Patents by Inventor Francis Mills

Francis Mills 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: 20240075930
    Abstract: A system has memory that stores instructions executable by the processor to instruct operation of at least one vehicle system (e.g., braking system, propulsion system, steering system, suspension system) in a minimum time mode for travel of the vehicle from a starting point to a destination point of a roadway. The system collects roadway data for the roadway from the starting point to the destination point. Based on the roadway data, the system determine a minimum time path from the starting point to the destination point and speed along the minimum time path. In response to a maximum acceleration input from a human driver of the vehicle when the vehicle is at the starting point, the system initiates the minimum time mode and instructs operation of at least one vehicle system to pursue the minimum time path and speed along the minimum time path from starting point to destination point.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2022
    Publication date: March 7, 2024
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Jordan Barrett, Brendan Francis Diamond, Keith Weston, Andrew Denis Lewandowski, Aaron L. Mills
  • Publication number: 20160368006
    Abstract: A system for energy extraction from a fluid stream including a wave pump configured to pump a volume of liquid from a liquid source in response to wave motion of the liquid source; a charge source, fluidly connected to the volume of fluid, that emits a charged droplet of the volume of fluid into the fluid stream, the charged droplet having a first polarity; and an electrical isolation mechanism configured to selectively electrically isolate the charge source from the wave pump.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2013
    Publication date: December 22, 2016
    Applicant: Accio Energy, Inc.
    Inventors: Francis Mills, Dawn White, David Carmein
  • Publication number: 20160149519
    Abstract: An electrohydrodynamic system configured to harvest electrical energy from a wind stream flowing along a wind vector, including: a charged droplet generator configured to generate a first electric field, the charged droplet generator including: a manifold, a plurality of channels extending through the manifold thickness along a downstream face of the manifold, and a field shaper configured to generate a substantially uniform charging field proximal the plurality of channels that charges the droplets to a single polarity, wherein the first electric field opposes charged droplet movement along the wind vector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 25, 2015
    Publication date: May 26, 2016
    Inventors: Randy Stevenson, Dawn White, Joseph McElroy, Francis Mills, Mike Bosserman, Vladimir Orlyanchik
  • Publication number: 20140110494
    Abstract: A system for energy extraction from a fluid stream including a wave pump configured to pump a volume of liquid from a liquid source in response to wave motion of the liquid source; a charge source, fluidly connected to the volume of fluid, that emits a charged droplet of the volume of fluid into the fluid stream, the charged droplet having a first polarity; and an electrical isolation mechanism configured to selectively electrically isolate the charge source from the wave pump.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2013
    Publication date: April 24, 2014
    Applicant: Accio Energy, Inc.
    Inventors: Francis Mills, Dawn White, David Carmein
  • Publication number: 20050069305
    Abstract: A vapor dispensing device having a high transverse loading stability includes a relatively low profile with respect to the supporting wall or electrical receptacle such that the frequency and impact of accidental physical contact with the device are appropriately reduced. To achieve a low profile, the housing of a vapor dispensing device is designed such that the distance from the outlet face of the wall receptacle to a worst-case transverse loading point (dL) is less than the distance from the plug to a worst-case support point (dS).
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2004
    Publication date: March 31, 2005
    Inventors: Mengtao He, Carl Triplett, Mary Conway, David Rinaldis, Michael Strasser, Francis Mills
  • Publication number: 20050069307
    Abstract: A vapor-dispensing device exhibiting a range of evaporation rates corresponding to a discernable range of sensory fragrance intensity levels. The vapor-delivery device includes one or more control structure (e.g., a heat control, a vent control, and/or the like) configured to allow a user to specify the evaporation rate of the vapor-dispensing device over a continuous or discretized range of values. In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the two extremes of operation correspond to a range of sensory fragrance intensity values that span at least three minimum perceivable intensity zones.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2004
    Publication date: March 31, 2005
    Inventors: Mengtao He, Carl Triplett, Mary Conway, David Rinaldis, Michael Strasser, Francis Mills
  • Publication number: 20050069304
    Abstract: A vapor-dispensing device exhibiting a range of evaporation rates corresponding to a discernable range of sensory fragrance intensity levels. The vapor-delivery device includes one or more control structure (e.g., a heat control, a vent control, and/or the like) configured to allow a user to specify the evaporation rate of the vapor-dispensing device over a continuous or discretized range of values. In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the two extremes of operation correspond to a range of sensory fragrance intensity values that span at least three minimum perceivable intensity zones.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2004
    Publication date: March 31, 2005
    Inventors: Mengtao He, Carl Triplett, Mary Conway, David Rinaldis, Michael Strasser, Francis Mills