Patents by Inventor Harold Swift
Harold Swift 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: 8228194Abstract: An energy harvesting circuit has an active automatic tuning circuit to search for broadcast frequencies in a band of interest and selecting only those broadcast signals received with sufficient RF strength to be used in energy harvesting. This circuit would provide power storage devices with a circuit that has a means to select the ambient RF that can maximize or enhance the performance of an RFID circuit by increasing the amount of energy for harvesting. This automatic tuning would enable a power storage devices charger circuit to move from location to location without manual tuning of the circuit and increase the effective range of an RFID circuit.Type: GrantFiled: October 28, 2004Date of Patent: July 24, 2012Assignee: University of Pittsburgh - Of the Commonwealth System of Higher EducationInventors: Marlin H. Mickle, Christopher C. Capelli, Harold Swift
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Patent number: 8090414Abstract: The present invention provides apparatus and an associated method for remotely energizing power storage devices. Energization may preferably be effected through the use of RF energy from a base station, ambient energy or ultra-wide band energy. The remote station preferably has at least one antenna having an effective area greater than its physical area. The system may have an antenna and associated circuitry provided on an electronic chip such as a monolithic chip or on a printed circuit with a suitable substrate.Type: GrantFiled: December 11, 2008Date of Patent: January 3, 2012Assignee: University of Pittsburgh—Of The Commonwealth System of Higher EducationInventors: Marlin H. Mickle, Christopher C. Capelli, Harold Swift, Leonid Mats, Minhong Mi, Charles E. Greene
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Patent number: 7567824Abstract: The present invention provides apparatus and an associated method for remotely energizing power storage devices. Energization may preferably be effected through the use of RF energy from a base station, ambient energy or ultra-wide band energy. The remote station preferably has at least one antenna having an effective area greater than its physical area. The system may have an antenna and associated circuitry provided on an electronic chip such as a monolithic chip or on a printed circuit with a suitable substrate.Type: GrantFiled: November 3, 2005Date of Patent: July 28, 2009Assignee: University of Pittsburgh-Of the Commonwealth System of Higher EducationInventors: Marlin H. Mickle, Christopher C. Capelli, Harold Swift, Leonid Matts, Minhong Mi, Charles E. Greene
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Publication number: 20090098915Abstract: The present invention provides apparatus and an associated method for remotely energizing power storage devices. Energization may preferably be effected through the use of RF energy from a base station, ambient energy or ultra-wide band energy. The remote station preferably has at least one antenna having an effective area greater than its physical area. The system may have an antenna and associated circuitry provided on an electronic chip such as a monolithic chip or on a printed circuit with a suitable substrate.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 11, 2008Publication date: April 16, 2009Applicant: University of Pittsburgh-Of the Commonwealth System of Higher EducationInventors: Marlin H. Mickle, Christopher C. Capelli, Harold Swift, Leonid Mats, Minhong Mi, Charles E. Greene
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Patent number: 7440780Abstract: The present invention provides apparatus and an associated method for remotely energizing power storage devices. Energization may preferably be effected through the use of RF energy from a base station, ambient energy or ultra-wide band energy. The remote station preferably has at least one antenna having an effective area greater than its physical area. The system may have an antenna and associated circuitry provided on an electronic chip such as a monolithic chip or on a printed circuit with a suitable substrate.Type: GrantFiled: December 23, 2004Date of Patent: October 21, 2008Assignee: University of Pittsburgh - Of the Commonwealth System of Higher EducationInventors: Marlin H. Mickle, Christopher C. Capelli, Harold Swift, Leonid Matts, Minhong Mi, Charles E. Greene
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Patent number: 7403803Abstract: The present invention provides apparatus and an associated method for remotely energizing power storage devices. Energization may preferably be effected through the use of RF energy within frequencies of the wireless fidelity standards. The remote station preferably has at least one antenna having an effective area greater than its physical area. The invention may advantageously be used on wireless fidelity products which are energized by the power storage device.Type: GrantFiled: May 11, 2004Date of Patent: July 22, 2008Assignee: University of Pittsburgh - Of the Commonwealth System of Higher EducationInventors: Marlin H. Mickle, Christopher C. Capelli, Harold Swift
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Patent number: 7383064Abstract: The present invention provides apparatus and an associated method for remotely energizing power storage devices. Energization may preferably be effected through the use of RF energy within frequencies of the wireless fidelity standards. The remote station preferably has at least one antenna having an effective area greater than its physical area. The invention may advantageously be used on wireless fidelity products which are energized by the power storage device.Type: GrantFiled: November 3, 2005Date of Patent: June 3, 2008Assignee: University of Pittsburgh - Of the Commonwealth System of Higher EducationInventors: Marlin H. Mickle, Christopher C. Capelli, Harold Swift
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Patent number: 7373133Abstract: The present invention provides apparatus and an associated method for remotely energizing power storage devices. Energization may preferably be effected through the use of RF energy from a base station, ambient energy or ultra-wide band energy. The remote station preferably has at least one antenna having an effective area greater than its physical area. The system may have an antenna and associated circuitry provided on an electronic chip such as a monolithic chip or on a printed circuit with a suitable substrate.Type: GrantFiled: June 11, 2003Date of Patent: May 13, 2008Assignee: University of Pittsburgh - Of the Commonwealth System of Higher EducationInventors: Marlin H. Mickle, Christopher C. Capelli, Harold Swift, Leonid Matts, Minhong Mi, Charles E. Greene
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Publication number: 20080071188Abstract: The present invention is a method for obtaining an electrical signal from a patient that corresponds to a meridian. The present method contemplates locating a dermal area of a patient proximate a meridian. One embodiment of the present invention comprises locating a dermal area by iteratively measuring and comparing the conductivity of a patient's skin until a significant level of conductance is indicated. A probe may then be placed in contact with the dermal area, and actuated to obtain an electrical signal therefrom. The probe tip may be specially designed to apply an appropriate amount of pressure to the dermal area to directly sense a meridian, and configured to avoid erroneous measurements resulting from misalignment of the probe or probe tip.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 26, 2007Publication date: March 20, 2008Inventors: Douglas Horne, Phillip Dietz, Harold Swift
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Patent number: 7283053Abstract: A method of identifying an article of interest includes providing one of a plurality of RF antennas each having a non-linear element which may be a rectifying diode and being resident at a different frequency on the article of interest. One RF antenna is interrogated with RF energy of a first frequency and converts the interrogated RF energy into a reflected energy of a different frequency. The reflected energy is sensed and on the basis of the different frequency determining if a specific antenna is present. The non-linear element may be a diode and is preferably a variable non-linear element. In another embodiment, the reflected RF energy is responsive to a change in ambient physical conditions such as pressure or temperature. Corresponding apparatus is provided.Type: GrantFiled: December 9, 2003Date of Patent: October 16, 2007Assignee: University of Pittsburgh - Of the Commonwealth System of Higher EducationInventors: Marlin H. Mickle, Christopher C. Capelli, Harold Swift, Charles E. Greene
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Patent number: 7084605Abstract: A station having a means for receipt of ambient energy from the environment and energizing power storage devices of objects of interest comprising one or more antennae and circuitry for converting said ambient energy into DC power for energizing said power storage devices. The circuitry for converting the ambient energy into DC power may include a rectifier/charge pump. The antenna of the station is tuned to maximize DC energy at the output of the rectifier/charge pump. The station can be used to energize power storage devices including capacitors and batteries that are used in electronic devices, such as cell phones, cameras, PDAs. Various antenna constructions may be employed.Type: GrantFiled: October 18, 2004Date of Patent: August 1, 2006Assignee: University of PittsburghInventors: Marlin H. Mickle, Christopher C. Capelli, Harold Swift
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Patent number: 7057514Abstract: A wireless untethered device which may be an integrated circuit chip or printed circuit board having at least one integrated antenna and circuitry operatively associated with the antenna for receipt of energy harvested from space by the antenna. The antenna has an effective area greater than its physical area. A system which receives power from the harvested energy after the energy is processed by the circuitry may also be provided with mismatched impedance between the antenna and a circuit resistance.Type: GrantFiled: October 5, 2004Date of Patent: June 6, 2006Assignee: University of Pittsburgh - Of the Commonwealth System oif Higher EducationInventors: Marlin H. Mickle, Christopher C. Capelli, Harold Swift
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Publication number: 20060094425Abstract: An energy harvesting circuit has an active automatic tuning circuit to search for broadcast frequencies in a band of interest and selecting only those broadcast signals received with sufficient RF strength to be used in energy harvesting. This circuit would provide power storage devices with a circuit that has a means to select the ambient RF that can maximize or enhance the performance of an RFID circuit by increasing the amount of energy for harvesting. This automatic tuning would enable a power storage devices charger circuit to move from location to location without manual tuning of the circuit and increase the effective range of an RFID circuit.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 28, 2004Publication date: May 4, 2006Inventors: Marlin Mickle, Christopher Capelli, Harold Swift
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Publication number: 20060063568Abstract: The present invention provides apparatus and an associated method for remotely energizing power storage devices. Energization may preferably be effected through the use of RF energy from a base station, ambient energy or ultra-wide band energy. The remote station preferably has at least one antenna having an effective area greater than its physical area. The system may have an antenna and associated circuitry provided on an electronic chip such as a monolithic chip or on a printed circuit with a suitable substrate.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 3, 2005Publication date: March 23, 2006Inventors: Marlin Mickle, Christopher Capelli, Harold Swift, Leonid Mats, Minhong Mi, Charles Greene
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Publication number: 20060058076Abstract: The present invention provides apparatus and an associated method for remotely energizing power storage devices. Energization may preferably be effected through the use of RF energy within frequencies of the wireless fidelity standards. The remote station preferably has at least one antenna having an effective area greater than its physical area. The invention may advantageously be used on wireless fidelity products which are energized by the power storage device.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 3, 2005Publication date: March 16, 2006Inventors: Marlin Mickle, Christopher Capelli, Harold Swift
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Publication number: 20060025630Abstract: A process to produce N-vinylformamide includes the steps of: reacting hydroxyethyl formamide with a reactant including at least one cyclic anhydride group to form an ester, and dissociating (or cracking) the ester to synthesize N-vinylformamide and a compound including at least one diacid group. The ester can be dissociated using heat. The reactant including at least one cyclic anhydride group can, for example, be succinic anhydride, maleic anhydride, phthalic anhydride, a polymer including at least one cyclic anhydride group, or a solid support to which at least one cyclic anhydride group is covalently tethered. Preferably, the cyclic anhydride is regenerated from the diacid formed in the synthesis of the ester by heating the diacid to dehydrate the diacid. The temperature required to dehydrate diacid groups is preferably higher than the temperature use to dissociate the ester.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 19, 2005Publication date: February 2, 2006Inventors: Eric Beckman, Tony Chapman, Cedrick Favero, Christopher Capelli, Harold Swift
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Publication number: 20050192062Abstract: The present invention provides apparatus and an associated method for remotely energizing power storage devices. Energization may preferably be effected through the use of RF energy from a base station, ambient energy or ultra-wide band energy. The remote station preferably has at least one antenna having an effective area greater than its physical area. The system may have an antenna and associated circuitry provided on an electronic chip such as a monolithic chip or on a printed circuit with a suitable substrate.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 23, 2004Publication date: September 1, 2005Inventors: Marlin Mickle, Christopher Capelli, Harold Swift, Leonid Matts, Minhong Mi, Charles Greene
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Publication number: 20050104553Abstract: A station having a means for receipt of ambient energy from the environment and energizing power storage devices of objects of interest comprising one or more antennae and circuitry for converting said ambient energy into DC power for energizing said power storage devices. The circuitry for converting the ambient energy into DC power may include a rectifier/charge pump. The antenna of the station is tuned to maximize DC energy at the output of the rectifier/charge pump. The station can be used to energize power storage devices including capacitors and batteries that are used in electronic devices, such as cell phones, cameras, PDAs. Various antenna constructions may be employed.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 18, 2004Publication date: May 19, 2005Inventors: Marlin Mickle, Christopher Capelli, Harold Swift
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Patent number: 6856291Abstract: An inherently tuned antenna has a circuit for harvesting energy transmitted in space and includes portions that are structured to provide regenerative feedback into the antenna to produce an inherently tuned antenna which has an effective area substantially greater than its physical area. The inherently tuned antenna includes inherent distributive inductive, inherent distributive capacitive and inherent distributive resistive elements which cause the antenna to resonate responsive to receipt of energy at a particular frequency and to provide feedback to regenerate the antenna. The circuit may be provided on an integrated circuit chip. An associated method is provided.Type: GrantFiled: July 21, 2003Date of Patent: February 15, 2005Assignee: University of Pittsburgh- Of the Commonwealth System of Higher EducationInventors: Marlin H. Mickle, Christopher C. Capelli, Harold Swift
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Publication number: 20050033089Abstract: A process to produce N-vinylformamide includes the steps of: reacting hydroxyethyl formamide with a reactant comprising at least one cyclic anhydride group to form an ester, and dissociating the ester via heat in a thin film evaporation to synthesize N-vinylformamide and a compound comprising at least one diacid group, the N-vinylformamide separating from the diacid during the thin film evaporation. The reactant including at least one cyclic anhydride group can, for example, be succinic anhydride, maleic anhydride, phthalic anhydride, (2-docecen-1-yl)succinic anhydride, exo-3,6-epoxy-1,2,3,6 -tetrahydrophthalic anhydride or a polymer including at least one cyclic anhydride group.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 27, 2004Publication date: February 10, 2005Inventors: Eric Beckman, Toby Chapman, Cedrick Favero, Christopher Capelli, Harold Swift, William Carroll