Patents by Inventor Eric B. Daniels
Eric B. Daniels 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).
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Patent number: 10433032Abstract: Systems and methods for forecasting events can be provided. A measurement database can store sensor measurements, each having been provided by a non-portable electronic device with a primary purpose unrelated to collecting measurements from a type of sensor that collected the measurement. A measurement set identifier can select a set of measurements. The electronic devices associated with the set of measurements can be in close geographical proximity relative to their geographical proximity to other devices. An inter-device correlator can access the set and collectively analyze the measurements. An event detector can determine whether an event occurred. An event forecaster can forecast a future event property. An alert engine can identify one or more entities to be alerted of the future event property, generate at least one alert identifying the future event property, and transmit the at least one alert to the identified one or more entities.Type: GrantFiled: February 23, 2016Date of Patent: October 1, 2019Assignee: Google LLCInventors: John B. Filson, Eric B. Daniels, Adam Mittleman, Sierra L. Nelmes, Yoky Matsuoka
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Patent number: 10054964Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide thermostat controls having improved tactile feedback. According to one embodiment, a thermostat includes a bottom member, a switch, a top member, and a motion guiding member or assembly that operationally couples the top member with the bottom member so that the top member is inwardly pressable by a user relative to the bottom member to allow the thermostat to receive input from the user by contacting the switch with a component of the top member or the bottom member. The motion guiding member or assembly contacts the top member near its outer periphery to control the inward motion of the top member relative to the bottom member to provide the improved tactile feedback.Type: GrantFiled: May 7, 2012Date of Patent: August 21, 2018Assignee: Google LLCInventors: John B. Filson, Eric B. Daniels, Anthony M. Fadell, Matthew Lee Rogers
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Patent number: 10041690Abstract: An electronic device may include an occupancy sensor that is configured to detect presence within a responsive range of the occupancy sensor and a stand configured to physically support the electronic device, where the stand comprises a reflective surface positioned to reflect energy emissions from an object within the responsive range of the occupancy sensor onto the occupancy sensor.Type: GrantFiled: February 27, 2017Date of Patent: August 7, 2018Assignee: Google LLCInventors: Eric B. Daniels, William R. Dong, Jason C. Chamberlain, Daniel A. Warren, Helen Vo, Shyam R. Srinivasan, Anthony M. Fadell, Matthew L. Rogers
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Patent number: 10013861Abstract: According to one embodiment, a multi-sensing hazard detector for detecting potential dangers may include a back plate and a front casing that is coupled with the back plate to define a housing. A circuit board and a plurality of components may be positioned within the housing. The circuit board may be communicatively coupled with the components. The components may include, among other components, an alarm device, an occupancy sensor, and a smoke chamber. The alarm device may be activatable upon the detection of a potential hazard to warn an occupant of a potential danger, the occupancy sensor may be configured to detect the presence and/or movement of objects external to the hazard detector, and the smoke chamber may be configured to detect the presence of smoke to cause a triggering of the alarm device. The housing may comprise a volume of less than 1024 cubic centimeters.Type: GrantFiled: May 26, 2017Date of Patent: July 3, 2018Assignee: Google LLCInventors: Anthony Michael Fadell, Matthew Lee Rogers, Shigefumi Honjo, John Benjamin Filson, Eric B. Daniels, Fred Bould, Adam Mittleman, Andrew Goldenson
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Publication number: 20180181291Abstract: A wall-mountable programmable electronic thermostat for controlling an HVAC system is described. The thermostat includes a circular wall-mountable backplate with a central opening to allow for the passage of HVAC wires for electrical connection to the thermostat. The head unit body is also circular and is removeably mountable to the back plate. A plurality of wedge-shaped wiring terminals are mounted on the backplate for making a tool-free connection to HVAC wires. Each wiring terminal has button that a user can depress while a wire is inserted in a wire hole. The terminals are arranged along one or more circular arcs about the central opening of the backplate such that the wire holes face the central opening and the buttons are located close to the outer periphery of the backplate.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 14, 2018Publication date: June 28, 2018Applicant: Google LLCInventors: John Benjamin Filson, Eric B. Daniels, Brian Huppi, David Sloo
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Publication number: 20180012468Abstract: According to one embodiment, a multi-sensing hazard detector for detecting potential dangers may include a back plate and a front casing that is coupled with the back plate to define a housing. A circuit board and a plurality of components may be positioned within the housing. The circuit board may be communicatively coupled with the components. The components may include, among other components, an alarm device, an occupancy sensor, and a smoke chamber. The alarm device may be activatable upon the detection of a potential hazard to warn an occupant of a potential danger, the occupancy sensor may be configured to detect the presence and/or movement of objects external to the hazard detector, and the smoke chamber may be configured to detect the presence of smoke to cause a triggering of the alarm device. The housing may comprise a volume of less than 1024 cubic centimeters.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 26, 2017Publication date: January 11, 2018Applicant: Google Inc.Inventors: Anthony Michael Fadell, Matthew Lee Rogers, Shigefumi Honjo, John Benjamin Filson, Eric B. Daniels, Fred Bould, Adam Mittleman, Andrew Goldenson
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Publication number: 20170299199Abstract: An electronic device may include an occupancy sensor that is configured to detect presence within a responsive range of the occupancy sensor and a stand configured to physically support the electronic device, where the stand comprises a reflective surface positioned to reflect energy emissions from an object within the responsive range of the occupancy sensor onto the occupancy sensor.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 27, 2017Publication date: October 19, 2017Applicant: Google Inc.Inventors: Eric B. Daniels, William R. Dong, Jason C. Chamberlain, Daniel A. Warren, Helen Vo, Shyam R. Srinivasan, Anthony M. Fadell, Matthew L. Rogers
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Patent number: 9697713Abstract: According to one embodiment, a multi-sensing hazard detector for detecting potential dangers may include a back plate and a front casing that is coupled with the back plate to define a housing. A circuit board and a plurality of components may be positioned within the housing. The circuit board may be communicatively coupled with the components. The components may include, among other components, an alarm device, an occupancy sensor, and a smoke chamber. The alarm device may be activatable upon the detection of a potential hazard to warn an occupant of a potential danger, the occupancy sensor may be configured to detect the presence and/or movement of objects external to the hazard detector, and the smoke chamber may be configured to detect the presence of smoke to cause a triggering of the alarm device. The housing may comprise a volume of less than 1024 cubic centimeters.Type: GrantFiled: January 11, 2017Date of Patent: July 4, 2017Assignee: Google Inc.Inventors: Anthony Michael Fadell, Matthew Lee Rogers, Shigefumi Honjo, John Benjamin Filson, Eric B. Daniels, Fred Bould, Adam Mittleman, Andrew Goldenson
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Publication number: 20170124830Abstract: According to one embodiment, a multi-sensing hazard detector for detecting potential dangers may include a back plate and a front casing that is coupled with the back plate to define a housing. A circuit board and a plurality of components may be positioned within the housing. The circuit board may be communicatively coupled with the components. The components may include, among other components, an alarm device, an occupancy sensor, and a smoke chamber. The alarm device may be activatable upon the detection of a potential hazard to warn an occupant of a potential danger, the occupancy sensor may be configured to detect the presence and/or movement of objects external to the hazard detector, and the smoke chamber may be configured to detect the presence of smoke to cause a triggering of the alarm device. The housing may comprise a volume of less than 1024 cubic centimeters.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 11, 2017Publication date: May 4, 2017Applicant: Google Inc.Inventors: Anthony Michael Fadell, Matthew Lee Rogers, Shigefumi Honjo, John Benjamin Filson, Eric B. Daniels, Fred Bould, Adam Mittleman, Andrew Goldenson
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Patent number: 9600989Abstract: According to one embodiment, a multi-sensing hazard detector for detecting potential dangers may include a back plate and a front casing that is coupled with the back plate to define a housing. A circuit board and a plurality of components may be positioned within the housing. The circuit board may be communicatively coupled with the components. The components may include, among other components, an alarm device, an occupancy sensor, and a smoke chamber. The alarm device may be activatable upon the detection of a potential hazard to warn an occupant of a potential danger, the occupancy sensor may be configured to detect the presence and/or movement of objects external to the hazard detector, and the smoke chamber may be configured to detect the presence of smoke to cause a triggering of the alarm device. The housing may comprise a volume of less than 1024 cubic centimeters.Type: GrantFiled: September 12, 2014Date of Patent: March 21, 2017Assignee: Google Inc.Inventors: Anthony M. Fadell, Matthew Lee Rogers, Shigefumi Honjo, John Benjamin Filson, Eric B. Daniels, Fred Bould, Adam Mittleman, Andrew Goldenson
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Patent number: 9581342Abstract: A thermostat stand for a thermostat device may include a base and a mounting fixture configured to receive a thermostat device. The thermostat stand may additionally include an opening configured to allow one or more wires to pass through the opening to connect to the thermostat device, the one or more wires originating from either a power supply or from the boiler control device. The thermostat stand may further include a reflective horizontal surface positioned such that motion detection of energy-emitting objects is enhanced by virtue of reflections of energy emissions off of the reflective horizontal surface into the occupancy sensor.Type: GrantFiled: March 28, 2014Date of Patent: February 28, 2017Assignee: Google Inc.Inventors: Eric B. Daniels, William R. Dong, Jason C. Chamberlain, Daniel A. Warren, Helen Vo, Shyam R. Srinivasan, Anthony M. Fadell, Matthew L. Rogers
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Patent number: 9568201Abstract: A control system may include a thermostat device and boiler control device. The thermostat device may be configured to receive electrical power from second wiring terminals and provide control signals to boiler control device using a second radio when wires are not present in first wiring terminals. The thermostat device may also be configured to receive electrical power from the first wiring terminals and provide the coded control signals to the boiler control device through the first wiring terminals when wires are present in the first wiring terminals. The boiler control device may be configured to receive the control signals from the thermostat device using a third radio and selectively couple the third wiring terminals to fifth wiring terminals to selectively control activation of the boiler-based heating system when wires are not present in fourth wiring terminals.Type: GrantFiled: March 28, 2014Date of Patent: February 14, 2017Assignee: Google Inc.Inventors: Anthony M. Fadell, Matthew L. Rogers, Daniel A. Warren, Shyam R. Srinivasan, Hirofumi Honjo, Eric B. Daniels, William R. Dong, Jason C. Chamberlain, Edwin H. Satterthwaite, Jr., Shigefumi Honjo, Helen Vo, Richard W. Holbrook
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Patent number: 9412537Abstract: This is directed to a bend switch constructed from two substantially co-linear elongated bodies having opposing contact surfaces. In an open switch position, the contact surfaces remain apart, preventing electrical coupling. To close the switch, a user can bend the elongated bodies relative to each other to cause the contact surfaces to meet, thus creating an electrical coupling. Each elongated body can have several independent conductive portions. The bend switch can include a movable space member placed between the elongated bodies to maintain the contact surfaces a predetermined distance apart in the open switch position. The movable space member can include preferred or non-preferred bending orientations, equilibrium positions, and/or a potentiometer for closing the switch. The bend switch can control one or more functions (e.g., microphone, volume, or playback controls) of an electronic device (e.g., portable media device or cellular telephone) coupled to the bend switch.Type: GrantFiled: December 28, 2011Date of Patent: August 9, 2016Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Eric B. Daniels, M. Evans Hankey, Daniele De Iuliis, Shin Nishibori, Peter Russell-Clarke
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Publication number: 20160173963Abstract: Systems and methods for forecasting events can be provided. A measurement database can store sensor measurements, each having been provided by a non-portable electronic device with a primary purpose unrelated to collecting measurements from a type of sensor that collected the measurement. A measurement set identifier can select a set of measurements. The electronic devices associated with the set of measurements can be in close geographical proximity relative to their geographical proximity to other devices. An inter-device correlator can access the set and collectively analyze the measurements. An event detector can determine whether an event occurred. An event forecaster can forecast a future event property. An alert engine can identify one or more entities to be alerted of the future event property, generate at least one alert identifying the future event property, and transmit the at least one alert to the identified one or more entities.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 23, 2016Publication date: June 16, 2016Inventors: John B. Filson, Eric B. Daniels, Adam Mittleman, Sierra L. Nelmes, Yoky Matsuoka
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Patent number: 9286781Abstract: Systems and methods for forecasting events can be provided. A measurement database can store sensor measurements, each having been provided by a non-portable electronic device with a primary purpose unrelated to collecting measurements from a type of sensor that collected the measurement. A measurement set identifier can select a set of measurements. The electronic devices associated with the set of measurements can be in close geographical proximity relative to their geographical proximity to other devices. An inter-device correlator can access the set and collectively analyze the measurements. An event detector can determine whether an event occurred. An event forecaster can forecast a future event property. An alert engine can identify one or more entities to be alerted of the future event property, generate at least one alert identifying the future event property, and transmit the at least one alert to the identified one or more entities.Type: GrantFiled: April 2, 2015Date of Patent: March 15, 2016Assignee: Google Inc.Inventors: John B. Filson, Eric B. Daniels, Adam Mittleman, Sierra L. Nelmes, Yoky Matsuoka
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Patent number: 9234669Abstract: An occupancy sensing electronic thermostat is described that includes a thermostat body, an electronic display that is viewable by a user in front of the thermostat, a passive infrared sensor for measuring infrared energy and an infrared energy directing element formed integrally with a front surface of the thermostat body. The passive infrared sensor may be positioned behind the infrared energy directing element such that infrared energy is directed thereonto by the infrared energy directing element. The thermostat may also include a temperature sensor and a microprocessor programmed to detect occupancy based on measurements from the passive infrared sensor.Type: GrantFiled: May 29, 2014Date of Patent: January 12, 2016Assignee: GOOGLE INC.Inventors: John Benjamin Filson, Eric B. Daniels, Brian Huppi
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Publication number: 20150330660Abstract: A wall-mountable programmable electronic thermostat for controlling an HVAC system is described. The thermostat includes a circular wall-mountable backplate with a central opening to allow for the passage of HVAC wires for electrical connection to the thermostat. The head unit body is also circular and is removeably mountable to the back plate. A plurality of wedge-shaped wiring terminals are mounted on the backplate for making a tool-free connection to HVAC wires. Each wiring terminal has button that a user can depress while a wire is inserted in a wire hole. The terminals are arranged along one or more circular arcs about the central opening of the backplate such that the wire holes face the central opening and the buttons are located close to the outer periphery of the backplate.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 29, 2015Publication date: November 19, 2015Inventors: John Benjamin Filson, Eric B. Daniels, Brian Huppi, David Sloo
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Publication number: 20150330658Abstract: A sleek, low-profile wall-mountable thermostat for controlling an HVAC system is described. The thermostat includes a ring-shaped controller that rotates about a central axis, and an optical sensor directed away from the central axis and toward a radially inward-facing surface of the ring-shaped controller so as to accurately detect optical signals indicating controller's rotational movement.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 29, 2015Publication date: November 19, 2015Inventors: John Benjamin Filson, Eric B. Daniels
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Publication number: 20150276237Abstract: A thermostat stand for a thermostat device may include a base and a mounting fixture configured to receive a thermostat device. The thermostat stand may additionally include an opening configured to allow one or more wires to pass through the opening to connect to the thermostat device, the one or more wires originating from either a power supply or from the boiler control device. The thermostat stand may further include a reflective horizontal surface positioned such that motion detection of energy-emitting objects is enhanced by virtue of reflections of energy emissions off of the reflective horizontal surface into the occupancy sensor.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 28, 2014Publication date: October 1, 2015Applicant: Google Inc.Inventors: Eric B. Daniels, William R. Dong, Jason C. Chamberlain, Daniel A. Warren, Helen Vo, Shyam R. Srinivasan, Anthony M. Fadell, Matthew L. Rogers
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Publication number: 20150276239Abstract: A control system may include a thermostat device and boiler control device. The thermostat device may be configured to receive electrical power from second wiring terminals and provide control signals to boiler control device using a second radio when wires are not present in first wiring terminals. The thermostat device may also be configured to receive electrical power from the first wiring terminals and provide the coded control signals to the boiler control device through the first wiring terminals when wires are present in the first wiring terminals. The boiler control device may be configured to receive the control signals from the thermostat device using a third radio and selectively couple the third wiring terminals to fifth wiring terminals to selectively control activation of the boiler-based heating system when wires are not present in fourth wiring terminals.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 28, 2014Publication date: October 1, 2015Applicant: NEST LABS, INC.Inventors: Anthony M. Fadell, Matthew L. Rogers, Daniel A. Warren, Shyam R. Srinivasan, Hirofumi Honjo, Eric B. Daniels, William R. Dong, Jason C. Chamberlain, Edwin H. Satterthwaite, JR., Shigefumi Honjo, Helen Vo, Richard W. Holbrook