Patents by Inventor J. Wise Smith

J. Wise Smith 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).

  • Electronic display license plate
    Patent number: 5105179
    Abstract: An electronic display license plate and message center for use on automobiles and other vehicles. The electronic display license plate is a replacement for the standard metal license plate, and may be constructed as a part of the car, such as an integral part of the taillight assembly, or may be constructed as a bolt-on replacement module for existing license plates. The display may be constructed from an array of light-emitting diodes, or a liquid crystal display, or from an electroluminescent panel. A configuration cartridge, typically containing a read only memory (ROM) circuit, contains license plate information such as state, county, license number, and expiration date, configures the display for the particular vehicle. The electronic display license plate may also contain circuitry to detect the expiration of the license and appropriately indicate that expiration by flashing or inverting the display, or causing it to go blank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 1990
    Date of Patent: April 14, 1992
    Inventor: J. Wise Smith
  • Carrier handle for a can
    Patent number: D456578
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2002
    Assignee: Inova, Inc.
    Inventors: J. Wise Smith, Hugh R. McVeigh