Patents by Inventor Grant Nicholls

Grant Nicholls 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: 20230167680
    Abstract: The invention concerns an operator assembly for a movable barrier. The operator assembly includes a motor with a motor output shaft, an output drive to transfer drive to the movable barrier, and a transmission assembly to transfer drive from the motor output shaft to the output drive. The output drive is rotatable in a clockwise direction and in a counterclockwise direction, depending on whether the movable barrier is closing or opening. The output drive comprises a crown wheel rotatable about an output drive axis centre of rotation and having an outer face provided with a plurality of attachment points spaced from said centre of rotation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2022
    Publication date: June 1, 2023
    Inventors: Raymond Hawkins, Kanav Gupta, Travis Smith, Grant Nicholls
  • Publication number: 20230071988
    Abstract: A safety sensing system implements a method for a person in an industrial environment comprises providing a personnel locator device (10) for location on a person and a reference system comprising a plurality of nodes (20) located at predetermined ocations in the industrial environment (100). Radio ranging signals are transmitted between the nodes (20) and the personnel locator device (10) and measurements of times of flight of the radio ranging signals are derived. The location of the personnel locator device (10) is calculated based on the measurements of the times of flight of the radio ranging signals and reference information representing the predetermined locations of the nodes (10). It is determined if the calculated location of the personnel locator device (10) is within ne or more danger zones in the industrial environment (100) and a warning signal is output in response thereto.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2022
    Publication date: March 9, 2023
    Inventors: John Wilson, Grant Nicholls
  • Publication number: 20230077038
    Abstract: A safety sensing system implements a method for a person in an industrial environment comprises providing a personnel locator device (10) for location on a person and a reference system comprising a plurality of nodes (20) located at predetermined locations in the industrial environment (100). Radio ranging signals are transmitted between the nodes (20) and the personnel locator device (10) and measurements of times of flight of the radio ranging signals are derived. The location of the personnel locator device (10) is calculated based on the measurements of the times of flight of the radio ranging signals and reference information representing the predetermined locations of the nodes (10). It is determined if the calculated location of the personnel locator device (10) is within one or more danger zones in the industrial environment (100) and a warning signal is output in response thereto.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2022
    Publication date: March 9, 2023
    Inventors: John Wilson, Grant Nicholls
  • Publication number: 20230013203
    Abstract: The invention provides an operator assembly for a movable barrier comprising a roller closure, the roller closure mounted on a rotating carrier assembly, the operator assembly including a motor with a motor output shaft, an output drive to transfer drive to the movable barrier, and a transmission assembly to transfer drive from the motor output shaft to the output drive, the output drive rotatable in a clockwise direction and in a counterclockwise direction, depending on whether the movable barrier is closing or opening, wherein the output drive comprises a rotating crown wheel with an outer face carrying a plurality of shaped attachment portions, each attachment portion configured to receive an output drive extension element to engage with a drum wheel comprised in said rotating carrier assembly, the operator assembly including at least one first output drive extension element of a first size and shape and at least one second output drive extension element of a second, different size and shape, each first an
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2021
    Publication date: January 19, 2023
    Inventors: Raymond Hawkins, Kanav Gupta, Travis Smith, Grant Nicholls
  • Patent number: 11402205
    Abstract: A sensor unit mountable on a rotatable element on a platform that is itself movable, and includes an orientation sensor arranged to take measurements that are dependent on the orientation of the sensor unit, a processor arranged to derive a rotational position signal representing the orientation of the rotatable element from the measurements, and a buffer arranged to buffer a series of recent measurements taken by the orientation sensor over a predetermined period of time. The processor derives the rotational position signal making a correction to compensate for the effect of the motion of the platform on the measurements on the basis of the overall series of measurements buffered in the buffer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: Salunda Limited
    Inventors: Alan Patrick John Finlay, John Mark Newton, Andrew Henry John Larkins, Mathew William Davis, Grant Nicholls
  • Publication number: 20210255309
    Abstract: A safety sensing system implements a method for a person in an industrial environment comprises providing a personnel locator device (10) for location on a person and a reference system comprising a plurality of nodes (20) located at predetermined locations in the industrial environment (100). Radio ranging signals are transmitted between the nodes (20) and the personnel locator device (10) and measurements of times of flight of the radio ranging signals are derived. The location of the personnel locator device (10) is calculated based on the measurements of the times of flight of the radio ranging signals and reference information representing the predetermined locations of the nodes (10). It is determined if the calculated location of the personnel locator device (10) is within one or more danger zones in the industrial environment (100) and a warning signal is output in response thereto.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2019
    Publication date: August 19, 2021
    Inventors: John Wilson, Grant Nicholls
  • Patent number: 11026154
    Abstract: A wireless network comprises nodes, including routers having a tree-shaped communication topology and end devices, communicate in accordance a network protocol, wherein the routers transmit beacons in respective timeslots within a periodic beaconing interval, passively scan for messages, and, in response to receiving a message, transmit an acknowledgement thereof the received message. An end device that has a message that is pending transmission, passively scans for beacons transmitted from any router; and in response thereto, transmits the message, and passively scans for an acknowledgement, repeating those steps if no acknowledgement is received. This provides responsivity in an environment having rapidly changing propagation paths. To reduce power consumption, the end devices do not passively scan for beacons except when they have a message that is pending transmission, and also at predetermined times for reception of a downstream message.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: SALUNDA LIMITED
    Inventors: Grant Nicholls, Philip Samuel Pickles, Andrew Henry John Larkins, John Mark Newton
  • Patent number: 11015403
    Abstract: A sensor unit for a fingerboard latch assembly comprising a latch bracket and a latch rotatably mounted on the latch bracket comprises a sensor arranged to sense the orientation of the latch and a wireless, optical or other communication unit arranged to communicate the orientation of the latch sensed by the sensor. The sensor unit may be mountable on the latch and comprise an orientation sensor arranged to take measurements that are dependent on the orientation of the sensor unit, and a processor arranged to derive an orientation signal representing the orientation of the latch from the measurements, the communication unit being arranged to communicate the orientation signal. A monitoring system receives the sensed orientations from plural sensor units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: Salunda Limited
    Inventors: Alan Patrick John Finlay, John Mark Newton, Andrew Henry John Larkins, Mathew William Davis, Grant Nicholls
  • Publication number: 20200169942
    Abstract: A wireless network comprises nodes, including routers having a tree-shaped communication topology and end devices, communicate in accordance a network protocol, wherein the routers transmit beacons in respective timeslots within a periodic beaconing interval, passively scan for messages, and, in response to receiving a message, transmit an acknowledgement thereof the received message. An end device that has a message that is pending transmission, passively scans for beacons transmitted from any router; and in response thereto, transmits the message, and passively scans for an acknowledgement, repeating those steps if no acknowledgement is received. This provides responsivity in an environment having rapidly changing propagation paths. To reduce power consumption, the end devices do not passively scan for beacons except when they have a message that is pending transmission, and also at predetermined times for reception of a downstream message.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2018
    Publication date: May 28, 2020
    Inventors: Grant Nicholls, Philip Samuel Pickles, Andrew Henry John Larkins, John Mark Newton
  • Patent number: 10597953
    Abstract: A sensor unit for a fingerboard latch assembly comprising a latch bracket and a latch rotatably mounted on the latch bracket comprises a sensor arranged to sense the orientation of the latch and a wireless, optical or other communication unit arranged to communicate the orientation of the latch sensed by the sensor. The sensor unit may be mountable on the latch and comprise an orientation sensor arranged to take measurements that are dependent on the orientation of the sensor unit, and a processor arranged to derive an orientation signal representing the orientation of the latch from the measurements, the communication unit being arranged to communicate the orientation signal. A monitoring system receives the sensed orientations from plural sensor units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Assignee: Salunda Limited
    Inventors: Alan Patrick John Finlay, John Mark Newton, Andrew Henry John Larkins, Mathew William Davis, Grant Nicholls
  • Publication number: 20190376787
    Abstract: A sensor unit mountable on a rotatable element on a platform that is itself movable, and includes an orientation sensor arranged to take measurements that are dependent on the orientation of the sensor unit, a processor arranged to derive a rotational position signal representing the orientation of the rotatable element from the measurements, and a buffer arranged to buffer a series of recent measurements taken by the orientation sensor over a predetermined period of time. The processor derives the rotational position signal making a correction to compensate for the effect of the motion of the platform on the measurements on the basis of the overall series of measurements buffered in the buffer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2017
    Publication date: December 12, 2019
    Inventors: Alan Patrick John Finlay, John Mark Newton, Andrew Henry John Larkins, Mathew William Davis, Grant Nicholls
  • Publication number: 20190211635
    Abstract: A sensor unit for a fingerboard latch assembly comprising a latch bracket and a latch rotatably mounted on the latch bracket comprises a sensor arranged to sense the orientation of the latch and a wireless, optical or other communication unit arranged to communicate the orientation of the latch sensed by the sensor. The sensor unit may be mountable on the latch and comprise an orientation sensor arranged to take measurements that are dependent on the orientation of the sensor unit, and a processor arranged to derive an orientation signal representing the orientation of the latch from the measurements, the communication unit being arranged to communicate the orientation signal. A monitoring system receives the sensed orientations from plural sensor units.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 4, 2017
    Publication date: July 11, 2019
    Inventors: Alan Patrick John Finlay, John Mark Newton, Andrew Henry John Larkins, Mathew William Davis, Grant Nicholls
  • Patent number: 10240408
    Abstract: A sensor unit for a fingerboard latch assembly comprising a latch bracket and a latch rotatably mounted on the latch bracket comprises a sensor arranged to sense the orientation of the latch and a wireless, optical or other communication unit arranged to communicate the orientation of the latch sensed by the sensor. The sensor unit may be mountable on the latch and comprise an orientation sensor arranged to take measurements that are dependent on the orientation of the sensor unit, and a processor arranged to derive an orientation signal representing the orientation of the latch from the measurements, the communication unit being arranged to communicate the orientation signal. A monitoring system receives the sensed orientations from plural sensor units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: Salunda Limited
    Inventors: Alan Patrick John Finlay, John Mark Newton, Andrew Henry John Larkins, Mathew William Davis, Grant Nicholls
  • Publication number: 20180328124
    Abstract: A sensor unit for a fingerboard latch assembly comprising a latch bracket and a latch rotatably mounted on the latch bracket comprises a sensor arranged to sense the orientation of the latch and a wireless, optical or other communication unit arranged to communicate the orientation of the latch sensed by the sensor. The sensor unit may be mountable on the latch and comprise an orientation sensor arranged to take measurements that are dependent on the orientation of the sensor unit, and a processor arranged to derive an orientation signal representing the orientation of the latch from the measurements, the communication unit being arranged to communicate the orientation signal. A monitoring system receives the sensed orientations from plural sensor units.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2018
    Publication date: November 15, 2018
    Inventors: Alan Patrick John Finlay, John Mark Newton, Andrew Henry John Larkins, Mathew William Davis, Grant Nicholls
  • Publication number: 20180321331
    Abstract: A sensor unit for a fingerboard latch assembly comprising a latch bracket and a latch rotatably mounted on the latch bracket comprises a sensor arranged to sense the orientation of the latch and a wireless, optical or other communication unit arranged to communicate the orientation of the latch sensed by the sensor. The sensor unit may be mountable on the latch and comprise an orientation sensor arranged to take measurements that are dependent on the orientation of the sensor unit, and a processor arranged to derive an orientation signal representing the orientation of the latch from the measurements, the communication unit being arranged to communicate the orientation signal. A monitoring system receives the sensed orientations from plural sensor units.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2018
    Publication date: November 8, 2018
    Inventors: Alan Patrick John Finlay, John Mark Newton, Andrew Henry John Larkins, Mathew William Davis, Grant Nicholls