Patents by Inventor David Stevenson

David Stevenson 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: 20130164828
    Abstract: An integrated fibre based device for transfecting material into a cell comprising an optical fiber that has a lens formed at its end for directing light to a surface of the cell, and a channel for delivery of the material for transfection into the cell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2011
    Publication date: June 27, 2013
    Applicant: University Court of The University of St. Andrews
    Inventors: Kishan Dholakia, Na Ma, Praveen Cheriyan Ashok, David Stevenson, Francis James Gunn-Moore
  • Patent number: 8406166
    Abstract: A method of estimating the location of a wireless terminal is disclosed that is ideally suited for use with legacy systems. The illustrative embodiment of the present invention is based on the observation that the signal strength of a signal from a transmitter is different at some locations, and, therefore, the location of a wireless terminal can be estimated by comparing the signal strength it currently observes against a map or database that correlates locations to signal strengths. For example, if a particular radio station is known to be received well at a first location and poorly at a second location, and a given wireless terminal at an unknown location is receiving the radio station poorly, it is more likely that the wireless terminal is at the second location than it is at the first location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: Polaris Wireless, Inc.
    Inventor: David Stevenson Spain, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20130072230
    Abstract: An apparatus and method are disclosed for tracking a large number of wireless terminals and for estimating the location of the terminals at each instant. Some embodiments of the present invention use a wide variety of factors to determine the order and frequency with which each wireless terminal is located. These factors include, but are not limited to, the history of the location of the wireless terminal, the time of day, and the weather.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2011
    Publication date: March 21, 2013
    Applicant: POLARIS WIRELESS, INC.
    Inventors: Ankit Bansal, Tarun Kumar Bhattacharya, Martin Feuerstein, Scot Douglas Gordon, Robert Lewis Martin, David Stevenson Spain, JR.
  • Publication number: 20120289249
    Abstract: A technique for estimating the location of a wireless terminal at an unknown location in a geographic region is disclosed. The technique is based on the recognition that there are traits of electromagnetic signals that are dependent on topography, the receiver, the location of the transmitter, and other factors. For example, if a particular radio station is known to be received strongly at a first location and weakly at a second location, and a given wireless terminal at an unknown location is receiving the radio station weakly, it is more likely that the wireless terminal is at the second location than at the first location.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2012
    Publication date: November 15, 2012
    Applicant: POLARIS WIRELESS, INC.
    Inventors: Tarun Kumar Bhattacharya, Martin Feuerstein, Scot Douglas Gordon, David Stevenson Spain, JR.
  • Publication number: 20120281977
    Abstract: A lens cap holder securely fastens a camera lens cap to the camera's neck strap, a general strap, or other desired article. The camera lens cap holder can be threaded onto the camera neck strap, other general strap, or the like, through openings in the body of the lens cap holder. Alternatively, a lanyard may be attached to the lens cap holder and securely affixed to an article of choice, including the camera body. The body of the lens cap holder includes a recess approximately the size of a lens cap. The lens cap can mount in the recess by means of a friction fit, similar to the lens cap retaining arrangement of the camera lens. The lens cap holder does not require any alteration of the lens cap or camera. Being of single piece construction, the lens cap holder is relatively low cost as compared to current solutions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2012
    Publication date: November 8, 2012
    Inventor: Mark David Stevenson
  • Publication number: 20120282947
    Abstract: A technique for estimating the location of a wireless terminal at an unknown location in a geographic region is disclosed. The technique is based on the recognition that there are traits of electromagnetic signals that are dependent on topography, the receiver, the location of the transmitter, and other factors. For example, if a particular radio station is known to be received strongly at a first location and weakly at a second location, and a given wireless terminal at an unknown location is receiving the radio station weakly, it is more likely that the wireless terminal is at the second location than at the first location.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2012
    Publication date: November 8, 2012
    Applicant: Polaris Wireless, Inc.
    Inventors: Tarun Kumar Bhattacharya, Martin Feuerstein, Scot Douglas Gordon, David Stevenson Spain, JR.
  • Publication number: 20120155592
    Abstract: The present specification discloses a system for detecting nuclear material based on at least one source of probing radiation and the radiation signatures generated from interrogating an object under inspection. In addition, the present specification describes a threshold-activation detector capable of detecting prompt neutrons, via the activation, after the source's blinding radiation has stopped. The threshold-activation detector can be manufactured from liquid fluorocarbons that allow for the detection of beta radiation and gamma rays.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2011
    Publication date: June 21, 2012
    Inventors: Tsahi Gozani, Michael Joseph King, Timothy John Shaw, John David Stevenson
  • Patent number: 8155394
    Abstract: An integrated wireless location and facial/speaker-recognition system that provides distinct advantages over facial-recognition systems and speaker-recognition systems of the prior art is disclosed. The integrated system is capable of using information from a wireless location system to improve the performance of the facial recognition and speaker recognition. The system is capable of processing photographs and/or audio samples captured by a camera/microphone at a fixed location (e.g., a digital pan-zoom-tilt (PZT) surveillance camera, etc.) as well as those captured by a mobile camera/microphone (e.g., a digital camera and microphone in a smartphone, etc.). The system also features a feedback mechanism by which the location-informed results can be used to improve the system's recognition abilities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Polaris Wireless, Inc.
    Inventors: Manlio Allegra, Martin Feuerstein, Mahesh B. Patel, David Stevenson Spain, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8123125
    Abstract: A combined in-store and fuel center point-of-sale system having a first point-of-sale system, having a checkout manager and one or more checkout terminals, and a second point-of-sale system, having a fuel center and one or more fuel pumps, in communication with each other and with one or more primary databases containing marketing data, consumer data, customer data, master sales data, discount data, and merchandise product data, for generating a fuel discount at the second point-of-sale system based on first purchasing activity at the first point-of-sale system and/or second purchasing activity at said second point-of-sale system. The fuel discount is maintained for each customer in one of said primary databases and is based on a total purchase of products, a total purchase of product units, a total purchase amount of a product type, time period for total purchase of products, or a tiered spending amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: The Kroger Co.
    Inventors: David Ciancio, David Stevenson
  • Publication number: 20120014567
    Abstract: An integrated wireless location and facial/speaker-recognition system that provides distinct advantages over facial-recognition systems and speaker-recognition systems of the prior art is disclosed. The integrated system is capable of using information from a wireless location system to improve the performance of the facial recognition and speaker recognition. The system is capable of processing photographs and/or audio samples captured by a camera/microphone at a fixed location (e.g., a digital pan-zoom-tilt (PZT) surveillance camera, etc.) as well as those captured by a mobile camera/microphone (e.g., a digital camera and microphone in a smartphone, etc.). The system also features a feedback mechanism by which the location-informed results can be used to improve the system's recognition abilities.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2011
    Publication date: January 19, 2012
    Applicant: POLARIS WIRELESS, INC.
    Inventors: Manlio Allegra, Martin Feuerstein, Mahesh B. Patel, David Stevenson Spain, JR.
  • Publication number: 20110298930
    Abstract: An integrated wireless location and surveillance system that provides distinct advantages over video and audio surveillance systems of the prior art is disclosed. The integrated system comprises (i) a surveillance system comprising a plurality of cameras, each covering a respective zone, and (ii) a wireless location system that is capable of providing to the surveillance system, at various points in time, an estimate of the location of a wireless terminal that belongs to a person of interest. The surveillance system intelligently selects the video feed from the appropriate camera, based on the estimated location of the wireless terminal, and delivers the selected video feed to a display. As a person of interest moves from one zone to another, the surveillance system is capable of dynamically updating which video feed is delivered to the display.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2011
    Publication date: December 8, 2011
    Applicant: POLARIS WIRELESS, INC.
    Inventors: Manlio Allegra, Martin Feuerstein, Kevin Alan Lindsey, Mahesh B. Patel, David Stevenson Spain, JR.
  • Patent number: 8068855
    Abstract: A method for determining the location of a mobile unit (MU) in a wireless communication system and presenting it to a remote party. The location of a remote MU is determined by comparing a snapshot of a predefined portion of the radio-frequency (RF) spectrum taken by the MU to a reference database containing multiple snapshots taken at various locations. The result of the comparison is used to determine if the MU is at a specific location. The comparison may be made in the MU, or at some other location situated remotely from the MU. In the latter case, sufficient information regarding the captured fingerprint is transmitted from the MU to the remote location. The database may be pre-compiled or generated on-line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2011
    Assignee: Polaris Wireless, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Morris Dressler, David Stevenson Spain, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8068802
    Abstract: A process and machine for estimating the location of a wireless terminal is disclosed. The illustrative embodiment of the present invention is based on the observation that the signal strength of a signal from a transmitter is different at some locations, and, therefore, the location of a wireless terminal can be estimated by comparing the signal strength it currently observes against a map or database that correlates locations to signal strengths. In accordance with a first example, if a particular radio station is known to be received well at a first location and poorly at a second location, and a given wireless terminal at an unknown location is receiving the radio station poorly, it is more likely that the wireless terminal is at the second location than it is at the first location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2011
    Assignee: Polaris Wireless, Inc.
    Inventors: Tarun Kumar Bhattacharya, Martin Feuerstein, David Stevenson Spain, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20110235777
    Abstract: The application discloses systems and methods for X-ray scanning for identifying material composition of an object being scanned. The system includes at least one X-ray source for projecting an X-ray beam on the object, where at least a portion of the projected X-ray beam is transmitted through the object, and an array of detectors for measuring energy spectra of the transmitted X-rays. The measured energy spectra are used to determine atomic number of the object for identifying the material composition of the object. The X-ray scanning system may also have an array of collimated high energy backscattered X-ray detectors for measuring the energy spectrum of X-rays scattered by the object at an angle greater than 90 degrees, where the measured energy spectrum is used in conjunction with the transmission energy spectrum to determine atomic numbers of the object for identifying the material composition of the object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2011
    Publication date: September 29, 2011
    Inventors: Tsahi Gozani, Joseph Bendahan, Craig Mathew Brown, Willem Gerhardus Johannes Langeveld, John David Stevenson
  • Patent number: 7899467
    Abstract: A technique for estimating the location of a wireless terminal at an unknown location in a geographic region is disclosed. The technique is based on the recognition that there are traits of electromagnetic signals that are dependent on topography, the receiver, the location of the transmitter, and other factors. For example, if a particular radio station is known to be received strongly at a first location and weakly at a second location, and a given wireless terminal at an unknown location is receiving the radio station weakly, it is more likely that the wireless terminal is at the second location than at the first location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: Polaris Wireless, Inc.
    Inventors: Martin Feuerstein, Scot Douglas Gordon, David Stevenson Spain, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20100329144
    Abstract: A process and machine for estimating the location of a wireless terminal is disclosed. The illustrative embodiment of the present invention is based on the observation that the signal strength of a signal from a transmitter is different at some locations, and, therefore, the location of a wireless terminal can be estimated by comparing the signal strength it currently observes against a map or database that correlates locations to signal strengths. In accordance with a first example, if a particular radio station is known to be received well at a first location and poorly at a second location, and a given wireless terminal at an unknown location is receiving the radio station poorly, it is more likely that the wireless terminal is at the second location than it is at the first location.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2010
    Publication date: December 30, 2010
    Applicant: POLARIS WIRELESS, INC.
    Inventors: Tarun Kumar Bhattacharya, Martin Feuerstein, David Stevenson Spain
  • Patent number: 7848762
    Abstract: A method of using a non-GPS-derived technique to estimate the location of an Assisted-GPS-enabled wireless terminal for the purposes of generating location-specific assistance data for the wireless terminal is disclosed. The wireless terminal then uses the assistance data to acquire and process one or more GPS signals and to derive information that is probative of the wireless terminal's location. The GPS-derived location information is then combined with non-GPS-derived location to form an estimate of the location of the wireless terminal that is better than can be derived from either alone. This combination of GPS-derived and non-GPS techniques is particularly useful when the wireless terminal can only acquire one or two GPS signals because it is not possible to determine the location of the wireless terminal with only two GPS signals alone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2010
    Assignee: Polaris Wireless, Inc.
    Inventors: Scot Douglas Gordon, Robert Lewis Martin, David Stevenson Spain, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20100245115
    Abstract: A technique for estimating the location of a wireless terminal at an unknown location in a geographic region is disclosed. The technique is based on the recognition that there are traits of electromagnetic signals that are dependent on topography, the receiver, the location of the transmitter, and other factors. For example, if a particular radio station is known to be received strongly at a first location and weakly at a second location, and a given wireless terminal at an unknown location is receiving the radio station weakly, it is more likely that the wireless terminal is at the second location than at the first location.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2010
    Publication date: September 30, 2010
    Applicant: POLARIS WIRELESS, INC.
    Inventors: Tarun Kumar Bhattacharya, Martin Feuerstein, Scot Douglas Gordon, David Stevenson Spain, JR.
  • Patent number: 7796966
    Abstract: A process and machine for estimating the location of a wireless terminal is disclosed. The illustrative embodiment of the present invention is based on the observation that the signal strength of a signal from a transmitter is different at some locations, and, therefore, the location of a wireless terminal can be estimated by comparing the signal strength it currently observes against a map or database that correlates locations to signal strengths. In accordance with a first example, if a particular radio station is known to be received well at a first location and poorly at a second location, and a given wireless terminal at an unknown location is receiving the radio station poorly, it is more likely that the wireless terminal is at the second location than it is at the first location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2010
    Assignee: Polaris Wireless, Inc.
    Inventors: Tarun Kumar Bhattacharya, Martin Feuerstein, David Stevenson Spain, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20100227626
    Abstract: A method for determining the location of a mobile unit (MU) in a wireless communication system and presenting it to a remote party. The location of a remote MU is determined by comparing a snapshot of a predefined portion of the radio-frequency (RF) spectrum taken by the MU to a reference database containing multiple snapshots taken at various locations. The result of the comparison is used to determine if the MU is at a specific location. The comparison may be made in the MU, or at some other location situated remotely from the MU. In the latter case, sufficient information regarding the captured fingerprint is transmitted from the MU to the remote location. The database may be pre-compiled or generated on-line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2010
    Publication date: September 9, 2010
    Applicant: POLARIS WIRELESS, INC.
    Inventors: Robert Morris Dressler, David Stevenson Spain, JR.