Patents by Inventor Horace Craig Heller

Horace Craig Heller 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).

  • System and Method for Detecting and Preventing Drowsiness
    Publication number: 20150070177
    Abstract: A system for preventing drowsiness in a driver by employing a thermal grill. The system includes a detection module and an intervention module. The detection module monitors a driver's parameters to determine whether the driver is drowsy. If the driver is determined to be drowsy, the intervention module activates a thermal grill with interlaced hot and cold regions. This activation causes the hot regions to approach one temperature and the cold regions to approach another. Additionally, this activation leads to an uncomfortable sensation for the driver, alerts the driver, and prevents the driver from getting drowsy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2014
    Publication date: March 12, 2015
    Applicants: Honda Motor Co., Ltd., The Board of Trustees of The Leland Stanford Junior University
    Inventors: Hsuan Chang, Horace Craig Heller, Dennis H. Grahn
  • System and method for detecting and preventing drowsiness
    Patent number: 8917182
    Abstract: A system for preventing drowsiness in a driver by employing a thermal grill. The system includes a detection module and an intervention module. The detection module monitors a driver's parameters to determine whether the driver is drowsy. If the driver is determined to be drowsy, the intervention module activates a thermal grill with interlaced hot and cold regions. This activation causes the hot regions to approach one temperature and the cold regions to approach another. Additionally, this activation leads to an uncomfortable sensation for the driver, alerts the driver, and prevents the driver from getting drowsy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Assignees: Honda Motor Co., Ltd., The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University
    Inventors: Hsuan Chang, Horace Craig Heller, Dennis A. Grahn
  • SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DETECTING AND PREVENTING DROWSINESS
    Publication number: 20130328684
    Abstract: A system for preventing drowsiness in a driver by employing a thermal grill. The system includes a detection module and an intervention module. The detection module monitors a driver's parameters to determine whether the driver is drowsy. If the driver is determined to be drowsy, the intervention module activates a thermal grill with interlaced hot and cold regions. This activation causes the hot regions to approach one temperature and the cold regions to approach another. Additionally, this activation leads to an uncomfortable sensation for the driver, alerts the driver, and prevents the driver from getting drowsy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2012
    Publication date: December 12, 2013
    Applicants: The Board of Trustees of The Leland Stanford Junior University, HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hsuan Chang, Horace Craig Heller, Dennis A. Grahn