Patents by Inventor Danny J. Vatland

Danny J. Vatland 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: 8164444
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to methods, devices, and systems for position detections of an individual. One method to detect a position of an individual includes creating a zone map by mapping locations of a number of fixed sensors in a zone and signal strengths of a number of communications between the fixed sensors and at least two wireless access points. The method also includes determining signal strength values of a number of communications between the wireless access points and a mobile sensor and comparing the signal strength values of the number of communications between at least two wireless access points and the mobile sensor with the zone map to determine the mobile sensor's position in relation to the zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: Healthsense, Inc.
    Inventors: Dean S. Anderson, Danny J. Vatland, Christopher M. Thielen
  • Patent number: 8120480
    Abstract: Methods, devices, and systems for electronic wireless communication in circuits for monitoring one or more activities of an individual are disclosed. One circuit board assembly embodiment includes a carrier board portion having a module contact pattern to electrically connect a module, selected from a plurality of different module types each having a contact pattern that corresponds to the module contact pattern of the carrier board portion, to a number of electrical components attached to the carrier board portion; a sensor portion for sensing one or more activities of an individual, the sensor portion electrically connected to the carrier board portion; and a communications module portion selected from the plurality of different module types, wherein the module portion has a contact pattern that corresponds to the module contact pattern and wherein the communications module portion is electrically connected to the carrier board portion via the module contact pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: Healthsense, Inc.
    Inventors: Dean S. Anderson, Danny J. Vatland, Brian J. Bischoff
  • Publication number: 20100277309
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to methods, devices, and systems for position detections of an individual. One method to detect a position of an individual includes creating a zone map by mapping locations of a number of fixed sensors in a zone and signal strengths of a number of communications between the fixed sensors and at least two wireless access points. The method also includes determining signal strength values of a number of communications between the wireless access points and a mobile sensor and comparing the signal strength values of the number of communications between at least two wireless access points and the mobile sensor with the zone map to determine the mobile sensor's position in relation to the zone.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2009
    Publication date: November 4, 2010
    Applicant: HEALTHSENSE, INC.
    Inventors: Dean S. Anderson, Danny J. Vatland, Christopher M. Thielen
  • Publication number: 20090315701
    Abstract: Methods, devices, and systems for electronic wireless communication in circuits for monitoring one or more activities of an individual are disclosed. One circuit board assembly embodiment includes a carrier board portion having a module contact pattern to electrically connect a module, selected from a plurality of different module types each having a contact pattern that corresponds to the module contact pattern of the carrier board portion, to a number of electrical components attached to the carrier board portion; a sensor portion for sensing one or more activities of an individual, the sensor portion electrically connected to the carrier board portion; and a communications module portion selected from the plurality of different module types, wherein the module portion has a contact pattern that corresponds to the module contact pattern and wherein the communications module portion is electrically connected to the carrier board portion via the module contact pattern.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2008
    Publication date: December 24, 2009
    Applicant: Healthsense, Inc.
    Inventors: Dean S. Anderson, Danny J. Vatland, Brian J. Bischoff
  • Patent number: 5825394
    Abstract: A method calibrating a thermal print head printer having fixed imaging elements so that consistent high resolution output may be achieved includes a means for measuring a common characteristic of each fixed imaging element and storing the values so that print head compensation may occur during the printing process one scan line at a time. Error diffusion, either across the thermal print head, down-web, or both, ensures that appropriate drive level are supplied to each fixed imaging element regardless of inherent differences in the common characteristics of the fixed imaging elements, to achieve consistent tonal image quality. In a preferred embodiment, the fixed imaging elements are thin film electrical resistive elements and the common characteristic is the electrical resistance of the thin film resistor elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 20, 1998
    Assignee: LaserMaster Corporation
    Inventors: J. Mark Gilbert, Randy S. Johnston, Danny J. Vatland
  • Patent number: 5672020
    Abstract: A high resolution thermal printer capable of printing both directly on a thermally responsive media and indirectly through a thermally responsive donor media is disclosed. The printer has a printing media guide mounted as an intermediate clamshell structure to accurately position the printing media immediately adjacent the print head and platen. The printing media guide includes a nip roller and guide bar independently suspended on a spring biased, pivot plate arrangement. The printing media is centered on the supply spool, and the printer includes a read/write circuit to communicate with a profiler chip centrally mounted in the printing media roll. The printer may also include a read/write circuit to communicate with a donor profiler chip centrally mounted in the donor media roll. A constant pressure brake with a friction belt is used directly against the printing media. A spring arm latch/channel block arrangement is used to secure the printing media supply spool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 30, 1997
    Assignee: Lasermaster Corporation
    Inventors: Benjamin P. Leonard, Eric A. Ware, Marty F. Higgins, Robin L. Ogle, Paul R. Erickson, Danny J. Vatland
  • Patent number: 5661514
    Abstract: A driver circuit provides a plurality of drive energies having a plurality of thermal distributions associated therewith. These thermal distributions interact with print media to form binary images having active and inactive areas. A driver control circuit is responsive to source image information to apply selected drive energies to selected heating elements. These drive energies produce interacting thermal distributions for selectively positioning boundaries between active and inactive areas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 26, 1997
    Assignee: Lasermaster Corporation
    Inventors: Lawrence J. Lukis, John M. Gilbert, Danny J. Vatland
  • Patent number: 5608442
    Abstract: A thermal printer includes a thermal print head having a plurality of heating elements for printing dots. A source of drive pulses operates respective heating elements. Each drive pulse is modulated to provide first and second periods of the drive pulse to selectively energize the respective heating element, the first and second periods defining a selected energy level. A memory stores the modulated drive pulses and supplies respective modulated drive pulses to the respective heating elements. A measuring circuit measures a heating factor of each heating element and provides a correction factor for each heating element based on the respective measured heating factor. The correction factors are combined to the respective drive pulses to alter the first and second periods, thereby reducing variations in dots due to differences in the heating factors of the heating elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 4, 1997
    Assignee: Lasermaster Corporation
    Inventors: David H. Bennefeld, Jonathan D. Elliot, Danny J. Vatland, John M. Gilbert
  • Patent number: 5577172
    Abstract: A network protocol facilitates high speed transmission of raster data from a server to a client. The protocol defines a first sub-protocol for negotiating a connection and preparing to transmit a print job, and a second sub-protocol for transmitting a large quantity of raster data. The second sub-protocol allows the recipient of the data to dictate the order in which various types of data are transmitted, while allowing for efficient error correction of lost and/or corrupted packets. In one embodiment, a server is configured to transmit data to a client using the protocol of the present invention. In another embodiment, a client is configured to receive data from the server according to the protocol of the present invention. The protocol minimizes handshaking by sending a large number of data packets between acknowledgements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 19, 1996
    Assignee: LaserMaster Corporation
    Inventors: Danny J. Vatland, Jeff D. Pagel
  • Patent number: 5519426
    Abstract: A method for controlling binary thermal printers increases the effective output resolution of the thermal printer above the native resolution of a print head having a plurality of individual resistive heating elements arranged in a print line. An increase in the effective resolution of a binary output image is achieved by using an over-drive energy to control a relative position of a binary edge of a pixel image at a resolution that is less than the native resolution of the thermal printer. In a preferred embodiment, an under-drive energy may also be used with an adjacent over-drive energy to further control the relative position of the binary image of the pixel image. The over-drive energy is higher than a native pixel drive energy, but lower than a maximum drive energy. The native pixel drive energy produces a binary pixel image having a native area corresponding to the native resolution of the thermal printer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 21, 1996
    Assignee: LaserMaster Corporation
    Inventors: Lawrence J. Lukis, Danny J. Vatland
  • Patent number: 5516219
    Abstract: A high resolution thermal printer capable of printing both directly on a thermally responsive media and indirectly through a thermally responsive donor media is disclosed. The printer has a printing media guide mounted as an intermediate clamshell structure to accurately position the printing media immediately adjacent the print head and platen. The printing media guide includes a nip roller and guide bar independently suspended on a spring biased, pivot plate arrangement. The printing media is centered on the supply spool, and the printer includes a read/write circuit to communicate with a profiler chip centrally mounted in the printing media roll. The printer may also include a read/write circuit to communicate with a donor profiler chip centrally mounted in the donor media roll. A constant pressure brake with a friction belt is used directly against the printing media. A spring arm latch/channel block arrangement is used to secure the printing media supply spool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 14, 1996
    Assignee: LaserMaster Corporation
    Inventors: Benjamin P. Leonard, Eric A. Ware, Marty F. Higgins, Robin L. Ogle, Danny J. Vatland