT, Craig Steven RANTA, Kathryn OSEEN-SENDA, Dennis TRIEU, Mark Edward SHAW
  • Patent number: 8619055
    Abstract: An active matrix for a capacitive multiple touch sensing device is disclosed. One embodiment comprises one or more active matrix capacitive touch sensing pixels that each include a capacitor and a thin film transistor, wherein a voltage can be applied to the thin film transistor to address the capacitor. In this way, the thin film transistor can operate as a switch to apply an alternating current to the capacitor, and the capacitor's capacitance can be measured in relation to the alternating current and an externally applied electric field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: William J. Westerinen, Craig Steven Ranta
  • Patent number: 8125448
    Abstract: Described is a technology by which a computer pointing device (generally a mouse but alternatively a game controller or remote control device) may be worn on the hand and operated without needing to contact a mousing surface. Gyroscopic-based sensors convert the wearer's hand and wrist movements to signals which are sent to a host computing device such as a conventional personal computer, a gaming console, an electronic appliance, and so forth. The data received from the pointing device may be used to move a cursor or the like, and other received data may correspond to left and right mouse clicks, scrolling operations, and so forth. A user-controlled enable switch/sensor selectively activates or deactivates the pointing device so that only intended movements result in data transmission. Gestures may also be sensed and used to trigger defined functions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Craig Steven Ranta, Steven Nabil Bathiche, Monique Chatterjee
  • Patent number: 7834956
    Abstract: Various embodiments related to photoluminescent backlighting for a light valve are disclosed herein. One disclosed embodiment comprises a computing device with a light valve having a viewing side and a back side. A photoluminescent material is disposed behind the back side of the light valve, and an excitation light source is positioned to illuminate the photoluminescent material. Photoluminescence from the photoluminescent material backlights the light valve when the excitation light source illuminates the photoluminescent material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2010
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Nigel Keam, Craig Steven Ranta
  • Publication number: 20090256815
    Abstract: An active matrix for a capacitive multiple touch sensing device is disclosed. One embodiment comprises one or more active matrix capacitive touch sensing pixels that each include a capacitor and a thin film transistor, wherein a voltage can be applied to the thin film transistor to address the capacitor. In this way, the thin film transistor can operate as a switch to apply an alternating current to the capacitor, and the capacitor's capacitance can be measured in relation to the alternating current and an externally applied electric field.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 14, 2008
    Publication date: October 15, 2009
    Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: William J. Westerinen, Craig Steven Ranta
  • Publication number: 20090231515
    Abstract: Various embodiments related to photoluminescent backlighting for a light valve are disclosed herein. One disclosed embodiment comprises a computing device with a light valve having a viewing side and a back side. A photoluminescent material is disposed behind the back side of the light valve, and an excitation light source is positioned to illuminate the photoluminescent material. Photoluminescence from the photoluminescent material backlights the light valve when the excitation light source illuminates the photoluminescent material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2008
    Publication date: September 17, 2009
    Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Nigel Keam, Craig Steven Ranta
  • Patent number: 7532861
    Abstract: An interface enables an RF signal, a DC power signal, and a data signal to be conveyed between two devices over a single RF cable. In an exemplary application of this invention, a steerable antenna system is coupled to a wireless adapter for use in a wireless network. The steerable antenna includes a plurality of panels that can be selectively activated in response to the data signal, which also determines a direction in which an RF signal is transmitted or received by a selected panel of the antenna. Low pass filters in each device isolate the DC power supply and the load from the other two signals. High pass filters isolate the radio in the wireless adapter and the antenna array from the DC and data signals. The data signal is preferably encoded into a Manchester format that passes through a bandpass filter provided in each device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2009
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Craig Steven Ranta, Wayne King
  • Patent number: 7397425
    Abstract: An electronically steerable antenna system includes a plurality of panels that are coupled together to form an N-sided polygon. Each panel includes a plurality of microstrip conductor patches forming a phased array antenna. In a first embodiment that includes beam steering, each panel can selectively transmit or receive in a direction that is either perpendicular to the panel, or to the left or right of perpendicular, depending upon relative delay line lengths applied to the left and right antennas. A second embodiment omits the beam steering capability for each panel and simply enables only one of the N different panels to be employed for transmitting or receiving a radiofrequency signal in a direction perpendicular to the panel. PIN diodes are preferably used for selecting the panel that is active, and in the first embodiment, for selecting the delay lines used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2008
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Craig Steven Ranta, Qin-Ye Yin, Yan-Sheng Jiang, Wayne King
  • Patent number: 7359362
    Abstract: A wireless device is coupled to a multi-sector antenna that includes a plurality of different sectors, any of which can be activated to transmit and receive in a desired direction specific to that sector. Optionally, an omnidirectional antenna is included for initially establishing a wireless connection with another wireless device, such as an access point. A parameter indicative of signal quality, such as throughput or received signal strength indication (RSSI) is determined by polling with each antenna sector to establish a prioritized candidate list. If a receive Trigger becomes active in response to a parameter falling below a threshold level, a new candidate sector is selected from the current list based upon a next-best signal quality. The directionality of the multi-sector antenna provides a substantially higher data rate compared to that of the conventional omnidirectional antenna.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2008
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Wayne G. King, Craig Steven Ranta, Edward C. Giaimo, III, James Brennan, Stephen M. Stegner, David William Russo, Chris A. Murzanski
  • Patent number: 7359679
    Abstract: A wireless access point is equipped with both an omnidirectional antenna and a directable antenna that can be selectively directed to any of a plurality of directional spaces overlapping the network space served by the omnidirectional antenna. The directable antenna is directed to an optimal directional space for a client when the access point is communicating with the client at a high data rate. The access point can intermittently exchange information with other clients using the omnidirectional antenna. The omnidirectional antenna enables broadcast signals to be transmitted to any client in the entire network space, but at a lower data rate. A preferred data rate and an optimal client directional space are re-determined periodically or as necessary based on parameters such as the data rate, signal strength, and rate of success in communicating data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2008
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Wayne G. King, Craig Steven Ranta, Edward C. Giaimo, III, James Brennan
  • Publication number: 20080084385
    Abstract: Described is a technology by which a computer pointing device (generally a mouse but alternatively a game controller or remote control device) may be worn on the hand and operated without needing to contact a mousing surface. Gyroscopic-based sensors convert the wearer's hand and wrist movements to signals which are sent to a host computing device such as a conventional personal computer, a gaming console, an electronic appliance, and so forth. The data received from the pointing device may be used to move a cursor or the like, and other received data may correspond to left and right mouse clicks, scrolling operations, and so forth. A user-controlled enable switch/sensor selectively activates or deactivates the pointing device so that only intended movements result in data transmission. Gestures may also be sensed and used to trigger defined functions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2006
    Publication date: April 10, 2008
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Craig Steven Ranta, Steven Nabil Bathiche, Monique Chatterjee