Patents by Inventor Danh T. Trinh

Danh T. Trinh 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: 20240013788
    Abstract: An electronic device with a microphone, a speaker, a processor, and a power tool battery pack connectable to and powering the speaker and the processor. The electronic device has software that can cause the processor to perform operations which can cause the electronic device to operate in first and second modes. While the electronic device is operating in the first mode, the device can generate first audio data representing user speech captured by the microphone which can be analyzed by the electronic device or a remote server. The electronic device can switch from operating in the first mode to operating in a second mode, where the electronic device can receive, second audio data from another electronic device. The electronic device can then output, using the speaker, audible content represented by the second audio data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2023
    Publication date: January 11, 2024
    Inventors: Jeremy J. Torok, Danh T. Trinh, Daniele C. Brotto, Matthew Ian Barrett, Geoffrey S. Howard, Edward D. Smith, Paul S. White
  • Patent number: 11804222
    Abstract: An electronic device with a microphone, a speaker, a processor, and a power tool battery pack connectable to and powering the speaker and the processor. The electronic device has software that can cause the processor to perform operations which can cause the electronic device to operate in first and second modes. While the electronic device is operating in the first mode, the device can generate first audio data representing user speech captured by the microphone which can be analyzed by the electronic device or a remote server. The electronic device can switch from operating in the first mode to operating in a second mode, where the electronic device can receive, second audio data from another electronic device. The electronic device can then output, using the speaker, audible content represented by the second audio data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: BLACK & DECKER INC.
    Inventors: Jeremy J. Torok, Danh T. Trinh, Daniele C. Brotto, Matthew Ian Barrett, Geoffrey S. Howard, Edward D. Smith, Paul S. White
  • Publication number: 20200027458
    Abstract: An electronic device with a microphone, a speaker, a processor, and a power tool battery pack connectable to and powering the speaker and the processor. The electronic device has software that can cause the processor to perform operations which can cause the electronic device to operate in first and second modes. While the electronic device is operating in the first mode, the device can generate first audio data representing user speech captured by the microphone which can be analyzed by the electronic device or a remote server. The electronic device can switch from operating in the first mode to operating in a second mode, where the electronic device can receive, second audio data from another electronic device. The electronic device can then output, using the speaker, audible content represented by the second audio data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2019
    Publication date: January 23, 2020
    Inventors: Jeremy J. Torok, Danh T. Trinh, Daniele C. Brotto, Matthew Ian Barrett, Geoffrey S. Howard, Edward D. Smith, Paul S. White
  • Patent number: 9415499
    Abstract: An electrical combination including a power tool, charger and an adapter separate from and connectable between the battery and the tool housing or battery charger to support the battery on the tool housing or the battery charger, the adapter having adapter leads for electrically coupling the battery to the power tool or the battery charger, the adapter having a mechanical lockout for allowing an electrical coupling between the adapter and the power tool while preventing an electrical coupling between the adapter and the battery charger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: Black & Decker Inc.
    Inventors: Daniele C. Brotto, Bhanuprasad V. Gorti, Daniel J. White, Shelby K. Starks, Geoffrey S. Howard, Allen K. Brelsford, Jeffrey Francis, Jeffrey Norris, Andrew E. Seman, Jr., David A. Carrier, Danh T. Trinh
  • Publication number: 20160141902
    Abstract: A method of charging a battery pack is provided. The method includes: providing a charger comprising a battery interface, a set of terminals, and a power supply circuit for providing a charging current scheme; providing a set of battery packs, each battery of the set of battery packs comprising a charger interface having a physical configuration to mate with the battery interface and a set of terminals having a physical configuration to mate with the set of charger terminals; and providing a charging scheme defined by a relationship between the set of battery terminals and the set of charger terminals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2016
    Publication date: May 19, 2016
    Applicant: Black & Decker Inc.
    Inventors: Nathan J. Cruise, Rouse Roby Bailey, JR., Snehal S. Choksi, Regina C. Cunanan, Geoffrey S. Howard, Alexis W. Johnson, Andrew E. Seman, Danh T. Trinh, Daniel J. White, Michelle L. Miller
  • Patent number: 9281695
    Abstract: A method of charging a battery pack is provided. The method includes: electronically connecting a battery pack to a charger; detecting information regarding the battery pack; determining an appropriate charging regime based on the detected information; and applying the charging regime to the battery pack. A battery charger may also provided. The battery charger includes: a first terminal for connecting to a battery pack; a second terminal for connecting to a battery pack, a microprocessor operatively connected to the terminals and configured to receive a signal from at least one terminal regarding a battery pack connected to the terminal and control the charger to select and apply a charging regime to the battery pack according to the signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: Black & Decker Inc.
    Inventors: Nathan J. Cruise, Michelle L. Bowers, Snehal S. Choksi, Regina Gracia C. Cunanan, Geoffrey S. Howard, Alexis W. Johnson, Andrew E. Seman, Danh T. Trinh, Daniel J. White, R. Roby Bailey, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20130038293
    Abstract: A method for monitoring the voltage of each of a plurality of cells of a battery pack is provided. The method may include monitoring a voltage potential for each of a plurality of cells in a battery pack utilizing a single channel of battery control unit within the battery pack. If, during discharge of the battery, e.g., the battery is being used to power a hand tool, the voltage potential of any cell is determined by the battery control unit to be below a predetermined minimum voltage, the battery control unit discontinues a current flow from battery pack to the tool.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2012
    Publication date: February 14, 2013
    Applicant: BLACK & DECKER INC.
    Inventors: Andrew E. Seman, JR., Nathan Cruise, Daniel J. White, David A. Carrier, Daniele C. Brotto, Danh T. Trinh, Fugen Qin
  • Publication number: 20120302101
    Abstract: An electrical combination including a power tool, charger and an adapter separate from and connectable between the battery and the tool housing or battery charger to support the battery on the tool housing or the battery charger, the adapter having adapter leads for electrically coupling the battery to the power tool or the battery charger, the adapter having a mechanical lockout for allowing an electrical coupling between the adapter and the power tool while preventing an electrical coupling between the adapter and the battery charger.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2012
    Publication date: November 29, 2012
    Applicant: Black & Decker Inc.
    Inventors: Daniele C. Brotto, Bhanuprasad V. Gorti, Daniel J. White, Shelby K. Starks, Geoffrey S. Howard, Allen K. Brelsford, Jeffrey Francis, Jeffrey Norris, Andrew E. Seman, JR., David A. Carrier, Danh T. Trinh
  • Patent number: 8093863
    Abstract: A battery pack which includes a battery pack electronic control circuit adapted to control an attached power tool and/or an attached charger. The battery pack includes additional protection circuits, methodologies and devices to protect against fault conditions within the pack, as the pack is operatively attached to and providing power to the power tool, and/or as the pack is operatively attached to and being charged by the charger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: Black & Decker Inc.
    Inventors: David A. Carrier, Andrew E. Seman, Jr., Geoffrey S. Howard, Daniele C. Brotto, Danh T. Trinh, Fred S. Watts, Snehal S. Choksi, Qiang J. Zhang
  • Publication number: 20110163701
    Abstract: A battery pack which includes a battery pack electronic control circuit adapted to control an attached power tool and/or an attached charger. The battery pack includes additional protection circuits, methodologies and devices to protect against fault conditions within the pack, as the pack is operatively attached to and providing power to the power tool, and/or as the pack is operatively attached to and being charged by the charger.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2011
    Publication date: July 7, 2011
    Applicant: BLACK & DECKER INC.
    Inventors: David A. Carrier, Andrew E. Seman, JR., Geoffrey S. Howard, Daniele C. Brotto, Danh T. Trinh, Fred S. Watts, Snehal S. Choksi, Qiang J. Zhang
  • Patent number: 7941865
    Abstract: A method and system for authenticating a smart battery having a smart battery and an electronic device. Both the device and the smart battery generate encrypted random strings using key material based by A/D noise bits as a seed value. A pseudo random number is generated from the A/D noise that is transmitted to both the electronic device and the smart battery. The pseudo random number is used by both devices as a key index to select one of a plurality of keys stored in separate key libraries. The keys, or key material, is used to execute an encryption algorithm. The two encryption data streams are then compared to authenticate the smart battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2011
    Assignee: Black & Decker Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew E. Seman, Jr., Daniele C. Brotto, Danh T. Trinh, Fugen Qin
  • Patent number: 7928692
    Abstract: A battery pack which includes a battery pack electronic control circuit adapted to control an attached power tool and/or an attached charger. The battery pack includes additional protection circuits, methodologies and devices to protect against fault conditions within the pack, as the pack is operatively attached to and providing power to the power tool, and/or as they pack is operatively attached to and being charged by the charger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: Black & Decker Inc.
    Inventors: David A. Carrier, Andrew E. Seman, Jr., Geoffrey S. Howard, Daniele C. Brotto, Danh T. Trinh, Fred S Watts, Snehal S. Choksi, Qiang J. Zhang
  • Publication number: 20100213900
    Abstract: A battery pack which includes a battery pack electronic control circuit adapted to control an attached power tool and/or an attached charger. The battery pack includes additional protection circuits, methodologies and devices to protect against fault conditions within the pack, as the pack is operatively attached to and providing power to the power tool, and/or as they pack is operatively attached to and being charged by the charger.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2010
    Publication date: August 26, 2010
    Applicant: BLACK & DECKER INC.
    Inventors: David A. Carrier, Andrew E. Seman, JR., Geoffrey S. Howard, Daniele C. Brotto, Danh T. Trinh, Fred S. Watts, Snehal S. Choksi, Qiang J. Zhang
  • Patent number: 7733054
    Abstract: In a cordless power tool system, high temperature gases created in a battery pack by the battery cells during a charging or discharging operation can be routed into a housing of one of an attached power tool or charger to reduce the temperature of the gases, prior to venting the gases externally. In an example, a battery pack has at least one vent hole for relieving pressure and a movable device covering the vent hole and configured to expose the vent hole upon a pressure set-point within the pack housing being exceeded. In another example, the pack housing includes a thin-walled section designed to break if pressure within the pack housing exceeds a given pressure setpoint. In a further example, the pack housing includes a baffle having an S-shaped cross-section for providing a vent path for gases and for preventing external fluids from entering the pack housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2010
    Assignee: Black & Decker Inc.
    Inventors: Steven J. Phillips, Daniel J. White, Adam M. Casalena, Danh T. Trinh, Daniele C. Brotto, Gregory A. Rice
  • Patent number: 7728553
    Abstract: A battery pack which includes a battery pack electronic control circuit adapted to control an attached power tool and/or an attached charger. The battery pack includes additional protection circuits, methodologies and devices to protect against fault conditions within the pack, as the pack is operatively attached to and providing power to the power tool, and/or as the pack is operatively attached to and being charged by the charger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2010
    Assignee: Black & Decker Inc.
    Inventors: David A. Carrier, Andrew E. Seman, Jr., Geoffrey S. Howard, Daniele C. Brotto, Danh T. Trinh, Fred S. Watts, Snehal S. Choksi, Qiang J. Zhang
  • Patent number: 7723952
    Abstract: A cordless system has cordless system components that include a cordless device, such as a cordless power tool, a battery pack and a charger. The battery pack is mated with either the cordless device to provide power to operate the cordless device or to the charger to charge the battery cells in the battery pack. In an aspect, the cordless system has an identification and communication system by which the battery pack identifies and communicates information about the battery pack to the cordless device or to the charger to which the battery pack is mated. In an, the battery pack of the cordless system is capable of multiple modes, such as controlling the cordless device and controlling the charger. In an aspect, the battery pack validates the cordless device or charger to which it is mated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2010
    Assignee: Black & Decker Inc.
    Inventors: Steven J. Phillips, Jeffrey J. Francis, Andrew E. Seman, Jr., Daniele C. Brotto, David A. Carrier, Danh T. Trinh, Christopher R. Yahnker, James B. Watson, Daniel J. White
  • Patent number: 7688028
    Abstract: A cordless system has cordless system components that include a cordless device, such as a cordless power tool, a battery pack and a charger. The battery pack is mated with either the cordless device to provide power to operate the cordless device or to the charger to charge the battery cells in the battery pack. In an aspect, the cordless system has an identification and communication system by which the battery pack identifies and communicates information about the battery pack to the cordless device or to the charger to which the battery pack is mated. In an, the battery pack of the cordless system is capable of multiple modes, such as controlling the cordless device and controlling the charger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2010
    Assignee: Black & Decker Inc.
    Inventors: Steven J. Phillips, Jeffrey J. Francis, Andrew E. Seman, Jr., Daniele C. Brotto, David A. Carrier, Danh T. Trinh, Christopher R. Yahnker, James B. Watson, Daniel J. White
  • Patent number: 7686853
    Abstract: A battery pack for a cordless power has a plurality of battery cells disposed in a housing. In an embodiment of the invention, battery cells are interconnected with a laminated plate structure having non-conductive layers interspersed with conductive layers, at least one of the conductive layers connected to the battery cells to interconnect them. In an embodiment of the invention, battery cells in a battery pack are interconnected with a flexible printed circuit board having conductive traces thereon that are attached to the battery cells to interconnect them. In an embodiment of the invention, a cordless power tool has one or the other of the foregoing battery packs. In an embodiment of the invention, the battery cells are Lithium Ion battery cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2010
    Assignee: Black & Decker Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew E. Seman, Jr., Christopher R. Yahnker, Daniel J. White, Daniele C. Brotto, David A. Carrier, Steven J. Phillips, Danh T. Trinh
  • Patent number: 7656131
    Abstract: In a method of charging a battery pack, the pack is inserted in a charger and an initial set of checks of cell voltage and pack temperature is performed. Once the initial set of checks is satisfied, the cells may be charged at a first constant current level. The first constant current level is adjusted to one or more lower levels of constant current until cell voltages of all the cells are within a full charge voltage window. The voltage window is defined between a minimum full charge cell voltage level and a maximum full charge cell voltage level. The charge may be terminated once all of the cells are within the full charge voltage window.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2010
    Assignee: Black & Decker Inc.
    Inventors: Janet M. Embrey, Danh T. Trinh
  • Patent number: 7564216
    Abstract: A battery monitoring device of a battery pack configured for powering a cordless power tool may include an integrated circuit connected to a microprocessor of the pack that is external to the integrated circuit, and which is connected to each of N battery cells of the pack. The integrated circuit may be configured to take, singly or sequentially, a sampled reading comprising one of an individual cell voltage or a total pack voltage for all cells in the pack. The sampled reading is filtered in the integrated circuit prior to being read by the microprocessor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2009
    Assignee: Black & Decker Inc.
    Inventors: David A. Carrier, Danh T. Trinh, Geoffrey S. Howard, Andrew E. Seman, Jr., Daniele C. Brotto, John C. Vanko, Robert Bradus